Chapter 125: Rescue

Did he talk too much?

No, magic is the power of the heart. Saying a few more words to strengthen one's resolve or to weaken the enemy's morale could be considered part of the battle.

Then again, maybe the fight itself is a process of solidifying one's inner strength.

While Rhodes was lost in thought, Gray had already put on his clothes.

He glanced at the miserable Carter. "You really are strong. So why are you always so cautious with this kind of power?"

"Being strong and being cautious aren't contradictory," Rhodes said. "Besides, dealing with someone who's got no brains, who just rushes in headfirst... I don't think that counts as being strong."

"That's true," Gray nodded, then paused, "Wait, are you implying something?!"

"No, just stating the obvious." Rhodes instructed the crab to stand guard nearby, then said, "Let's go check on those injured folks."

The two of them went to see the Special Enforcement Unit members, leaving those with minor injuries alone and giving basic first aid to those more seriously injured.

After a while, Captain brought his injured body along with some other members, and some reinforcements from the other ritual site also arrived.

Everyone looked at the devastated forest—the scattered feathers, ice shards, rubble, broken trees, and the miserable state of Zat and his subordinates...

"What kind of battle happened here?"

Rhodes quickly shouted, "Quick, is there a medic here? There are some seriously injured people!"

"We have a first aid kit!"

"Quick, help them!" Captain ordered, "The rest of you, arrest the criminals!"

Everyone started moving. Rhodes and Gray stepped aside to rest.

Captain watched as his team handcuffed each member of the Naked Bandage Men. The more he looked, the more he felt something was off—

The injuries caused by Rhodes and Gray were clearly different from those caused by his own team.

Captain was astonished. "Are you telling me... the two of you took down the entire dark guild?"

"We didn't take out that many people; your men fought bravely," Rhodes didn't want to steal credit, the Special Enforcement Unit had played a big part too.

"...You two did well," Captain wanted to say that no matter how brave his men were, they couldn't pin people down with feathers or freeze them with ice.

Judging by the injuries, at least half of these guys were taken down by these two.

Two people took down most of a dark guild, and one of them didn't even have a dirty shirt, while the other just had some dirt on his clothes...

How strong are the wizards from Fairy Tail, really?

Oh, wasn't there a rumor recently that the Fairy Queen couldn't wait for the Council's team, and decided to take on an entire dark guild alone to avoid missing the opportunity?

Is everyone in that guild a monster?

"Captain! Deputy Captain Deput!"

"How is he?"

"His injuries are too severe; he can't hold on!"

"Quick, think of something!"

"We can only provide emergency treatment. For proper treatment, we need a professional surgical room and a doctor!"

"A surgical room..." Captain turned pale. The group only brought combat-capable possession wizards.

The medics were only trained in basic battlefield first aid, they couldn't handle such complex injuries.

But where could they find a surgical room or a doctor in the deep mountains? Could Deput hold on until then?

Gray looked to Rhodes. "Rhodes?"

Rhodes nodded, "It's worth a gamble; we can't just let him die here."

He called the Swift Canyon Crab. "I can take him to the Cat Shelter at top speed, but whether he makes it or not is up to him."

"Right, the Cat Shelter is nearby! Maybe they could..."

"But Captain, if we jostle him on the way, his wounds will reopen, and if he loses too much blood..."

"Shut up." Gray stepped up and pressed his hand in the air, freezing Deput's wounds. "Do you have a better idea?"

"Let's do it!" Captain made a decision, helping Gray carry Deput onto the crab. "Deput, you must hold on!"

Rhodes and Gray got onto the crab, each supporting Deput from either side, and the crab took off at full speed.

It was cramped with three people, but that was the least of their worries at the moment.

The crab moved quickly through the mountains and forests. Deput's breathing became erratic, sometimes shallow, sometimes deep and strained.

"Rhodes, he's not gonna make it."

"I know. Hold him steady while I prepare."

"Prepare?"

Rhodes sat upright, concentrating as if meditating, trying to recover his magic power faster.

"Answer my call, Crimson Mark Treant!"

A massive treant emerged from the ground like a growing tree. Rhodes slumped back, almost falling off the crab.

"Embers Crown," he said weakly, giving the treant a command.

Three red patterns floated around Deput, diving into his wounds, then turning into glowing particles that emerged from his body before returning to normal.

The Crimson Mark Treant quickly disappeared. Deput's breathing improved slightly, but now Rhodes was the one in bad shape. "Damn... that drained me."

"You had that kind of move too!"

"What kind of move? Look at the state I'm in; how's this useful in real combat?"

"Why not?" Gray thought that if Rhodes hadn't used so much magic earlier, he could've maintained the treant for an entire fight.

Then again, knowing Rhodes, he probably wouldn't use it in a fight.

"Quit arguing, just watch me. If I can't keep the crab going, catch me."

Rhodes paused, then added, "Actually, never mind, catch him first."

Rhodes didn't like getting involved in other people's problems, but the feeling of watching someone die right before his eyes wasn't something he could bear.

He could only do what he could.

After much effort, they finally arrived at the Cat Shelter by nightfall.

Rhodes had run out of energy once along the way, leaving Gray to create an ice carriage to pull them both.

The ice carriage was cold, so to prevent the patient from freezing to death, Gray gathered branches to cover it.

Other than being uncomfortable, it wasn't too bad.

Once Rhodes recovered some magic, he resummoned the crab, and they continued.

By then, Wendy and Carla had already changed into their cute pajamas and gone to bed.

"Why at this hour..." Carla started to complain, but then she saw Deput under the lantern light. "Is this someone from the Council?"

Gray's tone was urgent, "He's badly hurt, and it took everything we had to get him here. Can you help?"

Carla hesitated. "Wendy?"

Wendy nodded firmly, "I can do it!"

In the guest room, Deput was placed on the bed Rhodes had slept in before. Wendy sat by the bed, her hands glowing with green magical light.

Rhodes and Gray leaned against the corner of the wall, sitting on the floor exhausted.

Sweat formed on Wendy's forehead. "It's alright, I'll heal him."

Carla added, "Don't overexert yourself."

Though she knew Wendy wouldn't listen anyway.