Bonus Chapters every 200 Power Stones
"Normal Dialogue"
'Inner thoughts'
[Year X791]
- With Gildarts -
Once the dust settled, Gildarts took a quick scan of the training ground and immediately understood the scope of what had just happened. The area looked like a war zone. Scorch marks covered every surface, the earth was cracked and torn, and debris lay scattered in all directions from the shockwave of colliding attacks.
Max, Alzack, Bisca, Romeo, Jet, Droy, Bickslow, Evergreen, and Freed were sprawled across the ground nearby, clearly unable to withstand the force that had been unleashed. They were groaning and struggling to push themselves upright, their clothes torn and their faces pale with shock. None of them appeared seriously injured, but they'd obviously been caught in something far beyond their ability to handle.
Gildarts felt a surge of relief that they were all breathing and moving. Whatever had happened here, at least no one seemed to be dying from it. His eyes moved to Laxus next, taking in the Lightning Dragon Slayer's condition.
Laxus was still standing, though he looked winded and slightly annoyed rather than seriously hurt. His clothes were singed and his hair was more disheveled than usual, but there was no indication of major damage. The fact that he was upright and alert suggested that whatever confrontation had taken place, he'd managed to hold his own.
Then Gildarts set his gaze on the unknown assailant.
The man standing across from him was tall and dark-haired, probably in his early twenties. His posture was relaxed despite having just been involved in what was clearly a serious battle. Most striking were his eyes, which met Gildarts' stare without flinching or showing any sign of intimidation.
In that moment of locked gazes, a communication of sorts passed between them. Both men were experienced fighters, both had faced opponents who could kill them without breaking a sweat. They recognized something in each other, an understanding that neither could be underestimated regardless of appearances.
The stranger's confidence wasn't arrogance or bluster. It was the quiet certainty of someone who knew exactly what they were capable of and had no doubt about their ability to handle whatever came next. Gildarts had seen that expression before, in mirrors and in the faces of the very few mages who operated on his level.
'This is getting dangerous. If I fight this man here, there's no telling the damage the battle could lead to, especially knowing that Magnolia is not too far away. I have to get him further away at the very least.'
After a moment that stretched like an eternity, Gildarts made the first move.
In the next instance, he moved faster than even what Laxus had demonstrated during the previous encounter. He appeared in front of and slightly above the unknown fighter, his fist cocked back and his magic building to dangerous levels.
Crush Magic: Crush!
The attack should have set the tone for the upcoming battle. Gildarts had put serious power behind the strike, enough force to shatter barriers and overwhelm most defensive techniques. He had hoped to dissuade the assailant with a show of pure strength. But instead of connecting with flesh and bone, his fist met something entirely unexpected.
A green skeletal ribcage construct suddenly materialized around his opponent, appearing so quickly it seemed to exist before Gildarts had even thrown his punch. The construct was unlike anything he'd ever encountered, clearly defensive in nature but radiating a sense of absolute protection that made his instincts flare with warnings.
As his fist connected with the ribcage with tremendous force, the impact created a shockwave that rippled outward through the already devastated training ground. But to Gildarts' amazement, the construct didn't budge. It took his attack completely, standing firm against his Crush Magic that should have reduced it to fragments.
But Gildarts's surprise was nothing compared to what his opponent was feeling.
From inside the protective barrier, Shisui could see thin hairline cracks spreading outward from the point of impact, a spiderweb of damage that spoke to the incredible force that his Susanoo had just taken. 'That's a first...'
Gildarts landed on the ground with catlike grace, his mind racing through the implications of what had just happened. His Crush Magic had been stopped, not deflected or absorbed, but simply held at bay by a defensive technique he'd never seen before.
'That would have been enough force to even blow Makarov away. But that green ribcage stopped it. No… That's not the problem. The problem is how easy and casual it looked to have been summoned. Just who is this man…'
The stranger deactivated his skeletal construct without ceremony, the green energy dissipating like morning mist. His unusual eyes returned to their normal dark color, the strange pattern that had been found within them fading away completely.
But Gildarts could sense something else, a subtle shift in the man's attention that suggested he was aware of something the others hadn't noticed yet.
Whatever was coming, the unknown fighter had decided to end their confrontation before it could escalate further. Despite his obvious power and the fact that he'd just successfully defended against Fairy Tail's strongest mage, he seemed to have no interest in continuing the battle.
That was when the real interruption arrived.
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"
A giant figure burst through the trees and into the training ground, his voice carrying the kind of authority that made everyone present snap to attention. Makarov Dreyar had activated his Giant Magic, towering above them with an expression of parental concern mixed with righteous anger.
Behind him came Mirajane, though she was no longer in her usual gentle form. Satan Soul: Sitri had transformed her into something beautiful and terrifying, her demonic aura visible especially in the atmosphere they found themselves in. Her eyes swept across the scene with the calculating gaze of someone prepared to eliminate any threats.
Makarov himself was scanning the training ground, his enhanced size allowing him to take in every detail of the devastation. When he confirmed that none of his mages appeared to be seriously hurt, some of the tension left his massive frame.
His eyes found Gildarts first, surprise flickering across his features. He hadn't expected his guild's Ace to return so soon, and certainly not in the middle of what appeared to be an intense battle. But then his attention shifted to the unknown figure, and his expression hardened.
The cold eyes of Mirajane, Makarov, and Gildarts all focused on the stranger, creating an atmosphere of barely contained hostility that would have made most mages crumble under the pressure. Even someone with significant power might have found themselves intimidated by such focused attention from three of Fairy Tail's strongest members.
But instead of fear or aggression, the man simply looked embarrassed and nervous. He chuckled awkwardly, one hand rubbing the back of his neck in a gesture that seemed entirely at odds with the power he'd just displayed.
"Who are you?" Makarov demanded, his giant form leaning down to bring his face closer to the stranger's level.
"Ah, well..." The man began, his voice carrying a nervousness that surprised everyone present. "My name is Shisui. I joined Fairy Tail during your disappearance."
The words surprised Mira, Makarov and Gildarts. Both men's eyes widened in shock as they realized that the person Makarov had sent Gildarts to investigate, the supposedly dead S-class mage who had held their guild together during its darkest hours, was standing right in front of them.
Very much alive.
- End of Chapter 93 -
You can read advanced chapter on p@treon.com/The_Editor982
A/N: A lot of people were saying that the previous chapter was pretty short. Well, yeah .-. I did say it was a short chapter to show Gildart's PoV xD I think it was roughly 800 words for that chapter, where the norm is about 1.2k to 1.5k words