Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master

"You… what are you going to do?" Evergreen's voice trembled. She was starting to panic. Summoning a giant, ugly toad at a time like this couldn't mean anything good.

"Nothing much," Rhodes said, his tone eerily calm. "Just planning to toss you into its mouth. Don't worry, its venom only corrodes slowly. First your clothes and your hair, then your skin... until there's not a single patch left untouched."

He tilted his head slightly, studying her with a chilling smile. "It's a shame about your face. Not pretty enough to be satisfying, but since you called yourself a fairy, I suppose you're at least qualified to die with the others."

He stepped closer. "A beautiful girl like you being digested alive by a ugly toad… what a waste. So do me a favor and scream louder. It might ease my guilt a little. After all, I couldn't save the others."

The smile on his lips sent a chill down Evergreen's spine.

Elfman silently stepped aside, distancing himself from the scene.

He had assumed Rhodes was bluffing, just trying to scare her. But that smile... it was too real. Too dangerous. Too twisted.

He couldn't be sure anymore. Was Rhodes actually serious?

The stone shackles and the krugs that had restrained Evergreen crumbled to dust. Yet her limbs wouldn't move. She was frozen in place, shaking so badly that even if she could move, she wouldn't dare.

Rhodes gestured to the venomous frog, which opened its mouth in response. The dark interior gleamed with thick purple saliva.

Gripping Evergreen's arm, Rhodes spoke coldly. "Let this be your final mercy. I'll count to ten. Prepare yourself."

Her face went pale. "W-wait... wait!"

Rhodes ignored her. "One. Two. Eight. Nine. Ten."

He skipped the middle numbers entirely and flung her forward without hesitation.

Evergreen's head tilted back as she flew, helpless, through the air. The frog's mouth loomed ahead, its slimy tongue twitching, venom bubbling on its surface.

"No! No! I give up! I give up!" she screamed mid-air, eyes wide with tears.

But she couldn't move. Her body was too damaged from earlier hits.

"Release the magic! Please! I lifted it, it's done! Ahhhh!"

Through the eyes of the crab he had left behind, Rhodes saw that the petrification spell had indeed been broken. The statues in the guild were returning to normal.

Some girls were already standing, while others collapsed from exhaustion. Lucy, still in her cheerleader outfit, fell in a dramatic pose that caused a commotion.

Then Natsu was promptly punched into the wall by Erza.

Apparently, that idiot had tried to free Erza with fire magic, nearly setting her hair ablaze before the petrification lifted on its own.

Rhodes didn't bother figuring out the whole story. He only confirmed the magic was gone.

Just as Evergreen's shoulders entered the frog's mouth, he raised a hand and dismissed the summon.

The giant toad vanished into mist.

"Attention everyone," Rhodes called out. "The petrification is lifted. Erza, Levy, the others, they're safe. Cease all fighting."

The guild erupted in cheers, and Warren immediately sent the signal across town to alert the others.

At the same time, the magical displays in the guild and the church updated the battle records:

Evergreen vs. Rhodes.

Winner: Rhodes.

Evergreen has lost her ability to fight.

Elfman's result was also posted, but marked as a draw.

Evergreen lay crumpled on the ground, her clothes torn, her stockings in tatters, her body scraped and bruised from being dragged across the street.

Her tears kept coming, but the sobs had stopped. She didn't have the strength to scream anymore, just enough to curse Rhodes silently in her heart.

He said he'd count to ten.

Who the hell counts like that?

Elfman cautiously walked up and asked, "Umm… did you actually mean to scare her just now?"

Rhodes turned, the remnants of his eerie grin still on his face. He narrowed his eyes.

"First of all, you just shouted 'Hey, Rhodes' instead of calling me brother-in-law. That's rude."

"S-Sorry, brother-in-law…" Elfman corrected himself quickly.

"That's better. Good boy." Rhodes nodded with satisfaction. "Of course I meant to scare her. But if she hadn't cracked, she really would've gone into that frog's stomach."

"..."

'Can that still be called scaring her?'

Elfman paused for a second, unsure whether to be horrified or impressed. In the end, he gave a stiff nod.

"Manly… I guess."

"Good. I'll go check on Mira. You handle her," Rhodes said, nodding toward the unconscious Evergreen. "Blindfold her and bring her back to the guild. Whether she gets forgiven or not, that's up to the ones she turned into stone."

"Got it." Elfman tore a strip from his already-ripped shirt and gently wrapped it over Evergreen's eyes. Then, he bent down to lift her onto his back.

Rhodes stopped him again. "Wait. To be safe, you should put her to sleep. Just in case she tries anything."

"You know sleep magic?"

"A little. As long as the target doesn't resist, it's easy."

Evergreen made no attempt to resist. At this point, what pride did she have left? Part of her figured it was better to sleep than face the others she petrified.

But before she could even brace for it, she felt a sudden impact to her face, sharp, jarring, and then her vision spun. Her eyes rolled back as she blacked out.

Her last thought before losing consciousness was:

'You liar. What kind of hypnosis is this?'

Elfman blinked. "Was that really... hypnotic magic?"

"I haven't learned the real spell from your sister yet," Rhodes replied, dusting off his hand. "So for now, I can only use physical hypnosis."

He showed no remorse at all. "She got off easy. After what she did, three hits is a bargain. Take her back. I'm heading out too."

Inside the church:

"Evergreen has lost her ability to fight."

Laxus stared at the magical screen with a dark expression. Evergreen… lost?

She was supposed to be one of his elites, one of the pillars of the new Fairy Tail he was planning to build, the strongest guild.

"When did she become this weak…?"

Still, the hostage situation was over. The petrified girls were free, but Laxus didn't panic. There were only thirty or so members left standing. With or without leverage, they'd come to him.

But just a few minutes later, his face twisted further, and golden sparks crackled angrily around his body.

A new update appeared on the magical broadcast:

"Erza vs. Bickslow."

"Erza is the winner."

"Bickslow has lost his ability to fight."

Laxus clenched his fists, electricity flaring at his fingertips.

"Bickslow, even you? How could you lose to someone like Erza…? You were supposed to follow me to the end!"

"Erza's incredible." Rhodes heard the update from Warren while making his way toward Mira's location.

So she had already gone after Laxus's team?

It hadn't even been that long. She must have taken Bickslow down the moment she was freed.

When he arrived near Mira's position, the first thing he saw was an enormous icicle erupting into the sky, launching someone upward like a rocket.

The figure was clad in black, long green hair trailing behind him, clearly Freed.

He flared the strange wings on his back, steadying himself midair, preparing to retaliate.

But Mira appeared directly above him, shimmering with magic. Without hesitation, she brought her fist down on his head.

Rhodes reacted instantly. He summoned a Brambleback and a Blue Sentinel, their auras bolstering Mira with red and blue buffs.

Freed barely twisted around to block. He crossed his arms to defend himself.

But Mira's enhanced punch blasted straight through his guard. The force slammed his arms into his chest and sent him plummeting.

His body crashed into the top of the icicle, not stopping, but breaking through it.

The giant spike shattered in chunks, collapsing beneath him.

Freed continued to fall, shards of ice spiraling around him, until he finally slammed into the ground with a heavy thud.

The icicle collapsed completely, burying Freed underneath.

Mira's body slowed down slightly, but she sensed a fluctuation of magic power under the pile of ice, indicating that the opponent still intended to fight.

She flew to the top of the ice mound, hands forming claws, palms facing each other on her left shoulder as she leaned sideways and gathered power.

A purple-black magic ball formed between her hands. Mira thrust her hands downward.

"Soul... Extinction!"

The violent magic surged into a dark torrent and blasted toward the ice pile.

Just as something stirred beneath the rubble, it was instantly engulfed by the torrent.

A huge amount of ice evaporated in a flash, white mist billowing outward, only to be swept away by a powerful gust of wind. The ground trembled faintly, rumbling like thunder from deep below.

Gray shielded his face with his arm, the wind whipping through his hair and tearing at the shirt he had discarded earlier.

"Yeah… compared to Erza, Mira's the one you really don't want to make angry."

Erza would leave you half-dead. Mira would finish the job.

Rhodes strolled up to Gray and asked dryly, "Were you talking badly about my fiancée?"

"I didn't say anything bad..." Gray replied, already aware of the 'big news' Warren had broadcast. He wasn't surprised to see Rhodes.

He glanced at Mira floating in the sky, then at Rhodes beside him, and sighed, patting Rhodes on the shoulder with unspoken sympathy.

Why did such a decent guy have to marry Mira?

Rhodes ignored the gesture completely and kept his eyes on the battlefield.

The wind finally died down. The smoke cleared. At the bottom of the deep crater, Freed lay motionless. His demonic black armor had vanished, revealing his normal appearance.

His clothes were tattered, long hair streaked with ash, and his body was bruised and battered.

Still, Freed's strength was undeniable. Despite taking that attack head-on, he remained conscious.

Mira swooped down. Her fist stopped just short of his nose, the wind from the blow enough to sting his cheek.

But the punch never landed.

She flapped her wings and descended beside him, releasing her Satan Soul transformation and returning to her usual gentle form.

"Why didn't you finish me?" he asked.

Mira offered a small, helpless smile. "Because this kind of fight is meaningless."

"Oh? That's the arrogance of a victor speaking?"

She shook her head. "We're comrades. Members of the same guild. We laugh together, fight sometimes, grow together, and keep moving forward."

"My only comrade is Laxus!" Freed trembled, voice cracking. "But I failed him. I couldn't fulfill the task he gave me. I'm no longer worthy to follow him. I'm worthless now… so just kill me!"

"That's not true," Mira said firmly. "He's not the only one. Even if he's the one you relied on the most, open your eyes and look around."

She extended a hand toward him with a warm, radiant smile. "Look. There are still people willing to reach out to you. We're right here."

Even though people called her a demon, Mira was simply too kind.

Gray stepped forward and held out his hand too, avoiding Freed's eyes.

"It might be a hassle... but as long as you need them, your comrades will always be there."

Rhodes stood beside Mira and extended his own hand. "You're done with the touching lines, now it's my turn to say something a little harsher."

"Don't think you're off the hook just because you got beat. Come back and take your punishment properly. Then, you're going to work overtime to pay for today's damages."

Freed's lips trembled. In his mind, he saw the faces of his companions, Natsu, Cana, Alzack, Erza, Master Makarov, all flashing by. His eyes welled up, and he turned his face, trying to hide it.

"I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean for it to turn out like this... I didn't want to do any of it... I'm sorry!"

Tears streamed down Freed's cheeks as he broke down completely, sobbing without restraint.

Rhodes might not know him that well yet, having joined more recently. But Mira and Gray did. They knew Freed, despite his cold exterior and standoffish attitude, was one of the gentlest souls in the entire guild.

There were even girls in the guild who weren't as delicate or kind-hearted as he was.

And as Freed wept, every enchantment he had cast across the city dissolved into nothing.

Back at the guild, Levy had just begun her attempt to undo one of the runes when Natsu, charging ahead without waiting, suddenly burst through the barrier, then tripped and faceplanted.

Gajeel chuckled. "So the little one's really that strong, huh?"

Natsu growled, pulling himself up. "Why didn't you say something earlier, Levy?!"

Levy blinked, confused. "Wait, huh? I haven't even started casting yet... And what's with calling me 'little one'?"

Gajeel ignored her. "Whatever. Now that we're free, guess it's time to settle the score with that lightning jerk."

Warren's voice rang out from nearby. "Gray and Mira took down Freed! Rhodes joined up with them. They're heading to the cathedral to confront Laxus!"

Even though the hostages were safe and the runes were gone, Master Makarov was still in no condition to fight. The rest of the guild would have to step up and teach his grandson a lesson in his place.

Natsu's eyes blazed. "That coward! He ran off while we were stuck behind that door. I'm not gonna miss this fight! I'll show him who the strongest in Fairy Tail really is!"

Gajeel snorted. "Does that idiot Fire Dragon even understand what's going on? With that scheming guy and those two scary women already heading there, I don't think we'll need to lift a finger."

Still, even as he mocked him, Gajeel chased after Natsu anyway.

...

Bonus @800 PS

Stones PLzzz