The Trial Ends, Advancement to S-Class!
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
There was no Heavenly Movement- shattering explosion, nor the expected cataclysmic shockwave.
The purplish-black beam of light and the golden, Crush fist energy met in mid-air, and then strangely merged and annihilated, forming an absolutely silent black sphere.
It devoured the light, devoured the sound, devoured everything around it.
Centered on that sphere, the space within a radius of a thousand meters was distorted and torn apart. The earth, like a piece of paper being kneaded by an invisible giant hand, rose wildly upwards and then suddenly collapsed downwards.
This utter silence lasted for less than a second.
The next second.
"Boom--!"
The energy, having accumulated to its limit, finally spiraled out of control and exploded with a deafening roar!
A pure white beam of light shot into the sky, tearing through the clouds and soaring straight into the heavens. Following closely behind was a terrifying shockwave powerful enough to overturn the entire plain, forcibly erasing a large chunk of this barren land from the map, leaving behind a giant meteorite crater with a diameter of over a kilometer and an unfathomable depth.
At the edge of the distant forest, Makarov and his companions had reunited with Erza, Freed, and Laxus, who had been carried back after completing their mission.
Before they could recover from the shock of Laxus being easily defeated by Jiang Bai, they were completely stunned by the even more terrifying scene before them.
The pillar of light that pierced the heavens and the aftershocks of energy that still made their hearts tremble even tens of kilometers away all indicated what kind of extraordinary battle was taking place on the final battlefield.
"You... you're kidding, right..."
Freed, supporting the heavily injured Laxus beside him, gazed at the scene in the distance that resembled divine punishment, his voice trembling, "An attack of that magnitude... could a human really unleash it?"
He was initially resentful of losing to Erza, but after witnessing the aftermath of Jiang Bai's battle with Gildarts, that resentment had long since turned into endless horror.
Laxus struggled to stand up straight, staring intently into the distance, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
There was the frustration of being crushed, the resentment of one's own weakness, but more than anything, there was a sense of awe and bewilderment upon seeing an even higher peak.
He had always considered Gildarts as his target, but he never expected that Jiang Bai, whom he had always regarded as his destined rival, would actually stand on the same stage as Gildarts and even be able to deliver a blow that was evenly matched.
It turns out that the gap between him and me has become so vast.
"Jiang Bai..."
Erza's long, crimson hair danced in the wind. She clenched her fists tightly, her beautiful eyes reflecting the white beam of light, her face filled with pride and worry.
She was proud of Jiang Bai for reaching such heights, but also worried about him facing off against the guild's strongest man.
"Those two bastards... are they trying to tear the whole forest apart?!"
Makarov's beard bristled with anger, yet a surge of indescribable pride welled up within him.
This is Fairy Tail, the strongest monster of both the old and new generations!
The center of the meteorite crater, shrouded in smoke and dust.
The two figures were violently thrown back by the raging energy, each carving a deep trench hundreds of meters long into the ground.
"Cough... cough cough..."
Jiang Bai struggled to get up from the ground, his face turning an unnaturally pale for the first time.
Even with the "Infinity" weakening, the pure energy backlash from the collision still caused his blood and qi to surge, and nearly half of his magic power was drained from his body.
On the other side, Gildarts was also kneeling on one knee, panting heavily. His signature cloak had long since turned to ashes, and several deep, bone-revealing wounds were visible on his body.
But the expression on his face was not one of pain, but rather an unprecedented excitement.
"Hahaha... hahaha!" Gildarts laughed loudly, "Good lad! He actually managed to go head-to-head with my 'One Day'! I haven't felt this good in a long time!"
Jiang Bai pursed his lips.
"Uncle, you're the monster! You almost drained my magic power dry."
Even so, his gaze was more solemn than ever before.
Gildarts ' "Crush" was too domineering, and when it collided with his own "Hollow Technique: Zi", it consumed a huge amount of energy.
If this continues, even if we win, I'll probably be bedridden for ten days to two weeks.
We must find a way to win in one decisive blow.
Jiang Bai's gaze swept over the battlefield, which they had ravaged beyond recognition, and a bold plan quickly took shape in his mind.
"Uncle, it seems I can't beat you without showing some real skill."
Jiang Bai took a deep breath and slowly raised his hands.
This time, he did not condense "Azure" or "Radiant".
He placed his palms together, interlaced his fingers, and made a strange and mysterious gesture.
A magical power far greater and more terrifying than ever before surged forth from his body without reservation.
Gildarts' smile vanished instantly, and his expression became extremely serious for the first time.
He sensed from that magic aura an unprecedented danger that could truly threaten his life.
"This is..."
He dared not be negligent, and he also raised the "Crush" magic to its limit, remaining fully focused and on guard.
Jiang Bai looked at Gildarts, his eyes becoming deep and empty, as if they contained the entire universe.
He slowly uttered those syllables that represented his strongest ability.
"Domain Expansion..."
An invisible pressure enveloped the entire world; the air seemed to freeze, and everything trembled before this impending rule.
Gildarts felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his throat, making even the flow of magic sluggish. He knew he absolutely couldn't let his opponent use this move!
However, just a second before Jiang Bai was about to shout out the domain name and completely turn this space into his home ground.
"Puff--!"
He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and the immense, despair-inducing magical power within him instantly became chaotic like a runaway flood, before violently surging back into his body.
Jiang Bai's body trembled violently, his face turned deathly pale, and he knelt on one knee, his breath coming in extremely weak gasps.
"Damn it... it still doesn't work..."
Jiang Bai gritted his teeth, feeling the rampaging magic power within his body, and his face showed an expression of extreme unwillingness.
The "Unlimited Void" technique requires an extremely high level of control over magic power. In his current state, especially after the intense exertion he just experienced, he simply cannot reliably unleash it.
The result of forcibly using it was a backlash of magic, causing severe injury.
Gildarts stared blankly at the dramatic scene before him; the pressure, which had threatened him with death, came and went quickly.
He looked at Jiang Bai, who was kneeling on one knee, his breath weak, and remained silent for a moment. Then he withdrew the magic power he had gathered and let out a long sigh.
He walked up to Jiang Bai, his massive figure casting a shadow.
"Kid, were you... trying to kill me just now?" Gildarts' voice carried a hint of lingering fear, as well as a strange excitement.
Jiang Bai raised his head, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and grinned. "It was just a mistake. I originally wanted to invite you, Uncle, to experience the truth of the universe."
Gildarts couldn't help but burst into laughter at his stubbornness despite being half-crippled.
He reached out a large hand, placed it on Jiang Bai's head, and rubbed it vigorously.
"Okay, that's enough."
Gildarts's voice became extremely solemn.
"This duel is a draw. However, Jiang Bai... you have undoubtedly earned the qualification of S-Class."
"Go back and get some rest, you monster boy."
[Brothers and sisters, if you have time, please help me write a positive review and send me some free advertising gifts. I'm pressed for time, so please keep reminding me to update. I'm giving you a chance, don't force me to switch to begging mode.]