The evening wind behind the Fairy Tail Guild blew harder now, carrying fine dust that danced like a pale golden mist under the sun as it began its descent toward the west. The air felt heavy, saturated with the vibration of Ethernano that hadn't yet settled—the residue of the brief "bout" that had just swept Laxus to the ground. The blonde boy still lay at the edge of the arena, his breath ragged, his body trembling from that one unavoidable blow. His eyes were wide, filled with anger and shock, but he couldn't stand.
In the center of the arena, Ren stood tall. The fairy bird tattoo on his left forearm pulsed with warmth, as if breathing in sync with the adrenaline flooding his veins.
In front of him, Gildarts Clive stood relaxed. His messy orange hair whipped in the wind, his grin was wide and carefree, and his left hand remained tucked in his pocket. His magical aura didn't press down like Laxus's lightning or Macao's fire. On the contrary—it felt... empty. Like a bottomless abyss. His power was so vast it didn't need to be displayed, and that was exactly what made Ren feel like he was standing before a silent hurricane.
"Alright, kid," Gildarts said in a low, casual voice, scratching his head. "You go first. I'll give you time."
Ren didn't answer. He drew a deep breath, and then— SWIIISSHHH!
His body shot forward like a bullet. Bungee Gum erupted from his palms in the form of viciously curved, purple transparent threads, sticking precisely to Gildarts' shoulder with a loud, sticky plop.
"Full retraction!" Ren screamed in his mind. WHAAAMMM!
Ren's body was pulled forward at a lethal velocity. The air hissed in his ears. His right fist launched straight at Gildarts' face, backed by terrifying momentum.
But Gildarts simply tilted his head. The punch missed by a fraction—mere centimeters—the gust from the strike brushing his orange hair aside. Ren didn't stop. He spun his body in mid-air, his left leg sweeping horizontally with enough force to shatter bone. SWOOOSHHH!
Gildarts took exactly one step back. His movement was casual, yet surgical. Ren's leg sliced through nothing but empty air.
From the sidelines, voices began to break the tension. "He's so fast...!" Macao whispered, his fists clenched. "But not a single strike has landed yet," Wakaba muttered, his pipe smoke ceasing to drift.
Cana stood in the front row, her hands gripping her magic cards so tightly her knuckles were white. Her eyes didn't blink.
The Unseen Trap
Ren landed lightly but immediately leaped again. This time, he wasn't playing around. "Bungee Gum Spread!!"
Hundreds of purple elastic threads exploded from his body like a living spiderweb. They adhered to the ground, the trees surrounding the arena, and even anchored themselves to the very air. Ren became a manic rubber ball, bouncing unpredictably. He darted from the left, the right, above, and below—fists, kicks, elbows, knees—all coming in an erratic barrage.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Every impact kicked up clouds of dust. The cracks in the earth grew deeper. The air hummed with the high-pitched vibration of Ethernano, like cracking glass. Ren moved like an invisible purple storm, unpredictable and lethal.
But Gildarts... He still stood in nearly the same spot. A slight shift of the shoulder, a tilt of the hip, a half-step. Every movement, no matter how small, was enough to make Ren's attacks miss. No punch connected. No kick landed. It was as if the entire arena was a stage he controlled with a single finger.
Ren gritted his teeth. His breath was coming in gasps. Sweat poured down his temples. For the first time since leaving the Tower of Heaven, a cold thought surfaced: I... cannot win.
But instead of retreating, his eyes ignited with a brighter fire. A thin smile touched his lips. "...In that case," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the roaring wind, "the goal isn't to win."
He raised both hands. The Ethernano around him convulsed. "Just... one hit."
Gildarts raised an eyebrow. His grin widened. "Oh? Interesting."
Texture Surprise: Full Release
Ren inhaled so deeply it felt as though his chest might burst. Then— "Bungee Gum... Texture Surprise: Full Release!!"
A dark purple aura exploded from his body. The Bungee Gum threads transformed completely. Their textures camouflaged perfectly—mimicking the shadows of trees, the floating dust, the empty wind. The entire arena was flooded with illusions. Ren vanished. False silhouettes appeared everywhere. The ground beneath Gildarts' feet seemed to turn into a black abyss. The air swirled like an invisible labyrinth.
"Where is he?!" someone in the crowd yelled. "I can't see him at all!" Wakaba shouted.
Gildarts didn't move. But for the first time, his eyes narrowed sharply. He could feel the threads. He could feel Ren's cold, sharp intent. But he couldn't see it all. For the first time, he actually had to focus.
Ren appeared from behind—just a shadow. Gildarts spun fast, his left hand raised. CRACK!!
The space between them splintered like glass. Crush Magic activated. Everything he touched began to pulverize. But it was a decoy.
The real Ren had leaped from above, the Bungee Gum on his feet stretching to the extreme like a giant bow drawn to its limit. "Momentum... Full Stacked!!"
Every ounce of momentum from the dozens of previous bounces was funneled into a single point on his right fist. His body spun like a purple tornado. The air screamed. Ethernano detonated around him. "NOW!!"
Gildarts smiled wide. "Well done, kid." His right hand went up. Crush Magic exploded in full. The space in front of him shattered—CRAAAAACK!!—like the world itself was breaking.
But Ren bypassed it by a fraction of a second. DUUUUAAAAAKKKK!!!
Ren's fist slammed into Gildarts' face, right on his left cheek. The sound of the impact was like a lightning bolt hitting the earth. A shockwave rippled outward. The ground buckled. Dust billowed like an explosion. The wind howled, shaking the nearby trees and freezing everyone in their tracks.
"...He hit him...?" Macao whispered, his voice failing. "He... he actually punched Gildarts...?" Wakaba dropped his pipe. Cana covered her mouth, stunned. "Ren...!"
Gildarts was forced back two steps. His head snapped to the side. His hair flew wildly. His cheek was visibly red—a clear, undeniable mark of a fist. For the first time in years, there was a mark on his face.
He touched his cheek slowly. It was still there. Warm. A pleasant little sting. "...Heh."
A small laugh escaped his throat. "It's been... a long time since anyone could do that."
Ren stood before him, gasping for air. His right fist was still extended, trembling violently. His body swayed. His legs gave out. Yet, he wore a satisfied, triumphant smile. "...Got you..."
THUD.
The small body collapsed to the ground. Completely unconscious. His Ethernano was depleted. His body could take no more.
"HE PUNCHED GILDARTS!!!" "CRAZY!!! THAT KID IS INSANE!!!" "REEEENNN!!!"
Cheers echoed up to the Magnolia sky. Cana ran toward him. Laxus, at the edge of the arena, clenched his fists, his eyes flashing—not with anger, but with the fire of a newly ignited rivalry.
Gildarts laughed softly, rubbing his cheek again. His smile widened into a wolfish grin. "...That kid," he muttered, looking at the fallen Ren. "Even at his age, he's extraordinary."
Makarov Dreyar stood behind them, arms crossed. A small, proud smile was etched on his face. "Yes... he truly is."