Chapter 226: Nate Vs Gildarts

Chapter 226: Chapter 226: Nate Vs Gildarts[Forest Arena]

Gildarts finally matched with an opponent.

At two or three in the morning, finding someone to battle was rare, but he'd decided to push for one more win and reach a perfect hundred victories before calling it a night.

As his consciousness entered the game world, he opened his eyes and saw a familiar face.

[Player Nickname: Sigma Male]

[Rank: King 100]

[Win/Loss Record: Hidden]

Huh? Hidden win/loss stats?

Gildarts blinked, then grinned and greeted him, "Nate, I didn't expect you'd still be awake at this hour."

"Just finished some work, so I thought I'd relax with a game," Nate replied, smiling. "You're up late too senpai."

"No need for senpai titles with me; the guild is like family, and every member is a part of it." Gildarts chuckled.

Calling him "Gildarts" was safer anyway. Calling him "future father-in-law" was risky.

"Gildarts," Nate said directly, "rare chance to match up—let's make it a good one."

Gildarts' expression turned serious. "I don't go easy, but with you, I doubt that's necessary." He held up his left hand, fingers spread wide.

"Magic that shreds anything in its path!"

A web-like structure of white gridlines burst from his palm, spreading toward Nate like a spider's web.

In response, black lightning crackled from Nate's hand. He summoned the 'Gate of Truth' on the spot.

The ancient, imposing stone gate materialized in front of him, standing in the path of Gildarts' magic.

The instant Gildarts' attack collided with the gate, he froze in disbelief.

It was like a soft egg smashing against a boulder; his attack shattered instantly, while the gate stood completely unscathed.

"What is that?" Gildarts was stunned.

"The Gate of Truth," Nate explained. "A very tough door—although this is just a projection. It can theoretically be broken."

The gate wasn't a literal, physical object but rather the manifestation of a rule from Fairy Tail's world—a projection of the concept itself.

With a flick of his fingers, Nate advanced the 'Gate of Truth' toward Gildarts.

In response, Gildarts stepped forward and threw a powerful right punch at the gate.

"Crushing Evil, Spreading the Truth: Empyrean!"

Concentrating immense magic energy into a single blow, he aimed to obliterate everything in his path.

'Boom!!'

A heavy, resonant impact echoed through the arena. Even Gildarts' strongest punch couldn't break through the 'Gate of Truth'.

The shockwave from their clash, however, shattered everything around them. Where the wave passed, the dense forest trees were reduced to countless small cubes, as was the ground beneath them.

Nate observed through his 'Six Eyes', noticing that Gildarts' Crushing Magic indeed had some similarities to his own Super Magic, 'Tremor'.

"Disappear," Nate commanded softly.

At his word, the 'Gate of Truth' vanished, and he began focusing intently, imagining a specific scene in his mind.

"Here in the game world, my Arc of Embodiment magic can work at 300% of its usual power."

With a snap of his fingers, something extraordinary happened.

From the exact spot where the 'Gate of Truth' had disappeared, a massive mini-sun burst forth from the earth, rapidly rising into the sky with a diameter of several kilometers.

As it ascended, Gildarts reflexively leapt onto its surface, riding it upward.

"What in the world...?" Gildarts felt an intense heat, as though he might melt.

He struck the mini-sun with his hand, invoking his Crushing Magic. With a resonant hum, the blazing sphere shattered into countless tiny cubes.

In the next instant, an explosion lit up the sky.

'Boom!!'

A searing flash ignited the entire map, turning the forest into a sea of flames.

"Impressive, using Super Magic like that. Most Magic would be obliterated by his Crushing Magic."

Nate stood calmly in the blazing inferno, thinking that even Arc of Embodiment had its limits.

He'd wanted to create a real sun, but it was beyond his reach.

With a clap of his hands, two towering giants, each a hundred meters tall, rose from the ground—one wielding a massive sword, the other a colossal axe. Together, they swung their weapons toward Gildarts, who hovered in midair.

Gildarts, unfazed, stretched his hands to the sides, releasing grid-like shockwaves from his palms.

With a resonant hum, both giants shattered into pieces.

"Black Hole!" Nate imagined once again and pointed at Gildarts, still in the sky.

Instantly, the space behind Gildarts collapsed, forming a pitch-black celestial body. The immense gravitational force of the black hole pulled him back from the flames below.

"What now?!" Gildarts was caught off guard. Before he could react, he felt his back pressed against the black hole, its overwhelming gravity threatening to crush his body.

"Whoa!" His face twisted in exertion, barely able to keep his mouth closed against the force that threatened to tear him apart.

"All Crush!"

Gildarts extended both palms behind him, using his high-level Destruction Magic—Crush—again.

With another powerful hum, he managed to shatter the miniature black hole. But the fragments continued to collapse under their own gravity, creating a simulation of spatial rifts within the game's environment.

Caught in one of these tears, Gildarts' right arm vanished in an instant, torn away by the space-time distortion.

Blood gushed from the wound as he quickly channeled magic to stabilize a temporary magic limb onto his shoulder and dodged the remaining space tears.

"Crazy magic... I'd be dead if this wasn't just a game!" he muttered, catching his breath as he landed heavily in the fiery remains of the forest.

Looking up, he saw Nate gathering an intense concentration of magic from afar.

"Just a pseudo black hole... at its core, it's still just a magic construct. It won't hold against Super Magic," Nate noted, raising his right hand high.

In his palm, a golden ring of light glowed with overwhelming energy.

"This... could it be?" Gildarts stared, momentarily stunned.

"To counter Super Magic, only another Super Magic will do," Nate smiled. "Sorry, Gildarts, but only in the game world can I pull this move off with ease."

Nate's grin widened. 'In this world, Gildarts, you can't possibly be my match. Even the Second Master wouldn't stand a chance here.'

"Fairy Glitter!"

A colossal magic circle formed above the arena, casting a radiant golden ring that swiftly encircled Gildarts.

"The legendary Fairy Glitter... one of Fairy Tail's Three Great Magics!"

Though it was his first time seeing it, Gildarts knew of its power; the guild library had records describing its destructive brilliance.

It was a supreme eradication magic that condensed the forces of the sun, moon, and stars, binding its target in a relentless loop of annihilation.

Trapped within the golden ring, Gildarts unleashed his full power, trying to shatter the magic with his Crush, but he couldn't break free.

"First Master taught me this. It wasn't easy to learn," Nate called out, clenching his right hand into a fist. "Activate!"

The next moment, the golden ring binding Gildarts contracted, cutting him into pieces within a flash of blinding golden light.

...

Back in the real world, at Gildarts' home...

Gildarts awoke abruptly on his modest wooden bed, instinctively touching his waist.

Luckily, it was just a game.

The experience of death had felt so real.

Rubbing his head, he sighed. "Just how many Super Magics does that kid know? What a monster!"

~~~

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