The guild hall fell silent.
Natsu and Kaien locked eyes. His body instinctively told him that the opponent standing before him possessed terrifying power.
Yet, the stronger his opponent seemed, the more excited he became.
Whoosh!
Flames burst from Natsu's hands as he took his battle stance.
"Perfect! Now I can go all out!!"
"Begin!"
Makarov's voice echoed across the hall.
"WRAAAH!!"
With a heavy stomp, Natsu launched himself toward Kaien. His claws wrapped in fire, he slashed forward. Kaien, however, didn't move—hands still tucked in his pockets, as if frozen in place.
Just when everyone thought the fight would end in an instant—
Swish!
Kaien's figure vanished.
A heartbeat later, he reappeared behind Natsu, delivering a powerful kick to his back.
"Ugh!"
Natsu tumbled forward, rolling across the ground.
"So fast!"
"Is that teleportation magic?!"
To the crowd, Kaien's movement looked just like instantaneous teleportation.
Makarov shook his head. "No. It's not teleportation. It's an extremely advanced high-speed movement technique. His speed is so great it only looks like teleportation."
Even he was stunned. The motion was so quick that he barely caught a faint afterimage—enough to tell it wasn't true teleportation, which leaves no trace at all.
"What?!"
Sarusuke (Jet) gaped. His own specialty was God Speed Magic—known as the fastest in Fairy Tail—and yet Kaien was even faster. That was simply absurd.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Recovering quickly, Natsu swung his flame-wrapped fist toward Kaien.
Kaien calmly raised his left hand.
Smack!
Natsu's fiery punch collided squarely against Kaien's palm.
Everyone expected Kaien to be sent flying. Instead, he stood unmoved—rooted firmly to the ground.
"He blocked it?!!"
They had all witnessed the power of Natsu's Iron Fist before. It could shatter boulders with ease. Yet Kaien had blocked it effortlessly with one hand.
Was this guy even human?
Kaien gripped Natsu's fist tightly, then swung his arm outward.
Whoosh—!
Natsu's body was thrown through the air like a rag doll.
"Uwaaaah!"
Crash—!
He smashed into a nearby rock, shattering it to pieces.
Natsu scrambled back to his feet, inhaling deeply as his chest swelled and magic gathered in his throat.
Kaien pointed a finger at him, emerald-green spiritual pressure condensing rapidly at its tip, forming a dense sphere of energy.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!!"
Hooo—!
A torrent of blazing flames surged straight toward Kaien.
"Cero!"
Vmm—Zhoo—!
A beam of green energy burst from Kaien's fingertip, meeting the firestorm head-on.
BOOOOM!!
The crimson blaze and emerald light collided, erupting into a violent explosion that shook the guild hall.
"Waaah!!"
"Gyahhh!!"
The impact spread outward like a hurricane. Many guild members screamed, some even blown off their feet.
After a few moments, the storm subsided, leaving a massive crater between Kaien and Natsu—proof of the collision's sheer power.
Kaien stood steady and unscathed.
Natsu, on the other hand, was battered and exhausted, finally collapsing to the ground.
In that exchange of power, Kaien had clearly come out on top.
"The match is decided! The victor—Kaien Blaze!!"
Makarov's booming announcement was filled with awe.
He hadn't expected Kaien to be this strong. Judging from appearances, he looked like an ordinary young man who hadn't trained seriously.
But the moment he used Take Over Magic, he transformed—calm, cold, and battle-hardened. A true warrior forged through countless fights.
"The newcomer actually won?!"
"He beat Natsu!"
"He's insanely strong! That's already S-Class Mage level!"
"No doubt about it! Only an S-Class could defeat Natsu!"
"He's a monster!!"
The crowd erupted with excitement.
Though most had lost their bets, no one felt disappointed—Fairy Tail had gained another powerhouse.
Kaien exhaled, releasing his transformation and returning to his normal self. His magic was nearly drained; if the fight had continued much longer, he might have lost instead.
Still, he couldn't hide the thrill in his heart.
He had just defeated Natsu—the protagonist himself!
Not bad. The victory filled him with confidence.
Kaien approached Natsu and extended his hand.
Though Natsu was spent, his injuries weren't severe. He could've continued, but with the gap so clear, there was no point in dragging it out. Kaien had suppressed him completely in speed, strength, and power. Recognizing that, Natsu admitted defeat gracefully.
"You're seriously strong! You're just like that monster Erza. Next time, I'm challenging you again!"
Despite losing, Natsu's spirit burned as brightly as ever. Another rival to surpass—his passion only grew stronger.
"Sure."
Kaien nodded with a faint smile.
Though he'd won, it was a close victory. And as a man, he had no intention of losing to anyone—not even the story's main character. (T/N: Close due to Kaien not having much Magic.)
Back inside the guild, the members buzzed with excitement over the battle.
Cana cheerfully counted her winnings. "Haha, there goes this week's drink money. If I hadn't opened my big mouth earlier, I could've made even more!"
"What am I gonna do? Another monster showed up! When will a real man like Elfman ever become an S-Class Mage?! Oooh, the path of manliness is so full of hardship!"
Elfman groaned, clutching his head in despair. Fairy Tail was full of monsters—Erza, Mirajane, Mystogan—and now Kaien.
Gray sighed. "You talk like you'd actually become S-Class if Kaien hadn't shown up. You haven't even qualified for the trial yet."
Kaien truly was a monster. His chances of becoming the next S-Class Mage were high—but as long as they avoided facing him, they could still try next year.
Cana froze mid-count.
For three consecutive years, she'd qualified for the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial—
Year one, she faced Erza and got crushed.
Year two, Mirajane—defeated again.
Year three, she didn't even see her opponent Mystogan before being eliminated.
And now, another Kaien appeared. After watching his match, she knew she'd lose even faster than before.
Did she really have to wait another year?
The thought alone ruined her mood.