"What?!"
"The Celestial Spirit King is going to fight Kaien?!"
Loke and Lucy were dumbfounded. Lucy was especially exasperated.
'Are all men—young or old—just built with muscles for brains? Do they only know how to settle things with fists?!'
Kaien, on the other hand, smiled.
"That's actually… very reasonable of you."
"…This is reasonable?!"
Lucy couldn't help but shout.
"Full Take Over – Edward Newgate!!"
Since it was a fight, Kaien wasn't going to hold back. He knew the Celestial Spirit King's strength was no joke—comparable to the likes of Mard Geer from Tartaros, or even one of the New Four Heavenly Kings of Ishgar.
People often underestimated the new Four Kings just because they lost to God Serena.
But in truth, each of them was terrifying in their own right.
Kaien considered using Ulquiorra's Resurrección, but sometimes… a man's fight needed a man's form.
In a flash, Kaien transformed into Whitebeard—a towering figure with a crescent-shaped mustache to match the Spirit King's own extravagant facial hair.
One pointed downward like an eight-shaped cloud. The other curved upward like a rising moon.
The Spirit King stood over twenty meters tall.
Kaien, at 6.66 meters, looked like a child in comparison—but his aura said otherwise.
The Celestial Spirit King paused for a beat. It wasn't often he saw someone with a beard that matched his.
"Come, Spirit King."
Kaien's eyes locked onto the giant king, filled with unfiltered excitement. A man's instinct was to test his might—just like how children naturally wanted to fight. Society dulled those instincts, but Kaien? He'd never lost that edge.
He loved battle—especially against powerful foes.
The Spirit King, too, began to reevaluate the young mage.
He already knew the truth behind Leo's exile and Karen's abuse. Though the exile had been lawful, it was hardly just. His challenge hadn't been meant as punishment—it was an excuse, a stage to allow Loke's return.
But this Kaien Blaze... was something else entirely.
SHING—
The Celestial Spirit King drew his colossal sword.
"RAAAAAAH!!!"
Kaien surged forward, both feet blasting off the ground.
His three types of Haki exploded outward. His Murakumogiri—Whitebeard's massive bisento—crackled with Armament and Conqueror's Haki as he swung down with tremendous force.
The Spirit King swung his blade to meet him.
BOOOOOM!!!!
Their weapons collided. The impact unleashed a violent shockwave that obliterated everything in its path.
"Whoa—AAAHH!!"
Loke, Lucy, and Virgo were nearly blown off their feet.
KRAKKA-KOOOM!!!
To their utter disbelief—the Spirit King was pushed back.
"No way…!" Loke's voice cracked. "He pushed the Spirit King back?!"
Even Virgo was speechless.
This was the King of Spirits.
But what no one knew—was that the Spirit King himself was just as shaken.
That strike… it wasn't just raw power. It was overwhelming. Inside this man, this Kaien Blaze, was a force even greater than mine.
The Spirit King's competitive spirit flared.
He had never—never—been bested in raw strength.
"Good—!! Marvelous!! Let's go again!!"
With each clash, their attacks tore apart the battlefield.
The once-solid earth was reduced to rubble. The shockwaves were so intense, even from far away, Lucy and Loke felt their knees buckle.
"...The Spirit King…"
"...He's being pushed back."
Neither of them could deny it anymore—Kaien Blaze was overpowering the King of Spirits.
Loke knew Kaien was strong, but this? This was insane.
BOOOOM!!!
A final clash sent both of them flying back.
"Ha ha ha!! Incredible!! It's been so long since I've fought like this!"
"Gurararara! We've danced around enough. Time to get serious."
"Yes. Let's end this."
WMMM—
Kaien's hands tightened around Murakumogiri.
He imbued it with the power of the Gura Gura no Mi—the quake-fruit.
White shock spheres pulsed along the blade, twisting the air and space around it like melting glass.
The Spirit King, sensing the danger, poured his Stellar Force into his greatsword.
"Take this! Meteor Blade!!"
He unleashed a devastating wave of energy.
KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KOOM!!!
Everything in its path was vaporized.
"BREAK THROUGH—!!"
Kaien swung.
His bisento, layered with quake energy, collided with the oncoming slash.
KRAKOOM!!!!!!!
The two forces met, exploded, and detonated again—like stars clashing in the heavens.
The earth quaked violently. The sky cracked. The blast radius flattened everything.
"WAAAHH!!!"
Lucy and Loke staggered from the force.
"This is… way more powerful than what happened at the Oshibana Arena!"
Which meant—Kaien hadn't even gone all out against Jose Porla back then.
The tremors finally subsided.
Smoke and ash filled the sky.
"Did… did anyone win?" Lucy asked, shielding her eyes.
A massive fissure split the earth before them. The scale of destruction was unbelievable.
Then the wind shifted.
The smoke cleared.
Kaien stood tall. Unharmed.
Loke and Lucy both sighed in relief.
Loke especially. He would've blamed himself if Kaien had gotten hurt. Compared to Kaien, he was just… nobody. But Kaien was the future of Fairy Tail.
Lucy didn't think so deeply. She just didn't want Kaien to be hurt.
Then they looked to the Spirit King.
He was still standing—but then…
CRACK—
SHHHNK—
The Spirit King's sword… split in two.
His armor cracked, then shattered into pieces, falling to the ground with a metallic crash.
Loke's eyes widened.
"W-What?! The Spirit King's… armor?!"
The Celestial Spirit King lifted his gaze to Kaien.
There was no anger.
Only respect.
"…Beautifully done," he said, smiling.
"I concede. You win."