*Hargeon Port City - Evening*
The coastal city of Hargeon stretched before them like a wound against the darkening sky. What should have been a bustling port alive with merchants and sailors was now eerily quiet, its streets patrolled by dark mages while magical barriers shimmered ominously around the city's perimeter.
Prince Damian crouched on a hilltop overlooking the city, his emerald eyes analyzing the defensive positions through a pair of enchanted binoculars. Around him, two dozen Magic Knights waited in disciplined silence, their breathing creating small clouds in the cool evening air.
"Four barrier points," Tycun reported quietly, lowering his own binoculars. "Each one guarded by at least six mages. The main force appears to be concentrated around the harbor district."
"Hostages?" Damian asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer wouldn't be pleasant.
"Gathered in the town square and the main market district. Probably close to a thousand civilians in each location, with the rest scattered throughout the residential areas." Tycun's granite features were grim. "They're using the people as human shields."
Damian felt a familiar cold fury settle in his chest. This was why he'd created the Magic Knights—to stop exactly this kind of cruelty while the Magic Council debated and guilds argued over jurisdiction. But the tactical situation was worse than he'd hoped.
"We can't use large-scale attacks without risking civilian casualties," he murmured, his strategic mind working through possibilities. "We'll need precision strikes to disable the barriers, then coordinate simultaneous assaults on each position."
"With respect, Your Highness," said Captain Morris, one of their newer knights, "we only have twenty-four mages. Even divided into four teams, we'll be severely outnumbered at each position."
"Then we'll have to be better than they are," Damian replied simply. "Tycun, take teams Alpha and Beta to the northern barriers. Morris, you and I will handle the southern positions. Remember—civilian safety is the priority. Better to let a dark mage escape than risk innocent lives."
As the knights began moving into position, Damian found his thoughts drifting to Levy despite his best efforts to focus. Was she safe? Had the intelligence about threats to Fairy Tail been accurate? He pushed the concerns aside—he had chosen his duty, and thousands of lives depended on his complete attention.
The first barrier came into view as Damian's team crept through the abandoned outskirts of the city. Six dark mages stood guard around a glowing crystalline structure that pulsed with malevolent energy. Their leader, a scarred man with wild gray hair, paced impatiently while barking orders at his subordinates.
*Simple enough,* Damian thought, raising his hands to begin forming a Prison World. *Contain them all at once, then—*
"Well, well," came a voice from behind them. "Look what we have here."
Damian spun to find himself facing eight more dark mages who had somehow flanked their position. The leader, a massive man with iron studs protruding from his arms, grinned with predatory satisfaction.
"Boys, looks like we caught ourselves some royal knights," the man rumbled. "Boss is gonna be real pleased when we drag the prince's corpse back to—"
His words were cut off as something small and fast struck him in the center of his chest. The giant dark mage stumbled backward, his movements suddenly sluggish and uncoordinated. Around him, his companions began swaying as if drunk, their magical auras flickering and weakening.
"What the—" one of them managed before collapsing entirely.
From the shadows stepped a petite figure with bright teal hair tied in two neat buns. She wore dark shorts and a frilled shirt, and her youthful face held an expression of casual amusement as she watched the dark mages struggle against whatever she'd done to them.
"Sorry, boys," she said cheerfully, "but you're all suffering from a severe case of magical exhaustion. Side effect of my Famine magic—makes your spells cost about ten times more mana than they should. Most people can't cast more than once or twice before they pass out."
The remaining dark mages tried to launch attacks, but their magic fizzled pathetically. Within moments, all eight had collapsed from magical depletion.
"Impressive," Damian said, lowering his hands as his own partially-formed World Magic dissipated. "Though I have to ask—who are you, and why are you helping us?"
The young woman turned toward him, her bright eyes sparkling with mischief. "Name's Teal. And I'm helping because those idiots have been terrorizing this city for two days, and frankly, it's starting to get on my nerves."
"Teal," Tycun's voice came through Damian's communication lacrima. "Your Highness, we've encountered some unexpected assistance at our position as well. A young woman with status effect magic."
Damian blinked in surprise, then looked more carefully at the girl before him. Teal—the underground fighter Tycun had mentioned wanting to recruit. The one who used prize money to support an orphanage.
"You're the one who's been fighting in the underground circuits," he said. "Tycun mentioned you."
"Oh, the tall, serious guy with the red hair? Yeah, he tried to recruit me last week," Teal said with a grin. "I told him I'd think about it. Consider this my audition."
Before Damian could respond, the sound of combat erupted from the direction of the barrier. The remaining dark mages had realized their companions were down and were launching a desperate assault on his position.
"We can discuss employment opportunities later," Damian said, his hands already weaving magical energy. "Right now, we have a city to save."
"Oh, this is gonna be fun," Teal said, her cheerful demeanor taking on a slightly predatory edge.
What followed was a demonstration of tactical coordination that impressed even Damian's experienced eye. Teal moved through the battlefield like a force of nature, her Famine magic creating zones of magical disruption that left enemies helpless while allies' spells became more potent and efficient. She seemed to instinctively understand how to support the Magic Knights' formations, weakening enemies at exactly the right moments while strengthening her temporary allies.
"Shield formation!" Damian called as a group of dark mages tried to overwhelm their position with raw magical firepower.
"On it!" Teal replied, throwing what looked like small glowing orbs toward the enemy. Where they landed, the dark mages' attacks suddenly became pathetically weak while the knights' defensive spells blazed with enhanced power.
Damian created a Gravity World beneath a cluster of enemies, the increased gravitational pull disrupting their formation just as Captain Morris led a charge that scattered them completely. The barrier crystal stood undefended.
"Morris, secure the hostages in this sector," Damian ordered as he approached the barrier. "I'll handle this."
He placed his hands on the crystal and felt the dark magic writhing within it like a living thing. His World Magic responded, creating a Purification World that enveloped the structure. Light and shadow warred for a moment before the barrier shattered in a cascade of harmless sparks.
"One down, three to go," he muttered, then activated his communication lacrima. "Tycun, report."
"Northern barriers are down," came the immediate response. "This Teal girl is incredible—half our enemies were exhausted before they could even cast a spell. We're moving to assist with the harbor assault."
"Copy that. Morris and I will handle the final barrier, then converge on the main force."
As they moved through the city streets, now filled with grateful civilians fleeing to safety, Teal jogged alongside Damian with obvious satisfaction.
"So," she said conversationally, "your Magic Knights seem pretty competent. Better organized than most of the guilds I've worked with."
"That's the idea," Damian replied, his attention split between their conversation and monitoring for threats. "Individual strength is important, but coordination and discipline win battles."
"Plus you actually seem to care about not getting innocent people killed," Teal observed. "That's refreshingly rare in my experience."
They reached the final barrier just as the largest group of dark mages made their last desperate stand. Nearly thirty enemy mages had formed a defensive circle around the crystal, their leader—a woman with silver hair and crackling lightning magic—shouting orders with increasing desperation.
"This is it!" she screamed. "If we lose here, the boss will feed us to the demons! Fight like your lives depend on it!"
"They probably do," Damian said grimly, then looked at Teal. "Can your magic affect that many targets at once?"
"Watch me," she replied with a fierce grin.
Teal raised her hands, and suddenly the air around the enemy formation shimmered with her magic. The effects were immediate and devastating—enemy spells began draining their casters' energy at an incredible rate while their magical defenses became practically nonexistent.
"Now!" Damian commanded, and the Magic Knights struck.
The battle was brief but decisive. Faced with enemies whose magic barely functioned while their opponents' spells blazed with enhanced power, the dark mages folded within minutes. Their leader tried to flee, but Morris tackled her before she could reach the harbor.
As the final barrier shattered and the last of the hostages were freed, Damian stood in the town square surrounded by cheering civilians. The Magic Knights had succeeded in their first major deployment—not a single civilian had been seriously injured, and all the dark guild members were in custody.
But even in victory, his thoughts turned to Magnolia and the woman he'd left behind.
"Your Highness," Teal said, approaching him as the celebration continued around them. "I've been thinking about that job offer."
"And?" Damian asked, though he suspected he already knew her answer.
"When do I start?" she said with a bright smile. "This was way more fun than beating up drunk idiots for prize money. Plus, you actually pay well and provide health benefits, right?"
Despite everything, Damian found himself laughing. "Welcome to the Magic Knights, Teal. Though I should warn you—this was probably the easy part."
"Even better," she replied. "I like a challenge."
As they began the journey back to headquarters, Damian couldn't shake the feeling that they were returning to find everything changed. He'd proven the Magic Knights could succeed in their mission, but he is still worried for Levy's safety.
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