"They went on vacation," Mirajane said with a smile. "Akane Resort Paradise. Loki gave them premium hotel vouchers."
She paused, amused. "You've been living in the library lately, so you probably missed it. You know Loki is a Celestial Spirit, right?"
Rowan blinked. "He is?"
Mirajane filled in the story. Loki's true name was Leo, the Lion Spirit of the Zodiac. He wasn't human at all. Years ago, disgusted by how his former summoner had abused her spirits, he had refused to return to the Celestial World. As a result, she lost access to her other spirits and eventually died during a mission. For that, Leo had been punished by the Celestial Spirit King and barred from returning home.
Since then, he had remained in the human world, disguising himself as a holder-type mage and joining Fairy Tail. But Celestial Spirits couldn't remain in the human world indefinitely. Without returning periodically to replenish their magic, they would eventually fade away.
By the time Lucy discovered the truth, Leo was already close to his limit. She summoned the Celestial Spirit King himself and begged for Leo's punishment to be lifted. The request was granted, and Leo became Lucy's contracted spirit.
"Loki was a Celestial Spirit…" Rowan muttered, stunned. "I missed quite the scene."
He felt a flicker of regret. From the books he had read, the Celestial Spirit King was a being of terrifying power. Seeing him in person would have been invaluable.
"And Lucy actually summoned him," Rowan added quietly. "That almost never happens."
Before Mirajane could reply, the crystal ball on the counter flared to life. A thin, elderly man appeared inside it, his expression grim.
"Councilman Yajima?" Mirajane straightened in surprise.
Yajima spoke without preamble. "Akane Resort Paradise suffered a kidnapping last night. The victim is Erza Scarlet. Witnesses confirm she was taken to a small island off the coast near Hargeon."
Mirajane's face drained of color.
"The operation is being led by a dark mage named Jellal," Yajima continued. "He's constructing an R System on the island. His goal is to resurrect Zeref. The kingdom's forces have already been wiped out. On Councilor Siegrain's recommendation, the Magic Council has approved the use of Etherion."
He paused, voice heavy. "You have twenty-five minutes. If Erza isn't rescued by then, the island will be annihilated."
Mirajane clenched her fists. "Etherion…"
"It was put to a vote," Yajima said bitterly. "I was the only one who opposed it."
If Natsu and the others had gone after Erza, and they were still on that island when Etherion fired…
Mirajane turned to Rowan, panic clear in her eyes. "Rowan, please. Go to Hargeon. Find Erza and the others. Get them off that island."
"The guild master wouldn't make it in time even if he were here," she added. "You're the only one who can."
Rowan raised a hand. "Slow down. First, explain. What exactly is the R System? And Etherion?"
Mirajane swallowed and explained as quickly as she could.
The R System was a forbidden spell devised by the dark mage Zeref himself, capable of resurrecting the dead. Years ago, a cult had attempted to revive him by building seven incomplete R Systems on islands near Hargeon. The Magic Council had destroyed them all.
Before joining Fairy Tail, Erza had been one of the enslaved children forced to construct those systems.
Etherion, on the other hand, was the Council's ultimate weapon. A massive long-range spell that focused billions of units of conceptual magic through a satellite array, capable of striking anywhere in the world. When deployed properly, it could erase an entire nation.
Rowan exhaled slowly. "So basically… a magical nuke. Worse than one."
He didn't hesitate any longer.
With a soft crack of displaced air, he vanished.
There was no point bringing reinforcements. Erza, Natsu, and the others were already there. Anyone left in the guild hall would only get in the way. This wasn't about winning a battle. It was about evacuation.
As long as he could find them, getting them out before Etherion fired was simple. Apparition or his mirror escape would handle the rest.
Rowan reappeared high above Hargeon, unfurled his wings, and shot toward the open sea in the direction Yajima had given him. Apparition required a known destination. For the island itself, he would have to fly.
Before long, a small island came into view, crowned by a towering, unnatural structure. Broken ships bearing the kingdom's flag drifted in the surrounding waters.
"This is it."
Rowan drew his wand. "Invisibility."
His form vanished as he descended. Activating a tracking charm, he followed fresh footprints across the island, heading straight for the tower's entrance.
Anyone capable of capturing Erza Scarlet wasn't someone to underestimate.