On the beach, Arlen and Gildarts stood facing each other.
A fierce fighting spirit burned in Arlen's eyes—he had been looking forward to this battle for a long time.
"Arlen, thank you—for everything you did for Cana," Gildarts said sincerely. "For helping us reunite as father and daughter."
He paused, his tone turning serious.
"But this is still a test. I won't hold back."
That wasn't just fairness—it was responsibility.
From S-Class onward, missions could turn deadly at any moment. If Arlen wasn't strong enough, one mistake could cost him his life. Gildarts had high expectations for him—and he had no intention of watching him fall.
"Of course," Arlen replied calmly, slowly drawing Alaya Consciousness. "Come at me. I also want to see where my limits are."
Gildarts grinned.
In the next instant—
Both of them unleashed their magic power.
A terrifying aura erupted, whipping their clothes and hair wildly in the wind. Arlen's silver-white hair surged upward, dancing with the pressure of his magic.
"Monstrous…" Macao swallowed hard. "Gildarts is one thing—but Arlen too?!"
"Yeah… comparing ourselves to them is just depressing," Wakaba muttered, even his pipe tasting dull now.
"This generation is exceptional," Rob said with a gentle smile. "Laxus and Arlen aside, there's also Ultear, Erza, Kagura, Cana, Gray, Lyon… Fairy Tail will only grow stronger."
Gildarts and Arlen exchanged a glance—
Then suddenly—
All their magic pressure vanished.
And they collided.
Arlen struck first, slashing downward. Gildarts stepped back, narrowly dodging, his right hand already surging with magic as he reached out.
His magic—Crush.
Anything he touched could be shattered into fragments.
Deadly.
Arlen shifted slightly, evading with minimal movement while countering with a horizontal slash.
Gildarts raised a brow, casually punching the blade aside, then followed up with a heavy punch toward Arlen's chest.
Arlen brought his blade up to guard—
BOOM.
The impact slammed into him.
Gildarts grinned.
"Crush—One Day."
Arlen's expression tightened.
Magic surged through his body as he braced—
But the force exploded.
He was sent flying.
Blood traced the corner of his mouth as he tumbled back, his internal organs feeling shaken.
Gildarts was already closing in.
Yet Arlen remained calm.
Gravity magic activated.
The air suddenly grew heavy—Gildarts' movement slowed for just a moment.
But only a moment.
He pushed through the pressure and continued his attack.
That was all Arlen needed.
He flipped backward, landing smoothly. A golden magic circle flared beneath his feet, and his blade turned gold, wrapped in roaring wind.
"Wind Scar."
He swung.
Three massive golden arcs—like burning hurricanes—tore through the air toward Gildarts.
Gildarts' expression sharpened.
"Not bad…"
He stopped, raised his hand—
"Break."
His palm met the attack head-on.
Instead of an explosion, the wind was shattered piece by piece—but its force still pushed him back, leaving deep tracks in the sand.
Smoke filled the air.
When it cleared—
The ground was ravaged.
Gildarts shook his slightly smoking hand.
"Man… that almost got through."
Arlen twitched his lips.
Yeah, right.
There wasn't a scratch on him.
"These two are ridiculous," Macao muttered.
Even Laxus watched with burning intensity.
"Gildarts is a monster… but Arlen's Wind Scar getting blocked head-on? That's insane," Ur said.
Arlen didn't respond.
He rushed forward again, leaping high and bringing his blade down with full force.
"Ha! Good!"
Gildarts punched upward.
The moment fist and blade collided—
The ground beneath him shattered and collapsed into a crater, dispersing the force.
Arlen immediately disengaged, landing lightly.
A blue magic circle formed beneath him. Lightning crackled around his body, tearing through the ground with destructive force.
Gildarts' expression finally turned serious.
For the first time—
Arlen felt dangerous.
"Azure Dragon Break."
Lightning roared forward.
Gildarts shattered the incoming bolts with Crush—
But Arlen drove his blade into the ground.
The lightning surged underground—
Then erupted.
Gildarts frowned.
"…That's it?"
But the next second—
Brilliant blue light exploded beneath his feet.
Massive lightning pillars burst upward, merging into a colossal column that swallowed him whole.
Thunder roared.
Lightning dragons formed within the storm, twisting and exploding violently.
Shockwaves blasted outward, shaking the forest.
"AAARGH—!"
Gildarts' voice rang from within.
Then—
Silence.
The lightning faded.
Gildarts dropped to one knee, battered.
His clothes were torn, skin scorched black, faint smoke rising from his body. Blood lingered at his lips.
"…You've got to be kidding me," Wakaba stammered. "He changed the terrain…"
"That's not the point!" Macao snapped. "Gildarts took that head-on—is he okay?!"
"He's fine," Mavis said calmly. "It looks severe, but it's mostly surface damage. Arlen pulled back at the last moment."
"Seriously?!" Wakaba's jaw dropped.
"That was holding back?!"
Ur nodded.
She had seen Arlen's full power before—when he nearly obliterated Deliora in a single strike.
Gildarts was strong—
But not that strong physically.
Makarov and Rob remained composed, simply observing.
Laxus, however, stared at Arlen with sharp eyes.
So he was holding back before…
Over the past year, Laxus had challenged Arlen many times. Their matches always ended in draws—but now he realized—
Arlen had never gone all out.
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