Chapter 174 Surprise Attack
Everyone was a bit surprised to hear that number; it was simply too many people. Even if they were to fight ten opponents each, that would only account for one hundred and thirty enemies.
Facing such a staggering number of hostile forces would be a monumental test of their magic power, physical stamina, and mental concentration.
After all, there was a significant difference between facing a single opponent in a duel and facing a swarm of enemies. These were all Mages, not ordinary soldiers. Even if each of them cast just one rudimentary spell, the combined barrage would be a torrent of destruction difficult for anyone to withstand.
"Yes, and that's just a conservative estimate," Hibiki Lates said, his fingers dancing across the magical keyboard floating before him. "But our primary threat remains the Oración Seis themselves."
Hibiki activated his Archive Magic, and holographic photographs of six individuals materialized in the air, rotating slowly for everyone to see.
"Allow me to introduce the members of the Oración Seis," Hibiki's voice turned grave. "First, Cobra, the Poison Dragon Slayer, known for his deadly venom and enhanced hearing. Next is Hoteye, a mage capable of liquefying the very ground we stand on. Then there is Angel, a Celestial Spirit Mage who is rumored to know the secrets of the heart."
He gestured to the next image, a man in a racing suit. "This is Racer. As his name implies, he utilizes high-level speed magic. Then we have Midnight, a man often seen sleeping, but whose magic is said to twist and reflect attacks. And finally, their commander, the mastermind linked to the Bureau of Magical Development, Brain."
"Each one of them possesses magic power comparable to an entire guild," Hibiki warned, his expression serious. "They are extremely dangerous. Coupled with the hundreds of dark guild members under their command, this operation will undoubtedly be an incredibly tough battle."
"Um... uh... I hope you don't include me in the combat strength calculations..."
Lucy raised her hand tentatively, a bead of cold sweat rolling down her temple. She was already regretting her decision; she really shouldn't have come along just to join the fun. She had only agreed to follow when she heard there were only six main enemies.
In her mind, she had calculated that Ren alone could easily handle at least two or three of them. With Erza, Natsu, Gray, and the mighty Jura, they could surely wipe the floor with the Oración Seis. She had thought she could just tag along, offer some support, and boost her reputation as a member of the alliance. She had enjoyed quite a few benefits and fame from previous team activities, and if she added this legendary mission to her resume, wouldn't her status as a mage skyrocket?
But she never expected there to be an army of over five hundred enemies waiting for them. If she had known the enemy numbers were so overwhelming, she definitely wouldn't have stepped foot out of the guild.
After all, honor and reputation were nice, but they were not nearly as important as her own life.
"I... I'm also not very good at fighting," Wendy Marvell whispered, raising her small hand timidly. She shrank back, looking like a frightened small animal.
"Wendy!! Don't be so weak!!" Carla, the white exceed, couldn't help but scold the young Dragon Slayer, her paws on her hips. "You represent Cait Shelter! Have some dignity!"
"Over 500 people, huh? That is indeed a bit troublesome," Jura Neekis stroked his beard, his brow furrowing slightly. As one of the Ten Wizard Saints, dealing with hundreds of ordinary mages wasn't an impossible feat for him, but it would be draining. The real issue was the Oración Seis. Each member was a monster in their own right, and fighting them while swarmed by subordinates would be chaotic and dangerous.
Jura's gaze shifted to Ren. Among those present, Jura knew his own magic power was immense, but the young man standing calmly near the window was an anomaly. Ren's reputation had spread like wildfire across Ishgar.
He noticed that Ren's expression remained completely unchanged, as tranquil as a still lake. It was as if he didn't even put the Oración Seis or the army of five hundred Dark Mages in his eyes. To him, they were perhaps nothing more than numbers on a page.
Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki struck a pose, sparkling sparkles appearing around him. "Please rest assured, my lovely flowers and brave gentlemen! Our objective is not to engage them in a brawl, but merely to locate their base of operations. If possible, I hope we can herd all of them inside that base. Once they are gathered, we shall use our guild's pride and joy, the magical bomber Christina, to bury them and their entire base in one glorious strike!!"
"Magic bomber?!!!"
The mages from Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale looked up in surprise. The Blue Pegasus Guild was famous for its wealth and resources, but a magic bomber was a weapon of war. It could fly freely in the air and launch ultra-long-range magical bombardment on enemies. With such a weapon providing air support, Blue Pegasus was certainly not to be underestimated.
Throughout the entire Ishgar continent, only a handful of Mage Guilds possessed such advanced magical technology.
"Excellent!! That makes my blood boil!!" Natsu Dragneel shouted, flames erupting from his fists as he grinned wildly. "Gather the six of them, and let this big guy be their opponent!! I'm all fired up!"
"Natsu, you idiot!" Gray Fullbuster retorted, crossing his arms. "He didn't even listen to the details of the battle plan! We need to find them first!"
"It can't be helped," Erza Scarlet sighed, adjusting her armor. "Let's go. We cannot let Blue Pegasus outshine us."
"We can't lose to Fairy Tail! Let's go, Sherry!" Lyon Vastia shouted, his competitive spirit ignited by Gray's presence.
"Understood, Lyon-sama!!" Sherry Blendy replied with stars in her eyes, chasing after him.
"Let's go too, men!!" The Blue Pegasus trio—Hibiki, Eve, and Ren Akatsuki—quickly ran out to prepare their positions.
"Ah wa wa wa!" Wendy was trembling with fear, her knees knocking together. "Everyone is moving so fast..."
Ren walked over to Wendy's side and gently patted her head. He smiled warmly, his presence radiating a calming aura. "Don't worry, Wendy. It'll be fine. I'm here."
"Who are you?" Carla stepped in front of Wendy, looking at Ren warily. "Don't think you can just charm her."
Happy flew over, puffing out his chest proudly. "He's Ren! He's an S-Class Mage from our Fairy Tail! He's super strong, aye!"
"Ren?!"
Carla and Wendy gasped. They had naturally heard of Ren's great name; after all, he was currently the most discussed mage in the Fiore Kingdom, perhaps in the entire Ishgar continent. Stories of his battles were legendary.
"Wait," Wendy tilted her head, confused. "Isn't Ren supposed to be an old man with a white mustache? Grandfather Whitebeard? How did he become a handsome older brother?"
"Idiot Wendy," Happy snickered. "That's just what he looks like after his transformation. This is his real face!"
"Oh, I see!" Wendy blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Let's set off too," Jura said, his voice deep and steady. "I hope the group doesn't get too scattered. The forest is dense, and being surrounded would be bad."
Ichiya suddenly clutched his stomach, his face turning pale. "Ah! Before that, let me go to the fragrant restroom first! The tension has upset my delicate stomach!"
Facing such a big event, he couldn't help but feel the urge to run to the bathroom.
"Then let's go first," Ren said, glancing at the retreating Ichiya. "He will follow in the magic bomber later."
"Hmm, that's fine too."
The group stepped out of the lavish villa and walked towards the north, where the dark canopy of the forest loomed.
"I see it!! It's the Tree Sea!!"
Natsu saw the endless forest stretching out ahead, a massive ocean of green leaves and ancient trees. A look of pure excitement appeared on his face.
Gray shouted, "Wait a minute, Natsu! Don't just rush in!"
"No way! I'm going to wipe out all those guys! If I'm late, Ren will have already dealt with all of them!" Natsu yelled back, not slowing down.
In previous operations, like the Iron Forest incident, the cursed Galuna Island, and the Tower of Paradise, Ren was always the one who took the spotlight and crushed the main enemies. Natsu often felt like he was just cleaning up small fry. This time, with so many enemies, he was determined to take down at least one of the Oración Seis himself.
Erza also called out, "Natsu! Don't run off by yourself!! Stick to the formation!"
Besides the Oración Seis, there were over five hundred mages lurking in those woods. Even if they defeated them one by one, that number would consume a massive amount of magic power. Recklessness could lead to capture or death.
"Wait a minute!!… Everyone… is running… too fast…"
Lucy was panting heavily, clutching her knees as she struggled to keep up with the monsters of Fairy Tail. She lacked the intense physical training the others went through daily, so her stamina simply couldn't compare to theirs.
Just then, a deep humming sound vibrated through the air.
Vrrrmmmmmmm—!
In the sky above, the massive silhouette of Blue Pegasus's magic bomber, Christina, emerged from the clouds. It was a majestic magical airship, resembling a winged horse.
"Oh oh!!"
"That's the legendary Pegasus!!"
"Amazing!!"
The mages stopped to watch in awe. The ship flew over their heads and hovered ominously above the edge of the Endless Tree Sea.
But then, the atmosphere shifted.
Click-clack.
At this moment, the various magic machine gun ports along the hull of the magic bomber began to rotate. With mechanical precision, they lowered and aimed directly at the allied forces below.
Gray frowned in confusion, a bad feeling settling in his gut. "What's going on?! Why does it feel like that thing's cannons are aimed at us?"
Almost as soon as Gray finished speaking, the barrels flashed.
Tututututu!!
The machine guns roared to life, raining a hail of magical bullets down at the crowd.
"Get down—!!!"
"Take cover!!"
Everyone quickly dodged in a panic, diving behind rocks and trees as the ground erupted in dirt and debris around them.
"Wah ah ah ah ah!!"
"Blue Pegasus, what's happening?!" Lyon shouted furiously at the Blue Pegasus trio huddled nearby. He was clearly ready to attack them if they didn't explain this betrayal immediately.
The Blue Pegasus trio—Hibiki, Eve, and Ren Akatsuki—were even more bewildered, their faces pale with shock.
"No… we don't know what's going on either?! Why is Christina attacking us?!"
Buzz----!
Just then, the sound of accumulating energy drowned out the gunfire. The magic bomber's main cannon, the Jupiter Magic Cannon, began to glow with a terrifying light.
"Oh no! It's the Magic Cannon!!"
"It's charging up Jupiter!"
Everyone's faces changed dramatically. The power of Jupiter was enough to obliterate a guild hall; at this range, it would vaporize them.
Erza's eyes widened. She wanted to re-equip into her Adamantine Armor, but it was clearly too late now. The beam was about to fire.
At this moment, a loud, commanding shout rang out!
"Get down—!"
Everyone immediately obeyed the instinctual command and pressed themselves flat against the earth.
"Iron Wall!"
Bang bang bang!!
Huge stone pillars erupted from the ground on both sides of the group, curving inward to form a protective arch over their heads.
"It's Master Jura!!" Sherry and Lyon immediately recognized the signature earth magic of the Iron Rock Jura.
But even the Iron Wall might not withstand a direct hit from Jupiter.
At this moment, a figure instantly appeared above the stone pillars.
"Ren!"
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