In a quiet corner of the Fairy Tail guildhall...
"Of course not…"
Erza crossed her arms in front of her, shaking her head with determination.
Kageyama Ren was her brother. How could he possibly be the illegitimate child of some stranger?
That said, she did remember hearing from Irene that Ren might not be her biological brother...
Still, come to think of it...
Out of all the magic guilds in this world, why had Ren chosen Fairy Tail?
And then there was his hair, it was almost the exact same color as that of Gildarts, the man Cana had just mentioned...
Sweat started to bead on Erza's forehead.
The more she thought about it, the more unsettling the implications became. She couldn't help but overthink.
In the end, even Erza herself wasn't sure anymore.
"So… probably… maybe… not?"
Erza looked at Cana and gave a hesitant answer.
"So is it yes or no?!"
Cana felt her heart sink. She had already been with Fairy Tail for two years, yet still hadn't found the courage to face Gildarts and acknowledge him as her father.
But that wasn't the worst part.
What truly hurt was that after all this time, not only had she failed to reunite with her father, now she might have gained a potential half-brother instead…
Cana no longer knew what to say.
"Laxus was one-shotted?!"
"That new kid's a total monster!"
"I heard he challenged Gildarts next?!"
"No way, seriously?!"
As Cana and Erza continued talking, a commotion erupted across the guild. Mages began setting down their mugs and crowding around the two figures at the center of attention, Ren and Gildarts.
Lying between them was a blond-haired boy foaming at the mouth, yes, that was Laxus.
"Gildarts is really going to duel someone?!"
Cana froze. Ever since she joined the guild, no one had ever dared challenge Gildarts. He had always been the strongest, the unbeatable.
"Brother, you literally told me not to make a big scene. You just had to stir up trouble again, didn't you?!"
Hearing about the duel, Erza placed her hands on her hips and scolded Ren with a frown.
"Well, let's go watch."
Erza sighed, then turned to her new friend. "Cana, want to come?"
"Sure," Cana nodded softly.
Meanwhile...
"You're really sure you want to fight me?" Gildarts asked with a gentle smile.
"I am. I want to see just how far I am from the strongest in the guild."
Ren nodded firmly. He could feel it, Gildarts' magic power far surpassed his own. To put it bluntly, the man in front of him wasn't human. He was a monster.
And that was no exaggeration.
Gildarts was the kind of man who had survived an encounter with Acnologia, the Black Dragon. Even after losing his left arm, left leg, and several internal organs still wrapped in bandages, his wounds not fully healed, pain still lingering, he had managed to suppress Bruno Strega, the feared second-in-command of the dark guild Grimoire Heart.
That same Bruno was said to be comparable to the top five of the Ten Wizard Saints.
In other words, Bruno's power rivaled Jura's strength seven years later, a level often regarded as the upper limit of human capability.
And right now, Ren believed that this uninjured version of Gildarts was even stronger than the wounded Gildarts from years ahead.
Perhaps only slightly weaker than the version of Gildarts who returned a year after Fairy Tail disbanded—fully recovered and capable of clashing with August, the Magic King.
"Interesting…"
"How about we take this outside? If we fight here, the master might cry."
Gildarts glanced around at the crowded guildhall, shaking his head. It was far too cramped. For either of them to fight properly, they needed space.
"Fine by me," Ren nodded.
"Then let's head to the back mountain. No one usually goes there."
Gildarts offered the suggestion.
"Alright."
Ren agreed easily. He didn't care where the fight happened.
"Follow me," Gildarts said, his cloak billowing as he walked out of the guild.
"Mm."
Ren rose into the air, floating lightly above the ground as he followed.
And just like that, the two made their way toward the mountains behind the guild.
As for the unconscious Laxus still lying on the floor, both had completely forgotten about him.
"Let's go! We've got a fight to watch!"
Excited mages rushed out of the guild one after another, eager to witness the showdown between Gildarts and Ren.
By the time the two had reached a clearing in the back mountain, they were already surrounded by spectators.
Even Makarov had abandoned his usual post to come watch.
Holding a small box in one hand, Makarov shouted enthusiastically, "Beer and popcorn! First row, get it while it's fresh!"
Behind him were crates of snacks and drinks he'd hauled over using his Giant Magic.
But that wasn't the only business he had planned.
"Alright, place your bets! Red for Gildarts to win, blue for the rookie Ren! Put your money down now and you could be driving a limited-edition magic-powered car next year!"
As the president of Fairy Tail, Makarov took the lead in setting up the betting pool.
Did he feel even a shred of guilt about profiting off his guild members?
Not in the slightest.
If anything, it pained his conscience not to.
The amount of trouble these kids caused each year? The number of times he had to clean up after them? He needed to recoup those expenses somehow.
"I'm putting 10,000 J on Gildarts!" Wakaba said, puffing on his pipe and handing over his bet.
In truth, no one took the betting seriously. It was just for fun.
"Same here, Gildarts all the way."
"Gildarts, 10,000 J!"
"No way Gildarts would lose…"
As more bets came in, the pool became overwhelmingly one-sided—everyone bet on Gildarts to win.
"If all of you bet on Gildarts, I won't even have a game here!" Makarov groaned in dismay. Though, secretly, he had also bet on Gildarts.
"I'll bet 100,000 J on Ren!"
A new voice rang out, clear and unexpected.
"What?!"
Everyone stared, stunned. No one thought anyone would bet against Gildarts.
"Who was that?! Who bet on Ren?" Makarov called out, eyes welling up with emotion. He looked around, genuinely touched.
"Me!"
From the crowd, Erza raised her small hand. In it, she held a 100,000 J bill.
"Wonderful, Erza!" Makarov clasped her hand, his expression moved. Taking the bill from her, he turned to the rest of the guild and scolded, "You all should learn from Erza. Who says Ren has to lose?"
"C'mon, Master, you could bet on Ren too, you know."
Macao approached with a teasing grin.
"Er, well… I mean…"
Makarov coughed awkwardly and turned his head away. "I bet on Gildarts… for reasons..."
"You just want to win money too, don't you?!"
The guild members roared with laughter.
"Silence! I'm the Guild Master!"
Makarov tried to pull rank.
"Tch…"
But no one in Fairy Tail took his bluff seriously.
Meanwhile, back in the clearing, the match was about to begin.
And the first to move… was Ren!
A surge of magic power erupted from his body.
"Enchant—Flame!"
In a split second, he ignited the air itself.
Boom!
The space in front of Gildarts exploded into flames.
Those watching from a distance suddenly felt a wave of heat sweep over them. A massive fireball, over ten meters in diameter, had appeared out of nowhere. It blazed like a miniature sun, the searing heat so intense it threatened to ignite the trees around them.
"You've got to be kidding… That thing's huge!"
"Is this guy an actual monster?!"
Fairy Tail's members stared wide-eyed at the fireball and the heat rolling off it in waves.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!