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

"First, the magic circle. You need to draw it around the magic crystal like this."

Lyra had planned to walk them through the drawing step by step, but realizing how little time they had, she decided to draw the circle herself as she explained each detail.

"Next is how to activate the circle, and the incantation we all have to recite together."

She began murmuring a long, complex chant under her breath.

"Ugh, that's so hard to say. How are we supposed to memorize all that?" Natsu groaned, clutching his head like it might explode.

"It's difficult, but everyone needs to remember it perfectly."

Lucy suddenly remembered something. "Ah! I think there were lots of people chanting it the last time we saw it! Like a giant ritual…"

Lyra nodded. "In Earth Land, one mage could cast Moon Drop alone. But here in Edolas, to simultaneously channel the power of nine moons, we need at least nine people chanting together."

"Nine people?" Lucy's eyes widened. "What if we don't have enough?"

Lyra tilted her head in mild confusion. "But excluding me, don't we have exactly nine?"

"Huh?"

They quickly did a headcount: Rhodes, Natsu, Lisanna, Lucy, Wendy, Carla, Happy, and Happy's parents, Lucky and Marl. Exactly nine people.

Everyone fell into a brief, stunned silence. None of them had realized until now how much their little team had grown over the course of the journey. 

"But wait," Lucy added, "Natsu and Wendy can't use magic in Edolas."

Lyra smiled. "As long as they still have magic power in their bodies and can speak, it's enough."

Natsu and Wendy both let out a breath of relief. For a moment, they'd worried they'd be useless again.

Rhodes was about to go find Happy, but then paused. "Actually, Natsu, why don't you go ask Happy and his parents for help?"

"I'm on it!" Natsu gave a thumbs-up and dashed off like a human tornado, zooming through the air.

In no time at all, he returned, arms full of blue and white fur. "They're here!"

Rhodes facepalmed. He immediately apologized to Lucky and Marl again, he was still making up for kidnapping them earlier, and quickly explained the situation.

Happy didn't hesitate at all. "Aye! I'll help, and I'll ask them too!" He turned to his parents with hopeful eyes. "Dad, Mom, can you help us out?"

"Aye!" Lucky replied instinctively with his son's catchphrase. His stern expression cracked, and he coughed awkwardly before straightening up. "Hmph! You're such a troublesome brat!"

Marl giggled and patted her son's head. "Of course. Mommy will help."

"Thank you!" everyone said in unison.

"Alright!" Lyra clapped her hands. "Now focus! Let's go over the chant again!"

She corrected their pronunciation syllable by syllable, making sure even Natsu could say it without tripping over his tongue.

By the time they had all memorized it, eight moons had already risen in the night sky.

Everyone moved into position, forming a circle around the magic crystal mounted at the center of the airship's deck.

As the ninth moon peeked out from the clouds, Lyra's voice rang out with resolve.

"Everyone ready? Moon Drip, activate!"

A soft hum echoed across the clearing as the magic circle lit up with a radiant blue glow, pulsing gently in the moonlight. One by one, in perfect rhythm, the nine gathered people and cats began chanting the incantation.

"Jeram Sem—Theoru~ Nakupela~ Kuraka~ Kupela~ Kuraka~—"

The solemn incantation echoed through the clearing, heavy with purpose and weight. As their voices rose together, the glowing magic circle drawn around the crystal began to rise slowly into the air, projecting its patterns like a magical mirror to the sky.

The moonlight around them dimmed subtly, like the heavens were holding their breath. Then, from nine directions, beams of silver moonlight descended, pure, tangible, and radiant. The nine moons in Edolas all cast their light in unison, converging into the floating circle.

As the circle filtered the moonlight, something changed.

The once-white beams twisted into a brilliant violet, dense with magical energy. The newly colored light condensed into a thick, steady column that bathed the enormous lacrima crystal below them.

"Jeram—Sem—Theoru~ Na—"

The chant continued in rhythm. The floating circle began to rotate, drawing in even more lunar energy, refining it into pure power, and channeling it into the crystal like a divine ritual.

The beam of violet light grew stronger and brighter, shimmering like liquid glass. It became so dazzling that it forced some of them to squint, the glow cutting across the farmland like a spotlight in the darkness.

It was working.

Moon Drip, powered by the light of nine moons, had been fully activated.

But while the others focused on the spell, Rhodes's brow creased.

It was too bright.

That column of light could be seen for kilometers, no, across the whole sky. Any nearby force would notice immediately. His eyes narrowed in worry.

He silently hoped that because this was Exceed territory, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Edolas might assume it was just another strange ritual by the Exceed and avoid approaching.

If not... they'd have visitors soon.

Rhodes knew from what Lucky had told them that the Exceed's forces included a Guard Division with over a hundred flying warriors. In his head, he imagined 100 Happys soaring at him with tiny swords and determined glares.

Even if they were small in size, they had been born and trained to serve their queen. Their power couldn't be underestimated.

Normally, he wouldn't be too worried.

But right now? Disruption was their greatest enemy.

Still chanting alongside the others, ten long minutes crawled by. Their voices never faltered, their focus unshaken.

Then... the crystal began to shift.

It started to shrink slowly, as if melting under moonlight. The magic was working!

Its structure began to alter. Soon, protrusions emerged, faint outlines like the top of two human heads encased in the shimmering crystal.

It was like watching a master sculptor carve out a statue, only here, their chisel was moonlight and magic, and the sculpture was their frozen friends.

They were so close now.

Lyra, after making sure the Moon Drip was stable and progressing as planned, gave a graceful wave and returned to the Celestial Spirit World to help Lucy conserve magical energy.

"Kupela~ Kuraka~—"

Minutes passed. The spell continued without fail, and the crystal shrank with each cycle of the chant, now revealing clearer silhouettes of the trapped figures within.

It wouldn't be long now.

But just as they neared success, the worst-case scenario unfolded.

Rhodes sensed movement in the sky.

His sharp eyes spotted them first: ten small black dots approaching rapidly from the distant moonlight.

Still chanting, Rhodes clenched his teeth. His mind raced.

Could his six wraiths, currently in hiding, take on ten Exceed warriors mid-air?

He wasn't sure.

He made a subtle hand gesture behind his back, his wolves and other summoned beasts obeyed, retreating into the nearby shadows to prepare for a stealth ambush if needed.

But then...

As the squad drew closer, Rhodes's heart sank further.

Something was wrong.

The figures flying toward them were too large, far too large for typical Exceed.

The newcomers were clearly not your typical Exceed. Their bodies were nearly as large as regular humans, some even more muscular and broad-shouldered than Natsu!

"We are the First Squad of the Guard Division!" the lead warrior cat bellowed. "Who are you people? What are you doing here? What is that suspicious thing?"

Due to the angle of their approach, the squad had initially seen only the backs of Happy's family and Carla. Judging by their appearance, they must have assumed fellow Exceed were conducting some sort of strange and possibly dangerous ritual in the wilderness.

The ominous purple light didn't help either. They had no idea what kind of magic it was, but it certainly didn't look harmless.

But when they flew closer and saw humans, Natsu, Lucy, and the others, their faces turned dark.

"Humans?!" the leader snarled. "Who gave you permission to enter Exceed territory? Leave immediately!"

Despite the threat, no one broke formation. Everyone kept chanting the Moon Drop incantation, just as they had agreed beforehand.

Only Lisanna and Wendy, standing on either side of Rhodes, cast him uneasy glances.

But Rhodes simply gave a calm shake of his head.

Don't worry. Let's see what they do.

The big cats took this silence as insolence.

"How dare these humans ignore us?! What arrogance!" The lead Exceed warrior snapped his tail angrily. "Seize them all!"

With a unified roar, the squad dove down, but instead of maintaining their aerial superiority, they actually landed on the ground and charged forward on foot, drawing their weapons with intent to arrest them one by one.

They aimed straight for Natsu, thinking him an easy first target.

Rhodes blinked in surprise.

Wait. Were they serious?

They just gave up the high ground, in a battle where they could literally fly, and chose to run in on foot?