**Chapter 24: No Confidence**
Everyone was left stunned. The battle had been so intense, and when Laxus grabbed Kaito's ankles, they thought he was about to turn the tables. In the end, they had all overthought it. Kaito ended the fight cleanly and decisively.
The word that popped into everyone's minds was: "Domination!"
It was a complete and utter domination. From the very start, Laxus had been suppressed and beaten by Kaito, who was several years younger than him. He never even had a chance to fight back properly.
Even though Laxus launched several fierce counterattacks, Kaito had easily neutralized them all. He showed everyone what it truly meant to have the best defense be a relentless offense.
Although Laxus was beaten so badly he couldn't fight back, everyone could see that his strength was genuinely impressive. Among the adult mages in the guild, no one except Gildarts could beat him.
Yet such a powerful Laxus had been defeated so cleanly. It only proved how monstrous Kaito really was.
Guild Master Makarov shot Kaito a fierce glare, then said to the Thunder God Tribe, "Hurry up and take Laxus to the hospital for treatment."
"Yes!"
The three immediately ran over, checked on Laxus, and found that although he looked badly injured, they were mostly just surface wounds. They all breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Kaito had held back. Otherwise, with the destructive power of his magic, Laxus's injuries would have been far worse.
Because of this, even though the three had previously felt Kaito had stolen Laxus's spot, they now acknowledged that he had earned it with his own strength. They no longer held any resentment toward him.
Freed and Bickslow supported Laxus from both sides and carried him away.
Kaito walked up to Guild Master Makarov with a smug look on his face. "Guild Master, I won. Hurry up and promote me to S-Class. The missions on the second floor have been waiting for me to claim them."
Makarov replied irritably, "Stinky brat, don't get cocky. There will come a time when you cry. The actual promotion requirements will be announced in three days. You'll find out then. During this time, you can find a partner to accompany you."
After speaking, Makarov turned and left. Gildarts patted Kaito on the shoulder and smiled. "Kid, your strength is really impressive. The future of Fairy Tail belongs to you guys."
Then Gildarts followed Makarov. Once they were a bit further away, his expression changed to one of shock as he whispered, "Guild Master, that little monster… his strength is way too terrifying!"
"He's strong, very strong. But that brat is also far too arrogant. Tell me honestly, do you have any confidence in beating him?"
"That might be a little difficult." After seeing how casually Kaito spammed those powerful spells like drinking water, and realizing he had clearly held back against Laxus, Gildarts wasn't sure how much he had been hiding. On top of that, Kaito's movement speed, attack speed, range, and destructive power were all monstrous. His style was a natural counter to close-range fighters, so even Gildarts didn't have much confidence in winning.
"You don't even have confidence?" Makarov was genuinely surprised. He knew Gildarts' strength very well. Although Gildarts' name wasn't on the official list of the Ten Wizard Saints, his power was more than enough to place him among them. Of course, the title of "Ten Wizard Saints" was mostly just a reputation.
At the same time, Makarov sighed inwardly. This stinky brat's strength had improved far too quickly. A year ago, his control over his power had still looked somewhat immature.
He had also been shocked by Kaito's display today, and he knew full well that Kaito hadn't used his full strength against Laxus.
"Looks like I need to give this brat a proper challenge. I absolutely cannot let him become an S-Class Mage so easily." Every time Kaito mocked the guild for only having one S-Class Mage, Makarov's teeth itched with anger. If this brat got promoted too easily, where would he, the Guild Master, put his face?
Meanwhile, all the Fairy Tail mages had surrounded Kaito, congratulating him nonstop. Kaito had always been well-liked, and with such overwhelming strength, he was naturally very popular.
Kaito was in an excellent mood. He waved his hand generously and declared, "Today we're throwing a celebration party back at the guild to commemorate me earning the S-Class qualification! I'll pay for everything!!"
He was about to become an S-Class Mage soon. S-Class missions were the kind where you might not take any for a long time, but when you did, the reward was huge. It was better to enjoy happiness together than alone. Kaito wasn't the petty type.
"Ohhhhhhhh!!"
"As expected of Kaito! So generous!"
"Generous! Generous!"
"Yeah! Yeah!"
"Ohhhhhhh~!!"...
Everyone rushed back into the guild. The celebration began with singing, dancing, arm-wrestling, drinking contests, and magical performances. The guild was filled with lively noise. This was the kind of atmosphere Kaito loved the most. Without realizing it, he had come to see Fairy Tail as his home, and the guild members as his new family.