Fairy Tail Guild second floor, Master’s Office.
“No,” Makarov said, putting down his pipe.
His voice left no room for negotiation.
Aether stood in front of the desk.
Paimon hovered in mid-air, hands on his hips.
“My Elemental Symphony needs Ice element data,” Aether said, handing over a handwritten request.
“The snowfields of northern Ishgar have a large number of Ice-attribute magic beasts.
It’s the most suitable location for practical combat.” “You’re only twelve,” Makarov said, interlacing his fingers and resting his chin on them.
“Even if you have a zero destruction rate on missions, and even if you blocked a strike from Jura in Crocus, that doesn’t change the fact that your total magic power is pitifully low.
The northern blizzards could freeze your magic circuits, not to mention the A-Rank magic beasts roaming there.” “I can prepare cold-resistant potions and magic replenishment crystals.” “Those are external items,” Makarov shook his head.
“When real danger strikes, you won’t even have time to pull out a crystal.” *Bang!* The door to the Master’s Office was kicked open.
The door frame hit the wall, letting out a strained groan.
A tall man with a scruffy beard, wearing a tattered cloak, walked in.
He let out a yawn and casually slapped a wanted poster onto Makarov’s desk.
“Old man, I’m taking the job for that Dark Guild called ‘Frost Wolf Fang’.” Makarov looked at the wanted poster on the desk, then at the man before him.
His originally tense face suddenly relaxed.
His eyes darted back and forth between Aether and the man.
“Gildarts,” Makarov stroked his beard.
“Are you going to the north alone this time?” “Of course.
Who else could keep up with my pace?” Gildarts scratched his messy hair.
“Take two rookies with you,” Makarov tapped the desk.
“Aether, and Laxus.” Gildarts stopped in his tracks.
He looked down at Aether, who didn’t even reach his chest.
“Babysitting?
Old man, you must be joking.
I’m going to subjugate a Dark Guild, not go on a picnic.
The aftershocks of an S-Rank mission alone could Crash them.” “Aether knows his limits.
As for Laxus, that kid has been too arrogant lately; he needs someone to show him just how big the world really is.” Makarov took two blank passes from a drawer and stamped them with the guild seal.
“Consider it an apprenticeship for an S-Rank mission.
You’ll be responsible for their safety.” Gildarts stared at Makarov for five seconds.
He grabbed the wanted poster and the passes from the desk and turned to leave.
“What a pain.
You two, get ready.” The next day, Magnolia Train Station.
Laxus stood on the platform with a gloomy expression, a shoulder bag slung over his back.
He looked at Aether, who was checking the tickets, and let out a cold snort.
“You two are quite punctual,” Gildarts’ voice came from behind them.
The man carried a simple travel bag, an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth.
“Get on.” Gildarts bypassed them and stepped into the carriage.
The magic train heading north sped along the tracks.
The temperature inside the carriage gradually dropped.
Gildarts sat in a double seat, his legs propped up on the empty seat opposite him.
Aether and Laxus sat in the adjacent row.
“Kid,” Gildarts suddenly turned to look at Aether.
“The old man said you blocked Jura in Crocus.
What move did you use?” “A combination of Water and Rock,” Aether replied.
“A trick,” Gildarts spat out a fragment of tobacco.
“Your magic flow is too clear.
Every bit of it is calculated.
That’s an advantage in a fight against someone of the same level, but against absolute power, your calculations are just scrap paper.” Gildarts raised his right hand and tapped his index finger on the small wooden table in front of him.
No incantations, no magic circles.
A white, cube-shaped light flashed at his fingertip.
The hard wooden table instantly decomposed into countless tiny cubic fragments, clattering to the floor.
Laxus’s pupils contracted.
“Crash,” Gildarts withdrew his hand.
“It decomposes any object it touches, along with its magic.
Your Water and Rock wouldn’t even have time to react before my Crash.” Aether looked at the wooden blocks on the ground.
The surfaces were smooth, the structure completely collapsed.
This was Fairy Tail’s strongest Mage.
An unreasonable, rule-level magic.
“Both of you have a good foundation,” Gildarts leaned back.
“Laxus’s lightning is violent, but his control is poor.
Aether, you have many tricks, but your vessel is too small.
On this trip to the north, I’ll teach you how to survive.” Two days later.
The northern part of the Ishgar continent, the edge of Ice Wind Valley.
Snow reached their knees.
A fierce wind lashed their faces with ice shards.
Aether wore heavy winter gear, his breath instantly turning into white mist.
Laxus’s blonde hair was blown into a mess, but he stubbornly refused to wear a hat.
Gildarts walked at the front, wearing only a thin shirt and his tattered cloak.
The wind and snow seemed to automatically divert around his body.
“Stop,” Gildarts suddenly spoke.
Aether stopped immediately, his right hand resting on the short sword at his waist.
Bennett’s combat instincts allowed him to sense the killing intent ahead.
Ahead in the snow, six massive white figures slowly stood up.
Polar Snow Bears.
A-Rank magic beasts.
Over three meters long, their fur could resist most low-to-mid-tier magic, and their claws could easily tear through steel.
“Six of them,” Gildarts stepped back, making way.
“You two handle them.
I’ll just watch and won’t interfere.” An excited glint flashed in Laxus’s eyes.
He lunged forward, turning into a bolt of golden lightning.
“Lightning Dragons Roar!” Laxus took a deep breath mid-air and spat out a thick pillar of lightning.
The two frontmost snow bears were struck by the lightning and roared.
The lightning exploded against their white fur, leaving charred marks, but failed to penetrate their defense.
The snow bears were enraged.
One of them swung a massive claw at Laxus in mid-air.
It was too fast.
Laxus was in the air and had no leverage to dodge.
“Water.”