Evening, Fairy Tail guild.
"Cheers!"
Macao, Elfman, and the other Fairy Tail's members raised their glasses in celebration.
Although nominally it was to welcome the newcomer Wendy, in reality, the Fairy Tail Guild was this lively every single day.
"It's really lively, this guild!"
Wendy, looking at everyone's happy faces, said to Carla beside her with a smile.
"Such a noisy bunch!"
Carla, with her arms crossed, said with clear annoyance.
At that moment, Cana, reeking of alcohol, walked up to Wendy and said drunkenly, "Wendy, let's have a drink!"
Hearing Cana, Wendy held her hands up in front of her and said somewhat flusteredly, "Um..."
"Stop it, Cana! Wendy is still a child!"
Just then, Erza intervened.
"Erza, let's have a drink!"
Cana then offered the glass to Erza.
Erza looked at the glass without speaking. Cana then offered the glass to Kenichi beside Erza: "Then, Kenichi..."
"Kenichi, don't..."
Originally, Erza wanted to say, don't drink with Cana.
After all, Cana drank by the barrel.
But before Erza could finish her sentence, Kenichi had already taken the glass from Cana and downed it in one go.
"Oh~ Not bad, Kenichi! Then have another one!"
Saying this, Cana refilled Kenichi's glass.
Erza beside them looked helpless.
This was exactly what she was worried about.
"Gildarts, come have a drink!"
Just then, someone in the hall said this.
Looking towards the source, they saw Gildarts in his large cloak walking into the guild.
"Gildarts!"
Seeing Gildarts enter, Mirajane, in her red dress, called out to him with a smile.
Hearing Mirajane, Gildarts acknowledged the person who had invited him to drink earlier, then walked directly over.
"Mira, Erza, the guild has really changed, huh? In the blink of an eye, you've all grown up too."
Gildarts took a glass of wine offered by Mirajane and said casually.
"Well, you haven't been back for three years. A lot has happened in between."
As Mirajane said this, the image of her younger sister Lisanna suddenly appeared in her mind.
And at that moment, the gentle smile that was always on her face vanished.
Gildarts had already learned about Lisanna from Natsu during the day.
Now, seeing the expression on Mirajane's face, Gildarts immediately shifted his gaze to Kenichi and Lucy before him, changing the subject: "And these two are?"
"Let me introduce them!"
"These two are newcomers who joined the guild this year, Kenichi and Lucy!"
"By the way, Kenichi is now considered, along with you, one of the strongest candidates in Fairy Tail!"
Erza glanced at Kenichi and introduced him to Gildarts with a smile.
"Strongest candidate?!"
Natsu, who was roughhousing with Gray and the others not far away, perked up his ears upon hearing this topic and immediately rushed over.
"Oh, Natsu!"
Seeing Natsu charge over, Gildarts raised his arm in greeting.
"Gildarts, Kenichi, let's settle this!"
Natsu swung his arms and said with a face full of fighting spirit.
"What? Gildarts and Kenichi are going to fight?"
As soon as Natsu finished speaking, the previously extremely noisy guild instantly fell silent. At that moment, everyone's gaze turned towards Kenichi and Gildarts.
A battle between the veteran king and the strongest newcomer.
Macao and the other Fairy Tail's members seemed very interested.
"Who is stronger, Gildarts or Kenichi?"
"Probably Gildarts. Gildarts is the strongest in our guild!"
"But Kenichi isn't weak either! He defeated that Laxus!"
"We'll know if they have a match!"
While everyone was discussing, Kenichi also looked at Gildarts with a face full of fighting spirit.
Putting aside Gildarts' Crush Magic attribute for now, Kenichi originally wanted to fight Gildarts, the strongest in Fairy Tail.
At this moment, Gildarts, seeing the fighting spirit on Kenichi and Natsu's faces, scratched his head and said lazily, "What a hassle. Well, let's have a little spar then. Let's see how much strength the newcomers in the guild have nowadays."
"He actually agreed!"
Hearing Gildarts' words, Macao and the others, who loved watching excitement and didn't mind trouble, became extremely excited.
Then, under everyone's anticipation, Natsu, Kenichi, and Gildarts went outside the guild.
And Macao, Gray, and the others gathered around.
"A three-way free-for-all?"
"Natsu will probably be taken out instantly by these two."
"Not probably, definitely!"
While everyone was talking, Natsu, who couldn't wait any longer, moved his feet and shot directly towards Gildarts.
"Fire Dragon's Iron..."
Once in front of Gildarts, Natsu's fist wreathed in crimson flames slammed directly towards Gildarts.
But before Natsu could even finish his words, Gildarts once again casually sent Natsu flying.
"Natsu, you step aside for now."
Gildarts looked at Kenichi and said.
Lucy, Gray, and the others said helplessly, "As expected, he was taken out instantly."
"Next is Kenichi and Gildarts. Which of them is stronger?"
Macao and the others looked at Kenichi and Gildarts facing each other from a distance, their faces full of anticipation.
Only Erza looked worried.
After all, she knew how dangerous Gildarts' Crush Magic was.
If he wasn't careful, Kenichi could be in danger.
"Kenichi..."