章 123: Chapter 123: They Must Be Weak in Close Combat

Two rune-based barriers shone with magical light, standing out in the densely forested mountains.

Rhodes and Gray were heading to the nearer one, but by the time they arrived, the rune had already disappeared.

"First Squad, attack! Second Squad, get ready!" shouted Deputy Captain Depte, directing the Special Enforcement Unit.

The soldiers, wielding staffs, unleashed a barrage of magic bullets toward the members of Naked Mummy.

Caught off guard by the sudden ambush, the rune had been broken, and what should have been an advantage in numbers was almost completely nullified. They were now being attacked from two sides.

After the rune was lifted, the morale of Naked Mummy's wizards soared.

"Curse the council!"

"It's because of you that we've been forced to hide like this!"

"Prepare to die!"

The way these wizards fought was much more varied compared to the Special Enforcement Unit.

Some used staves and magical rifles to attack from afar, others cast elemental magic like fire, while some magical warriors dodged the magic bullets as they moved forward, aiming for close combat.

This wide range of fighting styles left the Special Enforcement Unit struggling, with casualties on both sides.

This was what a real wizard battle looked like.

Moreover, Naked Mummy had Zat and Carter, the two brothers, and a bald man—three individuals with notable strength.

With the three of them joining the fight, the Special Enforcement Unit gradually found themselves at a disadvantage.

"Damn, if this continues..." Depte was under a lot of pressure.

If things kept going this way, not only would the teams he brought suffer heavy losses, but his colleagues at the other rune location were also likely in danger.

"Ice-Make: Lances!"

"Crimson Beakbird: Rain of Feathers!"

Suddenly, dozens of ice lances and over a hundred feather blades rained down, immediately knocking down several enemies.

"It's Fairy Tail wizards! Hang in there! Our reinforcements have arrived!"

Depte didn't have time to question why they had intervened without permission. Right now, boosting morale was the most important thing.

Luckily, it was Rhodes who came, who would naturally try to avoid misunderstandings.

So, after the initial sneak attack, Rhodes yelled, "We're here at Captain Kephtin's request to support Deputy Captain Depte!"

Depte immediately relaxed. "Keep it up, attack!"

"Yes!!"

The soldiers of the Special Enforcement Unit were invigorated and fought with renewed vigor.

"It's wizards from a legitimate guild!"

"Damn it, those guys—they've already stepped into the light, and yet they're still interfering with us?"

The bald man beside the Zat brothers sneered. "It's only two people. You lot, come with me to deal with them."

"Yes, Brother Balka!"

Depte managed to shout a reminder amid the chaos, "Watch out, that guy's gun is tricky!"

"Magical Shotgun!" Balka, the bald man, pulled the trigger. "Die!"

"Ice-Make: Shield!"

The magic bullets exploded upon Gray's ice shield, leaving cracks on its surface.

"That Ice Wizard—what speed in shaping magic!"

"And that shield is so strong!"

"Gray's magic is really powerful?" Rhodes said, surprised.

"Why are you also surprised?!" Gray was baffled by Rhodes' reaction—this wasn't the first time Rhodes had seen his Ice-Make magic.

"It's just that I never had a reference before!"

Rhodes knew Gray was strong, but he'd never really had a benchmark.

But during this outing, seeing Charle marvel at Gray's speed and precision, and hearing their enemies also exclaim about his skills and the strength of his ice shield, Rhodes realized that Gray's level might be extraordinary. If only there was another Ice Wizard on the other side to compare...

And as if summoned by his thoughts, a wizard behind Balka, specializing in ice magic, took several seconds to shoot an ice spike at Gray's shield, creating a small dent.

"Oh~~~ Gray is incredible!" Rhodes exclaimed.

Gray created a javelin, threw it at a wizard firing magic bullets, and yelled, "Focus on fighting!"

"My amazement doesn't affect the fight! You better concentrate too!" Rhodes waved his hand. "Beakbird: Feather!"

Five small Beakbirds shot out a feather each, then flapped their wings and charged forward.

A larger Beakbird also fired another volley of feather blades before diving at Zat.

Several unlucky wizards screamed in pain, clutching their arms.

"Don't panic!" Balka fired again, taking down one of the small Beakbirds. "One's an Ice Wizard, the other's a Summoner. They must be weak in close combat. Magical swordsmen, charge!"

"Yes!"

Four swordsmen advanced, covering each other. Though two were severely wounded, they managed to defeat the five small Beakbirds.

Of the remaining two, one charged at Gray while the other rushed towards Rhodes.

However, Gray summoned an ice sword. His first move knocked away his opponent's sword, and his second move brought his opponent to the ground.

Noticing the crimson Beakbird being defeated by Zat's magic, Rhodes summoned a set of Stone Armored Bugs.

The magical swordsman charging at him slashed one of the Ancient Stone Armored Bugs on the back, creating small cracks.

The Ancient Stone Armored Bug bit his opponent by the waist and dragged him underground, leaving only his head visible.

Another Stone Armored Bug lifted a leg and kicked him unconscious.

"Tunnel!" Rhodes commanded, and the bugs burrowed underground. One emerged beneath Balka, lifting him, while another sprang up and bit him.

Gray swung his ice sword, cutting through Balka's magical gun and leaving a deep gash across his chest, then used his cold aura to freeze the man's arm to his body.

Stolen kill.

But Rhodes didn't mind, as the strongest—the Zat brothers—were walking towards them now.

The combat ability of the Special Enforcement Unit was underwhelming. Despite having even numbers, strict discipline, and good command, they still ended up fighting to a draw.

Deputy Captain Depte had taken a direct hit from Zat and a blow to the head from Carter. He couldn't stand, lying there watching Zat and Carter facing off against Rhodes and Gray, pinning all his hopes on these two reinforcements.

"You two bastards, what did you do to my men, huh?" said Zat, the man with the afro. "Brother Carter, how about we smash their bones?"

Carter, the man with the rooster comb hair, spoke naively, "Sure, should we start now, Brother Zat?"

Rhodes wasn't interested in pointless dialogue with enemies.

So, ignoring the taunts from these two brothers calling each other "Bro," he quickly conveyed the intel he'd gathered to Gray:

"That afro guy attacks with invisible strikes like air cannons. The warning signs could be his glaring or him raising his hand, using the ring on his finger. Keep an eye on his small movements.

The rooster-head guy specializes in close combat, wielding a short staff. His strength is formidable, and the armor he's wearing might be like Erza's magic armor—a tool with strong defensive capabilities."

Gray cracked his knuckles and assumed a fighting stance. "So you've been observing those two this whole time."

"Of course, it's not like I'd just watch without doing anything besides commanding some monsters." Rhodes waved his hand. "Ancient Stone Armored Bugs!"