Ankh halted in his tracks, his face turning extremely grim.
"Who are you?" he coldly demanded.
Hearing Ankh's suddenly cold tone, Makarov and Gildarts simultaneously turned to look at him.
"Your two subordinates—the woman should be called Sorano, and that thug who looks like a venomous snake—are both in my hands now."
The person on the other end of the communication Magic Crystal ignored Ankh's question, instead taunting him with a laugh, "If you don't want their bodies floating in the sea, come to the western coast of the island. Let's have a chat."
After delivering this message, the communication from the other end was abruptly cut off, leaving complete silence.
Clenching his fists, Ankh turned to the two concerned faces beside him. "Master, I need to head to the western side of Tenrou Island to rescue them. You two should go regroup with the others first!"
Makarov quickly grabbed Ankh's sleeve. "Alone? We don't even know who the enemy is!"
Ankh firmly grasped Makarov's arm. "They came here to help because I asked them to. I cannot abandon them. Natsu and the others need you more right now."
Makarov fell silent for a moment before decisively saying, "Alright. I will take the kids and get the airship ready to pick you up at the western coast."
"Remember, our mission is already complete. As for Tenrou Island..." Makarov paused, then continued with unprecedented determination, "...there is no need to defend it with our lives. Just focus on staying alive. At worst, I'll apologize to the First Master after I die."
Warmth spread through Ankh's chest.
He patted the old guild master's shoulder and offered a faint smile. "Don't worry, Master. Everything will be fine."
With that, Ankh nodded to Gildarts and swiftly turned to dash toward the west.
Makarov watched Ankh disappear into the distance, aggressively suppressing the unease rising in his heart.
"We need to hurry too!" he declared.
The two men continued toward their originally planned rendezvous point while Ankh sped toward the western coast.
...
Along the way, Ankh took out his communication Magic Crystal to contact Midnight and Racer.
Only after confirming they were safe did he feel relieved.
"The situation has become complicated, Boss," Midnight whispered into the Magic Crystal, hidden behind tall trees as he observed soldiers from the fleet beginning to land on the shore.
"Those soldiers... they seem to be wearing Alvarez Empire uniforms."
'Alvarez... So they do have some special designs on Tenrou Island after all.'
Now understanding exactly who the new enemy was, Ankh immediately instructed Midnight.
"You should regroup with the guild members first. It is too dangerous to be alone in this situation."
Midnight slowly retreated from the forest, keeping his voice low. "Understood. Racer has already found the Fairy Tail members."
"Alright, remember to notify me once you're safely aboard."
After quickly delivering his message, Ankh gradually approached the location specified by the mysterious woman.
Slowing his pace, Ankh regulated his breathing rhythm, masking the anxiety on his face as he emerged from the forest.
The western coastal beach had now become a scene of utter devastation.
The sandy ground was shattered, stone cliffs had collapsed, and the roaring sea whipped up massive waves, completely transforming this once peaceful beach into an ugly, cratered mess.
Walking across the sand, Ankh's eyes instantly widened in shock.
"Sorano!"
Sorano lay collapsed on the beach, her back covered in cruel, blood-red knife wounds, though fortunately the injuries weren't too deep.
She had lost consciousness, her clothes torn and filthy beyond recognition, clearly having just endured a fierce, one-sided battle.
Ankh quickly infused Life Divine Power into Sorano, alleviating some of her pain, before rapidly assessing the surrounding situation.
Just as expected, Ankh immediately spotted a hand weakly emerging from a pile of rubble.
Rushing over, Ankh grabbed the hand and pulled him out—it was indeed Cobra, buried and unconscious.
Cobra's injuries and condition were even worse than Sorano's.
His entire body was covered in deep knife wounds and bloodstains, eyes tightly shut with faint breathing.
As Life Divine Power flowed from Ankh's palm into Cobra's body, his complexion gradually began to regain color.
"Take Over Magic and Dragon Slayer Magic—their abilities are actually quite impressive. Pity they encountered me."
A voice suddenly sounded behind Ankh, startling him as he quickly turned to look.
Standing there was a handsome beauty with short dark golden hair, dressed in lightweight knight's attire.
With amber-yellow eyes and only her right arm armored with a light gauntlet, she showcased her perfectly proportioned, alluring figure to its fullest extent.
The Valkyrie, Dimaria Yesta.
He hadn't sensed her approach at all, and the Magic Power within her... was incredibly formidable.
Ankh watched the golden-haired woman with vigilant eyes, somewhat shocked that the Alvarez Empire possessed such talent so young.
Judging by age, this woman appeared slightly older than Erza and Mirajane, similar to Ultear, yet the Magic Power she casually displayed alone could rival any one of them.
Buzz—
The bracelet on Ankh's wrist seemed attracted by something, with one specific crystal now faintly glowing.
The bracelet the Goddess Anko gave him was reacting...
According to Anko's explanation, this bracelet could detect God Slayers, which meant...
Ankh narrowed his eyes—was this woman a God Slayer?
The golden-haired woman slightly narrowed her beautiful eyes.
Her crimson tongue lightly licked her lips as she spoke with a hint of sadistic excitement:
"Fairy Grim Reaper, let me formally introduce myself. I am Dimaria Yesta, Spriggan 12 and Knight Captain of the Alvarez Empire."
Ankh maintained an expressionless face, watching the eager Dimaria as he said, "Alvarez Empire, what brings you here?"
Dimaria swayed her hips as she slowly approached Ankh, laughing lightly.
"To escort His Majesty the Emperor as he inspects the island we purchased."
Ankh remained calmly in place, watching the increasingly fierce battle aura emanating from the nearby Dimaria as he stated solemnly.
"We never sold Tenrou Island."
"So that's the Council's decision. It must be frustrating working under them, isn't it? Why not move to our empire and pledge your loyalty to us? A powerful Mage like you would surely receive excellent treatment."
Ankh curled his lips into a smile as he looked at her, yet softly uttered words that completely contradicted his expression:
"Get lost."
Dimaria's eyes turned cold, and a violent gust of wind suddenly erupted around her!
Whoosh—
The sound of a blade slicing through the air was as clear as tearing cloth.
Dimaria drew a katana from somewhere and viciously swung it toward Ankh's neck.
Yet the katana never descended. With swift reflexes, Ankh seized Dimaria's wrist, perfectly halting her movement.
However, under Ankh's astonished gaze, a stream of crimson blood suddenly gushed from a massive, inexplicable blade wound on his chest.