Chapter 403: The Black Dragon
"A One-Hundred-Year Quest... You mean a job that no one has been able to complete in an entire century?" Lucy gasped in sheer shock.
"That's right. Gildarts went to try and complete a quest that has been left unfinished for a hundred years. I wonder if he succeeded this time?" Mirajane said, walking over to join the conversation.
Hearing the discussion, the members who had joined the guild within the last three years—Lisanna, Gajeel, Juvia, and Kinana—all looked over. Lisanna and Kinana were simply curious about this mysterious Gildarts and the concept of a One-Hundred-Year Quest.
Gajeel and Juvia, however, were intensely intrigued. As highly capable mages themselves, they were fully aware of the terrifying difficulty of Ten-Year Quests, let alone SS-Class missions. They had heard whispers of One-Hundred-Year Quests before, but had largely ignored them. The very name implied it was a suicide mission; anyone foolish enough to attempt one was essentially throwing their life away.
"Isn't that completely absurd though?" Lisanna muttered, glancing around the guildhall. The entire guild was in an uproar of joyous celebration, abandoning their drinks and daily chores entirely.
Gajeel and Juvia silently agreed. It was beyond absurd.
"Setting that aside, what exactly is Magnolia's 'Gildarts Mode'?" Lucy asked, listening to the blaring city-wide broadcast echoing in her ears.
"Oh, that? Just step outside and you'll see," Mirajane giggled, gesturing toward the doors for Lucy, Lisanna, and the newer recruits.
Unable to contain their curiosity, the newer members rushed out the front doors of the guildhall. Gajeel scoffed, trying to maintain his aloof persona, but his feet quickly carried him to the doorway as well to see what all the fuss was about.
Wendy, Meredy, Yukino, and Carla also hurried outside. This was a massive spectacle, and it wasn't something they got to see very often. The last time it happened was three years ago, so they naturally didn't want to miss the show.
A large chunk of the older guild members poured out of the hall to witness the grand event as well.
As the crowd gathered at the entrance, the heavy tolling of the cathedral bell and the blaring broadcast continued to echo across Magnolia.
Suddenly, the alarms abruptly cut off.
And then, they witnessed something utterly mind-boggling.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!!!
From their vantage point, they watched in absolute awe as every single building in Magnolia's downtown sector—foundations and all—began to mechanically shift and slide across the ground.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Lucy shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at the rapidly moving town.
The rest of the newcomers were equally stunned. Even Gajeel and Juvia's jaws dropped; this sheer architectural manipulation was far more staggering than the mobile fortress Phantom Lord used to operate.
After a deafening series of mechanical gears grinding and foundations locking into place, the massive reconfiguration finally stopped.
Right in front of the Fairy Tail guildhall, a massive, perfectly straight, ten-meter-wide path had been carved directly through the center of the city, extending all the way to Magnolia's outer gates. The relocated buildings now safely lined both sides of the grand avenue.
"The... the city literally split open?!" Lucy squeaked, tears of absolute panic pricking the corners of her eyes.
"The magic Gildarts uses is called Crash. It instantly shatters and pulverizes anything he touches into dust," Erza explained with a fond smile, having stepped out to join them.
"So, if he accidentally spaces out while walking, he'll just smash right through any buildings in his path and keep walking," Ultear added smoothly.
"Just how painfully clumsy is this guy?! They redesigned the entire town just for that?!" Lucy deadpanned, utterly bewildered.
"Well, because he used to space out so often, Magnolia's architecture was constantly being destroyed. A massive chunk of his income went straight into paying for property damages. Eventually, the Mayor held a town meeting and they decided it would just be easier to redesign the entire city to accommodate him. Of course, Gildarts invested a huge portion of his own savings to fund the project," Noah chuckled as he walked up beside them.
Lucy and the others fell into a stunned silence. They simply couldn't comprehend how a mage so famously powerful could possess a personality that clueless.
"He's here!" Natsu cheered excitedly.
Down the long, straight avenue, a lone figure slowly approached. He wore a ragged, tattered black cloak that fluttered in the wind, and a mess of swept-back orange hair.
Step... step... step...
As the heavy footsteps drew closer, his features finally became clear. He was a tall, heavily built man in his mid-forties, sporting a rough stubble and a relaxed, rugged aura.
The entire guild erupted into cheers as Gildarts strolled casually toward the guildhall.
"Gildarts! Fight me right now!" Natsu roared, igniting his fists.
"Right off the bat?!" Elfman sweatdropped.
"Welcome back!" Mirajane greeted him with her signature radiant smile.
"So that's Gildarts," Lucy murmured, staring at the rugged man nervously.
Gajeel, Juvia, and the others watched closely from the back. So this was the monster who dared to take on a One-Hundred-Year Quest?
"Oh, miss, are you a new recruit? I don't think I've seen you around before," Gildarts asked, tilting his head as he looked at the sweet, silver-haired barmaid.
"It's me. Mirajane," she giggled.
"Mira?!" Gildarts stared at her in utter disbelief. He mentally compared this gentle, smiling girl to the terrifying, gothic-punk demon teenager in his memories before it finally clicked. "Whoa! You've changed a lot! By the way, is the guild throwing some kind of festival? The decorations look amazing."
Gildarts looked around the colorfully decorated hall in amazement.
"Gildarts!" Ignored, Natsu sprinted forward, stopping just a few feet away from the S-Class mage.
"Oh! Natsu! It's been a long time, kid!" Gildarts grinned warmly.
"Hehe! I said, fight me!" Natsu yelled with a ferocious, excited grin, immediately lunging at the older man.
"Maybe next time," Gildarts replied casually.
Without even looking, he lazily swatted his hand upward.
BAM!
Before Natsu could even register the movement, he was launched into the air like a rocket. He smashed headfirst into the ceiling, his body firmly wedged in the rafters as his legs twitched uncontrollably.
Lucy, Gajeel, and the other newcomers stared in stunned silence. Natsu was undeniably powerful, yet he had been swatted away like a bothersome fly without a shred of resistance.
"A-As expected... he's ridiculously strong!" Natsu groaned from the ceiling, grinning despite his twitching limbs.
"The old man hasn't changed a bit," Gray smirked.
"A true man among men!" Elfman pumped his fist.
"Yes. His strength is as overwhelming as ever," Erza nodded in absolute respect.
"Wow, there are quite a few faces I don't recognize. Things really have changed around here," Gildarts noted, scanning the room with a nostalgic sigh.
Suddenly, his eyes locked onto a very specific person at the back of the room.
"Cana-chan~!"
Gildarts' rugged expression instantly melted into a sickeningly sweet, doting smile. He sprinted forward, leaped into the air, and violently dove toward the card mage for a hug.
"Stupid old man!" Cana reacted instantly, throwing her hand out and slamming her palm directly into his face to stop his momentum.
"Cana-chan~ My adorable Cana-chan! Let daddy look at you~ It's been so long since I've gotten to hug my precious Cana-chan!" Gildarts whined, desperately flailing his arms to bypass her defense.
Cana was forced to use both hands, pushing against his face with all her strength to keep him away. While she was genuinely overjoyed to see him return safely, his suffocatingly intense affection was way too much to handle.
"Wait, what?! Cana is Gildarts' daughter?!" Lucy yelled in shock.
"Yeah. Cana actually joined the guild when she was really little specifically to find her dad," Noah smiled from the sidelines.
Lucy felt like she had just stumbled onto a massive pile of guild gossip, but judging by the chaotic reunion unfolding in front of her, now wasn't the time to pry. She made a mental note to ask Erza or Cana about it later.
After struggling for a bit and realizing he wasn't going to break through Cana's ironclad defense, Gildarts finally gave up and stopped pushing.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Cana lowered her hands.
The absolute second she dropped her guard, a mischievous glint flashed in Gildarts' eyes. He lunged forward at blinding speed and aggressively rubbed his stubbly cheek against hers.
"Gah!" Cana shrieked, frantically shoving his face away again.
Having successfully stolen his hug, Gildarts didn't push his luck. He took two steps back, looking incredibly refreshed and satisfied, while Cana glared at him in utter annoyance.
"Gildarts," Makarov called out from his spot on the bar counter, seeing that the father-daughter reunion had concluded.
"Oh! Master! It's been a while!" Gildarts grinned, walking over to the counter.
"You've worked hard. I am truly glad to see you return safely," Makarov sighed, his tense shoulders finally relaxing.
When he had first received Gildarts' emergency distress signal detailing his severe injuries months ago, Makarov had nearly suffered a heart attack. The subsequent revelation that Gildarts had encountered the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse had amplified his terror to unimaginable heights.
Thankfully, Noah had tracked Gildarts down, treated him, and reported back that his injuries, while serious, weren't life-threatening. Out of fear that the Black Dragon might track him back to Magnolia, Gildarts had intentionally lingered out in the wilderness to throw off any pursuit.
Seeing the man standing before him now in one piece, Makarov finally felt his anxiety wash away.
"Sorry for making you worry," Gildarts replied respectfully. He could see the genuine, fatherly concern in Makarov's eyes, and it deeply moved him.
"That One-Hundred-Year Quest really was impossible, huh? I completely failed," Gildarts sighed, aggressively scratching the back of his head.
"What?!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
"Even Gildarts..."
"...failed a mission?!"
The entire guild erupted into shocked gasps. Noah and Makarov had intentionally kept the failure a secret, so this was the first time anyone was hearing about it.
The guild was genuinely stunned. Gildarts' strength was legendary; he completed every single job he touched. Sure, he caused massive collateral damage and usually had to pay hefty fines, but he never failed. This was an unprecedented first.
"A One-Hundred-Year Quest is still far too early for you. You should give up on the idea for now," Erza advised Lucy, noticing her wide-eyed expression.
"What?! Do I seriously look like I want to try it?!" Lucy shrieked, pointing defensively at her own terrified face.
"The fact that you made it back alive is a victory in its own right," Makarov shook his head gently.
Surviving a direct encounter with Acnologia, the World-Ending Black Dragon, was an achievement practically no human in history could claim.
"Sorry about that. I guess I dragged my perfect record through the mud," Gildarts laughed awkwardly.
"As far as I am aware, you are the absolute first person in history to return alive from that quest. Now that you're home, get some proper rest. Do not take on any more jobs for the time being," Makarov ordered sternly.
If Gildarts felt comfortable returning to the guildhall, it meant he was absolutely certain the Black Dragon hadn't followed him. Still, despite recovering in the wilderness for a while, Makarov knew a clash with a creature of that magnitude required thorough medical attention. At the very least, Noah needed to examine him for lingering aftereffects.
"Yeah, that was the plan," Gildarts nodded.
"Gildarts," Noah spoke up, walking over to the S-Class mage.
"Noah! It's been a minute," Gildarts grinned.
Noah could only sigh internally. They had literally met at the beginning of the year. Between treating his wounds and secretly delivering medical supplies, Noah had seen him several times; it had only been a few months since their last encounter.
"Once you're settled in, come by my house. I need to hook you up to my diagnostic equipment and run a comprehensive scan," Noah instructed.
"Got it," Gildarts nodded, fully aware that Noah simply wanted to double-check that his brutal injuries had healed properly without any hidden complications.
"Well, I'll be taking my leave for now. I need a nap," Gildarts announced to Makarov and Noah, turning around and walking briskly toward the solid brick wall.
"The guild doors are that way, not through the wall!" Noah sighed, grabbing Gildarts by the shoulder and physically spinning him around to face the actual exit.
"Haha! My bad, wasn't looking!" Gildarts laughed awkwardly.
"Honestly, old man. You're hopeless," Cana sighed, walking over.
"Cana-chan~!" Gildarts immediately tried to lean in for another hug.
Cana shoved him away with one hand. "Just go home already!"
"Okay!" Gildarts happily agreed, following Cana toward the exit like a giant, overexcited puppy.
Just as he reached the doors, Gildarts paused and looked over his shoulder at the Dragon Slayer, who had just managed to pry himself out of the ceiling.
"Natsu! Come by my place later! I've got a present for you! Hahaha!"
Natsu blinked in confusion for a second before a massive grin spread across his face. He was incredibly excited to see what the old man had brought back.
With a final wave, Gildarts and Cana left the guildhall together.
The moment the doors swung shut, the guild exploded into frantic chatter, exclusively discussing Gildarts and the terrifying One-Hundred-Year Quest.
Natsu excitedly waved Happy over and sprinted out of the guildhall.
"You don't seem surprised at all that he failed his quest," Ultear noted, looking at Noah.
"I already knew he failed. I also know exactly why. I'll explain it to you guys later," Noah replied quietly.
Ultear nodded in understanding. The others who overheard were insanely curious, but they didn't push it. If Noah felt it was safe to share, he would. If he kept it quiet, it meant the information was too dangerous to casually throw around.
Noah then left the guildhall, heading straight for Gildarts' house. If Gildarts had invited Natsu over, he was undoubtedly going to tell the Dragon Slayer about the Black Dragon. Noah needed to be there to monitor the situation.
"Do you think the present is some super rare foreign fire?!" Natsu excitedly guessed as he marched through the streets.
"I wonder what it could be!" Happy cheered beside him.
Fueled by Natsu's boundless excitement, the duo quickly arrived at Gildarts' modest home.
"Yo!"
"Pardon the intrusion!"
Natsu and Happy pushed the door open.
Cana, who was relaxing inside, smiled at them. "Oh, you guys are here."
"Where's the present?!" Natsu asked immediately, looking at Gildarts with eyes full of pure anticipation.
"Natsu, Happy. Glad you made it," Gildarts smiled, sitting near the window.
"The present! The present!" Natsu chanted energetically.
"Alright, alright, you're way too impatient," Gildarts shook his head, though his fond smile proved he wasn't annoyed by Natsu's childish energy.
He paused, and when he spoke again, his voice had dropped into a low, incredibly serious octave.
"Natsu... at the place where I took that job... I saw a dragon."
Natsu froze. His eyes shot wide open in absolute shock.
"But..." Gildarts continued, his gaze darkening with a haunting memory. "...I don't think it was the red dragon you've been searching for. It was a Black Dragon."
~~~
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