Chapter 207: The Attack
"Seeing everyone enjoying themselves so much, I thought I'd join the party," the man in the black vest boomed, his voice echoing through the silent hall. "Just happens I'm a little short on cash right now. I was hoping you generous folks could lend me some... help out our little guild."
"Hey! That wasn't the deal!" the man in the rumpled suit hissed, tugging at the big man's arm.
"Hmm? You got a problem?" the muscular man asked, turning to glare down at him.
The suit-wearing man flinched and stumbled back a few steps. A flicker of contempt crossed the big man's eyes, but his voice softened slightly. "Relax. I always keep my promises. Hahaha!"
The man in the suit lowered his head, his expression hidden.
The banquet host stepped forward, though Noah could see his legs trembling. "Who are you people?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady. "How did you get in here? Where are my guards?"
The big man glanced at him dismissively. "You mean those trash outside? Pathetic. Couldn't even last one round against my guild members."
"Guild?"
"That's right. We're the Dark Guild, Evil Dragon. Now, if you know what's good for you, hand over your money. All of it."
The host's face turned white. He had hired a large number of guards, and many of the guests had brought their own security as well. If this "Evil Dragon" guild had taken them all down... they must be incredibly powerful. The guests here were mostly defenseless. He knew he'd have to pay to avoid disaster, but he feared that even paying wouldn't guarantee their safety.
By now, Ultear and the others had discreetly returned to Noah's and Eidel's side. Seeing them, Eidel's panic subsided slightly.
"Can you handle these people?" he whispered to Noah.
Noah gave him a reassuring nod. "No problem. We'll protect you. Don't worry."
"Are all of them here?" Erza murmured to Sorano.
"Yep, every last one," Sorano confirmed. "I don't know if they're overconfident or just stupid, but they didn't leave anyone guarding their escape route. They all came up here."
"It's not stupidity, it's greed," Ultear added. "They wanted to see their prize firsthand." Erza and the others nodded in agreement.
"If you can guarantee my safety," Eidel suddenly interjected, seizing the opportunity, "can you... take care of them? I'll pay extra. Money is no object."
He had realized that if Noah's team already knew the locations of all the Dark Guild members, and the enemy was unaware, then his protectors were clearly the stronger party. If they could eliminate this threat entirely, the benefits to his reputation and security would be immense.
"Consider it done," Ultear said without hesitation. She had planned on taking them all down anyway; the extra pay was just a bonus. Erza and the others didn't object.
A genuine smile spread across Eidel's face.
"Alright," Ultear said, laying out the plan. "Erza and Mira will handle the takedown. Sorano and I will stay here and protect the guests." Everyone nodded. Noah, as usual, would stay back as the final line of defense for Eidel.
The leader of the Evil Dragon guild was getting impatient. He ordered his men to round up the guests, clearly intending to rob them blind.
As the Dark Guild members started to move, Erza and Mirajane sprang into action.
"Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!"
"Full-Body Take Over: Satan Soul!"
Erza transformed, clad in steel armor with four metallic wings, a halo of swords floating behind her, and a longsword in each hand. She stomped the ground and launched herself at the group, her summoned swords flying ahead, striking down several men instantly. Her twin blades flashed, felling several more in the blink of an eye.
Mirajane shot forward on demonic wings, weaving through the panicked crowd. Her fists flew, sending men flying through the air, unconscious before they hit the ground.
In mere seconds, the two women had taken down over a dozen Dark Guild members. The leader finally reacted.
"Who the hell are you, interfering like this?!" he roared, charging at them. A magic circle appeared, and a long spear materialized in his hand. He swung it wildly at the two women.
Seeing he was using a weapon, Mirajane easily dodged, weaving behind him to engage the remaining Evil Dragon members. "He's all yours, weapon-user!" she called back.
"Got it!" Erza replied, meeting the leader's charge head-on. She raised her right sword, blocking the spear thrust. The man pressed his attack, swinging relentlessly, but Erza parried every blow with ease.
Behind him, cries of pain erupted as Mirajane swiftly dealt with the rest of his men. Although the leader didn't seem to care much about his subordinates, he had spent time gathering them, and he couldn't just let them all be wiped out. He attacked Erza with renewed fury, but he couldn't break through her defense.
"Too weak," Erza declared after exchanging a few more blows. Seeing that Mirajane had almost finished cleaning up, Erza decided to end it.
"Heaven's Wheel: Blumenblatt!"
A flurry of sword flashes erupted. The leader froze, a stunned expression on his face, before collapsing to the ground. A pool of blood slowly spread out from beneath him.
Erza looked over and saw Mirajane knock out the last Evil Dragon member. Mirajane looked back at her. Their eyes met for a brief second before they both looked away.
The two women walked back towards Noah and the others. Only then did the stunned guests finally react, erupting into thunderous applause. They stared at Erza and Mirajane with awe and excitement. Not only had they been saved, but their saviors were incredibly beautiful and powerful. Hearts appeared in the eyes of many, men and women alike, utterly captivated.
"All taken care of," Erza reported as she rejoined the group.
Ultear nodded. Just then, the host rushed over, beaming and rubbing his hands together. "Thank you! Thank you so much for resolving this crisis!"
"You're welcome," Erza replied politely. "We were hired by Mr. Perkins to provide protection."
Hearing this, Eidel couldn't contain his grin. He positively beamed as the surrounding guests looked at him with a mixture of gratitude, envy, and jealousy.
"Mr. Perkins invited you? May I ask who you are?" the host inquired.
"We are wizards from the Fairy Tail guild," Erza declared proudly. The name 'Fairy Tail' echoed in the minds of everyone present. They all made a mental note to learn more about this guild later.
"Figures," a voice suddenly cut through the excited chatter. "I knew I couldn't rely on them. Looks like I'll have to handle this myself."
Everyone froze, startled, and turned towards the source of the voice.
~~~
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