"There's not a single person here." Mira carefully sensed the Magic Power; in the guild, everyone wouldn't deliberately hide it. If someone were here, it would surely be detected.
"Given everyone's nature, this situation... Have they already gone to battle?" Rhode's first thought was that Erza's persuasion had taken effect on the President.
But they said they'd be back by morning, so there shouldn't be such urgency.
He saw in the underground temporary tavern that there were still goblets and dinnerware left uncleaned on the table.
There must have been an emergency situation.
The two returned to the surface and went to nearby businesses to inquire.
"Miss Mira, Mr. Rhode? You don't know yet? Mr. Makarov left this morning with many people in a rage.
I heard someone say that someone in the guild was attacked and got seriously injured…"
Rhode hurriedly asked, "Who was injured? Where are they now?"
"I think it's Miss Reby and her two teammates; they should have been taken to the hospital. I heard it was Ghost's doing. How disgraceful of them to do such a thing…"
Hearing that Reby and her team went to the hospital, Rhode and Mira actually felt relieved.
Because according to Fairy Tail's injury norms, minor injuries just get bandaged, severe ones go to the hospital, and special cases call for Granny Porlyusica.
Being in the hospital at least implies no danger to life or limb, just ordinary severe injury.
But as the worry slightly receded, anger surged uncontrollably; they really dared to injure people in the town!
Seeing the state of Reby's group, the old man surely couldn't contain his rage.
Mira made a quick decision: "Let's chase them!"
"Wait a moment." Rhode stopped her, pointing to a peculiar raincloud area, "That's near the hospital, right?"
…
Lucy walked alone through a narrow alley, a shortcut back to the hospital.
She had just returned from the guild and saw that everyone had gone, so now she needed to return to the hospital to continue watching over Reby and the others.
Lucy completely forgot what Erza had said about not going out alone yesterday.
But she couldn't help it; aside from those lying in the hospital, she was the only one left in the guild.
Although she hadn't been in the guild for long, the sudden quiet of the formerly lively guild still felt a bit unsettling to Lucy.
Suddenly, the sky began to rain, intensifying Lucy's sense of loneliness—after all, being somewhat of a literary girl, her mood was often influenced by her surroundings.
Only a strange man and woman suddenly appeared before her, speaking of 'targets' and 'missions' in their conversation.
Lucy became alert: "Who are you?"
The man was thin with green hair, a handlebar mustache, dressed in a red suit, wore a monocle, and spoke in a peculiar accent:
"Ah—I haven't introduced myself yet, my name is Sol, Earth's Sol. NO, NO, NO~ just call me Mr. Sol."
The woman was holding a princess umbrella, wearing a thick blue outfit, with a black visage on her head, and a sunny day doll hung on her chest; her speech had a gloomy tone:
"Jubia is one of the Four Elements, Rain Woman, that's right, Rain Woman, pitter-patter~ pitter-patter~, what woman are you?"
At the term 'Rain Woman,' Jubia seemed to have intense resentment.
Lucy ignored their strange conversation, focusing on the keywords: "Ghost! You guys did this to the guild... and to Reby and them!"
"NO, NO, NO~ three NOs to clarify the misunderstanding, it was Mr. Gajeel who attacked your guild and that Miss Reby, though it was the President's decision."
This person always spoke with honorifics, seemingly pursuing gentlemanly elegance in appearance.
But his body constantly swayed, and his tone was strange, Lucy really couldn't see anything elegant in his mannerisms.
"Why are you doing this?" Lucy reached for the Star Spirit Keys at her waist.
Sol twisted his body with extraordinary flexibility, like a noodle: "We come from the great Ghost to fetch you, Miss Lucy Heartfilia."
"!" Hearing him say her last name, Lucy's eyes widened.
At that moment, Jubia raised her hand, and a two-meter-wide water sphere suddenly appeared, trapping Lucy inside: "Water Flow Restriction!"
"Ugh..."
The key ring fell under the impact of the water, making a crisp sound on the stone pavement, and Lucy's strength gradually waned inside the water sphere.
"Ahhh!" Lucy struggled to swim out, but the sphere seriously hampered her movement, and even forced itself into her mouth and nose.
"Jubia's Water Flow Restriction is absolutely unbreakable..."
A green figure descended from the sky, crashing into the water sphere, and caught Lucy around the waist with one hand, landing steadily on the ground.
Rhode's muffled voice came from beneath the River Crab-like helmet: "What do you plan to do to our cute newbie?"
"Cough! Cough…" Lucy coughed out some water, clinging to Rhode's arm to steady herself. Only when the green armor faded away did she recognize who it was.
She exclaimed in surprise: "Mr. Rhode!"
Rhode flicked his toe, sending the key ring into his hand, and handed it to Lucy: "Holder-type mages should keep hold of their tools, and..."
He pointed upward: "The real surprise is up there."
Lucy looked up, and the Demon she found terrifying earlier now only gave her a sense of safety: "Miss Mira!"
Jubia and Sol both sensed a powerful Magic Power, and when they looked up, two Devil Claws had already seized their faces.
Mira didn't slow down, smashing their heads onto the ground with force.
Boom! The two loud crashes merged into one sound.
The bluestone pavement was pitted with two holes, and dense cracks spread to the shops by the street.
Yet Mira didn't show joy on her face because the feeling in her hands was off.
Sol slipped into the ground like an eel.
Jubia's body turned to water, retreating a long distance before reforming into a human shape, seemingly unharmed.
Sol emerged from the ground beside her, only his monocle was gone, and the shattered lens lay quietly next to Jubia's umbrella.
Mira licked her lips, her voice firmer than usual, her tone more playful: "Seems like these aren't ordinary minnows."
"NO, NO, NO~ We are the Four Elements after all..." Sol tried to maintain his smile,
"So it's Demon Mira and the Fairy Tail Strategist. This is a major blunder; the intel said you two were on a honeymoon."
Lucy looked shocked: "Eh? So Hapi's story about Miss Mira and Mr. Rhode getting secretly married is true!"
"You're so gullible..." Rhode sighed; should this girl be called thick-skinned or something?
She was just nearly drowned, and now she's critiquing things.
Besides, wasn't this the umpteenth time Hapi had fed her such fibs, and yet she still believes them…
Lucy blushed: "But everyone in the guild said you went on a honeymoon under the guise of a mission!"
"Let's talk after the fight. Summoning: Crimson Marked Tree Monster, Cyan Engraved Golem!"
Rhode figured she must have heard the messy rumors in the guild after his outing with Mira, and Ghost might have learned about them too.
But Rhode didn't want to discuss it now; this child didn't realize how she was diverting the team's attention during a battle?