Chapter 16:Royal Rose of the Celestial Palace
"Pegasus Meteor Fist!"
Moen launched forward with a roar, his fists blazing as he flew like a pegasus taking flight.
In that fleeting instant, he saw the star map vividly in his mind's eye—Pegasus and Equuleus side by side, with Equuleus shining through with a bright horse's head while Pegasus pulsed faintly beside it.
The magic of the stars was drawn down from the heavens and wrapped tightly around Moen's body, forming a visible aura of blue starlight like a second skin.
"AAAAHHHH!!!"
He shouted with everything he had.
Pure magic flooded into his body, enhancing every fiber of his being. His limbs surged with energy, brimming with overwhelming power that demanded to be unleashed.
"BOOM!"
Fueled by this explosive magic, his fists roared forward like a thousand stampeding horses.
This was what the Pegasus Meteor Fist was meant to be—empowered by the twin constellations, a devastating technique leagues beyond what he had managed during his fight with Natsu.
"CRACK—CRACK—CRACK!"
Gildarts didn't dodge. He raised both arms in front of him, magic flaring to full force, and took the blow head-on.
Though still standing upright, he was pushed back several meters, his boots carving deep trenches into the earth beneath him.
"Huff… Huff… Huff!"
Moen panted heavily, staring down at his own trembling fists.
Even he couldn't believe that the punch just now had come from him.
But the connection—whatever mystical bond had guided his strike—was already gone. That sense of unity with the stars had vanished like a dream.
And yet, deep down…
He knew.
That was it. That was the right path.
For a fleeting second, Moen felt like he had finally brushed against the legendary Cosmo.
Of course, that was just an illusion.
The truth was, while that strike looked like something out of a Saint Seiya legend, it was far from the real thing.
Saints could tear the earth and shatter stars not through raw strength, but by igniting the Cosmo within—the burning microcosmic energy that dismantled matter at the atomic level.
It wasn't brute force.
It was finesse. It was essence.
It was the difference between Seiya and Cassios.
This brief moment of transcendence taught Moen a valuable truth:
His synchronization with the Cloth was still far too shallow.
So far, he'd only unlocked the most basic functions of the Cloth.
There were still greater abilities hidden within—awaiting the day he could forge a deeper connection to the stars above.
"Ha! You little brat! What kind of magicwasthat?!"
Gildarts stepped back into the field, his expression filled with shock and intrigue.
He casually tucked both arms back under his large cloak, but Moen could tell—he had felt that punch.
Even now, his arms were likely still tingling from the impact.
"Celestial Spirit Magic."
Moen answered reflexively.
"Bullsh*t! Since when doesCelestial Spirit Magichit like that?!"
Gildarts grimaced, lifting his leg as if to kick Moen straight in the backside.
Moen laughed and dodged nimbly—this time without feeling the same bone-chilling killing intent as before.
"You really think I don't know what Celestial Spirit Magic is?"
Gildarts grinned, clearly amused.
Whatever Moen had just used, it definitely wasn't traditional Celestial Spirit Magic.
The summoning magic of Celestial Mages, even those wielding Zodiac Spirits, wouldn't be capable of packing that kind of raw power.
His arms still hurt from blocking that punch.
But just before Moen threw that punch, he had indeed traced out a constellation—and he had really formed a connection with the stars in the sky.
Gildarts, a seasoned mage with decades of experience, possessed a keen sensitivity to fluctuations in magic. He had seen it clearly—what happened to Moen wasn't some illusion. That pure, alien magic… it came from beyond the skies.
Moen had actually drawn in stellar energy!
Magic resided not only in the human body but in all things across the world. Naturally, even distant celestial bodies harbored magic of their own.
"This kid… really is something else."
Gildarts was speechless. Moen had just turned twelve. He tried to recall what he himself had been capable of at that age—and no, it hadn't been anywhere near this level.
Right then, Moen didn't have time to care about Gildarts's shock.
Because in the corner of his vision, something unexpected popped up—he had unknowingly triggered a quest during the fight.
Apparently, while Moen had been too focused on the battle to notice, the Saint Seiya System had smartly gone into background mode, holding off on notifications until the fight ended.
[Quest: "The Strongest One!"]
Description:
Gildarts—Fairy Tail's ultimate Destruction King! The undefeated legend! The ceiling of S-Class mages! An enemy unlike any before!
Repel him! Earn his recognition!
Status: Completed
Reward: One Royal Demon Palace Rose
→ Claim reward? [Yes/No]
Moen's eyes widened in shock.
The Royal Demon Palace Rose—the iconic technique of Pisces Gold Saint, Aphrodite! A crimson rose laced with deadly poison.
Once infused with Cosmo, the rose could be thrown like a weapon, powerful enough to pierce even a Gold Cloth.
Though Moen hadn't awakened Cosmo yet, he could still substitute with magic power—the rose would respond the same way.
As a toxic rose, the Royal Demon Palace Rose was devastating: a mere graze from a thorn or even inhaling a few grains of pollen was enough to numb the senses, shut down the body's functions, and bring death without pain.
Not only that, but the rose's petals could even turn invisible, making it a perfect stealth weapon.
A versatile and terrifying tool.
The only problem?
There was just one of them.
Still, considering the quest wasn't all that difficult—it didn't even require defeating Gildarts, just repelling him and earning his approval—it made sense that the reward wasn't excessive.
Moen claimed the reward without hesitation.
The Royal Demon Palace Rose was instantly stored within the System's inventory space—where it would never wilt or rot.
"Well… at least I've got a new weapon now. If I use it at the right moment, taking down even a powerful opponent could be as easy as flipping a hand."
"Moen, what are you spacing out for? You still wanna learn Crush or not?"
Gildarts waved a hand in front of Moen's face, snapping him out of his thoughts. His arms were already starting to recover.
"Of course I do!"
Moen responded immediately.
To him, this was vital.
Gildarts's legendary spell, the ultra-tier destruction magic Crush, was in Moen's eyes the key—the key to unlocking the truth of the Cosmo.
Crush worked by using magic to shatter matter at the atomic level, completely breaking apart the bonds between particles.
Simply put, nothing in existence could withstand it.
And that kind of precision and destructive energy, reaching down to the fundamental structure of reality, was exactly the kind of insight Moen craved.
He couldn't yet learn non-system magic, so he wasn't actually "learning" Crush in the traditional sense.
Instead, he was observing it—studying its principles in hopes of comprehending the microcosmic truths behind it.
Gildarts stroked the stubble on his chin, falling into thought.
Then, as if struck by inspiration, he smirked and proposed:
"How about I just let youexperiencehow Crush feels… firsthand?"
"???"
Moen froze, dumbfounded.
Was Gildarts serious?
Was he still holding a grudge over that one punch?
Moen began to question whether maybe—just maybe—he'd hit a little too hard back there...