"G-Guild Master?"
"Pull yourself together!!"
"What's going on?"
"What happened up there? We didn't hear any fighting. How did he suddenly lose?"
"Shh!"
"Keep your voice down. The Guild Master might not have lost."
"What happened?"
"I don't know..."
"How can this be? I can't sense even a trace of magic from the old man... Even if he really lost, it shouldn't be this bad, should it?"
"He looks like an ordinary old man..."
"Damn it!"
"What on earth happened?!"
"Why is this happening?"
"Oh, no..."
"Guild Master?"
"..."
At that moment, apart from Erza, who was kneeling on the ground, Gray, Natsu, Elfman, Cana, and the others all gathered around, their faces filled with worry and shock as they looked at Guild Master Makarov, whom Erza was anxiously shielding.
They couldn't imagine how their Guild Master, who had charged up to the castle moments ago with such overwhelming force and seemed unstoppable, could have been defeated and sent tumbling down so suddenly.
Wasn't their Guild Master practically invincible? Wasn't he one of the Ten Wizard Saints?
And why hadn't any of them sensed a battle taking place above the castle? Most importantly, why couldn't they sense even the slightest trace of magic from Guild Master Makarov now? He looked like nothing more than an ordinary, frail old man on the verge of death.
Why had he suddenly fallen? What had happened upstairs, in the Phantom Lord Guild Master's office at the top of the castle? Why had he ended up like this?!
"Ugh..."
"I..."
Makarov, who was cradled in Erza's arms, tried to say something, but he couldn't get the words out. His mouth simply opened and closed in vain, unable to form even a complete word.
"Could it be..."
"Did their Guild Master get taken out?"
When the