"Bastards! How dare you offend the Queen! Seize them!"
Natsu's provocation imdiately enraged the Exceed guards, who instantly flapped their wings and charged toward the group.
"Stop! Wait for the Queen to appear!"
Before the eager Natsu could even make a move, a dark figure leaped out, blocking the path of the Exceeds.
It was Pantherlily.
In truth, he was quite different from ordinary Exceeds.
So far, everyone had only encountered Exceeds like Happy and Carla—small cat-like beings.
Pantherlily was the exception.
Though also a cat, he was tall and imposing, more like a black panther that had gained sentience.
"Fallen! Panther lily! How dare you, a Fallen, return!"
Among the Exceed guards, so clearly recognized Pantherlily.
After all, he was a notorious "Fallen."
The term "Fallen" referred to "fallen angels."
The Exceeds called themselves "divine ssengers" or "angels," while those who were exiled were labeled "fallen angels."
"Pantherlily! Did you bring these humans?! You really are a traitor! A human-loving traitor!"
So guards began accusing Pantherlily outright.
They showed him no respect and continued their advance.
This forced Pantherlily to retaliate with the weapon in his hand—a long, exaggeratedly designed polearm that was neither quite a spear nor a blade, capable of shifting forms.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Swinging his weapon effortlessly, Pantherlily sent several charging guards flying.
His size was simply overwhelming for the Exceeds; even stacked together, the guards couldn't match his height, making it a one-sided beatdown.
Pantherlily was a mutant from birth, a giant who grew to far surpass the average Exceed in stature.
Even among humans, he would be considered exceptionally robust.
"Damn it, Pantherlily! Are you really going to turn against the Exceeds?!"
Seeing they stood no chance, a few guards tried to "enlighten" Pantherlily.
After all, they were all Exceeds!
Exceeds shouldn't fight Exceeds!
How could an Exceed... help humans attack their own kind!
"I am no longer a citizen of Extalia. This hypocritical nation shouldn't exist. It's you who have twisted the Exceeds!"
Pantherlily wasn't swayed by such moral blackmail.
He had long since renounced Extalia entirely.
The Exceeds shouldn't be like this—filled with hatred and arrogance. The existence of the "god" had warped the Exceeds!
"See that? These Exceeds are pitifully weak."
While Pantherlily confronted the Exceeds upfront, Marco pointed at them from behind, offering sharp critiques.
Everyone else nodded in agreent.
The performance of these royal guards had completely eased their worries.
If even the elite Exceeds tasked with guarding the palace and protecting the "Queen" and "god" were only at this level, it was clear how low the average capability of the Exceeds had sunk.
"Stop!"
As the two sides stood in confrontation, a lavishly dressed figure appeared and called off the guards.
He clearly held so status.
"Commander Nichiya!"
Seeing the newcor, the guards imdiately seed to find their anchor, greeting him in unison and gathering around this extravagantly dressed Exceed.
"Pfft! What is this?!"
The appearance of this "Commander" left the "Expedition Force" utterly stunned, with those lacking professional training already bursting into laughter.
Because this "Commander Nichiya" looked exactly like Ichiya - practically an Exceed version of Ichiya!
"To think... Ichiya's counterpart in this Edolas world would actually be an Exceed. So cross-species counterparts are possible too."
Marco couldn't help clicking his tongue in amazent.
He glanced at Ichiya, the powerful Mage from Blue Pegasus who was now wide-eyed, staring at the opposite Nichiya with an incredulous expression.
"Man! So you're the from Edolas?!"
After processing the situation, Ichiya imdiately leaped forward to stand before Nichiya, reaching out to grab Nichiya's hand.
This took everyone by surprise, including Nichiya who was clearly caught off guard.
The fact that he couldn't react in ti showed there was still a gap in their capabilities.
"Pfft~"
Watching the comical scene of Ichiya and Nichiya standing together, everyone failed to hold back their amusent.
Ichiya was quite short, while Nichiya was considered large among the Exceeds.
The main similarity was their equally large heads, making them appear almost the sa height.
"Release Commander Nichiya!"
Seeing Nichiya firmly grasped by Ichiya, appearing too intimidated to move recklessly, the Exceed guards were dumbfounded.
They closed in, wanting to rescue their commander.
"Stand down!"
Nichiya shouted, stopping them as he had regained his composure.
" from Earth Land, the Queen wishes to see you all."
Looking at this face that clearly belonged to a human yet bore striking resemblance to his own feline features, Nichiya conveyed the Queen's command.
"The Queen wants to see us?"
Ichiya blinked in surprise, then turned to look at Marco and the three guild masters.
"Fine, lead us in."
Marco agreed imdiately, a smile on his face.
Everything was developing according to his expectations.
This "Queen" was clearly preparing to yield - the Exceeds simply didn't have the capability to fight them, leaving negotiation as their only option to preserve their race.
"Please follow ."
Nichiya spoke while visibly relaxing.
The other side's willingness to talk was good news, offering at least a chance for a dignified resolution.
Their Exceed race had fallen to such humble circumstances - once their deception was exposed, they had nothing left to rely on.
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