Rhode's judgment was generally on point.
Although these remnants of Petlyura's forces were fierce fighters who survived battle after battle, they were ultimately defeated soldiers relentlessly pursued.
Their morale had hit rock bottom, and much of their equipment was lost or damaged. Facing the three well-coordinated mages from Mermaid's Heel, defeat soon became evident.
They initially thought the enemy was just three women and that it would be easy to capture them and take a break, but each one proved so troublesome.
The ones using rifles continued to fire as usual, but those wielding swords and blades no longer wanted to charge.
The 'officers' holding magic wands were also somewhat jittery, fearing a large man might suddenly leap from the cliff above.
However, the three mages were also not as relaxed as they appeared.
This foreign gang was much stronger than the bandits they eradicated a few days ago.
Even though they were familiar with the terrain, they hadn't yet managed to completely disrupt the opponents' formation.
"Alani, I..." panted a freckled girl who had been bombing people with carrots.
Alani, dressed in a spider web-patterned jumpsuit, replied, "Hang in there, Beth, they won't hold on much longer."
"Yes!" Beth tried her best to continue fighting, but she knew her magic power wouldn't last much longer as her strength couldn't match her two companions'.
Alani probably realized this too and shouted to another companion, "Liseli, cover Beth more!"
"Leave it to me!" Liseli ran swiftly, punching down a man aiming at Beth before leaping onto his back and stomping hard. "Never underestimate a full-figured person!"
The gunman cried out, bending backward like a bow, foaming at the mouth, and as consciousness faded, a thought crossed his mind: No one ever underestimated you...
The gang's numbers dwindled quickly, and as their formation began to break up and was about to collapse, a signal flare rose from behind the mountain.
"It's the big boss's signal!" the bandits cheered and took to their heels.
"A signal flare?" The three female mages were puzzled.
Alani said, "Don't chase after them yet; it could be a trap."
No sooner had she finished speaking than stones and logs were pushed down from the cliff, rumbling toward the three.
The three nimbly dodged the attack, with Beth nearly stumbling due to exhaustion, but thankfully Liseli grabbed her and pulled her to safety.
"Thank you, Li..." Beth suddenly paused, gazing across the dense forest where a white light flickered. "What's that?"
Alani and Liseli looked where she pointed and were shocked, "That's... a Magic-guided Cluster Cannon!"
"Run!" Alani shouted, "Head in the direction they just retreated!"
Without hesitation, Liseli began running, taking a few paces before looking back, "Even now, are they not stopping the bombardment?"
"The distance is too far now," Alani said with despair, "It's my fault for misjudging... I'm sorry..."
By the norms of the Magic Realm, a Magic-guided Cluster Cannon is a weapon for sieges. No one can withstand a direct hit.
Beth was a little scared, "Are we... are we going to die?"
"Don't say that, it's not over yet!" Liseli, now in a slimmed-down state, encouraged her two companions, "If we run fast enough, they might miss!"
Despite the words, all three knew the chances were slim. They could only keep running, hoping to get around the cliff or take cover in the forest...
But now, it seemed there wasn't much time left.
The distant barrel flared brightly, and a strong white light shot out, the powerful magic power felt even across hundreds of meters.
Judging by the trajectory, it was unlikely to miss.
Liseli threw Beth forward, crashing into Alani and sending them both to the ground.
Meanwhile, Liseli shifted to her full-figured form, spreading her arms wide to shield her fallen companions. She smiled at their stunned faces, "Never underestimate a full-figured person~"
"Liseli!!!"
"No!"
Boom!!!
All three mages closed their eyes, the loud explosion like thunder, and the fierce gust blew their hair wildly.
Yet the expected pain did not come.
In confusion, the three opened their eyes to see Liseli turning around to find a majestic figure.
The person stood sideways, supporting a golden Shield of Light with the right hand and gently beckoning with the left, as if greeting ordinary friends:
"Nice to meet you, beautiful ladies. Need help?"
On the other side of the Shield of Light, the explosion had just stopped, and the intense backlight prevented them from clearly seeing his face for a moment. He just appeared so tall, and his voice was so friendly, so comforting.
When the explosion ceased, and the golden Shield of Light disappeared, they heard a muffled boom from the forest, and then a figure soared into the sky.
Rhode smiled and said, "For safety, my wife went to take care of that gunner, sorry for taking your target."
Only then did Alani clearly see the handsome face in front of her, exclaiming, "You're Mr. Rhode!"
Beth held her face in astonishment, "Is it that Ten Wizard Saints' Mr. Rhode?"
Liseli asked, "Then... by 'wife,' do you mean Miss Mirajane?"
Since their leader Kagura went to attend Rhode and Mira's wedding some time ago, they were quite attentive to this newlywed couple.
They even knew the couple visited the Royal Capital during their honeymoon, with a bit of 'gossip' about Yukino.
Moreover, Liseli was a fan of Mira, though she would always say of her photos: 'If only Miss Mirajane were more full-figured, she should show more of the beauty of the full-figured.'
As they spoke, a clamor arose from behind the cliff, making the three instantly vigilant.
Rhode, however, said, "Relax, they're allies."
Soon, a group of strange creatures came scampering over, each carrying one or two people in various ways.
The Shadow Wolves held a few bandits in their mouths, Ghosts dragged them by the feet, Xiaolan carried some on her shoulders, and Xiaohong had some on her back...
Over thirty fleeing bandits were all brought back by the monsters.
Meanwhile, in the form of Satan's Soul, Mira lightly landed, holding the collar of a strong man in her left hand and a deformed cannon in her right.
She gently asked, "How are you all, are you hurt?"
Her appearance was imposing, yet the words she spoke were so tender.
Liseli's eyes sparkled with adoration, Miss Mirajane was just so cool!
Alani and Beth, on the other hand, alternately gazed at Rhode and Mira—the gang that had almost claimed their lives, yet this couple had effortlessly taken care of them.
This couple was terrifyingly strong.