Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 33: Three Gates

Rhodes threw a punch, but his opponent swiftly dodged and countered with a sideways kick.

Rhodes raised his arm to block the attack, but before he could react, his opponent vanished from sight.

Hearing the faintest sound behind him, Rhodes quickly shifted his stance. Though he managed to evade most of the strike, his shoulder still took a glancing hit. He staggered slightly but regained his balance almost instantly, spinning around and throwing a counterpunch.

Bang!

His fist made solid contact. However, his opponent had already braced for impact, crossing his arms in an X-shape to absorb the blow.

"That was a heavy punch—you're way stronger than they say!"

Jet, also known as Sarusuke, took a step back and rolled his shoulders before flipping backward twice to create more distance. He rubbed his forearm with a small wince.

Dressed in a deep purple shirt and a tall, wide-brimmed hat that sat nearly a foot high, Jet had the appearance of a rogue adventurer. His loose breeches allowed for agile movements, and his long, sturdy boots were built for running.

He was a core member of Levy's Shadow Gear Team, known for his incredible speed. Since their last mission, Jet and his teammates had been taking it easy at the guild, spending their days joking around and enjoying the lively atmosphere.

Perhaps Jet had been intrigued by the ongoing buzz that Rhodes was challenging everyone in the guild, or maybe he felt a twinge of jealousy that Levy had been spending so much time with Rhodes, helping him study foreign languages.

Whatever the reason, Jet had personally requested a fight with Rhodes, and his teammate Droy had followed suit.

Now, after several minutes of intense back-and-forth combat, Rhodes realized something—Jet was the first opponent he'd faced so far who truly matched him in pure combat ability.

Was it that he had grown stronger, or had his opponents simply been holding back more than he realized? Either way, today was different—he wasn't just taking hits; he was keeping up.

"You're really strong too," Rhodes admitted. "Your speed is insane."

'Though your strength could use a little work.'

Of course, he wasn't going to say that part out loud. He had learned by now not to let pride get to his head.

From the sidelines, Droy cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Jet! If you can't win, just back out and let me take over! Levy already said she thinks I'd win!"

Jet snapped his head toward Droy, yelling, "Shut up, Droy! Levy obviously supports me more!"

Levy sighed, shaking her head with a wry smile. "I never said that."

She glanced back toward Rhodes, watching the fight with interest. His improvement was undeniable.

"Still, Rhodes has gotten stronger so fast. He's already holding his own against Jet," she murmured.

After yelling at his best friend, Jet pressed down the brim of his hat, flashed a confident grin at Rhodes, and took a starting stance.

"Alright, now it's time to show you my magic! I'm the fastest man in the guild—that's why they call me Jet!"

"Godspeed!"

In an instant, Jet shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Rhodes barely registered the moment he took off before a gust of wind whooshed past his ears—Jet had already zipped by him!

Instead of attacking immediately, Jet dashed in rapid circles around Rhodes, his movements stirring up wind currents and a rhythmic echo of footsteps.

The constant blur of motion made it nearly impossible for Rhodes to track his movements.

From what Rhodes could gauge, Jet's raw sprinting speed was roughly on par with his Scuttle Crab. However, unlike the crab—which could charge in bursts and come to a sudden stop—Jet had the advantage of maneuverability, easily weaving in tight circles without losing momentum.

Watching him move, Rhodes couldn't help but recall Rock Lee circling Gaara in that one iconic battle.

For a split second, he even considered the idea of sticking his leg out to trip Jet.

But before he could act, Jet suddenly reappeared at his starting point, stretching his legs and rolling his shoulders.

"Alright, warm-up's done!" Jet cracked his neck. "I remember you have that fast-running crab, right? Why don't you summon it?"

Rhodes shook his head. "Nope. Today, the Scuttle Crab won't be making an appearance."

He gripped the pendant hanging from his neck, feeling the magic inside him surge.

"I am the bridge between two worlds. You, creature of Summoner's Rift, heed my call and step through the gate—Ancient Krug!"

"Krug?" Droy, who had been gearing up to throw another round of "encouragement" at Jet, visibly shuddered. "Wait... you're not summoning a whole swarm of bugs, are you? That would be terrifying!"

If it really was a horde of insects, Droy was seriously considering hiding behind Levy.

As the pendant in Rhodes' hand glowed with a deep blue light, the ground beneath him trembled slightly.

A moment later, two massive stone creatures burst out from the earth, their rough, moss-covered bodies standing like living boulders before him.

The larger of the two creatures towered over two meters tall, its four thick legs resembling sturdy stone pillars. A massive claw-like mouth jutted out from its front, while deep cracks ran along its back like fractured rock.

The smaller one was nearly identical in structure, though only about a meter and a half in height.

At first glance, the two Ancient Krugs looked just like ordinary boulders, standing still and motionless. But as they stirred, the cracks on their backs pulsed with an eerie blue glow.

"Ka-ka-ka..."

Their massive, jagged jaws opened and closed with a low, grinding sound—waiting for their summoner's command.

Rhodes quickly checked his mana reserves—same as yesterday when he first attempted this. Summoning both Krugs had consumed about as much magic as three Scuttle Crabs.

However, his control over his magic had improved since then. This time, he'd managed to reduce the cost slightly—only a little more than summoning a Poro. It wasn't much, but every bit counted.

"That's a beetle?!" Droy, who had initially been worried about bugs, now found himself facing a completely different kind of fear.

"They look strong!" Jet whistled, feeling the weight of pressure as he faced the two hulking stone monsters.

Their hardened rock-like shells screamed durability, and Jet wasn't exactly known for his destructive power.

"In that case," Jet grinned, "I'll just bypass them and go straight for you!"

With a burst of speed, Jet launched forward.

Rhodes didn't hesitate. He ducked low and pivoted, slipping behind the hind legs of the larger Krug.

Secret Technique: Hiding Behind the Legs!

With its massive stone legs and reinforced underbelly, the Ancient Krug provided a perfect natural barrier.

It was slightly shorter than Rhodes expected, but in this case, that worked in his favor. If Jet wanted to reach him, he'd have to crouch or slow down—which would drastically hinder his speed.

Sure enough, as Jet circled around the Krug, he came to a sharp stop.

"Oi! That's dirty!" he shouted, his frustration evident.

Rhodes smirked. "Defensive summons are meant to be used like this. It's no different than Erza keeping her armor on when she fights me."

Jet wanted to argue.

After all, would Erza taking off her armor really make any difference?

Probably not.

But he couldn't exactly tell Rhodes not to defend himself. That wouldn't be fair.

"Fine then!" Jet cracked his knuckles and lowered his stance. "Let's see how you handle this—Falcon Sky Dive!"

Jet's figure soared through the air, tracing a beautiful arc over the guild's training yard. As he reached the peak of his jump, he swung his leg down hard, aiming a powerful kick at the Ancient Krug's thick, stone-like leg.

Rhodes felt the impact reverberate through the creature, the "pillar" he was leaning on trembling slightly beneath the force. The Ancient Krug's head tilted upward, its cracked stone hide shifting slightly—as if it had actually felt pain.

"Krug, counterattack!"

At Rhode's command, the smaller Krug beside him lurched forward, swinging its heavy rocky body toward Jet.

"It's tough, but I can still damage it!" Jet assessed, dodging the oncoming slam before pulling back to gain some distance.

Then, without hesitation, he exploded forward again, calling out his next move:

"Super High-Speed Impact!"

"Isn't that just an Iron Shoulder Charge?" Rhodes thought as he quickly took note of Jet's momentum-heavy stance—and immediately ducked out of the way.

BANG!

Jet's shoulder collided with the hind legs of the Ancient Krug, sending a shockwave of force through its massive body. The towering stone creature staggered backward, nearly toppling over.

But before the Krug could counterattack, Jet had already sprinted away, shaking his arms. "This is bad. Even after all that, I still can't take it down?"

Rhodes peered out from behind his massive stone defender, grinning. "If you stop moving, I'm going to launch my attack!"

Jet flashed a confident smile, his body already shifting into a readied stance. "Please, that slow thing could never keep up with my speed!"

"To deal with high-speed opponents, you need to be a little smarter."

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Rhodes gripped his pendant tightly, channeling his magic while reciting a short incantation.

A blue summoning circle pulsed beneath his feet.

In a flash of light—another summon emerged.

The Scuttle Crab had arrived.

"Wait, he can summon multiple creatures at the same time!?"

Levy, who had been observing the fight from the sidelines, gasped in astonishment. She had some knowledge of Celestial Spirit Magic, and she knew that opening two gates at once was something only the most advanced Celestial Wizards could achieve.

Rhodes' Summoning Magic seemed to operate under a similar principle, and yet—he was now maintaining three summons at once:

Two Ancient Krugs and The Scuttle Crab.

And if they counted Warm, who was happily watching the battle unfold from nearby, that made four entities under his control at the same time!

"This isn't just impressive—this is unheard of!"