Fairy Tail: Starting with Marrying the Dragon Queen Irene

While the fools from the dark mage guild Grimoire Heart were still celebrating their guild master's solo trip to Fairy Tail, something major was happening in the town of Magnolia, within the Fairy Tail guild.

"Second Master! Now that you've returned to Fairy Tail, shouldn't we settle our score?"

Just as Precht formally took over the position of guild master from Makarov, Gildarts quietly stepped forward from the crowd, coming before Precht and speaking up.

"Hm? The score between us?"

Precht paused, looking at Gildarts, racking his brain but failing to remember any past conflict with him.

"Heh…"

"Second Master, you sure are forgetful, aren't you?"

"Do you not remember that rainy night sixteen years ago…"

Gildarts' voice dropped low.

Honestly, he wasn't even certain if the person who beat him senseless on that rainy night, when he parted ways with Cornelia, was really Precht.

Back then, Makarov had suggested it was highly possible that Precht was the one who did it, but it was merely a guess based on the motive!

This time, Gildarts had only approached to test the waters, to see whether Precht would admit to it.

If Precht admitted…

Then Gildarts would have no choice but to offer his "apologies" to this centuries-old elder.

Yes, Gildarts had always believed in repaying grudges a hundredfold.

"The rainy night sixteen years ago?"

Precht pondered. On that rainy night, he had broken into some king's palace, intending only to take a certain magic tome that he believed the king was misusing—a complete waste in his eyes.

Afterward, he publicly humiliated the king's mage knights, mocking their magic and saying that calling their abilities "magic" was an insult to the true path. He had not even glanced at the king.

He had also defeated several waves of pursuers that the king sent after him, including some formidable mages from professional guilds.

Could it be that Gildarts was one of those mages who accepted the king's commission to capture him?

If so, this was bad…

"Oh, oh!"

"So it was you, huh?"

"Heh, as you get older, you tend to forget a lot of things."

Precht wiped the sweat off his forehead, scanning Gildarts up and down before laughing nervously. He lightly patted Gildarts on the shoulder and said gently, "So, how have you been lately? Have you gotten any stronger?"

"Hehehe…"

Gildarts chuckled softly after hearing Precht's words.

Now he was sure of it! The old man standing before him was indeed the one who beat him senseless on that rainy night.

Didn't you just see this old man mocking him, asking if he had gotten stronger?

Heh, well alright! Alright indeed!

"Thanks to you, after witnessing the peak of magic in that battle…"

"I've worked diligently every day since then, honing my body and magic, never daring to rest! All to someday catch up to you…"

"As for whether I've made progress…"

"Why don't you test it yourself?!"

As Gildarts spoke, he began stretching, and his joints made a series of crisp cracking sounds.

"Oh?"

Precht squinted his left eye, frowning as he gazed at Gildarts, his eyes assessing him.

Meanwhile, Precht thought to himself, "He really was one of the pursuers that night. It seems I hit him too hard, and left him with some psychological scars! But if he's managed to overcome those scars, his strength must have reached quite a terrifying level by now. Interesting."

"Since you want to challenge me, state your name, boy."

Precht folded his arms behind his back, looking at Gildarts, his voice cold.

"Gildarts Clive."

Gildarts stated his name directly.

"Oh? So you're the so-called strongest mage in the western Ishgar region, Gildarts Clive?"

Hearing the name, Precht paused briefly, examining Gildarts more thoroughly.

"It's just a title!"

"Sixteen years ago, I was already called the strongest in Fiore, yet you still beat me up. Titles mean nothing before true magic!"

Gildarts laughed, completely unfazed as he spoke.

"Hahaha…"

"You're absolutely right. Titles mean nothing in the face of magic."

"You really get me!"

"Let's find a secluded place and have a good duel!"

"Let's see how strong you've become."

As Precht spoke, he threw off his cloak, releasing a terrifying surge of magic power from his body, causing the entire ground to emit a mournful rumble.

There was no doubt that even in his normal state, Precht's magical power was above that of Warrod Sequen—the level of a "Heavenly King."

After all, he was the magic genius who had created Fairy Heart, the infinite source of magic that even Zeref coveted—a true prodigy of magic.

It would be unusual for him not to possess this kind of power.

"Good!"

Gildarts smiled lightly, agreeing with Precht's proposal to find a secluded spot to fight.

Ultimately, Precht and Gildarts chose the mountains behind the Fairy Tail guild. It seemed there was indeed a reason the mountains behind Fairy Tail were always deserted.

"Gildarts is really going to fight the Second Master?"

"Hey! Guild Master, are you really not going to stop this?"

"With the strength of both Gildarts and Precht, if they go all out, the entire town of Magnolia won't survive!"

Ur, one of the few in the guild who understood Precht and Gildarts' true power, walked up to Makarov with a tense expression.

"Do you think I don't want to?"

"But the conflict between Gildarts and the Second Master is a problem from the past…"

"No matter how much I want to, I can't solve it!"

Makarov sighed deeply as he responded.

"A problem from the past?"

Ur looked confused, glancing at Makarov and questioning him.

"Yes!"

"Once upon a time, it was a rainy night…"

"Gildarts had just parted ways with Cornelia."

"A mysterious masked man descended from the sky, grabbed Gildarts, and gave him a good beating!"

Makarov looked up at the ceiling, his face tinged with nostalgia as he recounted what had happened to the members of the guild.

For a moment, the Fairy Tail mages turned into a bunch of eager gossipers, listening intently to the tales of the love-hate relationship between Precht, Gildarts, and others that took place in Magnolia sixteen years ago.

"Huh?!"

"Why does this story sound so familiar?"

Ian, who had also turned into one of the gossipers, frowned as he listened to Makarov, mumbling to himself.

Heh, the one who beat up Gildarts that time—it seemed that was actually me, right?

So Precht had taken the blame for him?

For this, Ian felt genuine gratitude towards old Precht. He silently blessed him, 'Old Precht, may you go in peace! I'll remember every bit of what you've done for me and never forget it!'

Thus, in Ian's mind, Precht—who already bore the nickname "Fairy Tail's Number One Simp"—was awarded a brand-new title: "Fairy Tail's Scapegoat King!"

Precht had certainly led a life filled with misfortune.

Meanwhile, behind Fairy Tail's mountains…

"Boom!"

With one rumble after another…

Precht and Gildarts were continually facing off, massive amounts of magic surging around them. The invisible magical power clashed, causing the ground to tremble.

"The atmosphere! The earth! Even the magical particles in the air are trembling!"

"Fairy Tail never knows peace. Always fighting, fighting, and more fighting…"

Porlyusica, living in her cabin in the eastern forest, sighed deeply after sensing the distress in the air. It was precisely because mages always danced on the line between life and death that she despised mages, and even humanity itself.

"Guild Master Makarov, who do you think will win the fight between the Second Master and Gildarts?"

Back at the guild, after realizing they couldn't stop the battle, the mages of Fairy Tail had embraced the situation. Each one had popcorn and beer in hand, watching Precht and Gildarts' confrontation, enjoying the spectacle.

"I don't know…"

Makarov shook his head slightly.

Precht was a genius in the field of magic, having touched the depths of magical knowledge. He could be called the greatest practitioner of dark magic in Ishgar aside from Zeref…

Gildarts, on the other hand, was also a genius, though different from Precht, who leaned towards research. Gildarts was a pure battle genius.

So Makarov really couldn't say who was stronger—Gildarts or Precht! A battle isn't necessarily won by having more magic or more spells; it's dynamic, where a moment's negligence could make all the difference.

"Boom!"

As the members of Fairy Tail were holding their breaths in the tense and oppressive atmosphere of the standoff between Precht and Gildarts…

Gildarts moved first, his figure like a bolt of lightning as he charged straight at Precht.

"You're too impatient, boy!"

Precht retreated, at the same time releasing several magical chains that shot towards Gildarts.

"Crush!"

Without even looking at the approaching chains, Gildarts used his Crush magic, destroying them completely.

"Boom!!"

However, Gildarts' Crush did not stop after destroying the chains; it continued at an incredible speed towards Precht, obliterating everything in its path—the ground, the trees, the air, even magical particles.

"Ultimate Defense Magic: Nine Pillars of God!"

Seeing this, Precht created a magic circle with one hand. Instantly, nine stone pillars, inscribed with mysterious runes, rose from the ground, shielding Precht from Gildarts' Crush.

"Huh? Nine, not three?"

Makarov raised an eyebrow as he observed Precht summoning the Nine Pillars of God.

Indeed, the older, the wiser—Precht's strength was unfathomable.

"Shatter!"

Seeing this, Gildarts' forehead bulged with veins, and he shouted fiercely.

"Boom!"

The nine stone pillars crumbled to dust in front of Gildarts, disappearing into the air.

"Twelve Pillars of God!"

Precht remained calm, striking the ground forcefully, and immediately twelve pillars surrounded him and Gildarts.

"Twelve now?"

Old Makarov was stunned. Every spell he could do, Precht could do; every spell he couldn't do, Precht could, and did them all better.

"Twelve pillars are useless!"

Gildarts unleashed Crush repeatedly, shattering every pillar in his way.

"I know. Just these pillars won't stop you!"

"I didn't expect that a brat like you would use the highest-level destructive magic,

Crush, as your basic attack. It's quite surprising."

"Fairy Tail really is full of surprises…"

"But this is the end! Now, fall! Gildarts."

Having stalled Gildarts for a mere fraction of a second with the Twelve Pillars, Precht had completed his magic circle.

"Fall now, you brat with Crush magic! Take my Amaterasu Hundred-Style!"

Precht used the highest-grade Amaterasu-style magic.

This spell was no ordinary Amaterasu—it wasn't the kind that merely destroyed a mountain or blew away half a ship! This was the type of spell capable of contending with Tenrou Island itself—a truly terrifying magic circle.

If this spell exploded in Magnolia, the damage would be beyond imagination—enough to destroy the entire town in an instant.

"Boom!!"

As Precht's words fell, a massive surge of magic power erupted like a nuclear blast in the Fairy Tail guild's back mountain. The terrifying shockwave blew the guild members skyward. Fortunately, Ur reacted quickly, using her Ice Make magic to freeze everyone in place, preventing further damage or casualties.