Chapter 130: Precht meet Makarov in [Magic Arena]

While Nate and Erza shared an intimate moment in the cave on Galuna Island, the world outside buzzed with excitement over the new [Magic Arena] feature introduced in the Magic Net 0.6 version update.

A large airship slowly cruised through the sky, soaring a thousand meters above the clouds. This was the magic airship of "Grimoire Heart," one of the three major dark guilds of the Balam Alliance.

Inside the ship, an elderly man dressed in black armor with a helmet featuring two horns and a fierce expression spoke slowly:

"The developments surrounding the Tower of Heaven are not what we anticipated. Jellal has been arrested and judged. Has Ultear made contact yet?"

Standing before Guild Master Hades were six mages—five men and one woman—all members of the Seven Kin of Purgatory.

A man with a sheep-like appearance spoke up, "Master Hades, even though the plan didn't unfold as expected, Ultear still has an opportunity to cause chaos."

Another young man, wearing black-rimmed glasses and with slicked-back hair, added, "Not only did Ultear fail to become the 'key' to unlocking Zeref's seal, but she hasn't accomplished anything significant."

A chubby man with a double chin muttered, "Well, she did do something... she voted against the Etherion cannon in the Magic Council."

Silence filled the room as their expressions darkened.

Hades frowned, pondering what Ultear's true motives were.

"Meldy."

"Yes, Master Hades?"

"Go to the Magic Council headquarters and meet with her."

"Understood, I'll leave immediately."

Meldy, a girl wearing headphones shaped like wings and a black cloak, turned and silently left the room after receiving her orders.

"You may all go now," Hades instructed the remaining Kin of Purgatory before slowly raising his right hand. A silver ring adorned his middle finger.

He poured magic into the ring, but instead of the familiar forum interface, a version update announcement appeared.

Hades glanced at it with interest. "Version 0.6? It won't reach full completion until version 1.0?"

Muttering to himself, he quickly scanned the contents of the announcement, narrowing his eyes.

"Magic Arena?"

With ease, he accessed the gaming section and saw the fourth game added to Magic Net.

...

In Fairy Tail's underground tavern, Makarov sat at the bar, also opening the [Magic Arena]. During the previous guild tournament, he had only participated as a spectator or judge. Now that the official version was live, he wanted to experience it firsthand.

Magic Net had already been remarkable, but the introduction of [Magic Arena] pushed the concept of magic to an unbelievable level.

"This goes beyond the concept of magic," Makarov thought. "Could that kid Nate actually turn super magic into a magic app…?"

God? Could Nate be a god? Makarov chuckled at the idea.

Clicking on the [Magic Arena] icon, the familiar interface appeared. However, unlike the beta version, the "Join Tournament" button was gone, leaving only "Ranked Matchmaking."

"There should be a 'Friend Battle' option. I'll mention it to Nate later," Makarov mused. He thought of an old friend, a former member of the Ten Wizard Saints who had once belonged to Fairy Tail. It would be fun to spar with him in the arena.

After clicking the matchmaking button, a safety reminder popped up, advising players to be mindful of their well-being while playing. Makarov clicked "Confirm" and entered the queue.

After about a minute, a notification appeared:

[Searching for an opponent with similar strength...]

[Match found!]

[Would you like to enter the game?]

[Confirm/Cancel]

After confirming, Makarov felt his consciousness separate from his body. Darkness surrounded him, and when his vision returned, he found himself on the Sky Island map.

[You have entered the Sky Island Arena.]

[Enjoy the game!]

Two floating lines of text burst into flames and vanished. Makarov's gaze focused on his opponent.

Unlike the beta version, the official release displayed some key information above the opponent's head.

[Player Nickname: Precht]

[Rank: Bronze Mage]

[Wins/Losses: 0/0]

Both players were new to ranked matches, with no previous games played, and thus both had the lowest rank, Bronze.

However, when Makarov saw the opponent's name, he froze in shock.

"Precht?!" Makarov exclaimed, staring at his opponent.

"Well, well... my first opponent is you?" Hades was equally surprised. Though Makarov's nickname was "Fairy Tail's Grandpa," that face was unforgettable.

"You're… Master Precht!" Makarov was stunned.

"It's been a long time, kid," Hades smiled. "Seeing you reminds me of forty-eight years ago, when Mavis entrusted the position of guild master to me, and I, in turn, passed it on to you."

"Forty-eight years have passed, and I see you've grown old."

Makarov was reeling from shock. Forty-eight years... The former second guild master, who had left, saying he would "wander the world," looked just as he had back then.

"I never imagined we'd reunite in a game, Master Precht," Makarov said, taking a deep breath. "I thought you'd been long buried."

"We've both grown old," Hades replied with a faint smile. "But these young ones today are terrifying. Creating such an unbelievable magic, and one of them is from your Fairy Tail."

'Your Fairy Tail?' Makarov's brow furrowed.

"This chit-chat is over. Let me see if this magic works as well as the announcement claims… without anyone dying!"

Hearing this, Makarov's face grew serious. He immediately raised his hand, chanting:

"Sweep away the darkness,

Rain of Light!!"

Dozens of arrows of light shot forth, trailing golden streaks as they flew toward Hades.

Hades sneered. "Too weak, kid!"

He chanted as well:

"Devour the light, Eternal Shadow!"

A shield of darkness formed before him, absorbing all the light arrows in an instant.

Makarov's expression shifted. "Your magic… it's dark magic!"

...

Back in the cave, after their intimate moment, the rain had stopped.

Erza leaned against the cave wall, her long legs trembling slightly as she caught her breath, her cheeks still flushed.

Nate wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his lap as they sat on a nearby rock, savoring a quiet moment together.

"Looks like we'll have to postpone the sparring until tomorrow, Erza."

Erza, resting her arms around Nate's neck, stubbornly replied, "It's just a little injury… I'm fine!"

'Why is she so insistent?' Nate thought, amused. 'It's not like I'm going anywhere—we can spar anytime.'

~~~

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