"Laxus!"
Makarov, worried about his grandson's safety, couldn't help but shout.
"Don't worry, Fini knows his limits."
Mavis reached out and held back the agitated Makarov.
"If you don't want an indelible shadow to be cast in your grandson's heart, then let him fight Fini to his heart's content! Whether he wins or loses, it will benefit him."
"…"
Makarov, who had been extremely anxious, slowly calmed down. Now that he was calm, he knew that this duel could no longer be stopped by him.
"Damn it!!!"
Rumble!
More than a dozen lightning bolts suddenly struck from the clear sky, and the golden lightning disfigured the entire street.
"Lightning Pressure Roar!!"
Laxus's angry roar came from the ruins a hundred meters away, as seven or eight lightning bolts, as thick as buckets, struck down towards Phoenix.
Boom!!
It was still a simple straight punch, but this time it was noticeably different from before. Just as Phoenix threw the punch, the space around his head began to crack inch by inch at a visible speed. Then, with a deafening boom, the descending lightning was once again brutally shattered by Phoenix.
"Spa… Space cracked!!!"
Everyone stared dumbfounded at Phoenix, who seemed to have only done something insignificant. Laxus, who had just crawled out of the ruins, couldn't help but tremble with a jolt in his eyes.
A fist that could even shatter space—if that hit a person, could they still live?
Everyone swallowed with difficulty. Fortunately, he had already joined their guild; otherwise, facing such an opponent, even a hundred lives wouldn't be enough!
"Unleash your full power, Laxus! I know you haven't given it your all yet! If you don't want to have regrets, then completely let go of yourself!!"
Phoenix's eyes pierced Laxus like sharp swords. Through Kenbunshoku Haki, Phoenix keenly sensed that an even stronger magic power was hidden within Laxus's body.
"...!!"
Laxus was truly surprised this time, because this secret was known by absolutely no one in the entire guild except his father and his grandfather. Had this nine-year-old child already seen through his trump card?
"Laxus! What is power? Power is the heart!! If you cannot open your heart, if you cannot freely enjoy battle, your power will only stop here!!"
"Power… heart… freedom… enjoyment…"
Phoenix's words struck Laxus's heart like a heavy hammer. Having been taught about love and protection by his grandfather in the past, he found it truly difficult to understand what the strongest power was. But Phoenix's words were simple and easy to understand!
Yes, power is freedom!!
Only free power is the strongest power!!
Crackling!
Countless lightning bolts tightly enveloped Laxus. His explosive, terrifying magic power soared endlessly, his muscles swelled, completely tearing his shirt. Dragon scales even appeared on his strong, muscular arms.
"What… What kind of magic power is this!! How can Laxus have such magic power?"
"Master, what exactly is this?!"
"This seems different from his previous power; the quality is clearly several levels higher!"
Listening to the discussions of the surrounding members, a cold sweat ran down Makarov's back.
"This is… Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic! Third?"
Mavis's expression suddenly became quite solemn. Makarov was startled, then lowered his head bitterly.
"I'm sorry, I'll explain later."
"…"
Mavis silently glanced at Makarov, then sighed softly. Mavis shook her head and said, "There's no need for explanations. It's just that you've been too protective of him! Excessive protection won't allow him to truly grow."
From the discussions of the surrounding members, Mavis knew that Makarov had not revealed Laxus's identity as a Dragon Slayer Mage. The purpose of concealing it was naturally to better protect his growth. While his original intention was good, good intentions do not always lead to good outcomes.
"His heart has already subtly changed. I hope this spar with Fini will allow him to recognize himself!"
In the arena.
The wildly growing magic power finally seemed to begin to subside. Laxus, enveloped in lightning, suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of lightning gone in an instant. Raising his hand to feel the immense magic power unleashed at full strength, a sudden illusion of having the world in his grasp surged within Laxus, and confidence and arrogance began to grow wildly in his heart.
"Phoenix! This is the first time I've fully unleashed myself. As my first battle as a Lightning Dragon Slayer Mage, you shall be my stepping stone!! Lightning Dragon's—"
Laxus took a deep breath, and terrifying, violent lightning erupted all around him. A highly compressed, destructive power rapidly formed in his mouth.
"—Roar!!!"
With a loud shout from Laxus, a golden beam of light, containing endless lightning, rapidly attacked Phoenix from Laxus's mouth.
"…"
Gazing at the unstoppable, roaring lightning that seemed intent on crushing him, Phoenix's eyes finally showed a hint of brilliance.
But—
"No! Absolutely not! Are you already complacent at this level? Then, I will make you truly experience what despair is!"
Boom!!
A magic power even more terrifying than Laxus's erupted from Phoenix. A huge vortex of clouds swirled in the sky, and an invisible pressure bore down.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Guild members fell one after another. In a short moment, apart from Mavis, Makarov, and Gildarts, not a single guild member could remain standing. Even among those three, besides Mavis, who was especially looked after by Phoenix, sweat slowly began to seep from Makarov's and Gildarts's faces.
Six years had passed, and Phoenix's Haoshoku Haki was no longer at the level where it couldn't even intimidate a large lizard. When fully unleashed, even Makarov, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, had to expend a great deal of mental energy to resist this absolutely overwhelming Haki!
Haki, this was an absolute power that only Phoenix possessed.
From the moment Phoenix realized that he was the only one in this world who could cultivate Haki, the three types of Haki had already become Phoenix's habitual instinct.
"Shockwave!!"
The powerful vibration, with a destructive force, directly shattered Laxus's roar into dust, and in the instant it broke through the roar, it stunned Laxus, who, though standing under the Haoshoku Haki, was almost immobile.
The moment Laxus lost consciousness and fell, a golden flash instantly appeared before him. Laxus subconsciously reached out and tightly grasped him. At this moment, that golden figure, who had the earth beneath his feet, was already deeply imprinted in his heart… When Laxus woke up, it was three days later. Laxus, having regained consciousness, naturally knew of his defeat.
He lost!
He lost completely!
But in his heart, Laxus felt no disappointment.
After all, who, upon seeing that figure, who was like a demon and a god when fully unleashed, would think they had even a slight chance of winning?
After getting out of bed and quickly washing up, Laxus eagerly headed to the guild. Pushing open the door, the clamor of noise was incessant. Fortunately, Laxus was wearing headphones, which saved him from the assault of the noise. Although the guild's noisiness was a sign of intimacy, to Laxus, it was a meaningless waste of youth.
Frowning slightly, Laxus's gaze moved, trying to find that golden figure. However, no matter how hard Laxus tried, he couldn't find any trace of Phoenix.
"Grandpa, where's Phoenix?"
Everyone noticed Laxus the moment he pushed open the door and entered. Although surprised by Laxus's identity as a Dragon Slayer Mage, everyone merely glanced at him and then went back to what they were doing. This was precisely what made Fairy Tail so appealing.
"Phoenix, you say… Uh, don't mind that brat. Three days ago, he casually took a ten-year mission and left with Mavis. Gildarts also took a ten-year mission and left. Really, can't they stay in the guild a bit longer…"
Seemingly drunk, Makarov hiccuped with blurry eyes, waving his hand and complaining incessantly.
"He… He left?"
A hint of disappointment suddenly arose in Laxus's heart.
"Yes, he left. But it's okay; they'll come back after the mission is completed anyway."
Laxus didn't react at all, but instead turned and left the guild directly.
Standing in front of the guild door, Laxus's fists unconsciously clenched.
Indeed, he was too weak now! He wasn't even qualified to do missions with him!!
Power!!
What he lacked now was power!!
At this time, Phoenix probably didn't know that although he had shattered Laxus's pride with his overwhelming strength, he had also deepened Laxus's obsession with becoming stronger.