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

It was strange, how could such a massive magic crystal, easily six or seven stories tall, only release two people?

But when those two turned out to be Erza and Gray, it made perfect sense.

If just the two of them required that much crystal space, then how enormous must the ones containing Master Makarov or Gildarts be?

"Natsu?" Erza turned, spotting him slumped nearby. Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Where… are we?"

Gray followed her gaze, then looked up at the towering purple pillar of light. His eyes narrowed. "Moon Drip? That's what this is... But what's going on?"

Neither of them remembered anything about being turned into magic crystals.

Rhodes pointed toward the sky, his expression tense. "There's no time to explain. Just know this, those things flying toward us? Those are the Exceeds, and they're here to arrest us. They're from Happy and Carla's homeland."

Erza and Gray exchanged a glance, mildly surprised. Still, if Rhodes said they were the enemy, that was all they needed to hear. Without hesitation, they both prepared for battle.

Lucy's face lit up with joy and relief. "Erza's here now, we're totally gonna win!"

Even Natsu, lying weakly on the floor, managed to raise his head and grin. "Even though he's a pain, go for it, Gray! Beat them up!"

Gray assumed a fighting stance, summoning the feel of his usual Ice-Make magic, and gave Natsu a side-eye. "Letting me do the fighting instead of charging in yourself? Are you sure you're Natsu?"

"I can't use magic right now!" Natsu declared, puffing his cheeks.

That line made Lucy's face freeze in panic. "Wait… oh no! If Natsu can't use magic, then Gray and Erza might not be able to either!"

"What are you talking about?" Gray frowned. "Why wouldn't I—?" His voice faltered as a strange emptiness surged through him. His magic… wasn't responding.

"Ice-Make: Lance!"

He extended his hand instinctively, trying to conjure a weapon. Nothing.

No frost, no glow, nothing but dead air.

Erza tried to summon a sword through Requip Magic. Nothing happened either. No armor change, no weapon flash.

But she didn't flinch. "It seems the situation's working against us," she said calmly. "But even without magic, we fight. What's our objective? Wipe them all out?"

"Our minimum goal is to get out of here safely," Rhodes said, stepping forward. "Best-case scenario? We capture their commander. Lisanna, take the helm! Everyone else, prepare to fight!"

He tossed two spears and a pair of armguards over to Gray and Erza.

"These armguards can generate a magic shield," Rhodes explained, "and the spears have a basic binding enchantment built into them. They're not fancy, but they'll do for now."

Erza caught her gear midair and gave a confident laugh. "It's better than I expected."

For someone like her, the lack of magic wasn't the end of the world. Her raw skill, speed, and strength were still leagues above most enemies. If she had even one weapon in hand, she could fight just fine.

"Yeah," Gray said with a determined grin, strapping on the armguards and giving the spear a few test swings. "Just a regular brawl where we can't use magic. No big deal."

Thanks to years of experience with Modeling Magic, Gray was familiar with all kinds of weapons, even if he usually shaped them himself. While he wasn't on Erza's level, if it came down to spearplay, he was confident he could hold his own.

But the two of them froze mid-motion, staring at the figure who had just dashed into the ship's cabin.

"Wait… did you just say....who's piloting the ship?!"

"Let's win this fight first!" Rhodes shouted, gripping a spear himself. He noticed Lucy reaching for her Celestial Spirit Keys and quickly called out, "Lucy, summon Sagittarius!"

"Ah? R-right!" Lucy scrambled to switch keys. "Open, Gate of Sagittarius!"

A warm golden light sparkled as the Celestial Spirit appeared with a signature salute. Clad in his familiar horse-head mascot suit, Sagittarius raised his hand cheerfully. "Hey hey!"

"Three more humans?!" Nichiya's fury erupted. "Absolutely unforgivable!"

The rest of the Exceed soldiers shared his outrage. These foolish humans had already dared to trespass into their sacred skies, and now they were escalating things further. It was a disgrace they couldn't overlook.

Marl looked visibly flustered, and Lucky instinctively moved in front of her, shielding his wife without a second thought.

Happy, meanwhile, ran over to grab two spears. He handed one to his father and held the other in his own paws, standing in front of Marl protectively.

"Hmph. These young ones… sometimes they're not so bad," Lucky muttered, a proud gleam in his eyes.

Lucy pointed at the swarm of Exceed soldiers in the sky. "Sagittarius! Shoot them down!"

"Understood!" Sagittarius answered enthusiastically.

In a fluid, practiced motion, he pulled three arrows from his quiver, nocked them between his fingers, and drew his bow. With a twang, the arrows shot skyward like streaks of light.

In an instant, three Exceed soldiers were hit in the shoulders. Their wings faltered, and they spiraled downward, crashing to the ground with pained cries.

Without pause, Sagittarius drew another trio of arrows and fired again.

Three more fell.

By the third volley, one of the Exceed managed to block an incoming arrow with his sword, it was Nichiya!

Even so, Sagittarius didn't falter. He flicked his hand and loosed another round, intentionally avoiding Nichiya this time. Yet again, three Exceed soldiers were knocked from the sky.

Within mere seconds, before anyone else had even engaged in close combat, one-sixth of the enemy had already been eliminated.

"Way to go, Sagittarius!" Lucy cheered with a bright smile.

Wendy clapped her hands in awe. "Miss Lucy's Celestial Spirit is incredible!"

Carla, standing nearby, grumbled quietly to herself, "Then why didn't she summon him sooner?"

Nichiya's eyes burned with fury as he raised his sword and gave a sharp command. "Reform ranks! Target that archer first!"

The Exceed soldiers quickly shifted formation and dove toward Sagittarius in unison.

Sagittarius, however, remained calm. A subtle smile played at the corners of his mouth.

"To be targeted first… it's the greatest compliment an archer can receive."

The incoming swarm didn't slow him. In one fluid motion, he drew his bow once again and launched another flurry of arrows skyward.

However, this time, the Exceed soldiers adapted. They flew in tight formation, covering each other as they advanced. Even Sagittarius's sharp volleys couldn't fully break their ranks, only six out of nine arrows found their targets.

The enemy was already at their doorstep!

The monsters Rhodes had summoned were locked in combat with the twenty-soldier unit Nichiya had sent out earlier. While they couldn't break away to help, they were holding their own, relieving pressure on the airship.

That left around two dozen Exceed soldiers who stormed the deck directly, weapons drawn for close combat.

But Fairy Tail was ready.

Erza, as expected, was a whirlwind on the battlefield. With a spear in hand and a shield strapped to her left arm, she tore through the enemy ranks. Even without her Requip Magic, her instincts were razor-sharp. Once she adjusted to the shield's timing, no one could last more than three exchanges against her.

Rhodes fought with precision. His skill level was close to Gray's, solid and dependable. In a one-on-one duel, he could fend off an Exceed with a few spear strikes. The added defense from his magic shield meant that even when outnumbered, he could keep his composure.

Natsu, on the other hand… didn't last long with the spear.

He grunted in frustration, tossed it aside, and reverted to what he knew best, fighting with his fists. Unfortunately, without his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, his punches lacked the explosive power they usually carried. He ended up wrestling with his opponents, relying on chaotic brawling techniques he'd honed over years of roughhousing with guildmates.

Lucky and Happy, the father-son duo, fought bravely to protect Marl. But their smaller size and lack of magical advantage made it tough to stand their ground against the relentless Exceed.

Lucy stayed close to Sagittarius, drawing her whip and fiercely fending off any soldier who got too close. Her priority was clear: give Sagittarius the space to keep firing.

Wendy, however, was struggling.

At only twelve years old, and without access to Sky Dragon Slayer Magic, her physical strength was no better than any ordinary child. Overwhelmed, she and Carla could do little more than curl up behind their magic shields, holding on as the enemy pressed in.

Rhodes quickly spotted the danger. Without hesitation, he recalled two of his summoned golems and directed them to guard Wendy and Carla.

Thank goodness Erza was on their side.

Her spear danced with terrifying grace, slicing through the air with force that almost made it seem like she was using magic. She charged left and right across the deck, breaking enemy lines and creating space for her teammates to breathe.

With her on the field, the balance of power shifted. The momentum was clearly in their favor now.

...

Bonus @800

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