Chapter 245: The Final Blow
Zancrow looked at his trembling right hand, his eyes wide with disbelief. The black flames of his God Slayer magic flickered unsteadily around his fist.
"What is this?" Zancrow stammered, staring at the blonde man standing before him. "If it were that monster Ren, it would be one thing... but now any random guy from Fairy Tail can suppress a God Slayer?!"
Opposite him, Laxus Dreyar cracked his knuckles, sparks of yellow lightning dancing across his shoulders. His coat billowed in the wind, revealing the tribal tattoo on his chest.
"Grimoire Heart?" Laxus rumbled, his voice deep and menacing. "I don't know who you are, but you picked the wrong family to mess with."
Laxus's eyes narrowed slightly. He could sense the opponent's magic power was very strong; it felt ancient and malicious. Although it was far from his own level, it was certainly not something an ordinary Mage could compare to.
"Looks like I can get a good workout!"
BOOM!
Laxus transformed into a bolt of pure lightning. He vanished from sight, reappearing instantly in front of Zancrow with a fist wreathed in electricity.
"Eat this! Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!"
"Gwah!" Zancrow was launched backward, crashing through a row of trees.
Inspired by Laxus's arrival, the rest of Fairy Tail rallied. Natsu Dragneel, Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, and the others launched renewed attacks against the remaining members of the Seven Kin and the Grimoire Heart soldiers.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
"Ice-Make: Lance!"
Although Grimoire Heart had many members and elite soldiers, Fairy Tail now had its heavy hitters on the field. With Makarov recovering and Laxus joining the fray, the tide of battle began to turn.
"Ren, are you alright?"
Mirajane Strauss rushed to Ren's side. Her Satan Soul form had faded, leaving her in her usual dress, but her face was smudged with dirt and concern. She supported Ren's arm as he leaned against a broken rock.
"I'm fine," Ren said, taking a deep breath. The golden glow of his Kurama Mode had dissipated, leaving him physically drained. "Just a little tired. Eating that much magic gave me a bit of indigestion. I'll be fine after a short rest."
"Don't push yourself," Mira whispered, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Just then, a heavy, oppressive sensation washed over the clearing. The gravity in the area suddenly increased tenfold. Rocks began to float into the air.
"Finally... found a chance!"
From the debris of the collapsed cliffside, a massive figure slowly stood up. Blood dripped from his forehead, and his coat was tattered, but his eyes burned with murderous rage.
It was Bluenote Stinger.
"Brat... I won't give you any more chances!"
Bluenote roared, emitting a terrifying purple aura. The ground around him cracked and sank under the sheer weight of his magical pressure.
"Oh no!"
All the members of Fairy Tail changed their expressions when they saw this scene. Natsu and Gray froze. Erza gripped her sword tighter. Although Bluenote had been instantly defeated by Ren earlier, they all knew from the brief exchange that this guy was a monster in a league of his own. If it weren't for Ren, Bluenote alone might have wiped them all out.
And now, this monster stood up again while their ace, Ren, was exhausted.
"Vice-Guild Master Bluenote!"
The surviving members of Grimoire Heart cheered, their morale soaring. With the Ace of Grimoire Heart back in the fight, victory was still possible.
"Die! All of you!"
Bluenote clasped his hands together, fingers tightly interlocked. He focused all his remaining magic power into a single point.
"Black Hole!"
Vwoom...
A singularity formed in front of Bluenote. It was a sphere of absolute darkness, sucking in light, sound, and matter. Trees were uprooted and dragged into the void, crushed instantly into nothingness by the infinite gravity.
Its ability was similar to Gojo Satoru's 'Blue', but raw and uncontrolled.
"Disappear! You stinky brat!"
Bluenote launched the Black Hole directly towards Ren and Mira.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sphere tore through the earth, creating a canyon as it moved. The gravitational pull was so strong that even Natsu and the others struggled to keep their footing.
"Ren!" Mira gasped, trying to shield him.
Ren grit his teeth, trying to summon chakra, but his reserves were low. "Damn it..."
He prepared to use his body to shield Mira.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a tall, broad figure appeared in front of Ren and Mira. A tattered orange cape fluttered in the gravitational storm.
The figure didn't dodge. He didn't cast a spell. He simply opened his palm and met the Black Hole directly.
"Crushing Evil, Spreading the Truth: Empyrean."
A white, grid-like shockwave erupted from the man's palm. It wasn't an explosion; it was the concept of 'Crushing' made manifest.
CRACK!
The sound of reality shattering echoed.
The Black Hole stopped dead in its tracks. Then, it was instantly cut into perfect three-dimensional cubes.
Bang! ————!
The cubes dissolved into harmless magic particles and scattered into the wind. The overwhelming gravity vanished instantly.
"Gildarts!" Natsu screamed in joy.
"It's Gildarts!"
The members of Fairy Tail who were fighting all cheered happily when they saw the newcomer. Tears welled up in Wendy's eyes.
Gildarts Clive. The Ace of Fairy Tail. The strongest Mage in the guild, an idol to everyone, and the most reliable man in the world.
"Sorry! I'm late!"
Gildarts said, his voice rough with suppressed anger. He turned his head slightly, giving Ren and Mira a reassuring grin.
After the first stage of the trial ended, he had taken a ship back to the mainland, as someone needed to guard the Fairy Tail Guild while the Master was away. But on the way, he had sensed a terrifying, malicious magic power emanating from the direction of Tenrou Island—a power that belonged to no one in Fairy Tail. His instincts screamed that his family was in danger, so he swam back.
Ren shook his head and smiled, relaxing his tense muscles. "No, you're just in time, old man."
"This guy is... Gildarts?!"
Bluenote looked at Gildarts with a serious expression. He took a step back involuntarily. He didn't expect his strongest magic to be broken so easily by a single hand.
He had heard of Gildarts's great name—the man who took on 100-year quests—but he didn't expect him to be so overwhelmingly strong. The terrifying magic power radiating from him was even stronger than his own gravity.
"This is a very important exam," Gildarts said, walking slowly towards Bluenote. His footsteps were heavy, shaking the ground. "The children here have complex emotions beyond an adult's imagination. They have dreams, rivalries, and bonds."
Gildarts stopped, his aura flaring white, crushing the stones around him to dust.
"The determination the children made to take a step towards tomorrow was ruined by you, you bastard."
Veins bulged on Gildarts's forehead. His eyes were shadowed, burning with a scary light.
"You hurt my family. You will pay the price for this!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before Bluenote could react, beams of green laser light rained down from the sky, striking the remaining Grimoire Heart soldiers with precision.
"Waaah!"
"Ugh!"
"Freed!"
"Bickslow!"
Two more figures appeared beside Laxus on the battlefield.
"Laxus!" Freed Justine cried out, his rapier drawn. "We felt your lightning!"
"We're here for the party, babies!" Bickslow laughed, his totems circling him.
"Alright, whatever you have to say, say it later," Laxus said, blasting another soldier with lightning. "For now, let's take down these guys! Don't leave a single one standing!"
"Understood!"
With the addition of Gildarts, Freed, and Bickslow, the tide of battle shifted completely. What was once a desperate struggle became a one-sided suppression. Freed's Dark Écriture runes trapped the enemies, while Bickslow's formation lasers swept through their ranks.
And in the center, Gildarts clashed with Bluenote.
"Empyrean!"
BOOM!
Gildarts punched Bluenote. The gravity mage tried to block, but his barrier was shattered instantly. Bluenote was sent flying into the sky, disappearing like a twinkling star.
"We won!"
"It's over!"
All the members of Fairy Tail cheered, hugging each other amidst the ruins of the forest.
"Phew!" Gildarts exhaled, dusting off his hands. He walked over to where Ren was resting. "This guy... if he hadn't already been injured severely, he would have been really difficult to deal with."
Gildarts looked at the unconscious forms of Jose and Hades nearby. His eyes widened slightly.
"Jose Porla... and Precht Gaebolg..." Gildarts muttered. "Two monsters of that caliber... and Bluenote too."
He looked at Ren with a newfound respect. Ren had taken on these three monsters by himself and defeated them. Just how much strength was this kid hiding?
"You did good, kid," Gildarts said, patting Ren's shoulder. "You protected the family."
"Just doing my job," Ren replied with a tired smile.
Meanwhile, Makarov walked slowly towards the fallen form of Hades. He stopped a few feet away, leaning heavily on his cane.
Makarov looked at the face of Precht. It was a familiar face, aged by time and darkness.
When Makarov was born, his mother lost her life. His father, Yuri Dreyar, overcome with grief, died a few years later. He was practically raised by Precht from a young age. Precht taught him magic, taught him philosophy, taught him what it meant to lead a guild.
He regarded Guild Master Precht as his own father.
Forty-eight years ago, Precht passed on the title of Fairy Tail Guild Master to him and then went on a journey to find the "One Magic." Makarov had waited for his return.
He never expected their reunion to be like this—enemies on a battlefield, separated by an unbridgeable abyss of ideology.
Hades stirred. He coughed blood, his chest heaving. The Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan from Ren had shattered his internal defenses. He was broken.
Hades opened his remaining eye and looked up at Makarov. There was no hatred in his gaze anymore, only the hollow emptiness of defeat.
"Makarov..." Hades wheezed. "You've grown old, boy."
Makarov's eye twitched, tears threatening to spill. "And you have lost your way, Master."
"The way..." Hades chuckled weakly, blood bubbling at his lips. "Perhaps. The abyss gazed back, and I blinked."
He looked at the sky, then back at the man he once raised as a son.
"Do it, Makarov," Hades whispered, closing his eye. "Give me the final blow."
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