"Haha! Moen, you brat! You've gotten taller again!"
Realizing who it was, Gildarts strode toward Moen and clapped a big hand on his shoulder. The uncle grinned broadly, flashing his white teeth. Seeing Moen right after returning made him genuinely happy—after all, he'd watched this boy grow up step by step.
"You've been gone for half a year. Of course I've grown taller."
Moen, too, was happy to see him. His smile was bright. To Moen, compared to his nominal father Ivan Dreyar, it was Gildarts who felt far closer.
For the orphans in the guild, Gildarts was truly special. He treated Fairy Tail as his family, every member as kin. Before the children, he always tried to play the role of a good father.
"It's good. You're all growing up, one after another. Soon you'll be able to stand on your own. The guild really has a future."
Gildarts was gratified. Watching Fairy Tail improve day by day, seeing the children grow strong, filled him with a comforting pride—like watching his own children succeed.
"Gildarts, how long will you stay this time?"
Moen asked curiously as he reached out, trying to take the older man's bag. But Gildarts refused.
"No need, I'll carry it myself. This bag's full of treasures—kids aren't allowed to see!"
He raised his brows and chuckled twice. From that look, Moen already had a pretty good guess about what those "treasures" were.
Uncle Gildarts, much like Master Makarov, shared the same flaw—he was a bit of a lecher.
Strictly speaking, though, it wasn't much of a flaw. All men admired beauty. A gentleman courting a fair lady was only natural. Though they were powerful, neither would ever cross the line. In fact, a man who wasn't interested in women might be even scarier.
The two entered the guild and sat in the hall. Gildarts tossed his bag onto the table, and through the open seam, Moen caught sight of magazines with scantily clad women on the covers. It looked like the whole bag was full of them.
"…"
Moen fell silent. He honestly didn't know what to say. Who on earth carried nothing but pin-up magazines as luggage?!
"This time, I'll be staying longer. Even if I leave again, it won't be for too long."
Noticing Moen's strange gaze, Gildarts shifted the bag to hide it by his feet while speaking.
"Not yet, Moen. You're still too young. Some things you can't look at until you're older."
His tone was unusually serious. He knew exactly what Moen should and shouldn't be exposed to—he wasn't irresponsible.
"…I don't want to look!"
"Forget it, Uncle. I want to challenge you! Let me show you how much I've grown—and while we're at it, tell me more about your Crush magic!"
At first Moen had wanted to protest, but he gave up on arguing. Instead, he declared a solo challenge to Gildarts.
"Oh? Learned some new magic, have you? All right then, let's go."
Gildarts chuckled when he heard him. Seeing the fighting spirit blazing in Moen's eyes, he didn't refuse. He was always happy to guide the younger ones' training.
The two went to the guild's backyard, a wide, open space perfect for combat.
Behind the Fairy Tail guildhall lay a vast lake. Its waters were a clear blue, rippling gently. The scenery was beautiful, with boats drifting in the distance.
But neither Moen nor Gildarts spared it a glance. They stood facing each other. Gildarts stood there casually, hands hidden beneath his wide cloak. At first glance, his posture seemed riddled with openings.
"Go ahead."
Gildarts smiled faintly as he spoke.
Moen's expression grew solemn. He didn't move recklessly.
He adjusted his breathing, drawing up his magic power in a rush. His core stirred like a swirling galaxy!
"Requip! Equuleus Bronze Cloth!"
Before making a move, Moen summoned his new equipment. A blue-hued Bronze Cloth of the Little Horse constellation flew out, swiftly covering his body. Fitted perfectly, it gleamed with valiant strength.
Magic surged, and with his spirit razor-focused, Moen faintly sensed the Cloth stirring with the power of the stars above. Behind Pegasus, the Equuleus constellation's head shimmered faintly.
"Oh? So you've mastered Requip magic too."
Seeing the brilliant armor appear on Moen, Gildarts raised his brows with interest. The kid really had learned something new.
Buzz!
Moen exerted his full strength, stomping down hard as his body shot forward like a drawn sword, charging straight at Gildarts. He didn't need to hold back—there was no point.
His past experiences had already proven just how great the gap between them still was.
"Hah!"
With a sharp shout, Moen threw out a straight punch. His fist tore through the air with crushing force, the wind pressure rushing straight toward Gildarts' left cheek.
Thud!
Gildarts raised his left arm, blocking the punch head-on with a dull sound. Right after, he feinted as though he were about to lift his right leg to kick.
"!"
Moen's eyes widened. In an instant, he withdrew his force, leapt back, and then flipped twice to quickly open up some distance.
Under the power of the Equuleus Bronze Cloth, Moen felt far more agile—like a swift and gallant steed.
"Quick reflexes, huh."
Gildarts smiled as he spoke. His leg, in truth, had never moved. He was still standing there calmly.
The pressure Gildarts gives off is overwhelming!
Moen's expression stayed steady, but his heart was shaken. Gildarts had only pretended to lift his leg, yet Moen's brain had gone into full alarm, screaming that if he didn't dodge, he would die.
So this was… killing intent? Gildarts was no saint. Without question, his hands had long been stained with blood.
That's what makes this exciting!
Instead of being discouraged, Moen only grew more fired up. The stronger Gildarts was, the more thrilled he felt. Unlike when he fought Natsu, right now he was in a razor-focused state.
And in that sharpened focus, he faintly sensed it: his magic source, the Cloth upon his body, and the distant stars—linked.
But the connection was extremely faint, flickering in and out. It gave him no real strength and only threatened his concentration. Moen quickly adjusted his mindset, refusing to dwell on it further.
"Hu~"
Exhaling deeply, Moen took his stance, tracing lines across the star map with his hands.
Buzz!
Before him, a constellation diagram of Pegasus unfolded in blue light, wings spread in flight.
In the starry sea above, the Pegasus constellation that obscured Equuleus seemed to stir faintly as well.
"Hm?"
That strange magical fluctuation made Gildarts narrow his eyes.
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