Internet Magic in Fairy Tail

Chapter 202: Gildarts vs Natsu

Chapter 202: Chapter 202: Gildarts vs Natsu

Noticing that Gildarts wasn't wearing a Magic Net ring, Nate handed him one without hesitation. He still had about eight or nine hundred first-generation rings stashed away, saving them for gifts as needed—just like now.

"So, this is a Magic Net ring?" Gildarts asked curiously as he took it.

On his journey back, he'd overheard people talking about the Magic Net. Apparently, just by wearing this ring, one could use a revolutionary kind of magic. Gildarts had heard bits and pieces about it:

You could chat with friends instantly, regardless of the distance. There was a library where you could quickly search for information. And there was a place called the forum where people seemed unusually friendly.

But all he'd heard was word-of-mouth. He hadn't actually tried it himself yet.

Now, with a ring in hand, he couldn't help but ask, "How do I use it?"

"I'll teach you, Gildarts!" Natsu offered, eagerly stepping up as a self-proclaimed Magic Net "veteran" to show the ropes to a newcomer.

Everyone gathered around, enjoying the scene. Seeing Gildarts about to become a new user, many recalled their own experiences when they first connected to the Magic Net.

Nate watched with a smile, then glanced over to the corner of the outdoor café.

Cana was still sitting there, hesitant to approach. She had just mustered the courage a moment ago, but now she looked like she'd lost her nerve at the crucial moment.

Catching Nate's look, Cana seemed to get the message and looked slightly embarrassed. With a hesitant shuffle, she finally stood up and began to approach, clearly wanting to speak but struggling to find the words.

Meanwhile, with Natsu's help, Gildarts was trying to come up with a good username.

"Why not 'Walking Catastrophe'?" Wakaba suggested, stroking his chin.

"Hahaha, that fits!" someone laughed. "It's perfect!"

"Gildarts, like Nate, uses super magic as his main style, but he tends to cause unintentional destruction."

"That's why Magnolia has a 'Gildarts Mode' in place—to manage his power!" Everyone laughed in agreement.

In the end, Gildarts opted for a relaxed, zen-like name: [Gone Fishing].

Wait, what? Are you a fishing enthusiast now?

Nate couldn't help but think, 'Is it inevitable that as men age, they develop an interest in fishing, tinkering, and cleaning? Not even mages are exempt?'

Gildarts just chuckled, "Any name is fine. Come to think of it, though, I feel a bit awkward getting a gift right when I got back."

"Feeling awkward? You could just pay for it—10,000 J. Much appreciated," Nate joked, winking at Cana.

Now was her chance.

Just as Cana gathered her courage and prepared to speak, Natsu interrupted her flow.

"Gildarts, come on, let's have a match!" Natsu shouted, unable to contain himself.

"Next time, Natsu. Not really in the mood right now," Gildarts replied, shaking his head.

Then, the voice of Master Makarov sounded from behind them.

"Welcome back, Gildarts."

Gildarts turned around to see Makarov, hands behind his back, strolling over as if he'd just come back from a walk in the park. Beside him was a small, yellow creature that looked suspiciously like a tiny squirrel.

"Master, it's been a while," Gildarts greeted him.

"How'd the job go?" Makarov asked with a warm smile.

"Uh..."

After a moment's silence, Gildarts scratched his head awkwardly and laughed, "Hahaha... I failed. As I thought, I just don't have what it takes."

Everyone was stunned.

"What? Even Gildarts failed?"

Gray muttered in disbelief, "Unbelievable... not even he could manage it?"

Elfman nodded solemnly. "Knowing when to step down—that's also a man's way."

Lucy and Wendy exchanged puzzled looks, new enough to be out of the loop.

"What kind of job was it? Everyone seems so surprised," Wendy whispered.

Lucy leaned over and whispered back, "I heard it's a hundred-year quest..."

Even Fairy Tail's strongest mage couldn't complete the mission—just how difficult is this hundred-year quest? Lucy thought, making a mental note to ask Nate about it later; maybe he knew something.

Seeing Lucy's curious expression, Erza advised her seriously, "Lucy, it's too soon for you to be thinking about taking on a hundred-year quest."

"Do I look like I'm eager to go?" Lucy protested, pointing to herself.

Gildarts ignored everyone's astonishment, chuckling awkwardly before saying, "Sorry, Master. I failed and brought shame to the guild."

"No, it's incredible you returned safely at all," Makarov reassured him. "As far as I know, you're the first to survive a hundred-year quest."

"'Safely' might be stretching it..." Gildarts gave a wry smile, glancing down at his prosthetic arm and leg. Adjusting the pack on his back, he continued, "I'm going to rest for a while. I'll be back later."

The guild members watched him leave with a sense of melancholy, feeling the weight of his presence.

"Ahh, I'm beat. Time for a nice, long nap..." Gildarts muttered to himself as he walked away. "Oh, Natsu! Swing by my place later—I've got a gift for you. Haha!"

"Uh, that's not the door, Gildarts," Mirajane called out, noticing him about to walk straight into a wall. A burst of magic energy flared up around him, and with a 'boom', he shattered the wall in front of him.

"Please, just use the door! Ultear-san's going to have to fix this again..." Warren yelled in exasperation.

With a grin, Natsu punched through the wall as well, following Gildarts. "I'm off, too. See you all later! Don't forget—tomorrow, we're back to training for Pokémon battles. Nobody's getting out of it!"

Are you planning to become a Gym Leader or something? Nate thought, amused, before turning to look at Cana.

She caught his gaze and smiled a little, saying softly, "Thanks. Anyway, there'll be another chance."

"If you can't bring yourself to say it in person, why not add him as a friend on Magic Net?" Nate suggested, thinking how unnecessarily hesitant she was being.

Cana's eyes lit up, as if she'd just discovered a brilliant idea. "Nate, you're a genius!"

She quickly returned to her table and, without wasting any time, pulled up Magic Net to send her dad a friend request.

Nate shook his head, somewhat speechless.

With Gildarts gone, the crowd dispersed as well, returning to their Pokémon battles. Nate stuck around for a while, observing, when suddenly, Cana shouted, "Hey, everyone! Gildarts and Natsu are fighting!"

"What?"

Everyone paused, looking around.

"It's in [Magic Arena]!" Cana clarified.

Raising an eyebrow, Nate immediately opened up the Magic Net app, located Natsu on his friends list, and tapped to watch the match. Before he knew it, people were crowding around him to get a look.

"Can't you guys watch it on your own screens?"

Nate sighed, expanding the screen to its largest size, making it look like a full-blown 34-inch monitor.

In the "Seaside Battleground" arena, Gildarts was glancing around in awe. "It's unbelievably realistic—water, air, the sky... it's indistinguishable from reality! Not an illusion magic... Nate really is something else!"

Across from him, Natsu grinned, "Gildarts, here, we can fight as hard as we want without anyone getting hurt."

"Oh?" Gildarts nodded, motioning for Natsu to come at him. "Alright, then—show me what you've learned these past few years!"

"Heh... you're in for a big surprise!"

Natsu pulled out a bottle of magic restoration potion and downed it in one gulp, crackling with electricity.

"Ahhhhhh!"

With a roar, Natsu's flames intertwined with lightning, entering "Lightning Fire Dragon Mode."

"What?" Gildarts was stunned—was this some kind of magic fusion?

"And there's more!"

Barely holding onto his sanity, Natsu pushed his power even further. "This is a new potion Nate invented that lets us store our own magic energy. With it, we Dragon Slayers can enter fusion states anytime!"

He pulled out another potion, this time with a dark iron color, and drank it down.

In an instant, his already formidable energy turned even wilder.

"What's this? Now there's...?"

"Three Dragon Force Mode!!"

'Boom!'

Natsu's power surged as his flames turned pitch black, radiating a power that left Gildarts speechless.

The force of his magic... it even exceeded Gildarts' own.

And it's all thanks to another invention of Nate's?

~~~

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