What surprised everyone was that Gildarts's 100-year mission had failed. While they didn't know the specifics of a 100-year mission, Gildart
What surprised everyone was that Gildarts's 100-year mission had failed.
While they didn't know the specifics of a 100-year mission, Gildarts's failure highlighted its extreme difficulty.
Although they didn't detect any injuries on Gildarts, his exhaustion was evident. Therefore, no one pressed him further; after informing Drake to seek him out later, he departed.
Incidentally, he didn't leave through the door; he simply created a large hole in the wall and vanished.
Natsu, unable to sit still, immediately took Happy and rushed out towards Gildarts's house.
Drake said nothing, simply following behind Natsu.
Following them, Drake saw a small house similar in style to Natsu's. It seemed Natsu had modeled his own home after Gildarts's.
Drake leaned against the door of Gildarts's house, with no intention of entering or speaking.
Drake already knew what Gildarts would tell Natsu: the reason for his mission failure.
Natsu had been relentlessly pursuing information about Igneel's whereabouts, a fact known to Gildarts, who had been discreetly gathering relevant intelligence during his various missions.
However, over the years, Gildarts had only managed to confirm the widely accepted conclusion that dragons were indeed extinct. It was only during his recent mission that he encountered a living dragon.
Therefore, he decided to share this news with Natsu, not to encourage him to pursue this "despair wing," but rather to issue a stern warning.
Gildarts was genuinely terrified that upon encountering the Black Dragon, Natsu would, without hesitation, approach it and inquire about Igneel.
The Black Dragon would not respond amicably; it would unleash a merciless attack without any provocation.
To underscore the gravity of the situation, Gildarts even revealed to Natsu, beneath his cloak, that he had already replaced one arm and one leg with prosthetics.
Faintly, the sound of Natsu's excited voice could be heard, yet Drake remained silent outside the house.
Shortly thereafter, Natsu burst out of Gildarts's small house, with Happy hot on his heels.
After Natsu's figure had completely disappeared from view, Drake heard Gildarts's voice.
"Young man outside, you've been standing there for quite some time; you weren't just passing by, were you?"
Drake turned and entered the small house, looking at Gildarts seated within. "I believed I had concealed my presence exceptionally well; I wonder how you managed to detect me?"
Gildarts let out a hearty laugh. "If I had to describe it, I'd say it was pure intuition! One can always sense the presence of a powerful individual nearby.
From the moment you stood outside, my nerves were involuntarily tensed."
"I see," Drake replied thoughtfully.
Gildarts fixed his gaze on Drake. "I recall seeing you at the guild earlier; you're a new member, aren't you? So, what brings you to my humble abode?"
Drake replied, "I apologize for the lack of a formal introduction. My name is Drake. Like Natsu, I was raised by Igneel, and I am a Dragon Slayer. That fellow Natsu is my younger brother."
Gildarts's expression shifted to one of sudden understanding. "So, you've also come to inquire about the Black Dragon, have you?"
Drake shook his head. "I already possess a considerable understanding of the Black Dragon. The answers I seek, while related to it, are not directly about the Black Dragon itself.
Mr. Gildarts, I would like to request a battle with you. Afterwards, I would be grateful if you could tell me how far my current strength is from that of the Black Dragon."
Indeed, Drake's objective was to challenge Gildarts directly and, through this confrontation with someone who had previously faced Acnologia, ascertain his current level of strength.
While Drake possessed a wealth of knowledge concerning Acnologia, due to limitations in terms of observational data and firsthand experience, he lacked a clear understanding of Acnologia's true power in the context of reality.
This was the primary reason why Drake had sought out Gildarts.
Gildarts looked at Drake, stroking his heavily stubbled chin. "A battle, you say… While we haven't had the pleasure of a proper introduction, we are comrades within the same guild, and you are, after all, that Natsu fellow's older brother. Let me state this beforehand, I'm not exactly known for my ability to hold back!"
Drake responded with a serious expression. "Of course. Only through a battle fought with our full strength can we arrive at a definitive answer."
Gildarts readily agreed. "Then, there's nothing to it! I can sense that you are vastly different from Natsu. Encountering an opponent of your caliber fills me with a sense of exhilaration."
Seeing that Gildarts was on the verge of initiating the battle, Drake quickly interjected. "Perhaps we should find a more open area; this location is rather close to Magnolia.
If the battle were to escalate, the guild master would undoubtedly have something to say about it."
Gildarts, realizing the validity of Drake's point, scratched his head and burst into laughter.
"You're absolutely right. Having already failed my mission, I certainly wouldn't want to cause any further trouble for the guild master!"
Drake summoned Happy, and together they took to the skies, soaring towards the distant horizon in search of a suitable battlefield.
Given the immense destructive power possessed by both combatants, it was imperative to find a location sufficiently spacious to accommodate their clash.
After traveling a considerable distance, Drake selected a secluded valley. "This location seems quite appropriate."
Gildarts nodded in agreement. "Then let's settle on this spot. I shall descend to the valley floor and await your arrival."
With those words, Gildarts leaped from Happy's back, executing a freefall descent and landing with a resounding thud on the valley floor.
Drake followed suit, Happy promptly returning to his designated position within Drake's magic book.
Drake observed Gildarts as he stretched his shoulders, and a surge of flames erupted from Drake's own body.
"Then, I shall not hold back!"
As Drake spoke, he had already launched himself towards Gildarts, delivering a swift and powerful punch.
Gildarts simultaneously raised his right hand, countering with a punch of his own.
Gildarts's Crush magic is a devastating, high-level destruction spell, possessing such immense destructive power that he typically prefers to engage in close-quarters combat, relying primarily on his physical prowess.
Their fists collided, a cloud of dust erupting from the point of impact, spreading outward in a circular pattern. Their eyes locked, and they engaged in an intense and evenly matched exchange of blows.
Despite the fact that Gildarts had refrained from utilizing his Crush magic and was further hampered by the fact that one arm and one leg were prosthetic replacements, he still managed to hold his own against Drake in a fierce display of hand-to-hand combat.
Gildarts infused every strike with the full force of his immense magical power, and combined with his extensive combat experience, he proved to be a remarkably formidable opponent, even for Drake's exceptional martial arts skills.
However, it was Gildarts who was even more surprised than Drake.
While he had sensed Drake's immense power through the sheer intensity of his magical aura, he had never anticipated that Drake's strength would be this formidable.
In the midst of their intense physical exchange, Gildarts had not managed to gain any significant advantage, despite the fact that he had refrained from utilizing his Crush magic; similarly, Drake had not resorted to his Dragon Slayer magic.
Gildarts could hardly believe that Drake, being Natsu's older brother, would be lacking in proficiency when it came to Dragon Slayer magic.
Drake raised his hand to block Gildarts's wrist, and the sheer force of Gildarts's heavy punch caused Drake's arm to tremble slightly.
Drake followed up with a swift kick aimed at Gildarts's side. However, as Drake's kick connected, Gildarts's prosthetic arm simultaneously struck Drake's chest.
Both combatants were sent flying backward, crashing simultaneously onto the ground behind them.
The impact resembled the explosion of two bombs, creating two large craters in the ground, with fragments of pulverized rock and earth scattering far and wide.
Both combatants rose to their feet, Gildarts rubbing his side. "You certainly don't pull your punches, young one!"
Drake, expertly maneuvering his broken ribs back into place, responded, "And the same can be said of you, senior! However, let us consider this merely a warm-up. Now, let the true battle begin."
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