Chapter 67: Natsu, Gray, and the Cat (Request Subscription!)

Mo En could speak such words with a straight face mainly because he had no regrets or unresolved pains that needed changing.

Moreover, having read The Flash, Mo En deeply understood one thing: changing the past rarely turns out as Itachi hope.

“No, I can’t tell Itachi much about the future. I won’t casually alter someone else’s life.”

Though somewhat convinced by Mo En’s words, Erza still shook her head firmly—her nature dictated this; she wouldn’t gamble with the future.

“Keep studying.”

Mo En patted Erza’s head, not pressing further; he had no particular desire to know exactly how the future would unfold. At least for now, the future six years ahead seemed decent—wasn’t that enough? It was more than sufficient.

Knowing this, Mo En wouldn’t slacken his self-demand, for he knew his daily, yearly training was the foundation of this seemingly decent future.

Mo En stopped asking, and Erza stopped speaking; they continued studying the time magic book. For some reason, looking at its contents, Mo En always felt like panning for gold in dung.

“Memory Time—this is the title, right?”

Mo En sifted through the text and found one useful piece of information: the name of this magic book was Memory Time.

“Why is it called that?”

Erza was baffled—it sounded more like a diary’s title.

“It seems related to how it works.”

Mo En kept flipping through the book; after finding the name, things became simpler, and more information began to surface.

“When Itachi open this book, the user is transported to the earliest time they remember—that’s why it’s called Memory Time.”

As he read the text, Mo En slowly explained: this magic book might be better called a “Memory Time Machine.”

Holding the book, recalling the past, then opening it lets Itachi travel to the time Itachi remember.

This magic book is a time machine that can only go to the past—and it can be used by multiple people; anyone who touches the user can travel with them. That explains why five people arrived together.

“What an incredible magic!”

Erza marveled—it involved time and space, so its obscurity made sense.

“Six hours. Duration.”

Mo En continued interpreting the text. As soon as he spoke, Erza grew tense and looked over immediately.

“After six hours, the user is automatically transported back to their original timeline.”

Erza read this aloud, and her mind momentarily froze.

“How long have Itachi been here?”

Mo En’s expression turned serious, for this six-hour auto-return function clearly applied only to the user.

If time ran out and the others who came along didn’t return with the user, they’d be permanently stranded here.

“Let me think.”

Facing Mo En’s question, Erza calmed down. She knew panic now would only lead to mistakes—she and Lucy had already learned that lesson the hard way.

“About four hours, maybe?”

Erza estimated the time; she hadn’t noted exact details, only remembered arriving around two or three in the afternoon.

“About right. It seems our time is running out.”

Mo En took a deep breath—he’d deduced the time from when he ate lunch, when he’d already met Lucy.

Calculating it, roughly four hours had passed; even the sky was nearly dark.

Mo En had been absorbed in practicing Diamond Dust Fist today, so he ate late—it was already around two in the afternoon then.

“Let’s go! Find them!”

Erza jumped up, urgently saying: time was short—if they didn’t find those bastards soon, they’d be stuck!

“Who is the book’s user?”

Mo En closed the book and asked.

He suddenly thought of a plan: if the user returned and came back again, maybe they could retrieve the others?

There was no reason those who came along once couldn’t come back with the user next time. Missed this ride? Take the next one—it sounded perfectly reasonable.

“Natsu. Natsu is the user!”

Erza spoke, and immediately realized it was hopeless: the book was now in their hands, not Natsu’s. The “next ride” plan collapsed instantly.

“The book says: to return, Itachi must hold onto this book, because the book must travel with the user to return.”

Mo En sighed. Now, finding Natsu was the only option.

Otherwise, Erza, Gray, Lucy, Happy, and this magic book would all be stranded here.

“Let’s check the riverbank.”

Mo En said. If he had to guess where they’d be, the riverbank was the only plausible place—it had seen too many events.

“Okay!”

Erza nodded. She too wanted to return to that riverbank.

In Erza’s memory, that river was special: when she first joined the guild, she often sat alone by the river, staring at the flowing water.

Later, someone would sit with her.

Erza’s gaze turned to Mo En, soft and tender—the Mo En in her memory was younger than the one before her now.

No matter how much time passed or how much people changed, one thing never changed: Mo En’s heart, always tenderly devoted to her.

Mo En led the way; he knew Magnolia City better than she did now. Erza followed closely behind, and they hurried swiftly toward the river outside town.

On the road outside town, they saw a carriage—unhitched, parked by the roadside—with a group of servants gathered around it.

The servants formed three concentric circles around the carriage, shouting chaotically: “Miss! We’ve finally found Itachi!”—clearly chasing after a noble girl who’d snuck out.

Mo En glanced inside and thought he saw a little girl with golden hair, but he had no time to deal with this now.

Taking Erza with him, they ran to the riverside—and there, indeed, they found the others: Lucy and two bruised men, plus a “cat.”

“.”

Seeing this, Mo En pressed his lips together, unsure how to even react.

Natsu and Gray’s disguises were better than Erza’s and Lucy’s—they’d changed their hair colors: Natsu had black hair, Gray had light yellow, and their clothing was reasonably normal.

What truly left Mo En speechless was the “cat.”

It was Happy.

(End of Chapter)