Gildarts loved all the children in the guild, but Natsu was the very first one who, even after being sent flying, still stubbornly challenged him head-on.
Gildarts warmly recalled that day on the beach years ago, when Raizel, Laxus, Erza, and all the others were watching.
Back then, Natsu was just a little runt, constantly launching reckless attacks at him—so similar to now.
The result was exactly the same too, Natsu hadn't managed to land a single punch on him.
When Gildarts had gently told him that he only had that much ability, Natsu slowly and painfully struggled to his feet from the dirt.
Gildarts usually didn't care much about trivial things, but he still vividly remembered the sight of the trembling young Natsu and the fierce words he spoke.
"Listen up, Gildarts! You are strong, the absolute strongest in the guild, so one day I will definitely defeat you!"
After shouting that, Natsu unconsciously collapsed to the ground, but his raised hand still refused to drop, held high into the sky with unyielding pride.
"Yeah, I won't go easy on you either."
About seven years ago, the young Natsu and Gildarts had made that fateful promise.
It was also around that time that Gildarts had made a quiet promise with Makarov—he would personally become Natsu's S-Class Mage examiner when the time came.
"I won't lose to you," Natsu growled in the present.
Lost in his fond memories, Gildarts looked at Natsu, whose eyes were completely filled with burning fighting spirit.
"Here I come, Gildarts!" the army of tiny Natsus yelled.
"What a hassle..." Gildarts sighed, sweeping his cloak aside with one hand.
The swarm of Natsus leaping high into the air were all instantly sent flying by the gust of wind.
But then, even more of the chaotic Natsu horde came flying toward Gildarts.
"Here I come!" Dozens of little Natsus aggressively climbed onto Gildarts' head and broad shoulders.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
"Fire Dragon's Claw!"
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"
"This is so gross..." Happy muttered, perfectly voicing everyone's thoughts as they watched the screen.
"You are driving me crazy!" Gildarts grumbled.
The tiny attacks didn't actually hurt him at all, but they were incredibly annoying!
"I'm all fired up!" The Natsu army below was chattering and chaotic once again, preparing for another wave.
"Change back to normal already!" As the Natsu army regrouped and charged at him again, Gildarts snapped two fingers together, instantly transforming the chaotic horde back into a single, full-sized Natsu.
"Heheh! This is my chance!" Natsu grinned wildly. "Dragon Slayer Secret Art!"
"So close!!!" Gildarts was genuinely stunned by the sudden, point-blank timing.
"Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!"
Direct hit!
A massive torrent of crimson flames completely engulfed Gildarts in a fiery explosion.
"Did it work?!" Happy and the watching Lucy yelled simultaneously.
Panting heavily, Natsu maintained his aggressive pose after releasing the devastating Dragon Slayer Secret Art.
But soon, Natsu couldn't maintain his proud composure.
As the smoke cleared, Gildarts stood completely unharmed.
Only his cloak had been torn by the blast...
"How is that even possible?!" Happy couldn't help but exclaim. "That attack just now was Natsu going all out! How can it be completely ineffective?!"
"No! Look closer, Happy! I made Gildarts move this far!" Natsu excitedly pointed at two small, dragged footprints on the stone ground.
"HAHAHAHA!!!" Natsu laughed heartily, placing his hands proudly on his hips. "That is a huge step forward!"
"You made him move! That's right, Gildarts has been standing in the exact same spot this whole time," Happy finally realized.
"Truly remarkable, Natsu. I have seen your strength clearly now. As the examiner, I could honestly declare that you passed right at this very moment," Gildarts smiled.
"What nonsense! If I cannot defeat you, becoming an S-Class Mage would be completely meaningless!" Natsu roared angrily.
Gildarts closed his eyes and smiled helplessly. "I knew you would say that."
...
"Eh?! Passed?!" Lucy was astonished.
"Don't be surprised. It was never explicitly stated that you had to actually win to pass the exam," Raizel shrugged, chewing on a skewer and wondering where Lucy had picked up such rigid rumors.
"What is happening? Is the island shaking?"
Lucy had been feeling constant tremors beneath her feet until she finally noticed the soup in Ur's cooking pot rippling continuously, confirming it wasn't just her imagination.
"It is magical power. It is so immensely dense that it is causing the entire island to tremble. There is no need to panic," Makarov stated calmly.
"If you are scared, you can hold onto me," Kagura offered, extending a hand toward Lucy.
"My warm embrace is available too!" Cana laughed, opening her arms wide.
"What kind of weird pose is that?!" Lucy couldn't help but retort, sweatdropping at the drunk brunette.
...
"So, I absolutely will not go easy on you," Gildarts warned.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning as sharp as an eagle's as it fixed intently on Natsu.
Simultaneously, Gildarts' raw magical power continued to surge violently from his body...
Small rocks in the cave began dancing into the air, trembling incessantly against gravity...
"What is this pressure?!" Even Happy, who was standing far away from Gildarts, felt his breathing grow labored and instinctively stumbled backward.
"To walk the true path of a Mage and reach its absolute peak, I believe you are still missing something vital," Gildarts said softly.
Hearing this through the Lacrima screen, Kagura focused her mind, paying very close attention to Gildarts' wise words.
Suddenly, Gildarts' magical power erupted completely, burning so intensely it visibly distorted the very air around him.
His hair and torn cloak billowed wildly upward, lifted by the soaring, suffocating magical energy.
"You... must come to a realization."
"Ah..." Natsu could only manage to choke out incoherent sounds.
He desperately wanted to speak, but he found himself completely unable to form words.
His entire body began trembling uncontrollably.
Blocked by the materialized, crushing magical pressure, Natsu's vision warped until he saw Gildarts transform into a terrifying, red-eyed demon before him...
The solidified magical energy felt exactly like a harsh, freezing gale, scraping painfully against Natsu's skin.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Suppressing every primal instinct in his brain screaming at him to retreat, Natsu roared in defiance and prepared to charge forward anyway.
Gildarts simply glared down at Natsu from within the towering pillar of white magical light.
With just that one heavy look, Natsu froze completely motionless.
The closer he tried to get to Gildarts, the colder Natsu felt, his throat tightening painfully as if he were being physically strangled.
"Just... one more step..." Natsu wheezed.
Despite his brave words, Natsu unconsciously retreated two steps backward before his legs gave out, and he collapsed heavily to his knees.
Natsu's body shook uncontrollably.
He was completely drenched in cold sweat, his wide eyes entirely filled with absolute terror.
"I... I surrender..."
"Natsu..." Happy's voice trembled in heartbreak.
He knew exactly how long Natsu had been waiting for this day, only for it to end in this crushing, terrifying defeat.
Instantly, the suffocating magical power dissipated.
A barely contained, incredibly warm smile of pure satisfaction spread across Gildarts' lips.
"Impressive. I truly admire your raw courage to challenge me without fear!" Gildarts praised warmly.
"However, it is exceptionally rare to find someone truly brave enough to sheathe a drawn sword."
Gildarts knelt down and placed a gentle hand on the trembling boy's shoulder.
"Fear is no sin, Natsu. It simply shows that you understand your own weaknesses. Knowing your weaknesses makes you stronger, and it makes you kinder—this is a necessary, vital quality for becoming a true S-Class Mage."
Gildarts spoke with a deeply gratified smile.
"You already understand this very well. You've passed!"
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