Chapter 162: FTRJ: Chapter 162

“I will!” A roar tore from his throat as he charged towards Gildarts. “Raaaaahhhhh!!!” Natsu’s yell filled the small space. He was trying to

“I will!”

A roar tore from his throat as he charged towards Gildarts.

“Raaaaahhhhh!!!”

Natsu’s yell filled the small space. He was trying to conquer his fear.

For a moment, Natsu met Gildarts’ crimson eyes.

He stopped dead, his earlier battle cry cut short. His clenched jaw unclenched.

Fear consumed him, eroding his courage. His fierce gaze was replaced by terror.

“I can’t win…”

He looked like a small, helpless child, utterly defeated. Powerlessness washed over him.

Thud—

Natsu fell to his knees, his body trembling uncontrollably. In that moment, he understood his own weakness.

The immense magical power dissipated abruptly; the surrounding rubble settled with a soft click-click sound.

“I… I give up…”

His voice was barely a whisper.

“Natsu…” Happy’s eyes welled up, his heart aching for the trembling boy.

Looking at Natsu, Gildarts, his face previously stern, broke into a smile.

“Not bad!” he said. “You bravely challenged me without fear; I won’t blame you.”

“But those who have the courage to sheathe a drawn sword are truly rare.”

Sunlight streamed through the broken cave ceiling.

Gildarts spoke softly, “Fear is not a crime!”

“It means you understand your weaknesses. Understanding weakness can make you stronger and kinder!”

“It’s a necessary step to becoming S-Class.”

He looked at Natsu, his smile filled with hope and encouragement.

“You understand that now. You passed!”

Natsu didn’t look up, his gaze fixed on the ground.

“Bu… but…”

“Go on,” Gildarts interrupted. “The examiner said you passed. But the exam doesn’t end here; far more difficult trials await you ahead.”

“Have confidence. I believe in you!”

Gildarts turned his back to Natsu.

Out of Natsu’s sight, Gildarts’ face held anticipation for the future. He seemed to see two figures from years past, exchanging blows. They had become Fairy Tail’s pillars. Gildarts hoped Natsu would reach that level too.

“I understand your desire to win, to reach the peak.”

He turned back.

“So, become an S-Class mage, Natsu!”

Tears fell to the ground, drop by drop. Natsu cried… he seemed to understand something.

————

Sensing the receding magical energy, Finn shook his head and smiled slightly. While unaware of the specifics of what transpired, Finn harbored unwavering faith in Natsu’s ability to provide Gildarts with a compelling reason to acknowledge his success.

…

“Let’s go, Nancy.”

Finn and Nancy carried the unconscious Juvia and Lisanna back to the temporary base. En route, Finn was suddenly struck by a thought, prompting him to address Nancy.

“By the way, Wendy is teamed up with Mest, correct?”

Nancy, flying through the air while carrying Juvia, nodded in confirmation.

“I assumed you already knew. Is there a problem?” she asked.

Finn fell into deep thought.

“I didn’t pay much attention to that Mest fellow. My memory of him is rather vague, so I didn’t think much of it.”

“Vague?” Nancy questioned, tilting her head in confusion.

Finn halted abruptly, his brow furrowing as he struggled to recall the details.

“Mest… Mest…” Finn murmured to himself, his voice barely a whisper. Nancy watched him with a puzzled expression.

“In my memory, Mest nearly advanced to S-Class last year, but Erza and I were the examiners then,” Finn stated, his voice laced with a hint of frustration. “There’s no logical reason why I should have forgotten such a significant detail.”

Finn began to meticulously search his mind for any relevant information.

“What was his magic…?” he muttered, his voice barely audible.

“And who did he fight against…?” he continued, his voice laced with a hint of growing unease.

“He’s Mystogan’s disciple!!” Finn’s eyes suddenly widened in realization.

“What’s wrong? Is there something amiss with this Mest character?” Nancy inquired, her voice laced with concern as she observed Finn’s sudden change in demeanor.

“Mest isn’t a member of our guild!” Finn exclaimed, his voice filled with astonishment.

“Mystogan has no disciples!”

Nancy fell into deep thought, her brow furrowing as she considered the implications of Finn’s statement.

“In other words,” she mused, “Mest employed some form of magical ability to manipulate and distort everyone’s memories.”

“He successfully infiltrated our guild,” Nancy concluded, her voice laced with a hint of apprehension.

“Then… what could his ultimate objective possibly be?”

Finn and Nancy exchanged a meaningful glance, the same question echoing in their minds.

Along a quiet path, Gray and Loke walked with an air of relaxed confidence. Upon observing the sign posted above the entrance to the passage, which clearly indicated the word ’Quiet’, they immediately realized that they had been exceptionally fortunate in their selection of a direct route.

This meant that they would not have to engage in any form of combat to advance to the second stage of the trials. The only drawback was the unusual length of the ’Quiet’ passage.

“We should be emerging from this passage very soon,” Loke stated, his gaze directed towards the faint light filtering through the opening at the end of the tunnel.

“Let’s proceed swiftly then. I’m curious to know which of the other participants managed to clear the first stage of the trials,” Gray remarked, his voice laced with a hint of amusement.

Loke paused for a moment, lost in thoughtful contemplation. “If Natsu and Freed were both eliminated during the first stage,” he mused, “then our chances of succeeding in the trials would increase dramatically.”

“Let’s hope that’s the case,” Gray responded, nodding in agreement.

Within moments, the two mages emerged from the passage.

“Gray, Loke, it seems you two have successfully navigated the first stage of the trials,” Lucy exclaimed, her voice filled with a mixture of surprise and delight.

Gray surveyed the assembled group, taking note of those who had successfully cleared the first stage of the trials.

Amongst them were Cana and Lucy, Gajeel and Levy, and Natsu and Happy. However, Gray’s attention was immediately drawn to the condition of one particular participant.

Gray pointed towards Gajeel, his brow furrowed in concern. “Just what in the world happened to this fellow? He’s been absolutely battered!” Gray exclaimed, his voice laced with a mixture of surprise and concern.

Gajeel’s body was covered in numerous wounds, and Levy was diligently tending to his injuries.

“We encountered Laxus,” Levy recounted, her voice laced with a hint of lingering fear as she recalled their encounter with the formidable Thunder Dragon.

Levy explained that both she and Gajeel had been completely overwhelmed by Laxus’s overwhelming power, utterly incapable of offering any meaningful resistance.

Following a thunderous roar that shook the very ground beneath their feet, Laxus had addressed Gajeel, who was trembling yet still attempting to rise to his feet.

“Give up, Gajeel,” Laxus had stated calmly, “Levy is not yet ready to attain the rank of S-Class mage.”

“That’s simply not acceptable…” Gajeel had retorted, his voice trembling yet resolute, his determination unwavering. “I’ve already made a solemn promise… I’m determined to help this young lady achieve her dream of becoming an S-Class mage!”

With renewed vigor, Gajeel charged towards Laxus once more, his resolve unshaken.

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