Chapter 165: Noah VS. Gildarts
"Do you need to rest for a bit? You just used a lot of magic," Gildarts asked, looking at Noah.
Noah shook his head. "No need. Those spells didn't cost me much magic at all. Let's get started."
"Alright!"
After the guild members had landed in the distance, Wendy said in amazement, "This is incredible! We can see and hear them so clearly from so far away! Big Brother Noah's Enchantment magic is so powerful. I wonder when I'll be able to do that..." As she spoke, she couldn't help but look down, her voice full of dejection.
Erza stroked her head and comforted her. "You're already improving very quickly. I'm sure you'll be able to do what Noah does before long."
"Mhm! I believe you can do it, Sister Wendy!" Yukino added, cheering her on.
Wendy finally lifted her spirits. "I'll work hard!"
"It's about to start," Laxus said.
Everyone stopped chatting and turned their attention to the center of the battlefield.
Noah and Gildarts stood a dozen steps apart, facing each other. From the look of it, Gildarts was letting him have the first move. Noah didn't stand on ceremony. He raised his left hand, a magic circle unfolded, and a ball of light formed before it, which he then instantly fired as a cannon blast straight at Gildarts.
"Heaven's Sundering Light!"
The powerful beam of light tore through the ice, kicking up a fierce wind. Gildarts, unhurried, gathered magic power in his left hand and punched the incoming spell.
"Crash!"
The fist and the spell were in a stalemate for a few seconds, and then a massive explosion erupted. The resulting shockwave, carrying shards of ice, blasted outwards in all directions, the force of it even reaching the distant guild members. The tremor almost knocked some of them off their feet. Erza quickly steadied a stumbling Meredy. This was followed by a frigid wind mixed with ice shards, and even with their enhanced bodies, many of them couldn't help but sneeze.
"A-are they really that strong? We're so far away, and it can still affect us?" Meredy said, staring in astonishment at the two figures who were now just dots in the distance.
"This is nothing. They're just saying hello. The real show is yet to come," Erza said proudly from the side. Meredy's eyes widened, and she looked at the rising mist from the explosion, eagerly awaiting the rest of the battle.
A sea breeze blew past, scattering the mist between the two combatants. A large crater had formed between them, and both of them were charging up their next attack.
Noah held out his right hand, and a ball of magic power many times larger than the last one gathered in front of it. Gildarts, on the other hand, clenched his right fist, and a powerful aura of magic formed a halo of light around it.
"Starlight Breaker!"
"Crash!"
The concentrated magic cannon fired from Noah's hand, a massive pillar of light that instantly carved a huge trench in the ice. Countless chunks of ice were sent flying, only to be instantly vaporized by the heat. Gildarts met the even more massive attack with his already prepared fist, striking it head-on.
The two attacks were locked in a stalemate. They both increased their magic output, and the point of contact between the fist and the beam instantly erupted in a massive explosion. Both of them were blown backward by the force.
This explosion was even more terrifying than the last. It blasted an even larger crater in the ice field Noah had created, and numerous huge cracks spread out in all directions. The entire ice sheet looked as if it were about to break apart.
"The ice you made isn't very sturdy," Gildarts said with a laugh, standing on the edge of the crater and looking at the fractured surface.
"Indeed. Let me strengthen it."
With that, magic power surged from Noah's body, and the wind from it blew away the mist from the explosion. He clapped his hands together, and a magic circle appeared before him.
"Ice-Make: Ice Age!"
The same spell, but with different power. With Noah at the center, the cracks were repaired, the crater was filled in, and the area, depth, and strength of the ice field all began to increase. By the time he had finished, the sea in a radius of several kilometers around him was completely frozen.
Gildarts stomped his foot on the ice and, seeing that it didn't even leave a mark, said with admiration, "Now that's what I call sturdy. You don't need a break?"
"No need. Let's continue."
With that, Noah pushed off with his foot and shot towards Gildarts like an arrow.
Seeing this, Gildarts grinned, his own excitement building. He also clenched his fists and met Noah's incoming right punch with his own.
BOOM!
The two fists collided. A deep, powerful sound rang out, testament to the force behind their blows.
They both smiled at each other, then simultaneously retracted their right fists and struck out with their left.
BOOM!
Another massive sound echoed. Having tested each other's strength and finding it satisfactory, their smiles grew even wider.
"!!!"
A continuous chain of deep, powerful booms rang out as the two of them exchanged a flurry of blows, their fists crashing into each other. With each impact, shockwaves blasted outwards, and the ground beneath their feet trembled. Even the newly reinforced ice began to show fine cracks under their feet.
The distant guild members braced against the constant cold wind, feeling the tremors under their feet. Many of them were stunned. It was the first time they had ever seen such a fierce battle, especially one where just fists were creating effects that most wizards couldn't achieve with magic.
"A-are they really that strong?" Meredy, who was seeing Noah fight a real opponent for the first time, felt her entire worldview being reshaped.
"This is Noah's and Gildarts's true strength. I have to work even harder," Erza said with a sigh, watching them trade blows.
"Whoa, they're so strong! I'm going to surpass them both! When they're done, I'll challenge them!" Natsu shouted excitedly from the side.
"Challenge! Challenge!" Happy chirped.
Gray just gave him a deadpan look. "Are you trying to die? You wouldn't even be able to take one punch right now."
Natsu paid him no mind and continued to watch the fight, waving his arms and legs in excitement.
"Natsu-nii is so energetic," Wendy said with a smile.
"Idiot," Carla muttered from the side.
"Erza, let's have a match after they're done," Mirajane said, looking at her rival.
Erza was startled for a moment, but seeing the fighting spirit in Mirajane's eyes, she knew it had been ignited by the battle. She had a similar thought. "Alright! We have to get stronger too!"
Makarov, watching the energetic younger generation, couldn't help but sigh. "This is good. This is good."
"To see such powerful people and not be frightened, but instead to be inspired to surpass them... that is a very good thing," Ur, who was standing beside him, added. With that kind of spirit and fighting will, how could they not become stronger?
~~~
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