Chapter 560
"Not just his defense, his speed and strength are both beyond expectations."
Erza slowly stood up, one hand pressed against her stomach, still slightly dazed by the impact.
Her thoughts drifted back to the very first time she fought Rhodes. Back then, she had knocked him out with a single punch, and feeling a bit guilty afterward, she gifted him a whole box of healing ointments.
But he never stopped improving. Rhodes kept training, challenging himself again and again. In what felt like no time at all, he was strong enough to accompany her on high-difficulty missions, even helping her defeat Bacchus, someone she’d always considered evenly matched with.
Eventually, Rhodes grew into one of the top-tier mages in the guild, someone no member could afford to ignore. And just recently, he was even nominated for the Ten Wizard Saints.
His progress had been lightning-fast.
A smile touched Erza’s lips. She truly felt lucky to have someone like him in Fairy Tail.
Ever since Laxus was expelled from the guild and Mystogan remained in Edolas, Erza had often worried that the guild lacked the strength it once boasted.
Sure, Mira was still around... but things had changed. They didn’t feel quite as stable as before.
Rhodes’ rise brought her peace of mind.
Still, since she had such high hopes for him, it was her responsibility as an examiner to properly assess just how strong he’d become!
And... she herself had no intention of falling behind.