Shrinking back to his normal size, Rowan spread his wings and shot into the air. He didn't wait for Erigor to speak.
"Sonorus!"
His amplified voice rolled across the streets.
"We are Fairy Tail mages. Everyone listen carefully. These people are members of the dark guild Grimoire Ironwood. They intend to use a forbidden magical artifact, the Cursed Flute, to assassinate the guild masters currently meeting nearby."
He didn't pause.
"This area is extremely dangerous. Evacuate immediately. Notify the military and alert the guild masters at once."
The priority wasn't combat. It was clearing civilians before the city became collateral damage. If the guild masters were warned in time, Rowan doubted a single cursed artifact could take them all down. Anyone capable of leading a legal guild was experienced, powerful, and far from defenseless.
The shout echoed through the city.
Panic spread instantly. Onlookers scattered in every direction, the streets emptying in seconds. Dark mages were terrifying figures to ordinary people. Every year, civilian casualties from their battles filled the headlines.
"Die."
Erigor swung his scythe.
A razor-sharp wind blade tore through the air toward Rowan.
Before Rowan could dodge, Erza leapt in front of him. One clean slash shattered the attack.
"Annoying insects," Erigor snarled. "Stop them. I'll handle the guild masters myself."
He knew better than to underestimate the Fairy Queen. Rather than engage Erza directly, he ordered his entire guild forward.
More than a hundred dark mages surged ahead, spells firing in all directions. For a moment, Erza's team was pinned down.
Erigor turned his back on them, lifted by the wind, the Cursed Flute in hand. He intended to reach the villa north of the city and finish this before anyone could react.
"That's bad," Erza muttered.
But Rowan had already moved.
"Turning your back on me?" he thought coolly. "Then I won't hold back."
He shot forward, wand snapping up.
"Expelliarmus!"
The red spell struck cleanly.
Erigor's scythe and the Cursed Flute flew from his hands. Before they could fall, Rowan followed up instantly.
"Accio!"
The flute tore through the air and landed squarely in Rowan's grasp.
Erigor caught his scythe again, eyes bulging with fury. "Damn it. I got careless."
A cat. He'd been outplayed by a cat.
"Give it back!" he roared, unleashing a storm of wind blades as he chased Rowan through the air.
Rowan didn't counterattack. He dodged with ease, smaller and far more agile.
He'd only landed that spell because Erigor hadn't been guarding against him at all. Against a prepared wind mage, landing a decisive hit wasn't so simple. Unless he used Severing Charm.
But that spell was a last resort. If it failed once, Erigor would be ready for it the next time. Until Rowan could cast it silently and without a wand, it still had limits.
"Nice work, Rowan!" Erza called. "Fall back. I'll take him."
She transformed her blade into a long spear and swept it in a wide arc, knocking a dozen dark mages off their feet.
Rowan didn't argue. With an S-class mage like Erza taking point, his place was behind the line.
"Stupefy!"
A blue bolt forced Erigor to veer aside, giving Rowan time to retreat behind Erza, Lucy, and Happy.
"So you're the Fairy Queen," Erigor said, slowing to a halt. "Fine. I'll deal with you personally."
As the master of Grimoire Ironwood, he was no weaker than an S-class mage himself. Fear had nothing to do with this.
"Tempest Wave!"
A purple magic circle flared in his hand. A compact tornado formed instantly, roaring toward Erza.
She didn't flinch.
Crimson light surged around her body.
"Armor: Wind God."
Her previous armor vanished. In a heartbeat, she stood transformed.
Small wing-like ornaments crowned her head. Her long hair was bound neatly behind her. Tribal robes etched with swirling wind patterns replaced steel, and her weapon reshaped into a blade formed like drifting clouds.
Rowan watched from behind, eyes sharp with interest.
"So that's Requip Knight magic."
Unlike ordinary requip, which simply summoned weapons from storage, Erza's magic replaced everything at once. Armor, weapons, even her appearance shifted seamlessly.
If Rowan tried to do the same from his expanded bag, he'd need time. Too much time.
Watching Erza move, he understood the difference immediately.
And why she was feared.
...
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