"You've gotten stronger again? Your magic... it truly seems to have no limits."
Looking at Marco, Gildarts was deeply impressed.
His expression became particularly exaggerated after learning this was Marco's fifth enhancement.
Before he had left for the Hundred-Year Quest, Marco hadn't been nearly this flashy.
Back then, Marco was already a genius, but still within the realm of comprehension.
At least Gildarts had been confident he could still overpower him.
Now, things were different.
Facing the current Marco, even Gildarts is not that confident he could defeat him.
"What can I say? People with mediocre talent like me, can only rely on hard work and sweat to grow stronger, bit by bit. It's something you guys who start with Super Magic would never understand."
Marco grinned as he spoke, but his words made Gildarts's mouth twitch.
What was he talking about?
Mediocre talent? Relying on hard work and sweat?
Gildarts had to admit, Marco had always been incredibly hardworking.
He had even fostered a culture of intense competition within the guild, inspiring the younger members to train alongside him and greatly aiding their development.
He truly had put in the sweat.
But, the ability to grow stronger simply by putting in the effort was itself a terrifying talent.
The world was full of people who couldn't improve even a little, no matter how hard they tried.
The saying, "As long as you work hard and sweat, you'll succeed and grow stronger," had its limits—because the human body has its limits!
Gildarts felt this keenly, as he himself had long since reached his physical peak.
For years, aside from slowly accumulating Magic Power through sheer persistence, he felt he had scarcely improved at all.
"To be able to keep getting stronger... that's truly a wonderful thing."
Gildarts sighed again, a hint of envy in his voice.
Marco's growth seemed to have no end in sight.
Who knew what heights Marco would reach in the future?
"Talk about a humblebrag, old man..."
This time, it was Marco's turn to be speechless.
He knew all too well how terrifyingly powerful Gildarts was—and Gildarts had been that strong since Marco was a child.
Nineteen years ago, Gildarts had only been twenty-five or twenty-six, yet his strength had already reached its absolute peak.
When fighting, he had to strictly restrain himself, relying solely on hand-to-hand combat without using magic.
The moment he unleashed his magic, bloodshed was inevitable.
To this day, Gildarts maintained this habit, usually attacking enemies with only his fists and feet.
He reserved his immensely powerful Crush magic solely for defense, using it to shatter enemy magical attacks.
His Crush could disintegrate even magic itself!
Aside from the legendary Black Dragon, which were said to be immune to magic, or Nullification Magic that could alter the very nature of spells, there was no magic his Crush couldn't destroy.
While it might be frustrating to see no growth in strength for so many years, how many people wouldn't kill to start life's game with a max-level character?
If he could, Marco would have loved to skip all the hard work and start with a max-level character who had already unlocked all thirteen Gold Cloths and awakened the Ninth Sense.
But if that had been the case, he probably wouldn't be the person he was today.
Sometimes, when things come too easily, people don't cherish them.
Without the journey, you lose the surprises and the thrill of constantly growing stronger.
It was like using a cheat in a game—it drastically shortens the game's lifespan and ruins the fun.
Of course, Marco could afford to think this way only because his life so far had been smooth and happy.
A life filled with misfortune and suffering would be a different story entirely.
Besides, Marco had already activated his own cheat—though only "a little bit" so far, far from its full potential.
Still, it was enough to make his life comfortable.
A little cheat wasn't really cheating, it just added a bit of flavor.
It kept him from getting constantly crushed without turning him into some overpowered freak who could declare, "I don't eat beef."
"Listening to these two talk like this is seriously infuriating! Can't they spare a thought for anyone else's feelings?"
In the hospital room, Mirajane couldn't help but interrupt Gildarts and Marco's mutual admiration session.
She could feel a vein throbbing on her forehead, on the verge of fainting from sheer frustration.
'These two are geniuses whose lives are set to 'easy mode!'
'They have absolutely no regard for ordinary people like us!'
"You're not exactly ordinary yourself," Erza couldn't resist pointing out from the side.
People like Mirajane and her had no right to complain.
While their talents might not be as monstrous as Gildarts's and Marco's, they were still far beyond the realm of ordinary people.
"By that logic, there are no ordinary people in Fairy Tail," Mirajane retorted, rolling her eyes. "At the very least, everyone here can use magic and make a living from it. That alone makes us luckier than most."
Mirajane considered herself talented, but still within the realm of normalcy.
She was like Erza, Juvia, and the others who had awakened their magic—special, yet not truly special.
At least, they weren't one-of-a-kind like Marco.
She used to think Gildarts was in the same category, but not anymore.
Now, even Gildarts had been stunned by Marco's abilities.
It was clear their talents were no longer on the same level.
It wasn't just Mirajane who thought this.
Seeing Gildarts himself shocked by Marco's talent—even admitting his own inferiority—everyone who had come to visit Gildarts had changed their minds.
They now placed Marco in a league of his own.
This was a significant and monumental shift.
Previously, whenever anyone mentioned Fairy Tail's strongest Mage, the first name that came to mind was always Gildarts.
It was inevitable.
Gildarts had held that title for over twenty years, facing countless challengers and prodigies.
For more than two decades, he had waited with anticipation.
Unfortunately, no one had ever managed to surpass him—or even catch his eye.
It wasn't until recent years, with the surge of young talent in the Guild, that he finally saw a glimmer of hope.
Especially Marco.
Here was a challenger who genuinely made him feel pressured, a true genius capable of surpassing him.
"We won't know if Marco's the strongest until they fight!" Natsu stubbornly shouted amidst the chatter.
Gildarts had only admitted that Marco's talent was greater than his, he hadn't said Marco had already surpassed him.
Sometimes, Natsu had a knack for grasping the crucial point—or rather, he was always sharp when it came to things he cared about.
And who held the title of Fairy Tail's strongest Mage was something Natsu cared about deeply.
He had always had his eyes on that "throne."
The king on the throne, the companions by his side, and the rivals racing ahead of him—Natsu paid close attention to them all.
As for whether the throne had already changed hands, Natsu refused to jump to conclusions.
He would only accept it if Marco truly dethroned the king, if he actually defeated Gildarts.
Natsu only recognized results!
"No, that would be too dangerous."
Hearing Natsu's words, Gildarts shook his head.
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