"But isn't he talking too much?"
"No, wait, magic is the power of the heart. Saying a few more words to strengthen one's mind and demoralize the enemy might also be part of the battle."
"No, if we think about it dialectically, the battle might also be a process of strengthening one's mind."
While Rhode was lost in his thoughts, Gray had already dressed.
He looked at the miserable Carter across from him: "You're really strong, why are you so cautious with this kind of power?"
"Strength and caution aren't contradictory," Rhode replied. "And handling someone who's not too bright, all heat but no plan, just charging recklessly, I don't think it's proof of being strong."
That seemed plausible. Gray nodded but then had doubts: "Are you implying something?!"
"No, just the literal meaning." Rhode signaled to the River Crab to stand guard and said, "Let's go check on those injured folks."
The two went to check the Strong Detention Team's condition, ignoring those with light wounds and doing emergency bandaging for those more seriously hurt.
After a while, Captain Kaptin arrived dragging his injured body, bringing a few subordinates. Reinforcements were also sent from another technique location.
Everyone looked at the devastated forest, littered with feathers, ice shards, debris, broken trees, and the tragic state of the Zat Brothers and their subordinates...
"What kind of battle happened here?"
Rhode urgently called out, "Hurry, hurry, is there any professional medical personnel? There are some severely injured here!"
"We brought first aid kits!"
"Quick, save them!" Captain Kaptin ordered. "Others, arrest the criminals!"
The crowd sprang into action, and Rhode and Gray stepped aside to rest.
Captain Kaptin watched as his squad handcuffed each member of the Naked Bandage Men, feeling something was amiss—
Regarding injuries, those caused by Rhode and Gray were distinctly different from those caused by their team.
Captain Kaptin was shocked: "Are you saying the two of you took down the entire Dark Guild?"
"We didn't defeat that many people. Your brave subordinates were a great help," Rhode didn't intend to take all the credit; the Strong Detention Team played a big role too.
"... Thank you both for your efforts." Captain Kaptin wanted to say that no matter how bravely his subordinates fought, they couldn't have used feathers to turn people into targets or frozen them with ice.
Just by looking at these guys' injuries, at least more than half of them were taken down by these two, right?
Two people took out most of a Dark Guild, one of them didn't even have dirty clothes, and the other's clothes were only dirty...
How strong are the mages of Fairy Tail anyway?
Oh, recently there was a rumor that the Fairy Queen couldn't wait for the Advisory Council's team and faced the entire Dark Guild alone to seize the opportunity.
Is this guild full of monsters?
"Captain Kaptin! Deputy Carter, he's..."
"What's wrong with him!"
"The Deputy is too seriously injured; he won't make it!"
"Quick, think of something!"
"We can only perform emergency treatment. To save him, at least a professional operating room and surgeon are needed!"
"Operating room..." Captain Kaptin's face turned pale. Most of the team on the move were combat-capable mages.
The part-time medical comrades only learned basic battlefield first aid. Complex injuries like these can't be handled.
But in these deep mountains, where to find an operating room and professional doctor, can Deputy Carter hold on until then?
Gray inquired, "Rhode?"
Rhode nodded, "Let's take a gamble. We can't just watch him die here."
He waved to summon the Gorge Swift Crab: "I can get him to the Cat Transformation Inn at top speed. It's up to him whether he can make it."
"Yes, Cat Transformation Inn is nearby! They might..."
"But Captain, if the road is bumpy, the Deputy's wounds might reopen. If he loses too much blood..."
"Enough," Gray stepped forward, pressing his palm to form ice on Carter's wounds, "Do you have a better idea?"
"Let's do it this way!" Captain Kaptin decided, helping Gray put Carter onto the River Crab's back, "Carter, hang in there!"
Rhode and Gray got on the River Crab, supporting Carter from either side as the Crab dashed forward.
It was a tight squeeze for the three, but there was no time to worry about that now.
The River Crab swiftly traversed through the woods, and Carter's breathing became erratic, sometimes short and sometimes laboriously deep.
"Rhode, he's not going to last,"
"I know, hold him steady, let me concentrate."
"Concentrate?"
Rhode adjusted, entering a meditative state to speed up his magic power recovery.
"Answer the call, Crimson Marked Tree Monster!"
The gigantic Tree Monster rapidly grew like a tree from the ground; Rhode almost fell off the River Crab in the process.
"Crown of Embers." He weakly commanded the Tree Monster.
Three red light patterns circled around Carter, occasionally diving into his wounds and turning into light spots seeped from his body, restoring to normal.
The Crimson Marked Tree Monster quickly vanished, Carter's breathing slightly improved, but now Rhode was feeling terrible: "Exhausted... I'm exhausted."
"You still had such a trick!"
"What hiding? Look at my state, does it look like something usable in real combat?"
"Why not?" Gray pondered that if Rhode hadn't spent so much magic power before, he could've sustained a battle.
Oh, given his personality, indeed it doesn't seem suited for combat use.
"Enough talking, keep an eye on me. If I can't maintain the Crab, catch me." Rhode thought for a moment, then amended, "Never mind, catch him first."
Rhode wasn't fond of involvement in such matters, but watching life slip away was uncomfortable.
He had to do what he could.
Rushing along, they reached the Cat Transformation Inn as night fell.
Rhode ran out of energy once during the journey, relying on Gray to make an ice cart to pull them along.
The ice cart was cold, and to prevent the wounded from freezing, Gray chopped some branches to spread out.
Aside from being a bit uncomfortable, it worked fine.
Once Rhode regained some magic power, he resummoned the River Crab to carry them onward.
Wendy and Carla had already donned their cute pajamas and gone to bed at this time.
"Why at this time..." Carla initially wanted to complain but, upon seeing Carter clearly by the light, exclaimed, "Isn't this someone from the Advisory Council?"
Gray hurriedly asked, "He's gravely injured, barely held on to get here, is there anything we can do?"
Carla hesitated, "Wendy?"
Wendy declared determinedly, "I'm okay!"
In the guest room, Carter was placed on the bed Rhode had slept on before, with Wendy sitting beside, her hands glowed with green magical light.
Rhode and Gray leaned against the wall, slumped on the ground, both utterly exhausted.
Wendy's forehead beaded with sweat: "It's okay, I can heal him."
Carla advised, "Don't push yourself too hard."
Although saying so is pointless.