The three members of the Thunder God Tribe said what they needed to say, then retreated behind Laxus and exited from the back of the guild.
"What a joke!" Makarov wanted to transform into a giant to stop them.
But Laxus placed a hand crackling with lightning on Lucy's neck: "Don't be hasty, old man—I haven't finished speaking yet."
In fact, it wasn't just Makarov who wanted to take action. Alzack already had his gun aimed at Laxus, and many others were ready to cast their magic at any moment.
However, everyone was afraid of making a reckless move, worried about harming the girls who had been turned into statues on the stage.
Rhode furrowed his brow so deeply it seemed it could knot—he couldn't comprehend what Laxus was planning.
If he wanted the strongest battle, he could just say so. With so many battle enthusiasts in the guild, there would surely be a multitude of responses.
If he truly wanted to vie for the title of the guild's strongest, he could have a match against the S-Class members or directly challenge the president.
Why go to such lengths to take hostages and set up this survival game?
Was he worried some would hold back and not showcase his strength?
Rhode stared intently into Laxus's eyes, trying to determine if he truly no longer cared about his comrades' lives or if he was just making a threat, confident he wouldn't be harmed even if no one could defeat him.
No matter which it was, the situation had escalated too far—no mere apology or claim of jest would be enough to resolve it now.
The incident with Reby a few days ago, combined with today's events, seemed to be pushing the president to expel him from the guild.
Rhode couldn't fathom any logic behind Laxus's actions or what benefits he could possibly gain.
At this moment, Laxus was also staring back at him.
Since their last confrontation at the construction site, Laxus had taken notice of this man, recognizing him as someone who inherited the old man's will and approach to dealing with things.
Moreover, he had inherited the title of Fairy Tail Strategist from the First Generation President, leading a group of "ragtag bunch" to victory over the Ten Wizard Saints.
Furthermore, according to Fried's investigation, ever since he joined the guild, this man had been continuously reading and avidly studying various knowledge, as if aiming to inherit the erudition of the Second Generation President.
Fried had initially found Rhode to be impressive and wanted to recruit him into the Thunder God Tribe, hence the tiny investigation.
The First Generation's title and strategy, the Second Generation's knowledge, the Third Generation's will...
Laxus believed that if anyone in the guild had the potential to become the next president, it would most likely be this person.
Rhode's only possible shortcoming was his experience and strength.
Therefore, this man would be his greatest obstacle in becoming the guild's president, and he must thoroughly defeat him!
Laxus stared at Rhode, sensing approximately that Rhode's magic power was not particularly strong, probably barely meeting the lowest standard of the S-Class. Such a person...
"Is it the Fairy Tail Strategist? Go ahead and use your wisdom in this game, command your 'soldiers' to defeat me! I'll show you how weak your power is compared to mine!"
He glanced mockingly at those indignant people, saying, "But let me warn you first, no matter if there are 100 or 1,000 of such trash, they won't matter!"
"Laxus, you bastard!"
"Who are you calling trash!"
"Let them go and we'll show you what we're capable of right now!"
Laxus ignored their shouts; suddenly his hand emitted a blinding light, akin to throwing a flashbang.
The entire guild was filled with dazzling white light; the light shot outside from doors and windows, preventing everyone present from opening their eyes. They instinctively shielded their eyes with their hands.
Laxus's figure turned into lightning and vanished, leaving behind only one message: "The Battle of Fairy Tail for the strongest begins!"
When people opened their eyes again, Laxus was already gone from the stage, leaving behind six statues with different expressions.
The guild fell into a brief silence, eventually erupting with a wave of heated voices:
"How dare he look down on us!"
"Want to play hide and seek, coward!"
"Damn it, let's beat him down right now!"
The crowd was clamoring to rush outside the guild, but Rhode jumped onto the stage, shouting loudly, "Everyone, don't move, calm down and listen to me!"
"Rhode? What's there to say at a time like this!"
"That's right, let's find them and teach them a lesson first."
"It's just four people, we don't need your tactics!"
The tumultuous crowd paused for a moment, but voices of dissent rose again.
Rhode shouted, "The more it's like this, the more we need to stay calm. If we get angry now, we'll just be led by the nose by Laxus and his crew!
The president is here now, Mira is here, and Mystogan could appear at any time. Laxus and the others aren't fools; they wouldn't confront the entire guild without preparation.
There will definitely be unexpected traps outside. Calm down and think it through!"
"It doesn't matter! I want to save Bisca right now!"
"Reby is waiting for us to rescue her too!"
"Don't talk so lightly. If Mira turned into a statue, could you remain so calm?"
"Don't go treating us like your soldiers!"
As the saying goes, concern leads to chaos—the more people cared about the safety of the girls on the stage, the less they could think calmly.
If Laxus's intention was to provoke the guild members, then his plan had succeeded. Many people were no longer listening to what Rhode was saying.