Mira's eyes softened as she watched the exhausted fighters across the mountain. "They've probably reached their limit, haven't they?"
Rhodes nodded. "Yes. Let's put an end to this."
To him, their strength was nothing extraordinary. Yet six years ago, these Black Knights would have been the pride of any mid-tier Guild, maybe even the trump card of a smaller one. Still, he knew such opponents weren't nearly enough to defeat Erza and Natsu.
He raised his hand, and the alchemical mist around them dispersed. Wings spread wide across his back, dark and powerful. Behind him, Mira unfurled a pair of demon's wings, and together they soared into the sky.
Across the battlefield, Fei, ever the vigilant gunner, spotted movement. "Someone's flying over! Two of them!"
At last, Forsite's weary eyes lit with hope. With only one summoned beast still standing, he had been waiting for this moment, the summoner's reveal. If they could just strike once before their enemy acted, there was still a chance.
"Don't lose focus!" he barked. "Tell me, what do they look like?"
Fei activated the telescopic enchantment in his visor. Rhodes and Mira's faces snapped into clarity, and the musket in his hand slipped from his grasp. His lips trembled, unable to form the words.
"Watch your weapon, idiot!" Siaxes snapped. She followed his gaze, then froze. Her legs buckled, and she dropped to her knees, pale as a ghost. "It's… it's over."
Forsite snarled, dodging another blow from Little Blue. "What nonsense are you two spouting? What did you see?!"
Fei's voice cracked. "It's… a monster."
Siaxes whispered the same, hollow and broken. "A monster…"
Forsite's heart lurched. The word stabbed into his thoughts, making his blood run cold. He dared not turn, but the battlefield itself seemed to shudder.
Little Blue's massive punch, aimed squarely at him, stopped mid-swing.
Because two figures had landed gracefully upon his shoulders. One to the left, one to the right. They each reached out and stroked its head as if calming a beloved pet.
A man, handsome, composed.
A woman, beautiful, serene.
And the hulking giant, suddenly docile under their touch.
To the onlookers, the scene was surreal. But none could appreciate its strangeness, because the suffocating pressure of Magic Power filled the mountain like a storm. The weight pressed on their lungs, making even breath feel impossible.
Sai's voice quavered through trembling lips. "The Saint Ten… seventh-ranked… the one who annihilated five Dark Guilds in a single strike..."
Her clarinet slipped from her grasp. "Why… why are you here?!"
Forsite's spirit finally cracked. He roared the words with every last shred of strength, before collapsing into the dirt, gasping like a drowning man.
He should have known. He should have realized sooner. With beasts like these under their command, the summoner would never be weak.
But all this time, he had clung to hope, that maybe their enemy had no real close-combat strength, that maybe the fight could still be turned around.
But was this really the kind of "thing" pulling the strings behind those summoned beasts?
"Just tying up a few loose ends," Rhodes said flatly, his gaze sweeping across the fallen enemies. "Not planning to fight anymore?"
"Heh… hehe…" The remaining Black Knights removed their helmets and tossed them aside, their faces twisted into bitter smiles.
Fight? Against him? That would be no different from lining up for a lightning bath.
For the first time, Rhodes realized just how much weight his new title carried.
Whenever he fought, he always felt that any one of the others in the Saint Ten could have handled such small fry. He only stepped in out of respect for Warrod and Makarov.
But for ordinary mages, that feat, defeating five Dark Guilds in one strike, was the stuff of nightmares. For most people, their first real understanding of the Saint Ten's power came from him.
It dawned on Rhodes that he hadn't fully grasped the significance of his own reputation.
Even though he had already judged that these bandits were unlikely to be connected to Erza and Natsu's disappearance, he asked anyway, just in case.
"Have you seen any Fairy Tail mages in the past two days?"
Forsite shut his eyes, refusing to answer.
Sai trembled, her voice barely steady. "W-we only knew someone might've hired mages to deal with us. But we never learned who. We haven't seen any Fairy Tail members."
So it truly had nothing to do with them.
Rhodes drew out the spear he had brought back from Edolas. With a flick, its sealing enchantment lit up, binding the entire group in glowing chains and locking away their magic.
Mira moved through the battlefield, collecting spoils with practiced ease. She picked up the size-shifting saber, the clarinet, the musket, and the bow, tucking them away with a little satisfied smile, already deciding who might like them as gifts.
Meanwhile, Rhodes sent two Crabs to scout the fortress. They clattered through every corner, prying open the granary, treasury, and hidden rooms. When Rhodes was certain there were no surprises left, he marched the captives down the mountain.
It wasn't even dark yet when they returned to town. The sight of two enormous purple crabs dragging eight armored prisoners caused pedestrians to scatter at first. But soon, recognition dawned, of both the captives and the pair of Fairy Tail mages leading them.
A few brave townsfolk stepped forward, eyes wide.
Rhodes raised his voice so all could hear:
"We are Fairy Tail mages. By the commission of your Town Chief, the Black Knight Gang has been defeated. Every one of them has been captured!"
He deliberately left out his own name. This wasn't about Rhodes the Wizard Saint. It was about Fairy Tail.
He also made sure to mention the Town Chief, letting everyone know their leader had played his part too.
The battered, still-smoking armor left on the captives made them unmistakable. Even the most timid villagers now had proof before their eyes.
Though it was just a simple bandit hunt, Rhodes had gone out of his way to handle it thoroughly. Every detail mattered when it came to restoring Fairy Tail's reputation.
He shouted the declaration several times, but soon it was no longer necessary. The townsfolk themselves picked it up, voices echoing down the streets:
"Fairy Tail has taken down the Black Knights!"
The Town Chief soon arrived in person, accompanied by his secretary and several guards.
"The entire Black Knight Gang has been captured? Excellent. And there are still stolen goods left in their hideout?"
Rhodes handed him a rough map of the fortress. "I marked the granary, treasury, and storerooms. You can send people to recover everything."
It would have been easy to pocket some of the loot for themselves, but Fairy Tail didn't stoop to such things, especially not when their reputation was being rebuilt.
"Thank you, thank you both! At last, those villains have been brought to justice!"
The Town Chief wasted no time. He ordered the guards to take custody of the prisoners, who would later be transferred either to the Council's branch office or Fiore's royal prisons. He then instructed carriages and horses to be prepared immediately, so the stolen goods could be hauled back before nightfall.
"Please, allow me to host you properly tonight," he offered warmly.
Rhodes shook his head. "There's no need for a banquet. Instead, there's something else I'd like you to help with."
"Of course, say the word."
Rhodes pulled out a magazine and circled several familiar faces in the group photo on its cover: Erza, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Wendy, Happy, and Carla.
"Please help us ask around if anyone in town has seen these people. Any clue could be important."
"That's simple enough." The Town Chief nodded at once.
He personally led Rhodes and Mira back to his office and retrieved a magic crystal. Activating it, he shone its light across the magazine cover. At the same time, the massive crystal at the center of town lit up, projecting the photo onto a giant screen suspended in the air.
The Town Chief added his own message, which appeared on the projection and echoed through the streets via magical broadcast:
"These are the companions of Fairy Tail, our town's benefactors who just defeated the Black Knight Gang. If anyone has seen them, please come forward and report what you know. If you do not wish to speak directly, you may write and submit your information."
Rhodes and Mira bowed their thanks, genuinely impressed by his thoroughness.
Once again, the Town Chief tried to insist they stay for a banquet, but the two politely declined. "We still have urgent matters," Rhodes explained. "We'd rather not impose."
In the end, the Town Chief relented. He signed the commission form on the spot, arranging their reward. Rhodes accepted only sixty percent of the fee, just as he had promised earlier when explaining their companions' absence.
Before leaving, they agreed to return the next day to hear any news from the townsfolk. Then, hand in hand, Rhodes and Mira stepped out into the evening streets.
...
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