After hearing this, Noah realized the man before him was completely consumed by madness. There was no hope of reasoning with him. So he changed the subject instead:
"Why don't you attack me now? I don't have any magic power left. You could easily capture me."
Noah spoke in a calm, almost playful tone, though his face showed fatigue. He stood there looking powerless, as if he could be seized without effort.
Yet the cult members around him shuffled backward, none daring to step forward. Noah couldn't help but laugh when he saw their hesitation.
"Don't be afraid. You call yourselves a Black Magic Cult, don't you? Isn't your god the most powerful dark sorcerer? Aren't you supposed to bring him back to life? Look at yourselves right now. What kind of cult behaves like this? How do you plan to resurrect your god when you can't even step forward?"
The faces of the cultists flushed between red and pale, but still no one dared to move.
The cult leader pulled a vial of medicine from his robes and swallowed it. Moments later, his wounds began to knit together, the bleeding slowed, and strength returned to his body.
Seeing this, Noah sighed softly. Of course a man so desperate to survive would carry medicine with him. He had some as well. Healing supplies were a necessity in battle.
When the leader had regained much of his strength, he fixed Noah with a cold glare and declared,
"You cannot escape. Prepare to die."
Noah tilted his head, pretending to be surprised.
"So confident. Aren't you worried I've laid a trap?"
"You've already burned through your magic. I still have plenty of energy and strength. Defeating you will be easy."
The cult leader's voice dripped with arrogance. From the very first clash, Noah had never faced him head-on. He always relied on traps to even the odds. The explosions earlier at the village gate had already weakened in force, proof that Noah had little left to fight with directly. Besides, Noah was just a boy. After such a long battle, surely his magic reserves were drained dry.
Noah smiled.
"Yes, yes, it'll be easy for you. Then hurry up and come get me."
The cult leader sneered.
"Hmph! I'll crush you myself. Let's see if you're still so smug then!"
He strode forward with heavy steps.
Noah raised a hand toward him. The leader froze, startled, expecting another spell. He quickly leapt back, only to hear Noah laugh.
"Don't be so jumpy. I just have a question."
The leader frowned but paused. "What is it?"
Seeing that he had actually stopped to listen, Noah's smile widened.
"I've been waiting this whole time for reinforcements. What are you waiting for?"
"What?!"
The cult leader's eyes widened as a magic circle glowed on the ground beside Noah. From its light, a figure began to emerge.
In the distance, faint explosions echoed across the night. Erza frowned with worry and turned to Simon.
"The blasts over there are so intense… could Noah be in danger?"
Simon's expression also showed concern, but he tried to reassure her.
"It should be fine. Remember, Noah said earlier he was only here in a thought form. He shouldn't be in any real danger."
Kagura, who had woken from her drowsiness, held tightly onto Simon's hand. She stayed close beside him and asked softly,
"Brother, where are we going? How much longer will it take?"
"We have to leave the village now. We can only return once the bad people are gone."
"When will the bad people be driven away?"
"Noah is already fighting them. He'll defeat them soon."
"Will Brother Noah be in danger?"
"No, your Brother Noah is very strong. He won't be in danger. The only ones in danger are the bad people."
As the three spoke, their voices carried both comfort and worry. They had only ever seen Noah demonstrate magic while teaching them before. Since those lessons were never full displays of his strength, they couldn't help but worry about him now that he was fighting for real.
A louder explosion than the ones before echoed faintly in the distance. The villagers panicked at once. The village chief hurried to calm everyone and urged them to move faster.
But the group was large, filled with elders and children who could not walk quickly. The chief stood by anxiously, sweat running down his forehead, urging them over and over again to pick up their pace.
He no longer doubted Noah's warning about the attackers. Now he only feared that Noah might fail to hold them back, or that reinforcements would arrive too late, allowing the Black Magic Cult to catch up. If that happened, what could they possibly do? All he could do was pray that Noah truly was as powerful as he claimed, a genuine S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail. Otherwise, their lives and the lives of every villager would be doomed.
The group pressed on nervously. Suddenly, two explosions rang out almost simultaneously from behind them. The crowd was thrown into chaos again, and it took the chief great effort to calm them down.
Even so, many people couldn't help but glance back toward Rosemary Village, their faces filled with dread. The chief could only keep urging them forward, desperate to escape.
Faint explosions continued to rumble in the distance, each one making the atmosphere heavier. Tension hung over the group like a suffocating fog. Still, they followed the chief's lead and pushed forward.
The pace was hard on the older villagers and young children, but thankfully, stronger men and women supported them, making sure no one was left behind.
Noah had first met Erza, Simon, and Kagura when he went to Rosemary Village. Since they were close in age, he quickly became friends with them, often playing together while also taking the chance to train them in magic. The three had gone through a period of practice under his guidance.
Now, even after walking quickly for some time, the three of them managed to keep up in the middle of the group, not falling behind.
The villagers walked in silence, each conserving their strength. The only sounds were hurried footsteps and the occasional cry of a child.
Then, without warning, a thunderous explosion ripped through the distance. Erza and the others, already on edge, froze in terror. Kagura clung tightly to her brother, while Erza trembled in fright.
"Brother, I'm so scared!" Kagura cried.
Simon's heart pounded, but he forced himself to remain calm for her sake.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here. Everything will be fine soon."
The villagers around them were shaken as well, fear spreading like wildfire. The chief tried desperately to reassure them, but the group slowed, nearly stopping in their panic.
Amid the confusion, a magic circle suddenly shimmered into existence on the ground beside Erza and the others. Light surged from it, and a figure stepped forth.
When they saw the familiar face, Erza, Simon, and Kagura called out at once.
"Brother Noah, you're back! Did you defeat the enemies? Have they been driven away?"