014 We're Guildmates!

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CLANG—!!

In the extremely loud clash of steel, Erza's small body shot backward, her feet gouging a long trench across the ground until she stopped right in front of Noah. A pained expression flickered across her face.

Looking closely, the hand gripping the Knight Sword hung limp as if broken, trembling incessantly. Blood flowed from her palm, dripping down the sharp blade of the sword.

"Erza!" Noah stepped forward, supporting Erza's slender back, a hint of urgency finally creeping into his tone. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Erza gritted her teeth and straightened up, her gaze still locked tightly on the grim-faced Moglia ahead. She took a deep breath and pointed the Knight Sword at him, her expression resolute. "Come!"

With the sharp shout, magic power began to rise slowly from Erza's body, like a tangible, colored mist enveloping her. Even the ordinary Knight Sword in her hand was coated in a faint glow.

Feeling the magic power surging from Erza, Moglia's already gloomy face turned even uglier. Even Noah's expression showed a hint of surprise.

The magic power rising from Erza wasn't very strong—at least compared to Noah, it was worlds apart, and far inferior to Laxus as well. But it was enough to match an average mature wizard.

An eleven-year-old girl, already as strong as an average mature wizard?

One could imagine just how powerful Erza would become once she truly grew up!

"Good! Good! Good!" Moglia roared in anger. "Today, let's see just what you brats can really do!"

"Hah—!!" Erza answered Moglia's roar with a sharp cry. Magic power surged from her body, and in the next instant, she turned into a blur, charging forward!

Moglia sneered, clenching his fist. A dense flash of lightning crackled to life, flowing all over his massive fist like a glove made of thunder, wildly flickering.

At the same time, the blur wielding the Knight Sword flashed in like lightning. She raised the sword high, magic power surging upward, and slashed down fiercely at Moglia's head.

Watching the descending Knight Sword, Moglia's lightning-wreathed fist shot out, sending a flurry of electrified fist shadows flying, filling Erza's entire field of vision.

CLANG—CLANG—CLANG—CLANG!

In the blink of an eye, several fist shadows slammed into the descending Knight Sword. With each impact, a sharp clash of steel rang through the air, and the magic power shrouding the sword weakened by a fraction, its force halved repeatedly.

In just a short moment, dozens of fist shadows pounded the Knight Sword, shattering the magic power and force flowing through it. Erza's all-out strike turned limp, crumbling on its own, no longer a threat.

"Let me show you the true power of a real wizard—something a brat like you could never have!" Moglia sneered. He opened his clenched hand, and his lightning-wreathed fingers grabbed the Knight Sword again. With a sharp tug, he yanked Erza's small body toward him.

Before Erza could react, Moglia lunged forward. His other hand, crackling with lightning, clenched into a fist and slammed toward Erza with brutal force, the air itself screeching from the impact.

Judging by the momentum of that punch, if it landed squarely on Erza, even in her armor, she would end up severely injured and unconscious!

"—!" Erza's pupils slowly widened. A shadow of death suddenly surged from her heart, enveloping her.

THUD—!!

SPURT—!!

In that space, the sound of a dull impact and a spray of blood rang out simultaneously.

The dull impact echoed through the air like a reverberation, carrying the sharp crackle of electric currents that lingered long.

The spray of blood sent crimson droplets flying into the sky, then pattering down onto the ground, forming a small pool.

As for Moglia, the one who caused all this, he stared at the small figure before him, his expression shifting dramatically.

Erza, gripping the Knight Sword, knelt on the ground. She looked up, dazed, at what was in front of her, her eyes rippling with shock.

A small figure had somehow inserted itself between Erza and Moglia, standing in front of Erza, back turned to her.

On the figure's left shoulder, Moglia's lightning-wreathed fist still rested, scorching the skin black. But the figure's owner had also reached out a hand, tightly gripping the fist on his shoulder, ignoring the still-crackling lightning as he looked up.

The next moment, a face with traces of blood at the corner of its mouth and deep, star-like black eyes met Moglia's gaze.

It was Noah!

Noah had suddenly stepped in, taking Moglia's blow for Erza!

"Brat!" Even Moglia couldn't help but exclaim. "Do you have a death wish?!"

"Death wish?" With blood at the corner of his mouth, having taken an incredibly heavy blow, his left shoulder still enduring Moglia's electric punch, his hand gripping the fist scorched with the smell of burning flesh, Noah showed no pain on his face. He stared at Moglia and grinned. "Isn't that what you want?"

"Do you really want to die?!" Moglia was enraged by Noah's smile. "What can a brat who can't even use magic do?!"

"I really can't use magic!" Noah's eyes sharpened, and he suddenly raised his small fist. "But I'm not so useless that I can't even throw a punch at the face right in front of me!"

With that, Noah tightened his grip on Moglia's arm still resting on his left shoulder. Mimicking Moglia's move from earlier, he yanked hard, pulling the caught-off-guard Moglia right in front of him.

THUD—!!

Then, a small but unusually powerful punch landed squarely on Moglia's face.

"Aaaaah—!" Moglia let out a miserable scream as his body crumpled to the ground, clutching his face and rolling around without a shred of dignity.

Slap!

Noah's body went limp, one knee hitting the floor as he gripped his scorched left shoulder and arm. Pain finally flickered across his small face. Blood still dripped from the hand that had just pounded Moglia, proof of how hard that punch had been.

"No... Noah!" Erza snapped back to her senses and rushed over, supporting Noah as his face twisted in pain. For the first time, panic showed on her delicate features. "Are... are you okay?"

"I'm fine..." Noah forced a pale smile. "Just hurts a bit..."

"You..." Erza's expression shifted as she looked at his pained, pallid face, and she couldn't help asking, "Why did you save me?"

"Why?" Noah met her gaze. "We're friends. Saving your life—what 'why' is there? Didn't you just stand in front of me to protect me? Did you have a reason?"

"I..."

"We're comrades in the same guild!" Noah smiled faintly, the look dazzling against his pale complexion. "Grandpa always said we have to treasure our companions!"

The single eye Erza kept uncovered flickered with emotion. Finally, she nodded firmly, a trace of warmth seeping into her long-frozen heart.

But the crisis wasn't over.

"You damn brats—!" Moglia, still clutching his face, struggled to his feet, his features twisted as he roared. "I'll kill you—!"

With that, Moglia turned into a bolt of lightning, streaking toward Noah and Erza.