Chapter 4: The Victor, Ren
The rowdy, chaotic guild hall fell completely silent. Everyone, from Cana at her barrel to Macao and Wakaba at the bar, stared with wide eyes at the scene in the field.
Natsu and Ren exchanged glances. Natsu's body instinctively tensed. His Dragon Slayer senses were screaming; the air around this new guy was cold, empty, and terrifyingly powerful. But the more terrifying it was, the more excited he became. A wide, toothy grin spread across his face.
Whoosh!
Flames ignited on Natsu's hands, and he took his signature fighting stance. "Great! This way, I can use my full power without any reservations!"
Makarov, perched on a barrel, watched with a dead-serious expression. "Begin!" he announced.
"Waaah!"
Natsu didn't hesitate. He stomped his foot, shattering the ground, and launched himself at Ren like a cannonball. His claw-like hands, wreathed in roaring flames, swung in a wide, destructive arc.
Ren, however, seemed to not react at all. He remained standing in place, his hands calmly tucked into the pockets of his white uniform.
"He's not even dodging!" Lucy shrieked from the sidelines.
Just as Natsu's fiery fist was an inch from Ren's chest, just when many thought the outcome was decided...
Swish!
Ren's body vanished. It wasn't a blur; it was an instantaneous erasure. Natsu's punch tore through empty air, the force of it sending a wave of heat across the field.
"Wha—?!" Natsu's eyes went wide, his attack carrying him past Ren's original position.
In the next instant, Ren reappeared directly behind Natsu, his expression as listless as ever. He slowly, almost casually, lifted his leg and delivered a single, sharp kick to Natsu's back.
"Ugh!"
Natsu was kicked completely off balance and tumbled forward, rolling several times on the grass before skidding to a stop.
"So fast!" Macao yelled.
"Is that Teleportation Magic?" Laki asked, pushing up her glasses.
In everyone's eyes, Ren had appeared behind Natsu as if he had teleported.
Makarov shook his head, his eyes wide. "No, it's not teleportation, but an extremely sophisticated high-speed movement technique. Because the speed is too great, it looks almost like teleportation."
[Akarin's Note: The ability Ren is using is Sonído (Spanish for "Sound," Japanese for "Sound Ceremony"), the Arrancar equivalent of the Soul Reaper's Flash Step (Shunpo) from the Bleach series. It allows for movement at imperceptible speeds.]
Makarov was extremely shocked. This speed was too fast; he could only barely make out a trace of an afterimage to deduce that it wasn't teleportation, as true teleportation leaves no trajectory whatsoever.
"What?!" Jet, the guild's speed specialist, was greatly astonished. His magic, High Speed, made him the fastest runner in Fairy Tail. Ren's speed was actually even faster than his; that was too abnormal.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Natsu, never one to stay down, quickly got up. He spun around, his fists wreathed in flames, and charged Ren again, this time with a direct, powerful punch.
Ren simply raised his left palm.
Clap!
Natsu's fist, which could easily shatter stone, struck Ren's palm.
Everyone thought Ren might be knocked flying, but then another astonishing scene unfolded: Ren stood firmly in place, unmoving. The flames sizzled against his pale skin, leaving not even a singe mark.
"He blocked it?!" Elfman roared, his eyes bulging.
Natsu stared, his own fist still pressed against Ren's hand. It felt... wrong. It wasn't like hitting a person. It was like punching a wall of solid steel.
[Akarin's Note: Ren is using Hierro (Spanish for "Iron," Japanese for "Steel Skin"), an Arrancar ability that hardens their spiritual pressure into steel-like armor on their skin, providing immense defense.]
Ren's cold, green eyes met Natsu's. He gripped Natsu's fist, and with a simple, fluid motion, he swung the Dragon Slayer with force.
Whoosh—!
Natsu's body flew out uncontrollably, his own forward momentum used against him.
"Waaah!"
Crack—!
Natsu crashed clean through a large boulder, sending fragments flying everywhere.
He quickly got up from the rubble, spitting out a piece of rock. He was bruised, but his fighting spirit was blazing hotter than ever. He took a deep, powerful breath, his chest swelling as he gathered a massive amount of magic power in his throat.
Ren watched him, his expression unchanged. He calmly pointed his index finger at Natsu. A vibrant, crackling green spirit pressure continuously condensed at his fingertip, forming a high-density, green energy sphere.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
Hooosh—!
A terrifying storm of crimson flames erupted from Natsu's mouth, a massive torrent that tore up the ground as it rushed directly towards Ren.
"Cero."
[Akarin's Note: Cero (Spanish for "Zero," Japanese for "Hollow Flash") is a powerful energy blast used by Hollows and Arrancar in Bleach. The original text used "Hollow Flash," which is the Japanese translation.]
"Ohm—! Whoosh—!"
A beam of vibrant green energy shot from Ren's finger. It was smaller than Natsu's Roar, but it was denser, and it screamed through the air with a high-pitched whine.
Boom—! !
The crimson flame storm and the vibrant green Cero collided in the middle of the field. The impact of the two powerful energies instantly created a terrifying shockwave. A blinding light forced everyone to shield their eyes, and the sound was deafening.
"Waaah!"
"Yaaah!"
The shockwave spread outwards, a physical force that sent many in the guild tumbling backward. The ground buckled and cracked under the immense pressure.
After a short while, the shockwave slowly subsided. In the middle of the field, a huge, smoking crater had been carved into the earth.
Ren stood on his side of the crater, his white uniform slightly ruffled but completely unharmed.
On the other side, Natsu was on his knees, his body covered in burns and cuts. He was panting heavily, and the backlash from the magical collision had clearly taken its toll. He tried to support himself but finally couldn't, collapsing to the ground.
In the previous energy clash, Ren's Cero had clearly and overwhelmingly overpowered Natsu's Roar.
"The match is decided! Winner! Ren!"
Makarov's voice boomed across the silent field. He was completely surprised. He hadn't expected Ren's strength to be so immense. From his appearance, Ren looked no different from an ordinary person, but after using Take Over Magic, he became a calm, cool, and clearly seasoned warrior.
The guild members stared, stunned.
"The rookie... actually won?!"
"He actually defeated that Natsu!"
"His strength is truly too great! That's already the power of an S-Class Mage, isn't it!"
"Absolutely! Only an S-Class Mage could defeat Natsu!"
"What a monster!"
Hearing Makarov announce Ren's victory, the guild members finally came to their senses, and the field erupted in cheers. Although most of them lost their bets, everyone was incredibly excited. The guild had gained another S-Class powerhouse, which was definitely a huge blessing.
Ren breathed a quiet sigh of relief, releasing the transformation. The cold, hollow power receded, and his original appearance returned. He immediately staggered, feeling a wave of dizziness. His magic power was already at rock bottom. If he hadn't ended the battle quickly, his 1-Star magic reserves would have run out, and he would surely have been the one to lose.
But at this moment, he was also very excited. He had defeated Natsu, the male protagonist. He truly lived up to his reputation as Ulquiorra, the number one Espada in his mind. This victory gave him immense confidence.
Ren walked up to the downed Natsu, extended his hand, and pulled him up.
Although Natsu had lost his fighting capability, his injuries were not severe. He looked at Ren, his usual grin returning, though it was a bit pained.
"You're really strong! Just like Erza, a total monster. Next time, I want to have a decisive battle with you!"
Despite losing, Natsu was not disheartened in the slightest; he merely had one more opponent to surpass, which further ignited his fighting spirit.
"Alright!" Ren nodded, a small smile on his face. Although he won this time, it was a very close call.
Everyone in the guild returned inside, all excitedly discussing the battle they had just witnessed.
Cana happily counted her new mountain of money. Her week's drinking money was secured again. "If only I had known Ren was so powerful," she mused to Laki, "I wouldn't have spoken up; that way, I could have earned even more."
"What should I do? There's another monster!" Elfman groaned, scratching his head in distress. "When will the man Elfman become an S-Class Mage?! Oh, oh, oh! The path for the man Elfman to become S-Class is truly too rough! Everyone in Fairy Tail is a monster: Erza, Mira, Mystogan. I had just barely managed to outlast these few to become S-Class, and now there's another one, Ren!"
Gray, now fully dressed, retorted, "You talk as if you would become S-Class if Ren hadn't come. The truth is, you still haven't even qualified to participate."
Ren was indeed a monster, and there was a high possibility of him becoming a new S-Class Mage. But as long as one avoided Ren in the exam, wouldn't it be fine? At most, it would just be delayed by a year.
Cana's face stiffened upon hearing Gray's words. She had qualified to take the S-Class Mage promotion exam for three consecutive years. In the first year, she encountered the monster Erza and was eliminated. In the second year, she encountered the monster Mira and was also eliminated. In the third year, she had a relatively easy time; she was eliminated without even seeing her opponent, Mystogan.
This year, Ren had arrived. She had watched his battle from start to finish. Facing Ren, she might lose even more decisively than against those three opponents. Did she have to wait another year? Thinking of this, her mood soured completely.
[Akarin Note:
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