Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 308: Mira: Who do you want to kill?

Kageyama didn't blow the flute in the end.

Even though Lullaby was already at his lips, Makarov made no move to stop him. He simply looked him in the eyes and spoke, his voice calm but firm.

"Nothing will change."

Kageyama's eyes widened in shock. Had the old man seen through his thoughts? Or did he already know their purpose from the start?

Makarov gazed at the young man before him with a mixture of sternness and compassion. "The weak will always be weak. That's the truth of it. But weakness isn't something to be ashamed of."

"Humans are fragile creatures by nature. That's why we form guilds. That's why we seek partners. Because we're anxious and uncertain, we come together, support one another, and move forward together."

"Clumsy people might stumble more often. They might take the long road, hit more walls. But as long as they believe in tomorrow and take one step forward... strength will follow. They'll find the courage to smile, even when it hurts."

Makarov pointed at the cursed flute. "You don't need something like that to become strong, do you?"

Kageyama listened quietly, the weight of the moment pressing down on him like a mountain. It was the first time anyone had spoken to him like this. His past had been filled with nothing but resentment. Resentment toward the Magic Council, toward the legal guilds, toward the world that cast them aside.

Even today, his so-called "comrades" had tried to silence him when he used his magic to help Fairy Tail disable the wind barrier.

No one had ever tried to guide him.

Not until this very moment.

Not while he held a cursed item.

Not while he stood on the brink of murder.

Was this... the spirit of a legal guild?

Was this the heart of one of the Ten Wizard Saints?

His hands trembled.

The flute slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground with a dull thud.

Kageyama dropped to his knees.

"I lost," he said softly.

Makarov smiled, warmth returning to his features. "Looks like there's still hope for you."

"Ohhh!!!"

"Master!"

"Old man!"

A chorus of cheers rang out as Erza, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and the others rushed toward Makarov.

"That was so cool, gramps!" Natsu laughed, crouching beside him and playfully patting the Master's head.

Erza threw her arms around him, eyes sparkling with emotion. "You really are amazing! I'm so touched I could cry!"

From the side, Rhodes heard a faint thunk and turned to see Mira chuckling quietly. Apparently, even Erza's affection could come with a punch.

"Master, wasn't that a little too risky?" Rhodes said, approaching. "Wouldn't it have been safer to knock him out with one hit?"

Makarov rubbed the back of his head, still smiling. "Sometimes, guiding a lost youth back to the right path is the most important job for us old-timers."

The words struck deep in Kageyama's heart.

"Am I... someone who deserves to be saved?" he asked, voice trembling.

"It's exactly people like you who need saving," Makarov said gently, placing a hand on his back. "Repent. Reflect. You still have a long road ahead of you."

Suddenly, a harsh voice interrupted.

"You're so annoying!"

Everyone turned.

The Lullaby flute, which had just been discarded, began to glow. A strange, eerie smoke hissed out from the skull's mouthpiece.

"They're all trash! In that case, I'll just—"

Boom!

Without hesitation, Rhodes activated his Mountain Dragon Claw and slammed a fist straight into the flute.

He wasn't the type to stand around quietly and wait for the enemy to finish transforming.

Rumble...

The ground shattered beneath the blow, spiderweb cracks spreading out in all directions. Everyone felt the earth tremble beneath their feet.

"Why a punch?! And why is it so strong?!" Lucy gaped. "I thought Mr. Rhodes was a summoning mage known for his strategies and planning!"

"Aye," said Happy, nodding sagely. "That's true. But half the guild has been punched by him at some point."

Of course, they had all punched him back too.

But with Mira nearby, Happy thought it best not to say anything bad about Rhodes.

Kageyama, who had been closest to the flute, was yanked to safety by Makarov and set aside like a misbehaving child. He looked pale and shell-shocked, thinking that punch had been meant for his face.

"You insolent creature!"

The voice came from deep within the pit where the flute had been struck. Rhodes raised his fist again and threw another punch.

This time, the target vanished. The flute dissolved into dark smoke and drifted across the forest, reassembling about a hundred meters away.

The swirling smoke condensed into a monstrous form. Its upper body resembled twisted, dead tree bark, towering high above the treetops, larger than the villa itself.

"I'm starving... I will devour your souls!"

The smoke at its base also solidified, revealing Lullaby's complete form, a grotesque, twenty-meter-tall tree-like demon. As it rose, a fierce wind howled across the forest, and its overwhelming size cast a deep shadow over the entire area.

The overwhelming pressure made everyone freeze.

Back in the villa, several of the guild masters who had stayed behind were rattled.

"Should we go out and help?"

"Are you nuts? Something that big is demon-level. I say we run."

"It's fine. Makarov is still out there."

Despite the tension, Lucy couldn't resist pointing something out.

"Wait a minute. Doesn't its face look... off? Like it's been caved in or something?"

"Aye," Happy whispered. "I think Rhodes already punched it once."

Lullaby, who had just finished delivering its supposedly terrifying one-liner, paused mid-pose and slowly turned its glowing eyes toward Lucy, clearly offended by the comment.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Lucy squealed, immediately hugging Happy like a plush toy.

But the monster didn't linger on her. Its glare shifted to the real threat.

It stared down Rhodes, the one it hated most of all.

"How dare you defy me! I'll start by devouring your soul!"

Before Lullaby could take another breath, a blast of dark energy slammed into its face. The explosion engulfed half its towering form in a blazing flare.

Mirajane had already taken on her Satan Soul form, her demonic wings spread wide. Her right hand pulsed with a newly formed magic bullet, while her left arm was extended protectively in front of Rhodes.

Her normally sweet expression was now icy cold as she spoke with quiet fury. "Whose soul did you say you were going to eat?"

Lucy clung tightly to Happy, her voice trembling. "It's Miss Mira... in that terrifying form again!"

"That's Satan Soul," Happy explained proudly. "She could take out a hundred Lucys."

"Don't compare me like that!"

"Fine, then just ninety-nine of us."

"Are you saying even you're stronger than me?!"

"Aye sir!"

Lucy pulled on his cheeks in frustration. "You wanna test that right now?!"

Off to the side, Rhodes chuckled. 'These two really have no sense of tension at all.'

But his gaze returned to Mira, pride flickering in his eyes. 'My Mira is incredible... and I don't even appreciate her.'

He stepped forward.

"Summon: Blue Sentinel! Brambleback!"

Two glowing blue constructs and two crimson, thorny tree beasts burst from shimmering portals. Rhodes raised both hands, casting Blue buff and Red buff, one to himself, the other to Mira.

Mira gave him a rare smile in return.

In her Satan Soul form, even that smile looked dangerous, like a poppy blooming in a snowfield, deadly and beautiful all at once.

"Let's join in too!" Erza shouted, switching into her Heaven's Wheel Armor. She gripped only two swords this time, her magic reserves were low.

Rhodes noticed immediately and gave a nod. One Blue Sentinel and one Brambleback redirected their buffs to Erza, while the others empowered Gray and Natsu.

President Goldmine, watching the fierce group ready themselves, raised his voice in warning.

"Be careful. That creature isn't just big. He's a demon from the Book of Zeref, a living spell!"

"A demon?" Erza's smile didn't falter. "We've beaten one of those before."