Fairy Tail: Collapsing Stars

Chapter 381: Gajeel: I Am Merely a Weapon Anyone Can Use

”Uh, contestant August, what do you mean by this?!”

Makarov sat at the bar counter. He had planned to rest for a bit, then prepare the lottery work for the guildʼs candidates, quickly hold this yearʼs Fairy Tail Guild S-Class Mage Trial, and quickly end this trial that made his heart tremble, so as to avoid any more messy things happening. Although this yearʼs Fairy Tail Guild trial did not have Irene and Selene interfering, one should not fear the unlikely, but fear the unexpected…

However, just as he sat at the bar counter and was about to drink some water, the thing that made Makarovʼs heart tremble finally still appeared! August, one of this yearʼs Fairy Tail S-Class Mage Trial candidates, still stood on the arena. He arrogantly looked at the Mages below the arena and issued a declaration of challenge.

”Uh, August, did you say the wrong thing?!”

This made Makarov freeze.

Because the impression August had always given Makarov was that of someone steady, grand, and with many common topics with him. So the instant August exploded, Makarov thought August had misspoken…

”Guild Master Makarov, since what you mean is that only the winner of the ranking battle can become an S-Class Mage of Fairy Tail Guild. Then in other words, as long as I defeat all the other candidates participating in the trial, I will be Fairy Tail Guildʼs S-Class Mage. That is correct, right?”

August looked at Makarov and asked.

”Although that is indeed correct, are you certain you really want to do this? Do you really want to challenge all the other candidates? Actually, as long as you follow the rules and keep winning all the way, you can also become an S-Class Mage of the guild…”

After hearing Augustʼs words, Makarov froze. He raised his head and looked at August as he asked in confusion.

Honestly speaking, although August had always given Makarov the feeling of being unfathomable, Makarov did not know exactly how strong August was.

At the same time, this year, Fairy Tail Guild had many powerful characters.

Among them, there was even an existence like Sonya Animus, who always gave Makarov an inexplicable sense of horror and made Makarov, this veteran Wizard Saint, feel that he absolutely could not defeat her! Therefore, Makarov did not think highly of Augustʼs actions. At the same time, as Fairy Tail Guildʼs Guild Master, he specially reminded August…

”Hehe, since that is the case, then come!”

”Everyone, I am merely an ordinary and unremarkable rotten old man. Just attack me with your magic as much as you…”

August revealed a confident smile, as if August had never doubted whether he could win. In magical battles, he, August, had never feared anyone, because he was the Magic King.

”Iʼm fired up!!”

After hearing Augustʼs words, Natsuʼs eyes seemed to shine with flames.

”Old man, youʼd better be careful…”

Gray and Lyon looked at each other, and incomparably cold freezing air instantly erupted from their bodies.

”Although my blade is not meant to be used against the elderly, for the sake of victory in this yearʼs S-Class Mage Trial, forgive me!”

Kaguraʼs eyes were like sharp swords. Her gaze was blazing like cold blade light, and the katana in her hand emitted intense killing intent.

Her goal this year was very clear. Naturally, it was victory in Fairy Tailʼs S-Class Mage Trial…

She would no longer be Fairy Tail Guildʼs number one S-Class Mage seed, but a true S-Class Mage of Fairy Tail Guild…

”All of you come at me together!”

In response, August remained incomparably calm. His expression was emotionless. Honestly speaking, he actually somewhat could not bear it, because with his strength, dealing with Kagura and the others was no different from dimensional suppression.

”Fire Dragonʼs Iron Fist!!”

Just as August looked expressionlessly at the group of boys and girls before him, Natsu moved!

Natsu, who was Augustʼs uncle, had magic power surging wildly within his body.

Without a doubt, judging from the magic aura Natsu currently released, he had already completely reached the threshold of an S-Class Mage. That was a level that, even by Fairy Tail Guildʼs standards, could still barely be rated as S-Class Mage level!

”Natsu…”

Gildarts sat beside the bar counter, holding a glass of whiskey. He looked at Natsu, whose magic power was surging, and revealed a smile. The young dragon had finally begun to grow. One day, that young Fire Dragon would become a terrifying Flame Dragon!!

”Natsu, do your best! Natsu, take him down!”

”Charle, did you see that? Natsu is super amazing…”

Happy spread his snow-white little wings and flew outside the arena, excitedly shouting as he looked at Natsu charging toward August, occasionally turning back to look at Charle beside him.

”Hmph~ Boring! What use is becoming that strong? Hasnʼt he still failed to become an S-Class Mage of the guild?”

In response, Charle, as Happyʼs goddess, merely coldly snorted, her eyes carrying disdain toward Happy.

Only Charleʼs swaying little tail exposed that her current mood was actually fairly happy~

”Natsu has become stronger again. With Natsuʼs strength, Iʼm afraid even Kagura would fall into a bitter battle.”

Erzaʼs eyes narrowed as she looked at Natsu releasing endless flames. She had not expected Natsuʼs progress to be so fast.

It had only been about two years since Natsu joined Fairy Tail. In these two years, Natsuʼs progress could be described as divine speed…

”Big Brother Evan, who do you think will take this yearʼs Fairy Tail Guild S-Class Mage qualification?”

Erza looked at Natsu, who was releasing endless magic power, and asked Evan beside her.

”If there is only one S-Class Mage qualification this year, then it will absolutely be August…”

After hearing Erzaʼs words, Evan answered without thinking.

He looked at August, who was gradually becoming serious on the arena, as well as the cute young girl sitting at the bar counter with bare feet constantly swaying as she cheered August on, and helplessly sighed…

Right now, Augustʼs buffs were completely stacked. Even Evan did not dare say he could defeat August in this state, encouraged by Mavis! After all, magic was the power of the heart. When a man known as the Magic King, a man who could only be defeated by plot and could be called invincible among humans, began relying on willpower, just how terrifying would he become?

”Sigh…”

At this moment, Evan wanted to cast sympathetic eyes toward Augustʼs opponents. Perhaps even if the one standing before August right now was the Black Dragon King Acnologia, August would directly shout, ”For my mother, for Fairy Tail! I am not fighting alone! Black Dragon King Acnologia, do not always look upward! Occasionally, you should also lower your head and look at your feet. Perhaps those people you trampled beneath your feet have already caught up beside you…”

Then August would instantly copy Acnologiaʼs Dragon Slayer Magic, evolve into a Chaos Dragon capable of copying all dragon power, and directly punch Acnologia into confusion…

”Not bad magic power, but not enough!”

Just as Evan was imagining August transforming into a Chaos Demon Dragon, August on the arena moved.

He turned sideways and dodged Natsuʼs attack. Then the staff in his hand directly poked Natsu, who was leaping in midair, in the stomach.

”I…”

Natsu instantly felt an astonishing force coming from his abdomen. His expression abruptly changed, pain flashed through his eyes, and then he collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolling back as he fainted.

”Natsu?!”

Happy, who had originally been continuously cheering for Natsu outside the arena, froze completely as he looked at August, who had instantly defeated Natsu.

”Haha, Fire Dragon, you really are weak! Just lie there and watch how I perform, okay?”

Gajeel looked at Natsu, who had been instantly defeated by a single staff strike, and raised the corners of his mouth. His body turned into steel as he directly charged toward August.

”Iron Dragon Sword!”

Gajeelʼs arm transformed into a sharp blade, only this blade was covered with countless sharp teeth. Then it rotated like a chainsaw, emitting waves of sound.

”Your weakness is too obvious, young man…”

August looked at Gajeel, whose entire body had turned into steel, with a somewhat speechless expression. As the Magic King, even August himself could not clearly say exactly how many kinds of magic he had learned in his life. Naturally, he knew Electromagnetic Magic, so…

”Electromagnetic Control!”

As August used magic on Gajeel, Gajeel, who had originally still been arrogant, abruptly changed expression. He instantly returned to his original form and turned into a weapon.

”Itʼs over! Now I have completely become a weapon. And I will no longer be Erzaʼs exclusive weapon. I have directly become a weapon for everyone in Fairy Tail Guild…”

Gajeelʼs mentality turned ice-cold. He hated those who could use Electromagnetic Magic.

”Magnetic Magic?”

At the same time, on the second floor of Fairy Tail Guild, Erza and Laxus narrowed their eyes simultaneously.

Erza felt a bit of a headache because August had also displayed Electromagnetic Magic. After all, Gajeel had already been internally decided by Erza as her exclusive weapon. Now that her exclusive weapon had been taken away by August, she was somewhat displeased inside…

As for Laxus, it was because after seeing August use Magnetic Magic to control Gajeel, he was considering whether he should also learn some Magnetic Magic.

After all, as the Iron Dragon, Gajeel was actually somewhat of a counter to him. Especially because Laxus had once seen Gajeel use a move called Lightning Rod when dealing with other lightning-element Mages…

”Now…”

Kagura took advantage of the moment when Gajeel was attacking August head-on and quickly arrived behind August. She held her sharp blade and aimed at Augustʼs neck…

This was the assassination swordsmanship Kagura had learned from Ikaruga…

”Little girl, Assassination Magic is not used like this. You should first find someone to create a curtain of darkness and block your own vision, then attack me from behind…”

August seemed to have noticed Kagura long ago. The corners of his mouth rose slightly, and he regarded Kaguraʼs attack with disdain.

”Clang~”

At the very instant Augustʼs words fell, Kaguraʼs blade directly landed on a huge piece of metal. Accompanied by a burst of dazzling sparks, Kagura helplessly withdrew her katana…

And the metal blocking between August and Kagura was none other than the Iron Dragon Gajeel, who was being controlled by August!

”Kagura, run. You are not this guyʼs opponent…”

Gajeel seemed unwilling to be used by August like this. He spoke solemnly to Kagura.

”Run? Where can I run?”

”This is the site of the S-Class Mage Trial! I cannot run anywhere…”

As Kagura spoke, she closed her eyes, and the katana in her hand aimed at Gajeel.

The next second, endless magic power gathered toward the blade in Kaguraʼs hand…

”Interesting…”

”Go! Gajeel…”

August looked at Kagura gathering magic power, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly. Controlling Gajeel, he actually made the same movement as Kagura.

”Hmm?!”

As Gajeel in Augustʼs hand made the same movement as Kagura, all the Mages present froze in expression.

”Dimension Slash!”

The next second, as Kagura opened her eyes, a cherry-pink slash directly cut toward Gajeel.

”Dimension Slash!”

However, what shocked Kagura was that Gajeel actually used the same attack as her!

A blue slash, under Gajeelʼs swing, whistled toward Kagura just like that…

And the most terrifying thing was…

The blue slash swung by Gajeel under Augustʼs control was even more powerful than the cherry-pink slash swung by Kagura!

In the short instant when the two slashes collided, the slash Kagura swung directly collapsed…

And that blue slash, carrying endless momentum, landed on Kaguraʼs body.

”Uh…”

Kagura was shocked. However, before she could think further, her figure had already been teleported outside Magnolia Town by this slash.

Yes, the slash August controlled Gajeel to use was not a crude copy of Kaguraʼs magic, but an improved version based on the magic Kagura used!

”Next…”

After sending Kagura away, August looked at the other candidates for the S-Class Mage Trial inside the guild and spoke faintly.

”Together!”

Gray, Lyon, Cana, Lisanna, and Elfman, the full five of them, after seeing even Natsu, Gajeel, and Kagura instantly defeated, had shock toward Augustʼs strength in their eyes. Then they all used magic toward August.

”Ice-Make: Holy Sword!”

”Ice-Make: White Tiger!”

”Card Magic: Elemental Quintet!”

”Take Over: Beast King Soul!”

”Take Over: Cheetah Soul!”

In the blink of an eye, Gray and Lyon instantly used the Ice-Make Magic they had learned from Ur toward August. As for Cana, she used the Five-Layer Magic Circle she had copied from Mystogan. As for Lisanna and Elfman, they immediately completed their Beast Soul Take Over.

”Ice-Make…”

The instant Augustʼs eyes, which closely resembled First Master Mavisʼs, saw these magics, he directly analyzed countless magics and at the same time learned even stronger magic…

Ice-Make Magic was free magic. Ur and Ultear were beautiful roses, Gray was countless weapons, Lyon was wild beasts living in this world, and what August saw within this Ice-Make Magic was a world composed of ice and snow!

”…Za Warudo!”

August instantly used his own Make Magic, Ice-Make: Ice World. The instant August used Ice World, Gray, Lyon, Cana, Elfman, and Lisannaʼs bodies were instantly covered in a layer of white frost and frozen in place in an instant…

”Uh…”

After August displayed strength exaggerated to the extreme, the entire guild was shocked.

Whether ordinary Mages or the guildʼs S-Class Mages, they were all stunned.

”Ur…”

Silver felt the magic power within Augustʼs body and looked solemnly at Ur beside him.

”Mm.”

Ur lightly nodded. She knew that with the Ice-Make Magic August had just displayed, perhaps the title of strongest Ice-Make Mage on the continent of Ishgar was about to change hands!

Not only that, titles such as Ishgarʼs number one Magnetism Mage, swordsman…

And so on, and so on, might all be changing hands…

”What exactly is this magic?!”

At this moment, even Gildarts became serious. He looked August up and down with a puzzled expression. He could sense that August carried an extremely discordant aura, a strange aura that could not be clearly described, but felt incomparably bizarre…

”Next, will you come forward yourselves, or voluntarily admit defeat…”

After freezing Gray and the others, August looked at the final remaining candidates for the S-Class Mage Trial below the arena and coldly asked.

At this moment, the words holding back did not exist in Augustʼs mind. There was only one phrase in his mind: Mom is watching~

August was like a child wanting to prove himself as much as possible before his mother, with only the word win filling his mind.

”I roughly understand the magic you are using!”

Mystogan, who had not gone onto the arena all along, suddenly realized something. He looked at August and spoke.

”Mm?”

After hearing Mystoganʼs words.

August slightly frowned, his eyes carrying a trace of doubt as he looked at Mystogan.

”Mr. August, if I have not guessed wrong, the magic you are using should be Copy Magic, correct?”

Mystogan slightly raised the corners of his mouth. After recording the way August used magic and repeatedly watching it several times, he finally confirmed the magic August was using.

It was not that August knew every kind of magic, but that the instant others used magic, he copied their magic. Combined with Augustʼs enormous magic power, August could accomplish the almost impossible feat of defeating others using their own magic. This was the conclusion Mystogan reached…

”Correct!”

After hearing Mystoganʼs words, August froze for a moment. He had not expected this brat, who did not even have magic power inside his body, to actually see through the essence of his magic.

”Then that makes sense. In that case, Miss Seilah, I will leave this to you…”

Mystogan slightly raised the corners of his mouth and turned sideways to look at Kyoka Heavenly Seilah.

”In the end, I still have to make a move!” Seilah smiled slightly. She walked before August and directly spoke, ”You can copy magic, but you absolutely cannot copy Curses! Human, I command you to admit defeat!”

”...”

As Seilah activated her Command Curse, Augustʼs body trembled slightly.

”Itʼs over…”

Seilah looked at Augustʼs trembling body and raised the corners of her mouth. In the end, August was merely human!

As long as he was human, he would definitely be manipulated by her Curse.

”Mystogan, next it should be a battle between you and me, right?”

Seilah looked at Mystogan and asked aloud.

”Seilah, be careful…”

However, Mystogan was not relaxed and carefree like Seilah. He looked at Seilah with a horrified expression.

To be precise, he was looking behind Seilah.

”Mm?!”

Seilah froze slightly, and a bad premonition suddenly rose in her heart.

”Miss Demon, since when did you have the illusion that I would be controlled by your Curse?”

”I wonder if you have ever heard the name Bloodman…”

Just as Seilah was slightly dazed, Augustʼs voice slowly sounded from behind Seilah.

”Bloodman? That Grim Reaper Bloodman, have you met him?”

After hearing Augustʼs words, Seilahʼs expression abruptly changed. As a demon from the Books of Zeref, she had naturally heard of the famous Grim Reaper Bloodman. He was a super demon possessing Curses above those of the Nine Demon Gates, one whom even Underworld King Mard Geer might not necessarily be able to defeat.

”Of course I have met him…”

”After all, he is my defeated subordinate~”

August looked at Seilahʼs terrified appearance and calmly spoke words that filled Seilah with incomparable fear.

”Boom!”

Accompanied by a burst of dazzling white light.

In the blink of an eye, Seilah collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.

But perhaps because Seilah was a creation of Zeref, namely Augustʼs father, August was very gentle in his attack and merely temporarily sealed Seilahʼs consciousness.

”Then next, it is your turn.”

After dealing with Seilah, August looked at Mystogan, who had staffs on his back.

”Hmph~”

Mystogan coldly laughed after sensing Augustʼs gaze filled with endless pressure.

Mystoganʼs eyes carried disdain. He held his head high and chest out, then coldly said, ”I surrender!”