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

Back when Mira made her first move, Gajeel had actually wanted to blurt out that this was exactly the kind of cat he liked.

But now wasn't the time for such distractions.

Finding out where his guildmates were came first. Everything else could wait.

Unfortunately, Panther Lily had no fear of death. Even with a blade pressed against his throat, he just stiffened his neck and refused to say a word.

"Sis, watch out!" Elfman shouted.

Before the warning had even left his mouth, a long spear shot toward Mira like a bolt of lightning.

"Supersonic Spear!"

Clang!

Mira raised the oversized sword to block just in time. The spear slammed directly into the center of the blade, forcing her back two steps from the impact.

When she finally saw the attacker's face clearly, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Erza?!"

But the woman standing before her showed no emotion. Her expression didn't change in the slightest. She gripped the spear with both hands and spoke in a calm voice:

"Vacuum Spear!"

The tip of the spear widened and thickened like a spinning drill, and a small whirlwind spiraled around the embedded magic crystal in its head.

Whoosh!

A burst of invisible pressure shot out. The sword in Mira's hand was blasted from her grip, and she was sent skidding backward.

Tap, tap, tap... CRACK!

Her heels slammed against the cobblestones, each step echoing sharply. When her final step cracked the bluestone pavement beneath her, she finally came to a stop.

Mira narrowed her eyes.

Gajeel had mentioned that this world had another version of him. That meant this woman… wasn't their Erza.

She was Edolas's.

Panther Lily rolled to the side and struggled to his feet, still holding his chest. He moved to stand beside Edolas Erza.

"Be careful," he warned. "That woman's no joke."

Erza casually spun her spear in her hand, her voice steady.

"Funny. People say the same thing about me."

"Sis, are you okay?" Elfman ran up beside her, worry written all over his face.

"I'm fine."

"Edolas's Erza, huh?" Gajeel cracked his knuckles with a grin. "Wouldn't mind smashing this one before I take on the real deal back home."

But then his gaze flicked toward Lily.

On one hand, he wanted to go a round with this fake Erza.

On the other... that cat really was his type.

He was torn.

Before anyone could move again, a new sound cut through the tension: the rhythmic pounding of armored boots.

Clank, clank, clank...

The King's Army Magic War Troop had arrived.

Soldiers began to pour into the street from both ends, and from the ruined building Mira had destroyed earlier.

They were in full gear, their magic shields glowing with a pale blue light, their silver armor gleaming under the morning sun. The soldiers moved with practiced coordination, surrounding Mira, Elfman, and Gajeel from three sides.

All three glanced around quickly.

No matter which direction they looked, there were only walls of glowing shields and glittering spears.

Elfman's forehead was drenched in sweat. "This is... way too many."

"I heard from my other self that the King's been rallying elite troops and ramping up military expansion lately," Gajeel said.

The situation looked dire.

But instead of fear, Gajeel's lips curled into a wide, eager grin.

Sneaking around for the past few days to gather intel had driven him nuts. Finally, there was going to be a real fight.

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—!

Suddenly, a strange bald man appeared on a nearby rooftop, his robes fluttering in the wind.

His eyes were mismatched in size, giving him a slightly eerie look.

Byro stood tall on the rooftop, his eerie, mismatched eyes scanning the chaos below.

He chuckled darkly and said, "Although one magic crystal was lost, receiving a Dragon Slayer delivered straight to our doorstep more than makes up for it."

"Chief of Staff Byro?" Panther Lily's brows furrowed.

He recognized the man immediately, and understood why he had come personally.

The Dragon Slayer was simply too valuable.

With Sugarboy still bedridden from serious injuries, and Hughes was only good at fighting in his own territory., the King had no one else to send. If Byro hadn't come himself, the King might have had to lead the troops, an undignified outcome the court would never allow.

Byro raised his voice, his expression grave.

"Lily. Erza. This is His Majesty's decree: 'Capture the Dragon Slayer alive. As for the others, kill them without mercy.'"

Lily and the Edolas Erza accepted the command without question. Both understood exactly how important a Dragon Slayer was to the Kingdom of Edolas.

Besides, how could three people possibly break through thousands of elite soldiers?

They didn't think for a moment this mission would fail.

Gajeel, however, cracked his knuckles with a cocky grin. "Capture alive? Kinda insulting, don't you think?"

At the same time, Elfman quietly activated his Take Over Magic, his muscles bulging as he took on the form of the Beast King. His deep voice rumbled, "If Rhodes were here with his monster army, this would be over in a flash. But..."

He stopped mid-sentence when Mira gave him a sharp glance.

"He's not here," she said coolly, "but I am."

A wave of dark energy shimmered around Mira's body.

A three-eyed demon mask formed on her face, her white outfit morphing into a rough, brown cloak that looked almost tribal. Mysterious blue-violet sigils lit up on her shoulders.

Take Over: Demon Lullaby!

Byro's interest was instantly piqued.

"Is that Earth Land magic?" he mused aloud. "No external tool or focus, and yet she transforms into a demon outright… Fascinating. Very fascinating."

Though officially Chief of Staff, Byro also handled much of the royal research into magic. That woman, and the tall man beside her, were subjects he would love to examine up close.

Mira gave a final warning. "You two, cover your ears."

Gajeel and Elfman obeyed instantly.

Then Mira opened her mouth and began to sing.

A soft, haunting melody floated across the battlefield, laced with deep magic power:

"Sleep~ sleep~ sleep soundly here~

A little bed covered with roses~"

The lullaby drifted like mist over the King's Army formation.

Those who heard it felt their minds go blank. A heavy drowsiness washed over them. Their arms slackened, their legs grew weak, and their eyelids drooped uncontrollably.

Mouths opened wide in involuntary yawns.

The line formations began to wobble.

As Mira reached the end of the second verse, the soldiers collapsed in waves with thud-thud-thud sounds. Dozens of armored bodies hit the cobblestone streets, helmets rolling, spears clattering, and shields clanking as they dropped where they stood.

The entire square fell silent.

Only the wind carried the sound of Mira's haunting lullaby… and the groaning of soldiers snoring in piles.

From above, the scene on the street looked like a domino show on a grand scale, hundreds of armored soldiers toppling in succession, falling from the far end of the plaza to the near, row by row.

It was almost beautiful in its precision. A sleep-inducing cascade.

Elfman kept his ears tightly covered, but even in his Beast King form, he couldn't suppress a powerful yawn. He blinked drowsily and muttered, "I think Sis mentioned this technique before… but I didn't expect it to be this strong."

Gajeel, standing nearby, looked completely dumbfounded.

He had always heard that Mystogan's hypnotic magic was impressive, but this? This was on an entirely different level.

Just one lullaby... and over two thousand soldiers crumpled to the ground like paper dolls.

"Did she really just knock out two thousand soldiers?" he muttered, his voice almost trembling. "What kind of crazy spirit-type magic is that?"

Byro, still standing precariously on the rooftop, nearly slipped in shock. He fumbled a small potion bottle from his coat, hastily drank some, then poured the rest over the edge toward the battlefield.

The glistening drops splashed onto Lily, jolting him partially awake. His eyes fluttered open, and he groaned.

But even as his mind cleared, Lily muttered in disbelief, "Am I dreaming? No...this… this is a nightmare."

Just how strong was this woman? How terrifying was her power?

The Edolas version of Erza was staggering now, her knees buckling as the magical drowsiness took hold. Her enchanted armor flickered with pulses of light, trying to resist the spell's effects, but it wasn't enough.

Her vision blurred. Her limbs felt heavy. Still;

With a growl, she spun her spear around and stabbed herself in the thigh.

A burst of crimson splattered the cobblestones.

The sharp pain surged through her body, breaking the haze and clearing her head in a flash. Her eyes locked back onto Mira with burning determination.

"I won't go down like the rest."

She stomped forward, twirling her spear until it transformed once more, the tip reshaping into a thick, crystalline diamond head pulsing with energy.

"Burst Spear!"

She slammed it into the ground.

BOOM!

The spear detonated with a violent, concussive blast, sending debris and dust flying in all directions. Cracks split the stone beneath their feet, and a wave of destructive force surged toward Mira.