The Last Glow of the Setting Sun

Riyao picked up Mirajane and ran, leaving Erza behind.

The three were having a pleasant conversation when Erza suddenly mentioned that she needed the help of Riyao and Mirajane.

Her expression turned serious, and she solemnly mentioned that some members of the Dark Magic Cult were lurking in Gazania, intending to have Riyao and Mirajane assist the Magic Council in conducting a search.

The automatic filtering by Riyao sounds like a very troublesome thing.

Assist in the investigation?

Don't even think about it!

Who wants to work for free when they finally get to travel?

With a long arm, Riyao smoothly scooped Mirajane into his arms and darted away in a blur, the wind he created sending fallen leaves swirling wildly across the roadside.

"I believe you can handle it yourself! Good luck, Erza, and remember to come home often."

Riyao's voice echoed in the alley. By the time he finished speaking, the figure had already vanished without a trace, leaving only a small cloud of dust rising from the street corner.

Erza watched the two figures disappear into the distance, a smile playing on her lips, and a barely perceptible green glow emanated from her body.

A gentle healing magic flowed through her body, quietly erasing the fatigue of her long journey.

On the other side, Riyao carried Mirajane through two alleys in one breath and entered a quiet stone path covered with vines.

Mirajane looked at Riyao with a smile, her arms around Riyao neck, her body swaying gently with his steps.

"He said he wouldn't help, but he still put Life Link on Erza. Oh dear, my Riyao is such a tsundere."

"I'm not being arrogant at all. It was just something I did on a whim. Look how straightforward I am!"

Riyao gently put the girl in his arms down and casually pinched her soft cheek.

"Ah, yes, yes, not arrogant at all."

Mirajane smiled and continued his words, smoothing the wrinkles in Riyao's collar with her fingers, taking Riyao's arm, and leaning close to him.

Gazania is built on a hillside, with unnamed wildflowers blooming on both sides of the stone-paved road, and the air is filled with the fragrance of grass and trees and the aroma of wheat from the bakery.

The two strolled leisurely down the slope, enjoying the rare moment of peace and quiet without being disturbed.

As I passed the corner of the commercial street.

From afar, I could see Cana standing on a wooden barrel, drinking with someone at the tavern entrance. Lucy was carrying large bags and small packages behind her, looking exhausted and rolling her eyes. Lisanna was pulling Wendy and Levy to queue up at the pastry stall to buy freshly baked cream puffs. Carla stood by and looked around.

Riyao pulled Mirajane around a corner and slipped into a back alley.

We finally have some time to ourselves, so we can't let them bother us anymore.

The two slowly walked up the bluestone steps, passing through a quiet residential area, until they arrived at the central fountain square at the highest point of the town.

In the very center of the square stands an exquisite stone fountain, its water droplets scattering into a fine mist in mid-air, which falls down coolly when the evening breeze blows.

The setting sun painted the sky a warm orange-red hue, and its afterglow shone on Mirajane's long, silvery-white hair, giving it a golden glow.

Mirajane leaned on Riyao's shoulder, their fingers intertwined, enjoying a rare moment of peace.

Riyao looked down at her quiet and gentle profile, and raised his hand to brush the stray hairs behind her ear.

However, before the pleasant atmosphere could even warm up, Riyao's palm twitched slightly, revealing a faint green light.

"Hey, Erza's fighting. The Life Link she shares with has been activated."

Mirajane remained leaning on his shoulder with her eyes closed, not moving an inch, and simply asked a question.

"How was it? Was the battle intense?"

Riyao closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then gently tapped his knee with his fingertips.

"It wasn't too serious, just minor injuries. I can heal it with some magic. However, instead of worrying about Erza, I should be more worried about whether this town will be demolished."

"Probably not, Erza's already a member of the Magic Council, she should at least follow some rules..."

Before Mirajane could finish speaking, a huge explosion was heard.

Rumble!!

The dull thud shook the entire square's paving stones, and the water jets in the fountain shot up several meters high.

Immediately afterwards, thick black smoke rose from two streets to the southeast, and the cracking sound of bricks and stones breaking could be heard from a great distance.

Riyao and Mirajane exchanged a glance and both gave a helpless smile.

People from Fairy Tail can't change their demolition mentality no matter what uniform they wear; the concept of rules simply doesn't exist in their eyes.

Before the smoke and dust had completely dissipated, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from the end of the long street.

Accompanied by the splashing sounds of splashing water and bursts of angry shouts, the entire alley suddenly became lively.

The two turned their heads and saw Erza and Lucy chasing a group of strangely dressed mages.

The group of black-robed cultists, with their disheveled hair and strangely drawn runes on their faces, were being chased by Erza was wielding two swords, and were running for their lives.

The black-robed mages were chased so frantically that they plunged into the spacious fountain square.

The group of people ran straight towards the two of them.

Riyao, who had been lazily leaning back in his chair, brightened up at the sight of this and tossed Mirajane toward Erza.

"Wife, run!!"

Riyao's shouts were deeply moving, his face filled with righteous indignation, and he smoothly lifted Mirajane into the air with both hands.

Mirajane deftly flipped in mid-air and landed steadily beside Erza. She looked helplessly at Riyao, who was acting like a drama queen, and raised her hand to rub her temples.

The black-robed leader, who was at the forefront of the escape, was worried about having nowhere to run when he was suddenly overjoyed to see a young man not only not running away but also actively approaching him. He rushed forward and grabbed Riyao's shoulder tightly.

"Stop! If you come any closer, we'll kill him."

The lead mage held a knife to Riyao's neck.

A poisoned, jet-black short blade pressed against Riyao's neck, emitting a herbal, fishy smell, its cool back pressed against his skin.

Riyao pursed his lips, trying hard to control his expression, afraid that he would burst out laughing.

I've never experienced being kidnapped before; it's quite a novel feeling.

Riyao's legs trembled, and he began to belt out a dramatic scene.

"Oh, brother, please don't kill me! I have elderly parents and young children to support. If you let me go, I can give you countless treasures of gold and silver."

He wailed while squeezing out two tears, waving his hands wildly in front of him, his performance remarkably realistic.

"Shut up."

The black-robed leader's head was throbbing from the man's raspy voice, and he viciously thrust his short knife forward half an inch.

Mirajane looked at Riyao with resentment, wishing she could be kidnapped herself.

That idiot Riyao always manages to steal the fun parts.

Erza and the others watched Riyao, who was thoroughly enjoying himself, speechless.

Just then, a commotion arose at the entrance of the alley.

Accompanied by heavy, thumping footsteps, several familiar figures rushed out from around the corner.

Sting and the others rushed over in a panic when they heard the commotion.

I heard on the way that someone had been kidnapped, and I was a little worried. When I arrived at the scene, I saw that the person being kidnapped was Riyao.

The members of the Sabertooth all scratched their heads.

Sting dropped the meat pie from his mouth, Rogue covered his face, Lector pushed up his sunglasses, and Frosch stood there with his short paws raised.

Are all the dark guilds this arrogant now?

Why target this universally acknowledged monster of all people?

Riyao continues its performance.

Completely ignoring the looks his companions were giving him, he clasped his hands together and begged for mercy with tears in his eyes.

"Please don't hurt me! I really have a lot of money. I'm the kingdom's number one healing mage, after all. I have plenty of money."

Upon hearing this, the mages from these dark guilds began discussing whether or not to bring Riyao back, as they could make a fortune that way.

The henchmen were beaming with excitement, clamoring to extort ransom to buy magical weapons and an airship.

As for the kingdom's number one healing mage, they subconsciously ignored it and didn't realize it.

The villain's mind skipped a beat; the name sounded strangely familiar, and cold sweat unknowingly trickled down his forehead.

He slowly turned his head and looked at the hostage in his hands, who was smiling innocently.

"What did you just say? The kingdom's number one healing mage?"

"Mmm." Riyao nodded obediently.

The villain's wrist began to tremble uncontrollably, and his voice changed tone.

"That Riyao from Fairy Tail?"

"Mmm." Riyao smiled brightly.

The villain's legs began to go weak, and his teeth started chattering.

"Did they destroy Fairy Tail, the leader of the Balam Alliance?"

"Hmm." Riyao kindly straightened his crooked hood.

The villain asked one question after another, and Riyao answered them honestly.

The villain closed his eyes.

The jeers from the surrounding crowd abruptly stopped, and the square fell silent, save for the splashing sound of the fountain.