"What, what are you going to do?" Ibarglin was a bit panicked, summoning such an ugly giant toad at this moment surely wouldn't be for anything good.
"Nothing much, just thinking of throwing you into its mouth. Don't worry, its mouth is full of venom. It will slowly corrode your hair and clothes, then seep into your body, ensuring not a single inch of your skin is left untouched.
It's a pity though, your face is at least somewhat pretty... Oh no, if it weren't pretty enough, it might not be as satisfying to destroy. I just heard you call yourself a fairy, barely qualified to accompany them in their burial, perhaps.
Such a pretty girl like you ending up with no skin, dying in the mouth of such an ugly toad, it's truly tragic.
So remember to scream loudly in a while, it could make me more exc... Oh, reduce my guilt a little for not saving those other girls."
Rhode's mouth curled into a smile that sent shivers down Ibarglin's spine.
Elfman quietly took a step back, then moved back again.
He thought Rhode was just trying to scare her, but the smile he showed while saying those words... so horrifying, such a monster.
So he wasn't sure anymore, might Rhode really be serious?
The rock shackles and Stone Beetle binding Ibarglin all disappeared, but she couldn't move at all now.
And her body was shaking intensely, even if she could move she probably wouldn't dare.
Rhode waved his hand, the Magic Swamp Frog nearby cooperatively opened its mouth.
He grabbed Ibarglin's left arm with his right hand, "Consider it a final act of mercy, I'll count to 10, giving you a little time to mentally prepare."
Ibarglin's face turned ashen, "W-Wait a minute!"
Rhode ignored her, counting on his own, "1, 2, 8910!"
He skipped 34567, then forcefully hurled Ibarglin out.
Ibarglin's head tilted back, watching herself fly towards the mouth of that ugly giant toad.
Its dark, cavernous mouth, its long, dark pink tongue, its sticky purple venom—all enlarged rapidly in her view.
"No, don't! I surrender, I surrender!"
In mid-air, Ibarglin burst into tears, but having been punched hard just now, she couldn't move at all.
She could only desperately shout, "Magic's undone, undone! Aaaah!"
Through the Gorge Swift Crab's vision he left in the Guild, Rhode saw that the statue on stage was no longer petrified.
Some girls were able to stand steadily, some crumbled to the ground, especially Lucy, who was wearing a cheerleader outfit and generously displayed some moments of welfare when she fell.
Soon after, Natsu was punched and sent flying by Erza.
—That idiot seemed to plan to use fire to melt the stone on Erza, freeing her, but the spell just got undone suddenly, almost scorching her hair.
Rhode had only confirmed the petrification magic was undone, and hadn't had time to think about the causes and effects carefully.
Seeing Ibarglin's head and shoulders starting to enter the Magic Swamp Frog's mouth, about to come in contact with the venom, he waved his hand and sent the Magic Swamp Frog back to the Summoner's Rift.
"Attention everyone! The petrification magic is undone, Erza, Reby... they're all safe, stop fighting!"
After a round of cheer in the Guild, Wolian immediately informed all the city companions as planned.
Meanwhile, a battle report was simultaneously updated on the 'screens' in both the Guild and the church:
"Ibarglin vs Rhode."
"Winner: Rhode."
"Ibarglin is incapacitated."
Actually, there was also a report for Elfman, but the result was a stalemate.
Ibarglin had already landed heavily on the ground, scraped forward a bit, with scratches on her shoulders, and her clothes and socks were a bit worn.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, finally stopping, she couldn't care about the pain, only cursing Rhode in her heart as a liar.
Promised to count to 10, who counts like that?
Elfman cautiously approached Rhode, uncertainly asked, "That... you were just scaring her, right?"
Rhode's cold smile hadn't completely faded, he eyed him, "First, you just shouted 'Hey, Rhode' without calling me brother-in-law, very impolite."
"Bro... brother-in-law..."
"Mm, good." Rhode showed a satisfied smile, "Of course I was scaring her, but if she's irredeemable, she really would be thrown into the Magic Swamp Frog's mouth. You must understand a man's resolve to save his comrades."
"..." Is this really just scaring her?
Elfman was silent for a moment, could only echo, "Ma... man's resolve."
"Alright, I'm going to check Mira's situation. Leave her to you. Blindfold her and take her back to the Guild. Whether to forgive her, it's up to those turned into statues to decide."
"Okay." Elfman tore off a strip from his tattered clothes, blindfolded Ibarglin, and prepared to carry her over his shoulder.
Rhode called him, "Wait, to prevent her from acting up on the way, hypnotize her a bit before taking her."
"You know Sleep Magic?"
"A little bit, as long as the target doesn't resist, it's quite easy."
Ibarglin didn't intend to resist either, being like this, she didn't know how to face those people when back anyway, hypnosis seemed alright too.
But just as this thought popped up, suddenly her face hurt as if she'd been heavily punched, rolling her eyes and fainted.
The only thought before losing consciousness was, another lie, what kind of hypnosis is this?