Natsu: I'm Taking on the Final Boss Solo!

Unlike Happy, Natsu was engulfed in flames.

He seemed to have transformed into a little sun.

"I'm fired up!!"

Natsu roared and suddenly pushed off with his feet, charging straight towards Jiang Bai like a cannonball.

"Jiang Bai! Take this! Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

"Natsu, don't be so reckless!"

Happy followed behind, almost in tears.

This is Jiang Bai!

The monster in the entire guild that defies common sense!

However, Natsu's fiery iron fist, powerful enough to melt gold and iron, couldn't even get within half a meter of Jiang Bai.

An invisible force instantly immobilized him in mid-air, rendering him unable to move.

Immediately afterwards, that force was casually flicked away.

"Bang!"

Natsu was like a piece of trash that had been thrown out; he was slammed into the cave wall next to him, leaving a standard human-shaped crater.

Jiang Bai didn't even change his posture, still lying lazily in the chair, only clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction.

"Honestly, at least let me put the chair away."

He reached out and patted his beloved recliner.

"Mira specially picked this out for me. If you break it, it'll be fine for you, but I might not be so lucky."

"Crack... Crack..."

A sound of falling gravel rang out.

Natsu shook his head, pulled himself out of the wall, and dusted himself off.

Far from being discouraged, he grinned and revealed an extremely excited smile.

"Haha! The gap is still so big!"

Jiang Bai raised an eyebrow, sat up from the recliner, and looked at him.

"What? You're already giving up?"

"How is that possible!"

Natsu clenched his fists, the fighting spirit in his eyes burning even brighter than before.

"I must become S-Class!"

After saying that, he took a deep breath, his chest bulging, and launched another attack in Jiang Bai's direction.

"The Fire Dragon's Roar!"

The scorching dragon breath, like a thick pillar of fire, erupted instantly, burning a charred trench in the ground along its path.

However, this powerful magic, capable of leveling a small mountain, seemed to have struck an invisible wall of sighs when it reached Jiang Bai.

The flames scattered wildly in all directions, yet they could not advance even an inch further.

Even Jiang Bai's 'Infinity' cannot be broken through.

"Natsu, what should we do? He wasn't hurt at all."

Happy was flying in mid-air, anxiously circling around.

If once isn't enough, then twice!

The word "give up" does not exist in Natsu's dictionary.

"If it doesn't work twice, then keep trying!"

Jiang Bai found his persistent and determined demeanor, despite repeated defeats, somewhat amusing.

This kid is exactly the same as he was when he was a child.

Natsu!

Jiang Bai spoke.

"Actually, your current strength is already enough, and you will become even stronger in the future."

"If you were to fight without restraint, you might be even stronger than Erza and Mirajane right now."

Natsu was taken aback by Jiang Bai's praise.

"However," Jiang Bai changed the subject.

"You're still too green for me."

Don't think I'm going to lose like this!

Natsu roared, and his magical power erupted once more.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"

Flames erupted from his arms, resembling two enormous flaming blades, which he slashed fiercely at Jiang Bai.

After the attack, Natsu quickly retreated to create distance, but his attacks did not stop.

"And this! The Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

A highly concentrated Explosive Flame of flames condensed in his hand and then roared out.

"It's not over yet!"

Natsu leaped high into the air, clasped his hands together, and a massive sword made of flames appeared in his hands.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Blade!"

A series of fluid and uninterrupted moves.

"Boom!"

Violent explosions rang out incessantly, and the entire site was shrouded in raging flames and billowing smoke.

According to the "no harm from smoke" principle, that's right, Natsu did not cause Jiang Bai any harm.

Jiang Bai's voice drifted slowly from the smoke and dust.

"Natsu, you've really improved a lot over the years."

As the smoke cleared, his unharmed figure was revealed.

Not to mention being injured, there wasn't even a speck of dust on their clothes.

Jiang Bai calmly advised, "You can explore the temperature and compression aspects of the flame later; you'll be surprised by the results."

After a pause, Jiang Bai continued, "However, you should be very clear about the standards for this assessment; it's not about you defeating me."

"Huff... huff..."

Natsu was panting heavily; that continuous burst of energy had taken a huge toll on his stamina.

"What are the standards?"

"It's to make you understand the principle that there are always people more capable than you," Jiang Bai's voice became serious.

"Let me make you understand that the demonic path is endless."

As soon as he finished speaking, an indescribable, almost tangible, terrifying magical power erupted from Jiang Bai's body!

However, he precisely controlled this power, preventing the magic from spreading recklessly and destroying the surrounding environment. Instead, it solidified into a single force, as if it were tangible, and rushed straight towards Natsu in front of him.

Meanwhile, on the coast of Tenrou Island.

Makarov, who had just arrived on the island, was preparing to find a place to rest and wait for the results of his children's tests.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he paused, turned sharply, and looked into the depths of the island.

"This feeling..."

Makarov sighed, "I wonder who's so unlucky to run into that brat Jiang Bai first."

And at the very center of the magical impact.

Happy, who was only swept by the aftershock, felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, so heavy that he could hardly breathe.

The pressure Natsu faced when confronting this magic was unimaginable.

In his eyes, Jiang Bai seemed to have vanished.

Instead, there was a bottomless, endless abyss that swallowed everything.

That's an absolute difference in the level of life.

It is the most primal fear that ants feel when they look up at a dragon.

This disparity caused Natsu's body to begin trembling uncontrollably.

This wasn't because he was afraid.

It was his body's instincts that were frantically warning him: Run! Run! This person in front of him is absolutely not to be an enemy!

Jiang Bai, his voice calm yet carrying a power that struck straight to the heart.

"Natsu, face your own weaknesses. Only then can you go further."

"Oh!"

Natsu suddenly let out a soft, ambiguous chuckle.

"That kind of thing..."

He gritted his teeth and used his strong will to forcefully suppress his body's instinctive reaction.

The violently trembling body gradually stopped.

He raised his head, and his pupils, which had been somewhat unfocused by fear, regained their light and became bright and piercing.

He stared directly at Jiang Bai, his gaze unwavering.

"I already knew!"