Rhode counted, a total of 14 children, 12 were driven to walk on their own, and two were carried over, looking like they had just been beaten.
"I can go underground to steal the children out. But to be safe, it's best if we can find a way to distract them before I make my move."
Erza said, "Leave this to me."
One of Fairy Tail's specialties is attracting attention... in a variety of ways.
"Alright, wait for my signal." Rhode summoned Warm again and handed it to Erza as a signal.
"Summon, Ancient Stone Beetle! Split, split, burrow!"
Rhode summoned another group of Stone Beetles, splitting them into Mini Stone Beetles, totaling 12, all burrowing underground.
"Receive, Ancient Stone Beetle!" Rhode also transformed into a Stone Beetle form, gave Erza a thumbs up, and sank into the ground.
Erza held Warm and temporarily hid in another location.
...
Next to the altar, the leader of the Black Magic Sect 'Shadow of Evil Ghosts', Ghost Shadow was questioning his subordinates: "What's with those two kids?"
"They tried to escape on the way here, handled a bit heavy when capturing them back."
Ghost Shadow looked at the speaker, it wasn't just handled heavily; it was clearly venting.
Luckily, the handling was measured enough not to kill them.
He flared his nostrils, frowned, and said, "Wash them clean; having sacrifices that reek like this is disrespectful to Master Canopus."
"Yes!"
Boiling hot water was impossible to specially prepare; the robed people randomly fetched some cold water to bathe the children.
The gray-haired little boy was covered in scars but still held onto his sister tightly, murmuring intermittently, "It's… it's okay, hang on a bit longer, it's almost... over."
The little girl was crying uncontrollably; she knew all along that her brother was lying.
Warm, acting as the signal device, disappeared, indicating that Rhode was ready.
Erza immediately stepped out and shouted down the hill, "The game is over, Shadow of Evil Ghosts!"
The dozens of members of Shadow of Evil Ghosts were startled: "Who's there?!"
"Requip: Giant Armor!" A heavy yellow armor appeared on Erza, with a long spear in her hand.
Without saying any more, she slightly gathered strength and threw the spear: "Evil-breaking Spear!"
"How bold!"
"Daring to make the first move alone!"
Ghost Shadow sensed something was off: "That person's target is the altar! Stop her!"
The spear thrown in anger by Erza was not so easily intercepted.
Five people near the altar leaped up trying to block it.
But two misjudged the spear's speed and missed completely.
The other three tried to use weapons to resist the spear tip but were dragged down with it.
The spear like a meteor? Yes, it was a spear like a meteor, only it was a meteor slamming down on their heads.
A loud bang was heard.
The altar, which the dozens of members of Shadow of Evil Ghosts had painstakingly constructed, was shattered to pieces by Erza's spear.
The robed people stared blankly at the destroyed altar, unsure of how to react.
Was that thing really just a thrown spear, not some magic cannon?
"Bastard..." Ghost Shadow watched helplessly as the woman on the hillside destroyed their painstaking efforts of the past few days and crushed their long-held hopes.
His hand gripped the magic staff tightly, veins popping on the back of his hand: "Kill her! Offer her to Master Canopus!"
"Boss, the kids are gone!"
"What did you say?!" Ghost Shadow whipped his head around; the children waiting for a bath had already disappeared.
"That woman has comrades as well!"
Erza had already marched boldly to the foot of the hill.
12 Mini Stone Beetles emerged from behind her, each using pincer-like mouthparts to clamp onto a child.
Rhode appeared, carrying the sibling pair.
He had intended to run further, but the children didn't understand magic and lacked air; they might suffocate if kept underground too long, forcing him to emerge early.
"Ah!"
"Wow!"
The children let out cries of surprise, gasping for air.
"Don't be afraid, we are the mages here to rescue you; don't worry, we'll take you home soon."
Rhode terminated his transformation, trying to soothe the children's emotions.
"Home? You're not going anywhere!"
At Ghost Shadow's command, all the robed people wielding magic staffs fired magic bullets at them.
Those magic bullets were different from the ordinary impact and explosion effects used by the Advisory Council's forces; each carried a curse effect of black magic.
Rhode's hand grasped the pendant, but Erza stopped him: "Take the children away, leave the rest to me!"
"Go!" Rhode didn't hesitate like in clichéd TV dramas; at Erza's word, he immediately left.
The Mini Stone Beetles got moving, lifting the children onto their backs with pincers, and scampering away on short legs.
"Requip: Vajra Armor!"
Erza donned a much heavier suit of armor, raising her arms in front of her, the plates on the arm armor closing like two doors, forming a shield.
Simultaneously, a massive green defense magic array formed in the air.
All 30-plus magic bullets were blocked by the green magic array, exploding into unsightly fireworks.
Erza's crimson hair fluttered in the wind, her sturdy back looked very reliable.
"Keep attacking, she's just one person!"
Multicolored magic bullets bombarded again, and Erza's defense magic array flickered slightly.
At this moment, robe-wearing melee experts charged in with various weapons.
Erza looked back briefly.
Rhode, the retreat expert, had already swapped out the Stone Beetles with Beaked Birds carrying the children, flapping their wings, partially flying, and partially running at high speed.
Seeing they were almost at the mountaintop, and 12 Mini Stone Beetles diving underground again, while six Shadow Wolves ran towards the bottom of the hill.
Two Magic Swamp Frogs also moved toward the flanks—Rhode had no qualms about using poison against these enemies.
Erza smiled; indeed a reliable partner.
As she turned to block another wave of attacks, her expression turned serious, even deadly: "Requip: Celestial Wheel Armor!"
Erza wielded dual swords, with steel wings sprouting from her back, hovering mid-air, launching sixteen Celestial Wheel Swords at the oncoming black mages.
This batch of black mages seemed not to be ordinary minions, as the Celestial Wheel Swords only took down six or seven of the robed attackers.
However, this iconic image and move revealed their true identity to them:
"Unique requip magic that changes even armor, that crimson hair, and that armor... she is the Fairy Queen—Erza Scarlet!"
"So that earlier person was also a mage from Fairy Tail!"
"Fiore's number one guild..." Ghost Shadow clenched the magic staff, as now they were in big trouble.