The next day, at noon, Rayn, having completed his mission, returned to Magnolia Town, walking leisurely with Kanna. Laxus walked ahead, arms crossed. Though they had returned from the mission together, they acted like complete strangers.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Unlike any other time, a rapid and loud bell suddenly rang from the town's central watchtower, its sound spreading to every corner. Hearing this unique bell, everyone in town froze as if a pause button had been pressed.
A housewife picking out fruit stopped, her expression a mix of "Oh, here we go again" and resignation. A couple chatting at a street-side cafe exchanged wry smiles. Even the children chasing each other immediately and obediently ran to the side of the road.
There was no panic, no chaos. Everyone's face held a familiar, complex expression of awe and headache.
This change made even the expressionless Kanna tilt her head in curiosity.
"Gildarts Mode?"
Though it was Rayn's first time encountering it, he had a guess. After all, the master had said that Gildarts should have been back long ago, so his return at any time wouldn't be surprising.
"Hey, what are you two still doing there?" someone on the roadside called out, noticing Rayn and Kanna hadn't moved.
Then, perhaps realizing they were outsiders, he added, "Hurry up and come over here, or there'll be trouble later."
"Okay, thank you," Rayn, pulled from his thoughts, nodded in thanks and led Kanna to the side of the road. He glanced at Laxus, who was also standing by the side, his eyes burning with a hint of excitement as he looked towards the town entrance.
"Rayn, what's happening?" Kanna tugged on Rayn's hand, her chubby little face turned up, her voice filled with curiosity. But her expressionless face made it a bit jarring.
"Little one, let me tell you, this is our Magnolia's unique Gildarts Mode," an old woman next to them said with a gentle smile, seeing that they were not locals.
"Gildarts Mode?" With someone to explain, Kanna didn't pester Rayn and looked at the old woman.
"Yes, look," the old woman nodded gently and pointed towards the town entrance they had just come from.
Perhaps due to familiarity, the pedestrians on the road had already cleared out as she spoke.
The next moment, "Rumble."
The ground beneath their feet began to tremble slightly. Kanna glanced around but saw that no one looked surprised; it was clearly a normal occurrence. It was as if some dormant ancient beast was awakening beneath the town.
With the sound of giant gears meshing and high-pressure steam hissing, an incredible sight unfolded. Starting from the town's south gate, the bustling main street, its stone-paved road, actually split down the middle, creating a straight crack!
The crack quickly widened, and the houses, shops, and even flower beds on both sides of the street began to slowly move sideways on huge mechanical platforms, revealing a straight, flat road.
At the end of the road was the Fairy Tail guild's entrance.
"Whoa! Rayn, that's awesome!" The little dragon girl's eyes widened, and she quickly tugged on Rayn's hand, exclaiming with joy. The way the whole town changed like a toy was a novel experience for her.
"This is Gildarts Mode, a special change made to the town to prevent that person from accidentally causing destruction," the old woman next to them said, her tone a mix of helplessness and pride in her town's unique feature.
"Hmph, in the end, it's just that he can't control his own power," Ddraig snorted disdainfully in his mind. For her, someone who couldn't freely control their power wasn't a true expert. It was contrary to her path of 'dominance.'
As for this grand entrance, Ddraig wasn't bothered. In her long life, she had seen far more spectacular entrances.
"Hey, brat, don't you dare learn from that person!" Seeing that Rayn was to her liking, Ddraig even warned him.
"I know," Rayn replied silently in his mind, his gaze fixed on the figure appearing at the entrance.
He had red hair, a strong body, and a bag slung over his back. His face, not yet the middle-aged uncle of the future, had a carefree smile. The man had a roguish air about him.
Of course, Rayn didn't care about that. A wild magic power emanated from him, faint but powerful. Even the unintentional leakage gave Rayn a strong sense of pressure. As he walked, the ground beside him cracked slightly. It was clear that his control over Crush magic was even worse than it would be in the future.
"So strong," Rayn murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Excluding the dragon Kanna and Ddraig, the strongest person he had met was Makarov. But his control over his own power was too perfect. He had never shown his full strength, so Rayn had no concept of it.
Now, under the pressure of Gildarts' leaking magic power, he finally had a sense of the gap between himself and an S-class mage. But this gap made Rayn's eyes brighten, and a fervent desire rose in his heart.
"The first goal is to surpass Gildarts."
Rayn had no doubt that he could surpass him. Not only did he have the bug-like magic 'Dragon's Origin,' but even without it, Rayn still firmly believed it was possible. If he didn't have this magic, he wouldn't have the will to surpass Gildarts. He would be nothing.
As if sensing Rayn's gaze, Gildarts, who was walking and dealing with his drinking buddies, turned to look.
Rayn didn't avert his gaze, nor did he hide his inner thoughts. His confident and soaring aura made Gildarts pause. As a mage, how could he not understand what this meant?
After a moment, the middle-aged man broke into a hearty laugh. He was not afraid of being surpassed by those who came after him. He had the proud confidence that he would never be surpassed.
His gaze then fell on Kanna beside him. His battle-honed intuition tingled his nerves. This little girl was very dangerous. Just looking at her gave him this feeling. But when he looked again, the feeling was gone.
He wouldn't dismiss it as a delusion. But this was not the time to delve into it. He just gave her a deep look and continued walking.
"Hey, isn't that Laxus? Did you come to pick me up specifically?" On his way, Gildarts noticed Laxus and a teasing smile appeared on his face.
"I have no interest in picking up a greasy old man," Laxus said with a look of disgust and turned to walk towards the guild.
"Brat, you're still too young. Uncles are more attractive to women," Gildarts said, being called a greasy old man. He instead smoothed his big red pompadour and showed a proud smile
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