Chapter 566: Fear, Weakness
"Do you still want to fight, Lucy?" Loke spun her keyring around his finger with a teasing grin.
"Even without my keys or my whip, giving up isn’t my style!" Lucy clenched her fists and struck a fighting stance.
"Alright then." Loke tucked the keys into his pocket with ease.
Lucy watched carefully, thinking this was her chance. She dashed forward without hesitation. "Lucy, Flying Kick!"
Against common thugs, this move almost always worked; one solid kick was usually enough to finish them.
But now she was facing Loke.
He caught her ankle with perfect timing and lifted her upside down.
"Ahhh!!!"
Lucy’s golden hair dangled toward the ground, and gravity tugged at her swimsuit in a very unflattering way. Her chest nearly slipped free from the tiny bikini top.
On the other side, Mest, who was locked in a fierce battle with Gray, heard her scream. Quite naturally, he got distracted.
"Ora!"
Gray, following nothing but instinct, delivered a clean right hook to Mest’s face. He didn’t even use Ice Make magic, just his fist.
"Wahhh!" Mest didn’t even have time to complain about why a fellow Mage’s punches hurt this much before he was sent flying.
He slammed into a stone pillar beneath the flag and crumpled to the ground. His vision blurred.
The last thought to flash through his head was oddly familiar: last year, he’d suddenly blacked out too during the exam. ’Was history repeating itself?’
He tilted his head to the side and lost consciousness completely.
"Mest!" Lucy gasped, only for Gray to approach her with a mischievous grin.
"It’s still not too late to give up, you know."
"I won’t!" Lucy shouted, still defiant even as she dangled upside down.
Gray sighed. "Then there’s nothing we can do." He clasped his hands together. "Ice Make: Shackles!"
Chains of ice coiled around Lucy’s wrists and ankles, locking her tight. No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break free, only wriggling helplessly on the floor.
Gray and Loke shared a quick look, then each grabbed one of her feet.
"Hey, hey, wait...what are you...ah ha...no...stop it! Hahaha...nooo!"
The two had launched their "ultimate technique", mercilessly tickling the soles of her feet. Lucy twisted and squirmed, laughter spilling uncontrollably from her lips.
She fought to endure it, even laughing until tears streamed down her face, but in the end, she couldn’t hold out. "Haha...I...hahaha I give up!"
The stone door to the next stage rumbled open, signaling their victory. Only then did Gray and Loke finally let her go.
Lucy collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air as she wiped at her teary cheeks. "You two are the worst! That was so cruel!"
"Sorry, sorry," Loke said smoothly, offering back her keys with the tone of someone trying to charm a girlfriend. "We just couldn’t bring ourselves to hurt you for real."
Lucy wasn’t fooled. She snatched the keys back, clipped them to her belt, and swore silently she’d get revenge one day.
Gray gave her a more genuine smile. "Sorry too. Since we were opponents, I’ll apologize properly later. Mest is in your care."
"Oh, right, I have something for you, as an apology." Loke pulled out a long, slender black staff and handed it to Lucy.
Lucy puffed her cheeks. "What’s this supposed to be?"
"The extendable whip of the Celestial Spirit World, Star River of Eridanus. I’ve wanted to give it to you for a long time." With a casual wave, Loke walked off with Gray. "It should suit you perfectly."
"Star River...?" Lucy flicked it experimentally. In an instant, the black stick extended into a dazzling whip interwoven with blue and gold. It lashed across the entire cave, cracking the stones in the far wall.
"Amazing!"
Lucy’s eyes sparkled. She could feel immediately that Star River wasn’t just a whip, it was a Celestial Spirit of its own. But this one seemed to have little intelligence, unable to speak.
Even so, it had remarkable qualities. It required no key, didn’t count against her summoning slots, and could remain in the human world indefinitely.
"This is incredible!" Lucy admired her new weapon, only to shout down the cave after Gray and Loke, who were already gone, "Why didn’t you give this to me before the fight?!"
Gray tugged on the flower-print shirt Loke had tossed him and rubbed the cheek where Mest had managed to land a punch. "We’ve wasted so much time already. We might be the slowest group."
"There’s no helping that. This round isn’t about speed anyway," Loke replied coolly. "And we’re lucky enough to have beaten Mest."
Gray frowned. "True... but I can’t shake the feeling he should be a lot stronger."
"Hmm..." Loke tilted his head, then smirked. "Come to think of it, did I ever fight him before?"
"How should I know?" Gray shot back. "Rhodes said Mest’s pretty strong, just had bad luck in the last exam and ran into Mystogan."
That was enough for Loke. If Rhodes vouched for him, there was no reason to doubt it further.
Suddenly, the ground shook violently. Both Gray and Loke froze, eyes wide.
"That surge just now..." Loke’s expression turned grim. "That was magic power?!"
Gray swallowed hard. "Yeah... and I think Gildarts just cut loose."
"Just his magic power..." Loke muttered in disbelief.
"I wonder who was unlucky enough to run into him," Gray said, his tone a mix of sympathy and dread.
Route E
The entire cave system shook as Gildarts unleashed his aura. His hair bristled, and his cloak rippled upward from the sheer force of his magic. He hadn’t even cast a spell yet, the raw pressure alone was enough to make the ground quake across every exam route.
Natsu dropped to his knees. The reckless firebrand who never backed down suddenly found himself trembling.
Just the sight of Gildarts’ eyes, just the feel of that overwhelming magic power, his body refused to move. Every spark of fighting spirit inside him sputtered out.
He knew in his gut. He couldn’t win.
What he felt wasn’t determination. It was fear.
Natsu’s whole body shook uncontrollably. For the first time, with an opponent right before him, he didn’t even have the courage to throw a single punch.
"I lose."
The words slipped out before he could stop them. He couldn’t believe he had said them himself. His magic power wasn’t spent, his stamina wasn’t gone. But still, he surrendered.
"Natsu..." Happy’s small body trembled. His wide eyes filled with tears. He knew how much this exam meant to Natsu, how hard he’d trained for the chance at S-Class.
And yet, crushed by aura alone, forced to yield before the fight had even begun, Happy couldn’t imagine the pain Natsu felt in his heart.
If he gave up now, it would be another year before he’d have this chance again.
"Very good."
Gildarts let his aura fade, his expression softening into a gentle smile.
"You’re different from most Mages, Natsu. You never lack courage. You’ll throw yourself against any opponent without hesitation. That’s your greatest strength, and also your greatest weakness.
"To charge forward without fear is admirable. But to truly grow, you must also understand fear. Only then will you recognize your own weaknesses, and only then can you grow stronger, kinder, and more considerate of others."
His gaze softened further. "Lately, you’ve been aiming to surpass Rhodes, haven’t you? The Master told me that ever since that kid joined the guild, he’s carried a constant unease, always restless, always afraid.
"And because he knows his own weakness so well, he keeps striving to become stronger. Because he’s always worrying about others, he wants to help in any way he can, to make sure everyone comes home safe."
In the past, Gildarts might not have understood Rhodes. But after facing the black dragon, after losing half his body in a single, playful blow, he understood far more.
"Lift your head, Natsu. Fear is not shameful. It is essential. And now... you’ve learned it. That means you’ve passed."
Gildarts folded his arms with a fatherly smile. "Go forward. Face the next trials. Surpass every rival you’ve set your eyes on. Become the S-Class Mage you’re meant to be!"
"Gildarts..." Natsu’s shoulders shook. He raised his face, tears streaming freely, his chest tight with emotion.
"Have faith in yourself," Gildarts said. "But don’t forget, passing my stage doesn’t mean the exam is over. There are still more tests ahead!"