Awakening! The Second Origin!

The news of the Grand Magic Games was like a shot of adrenaline, injecting a powerful boost into the hearts of every member of Fairy Tail.

The next morning, before dawn, a large group of people had already gathered in the forest behind the guild.

Natsu, Gajeel, Gray, Wendy, Elfman, Juvia, Lucy, Erza, Mirajane, and even Laxus, who is usually elusive, all appeared here.

A mixture of anticipation and nervousness lingered on everyone's faces.

"Yosh! It's finally starting! I'm getting fired up!" Natsu clenched his fists, radiating an aura of eager anticipation.

Jiang Bai arrived late, yawning.

Looking at the group of energetic students in front of him, who seemed to be going on a picnic, he simply lazily held up one finger.

"The way to become stronger is very simple."

"First, you must understand that magic originates from the power within."

Therefore, a strong will is an essential foundation.

After saying that, Jiang Bai didn't even make any extra movements. He just stood there calmly, and an indescribable, terrifying pressure, like a landslide or a tsunami, instantly enveloped the entire forest!

"!"

Natsu and Gajeel, who were full of fighting spirit just a second ago, froze on their faces.

They felt as if they were being crushed by an invisible mountain, their legs went weak, and they uncontrollably knelt on one knee.

Large beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads.

"Damn it..." Natsu gritted his teeth, trying his best to stand up, but his body felt as heavy as lead.

On the other side, Lucy, Juvia, and the others were pressed to the ground almost the instant the pressure descended, unable to move even a finger. They could only rely on their tenacious willpower to barely maintain their consciousness from being overwhelmed.

Only Erza, Mirajane, and Laxus, three S-Class Mages, were able to stand up, thanks to their extraordinary willpower.

But all they did was stand there.

Erza's armor creaked under the strain, and sweat soaked her bangs.

Mirajane's smile had vanished, replaced by a solemn expression.

Laxus's veins bulged as he glared intently at the instigator.

This is Jiang Bai's training.

Simple, crude, but incredibly effective.

Through this repeated, extreme pressure, their mental resilience and willpower were forcibly elevated to a whole new level.

After the willpower training, the focus shifts to even more brutal combat skills and physical conditioning.

Jiang Bai personally went down into the arena and sparred with each of the participants.

The first challenger was Natsu, who was always at the forefront.

"Watch this! The Fire Dragon's— "

Natsu took a deep breath, his chest bulging, ready to unleash his proud Roar.

However, just a second before he was about to unleash his flames.

"Bang!"

Jiang Bai appeared below him like a ghost, delivering a precise and swift uppercut that landed squarely on Natsu's chin.

"Puff--!"

Natsu's Roar, which he had prepared for so long, was directly deflected from its trajectory and transformed into a pillar of fire that shot into the sky, looking like a grand fireworks display.

"Natsu, you're still the same old you. Too long a wind-up animation, and you just stand still while attacking," Jiang Bai retracted his fist, looking at him with an expression of utter disbelief.

Are you telling the enemy, 'Come and attack me'?

The second one is Gray.

"Ice Make! Ice Shield!"

Gray clapped his hands together, and a thick Ice Shield instantly formed in front of him.

"Snap!"

Jiang Bai didn't even use magic; with just a simple straight punch, the Ice Shield, which was strong enough to withstand cannonballs, instantly cracked and shattered like paper.

"Your Molding Magic is too slow, and the transformations aren't fast enough," Jiang Bai's voice rang in his ear.

"Being beautiful isn't enough to defeat the enemy."

When it was Lucy's turn, the situation was even worse.

She summoned the strongest Zodiac Celestial Spirit — Leo of Leo.

The man and the lion spirit worked in perfect unison to launch an attack on Jiang Bai.

However, Jiang Bai simply strolled through the gaps in their attacks as if walking in a garden, and then, seizing a tiny opening, instantly appeared in front of Lucy, gently tapping her forehead with his index finger.

"The battle is over. You lost."

Seeing Lucy's dejected expression, Jiang Bai thought for a moment and then gave her a hint.

"Don't always treat the Celestial Spirit as independent partners."

"Try... making him a part of your body."

Become part of it?

Lucy was stunned.

She looked at the key in her hand, then at Leo beside her, and a sudden idea flashed into her mind.

After countless failures and attempts, a dazzling light enveloped Lucy and Leo at the same time!

The light faded, Leo disappeared, replaced by a handsome black suit worn by Lucy.

"This is... Star Dress?"

Lucy looked at herself in surprise. She could feel Leo's power flowing into her through the garment.

She tried raising her hand, and a small "Regulus" shot out from her fingertips!

Everyone was shocked once again; they had no idea that Celestial Spirit Magic could be used like this.

As for Erza, Mirajane, and Laxus, their training took place in endless, high-pressure battles against Jiang Bai.

Every attack was easily neutralized, every tiny gap in the Requip was seized upon, and every charge-up of the Demon Particle Cannon was interrupted.

Jiang Bai used the most direct method to expose every tiny flaw in their combat mode, forcing them to make corrections under extreme conditions.

Throughout the forest, the sounds of everyone's panting and Jiang Bai's relentless blows echoed every day.

Although the process was incredibly arduous, even hellish.

But no one chose to give up.

Because they knew it was for Fairy Tail, for the honor that had been lost for seven years!

Time flew by during the rigorous training.

In the blink of an eye, two and a half months have passed.

In the forest, everyone was transformed.

Their eyes became more resolute, and the magic emanating from them was several times more solid than it had been two and a half months ago.

"Alright, that concludes today's training."

Jiang Bai clapped his hands and announced news that delighted everyone.

"You're getting a day off to rest and recuperate."

"Yay! We're finally free!" Natsu the first to cheer, then sprawled out on the grass.

The others were also relieved, collapsing to the ground, too weak to even move a finger.

Jiang Bai looked at his exhausted companions, smiled, and then quietly disappeared from the spot.

As the day passed and everyone returned to the guild for a good meal and rest before coming back, a spatial rift suddenly tore open in front of them.

Jiang Bai walked out, and behind him was a figure that no one expected.

"Ultear?!"

The moment Gray saw the woman, his expression changed drastically, and he almost instinctively assumed a fighting stance.

Why are you here?!

The others also became wary, after all, this woman was a former enemy.

Faced with the hostility of the crowd, Ultear simply lowered her head, her face filled with deep guilt, and remained silent.

"Okay, everyone relax."

Jiang Bai stepped forward and stood in front of Ultear.

"I'm the one who asked her to come."

"What?" Gray looked puzzled.

"I invited her here to help you gain even greater power."

Jiang Bai looked at everyone, his expression turning serious.

"While your strength is considerably greater than it was two and a half months ago, it's still far from enough to easily win the Grand Magic Games."

Ultear stepped forward and bowed deeply to the crowd.

"I know I have no right to ask for everyone's forgiveness. However, Jiang Bai has given me a chance to atone for my sins."

A resolute light shone in her eyes.

"Please allow me to use my magic to help everyone!"

She explained the concept of the "Second Origin" to everyone—a second container for storing magic power that lies dormant within each mage.

Once activated, the amount of magic will explode!

"However, the process of opening the Second Origin will be accompanied by excruciating pain—not a metaphor, but literal pain." Ultear's expression was extremely serious.

Are you all ready?

Natsu was the first to step forward, grinning.

"For the guild, I'll brave even hell to show you!"

Once there's a first, there's a second, a third...

Ultimately, everyone chose to accept it.

Without further hesitation, Ultear unleashed her magic—"Arc of Time"!

An invisible force enveloped everyone!

The next second, excruciating pain, enough to make one's soul tremble, swept through everyone's body!

They let out painful groans, their bodies convulsed, and their veins bulged, but not one of them uttered a single beg for mercy!

I don't know how much time passed, but the excruciating pain subsided like a receding tide.

"Boom--!"

A surge of magical power, several times stronger than before, erupted from Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and the others!

They slowly stood up, feeling the newfound power within them that was almost overflowing, and their faces revealed incredibly confident smiles.

They are ready!