They tore through everything in their path.
Whether it was soldiers, horses, armored chariots, or even buildings, everything was crushed, blown away, or obliterated by the trio leading the charge.
With Rhodes carrying the Fairy Tail banner behind them, the four of them advanced like an unstoppable force. Wherever they went, the ground split, buildings crumbled, and people and horses scattered in chaos.
From the city gate all the way to the Royal Palace, they carved out a trail of sheer destruction, leaving no obstacle standing.
As they drew closer to the palace, the number of defenders trying to stop them increased, but the soldiers' morale only continued to drop.
After all, they knew how many units were deployed along this route… and yet these four people had made it through completely unscathed.
Either every squad ahead of them had already fled, or, these four had truly defeated thousands of troops along the way.
"Waaah—!!"
Gildarts threw a punch, and the street in front of him exploded like a thunderclap. Dozens of soldiers were flung backward, their bodies crashing into others like dominoes, sending even more tumbling.
He looked up mid-punch, his brows twitching. "Hmm? There's a lot of noise coming from over there," he muttered, glancing away from the palace toward another part of the city.
Erza casually swung her enormous serrated greatsword to the right, sending a wave of enemies flying. They crashed into walls and carts with a loud rumble.
She twirled her greatsword and chuckled, "We're probably not the best people to call others noisy, are we?"
Mira, having entered her Satan Soul form, tossed a swirling orb of purple-black energy that tore through a speeding chariot like paper.
"They might be mobilizing some elite squad again," she guessed, brushing some dust from her shoulder.
Rhodes waved his hand, and two towering Blue Sentinels stomped to the rear. With a single swipe, they cleared out a sneaky group of soldiers trying to flank the party. After a clean sweep, the stone giants returned to their original position with a heavy thump.
Rhodes patted one of the Blue Sentinels on the leg and said with a grin, "A Scuttle Crab is heading that way. We'll get eyes on it soon."
After all, what kind of tactician doesn't keep track of the battlefield? Besides, out of the four of them, Rhodes had the lightest combat role, so he might as well keep an eye on the bigger picture.
They continued advancing without a hitch, steadily pushing back the increasingly scattered defenders. At this rate, they'd reach the palace in just a few more steps.
And then—
A noble, commanding voice suddenly echoed across every corner of the royal capital:
"My people, this is Faust, King of Edolas, speaking from the Royal Palace!"
Whether they were marching soldiers or panicked civilians, everyone paused in unison, straining to hear the king's words.
"The King?" Rhodes raised an eyebrow. That voice… it sounded oddly familiar.
Mira narrowed her eyes.
"It's the same voice as Master Makarov!" she exclaimed.
Erza was slightly surprised, but thinking about the existence of another Natsu, Lucy, and herself in this world, she speculated aloud, "Could it be…"
"Could it be" Gildarts clutched his head with both hands and finished her thought with disbelief, "the old man already broke into the Royal Palace?!"
Rhodes, Mira, and Erza all froze and stared at Gildarts like he was an idiot.
Realizing their reactions, Gildarts quickly waved his hands with a sheepish grin, "Ahaha...just kidding, just kidding."
But before anyone could respond, the loud, regal voice of Faust continued to echo across the royal capital:
"Just three days ago, our glorious Edolas Empire used Anima to generate enough magic power to last ten years!
"This is a time to celebrate together, to laugh and sing! Because we, the people of Edolas, are a blessed nation, our future is guaranteed by magic! And now, we shall gain even more!"
The word "generate" was used so naturally, as if Edolas had cultivated magic like crops in the soil. It sounded guiltless, even proud.
As if draining the lives of Earth Land's people was something to boast about.
Rhodes, Mira, Erza, and Gildarts all wore dark expressions.
That wasn't the speech of a king.
That was the shameless boasting of a plundering bandit.
"But today," Faust's voice deepened, "a vile group of intruders has invaded our royal capital! They have ambushed our Magic War Troops and attacked our guards!
"They seek to steal our magic power, to steal our future!"
Rhodes glanced back at the devastation their group had left behind, frowning at the hypocrisy in the king's voice.
They had marched in through the front gate, declared war publicly, even planted a flag. How in the world was that considered a ambush?
What kind of dignified sneak attack came with a flag and a formal declaration?
And yet, Faust's voice continued blaring, full of righteous fury:
"This criminal organization is the most despicable Dark Guild in history, Fairy Tail!
"Even now, our brave Edolas army is fighting valiantly to hold them back, but the villains are closing in!"
The speech shifted tone, rising in volume and emotion.
"People of Edolas! If we lose this battle, we lose everything! So rise up! Take up arms! Defend your kingdom! Protect our magic!"
"Soldiers of the Royal Capital! Show these invaders the strength of our unbreakable spirit! I, Faust, your King, shall stand and fight beside you until the very end!
"All of Edolas, stand with me and protect our future!"
As the broadcast ended, the capital fell into a moment of eerie silence.
And then, cheers erupted from every direction.
Whether from loyalty or sheer desperation, Faust's words had struck a chord.
The king had declared he would personally lead the army. Whether or not it was true, it stirred the soldiers' spirits.
The very soldiers who had just been on the verge of fleeing now wore expressions of fiery resolve.
They were ready to fight to the death for Edolas.
"Bastard…" Gildarts muttered, his fists clenched and jaw tight.
Mira and Erza's expressions were equally grim.
They weren't angry because the soldiers were motivated.
They were furious because Faust's speech had just rallied civilians and soldiers alike into a frenzy, sending them straight into a slaughter.
Perhaps not everyone would be moved by Faust's words, but some definitely were. And those few were enough to create a desperate resistance.
Gildarts slammed his fist to the ground, and a shockwave of precise, square-shaped cracks spread out like a fan in front of him.
The soldiers in their path fell one after another, and the front gates of the Royal Palace splintered apart with a resounding crash.
Yet even those soldiers who lay bleeding, their foreheads split open and bodies trembling, began to struggle to their feet.
Leaning heavily on their spears, blood running down their faces, they stood again with reddened eyes and stubbornly reformed their defensive line.
Rhodes stared in disbelief. "Fairy Tail?"
Mira turned. "What?"
Rhodes relayed what he was seeing through the eyes of his summoned crab: "Edolas's Fairy Tail... they're attacking the Royal Palace from the other side. But…"
His expression darkened.
"They're surrounded. The soldiers are manageable, but the problem is the civilians. Once the nearby citizens arrived, Fairy Tail couldn't bear to strike back and started taking heavy damage."
Even though the Edolas government had labeled them a Dark Guild, this world's Fairy Tail was no different from any proper guild in Earth Land. They used their magic to help the people.
And now, with those same people rising against them, they could barely defend themselves, let alone fight back.
Erza's brows knitted. "Why are they here too?"
"Maybe they want to change the fate of magic users," Rhodes replied quietly. He remembered the grief and anger Edolas's Fairy Tail had shown when they spoke of the Royal Capital taking all the magic from the world.
Maybe that version of Lucy and Natsu had decided to take action after hearing about the commotion in the capital this morning, hoping to make a difference now that the Empire was vulnerable.
"There they are!"
"It's Fairy Tail!"
"Attack!!"
The four of them, Rhodes, Mira, Erza, and Gildarts, soon found themselves facing the same situation.
Waves of soldiers surged forward.
Civilians, whipped into a frenzy by Faust's speech, grabbed anything they could as weapons and followed behind, screaming.
But none of the four flinched.
If it was a fight they wanted…
Then they would get one.