Natsu and Happy entered the cave, looked up, and shouted 'Is anyone there?'. In response, a light shone, revealing the last person they wanted to see standing before them.
That terrifying aura almost made Natsu and Happy's eyes pop out of their sockets: "Gildarts!"
"Natsu, your luck is truly terrible."
A slight smile played on Gildarts's lips. He wore a hemp cloak, had his orange hair slicked back in a large pompadour, and sported a stubbly beard.
Merely standing there, he exuded the unshakable presence of a powerful figure.
Happy said in despair, "It's over!"
It grabbed the luggage and said, "Natsu, let's turn back."
Seeing Natsu was terrified, Gildarts chuckled and walked towards him: "Natsu, you know me. I never like to go easy. If you don't want to get hurt, you'd better retreat obediently."
Suddenly, he paused mid-step. The Natsu ahead of him had ignited in black-red flames, his expression becoming resolute and confident.
A grin spread across Natsu's face: "I've been looking forward to this day, Gildarts. I will definitely defeat you!"
He leapt up, laughing loudly: "I'll show you how much stronger I've become over these years!"
Watching Natsu's reckless charge, Gildarts helplessly extended his hand: "When facing a strong opponent, you should be more cautious. Impatience is useless."
However, Natsu wasn't listening at all. He charged forward with a roar, his flaming fist smashing into Gildarts's palm, instantly causing a terrifying explosion and a surge of flames.
Natsu wore a confident expression, but as the flames cleared, he was dumbfounded. Gildarts was completely unharmed, not even a tear in his clothes.
Immediately after, a dazzling white light flashed and exploded in an instant. It was Natsu being blasted away, a cloud of dust billowing in his wake.
Happy, not seeing Natsu in the deep crater, panicked: "Is Natsu still alive?"
"Of course!"
Natsu shouted, falling from above, plummeting down wreathed in terrifying flames.
Gildarts remained unmoved, raising his hand to grab at Natsu above him.
BOOM!
The two collided, the ground shattering instantly as white light and flames intertwined and surged.
"Fire Dragons Iron Fist!"
Natsu's legs burst into flames as he spun into a sideways kick. Blocked, he continued with a frenzied barrage of punches, unleashing dozens in an instant.
"Not bad power."
Gildarts easily dodged, landing one punch on Natsu's face, another on his stomach, and a final punch that hammered Natsu into the ground, burying him under rubble.
Natsu flipped back up, fighting with utmost seriousness. Yet, no matter what move he used, Gildarts effortlessly neutralized it.
He knew he couldn't wait any longer. While his magic power was still sufficient, he decided to go all out directly.
"Dragon Slaying Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Phoenix Blade!"
Natsu swung his fists, terrifying flames swirling like a tornado, instantly engulfing everything.
Even Gildarts grew slightly serious at this attack. He crossed his arms in front of him, and a white defensive magic circle unfolded!
BOOM!
Flames clashed with the magic circle, instantly enveloping the two completely. A searing sphere of fire coalesced, destroying the surroundings and turning them into a sea of magma.
Happy hurriedly dodged, watching the terrifying fireball with an anxious face: "What happened??"
As the firestorm subsided, Natsu was panting heavily. Suddenly, he saw Gildarts—his clothes tattered but his person completely unharmed—and his eyes widened in disbelief: "How is that possible?"
His full-power attack was ineffective?
"Natsu, that's enough."
Looking at the staggering Natsu, Gildarts said with a smile, "You've made great progress!"
Remembering the stubborn child from long ago, he felt a touch of emotion. Unknowingly, he had grown so strong.
Natsu's gaze was firm: "There's one last move!"
Both Gildarts and Happy were taken aback. Could it be that move taught by Acnologia?
"Ultimate Flame!"
Flames erupted all over Natsu's body, then continuously converged towards his right hand. The red flames, as more gathered, turned black, and then from within the blackness, an extreme brightness bloomed.
The surrounding space warped under the extreme heat. The ground and plants at his feet began to melt, and the entire stone cave started to disintegrate.
Happy's eyes were filled with shock: "This move is so strong..."
"Such high temperature!"
Gildarts's expression turned serious. The temperature of Natsu's flames was multiplying. Even he felt unsettled seeing the increasingly terrifying flames, as if danger was imminent.
However, this move took time to prepare. If this were a real enemy, they would have likely charged in and taken him down by now.
Soon, Natsu's magic power was depleted. Holding a sphere of ultimate crimson flame in his hand, he laughed heartily: "Gildarts, this is the convergence of all my flames. Try it!"
He hurled the flame forward. It transformed into a space-warping aurora, shooting towards Gildarts.
Yet, under the infinite anticipation in the gazes of Natsu and Happy, the flame passed right by Gildarts, burned through the earth, and drilled deep underground.
An abrupt silence filled the air... Natsu: "..."
Happy: "..."
The boy and the cat snapped back to reality, their mouths agape, filled with utter disbelief.
What was going on? Gildarts actually dodged?
The flame Natsu exhausted all his magic power to create, and Gildarts dodged it?
At that moment, they both had the impulse to smash their heads against the wall.
Natsu collapsed weakly on the ground, looking at Gildarts with resentment. Playing like this just wasn't fun, huh.
Gildarts burst into laughter: "That flame of yours was clearly problematic. Why should I take it head-on? Do you expect your future enemies to just stand still?"
Natsu punched the ground in frustration: "Damn it, I should have saved some magic power!"
It was all over now. He had no more chances.
Gildarts quickly waved his hand: "Don't get worked up. Being able to fight me to this extent is already impressive enough."
Natsu fumed: "If I can't defeat you, becoming an S-Class Mage is meaningless to me!"
"So that's what you think..."
Gildarts shook his head with a smile: "Defeating me... but you've never seen my true power."
As he spoke, a terrifying white magical power erupted from his body. The entire cave began to tremble, rocks losing their Gravity and floating in mid-air.
Under the stunned gazes of Natsu and Happy, Gildarts's magical power slowly released, the white light growing increasingly intense.
"Natsu, there are many powerful beings in this world. No one is truly invincible. You must understand this. All we can do is keep getting stronger!"
BOOM!
With a deafening roar, terrifying white magical power erupted from beneath Gildarts's feet, shooting skyward. In an instant, it blasted through the cave roof, piercing the heavens, endless and unceasing.
"This is..."
Natsu's mind was shaken. Looking at the demon-god-like figure within the white light, that ever-increasing magical power enveloped everything, as if shaking the entire world.
What terrifying magical power this was!
Everyone on Tenrou Island felt this magical power, each involuntarily pausing. This power was terrifying to the extreme. Even from a great distance, they could feel its immense pressure.
Natsu's eyes widened, staring at the figure shrouded in white light. The magical power was still erupting wantonly. Gritting his teeth, he roared and charged forward.
However, upon meeting Gildarts's sharp gaze, an unprecedented fear suddenly arose within him. His feet planted on the ground, he screeched to a halt. His clenched fist simply couldn't swing forward, as if the space ahead was a forbidden zone of death.
Gazing at the figure engulfed in the surging white magical power, Natsu fell powerlessly to his knees. Tears mixed with sweat, he completely lost the courage to fight, his voice trembling: "I... surrender!"
He had lost completely. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't reach that terrifying level of power.
Happy's heart ached, tears streaming down: "Natsu..."
It was the first time it had seen Natsu so utterly despairing, as if the whole world had lost its color... Gildarts withdrew his magical power, and soon calm returned.
"Fear is not a sin; it's an instinct of life. That you could even think of swinging a fist at me when I released my full power is proof enough of your courage."
"With that courage, you are qualified to become S-Class!"
Gildarts said seriously: "You've passed!"
Natsu's body trembled: "But I'm still far from..."
Gildarts reached out, pulled him up, and said with a smile: "For our guild's S-Class exam, you already have sufficient ability. However, don't let your guard down. There's still a second test here."
"Acnologia and Irene Belserion are not people you can handle easily. Be careful. Once you leave Tenrou Island, more trials await you in the future ahead."
"Go and become S-Class, Natsu!"
Gildarts patted Natsu's shoulder, encouragement in his eyes, then turned and walked away.