Smack!
Kael's hand shot out, clamping around Gajeel's throat like a vise, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.
"How do you have the nerve to provoke Fairy Tail when you're this weak?"
Kael asked, his voice cold and emotionless. "I'm genuinely curious. Tell me—where does that confidence come from?"
"Monster…"
Gajeel choked out.
For the first time in his life, Gajeel understood what fear truly meant. The man standing before him wasn't human—he was a force of nature, a real monster. As for why he'd dared to provoke them, the answer was simple: he had never imagined a nightmare like this was hiding inside Fairy Tail.
Gajeel tried to gather his magic for a counterattack, but Kael read the surge instantly. His grip tightened.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Gajeel screamed in agony. He'd used his Iron Dragon scales to harden his neck like tempered steel, but in Kael's hand it felt like soft clay. The pressure kept building; he knew that if Kael so much as flicked his wrist, his neck would snap like a dry twig.
"Kael! That's enough!"
Makarov's voice thundered across the arena.
Only then did Kael loosen his fingers.
Thud!
Gajeel hit the dirt, clutching his throat and coughing violently as he fought to drag air back into his lungs.
Kael didn't stop there. He wound up and drove a brutal kick into Gajeel's midsection.
"Uwaaaah!"
Gajeel turned into a blur, launched straight toward Phantom Lord's resting area.
"Look out!"
Several Phantom Lord members didn't even have time to react. Gajeel slammed into them like a bowling ball, sending a dozen wizards sprawling in a chorus of pained shouts.
Jose's face was a thundercloud—dark, heavy, and menacing. Five battles. Five losses. The clean sweep he'd envisioned—Phantom Lord crushing Fairy Tail—had been flipped on its head. Reality had handed him a humiliating slap.
Trash. Every last one of them is useless trash.
[The winner is decided!]
[Winner: Kael of Fairy Tail!]
[Five wins in five matches! Fairy Tail is unstoppable!!]
"Fairy Tail is incredible!"
"Yeah! I really thought Phantom Lord was the stronger guild, but they got steamrolled!"
"Fairy Tail truly is the number one guild in the Kingdom of Fiore…"
The audience had reached a unanimous conclusion: Fairy Tail wasn't merely better—they were on an entirely different level.
"As expected… Kael in that form is terrifying,"
One of the Fairy Tail wizards muttered, finally exhaling as the tension broke.
In the hearts of the guild members, there were two people who stood apart from everyone else—setting the Master aside: Kael and Gildarts. Gildarts was the undisputed legend, the man whose Crash Magic made him unrivaled. But Kael's growth was staggering. Only six months ago, he'd seemed like a standard S-Class wizard. Now? His power was racing toward that same monstrous tier as Gildarts.
Against someone like Kael, Gajeel never stood a chance.
"Hmph!"
Jose snorted in disgust and rose to leave the arena. With five consecutive losses, there was no point in dragging this out. His original plan had been simple: have Gajeel win, then step in himself, defeat Makarov, and cement Phantom Lord as the superior guild. But now, even if he beat Makarov, the public would still see Fairy Tail as the stronger force.
Then a voice rang out, stopping Jose cold.
"Jose! Step into the ring!"
"What?!"
The stadium dropped into stunned silence. Wizards from both guilds turned as one to stare at Kael.
[Wait… what?! Contestant Kael has just challenged Guild Master Jose of Phantom Lord!!]
The crowd erupted into frantic whispers. Kael was strong—everyone had just seen it—but challenging a Wizard Saint was an entirely different matter.
Jose was one of the Ten Wizard Saints—one of the ten most powerful mages on the continent, as recognized by the Magic Council. They weren't just "strong wizards." They were the pinnacle of magical power on Ishgar. Living legends.
"Is this kid insane?!"
The Phantom Lord wizards shouted. "No matter how much of a hotshot he is, you don't challenge a Wizard Saint!"
Even Fairy Tail was reeling.
"Kael! Don't be reckless!"
Makarov shouted, brow knotted with worry.
Makarov knew Jose's strength better than anyone. Jose might be a despicable man, but his magical capacity was the real deal. He'd earned the title of Wizard Saint six years ago and was still in his prime, with enormous room to grow. Even Makarov couldn't say with certainty that he could overpower Jose as he was now.
"Kael, stop! You just finished a fight!"
Erza called out. "Your magic reserves must be depleted!"
She knew the crushing power Kael had displayed came at a steep cost.
Jose turned back, eyes narrowing into icy slits.
"You little brat… what did you just say?"
Kael met Jose's gaze, expression steady.
"I said, get your ass out here!"
Boom!
A wave of suffocating, dark magic burst from Jose's body.
"Brat!! You're overstepping!"
Jose roared as the ground beneath his feet cracked and exploded under the pressure of his aura.
"Overstepping? Maybe,"
Kael shot back. "But I'd rather be arrogant than a coward like you. Gajeel was the hand that attacked our guild, but you were the brain behind it. I've punished the pawn—did you really think I'd let the puppet master walk away?"
"Oh?"
A vicious, predatory smile spread across Jose's face. "And what do you plan to do about it?"
Kael crooked a finger at him.
"Step up. Six years ago, the old man gave you a beating you never forgot. Today, it's my turn to do the same!"
The stadium gasped. He'd actually said it—he'd promised to beat a Wizard Saint.
"Could it be… was this his plan from the very start?"
The Fairy Tail members wondered. Only now did they realize Kael hadn't come merely to win a tournament—he'd come to settle the score once and for all.
"Hehe… Hehehe… Hahahahahaha!!"
Jose's laughter was dark and manic. "It seems that because I haven't moved in a few years, every insignificant pest thinks they can step on my head. Makarov, aren't you going to rein in your brat?"
Jose glanced at Makarov.
"The path my children choose is their own,"
Makarov replied solemnly. "I will not stand in his way."
He was terrified for Kael—but as a father, he would not deny his son's resolve.
"In that case, don't come crying to me when I leave him a broken shell!"
Jose's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He'd decided: he would cripple Kael here and now. Fairy Tail had produced a monster, and Jose wouldn't allow that potential to bloom. He had to cut this threat down before Kael became someone he couldn't handle.
Jose stepped into the center of the arena.
A terrifying, malevolent aura began to seep from him—darkness so dense it made the audience feel a primal dread.
Mirajane went pale, covering her nose.
"This magic… it's so foul it makes me want to vomit."
Unfazed, Kael calmly opened his system interface. He selected all the character cards he had previously obtained and prepared to recycle them for a power boost.
[Ding! Do you wish to recycle the selected cards?]
"Yes."
[Ding! Recycling successful! Your magic power level has increased!]
[Current Magic Power: ★★★★★★]