Darius was astonished. The entire guild shared his surprise; even Gray was at a loss for words.
"Hahaha~ Did you hear? The new kid is going to challenge Darius."
"That's hilarious! Darius doesn't fight much in the guild, but he's quite strong. Does this newbie really think he can take him on?"
"Are all the newcomers this bold these days?"
"If Darius lifts a finger, this kid won't stand a chance."
"Exactly! Go on, Darius, teach him a hard lesson. Show him who's the boss."
The guild members burst into laughter. It's true that Darius hadn't taken on many quests, but that didn't mean he was weak. Even a year ago, no one dared to claim they could beat him. Now, Darius was undoubtedly even stronger.
Gray shook his head, remarking, "Oi! You don't have to be so direct if you want to fight. It'd be better to challenge Erza than Darius; he's very strong."
Gray hadn't challenged Darius since their bout a year ago. He still wasn't confident he could handle Darius's unpredictable moves.
Cana, drinking nearby, took a heavy swig and, slightly drunk, complained, "You're setting yourself for embarrassment, newbie".
It wasn't that they doubted Natsu, but Darius's strength was unmatched among his peers.
"Just fight Gray; why challenge Darius?"
Erza also sided with Darius. After a year of camaraderie, she considered Darius her best friend. She didn't want to see a peer humiliate themselves.
"Humph!" Natsu stood defiantly, hands on his hips, declaring, "Are you scared? If you are, give up your title as the strongest!"
So prideful! Darius found it amusing. But as the guild's peer leader, he couldn't back down.
Laughing, he turned and walked outside. "Come on, show me what you've got."
Natsu followed with determined strides.
"Wow~ Darius is going to fight again after a year. We have to watch this!"
"I wonder if Darius is even better now than before."
"I'm really looking forward to this. Even though I know the new kid won't stand a chance, I still want to see it!"
"Go on, Darius, don't let the newbie take you down!."
The guild members, always eager for excitement, swarmed to watch.
As before, Darius took his place, standing opposite Natsu.
Reflecting on the past year, after mastering the Navy's Six Forms, Darius had trained diligently but soon hit a bottleneck. He suspected the lack of skill points was the issue. He attempted to unlock the treasure chest above the Navy's Six Forms but was met with a message:
[The skill level of the Navy's Six Forms is not up to the standard!]
Disappointed but not surprised, Darius noticed numbers in the upper left corner of each skill bar:
• Iron Block: Level 3
• Paper Art: Level 3
• Moonwalk: Level 3
• Finger Pistol: Level 3
• Tempest Kick: Level 3
• Shave: Level 3
All six skills were at Level 3. He decided to allocate one more point to each, raising them to Level 4.
With this enhancement, proficiency in the Navy's Six Forms surged through him, boosting his physique, strength, and speed significantly. He felt capable of taking on three of his former selves.
"Damn it, I will definitely beat him," Natsu muttered, clenching his fists, determined to prove himself.
Gray shook his head, thinking Natsu was setting himself up for failure. "Why embarrass yourself? Even if Darius hasn't fought in a year, he's still beyond your league."
Meanwhile, Master Makarov watched silently from the sidelines, curious about Darius's current strength and whether it had waned over the past year.
"Be careful; he uses Dragon slayer magic," Erza reminded Darius of Natsu's magical abilities.
"Got it," Darius nodded, focusing on Natsu. He beckoned with a finger.
The fight made the first move.
"I'm all fired up!" Natsu charged, aiming a fiery punch at Darius's stomach.
"Impressive!" Darius thought, feeling the intense heat from Natsu's fist.
Despite his small stature, Natsu was not to be underestimated as a Fire Dragon Slayer.
Sidestepping the attack, Darius countered with a right hook to Natsu's shoulder.
The guild members watched in anticipation, eager to see how the battle would unfold.
Darius's movements were swift and precise, a testament to his rigorous training.
Natsu, undeterred by the initial miss, quickly regained his footing and launched another fiery assault.
The clash between the two was intense, with flames and fists flying in a display of power and skill.
Darius's fist struck Natsu square in the shoulder, sending him sprawling to the ground.
But before Darius could say a word, Natsu scrambled back to his feet.
"I'm getting serious now!" Natsu declared, patting the dust off his body and planting his fists on his waist.
Woohoo—
Flames erupted as fiery bursts enveloped his fists, increasing their destructive force. Without hesitation, he charged again.
"Amazing! This kid already knows how to harness the explosive power of flames to attack. He's learned so much at his age—how strong will he be when he grows up?" Macao observed.
As someone who wielded fire magic himself, Macao recognized Natsu's skillful use of flames' explosive force and couldn't help but admire his fighting spirit.
"It's impressive," Wakaba said, puffing on a cigarette, "but there's no way he can beat Darius like this."
In every duel, Darius treated his opponents with respect—whether they were children, elders, or anyone in between. No matter his strength, he always took every fight seriously.
Even now, Darius avoided Natsu's fiery onslaught, moving with precision and looking for an opportunity to end the fight in one decisive blow.
After evading yet another attack, Darius prepared to counter, but something in Natsu's sly expression caught his attention.
"Fire Dragon's… Iron Fist!
Natsu clashed his fists together, summoning a glowing red magic circle. Flames erupted from his right fist, surging directly toward Darius.
The guild members watching froze in shock, their hearts pounding.
"Could Darius really slip up here?" one murmured anxiously.
The attack was unexpected, a move that could catch anyone off guard.
"Iron Body!"
Anticipating the danger, Darius widened his stance, stomping on the ground as his body hardened instantly.
Boom!
Natsu's flaming punch collided with Darius's chest, producing a metallic thud.
"Whoa ahhh!" Natsu yelped as the force rebounded, flinging him backward.
Scrambling to his feet, Natsu clutched his throbbing fist, shaking it to ease the pain.
The guild members exhaled in collective relief.
"That was close," Wakaba muttered, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow. "I thought Darius was done for, but his reaction speed is insane."
Macao nodded. "Yeah, if it had been me, I wouldn't have dared to take that head-on."
The guild buzzed with chatter.
"Darius's strength is unbelievable. Natsu's Fire Dragon's Iron Fist was powerful, but Darius didn't even flinch!"
"He hasn't fought in a year, yet he's only gotten stronger."
"Forget it—I was thinking about challenging Darius, but now? No way!"
Even Makarov, the guild master, breathed a sigh of relief. Natsu's unexpected move had worried him, but it was clear Darius's training hadn't been neglected. His Iron Body technique was far sturdier than before.
Meanwhile, Natsu, rubbing his reddened fists, glared at Darius.
"How is your body so hard? I couldn't even scratch you!" he complained, grimacing at the pain.
Darius smirked. "If that's all you've got, this fight is over."
Unshaken, Natsu clenched his fists. "Damn it! Fire Dragon's… Iron Fist!"
Fueled by frustration, he launched another flaming punch, the flames burning hotter as his emotions flared.
"Finger Gun!"
Darius swiftly countered, his index finger striking Natsu's body with rapid, pinpoint precision, alternating between left and right.
"Whoa ahhh!" Natsu cried out, stumbling back as a series of small but sharp wounds opened across his body. Though Darius held back his power, the strikes left Natsu groaning in pain.
Still, Natsu refused to back down. Gritting his teeth, he charged forward one last time.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" he roared, throwing all his strength into a final attack.
"Iron Body!"
Darius's chest swelled as he absorbed the full force of Natsu's blow.
Boom!
The impact reverberated, but Darius stood firm, unfazed. The sheer rebound sent Natsu flying backward, his body hitting the ground with a dull thud. He lay motionless, knocked out cold.
"How unfortunate," Darius said, shaking his head with regret. "I still had more moves I wanted to test."
Dusting off his hands, he turned and walked back toward the guild, stifling a yawn.
The guild members were stunned into silence.
"Darius's strength is on another level," one finally said.
"Yeah… I'll never pick a fight with him," another added.
"Even after a year without fighting, he's still untouchable. It's terrifying," someone else muttered.
As whispers filled the guild, Makarov smiled quietly to himself. The battle had been short but intense, and Darius had proven why he was one of the guild's strongest.
The members of the guild were terrified.
In this battle, Darius used moves they had never seen before, not only powerful.
It also seemed to make him more at ease.
"I've decided that I will never provoke Darius in my life, it's too unfathomable!"
"Darius is really getting better and better. He hasn't done it for a year, and his magic is already different from before."
"Scare me to death, be nice to Darius in the future."
———
Let me know of any changes.