Chapter 11: The Intermission
"Hey, hey, hey, are you kidding me with that power level? Noah is only eight years old!" Macao said to Wakaba, wiping sweat from his brow.
"I feel like I'm dreaming. Are we getting old? No, that's not it! We're strapping young men in our twenties, not old at all! The problem is Noah!" Wakaba replied, leaning over with his hands on his knees.
"What's wrong with me? My magic is just a little bit stronger, that's all."
Noah held up his right hand, his thumb and index finger separated by a tiny gap. To Macao and Wakaba, that tiny gap seemed as wide as an ocean.
"You're amazing, Noah," Macao said. "If I hadn't seen the Master bring you back with my own eyes, and watched you grow up these past three years, I'd never believe someone your age could have this much power. I can't compete, I really can't."
"Think of it another way," Wakaba chimed in. "Isn't it a good thing that Noah is so strong? If he's this amazing at his age, won't our guild become even stronger?"
"That's true. The stronger Noah is, the stronger the guild will be."
Just then, Noah walked over to them. "Seniors, are you injured anywhere? If you are, you have to tell me. I'll heal you."
"Nothing serious," Macao said. "Just a few scrapes. My stamina and magic are just a bit drained."
"Same here, just some scratches," Wakaba added. "I used up a lot of energy dodging just now."
"Let me treat your wounds first."
Noah took out some potions and began to treat their injuries.
"Thanks for that. But you should rest up as soon as you can. You still have to fight Gildarts. The more you rest, the better your chances."
"Right, right. This will be quick."
After applying the medicine, Noah packed up his things.
"He's even skilled with healing arts," Macao remarked. "I feel much better already. My wounds are starting to feel a little itchy."
"That means they're starting to heal," Noah explained.
"And I feel some of my stamina and magic returning too. You're incredible, Noah!"
"Not at all. I just work a little harder than most," Noah replied humbly.
The three of them returned to the campsite together. When the others saw them, they immediately asked about the result of the match. Macao scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "We were no match for him at all. Both Wakaba and I lost. Even when we teamed up at the end, we still couldn't beat Noah."
"For real? Noah's that strong?"
"The two of you together lost?"
"Were you guys not going all out?"
"No, we gave it everything we had," Wakaba explained. "But Noah still defeated us head-on."
The crowd had no choice but to believe that Noah had truly defeated both Macao and Wakaba.
Suddenly, someone asked, "If Noah beats Gildarts, won't he become the youngest S-Class wizard ever? He's only eight!"
The guild fell silent for a moment before erupting into a flurry of excited discussion.
"Beat Gildarts? How is that possible?"
"No, you forgot what the Master said! The test is to get Gildarts' approval, not to actually beat him."
"So you're saying if Gildarts just gives him the okay, Noah can become an eight-year-old S-Class wizard?"
"If he really succeeds, that would be legendary!"
While the guild was buzzing, Noah was being grilled by Cana and Laxus.
"Are you confident you can beat Gildarts?" Cana asked.
"No, no, no. I'm definitely not confident I can beat him right now. All I can say is that I'll give it my absolute all when I fight him," Noah answered honestly.
"Damn it! You're already becoming an S-Class wizard!" Laxus muttered from the side, his expression twisted.
"I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself," Noah said, looking at Laxus, who had been muttering to himself ever since he heard the result of the free-for-all. "I won the first round, but I haven't fought Gildarts yet. I'm not an S-Class wizard."
"Go for it! You have to beat Gildarts!" Cana encouraged him from the side. "And even if you can't win, make sure you punch him in the face a few times! Preferably hard enough to make it swell up!"
"Er... I can only say I'll do my best," Noah said, breaking out in a cold sweat as he looked at this girl who was being so... aggressively 'loveing'.
"I seem to remember you saying something different before. Why do you want to punch Gildarts in the face now?" Noah asked her.
"I've heard about his 'great deeds' around the guild," Cana replied with a deadpan expression.
"Ah, okay. Now I understand," Noah thought. It seems Cana found out about Gildarts' colorful and romantic lifestyle. I can understand why she'd want to hit him now.
Just then, Makarov addressed the crowd. "We'll eat first. After lunch, we will begin the second round of the trial: Noah versus Gildarts."
"Time to eat! I've been waiting!"
"Let's eat quickly so we can watch Noah and Gildarts fight!"
Everyone happily ate their lunch. After a short rest, they all went to the shore on the other side of the island, far from where the ship was docked.
Noah and Gildarts stood facing each other. The others watched from a safe distance, while Makarov stood nearby as the referee.
"S-Class Wizard Promotion Trial, second match: Noah versus Gildarts! Begin!" With that, Makarov retreated to join the other guild members, leaving the two of them alone.
"I remember you came to the guild three years ago, right?" Gildarts said.
"That's right. Gramps found me three years ago and brought me to the guild," Noah replied.
"I can't believe the little squirt from back then is... well, still a little squirt, but now you're participating in the S-Class Trial. Time really flies," Gildarts said with a nostalgic look.
"The 'little squirt' part was unnecessary. I'm sorry I haven't grown much in three years," Noah replied flatly.
Gildarts' expression turned serious. "S-Class missions are mostly dangerous. For someone as young and talented as you, the standards must be even stricter to avoid any accidents. I won't be going easy on you; in fact, I'm going to increase the difficulty. If you don't meet my requirements, I won't let you pass. You'd better be prepared."
"I know. I'll come at you with everything I have and show you my current strength, so you can feel confident in letting me pass. By the way," Noah's tone shifted from serious to lighthearted, "someone asked me to punch you in the face. Preferably hard enough to make it swell up."
"Who wants to punch me in the face?" Gildarts asked, looking bewildered.
"You'll find out after the exam. And it's actually pretty understandable why this person wants to hit you. But I'm also curious to see if I can do it," Noah answered.
"Well now, I'm intrigued," Gildarts said with a grin. "If you think you can do it, then by all means, come and try."
"Here I come, Gildarts!"
"Bring it on!"