Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 222: The Man-Eating Demon Carniber

Natsu huffed, clearly frustrated. "I can't smash through it, and I can't break in, so what am I supposed to do?"

Rhodes rubbed his chin, thinking aloud. "If the illusion disrupts your sense of direction the moment you enter, then—"

Suddenly, the ground trembled faintly, and a beam of purple light pierced the sky from within the illusion.

"That's it!" Happy exclaimed. "That's the light we saw earlier!"

"Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!"

With a swift leap, Erza took to the air, dozens of shimmering weapons materializing behind her. With a commanding sweep of her arms, she launched them into the illusion barrier, embedding them into the ground at set intervals, tracing a zigzagging pattern.

"Then before the illusion messes with your senses, lay out a trail to follow."

Happy tilted his head. "But Erza, that trail looks curved."

"No," Erza replied firmly. "I'm certain I set them in a straight line. One weapon per step."

Her voice left no room for doubt.

"Don't trust your eyes, ears, or nose. Just follow the sequence, sword, spear, axe, staff, halberd, and you'll reach the center."

"Whoa!" Natsu didn't hesitate for a second. He dashed forward at full speed.

To everyone else watching, his figure warped and flickered, looping through the field erratically before finally disappearing with a single step.

"It works. Let's go." Rhodes nodded.

"Aye, sir!"

Rhodes had originally considered tunneling in with an earth-type summon, but given the uncertain structure of the seal, he was worried about disrupting something he shouldn't. This route was safer.

Following Erza's trail of weapons, the group entered the illusion field.

After taking several dozen steps, the scenery around them abruptly shifted.

A towering stone formation loomed ahead, reaching nearly ten stories tall. Glowing golden runes had been carved into the rocky surface, but most had been stained by spreading violet corruption. The remaining golden lines were steadily being eaten away.

A narrow fracture had opened across the stone's center, from which purple-black light spilled outward, pulsing ominously.

Happy's wings twitched as he stared. "Is... the seal breaking?"

"It won't hold much longer," Erza said, her expression grim. "We need to notify the Magic Council immediately so they can reinforce it."

Rhodes sighed. "I just hope it holds a little while longer. If it collapses while we're here, we're going to look incredibly guilty, like we're the ones who broke it."

From a distance, it'd be a disaster. No one would believe they were innocent if they were caught at the scene mid-breakdown.

Natsu, on the other hand, looked thrilled. "Why bother calling those guys? Let's just beat the demon ourselves! Hahaha! Hey, you in there! Come out already!"

Rhodes rubbed his temples, wincing. "Stop yelling. Any demon from the Books of Zeref can flatten a whole town on its own. If you actually manage to break the seal, we're screwed."

Still, something wasn't adding up. Last time they came here, the summoning ritual hadn't been completed. The Council sealed the altar as a precaution, just in case.

But now... there was no ritual circle, no summoner, and no sacrifices, and yet the seal was actively decaying?

Rhodes frowned. Something was very wrong.

"Be careful!" Erza warned.

Whether it was Natsu's bad luck or just uncanny timing, the golden sealing spell suddenly shattered, scattering into sparkling fragments like stardust.

Cracks began spreading rapidly along the rocky cliffside, and the sharp sound of stone breaking echoed through the valley. Chunks of rock tumbled down the slope, rolling into the crevices below.

"Summon: Red Brambleback! Red Buff!"

Without hesitation, Rhodes activated his magic, wrapping Erza and Natsu in glowing red streams of energy.

"If the seal's already broken," he said, his voice calm yet sharp, "we might as well hit it hard before it gets fully out."

Natsu stared at the red light swirling around him, puzzled. Then recognition dawned on him.

"Hey! Isn't this the same buff the old man used when he smacked me around?" His eyes widened, pointing at Rhodes. "And you! You used it last time too!"

Rhodes cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed. "We can talk about that later. Let's deal with the demon first."

"Requip: Star Armor!"

Erza was already in motion. She had no time for banter. In a flash of golden light, she changed into her Star Armor, radiant and crackling with electricity.

"Star Twin Blades: Photon Slash!"

Golden energy surged through her twin swords as she launched a cross-shaped slash of light straight into the widening crevice. The red flame buff from Rhodes trailed behind the light beams, turning her attack into a dazzling blaze of divine fury.

Based on her previous encounters with demons, especially the battles she fought alongside Mira, Erza knew that light-based magic inflicted extra damage against dark entities.

"You're cheating, Erza! You went first!" Natsu grumbled, but his own magic was already building in his chest.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

With a deep breath, Natsu unleashed a torrent of flames. Thanks to the Red Buff, his fire was layered with a secondary hue of crimson, making the flames wilder and more aggressive as they spiraled toward the enemy.

BOOM! BOOM!

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A deafening explosion followed, echoed by a monstrous shriek. The entire rock formation, which had only begun to crack before, now caved in completely, burying whatever was trying to claw its way out.

The ground shook violently, and a shockwave of wind burst outward from the epicenter of the attack, kicking up dust and illuminating the valley with a blinding glow.

"Aiyaaah!" Happy yelped, clutching Natsu's scarf as it flapped violently in the gust. "That was insane! You think we got it in one shot?"

Rhodes shot a glance at Natsu, then gave a firm command.

"Go!"

At his order, the Brambleback charged straight toward the collapsed stone mound. Whether the demon was alive or not didn't matter, if it was still breathing, it would get hit twice; if not, once for good measure.

But things weren't going to be that easy.

From beneath the rubble, a towering shadow surged upward. The mountain of broken stones exploded outward, jagged fragments flying in every direction.

Reacting instantly,Brambleback slammed its hand into the ground. In an instant, more than a dozen thick vines burst from the earth, weaving themselves into a wide net that caught the larger chunks of debris midair.

Erza stepped in immediately, slashing rapidly with her swords. She struck down the smaller rocks that slipped through the vine barrier with precision and grace.

Only after the dust settled did they get a proper look at the enemy.

The creature stood nearly ten meters tall. Compared to it, the Brambleback usually so massive and imposing, now looked like a loyal guard dog beside a mountain.

The demon had a jagged single horn protruding from its forehead, an oversized mouth lined with fangs, enormous ears, and steaming breaths billowing from its nose. Its limbs were thick and muscular, its belly bloated and round.

It was the man-eating demon recorded in the Book of Zeref: Carniber.

Scorch marks stained the side of its head, and a brutal, raw slash marred its face. But considering its size, those wounds were little more than scratches.

Erza's expression darkened. "Even after taking our attacks head-on, without any preparation, it's only slightly wounded?"

Carniber's bloodshot eyes locked onto the mages before it. With a guttural roar, it raised a massive hand and brought it crashing down on the Brambleback, the largest and most obvious target.

Brambleback didn't back down. It roared in defiance and lashed out with its claws to counter.

A sharp crack echoed through the battlefield.

The Brambleback's entire right forelimb snapped cleanly, wood and magical flesh splintering apart. But it wasn't a one-sided exchange, deep gouges tore across Carniber's palm, leaving behind three angry red streaks.

Rhodes grimaced. "This one's tough."

Judging by brute strength alone, this demon was easily beyond the level of an average S-class threat.