Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 172: The Beast that Shakes the Earth?

Rhodes found searching for the unicorn to be incredibly dull, especially since none of his three murk wolves or six raptors had turned up anything useful. It looked like he was going to have to do it the old-fashioned way.

Still, he figured this was just another part of the test.

Once he understood the kind of terrain unicorn beasts preferred, tracking down their cave became a lot simpler.

He examined each suspicious-looking cliffside with growing curiosity, a wild idea forming in his head.

What if I sent out the Krugs to burrow into every hill and knock them all down? Would the unicorn just pop out on its own?

Kind of like when someone blasted open a sealed tomb and ended up releasing ancient curses and sand wraiths, classic rookie move

It might actually be more efficient, and would definitely save time searching through every nook and cranny.

Rhodes seriously considered it, until he imagined Master Makarov seeing the aftermath and bursting into tears.

Yeah. Better keep that as a last resort.

Suddenly—

"Help me! Help me!"

The card in Rhodes' pocket lit up and shouted in Cana's chibi voice.

"This way!" he commanded.

The scuttle crab sprinted forward at full speed. Within minutes, Rhodes reached Cana's position.

"You found it?"

"Shh!" Cana yanked him behind a nearby boulder and pressed a finger to her lips, then pointed toward a shadowy cave in the distance.

Rhodes perked up his ears. From the cave came a low, rhythmic wheezing—like someone snoring.

"It's asleep," Cana whispered. "That sound is definitely the unicorn. What's the plan?"

Rhodes lowered his voice too. "Sneak attack, of course. If we don't hit it while it's out cold, are we even Fairy Tail mages?"

Cana frowned. "The entrance doesn't line up with where it's sleeping. I can't throw my cards directly inside."

She had considered launching a full barrage of offensive spells at once—but if she startled the beast before the first one landed, it could all backfire.

"So we'll have to set traps and lure it out." She pointed to a few marked spots near the mouth of the cave. "What do you think of this setup?"

Rhodes examined her plan and nodded. "Looks good. Leave the baiting to me.

But this time, we're not built for a long fight. We hit it with everything we've got from the start and try to end it fast."

"Got it," Cana replied, her tone turning serious.

She pulled out all her remaining cards and began pairing them, carefully selecting combinations for maximum impact. Then, with practiced ease, she flicked them into position, each one landing exactly where it needed to be.

Rhodes had originally planned to send in the scuttle crab to flush the beast out but suddenly, he had a better idea.

"Summon: Gromp!"

Two massive swamp toads, each nearly a meter tall, materialized before him. Their throats bulged, ready to croak, but—

"Don't make a sound!" Rhodes warned quickly.

The frogs froze mid-croak, their throats puffed out like balloons but perfectly silent.

Rhodes glanced at their webbed feet. No extra venom dripping. Good.

"You two," he said in a low voice, pointing toward the cave, "sneak in quietly. When you spot the big guy, aim for the eyes, the mouth, and the nose—hit it with everything you've got. Then run. Fast. When you reach this point, spit again and retreat. Got it? Nod if you understand... no, don't croak—just go!"

The two summoned Gromps turned around, gave a soft hop, and landed quietly at the mouth of the cave. Following Rhodes's instructions, they silently crawled into the shadows ahead.

"Using poison? Great idea!" Cana huffed, clearly still annoyed by Laxus's earlier attitude. "You should've used that trick on Laxus too! There's an antidote anyway."

Rhodes shook his head, amused. "Come on. If Granny Porlyusica ever found out I poisoned a guildmate just because I could cure him afterward, she'd chase me out of the guild with a broom."

Annoying as Laxus could be, he was still family.

"Crock~ Crock~"

"ROAARRR~~~!"

The croaking of frogs and a bestial roar echoed from within the cave. The ground trembled slightly beneath their feet.

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"Wait, can it really cause an earthquake even as a juvenile?" Rhodes narrowed his eyes. The tremors weren't strong, so he couldn't tell if they were from a special ability or just the creature's heavy footsteps.

Moments later, only one Gromp emerged from the darkness, stumbling into position as it'd been ordered. The other had already been forcefully unsummoned, likely trampled or struck by the unicorn beast inside.

"Crock~"

The surviving Gromp croaked once, settling into place, ready to bait the monster toward the trap.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ground thudded rhythmically as the beast approached. Finally, a towering unicorn monster burst out from the cave, its single horn gleaming and a smear of purplish venom streaking its face from the earlier ambush.

Rhodes squinted at the creature. The longer he looked, the more it resembled a monster from an old fantasy show he once saw. It looked a lot like "Golzan the Earthshaker", just a little smaller.

This unicorn wasn't the size of Makarov's Titan magic, but it still towered over Rhodes's own summoned Krugs and Bramblrbacks. It stood a solid six or seven meters tall.

"Roaaarrrr!"

Whether it was roaring in rage or pain wasn't clear. Either way, it was loud.

The Gromp didn't flinch. It took one step forward and spat another burst of venom squarely at the beast's face.

That did it.

With a furious snarl, the unicorn monster lumbered forward, straight toward the trap zone.

Cana was already prepared.

"Tower's Restraint! Fountain of Fools! Fountain of Prayer! Thunder of Fate!"

Pillars of stone erupted around the unicorn, boxing it in. Mist sprayed up in a cloud, obscuring its vision. Whips of water lashed out, wrapping around its limbs, followed by a burst of holy light—then a crackle of thunder.

A perfect chain combo.

First came the immobilization and confusion spells, designed to buy time and keep the beast from charging.

Then came the onslaught.

Wind blades. Fireballs. Spires of ice.

"Ahhh—!"

"It's not over yet!"

Cana continued activating her pre-set traps, layering in more flying cards whenever the chance came. Magic bursts of all elements rained down one after another, engulfing the massive figure of the beast in a brilliant storm of light and sound.

For a while, the only thing filling the canyon was the roar of magic and Cana's sharp commands, so much so that the monster's pained bellows were nearly drowned out.

Meanwhile, the lone Gromp kept faithfully spitting venom without pause.

By the time Cana's card supply was almost depleted, the violent tremors caused by the beast had subsided. The mountain where the unicorn had originally taken shelter had begun to crumble, riddled with cracks from the magic onslaught. Stones and rubble tumbled down in torrents.

Panting, Cana looked out over the dust and smoke, toward the heap of boulders now covering the creature. "How's that? Even a true S-Class monster should've been done in by that!"

Rhodes, ever the cautious one, yanked her back behind cover. "Rule number one: never leave your flag out in the open. Rule number two: never walk up to something that might still bite."

"RAAAAAHH!!!"

With a thunderous roar, the mountain of debris exploded outward, and the earth quaked harder than before.

Chunks of rock slammed into their hiding boulder, and smashed the poor Gromp aside before it could even croak a warning. The toxic amphibian let out a final squeal before it was swatted away like a fly by a furious claw swipe.

The unicorn monster staggered into view, its once-majestic figure now tattered and barely holding together. A chunk of its horn was snapped off. Several jagged teeth were missing. One eye was swollen shut. Its body was covered in gashes, crushed scales, burns, frostbite, and patches of poison-eaten hide. The signs of carnage were everywhere.

What had entered the battlefield on two feet like a proud beast was now hunched over on all fours, letting out a furious, wounded bellow into the sky.

"RAAARRGGHHH!!!"

It slammed its tail into the ground, unleashing another localized quake. A nearby cliffside collapsed from the impact.

"Crab time, now!" Rhodes shouted, grabbing Cana and hauling her onto the back of the Scuttle Crab. "Run, run, run! Go!"

The crustacean mount didn't need to be told twice—it bolted into action.

The unicorn, bloodied but unbowed, let out a snarling hiss and gave chase, dragging its broken body through the canyon like a tank on its last legs.

"Actually..." Cana said breathlessly as she watched the monster barrel after them, her expression dazed,

'I... I really did give it everything I had...'

In most real battles, it was nearly impossible to find a chance to set up such a perfect field for herself. This had been the ideal scenario. She'd used every card, every trap, and every trick she had.

And yet...

'Was even that not enough?'