Chapter 116: S-Class Mages and Aces
Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Magnolia
Kingdom of Fiore
X776
Silence fills the courtyard of the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, and a tension so tangible that one could cut falls over the area as the spectators watch the two powerful mages prepare to once again clash with one another. Previously, many had not believed that the new member, Ambrosius, would even stand a chance against Gildarts and that the fight would be over quickly. Then however, Ambrosius had faced Gildarts in a fierce battle of wills and magic power. A battle so fierce that the majority of the courtyard's destruction can be attributed to it and a shield had to be placed around the spectators to protect them. Then their first exchange took place, and only a select few of the onlookers can even tell you what happened other than Ambrosius went flying through the air before Gildarts was sent crashing into the lake, and now the two powerful mages seem to be ready to go at it again.
As Ambrosius launches himself at Gildarts with a boom that further destroys the ground where he stood, a holographic screen appears in front of the spectators, courtesy of Morgan, that allows them to see the details of the fight. Ambrosius' first move is a punch towards Gildarts' face that is blocked using his forearms. Unlike their previous clash however, Ambrosius does not go flying back, rather a crater forms beneath his feet.
"Interesting." comments Makarov as he watches Ambrosius follow up with a kick that Gildarts struggles to block, and causes another crater to form under Ambrosius' feet.
"What's so interesting? Gildarts blocked all of his punches." asks Gray from his position next to Makarov as the group watches Gildarts punch towards Ambrosius, only for Ambrosius to easily dodge it with a tilt of his head.
"Gildarts' Crush Magic allows him to deflective any attack, magical or otherwise. Ambrosius should be sent flying back everytime they clash, but he literally disperses the force of the deflection throughout his entire body until it reaches his feet where it exits. That's why a crater always appears under Ambrosius' feet whenever they clash." explains Makarov to the spectators as the group watches Ambrosius weave in and out of a flurry of punches that Gildarts sends towards him before finally jumping over one punch and sending a kick towards Gildarts' head.
When Gildarts blocks the punch, everyone expects Ambrosius to be sent flying back since he doesn't have his feet planted to help disperse the force. Instead however, Ambrosius takes the momentum and force of the attack, and uses it to deliver a spinning kick too fast for Gildarts to physically block. Before the kick can connect to Gildarts however, a gridlike forcefield blocks the kick only for a magic circle to appear on Ambrosius' leg, causing the forcefield to wink out of existence and allow it to smash into Gildarts' face, sending him flying back.
"What just happened?" asks Jellal, voicing the thoughts of most of the onlookers out loud.
"Gildarts wasn't able to physically react in time to Ambrosius' attack so he instinctively created a deflective barrier with his crush magic instead, but Ambrosius seemed to be expecting it and rewound time to when the barrier wasn't there, allowing his kick to connect. At least that's what it looks like to have happened." answers Makarov as he and the others watch Ambrosius press his advantage and chase after Gildarts' flying body.
"Ambrosius wasn't expecting it." corrects Scáthach as they see Gildarts quickly recover in time to block the follow up kick only for Ambrosius to disappear from his original position and appear on Gildarts' open side with a spartan kick that sends Gildarts flying once again.
"Ambrosius has a certain state of mind that he enters in battle. It's called Mushin, and it essentially allows him to fight without thinking, and just allow his training and skills to do the battle for him. He fights without any emotions to cloud his judgements. That means no doubts, no happiness, arrogance, fear, or even anger. Just serene calmness that allows the full potential of his skills and training to show through." explains Scáthach as they watch Gildarts recover quickly enough to begin his own assault on Ambrosius.
"That doesn't sound all that special." comments Gray as they watch Ambrosius once again evade any and all assaults from Gildarts.
"My boy, it is special. In fact, calling it special is a disservice to it." answers Makarov. "Basically it means that unless there's a flaw in his training or skills, that he will most likely not commit an error in combat." he says as they see Ambrosius block a punch from Gildarts that craters the beneath their feet before he turns his block into a throw and smashes Gildarts into the ground.
"There is a problem with that theory though." interjects Azula. "He isn't in Mushin right now." she says as the holographic display zooms in on Ambrosius' face, allowing the group to see the slight smile on his lips, and the happiness in his eyes.
"Yes, I have been wondering about that. He fights like he is in Mushin, yet at the same time we obviously tell that he is enjoying himself." agrees Scáthach as they see him allow Gildarts to recover, something he would never do when in Mushin.
"Perhaps he is in a half-Mushin state of mind." suggests Morgan as they see Ambrosius and Gildarts exchange a few words. "Knowing the battle maniac, I would not put it beyond him." she says the two combatants seem to be getting ready for a third exchange.
"He doesn't seem like a battle maniac to me." comments someone from the crowd.
"Oh he is, just not when there is anything at stake." answers Azula with a laugh. "If there's nothing in danger or to lose, then he loves fighting. It's in his blood." she explains while emphasising the last part of her statement for Makarov and Mavis who immediately understand her meaning.
"Like a god of war." says Makarov with a smile that he and the three women share, almost as if it were an inside joke of sorts.
Before the conversation can continue, a boom brings the attention of the spectators back to the spar as Gildarts launches himself at Ambrosius.
Gildarts throws a punch towards Ambrosius' face, only to have him deflect the blow before smashing his fist into Gildarts' stomach and cratering the ground beneath his feet. Recovering quickly, Gildarts punches twice and misses twice before he has to block an incoming punch to his face, leaving his chest open to Ambrosius' knee. Before it can make contact however, Gildarts manages to bring his other arm in front just in time to block. As his knee is blocked, Ambrosius uses the deflection of the Crush Magic to launch himself in the air and continuously kick Gildart's chest. As the final kick connects, Gildarts is sent flying back and Ambrosius uses the deflection to launch into a backflip before landing on his feet and launching himself at a recovering Gildarts.
As the two clash once more it becomes more and more obvious that Ambrosius is the better fighter despite Gildarts' Crush Magic being best suited for nullifying magic and physical, at least most of them. Faced with Ambrosius' time magic that constantly rewinds time to before Gildarts applied his magic on his body or around him to block, Gildarts can do nothing other than physically block, dodge, or brace himself. And this is where Gildarts' flaw as a fighter shows itself, he has an over reliance on his Crush Magic to defend against attacks and to enhance his own blows. Without it Gildarts is not very impressive. Sure he is considered a master hand to hand combatant, however that is only when compared to the world of Earthland. Outside of Earthland his skills would be considered above average at best.
As Ambrosius evades another blow from Gildarts and deflects another one to punch Gildarts in the chest, Makarov deems the battle to be over.
"That's enough." orders Makarov as Ambrosius stops a second punch inches away from Gildarts' face.
Obeying Makarov, Gildarts and Ambrosius drop their fighting stances before exchanging a fist bump.
"I admit defeat." says Gildarts with a smile on his face.
"Even with me dominating the spar, you're stupid Crush Magic made it so that you aren't even that injured." answers Ambrosius as he returns the smile.
"At least you hit me. I never even came close to hitting you in the entire fight." admits Gildarts as the two make their way to the bystanders and Morgan drops her shield.
"Well? Were you entertained?" asks Ambrosius as he looks at Mavis who keeps staring at him.
Seeing that she does not answer him, Ambrosius waves his hand in front of her eyes in an attempt to elicit a reaction from her.
"Awesome!" exclaims Mavis with stars in her eyes. "Now Fairy Tail has five S-Class Mages and Aces!" she says excitedly.
"Shouldn't Master Makarov decide that?" questions Ambrosius.
"It's fine." says Makarov with a grin on his face. "With five S-Class mages Fairy Tail will definitely make more money now. Maybe enough to get a big profit even with all the property damage Gildarts costs us." says Makarov as he glares at a sheepish Gildarts.
"Ah, it's not my fault that I don't see the buildings sometimes." says Gildarts with a carefree expression on his face while he rubs the back of his head. "And sometimes things just break." he adds.
"So, what do you guys think? Your teacher is pretty awesome right?" asks Ambrosius with a smirk as he looks at the children who speechlessly stare at Gildarts and him in awe.
Before anyone of them can answer, a wizened female voice speaks out from the guild hall entrance that leads to the courtyard.
"Of course all that noise and destruction was coming from you people." speaks the voice, causing everyone to look towards it.
The owner of the voice is a slim and tall elderly woman with pink hair, tied in a bun on the back of her head by two large pins with crescent moon-shaped edges, and with two bangs of hair left framing her face. She has reddish eyes, and a beauty mark located below her mouth, on the left side of her face.
Her attire consists of a dark green blouse with a tie around the collar, paired with a long matching skirt and simple shoes. Over this, she wears a crimson-colored cape, with a wide collar decorated by massive Dragon horn-like decorations protruding outwards, and edges adorned by white, arch-like motifs. Her name is Porlyusica, a semi-active member of Fairy Tail that comes from Makarov's generation of Fairy Tail mages, and their Medical Advisor.
"Porlyusica, what brings you out of the forest?" asks Makarov enthusiastically, a smile plastered on his face as he beckons her over.
"Your mages Makarov. Not only are they loud and destructive as usual, but they almost burned down my forest this morning." she tells him before glaring at Ambrosius, Morgan, Scáthach, and Azula.
"It couldn't have been that bad." answers Makarov with a sheepish smile.
Rather than answer him verbally, Porlyusica merely turns her eyes to the destroyed courtyard before looking back at Makarov with a deadpan expression on her face.
"Control your mages Makarov, or I will continue to call the Rune Knights on them." she says before turning to leave.
"Wait! Come meet Master Mavis." interjects Makarov before she can leave.
Turning to face the group, Porlyusica sees Makarov point towards Mavis and she can't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Hi!" says a waving Mavis with a smile on her face.
"This is our first guild master, and one of its co-founders?" asks Porlyusica with a raised eyebrow.
"I sure am." answers Mavis with a cheerful grin so wide that her eyes close.
"If that's the case, the guild was doomed from the beginning." comments Porlyusica as she turns and leaves while ignoring Mavis' outraged cry.
"The nerve of that prunish old hag. Can you believe she said that?!" questions Mavis with a frown while ignoring the fact that she is much older than Porlyusica.
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