On one of the mountains near the town of Oakhaven, a fire could be seen burning at the site of what was once the hideout of the dark guild Dark Poison.
Erza and Alex escaped before the explosion reached them. The speed of Erza's Black Wing Armor was among her fastest. Alex was not far behind in terms of speed when it came to escaping that blast. Guided by a wizard's instincts, they moved before Vane detonated himself.
Seeing that the situation had spiraled out of control, Alex asked Erza, "What do we do now? That lunatic self-destructed, and he most likely dragged the other dark guild members to hell with him."
Erza nodded. "That's most likely the case; the explosion occurred right near where the other members were."
"First, we need to put out the fire and purge the poison in the air, Alex. I don't know if you can handle that."
Alex touched his chest. "That's something I can do with my magic. Leave it to me."
Erza continued, "Good. Second, we need to notify the Magic Council so they can send someone to inspect the site and verify that we completed the mission."
"And lastly, we have to search the dark guild's lair to see if there are any survivors among the town's missing people."
Alex agreed with Erza. "Then leave extinguishing the fire and dispersing the poisonous air to me, while you head back to town to contact the mayor and notify the Magic Council."
With that said, Erza headed back to town, while Alex proceeded to put out the fire using his All Fiction ability.
Once the fire was extinguished and the toxic air cleared, Alex began searching for the entrance to the dark guild's hideout.
A short while later, Erza arrived accompanied by a middle-aged man and several others who appeared to be town guards.
"Erza, you weren't long at all," Alex said.
"It's not what you think. I ran into the town's mayor halfway there. This is Mayor Kenneth, and this is Captain Gareth of the town guard."
Erza pointed to the middle-aged man dressed in a classic European suit, and then to another middle-aged man wearing armor.
"This here is my guildmate, Alex. He took care of extinguishing the mountain fire and clearing the contaminated air while I was heading toward town," Erza said, gesturing to Alex after making the introductions and explaining what had transpired.
The mayor instructed his guards to help search for the dark guild's hideout while they waited for the Magic Council's arrival.
Erza told Alex, "Mayor Kenneth has already sent one of his men to contact the Magic Council. They shouldn't take long to arrive."
Alex, Erza, and the others searched for a while until someone discovered a hidden passage inside a cave.
After alerting the rest, everyone went inside to search for survivors.
The good news was that they managed to find a dozen missing people young adults between the ages of 15 and 25.
The bad news was that they were in a very critical health condition. To keep them from causing trouble, their captors gave them only the absolute bare minimum of food to keep them from starving, and just enough drink to prevent death from dehydration.
Erza turned to Alex. "Can you heal them with your magic?"
Alex paused for a moment to consider if it was possible. "In theory, yes. If I negate the reality of their starvation and dehydration, they should be fully restored."
Immediately after, Alex formed a magic circle in the palm of his hand, pointing it toward the critically ill captives.
A magical glow enveloped the victims, and instantly, they returned to complete health.
The young adults were stunned by Alex's magic. "I... what just happened?" one of them asked.
"Are we saved? Look! It's the mayor, and he brought guards! We're really saved!"
All the survivors began talking at once, offering their heartfelt thanks for being rescued.
Erza stepped up to Alex and gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Your magic is genuinely useful... and utterly ridiculous at the same time."
Alex couldn't help but agree with Erza it was all thanks to a divine gift.
After all the survivors were brought out of the dark guild's hideout, the members of the Magic Council arrived.
The metallic footsteps of the Rune Knights' armor echoed through the area. Leading the unit was the Magic Council Captain, Lahar.
He adjusted his glasses as he surveyed the entire scene, taking in every detail without missing a thing. His eyes landed on Erza and Alex standing at the front.
Behind them stood Mayor Kenneth, alongside the guards who were escorting the survivors.
The two groups met, exchanging glances until Erza broke the silence. "You arrive right on time. We have just rescued the town's missing youth, and we have also eradicated the dark guild Dark Poison."
Captain Lahar stared at the youth who appeared completely healthy, showing no signs of being captives, walking on their own two feet without the need for stretchers.
He also observed the traces of battle scattered across the location. "I find it hard to believe that those young people in pristine condition are the missing townsfolk. Nor do I see any members of the dark guild."
Lahar pointed out his doubts regarding the confusing scene before him.
The mayor stepped forward. "Sir, I can assure you as the mayor of Oakhaven that these two Fairy Tail wizards are telling the truth."
Mayor Kenneth gestured toward the survivors. "They may look healthy now, but just a few minutes ago, they were drawing their final breaths. Were it not for this miraculous magic, we wouldn't be having this conversation here, but rather inside the dark guild's hideout."
The survivors chimed in, voicing their full support for their two saviors.
Lahar raised his hand to quiet them. "Very well, I will take your word for now. However, you have yet to explain where the dark guild members are so we may arrest them."
Erza and Alex explained everything that had happened since they arrived in town. Without delving into excessive detail about the fight itself, they explained that all members of the dark guild had perished in the explosion caused by their leader, Vane.
Lahar looked over at one of his men. "Captain, what they say matches the information we gathered in town. The locals reported seeing a massive explosion in this exact area."
Captain Lahar nodded. "Very well. Given what transpired, I must kindly ask for your cooperation with the Magic Council."
He raised a hand, signaling his men to begin their inspection and seal off the perimeter.
"We will simply ask a few questions to gather more detailed information. It won't take much of your time."
The mayor and his people agreed, as did the survivors. Alex and Erza also complied, cooperating fully with the Magic Council.