"Gild!!"
Upon hearing a familiar voice along with his old nickname, that only those he is close with will call him that. Gildarts turned his attention towards the owner of that voice.
And that owner, is someone this middle-aged man knows every well, as Gildarts turned around and faced the wild kid that ran towards him and the other, and as expected, it wasn't just himself, who turned their attention to the newcomer, who came before them.
"Is that you Natsu? Boy, how you had grown! I thought you were away on a Job or something, seeing you nowhere in sight when I came back!" Gildarts went with a hearty tone of voice while looking at this young pink haired teenager, that is only 14 years old, Natsu Dragneel.
In a way, Gildarts always can see himself in Natsu Dragneel.
He does not mean the stupidity of the young Dragon Slayer, but something else.
Gildarts is known by many things.
Like the Ace of Fairy Tail.
The strongest within the Guild.
As well the Destroyer of Dark Guilds.
His name is not just known within Fiore, but even across the whole of Ishgar continent.
But this so-called walking legend never saw himself as such.
In the first place, he did not learned Magic to become the strongest.
But for the adventures that awaits a Wizard in their line of work.
Gildarts is the kind of a man who loved to explore the unknown, to face any challenge thrown at him.
After all, that is the kind of man he is, the kind of man Gildarts Clive truly is.
This is why, when he learnt about Crush Magic, an advanced Magic, that not only complexed, but hard to mastery, he saw a challenge to learn this complexed advanced Magic system.
Maybe this is why, he liked this wild kid, because both himself and Natsu are very similar.
They both bold, curious, and have the willingness to face any challenge thrown at them.
If Gildarts has to label what they both have within them, he will call it an adventurous soul, the soul of a challenger, is the kind of soul himself and Natsu has.
"Nah, me and Zack were in the forest, sparring! Never mind that Gild, when did you returned back!?" Natsu went, while Gildarts himself turned his eyes away from Natsu, who is now standing before him, and looked at Zack who also walking towards them.
"You here as well, Zack? What is this, the second time, or the third time since we met?" Gildarts went with a hearty laugh, looking at the kid that has changed a lot, especially the first time they had met.
Normally, Gildarts is not good at remembering first meetings, but the first time he met Zack Smasher, is something he will never forget.
How can he not?
Seeing a ragging Erza chasing after a certain naked teenager running towards him, is something no sane person would be able to forget.
Of course, this is not the true reason why Gildarts remembers that day so well.
The reason why their first meeting was special… was because it was the first time in the whole of his life, that he was almost smacked by a certain something… a 'little monster' to be right, almost hit his face, when he was frozen at such a sight.
How can he not forget something like that?
"Hahaha, you really had changed a lot, especially from the first time I had met you!" Gildarts went with a laugh.
"Did I??" Zack went, a little unsure what Gildarts meant by this, to be honest, the meetings between Zack and Gildarts are four times, this being the fourth time they had seen each other.
The first time was something Zack did not even remember, after all, back then, the old Zack were more interested in the rearranged Magnolia, than some stranger he almost unknowingly smacked a 'certain' something across the stunned stranger's face.
He did not even realised Erza was hot on his tail, as he ran around the reformed town of Magnolia with glee and excited, before he captured by the furious Erza, and dragged back to the guild.
"You had, trust me. And Natsu, I had just returned not long ago. So the two of you were sparring in the forest? Ahaha, how I miss those kinds of days, that is how men should bound, not over flowery words, but with their knuckles!" Gildarts went with a loud hearty laugh, before he grabbed the gin glass besides him, and downed the thing in one go.
"Right you are! Speaking of bounding between men, how about it Gild, fight me!" Natsu, the ever so battle manic shouted this, asking Gildarts to fight him.
One might question both the stupidity and the insanity of asking someone of Gildarts' level to fight them, especially when the challenger could be instantly killed with barely any effort from someone at Gildarts' level.
And yet, instead of being offended by this idiotic level request, a wide grin appeared on Gildarts' face, after all, how can he not be offended?
When the one who challenges is as bold and adventurous as himself?
This is why Gildarts began to loudly laughed, before he gives an answer.
"I am hurt, Natsu! I haven't seen you for ages, and yet the first thing you say, is you want to fight me, I like that! But a shame, I really thought you wanted to hear about the stories of my latest journey?" Gildarts went, causing Natsu to become startled when he heard this.
It is well known thing within the Guild, that many loved to listen to the tales and stories that happens on Gildarts' journeys.
Just like a balladeer who sings the tales of the old legends, it came a thing within the Guild that many looked forward to, to listen to their ace's tales, as if Gildarts is no normal Wizard, but a bard, who is describing their own tales and adventures.
"T-That! W-Well… Ahh! What to do… I want to listen, but I also wanted to duel… what should I do!?" Natsu went in full panic mode, causing Gildarts to heartly laughed, and he not the only one who laughed at this.
"Can I also duel you as well?"
When Gildarts was about to answer this follow adventurous soul like himself. Someone else called out to him, asking to duel him as well
This put a slight shock expression on Gildarts' face, especially when he is not the only one who looked shocked, since the who asked to duel him just like Natsu, is no other than Zack Smasher himself.
Gray, who also has been in the guild hall since the beginning, Elfman, that also in the guild, alongside Cana, who was drinking away heavily, all stopped what they were doing, and also looked at Zack the same way as Gildarts and everyone else.
It is not a strange thing, to see Zack challenging someone.
However, besides a certain Valkyrie. Zack never challenges someone who is either unwilling or out of his league.
Especially when everyone in the Guild knew that Zack has the ability to see strength of others, through this so-called auras they all seems to carry.
So, it is no wonder, why they were shocked, seeing someone who never challenged someone out of his level, besides a certain red haired Valkyrie, and then challenged the one that almost everyone within the Guild that has acknowledged as the strongest among them.
And yet, Gildarts who still shocked by this sudden request out of him. Cannot deny the determination within those grassy green eyes looking at him, causing this middle-aged man to grin at this serious determination before him.
"Hahaha, how can I say no, when I see those eyes filled with resolve? And yet again, that is how Wizard should be, they should be bold while wise! But I am curious, while I do accept this challenge, do tell why the sudden request of this duel?" Gildarts askes, curious what made someone like Zack, who normally wouldn't ask something like this.
"There is something… I need to control… but this something only seems to activate when I am overwhelmed. That is why I need an overwhelming situation, or to face someone way stronger than myself… so I can grasp and learn how to control and weld it."
Zack looked at his hand when he said this, as he tried to pull out the Supreme King Haki from within him. And yet, just like before, there is no response, even if he could sense it.
This made Zack believed, he needs to recreate that moment, the very same moment when he for the first time used the Supreme King Haki.
That is why Zack asked to challenge someone way beyond his own level, all so he could face something overwhelming, something so extreme, that will pressure him into using the Supreme King Haki on an instinctive level.
All so he could grasp how to weld and control the Haki that known as the strongest among the three colours.
Not to mention, Gildarts is the only person Zack can think of, besides Erza, who is currently away on a S-Class Job.
A mission that required of her to escort some noble out of the Fiore Kingdom, to Iceberg, a nation that one has to go through both Seven and Bosco Kingdoms to reach.
A journey that will take over a month on a carriage either way.
Of course, there is others besides Erza in the guild he can ask, like Mirajane, Makarov, and such.
However, Zack did not think of asking of either of them. He did not asked Makarov, because he honestly thought the old little man will refuse, or maybe because in Zack's mind, someone as tall as Gildarts is more imposing than Makarov is.
As for Mirajane?
For some reason, that he does not understand himself, Zack felt he will never be able to properly face Mirajane seriously, if he were to asked her.
Maybe that is why, Mirajane never came to mind, when it came to such matters.
So, when he has heard that Gildarts has returned to the Guild, he knew he could ask him of this, especially when Gildarts is known for not turning down any kind of challenges towards him.
"..." When Gildarts heard this, he stayed quiet for a single moment, before a wider grin appeared on his face, and also got up from the still that he was sitting on and began to cracked his neck while he got up
"Such an honest request, sorry guys, story time has to await, how can I call myself an adult, when an aspiring young lad asked me for my help." When Gildarts said this, the whole of the Guild became noisy, as well chaotic.
"I can understand with Natsu, but Zack?"
"I know, right? But either way this will be a good show."
"I know right~ Should we bet how long Natsu and Zack will last?"
"No, that kind of bet is only interesting, if it was one person challenge Gild, not two, I say we bet who last the longest!"
"Hahaha, now you speaking my language! 500 Jewels on Natsu will win!"
"No, Zack will last longer, with his strange abilities, I bet 10,000 on him!"
"There is no way you have that much!"
"I do, unlike you guys, I don't drink, nor I like to blow up stuff, that cuts away my pay."
"W-Who are you!? I call imposter! There is an imposter among us!! Show us your Fairy Mark!!!"
"Why the heck I am a… wait don't pull down my pants!! Don't you see the mark on my arm, it's not even covered up!!"
While the guild became noisy and chaotic, those around Zack and Natsu's age, also taken aback by this as well.
Elfman looked surprised, and unsure how to take this, but he did not say a word, even if the shy teenager stood near Gray and Cana, who sat next to each other.
"Wow, I didn't not expect that from Zack, any clue why?" Cana went still looking at Zack.
"Well, yeah, I properly do. Speaking of which, you okay? You seems… quieter than usual, did something happened?"
Gray asked, looking at his friend, who looked startled for a split second, before she gives her usual hearty laugh, and grabbed the tankard of ale before her, and drink a mouthful of it.
"Ahh… that hit the spot, not much, just thinking of somethings, nothing to worry about… at all." Cana went, sounding like an excuse not to talk about it, but Gray, and even Elfman who happened to peek at Cana and Gray, did not miss the glance towards Gildarts' way.
But neither of them said anything, or maybe it was Cana next words, clearly a way to run away whatever is on her mind.
"Alright! I am curious who will last the longest, aren't you? And what better to watch a show with, a heavy drink at that!" Cana went with a grin, causing Gray to sighed with some relief, seeing her usual self-back.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to have a drink or two, not like it will do anything to me, with how Ethernano works and all." Gray went, feeling it is wiser to company his friend, whatever is on her mind.
Cana on the other hand, can see this stripper only companying her to make her feel comfortable, not like Cana hates it, in fact, she likes it, especially when it always nice to have a drinking buddy or two.
"A drink or two? Alright, owner we need two of the finest kegs of ale!" Cana went, calling out towards at a female guild member, who is helping out with the Guild Hall's bar.
"Wait a damned moment! I said a drink, not a damned barrel!!" Gray shouted, while Cana just laughed.
"Seriously Gray, you been in the guild long enough to know, a keg of wine, ale, or whatever inside, is just another bottle for us drink from!" Cana went with a grin, while Gray sighed, as he wanted to say that no true… but he cannot say a word, when common sense in this Guild, is as chaotic as its nature.