"A blunt force trauma to the back of the head, throat bitten by sharp teeth, fractured ribs, multiple abrasions... it seems like an attack by some kind of magical beast."
Everyone found the source of the bloody scent Natsu mentioned; it was an unconscious female mage clinging to life.
Rhode and Wendy immediately used healing magic, barely pulling her back from the brink of death.
However, her injuries were too severe, so she remained unconscious for the time being.
A Mermaid's Heel emblem was imprinted on her ankle. Rhode thought carefully and recalled seeing her at Mermaid's Heel, but he didn't know her name.
While Wendy worked hard to heal her, Erza re-checked her injuries and belongings.
"She's only carrying a wallet, and there's a three-section staff nearby, but it's just an ordinary weapon. I don't see any Star Spirit Keys," Erza analyzed.
"Mermaid's Heel wouldn't simply abandon a heavily injured comrade. Aside from our footprints and the magical beast's, only hers are around. She likely came alone, and the keys were stolen."
Through the thick fog, they saw a fire not far away and heard Natsu and Gray shouting like they were arguing, followed by the painful roar of a beast.
Everyone felt a wave of heat, followed by a wave of cold, and the firelight vanished.
Only the sound of two fools bickering remained in the fog.
Before long, Natsu and Gray returned, dragging a beast resembling a lion but much larger.
Gray said, "This is the one responsible. It still has blood on its mouth and paws."
Natsu complained, "This is my victory; don't make it sound like you defeated it!"
"Who wants to compete with you over that? You idiot, weren't you too rough just now?!"
"Huh? Didn't you almost freeze me?!"
"I was putting out the fire! If you got frozen, that's your own fault!"
Rhode tapped both of their heads: "Stop arguing for now. Did you see any keys around that place? The Silver Keys used for summoning Star Spirits."
Gray shook his head: "No."
Natsu irresponsibly guessed: "Maybe it ate them."
Gray brought his hands together, conjuring an ice blade: "Should we cut open its stomach and see?"
"No need." Rhode placed his hand on the lion beast's belly and used void divination.
The beast's internal organs appeared vividly in Rhode's mind.
A bit disgusting, but he carefully checked: "It's not in the stomach; it's stuck in the throat."
Gray swung the ice blade, cutting open the beast's throat, and out fell a string of slimy silver keys.
Naturally, they were all silver.
Lucy carefully picked them up, wiping away the blood and water stains with a handkerchief: "Compass, Ursa Minor, Leo Minor, and Heracles."
Possessing Heracles but defeated by a lion-like beast... coincidence? Rhode asked, "Heracles should be quite strong, right?"
Lucy replied, "It's said to be a close-combat Star Spirit proficient in various weapons and combat techniques."
Carla inquired with doubt: "Isn't a Star Spirit Mage supposed to be protected by the Horologium Constellation?"
Lucy explained, "Hologram's power is limited, appearing only once a day. Maybe he didn't make it in time, or perhaps the time ran out before she was out of danger."
"There's no more danger to her life now." Wendy wiped the moisture from her forehead. "It will take a bit more time for her to wake, but this is all I can do temporarily."
Rhode arranged a Hex Flying Gate's Magic Array on the spot: "Give me two minutes; I'll send her back to the guild first."
The most affected parts during a flight are a person's eyes and the semicircular canals in the ears, so comatose people don't feel uncomfortable.
Rhode returned, and after briefly explaining the situation to Mira, it didn't even take two minutes.
As soon as he returned, Lucy regretfully said, "I forgot the keys."
"You hold them... never mind, I'll take them," Rhode said, hanging the keyring on his waist and even rolling up his clothes on that side.
The crisp clinking of the four silver keys as he moved made Rhode appear very conspicuous.
Lucy was touched by this.
It must be that Mr. Rhode remembered Carla's prophecy and couldn't bear to use her as bait, so he decided to wear the keyring himself.
The group continued their exploration, walking for about ten minutes before Rhode and Natsu's expressions turned grim.
"What's wrong?" Erza asked.
"I see many people..."
"I smell a strong scent of blood..."
Both spoke up almost simultaneously, and Rhode signaled for Natsu to lead the way.
They hurriedly made their way to the foot of a mountain.
Here, over thirty people lay scattered, some with severed necks, some with chests torn open, and some with unnaturally bent limbs, creating a horrific scene.
Lucy covered her mouth, uncertain if it was from shock or nausea.
Wendy, overcome with distress, almost covered her eyes but then reached out, jogging over to check if anyone was still alive.
Rhode used a more convenient method, raising his hand to attempt the Crown of Embers... but none of the red luminescent glow appeared on any bodies.
Which meant they were all already dead.
Erza and Gray remained silent, while Carla caught up with Wendy.
Hapi was visibly upset: "This is so cruel..."
Natsu expressed his anger most overtly: "To do something like this... who is responsible?!"
Rhode's gaze shifted in another direction; he pressed his lips together: "What I see, and what Natsu smells, are not from the same place."
"What?" The group was shocked.
"It should be on this mountain too, but on the other side... The scene over there is similar to here."
Meaning over thirty people also perished on the other side.
No, these are just the two spots we've found; there might be others in danger elsewhere!
Erza calmly asked, "Lucy, is there anything special about this location?"
Lucy quickly unfolded the map she carried, taking out a pen to calculate the route they had just walked, marking a spot on a certain mountain:
"We are currently here; this should be the foot of the mountain mentioned in the intel where the Divine Hall is located."
Natsu asked urgently, "So, the one responsible for all these deaths is up the mountain?!"
"We can't be sure yet."
"That person wants us to come to this mountain then!"
Gray said, "Idiot, if we know the enemy is filled with malice, the summit might not be them, but some other trap."
"I'll summon the River Crabs back and have them scout the mountain." Rhode suggested, "Check how these people were injured as thoroughly as possible... hmm?"
"Open, Gate of the Libra Constellation, Lebra!"
Before Rhode finished speaking, they suddenly heard a clear shout.
Then the sound of something heavy hitting the ground, and they faintly sensed a fluctuation of magic power in the distance.
Someone was fighting. They had to temporarily put aside matters here and headed in the direction of the sound.