Capítulo 172: Chapter 172: Erza Knightwalker
In response to the unexpected intruders, King Faust's eyes bulged, bloodshot and filled with fury, as though he were about to devour them.
"Assassins! Protect His Majesty!"
Erza Knightwalker shouted, stepping forward immediately to shield the king. The surrounding soldiers quickly gathered, forming ranks on either side of him, their spears aimed at the intruders.
"Erza?"
Mirajane was momentarily taken aback, utterly surprised to see Erza here. She quickly realized that this was the Erza from the parallel world. Though her hairstyle was slightly different, she was otherwise almost identical to the Erza Mirajane knew—even her voice was the same.
While Mirajane was startled, Nate was able to distinguish the difference immediately. As Erza's close companion, he knew her inside and out. First, there was a difference in their aura; second, this Erza had a much colder expression and a more chilling gaze.
"There's no need to be so tense, everyone," Nate said, glancing briefly at Knightwalker before turning his attention to the king. "We're only here to ask about something."
"Who are you?" Erza Knightwalker demanded coldly, trying to keep her tone calm. She had already guessed part of the answer, seeing Nate hovering effortlessly in mid-air.
King Faust trembled as he rose from his throne, his voice rough as he barked out an order:
"Magic power... they possess magic power within them! They're mages from Earth Land!"
"Seize them, Erza!"
So they're from the other world… but how did they get here? Erza Knightwalker wondered, thinking of the Anima. But without hesitation, she transformed the weapon in her hand.
"Mel Force, Vacuum Spear!"
In an instant, she launched forward at incredible speed, thrusting her spear toward Nate, who floated several meters above. Her burst speed was astonishing, almost on par with the speed of Erza's Flight Armor from Earth Land.
But fast as she was, she couldn't surpass the reflexes of Nate's Six Eyes.
With a resounding snap, Nate caught the spear's tip with his bare hand, as if anchored in space, completely unmoving.
"What?!"
Erza Knightwalker was stunned. She had been moving at high speed, yet Nate had stopped her cold, leaving her leaning forward uncontrollably due to her momentum.
The soldiers below were similarly shocked, each wearing an expression of disbelief.
"He caught the Mel Force with his bare hands?"
"Is this a joke? That's the Mel Force! The pinnacle weapon of the kingdom's magic arsenal!"
"Who is this man?"
The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, but Erza Knightwalker reacted immediately.
"Explosion!"
The spear's shaft glowed white as it transformed again, and in an instant, a powerful explosion erupted from the tip.
'Boom!'
Flames and smoke engulfed Nate, and in the brief opening, Knightwalker broke free of his grip. She flipped nimbly backward, landing firmly on the ground with her eyes locked on the center of the blaze.
She shot a quick glance at the white-haired, black-winged woman hovering nearby. Despite her attack on Nate, the woman had shown no reaction.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Erza Knightwalker's pupils shrank as her target vanished from sight.
Gone?
Just as the thought crossed her mind, she felt a hand grasp her right wrist from behind, twisting her arm firmly behind her back.
"When did...?" Erza Knightwalker was shaken as she glanced back to find the black-winged woman standing behind her, holding her tightly.
What strength!
With a smile laced with charm, Mirajane whispered, "No sudden moves, Miss Erza of this world. We don't mean any harm; we're just here to ask about Fairy Tail."
This woman... Mirajane!?
Erza Knightwalker's mind reeled. She often hunted down the dark guild Fairy Tail and was familiar with some of its members. That voice… it was unmistakably Mirajane!
But why did the Mirajane from Earth Land have such frightening power? And who was that man? Another mage from Fairy Tail?
Suppressing her impulse to struggle, Knightwalker glanced up at the burning smoke in the air.
Within the smoke, Nate emerged, protected by a faint white glow forming a magic shield around him.
"Not a scratch?!"
Erza Knightwalker's heart sank. Just who were these two? Their strength was absurd!
"Let's go, Mirajane. She likely has the information we need," Nate said quietly, then addressed the bewildered king below: "We'll borrow her for a bit. Rest assured, we'll return her safely."
He gave a polite nod before disappearing in a streak of golden light through the gap in the ceiling.
Following his lead, Mirajane took hold of Knightwalker and, with a flap of her wings, flew after Nate.
It wasn't until they were gone that the soldiers snapped back to attention, turning to the king and kneeling.
"Your Majesty..."
"Alert the other Magic War Division and pursue them immediately! They must not escape!" the king commanded coldly.
...
Under the Night Sky
Nate had already left the bounds of the capital. Behind him, Erza Knightwalker was attempting to break free from Mirajane's hold, but the power of the Black-Winged Demon form was overwhelming.
"Why is Erza in the palace?" Mirajane asked curiously. "What happened to Fairy Tail?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. Let me go!" Knightwalker thought bitterly to herself, 'Why is this woman so strong?'
"It's useless," Mirajane replied with a smile. "People in this world don't have magic within them. You can't break free with just brute force." Having often sparred with Erza as a child, Mirajane found it amusing to be "bullying" another Erza in this way.
'You've got a bit of a mischievous side, don't you, Mira?' Nate thought with amusement, then turned to Knightwalker. "Tell me, where is the dark guild Fairy Tail located?"
After a pause, he added, "Don't worry, we won't harm you. We just need directions."
"What exactly are you Earth Landers here for?" Realizing she couldn't escape for the time being, Knightwalker decided to cooperate and find out their purpose first. If this affected the Infinite Magic Power plan... she couldn't afford to let that fail.
Nate halted and reached out, placing a card on Knightwalker's forehead.
In an instant, her parallel-world counterpart was sealed inside the card.
With a flick of the card, Nate said casually, "Carrying her around was getting tiresome; this is much easier."
"I didn't mind carrying her," Mirajane replied, a bit disappointed she couldn't tease Knightwalker further.
Inside the card, Knightwalker looked bewildered.
"Is this Earth Land magic?"
"Indeed," Nate nodded, addressing her through the card. "We have no hidden agenda. We're only here to find a missing friend."
After a pause, he added bluntly, "So just tell us where Fairy Tail is."
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