Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 225: The battle is over, and death

"Over there, Carla!"

The fierce battle had already shattered the magic crystal powering the illusion array. With the illusion broken and the clamor of battle echoing across the mountain, Wendy and Carla easily found their way.

"They've already started fighting," Carla muttered. "We're late."

Wendy hesitated. "Then... let's go help."

"Do you even have any magic power left?" Carla asked, worried.

"I can still manage a few support spells."

Carla sighed. She couldn't dissuade her, so she flew Wendy over.

Tonight, a crescent moon hung in the sky. Bathed in moonlight and the flickering glow of scattered firelight below, the two could finally see the battlefield.

Carla's eyes widened in alarm, her pupils contracting sharply. "The mountain... What kind of battle was this?!"

Below them, an all-out clash was raging.

The demon Carniber was rampaging like a monstrous beast. Its immense body crashed through stone and soil as it tore through the land, unleashing powerful earth-based "magic" without restraint. Small landslides and tremors were frequent. Spires of stone erupted from the ground like jagged fangs, and boulders tumbled down the slope in chaos.

Carniber, hunched on all fours, charged like an enraged bull. Even Erza's Diamond Armor couldn't completely halt the momentum of its strike.

Rhode's summons couldn't pierce its defenses. Even Gromp's toxins proved useless, just as Mira had once warned him: poisons don't work well on demons.

The Voidgrubs were obliterated by the terrain-based magic, leaving only the red and blue buffs to provide meaningful assistance to the team, both through their offensive output and their support capabilities.

But there was some hope. Carniber's left foreleg appeared to be injured. With each movement, it lagged behind, more hindrance than help.

The demon's condition was deteriorating. White vapor fumed from its nostrils and jaws as it panted heavily, black blood pouring from its many wounds.

The three mages facing it weren't faring much better. Each of them was breathing hard, sweat streaking down their bruised and battered bodies.

"Mr. Rhodes! Ms. Erza! Mr. Natsu!"

Wendy and Carla landed behind the trio.

"Wendy? Carla?" Rhode blinked in surprise. "What are you two doing here?"

"We came to warn you to be careful and not get too close," Carla said, exasperated. "But by the time we arrived, the fighting had already begun."

Natsu cracked his knuckles. "It's fine. We're almost done here."

"Right," Erza said, her body glowing as a new armor appeared over her form. Thick, black plates covered her from shoulder to toe, her hands gripping two massive serrated blades. "Time to end this."

"Requip—Purgatory Armor!"

"Let's finish it... Take over, Brambleback! Red Buff!" Rhodes shouted, activating one of his most powerful transformations. His body grew larger and sturdier, wrapped in twisting vines and glowing with fiery red energy.

He was nearly out of magic, but even so, he handed Happy over to Wendy gently. "Take care of him."

Natsu grinned and slammed his fist into his palm. "Rhodes, give me fire."

Rhodes nodded and extended his arm, conjuring flames that danced along his clenched fist.

"Not your regular magic, 'that' fire," Natsu clarified, eyes burning with anticipation.

Without another word, Rhode snapped his arm sideways, releasing a torrent of magical flame.

Natsu inhaled deeply, swallowing it all. "Whew! Spicy! But now I'm fired up!" His body erupted in a fierce blaze, flames licking the air around him.

"I'm helping too!" Wendy shouted. She handed Happy to Carla, then raised her arms skyward.

"Oh swift winds that race across the heavens, lend us your might! May the power that cleaves the skies become our strength!"

A shimmering light washed over the three fighters as Wendy cast her Sky Dragon's support magic.

As the magic took effect, the three of them noticed their bodies felt lighter with each step.

Carla offered a brief explanation. "It's an enhancement spell. It boosts speed and attack power. Don't waste Wendy's kindness."

"Got it! Let's go!" Natsu shouted.

With a quick exchange of glances, the trio charged forward at the same moment, sprinting toward the demon Carniber.

Sensing danger, Carniber suddenly bared his jagged teeth and did something unexpected, he bit into his own front left leg and tore it off with a sickening rip.

"RRAAAGH!!!"

The monstrous roar echoed across the battlefield, a sound so sharp and primal that Wendy and Carla were forced to cover their ears. It was impossible to tell whether the cry came from pain, rage, or both.

Now charging on only three legs, Carniber lunged forward recklessly.

Rhodes raced to the demon's right side and slammed both palms against the ground. "Scarlet Tripwire!"

Thick, glowing red vines erupted from the earth. Twisting together, they formed a tight snare that coiled around Carniber's remaining front leg.

The trap worked. Carniber's balance faltered, and his massive frame tumbled forward, momentum dragging his heavy body across the dirt.

Erza took the opportunity and launched into the air, her armor gleaming in the light. Wielding a massive black serrated sword, she brought it down toward the back of Carniber's head with all her might.

At the same time, Rhodes formed a claw with his right hand, channeling flame and fury into it. Red-hot energy blazed along his fingertips as he slashed at Carniber's exposed neck.

"Crimson Blade Claw!"

Natsu, already burning with fiery magic, roared forward in sync with the others. His entire body became engulfed in crimson flames, and dragon-scale patterns faintly appeared along his face. As he ran, his aura intensified, transforming him into a living comet of flame.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Fire; Red Lotus Flame Bomb!"

Three attacks struck in perfect harmony. A spiraling wave of black-red energy, a scorching claw of fire, and a flaming human-shaped blast slammed into Carniber all at once.

BOOM!

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The impact shook the earth beneath them. Carniber's head crashed into the ground, carving a deep trench as his body skidded forward.

Even Wendy and Carla, watching from a safe distance, staggered as the ground trembled violently.

After the dust settled, Carniber gave one final roar before falling silent. His monstrous frame lay motionless.

The glowing red aura around Rhodes faded, signaling the end of his Take over magic. The dragon-scale markings on Natsu's face vanished. Both of them collapsed onto their backs, breathing heavily, utterly spent.

Erza, still in her normal attire, remained standing, tired but composed.

She calmly walked over and lifted Rhodes and Natsu by the arms, carrying them over to Wendy.

"Mr. Rhodes! Miss Erza! Mr. Natsu!" Wendy called out with a bright, relieved smile. "You were all amazing!"

Erza smiled and said, "Thanks to you. That was excellent support magic."

Rhodes groaned. "I'm so tired..."

Natsu grinned, completely carefree, and threw a victorious fist into the air. "We won!"

The group basked in the moment, catching their breath in the aftermath of battle. Rhodes, still a bit wobbly, straightened up and began to speak. "Anyway, we can't relax just yet. We should probably—"

Before he could finish, the demon Carniber's massive body disintegrated into fine dust, scattering like sand in the wind.

"Looks like there's no need to finish it off after all."

But Rhodes's moment of relief didn't last long. A new worry surfaced immediately.

Sure, they had defeated the demon... but they'd also flattened two entire hills in the process.

Worse, they had barged into a Council-sealed zone without any formal clearance, completely obliterated the illusion magic barrier, one the Council had poured a lot of resources into, and dismantled everything without so much as a report.

Even if the Council had failed to secure the seal properly in the first place, this kind of "accidental destruction" was going to cause a serious headache.

The Guild Master was definitely not going to be happy.

After resting a little and recovering just enough magic power to move comfortably, Rhodes opened his hand and summoned something with a flash.

A small medical kit appeared in his palm.

Wendy still hadn't recovered enough magic to use her healing spells, so they could only rely on good old-fashioned first-aid. She took over the task of bandaging everyone's wounds manually.

Carla fluttered over to help too, expertly tying off gauze and checking wounds with calm precision.

Meanwhile, Happy lay stretched out nearby like a spoiled king enjoying retirement, only pretending to be hurt so he could be fussed over.

Those few minutes had been the peak of his pampered cat life.

After the quick medical break, Rhodes turned to Wendy and asked, "By the way, you mentioned earlier that you found something. What was it?"

Wendy's expression turned somber.

"It's... about Liz."

Everyone quieted down.

Wendy lowered her gaze and said softly, "Liz... has already passed away."