Gildarts glanced at the two of them. "Have you seen anything related to drugs around here?"
Roger pointed to a small black bottle lying in a pool of blood. "If I'm not mistaken, that's probably it. Cain pulled it out when he was fatally wounded."
"But he hesitated to take it. He probably knew it had side effects."
Gildarts stepped forward, pulling a cloth from his pocket. Using it to avoid direct contact, he picked up the bottle and examined it closely, his brow furrowing. "There's a sealing spell on this bottle. The drugs we turned in before weren't stored in anything like this."
"Likely, this sealing magic is what's suppressing the demonic aura inside, keeping the Dark Magic Cult members from going insane immediately."
He carefully wrapped the bottle in the cloth and pulled a wooden box from his pack, placing the bottle inside with utmost caution. "Even with the sealing magic, we can't let our guard down. Just a tiny bit of this forbidden magic can cause serious harm to the body."
"In worse cases, it could even alter someone's appearance, turning them into a half-human, half-demon monster—a mindless killing machine."
Gildarts tucked the box into his backpack, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "Keep that in mind, got it?"
Kagura nodded vigorously, raising her right hand. "Got it!"
Erza's expression was solemn. "Understood."
Catching Gildarts' expectant look, Roger sighed. "Yeah, I got it too."
Satisfied with their responses, Gildarts nodded. "Good. Next, we just need to return the kids next door to their parents, and then we can head to the guild."
He turned and walked straight toward a nearby wall. Just as he seemed about to crash into it, Erza shouted, "Watch out—"
Before she could finish, dazzling white lines spread across the wall like a spiderweb!
Boom!
A muffled explosion rang out as the wall was blasted open, leaving a human-sized hole.
As the dust settled, Gildarts stepped into the room, ready to flash a friendly smile at the kids inside. But he was met with a sea of terrified faces.
"The bad guys are here to kill us!" a chubby little boy screamed in panic.
Gildarts' eyes widened. "Wait! I'm not—"
Before he could explain, the first child's cry set off a chain reaction. The room erupted into a chorus of wails and screams.
"Wah! Wah! I want my mommy!"
"I—I haven't even grown up or gotten married! I don't wanna die!"
"Daddy, where are you? Nini's so scared!"
The deafening cries and screams turned the room into chaos. Gildarts clutched his ringing ears, his face a mask of unprecedented despair.
"It's okay, he's not a bad guy," a clear, steady female voice cut through the noise. Though soft, it miraculously silenced the uproar in an instant.
Gildarts stared, dumbfounded, at the scene. "They… just quieted down?!"
Erza stepped forward with a reassuring smile. "Don't be scared, everyone. He's here to take us home."
"Phew, so he's not a bad guy!" The chubby boy dramatically patted his chest. "I was so scared! Good thing Sister Erza's here!"
"Wait a second!" Kagura darted in front of Erza, narrowing her eyes and glaring at the boy. "I've been wondering for a while—you're clearly a head taller than Sister Erza, so why do you keep calling her 'sister' like the rest of us?"
The boy's face flushed bright red, and he fidgeted with his shirt. "W-Well… because Sister Erza feels so reliable and comforting, I just instinctively called her that."
His eyes suddenly sparkled with hope. "To be honest, I've always wanted a big sister since I was little. But every time I brought it up, Mom would smack me and say no more siblings."
"Our family's actually pretty well-off, so if Sister Erza doesn't mind—"
"Stop!" Kagura cut him off loudly, then turned to the other kids with a bright voice. "You all must miss home, right? Let's get going and find your moms and dads, okay?"
"Huh?" The chubby boy blinked, stunned. "Wait! I meant Sister Erza could—"
Before he could finish, a wave of kids surged toward Erza, pushing him aside. He could only watch helplessly as her reassuring scarlet figure was swept out the door by the crowd.
Seeing the boy's flustered state, Kagura smirked triumphantly, muttering under her breath, "Hmph, you think you can steal Sister Erza from me?"
The children followed Erza like a flock of ducklings, leaving the building in an orderly line through the main entrance.
Gildarts stood at the doorway, jaw practically on the floor at the sight. "How does she get them to listen with just one sentence?" he muttered, baffled. "Last time I dealt with a crying kid, nothing I did worked!"
Kagura giggled as she skipped past him. "Because she's Sister Erza! Being around her feels warm and safe, like any problem can be solved!"
"A lot of kids in the village want to hang out with Sister Erza, but she's always with Brother Roger, training or… something?"
"Erza, huh…" Gildarts gazed at the scarlet figure surrounded by kids, a spark of anticipation in his smile. "Looks like the guild's about to get a lot livelier."
They safely returned the children to the town, explaining the situation to the mayor.
The parents, overjoyed to have their kids back, were overwhelmed with gratitude. Some tried to kneel in thanks, only to be hurriedly stopped by Gildarts. Others warmly invited them to their homes, but he politely declined, citing urgent mission duties.
Still, the townsfolk's enthusiasm was unstoppable. They insisted on loading the group with local specialties and handmade goods.
Finally, amid the chubby boy's heart-wrenching wail of "Sister Erza! Come back and visit me!" echoing through the streets, the four boarded a magic-powered train bound for Magnolia, their bags stuffed to the brim.
The train roared away from the platform, leaving the bustling town behind as it sped toward Fairy Tail's headquarters.
The kidnapping ring's impact lingered, leaving the train nearly empty.
Roger, Erza, Kagura, and Gildarts sat in the spacious carriage, their attention fixed on a fist-sized, faintly glowing crystal ball in front of them.
"Wait…" Gildarts rubbed his striking orange hair, his face full of disbelief. "Your magic isn't Requip magic? It's… contract magic, where you sign pacts with others?!"
He gaped, pointing at the crystal ball. "And winning battles lets you… collect magic items? Plus, your magic power grows automatically just by defeating enemies, without training?"
Three giant question marks practically hovered over his head.