Smack!
Kaien clamped one hand around Gajeel's neck and lifted him off the ground.
"Why would someone this weak dare to provoke Fairy Tail? I'm genuinely curious—can you tell me why?"
"M-Monster…"
This time, Gajeel truly understood what fear was.
This guy wasn't human—he was a real monster. Why had he provoked them? Easy—he had no idea Fairy Tail housed something this terrifying.
He tried to cast a spell, but Kaien saw through it immediately.
"AAARRRGHHHH!!"
Gajeel screamed in agony as Kaien's grip tightened.
He'd hardened his neck with magic to be like steel, but in Kaien's grasp, it felt like rubber. He could feel it—if Kaien wanted to, he could snap his neck at any moment.
"Kaien! That's enough!!"
Makarov's voice rang out.
Only then did Kaien release his grip.
Thud!
"Cough! Cough!!"
Gajeel hit the ground hard, coughing violently.
Kaien raised his foot and kicked Gajeel hard in the gut.
"AAAGHHH!!"
Gajeel let out a pained howl as he flew backward toward the Phantom Lord rest area.
"Ughhh!!"
Several Phantom Lord members couldn't dodge in time and were knocked over as Gajeel crashed into them, triggering a chorus of groans.
Jose's face darkened to pitch black.
Five matches. Five defeats.
The script he'd written in his head was completely flipped. He had imagined Phantom Lord winning all five matches. Instead…
Trash. Every last one of them was trash.
[The match is over!]
[Winner: Fairy Tail's Kaien!]
[Five-for-five! Fairy Tail is unstoppable!!]
"Fairy Tail is amazing!"
"Yeah! I thought Phantom Lord was stronger! Turns out they lost all five!"
"Fairy Tail really is the number one Mage Guild in Fiore." …
The audience had made up their minds: Fairy Tail was a tier above Phantom Lord.
"As expected… Kaien in that form is terrifying."
Fairy Tail's members felt a wave of relief seeing Gajeel beaten so badly.
In their hearts, only two people in the guild stood apart—even above the rest of the S-Class: Kaien and Gildarts.
Gildarts was acknowledged as the strongest Fairy Tail mage—his Crush Magic unmatched.
Kaien, on the other hand, was rising at incredible speed. Six months ago, he was just another S-Class. Now? He was already catching up to Gildarts.
Even if Gajeel was strong, he was no match for Kaien.
"Hmph!"
Jose snorted coldly and stood up to leave.
Five defeats. There was no point continuing. If Gajeel had won, he would've challenged Makarov next—maybe even placed Phantom Lord above Fairy Tail in reputation.
But now, even if he beat Makarov, people would still say Fairy Tail was stronger.
Suddenly—
Kaien's voice echoed out: "Jose, get out here!!"
"What?!"
Everyone—Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail alike—was startled by his shout.
[What?! Kaien just challenged the Phantom Lord Guild Master, Jose!!]
The crowd erupted in chatter. Sure, Kaien was strong, but—
Saint Wizards were legendary.
Kaien was challenging Jose?
Jose, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, officially recognized by the Magic Council as one of the ten most powerful mages on the continent.
These weren't mages you could compare to the average—they were monsters who stood at the peak of the Ishgar continent.
"Is he insane?!"
Even Phantom Lord members thought Kaien had gone mad. No matter how cocky, you don't pick a fight with a Saint Wizard.
Fairy Tail felt the same.
"You brat! Don't be reckless!!"
Makarov spoke up urgently. Others might not know Jose's true strength, but he did.
Jose's character was questionable, but his magical power was undeniable. He'd already been a Saint Wizard six years ago, and he was still young—with lots of room to grow.
Now, even Makarov couldn't say he could beat him for sure.
"Yeah, Kaien! You just finished a battle—your magic power…"
Erza also spoke up. The stronger Kaien's performance had looked, the more magic he must have used. The fight with Gajeel was overwhelming, but the cost in magic was massive.
Jose's gaze turned icy as he looked at Kaien. "What did you just say, brat?"
Kaien stared him down. "Jose. Get out here."
BOOM————!!
A terrifying surge of magic burst from Jose.
"You insolent brat!!"
He roared with fury. The ground around him exploded under the pressure.
"Insolent? Maybe. But I'd rather be insolent than despicable. You destroyed the Fairy Tail Guildhall. Gajeel was the one who did it, but you were the mastermind. I've punished the offender—what makes you think I'd let the one behind it walk away?"
"Oh? And what are you going to do?" Jose's face twisted into a cruel grin.
Kaien beckoned with one finger. "You. Up here. Six years ago, the old man beat you down. Now it's my turn."
GASP—!!
Kaien's declaration shook everyone to the core.
Did he just say… he was going to beat up a Saint Wizard?
"Wait… was this his goal from the start?"
Fairy Tail members began to realize—it seemed like Kaien had planned this all along.
"Heh… Heh heh heh… Hahahahaha!!!"
Jose broke into hysterical laughter.
"So I've been quiet too long, and now even jumping clowns think they can walk on my head? Makarov, big brother, you're not going to stop this?"
Jose turned his gaze to Makarov.
"This is the path the kids have chosen. I won't stand in their way."
Makarov didn't know if Kaien was acting on impulse, but right now—as a father—he supported Kaien's decision.
"In that case, don't come crying if I cripple him, Makarov."
Jose was furious—but also resolved.
He was going to utterly destroy Kaien. Fairy Tail couldn't be allowed to harbor such a monstrous talent.
Someone like Kaien had to be snuffed out before he grew even stronger. In a few more years, he could become a real threat.
Jose stepped onto the center stage.
A dark, terrifying aura billowed around him. Everyone who felt it couldn't help but feel their hearts freeze.
Mirajane covered her nose, deeply worried. "Such evil magic… Just facing him makes me want to vomit."
Kaien opened his system interface.
He selected all the character cards from his last draw and chose to recycle them.
[Ding! Recycle selected cards?]
"Yes!"
[Ding! Recycle successful! Your magic level has increased!]
[Current Magic: ★★★★★★]