Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 34: Victory!

"So, you're using those stone monsters for defense and this weird crab to chase me down?"

Jet didn't dwell too much on the details—his confidence was unwavering. "If you think you can catch me, then go ahead and try!"

"It's not that simple." Rhode smirked, placing a hand on the Ancient Krug's thick stone leg. "Krug, split!"

CRACK!

At Rhode's command, the glowing blue fissure on the Ancient Krug's back flashed brilliantly. A deep rumbling followed as its body suddenly split apart, the two halves shifting and reshaping as they hit the ground.

In an instant, two smaller Krugs stood where the Ancient Krug once was.

"Wait, it can split on its own?"

This was different from the game. In the Summoner's Rift, Krugs only split when defeated—but here, Rhode could command it to split at will!

Now, three nearly identical Krugs lined up in front of Rhode, standing like unshakable sentinels, while the Scuttle Crab positioned itself ahead of them, its beady eyes locked onto Jet.

Jet hesitated for a brief moment, blinking at the sudden shift in numbers. "Did you just turn this into a five-on-one!?"

From his vantage point, he could barely even see Rhode—just a wall of stone creatures standing in his way.

Still, his confidence didn't waver. "Doesn't matter how many there are. Speed doesn't change. My speed will never lose!"

"Don't worry," Rhode replied coolly, "I can't maintain this for too long."

He jumped onto one of the Krug's backs, feeling the strain of magic pulsing through his body. His mana was draining quickly—but it wasn't unbearable.

"Five minutes. If I don't catch you within five minutes, I lose."

Rhode pointed forward. "Scuttle Crab—charge!"

With a flicker of motion, the Scuttle Crab surged forward, blurring into an afterimage.

Then, Rhode took a deep breath.

"Krugs—Burrow!"

All three Krugs reared back, lifted their heavy front claws, and sank into the earth simultaneously—Rhode included!

In an instant, they vanished underground, leaving nothing but disturbed soil in their wake.

Jet, dodging the Scuttle Crab's charge, turned back in high spirits—only to find that Rhode had disappeared.

"Huh!?"

Before Jet could process it, the ground trembled slightly. The soil shifted beneath him, and his instincts screamed at him to move.

He leaped high into the air—just in time.

A Krug burst out of the ground beneath him, missing him by inches!

But as Jet twisted his body mid-air, a second Krug erupted right beneath him!

Jet gritted his teeth, flipping mid-air, kicking his legs out for balance. "Falcon Dive...oh, crap!"

His eyes widened, because just as he dodged the second Krug, a third one shot out, carrying Rhode on its back!

The Krug's massive stone jaws clamped down, securing Jet's waist and one arm in an unyielding grip.

"Got you."

Rhode raised his fist, stopping just an inch from Jet's nose. After a brief pause, he grinned.

"Well? What do you think?"

Jet struggled, twisting slightly. The grip was too tight, and his speed was useless in a situation like this. With a sigh of frustration, he relented.

"Tch... I lost."

The Krug's grip loosened, and the moment Jet was freed, all of Rhode's summoned creatures shimmered, then faded away.

Rhode landed lightly on the ground, feeling a wave of exhaustion but also a thrill of victory.

He was ecstatic.

But, in order to not rub salt in Jet's wounds, he suppressed the giant grin threatening to spread across his face, and instead settled for a casual, composed smile.

"Thanks for sparring with me."

Rhodes extended his hand in gratitude.

"We're guildmates. Helping each other out is what we do."

Jet also raised his hand—but instead of shaking, he snapped Rhode's palm open with a playful grin before clenching his fist, holding it out with the back of his hand facing Rhodes.

"Handshakes are way too formal. Not my style."

Rhodes smirked, raising his fist to bump Jet's. They laughed together.

He really was starting to love this guild.

"OHHHHH!!!"

With a dramatic puff of dust, Max leapt into the spotlight, microphone in hand, his voice booming with excitement:

"AND THE WINNER IS—RHODES!!!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.

"After a streak of losses, today marks Rhodes' very first victory since joining Fairy Tail!"

Loud applause followed.

Many had watched his fights—from his crushing defeat against Erza to now.

Even though only half a month had passed, they had witnessed him grow stronger with every battle, refusing to give up no matter how many times he lost.

Now, finally, he had won—and it felt just as rewarding for them as it did for him.

It was like watching a little brother finally come into his own—and the guild couldn't be prouder.

Mira stood among the crowd, quietly smiling.

She didn't need to cheer loudly like the others. Instead, she simply raised her fist in support, standing out in the sea of people in her flowing red dress.

"Well done, Rhodes!"

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A familiar voice rang out.

"I'll buy you a drink later!"

Rhodes turned just in time to see Cana, a bottle in one hand and a wad of cash in the other, grinning at him.

"And tomorrow—no need to go looking for an opponent. I'm fighting you myself!"

Her voice carried over the noise, brimming with excitement.

Rhodes blinked. Wait... had she bet on him?

He scanned the crowd.

Judging by the groans of disappointment from some of the guild members, almost everyone had bet on Jet.

Except for Mira, who had encouraged him from the start.

Cana, however—she had bet on him.

And from the smug look on her face, she had made a killing.

Her pockets were full, and now, she didn't have to worry about running out of booze for a long time.

Despite the victory, Rhodes couldn't help but feel awkward.

Even though he knew Cana was talking about sparring with him, her tipsy expression, revealing outfit, the wad of cash in her hand, and the way she phrased it.

Yeah, it was a little hard not to misinterpret.

But before Rhodes could overthink it, the celebration turned into chaos.

The guild members who had lost their bets—including Makao and Wakaba, two of the older members—began venting their frustrations.

"Jet! You threw the fight, didn't you?! I lost a fortune!"

"You're saying I lost on purpose?! Get over here and say that to my face!" Jet snapped back, his pride on the line.

As expected, a heated argument turned into a full-blown brawl.

Rhodes barely dodged a flying shoe, only to catch an unfortunate Poro that had been thrown as a weapon.

"Okay, that's it. Time to retreat!"

He clutched Warm, who had spirals for eyes, completely dizzy.

"Wooo..." The poor creature groaned in agreement.

Meanwhile, Master Makarov stood at a distance, smiling as he watched the chaos unfold.

Rhodes' progress and his growing bonds with the guild were good signs.

Plus, for once, they were fighting outside instead of destroying the guild from the inside.

CRASH!

Makao smashed through a window and landed headfirst into the guild hall.

A single vein popped on Makarov's forehead, but he kept smiling.

"WAKABA, YOU SON OF A—!" Makao stormed out of the window again, now covered in purple flames.

Rhodes blinked. "Weren't they just on the same side?"

The fight only escalated.

Wakaba threw a fist made of smoke, Cana pulled out her magic cards, and Elfman transformed his arm into a beast claw.

Rhodes wisely took another step back.

"Yeah... I should probably summon a Krug to block this madness."

"MAKAO, DON'T YOU RUN!"

The brawl spilled out of the guild hall, and the already broken window became an even bigger hole.

The vein on Makarov's forehead twitched.

Then—

"I SMELL A FIGHT!"

Natsu, just returning from a mission, dropped his bags and charged into the backyard.

And with his grand entrance, the last intact window was destroyed.

"I'M JOINING TOO! FIRE DRAGO—"

That was the final straw.

Makarov suddenly expanded, his body growing massive, casting a shadow over the entire battlefield.

"ENOUGH! STOP DESTROYING THE GUILD!"

His voice boomed like thunder.

With one stomp, Natsu's "Fire Dragon Iron Fist" was cut off before he could even shout it out.

With one slap, half the brawlers were planted face-first into the ground.

Mira, watching from behind the towering Guild Master, smiled sweetly.

"Oh my, looks like things got lively again."

She showed no concern whatsoever—despite her own brother being one of the people buried.

Rhodes held onto Warm and trembled.

"Noted. Do not get on the Master's bad side."

He swallowed nervously, remembering the time he accidentally broke part of the courtyard wall while summoning the Swift Crab.

"Thank you, Master, for not slapping me into the ground too. I am eternally grateful."