Chapter 474: Good Thing I Studied This, Otherwise I Might Not Have Kept Up
"Master Precht? The Second Guild Master?"
Hearing Makarov's shocked gasp, Noah chuckled lightly and gently pulled the old man behind him, placing himself between Makarov and the newcomer.
"Why... Why is it you...?" Makarov stammered, sweat pouring down his forehead. His face was a mask of utter disbelief; he simply couldn't accept the reality standing before him.
Precht didn't answer. He simply uncrossed his arms, extinguishing the dark-purple sphere hovering between his palms.
With a casual thrust of his right hand, a purple magic circle flared to life in the air. Four clawed chains shot out from the array, hurtling directly toward Noah and Makarov like vipers.
Though the attack targeted both of them, Precht's gaze was locked almost entirely on Makarov, barely sparing Noah a second glance.
"Look down on me, do you?" Noah shook his head slightly. Without making a single hand gesture, four golden magic circles materialized instantly in front of the incoming claws, blocking them perfectly with a resounding CLANG.
"Get down!"
Noah raised his right hand and slammed it downward. A massive, complex magic circle instantly unfurled high above the airship. A crushing wave of localized gravity slammed down like a physical hammer directly onto the deck and Precht himself.
BAM!
Caught entirely off guard by the sheer weight, Precht was forced down onto one knee, the decking beneath him buckling under the pressure.
KABOOM!
Unable to sustain the sudden, immense gravitational force, the massive airship plummeted from the sky, crashing violently into the ocean with a colossal splash.
Seeing the airship plunge into the sea, Noah released the gravity spell and levitated himself and Makarov down to the new, barren battlefield he had constructed earlier.
Freed from the crushing gravity, Precht stood back up on the sinking deck. Spotting Noah and Makarov standing on the newly formed landmass, he pushed off the ship with a powerful burst of magic and landed smoothly a short distance away from them.
"To think Makarov managed to raise a brat like you. Not bad at all! Puhahahahaha!"
Upon landing, Precht crossed his arms again. Far from being annoyed by the sudden attack, he threw his head back and laughed uproariously, finally shifting his full attention to Noah with an amused, manic gleam in his eye.
Noah ignored his laughter, turning to Makarov. The old man had finally snapped out of his daze, though his expression remained grim as he stared down his former mentor.
"Why... why would you... join a Dark Guild?" Makarov asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"What does it matter if it is light or dark, Makarov? This world is filled to the brim with things that cannot simply be categorized as 'good' or 'evil'," Precht answered, his laughter dying down as his gaze turned cold and philosophical.
"Whether it is good or evil... the spirit of Fairy Tail will never change!" Makarov declared fiercely, standing his ground.
"Hahaha! The crybaby brat from back then has certainly learned how to speak his mind!" Precht laughed mockingly.
"Do not call me a brat! You are no longer a member of this guild!" Makarov roared. He paused for a second, clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, before continuing in a low, even tone. "However... I do not wish to fight you. Please, leave this place immediately."
"I feel the same way... My heart aches ever so slightly, knowing that the day I must personally bury Fairy Tail with my own two hands has finally arrived," Precht lowered his head, staring at the ground as his voice dropped to a sinister, sorrowful whisper.
"I WILL NEVER LET YOU LAY A FINGER ON THIS GUILD!!!" Makarov roared in absolute fury. His magic power erupted, swirling around him in violent, turbulent waves that cracked the ground beneath his feet.
"Are you thinking of defying me, brat?" Precht's voice turned incredibly cold as a suffocating, pitch-black magical aura began to leak from his body.
"Alright, Grandpa, that's enough. Didn't we agree I was going to handle the heavy lifting? You can't just jump in now," Noah stepped in front of Makarov, physically blocking his path.
"But... the enemy is..." Makarov protested anxiously.
Noah cut him off. "I know. He is the Second Master of Fairy Tail. He is over a hundred years old, and his magic power and combat experience are unfathomably deep. He is also the Guild Master of Grimoire Heart—the strongest pillar of the Balam Alliance—Master Hades."
Seeing the conflict in Makarov's eyes, Noah answered the unspoken question. "You're wondering why I would face someone so terrifyingly strong? Naturally... it's because I'm strong too."
Noah turned his gaze back to Precht, his own magic power beginning to surge like a waking dragon.
"Ever since I sparred with Gildarts three years ago, I haven't had a single chance to go all out. Facing an enemy this monstrously strong is the perfect opportunity to cut loose." Noah grinned, his eyes burning with an intense, unbridled battle lust.
"Alright... just be careful," Makarov finally relented, seeing Noah's determination. He knew Noah was heavily restricted during normal guild sparring, and he genuinely trusted the boy's strength. Plus, he would be watching from the sidelines; if things went truly wrong, he would intervene instantly.
"Awesome! How does that line go again...? Oh right! I'M ALL FIRED UP! Grandpa, head to the backline. I'm going to have a little chat with this ancient relic," Noah cheered, utterly thrilled.
With a flick of his left hand, Noah enveloped Makarov in levitation magic, gently floating the old man far away to a safe distance near the base camp.
"I actually had some decent expectations of you earlier, boy, but I must retract my previous statement. To think you are foolish enough to challenge me alone, fully knowing who I am... The gap between us is something your tiny mind cannot even begin to comprehend. How utterly arrogant," Precht shook his head, looking at Noah with genuine pity.
"Heh. The only arrogant one here is you. Assuming you've already won before the fight even starts? Did your brain shrink from disuse after you left the guild?" Noah retorted, rolling his eyes in exasperation.
"Words are useless, brat. They cannot bridge the insurmountable gap in our strength," Precht said dismissively, completely unfazed by the insult.
"Oh really? Let's test that theory, shall we?" Noah flashed a brilliant, predatory smile.
His surging magic power suddenly exploded outward, multiplying exponentially. The sheer density of his aura compressed the surrounding atmosphere, generating a physical shockwave that blasted out in all directions. The solid bedrock beneath his feet instantly cratered under the sheer, crushing pressure of his magic.
"Oho? It seems you aren't just all talk after all. You actually have some real bite. Very well... I shall play with you for a bit," Precht's eyes lit up with predatory interest.
His own aura spiked dramatically, releasing an impossibly massive wave of dark magic. The two colliding auras generated violent shockwaves that clashed mid-air, producing a continuous series of deafening, thunderous cracks that shook the heavens.
"Let's start with a proper greeting. Maguilty Söd!"
Noah didn't waste another second. He thrust his right hand forward, and a massive golden magic circle materialized. A colossal beam of golden light—easily over a dozen meters in diameter and packing enough firepower to rival the Jupiter Cannon—erupted from his palm, screaming straight toward Precht.
"Did that guy really just send Makarov away to fight Master Hades alone?! Does he have a death wish?! I've never seen an idiot that arrogant in my entire life! PUHAHAHAHA!" Zancrow laughed uproariously, watching Noah face down the legendary dark mage.
"You think Noah is an idiot for doing that?! The only reason you're laughing is because you have absolutely no idea what he's capable of!" Natsu roared back, glaring at Zancrow.
"He's right. You have no clue what true terror is. Noah is a monster," Gray agreed, his face dead serious. The other Fairy Tail mages nodded firmly in agreement.
"I just wonder how long this 'Master Hades' guy can actually last against him. Hopefully, he can hold out for a while. I haven't seen Noah smile this genuinely in a very long time. Clearly, having to hold back all these years has built up some pent-up stress. Let's hope he gets to properly vent it today," Mirajane noted, a serene, almost chilling smile on her face as she watched Noah's ecstatic expression.
"Exactly. It'll be great if this guy lasts a while so Noah can really enjoy himself," Sorano agreed, nodding in satisfaction.
"Hah?! You think that kid is strong?! No matter how strong he is, he is no match for Master Hades! Master Hades is the absolute strongest! That brat is going to get obliterated in seconds! HAHAHA!" Zancrow spat furiously, enraged by how dismissive and confident the Fairy Tail mages were. They weren't even worried about their guildmate losing; they were worried their Guild Master wouldn't last long enough!
"Let's go!" Seeing Noah fire the opening salvo, Natsu didn't wait another second. He charged headfirst toward Zancrow like a blazing missile.
"CHARGE!"
Laxus roared, and the S-Class vanguard instantly blitzed forward, locking onto their respective targets among the Seven Kin.
Simultaneously, Gray, Gajeel, Elfman, and the other candidates surged past the vanguard, launching a brutal assault on the massive horde of Grimoire Heart grunts.
"Cover fire!" Meredy and Wendy shouted from the backline.
They simultaneously cast wide-area support magic, casting a golden aura over the entire Fairy Tail assault force, massively boosting their speed, strength, and magical output.
The moment Gray, Gajeel, and the others crashed into the Grimoire Heart army, absolute chaos ensued. Empowered by the buffs, the Fairy Tail mages tore through the enemy ranks like a hurricane, sending dozens of dark mages flying into the air with every strike. The grunts couldn't even put up a token resistance.
Meanwhile, the clash between the S-Class mages and the Seven Kin generated catastrophic shockwaves that leveled the surrounding terrain, forcing the grunts to scramble away in sheer terror to avoid being collateral damage.
Lucy summoned Taurus, sending the massive minotaur into the fray to assist the vanguard, while she stayed back to protect Meredy and the support team. Happy, Panther Lily, and Carla hovered anxiously nearby, keeping a sharp eye out for ambushes.
Gildarts and Ur stood calmly at the absolute rear, observing the entire battlefield, ready to intervene the second anyone found themselves in lethal danger. Noah's Thought Projection stood beside them, continuously gathering combat data and maintaining the arena's containment barrier.
Mavis hovered silently beside Noah's projection, her eyes fixed entirely on the distant, apocalyptic duel between Noah and Precht. Her ethereal eyes were swimming with a mixture of profound sorrow and deep confusion.
She had instantly recognized Precht—her former comrade, her closest friend, the man who had helped her build Fairy Tail from nothing.
She simply couldn't understand why he had become like this. She had personally passed the mantle of Guild Master to him, and according to Makarov, Precht had guided the guild perfectly during his tenure.
So why...? Why had he fallen into darkness? Why was he leading an army of monsters to destroy the very guild they had built together?
"Amaterasu: Formula 28!"
Precht calmly raised his right hand. A massive, multi-layered purple runic barrier materialized in front of him just as Noah's golden beam struck.
The barrier absorbed the golden light entirely, compressing the catastrophic energy into a single, dense dark-purple orb in Precht's palm. With a casual flick of his wrist, Precht fired the compressed energy right back at Noah in a devastating shockwave.
"Maguilty Söd!"
Noah didn't retreat. He thrust his hand forward again, firing an even larger, more powerful golden beam straight into the oncoming shockwave.
BOOM!!!
The two attacks collided, generating an earth-shattering explosion that rattled the entire battlefield. The resulting shockwave tore straight upward, blasting away the residual smoke and dust in an instant.
As the smoke cleared, both Noah and Precht locked eyes.
Precht raised his right hand, his two fingers extended, and rapidly drew a sequence of complex runes in the air.
Seeing this, Noah mirrored the exact same motion, his fingers tracing identical, flawless runes in the air at the exact same speed.
In the blink of an eye, three overlapping, highly complex magic circles materialized simultaneously in front of both men.
"You brat... You perfectly replicated my Amaterasu Formula 28... and cast it at the exact same speed?!" Precht's eyes widened slightly, his expression finally shifting from arrogant amusement to dead seriousness.
He was genuinely startled by the sheer impossibility of what he had just witnessed.
"Your casting speed is incredibly fast. Good thing I've studied runic formulas extensively, otherwise I might not have kept up," Noah smiled brightly, genuinely enjoying the challenge.
"Hmph! Don't get cocky just because you have a little bit of talent. I'll make sure you understand the absolute abyss that separates us," Precht scoffed, shaking off his surprise.
"Hehe," Noah merely chuckled, not bothering to retort.
Hearing Noah's condescending chuckle, an inexplicable surge of irritation flared within Precht. He swung his fingers down, instantly activating his layered magic circles.
Noah did the exact same, detonating his own array a microsecond later.
KABOOM!!!
Massive, overlapping explosions engulfed both of their positions simultaneously. Colossal pillars of magical energy erupted into the sky, causing the very bedrock of the battlefield to quake violently.
Thick smoke billowed outward, completely obscuring both fighters. The resulting shockwaves from their respective blasts crashed into each other, violently blowing the smoke away to reveal both men completely unharmed.
Both Noah and Precht were surrounded by their respective barriers—one golden, one purple—which had flawlessly tanked the point-blank detonations.
"Hah!"
Dispelling his barrier, Precht slammed a hand against the air. A purple magic circle flared, and two clawed chains shot out, hurtling toward Noah with lethal precision.
Noah tapped the air twice. Two needle-thin laser beams shot from his fingertips, perfectly intercepting and shattering the incoming claws mid-air.
Precht didn't care. He kept his hand pressed against the array, rapidly firing dozens of hook-claws that arced through the air like homing missiles, converging on Noah from every direction.
"Light Funnels!"
Eight golden orbs materialized in a halo around Noah, spinning rapidly. They unleashed a relentless barrage of surgical laser fire, perfectly intercepting and shattering every single incoming claw.
Once the claws were dealt with, the orbs swiveled forward, unleashing a relentless volley of suppressive fire directly at Precht.
"Hmph!" Precht snorted. A dark-purple barrier materialized in front of him, effortlessly absorbing the barrage of lasers.
Simultaneously, Precht's hands blurred through the air, rapidly drawing dozens of highly complex runic arrays.
Seeing this, Noah smirked and mirrored the action, his own fingers flying in a blur of motion.
Noah's Light Funnels continued their relentless bombardment against Precht's shield, but the true battle was happening in their hands.
Within seconds, dozens of intricate magic circles of varying sizes materialized, completely surrounding both Noah and Precht in a claustrophobic web of overlapping runes.
"Amaterasu: Formula 100!" Precht declared, a cruel smirk finally breaking through his stoic facade.
"Detonate!" Noah yelled sharply.
KABOOM!!!
Both of their ultimate runic arrays detonated simultaneously, engulfing them both in apocalyptic, expanding spheres of pure destructive light.
Because they were standing so close to each other, the two catastrophic explosions immediately collided and intertwined, exponentially magnifying the destructive force.
Countless shockwaves tore outward in a frenzied, chaotic storm. The ground beneath them was violently shredded into massive boulders, which were then instantly vaporized into dust by the blinding light of the intertwined explosions.
~~~
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