Ankh flung the backpack aside, muscles tensing instantly, and growled with a grim expression.
A blinding pillar of lightning erupted from the abyss, soaring into the sky as the man rode the bolts upward.
But upon hearing Ankh's words, his expression shifted to one of astonishment, and he muttered in confusion.
"You said... you're a man?"
Aside from the slightly deeper voice... there wasn't a single aspect of his appearance that suggested he was male!
'Could he be deceiving me?'
Before he could ponder further, Ankh—eyes blazing with ferocity—had already clenched a fist and charged straight at him.
Yet, the man's body was abruptly crushed by gravity materializing out of thin air, leaving him immobilized.
With no other choice, he braced himself to take the blow head-on.
Ankh's punch landed squarely on his face.
What seemed like a frail, insignificant strike was amplified by gravity into a devastating force, sending the man stumbling back several steps before he regained his footing.
Straining against the gravity, the man rose steadily to his feet, brushing off his clothes as if unharmed, and sneered.
"You... pack quite a punch."
Lightning crashed down from nowhere once more, boosting the man's speed as he lunged above Ankh, returning the favor with a punch aimed at his face.
"Huh?"
The moment his fist made contact with Ankh's body, the man sensed something amiss.
His strike seemed to barely graze Ankh's skin before going limp, and a force equal to his own rebounded, deflecting the attack.
A wisp of black smoke rose from Ankh's fair cheek, the electrocuted flesh twitching involuntarily.
Any force-based assault was useless against Ankh.
But the reverse... wasn't true.
Retracting his fist, the man remarked with interest.
"As expected, physical attacks don't work... But... it seems lightning can still strike you!"
Golden thunder surged like tidal waves from the man's body, the violent bolts solidifying into tangible form as they rushed toward Ankh.
Spreading his arms, Ankh conjured a glowing Magic circle that bypassed the thunderous onslaught, materializing above the man's head.
An overwhelming pressure of gravity, far exceeding before, erupted downward.
Simultaneously, both Ankh and the man unleashed large-scale Magic, each enduring the other's lightning and gravity without evasion.
The vast, boundless Mount Hakobe trembled once more under their clash.
Having endured so much turmoil in a single day, it finally retaliated.
A roaring avalanche cascaded down the slopes, sweeping the exhausted pair away in a magnificent display, burying the chaotic battlefield under a blanket of snow.
After the prolonged and terror-filled avalanche, a figure burst forth from the thick snowfields at the mountain's base.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Ankh coughed violently, stretched out his hand to climb out of the snow, and casually retrieved his backpack.
Fortunately, he had managed to protect both the bag and the snow lotus during the avalanche, otherwise this trip would have been for nothing.
"Although I didn't use my full strength, that person came out completely unscathed. He's definitely no ordinary Mage."
Ankh clutched his slightly suffocated chest.
God Slayer Magic: Wrath of the Death God had already nearly drained his Magic Power, and after exchanging a few more moves with that guy, he felt even worse...
He hadn't yet mastered Titan Gravity Magic, and his God Slayer magic was temporarily unusable.
If he had continued fighting that person, he might not have escaped unscathed.
But this was only temporary!
Once he recovered his condition, he would track that person down sooner or later for a rematch.
....
After restoring some of his Magic Power on the spot, Ankh quickly took to the air and flew back toward Magnolia.
After completing the job for the client and receiving a reward of 10,000J, Ankh returned to the guild in a less-than-cheerful mood.
What should have been an easy job had turned into a pointless fight, wasting so much effort for nothing.
Ankh walked into the guild, tossed his backpack aside, and slumped onto a table.
Cana, who had been playing nearby, noticed and curiously approached.
Seeing his disheveled state, she was surprised and asked in confusion.
"What happened, Ankh? Your first mission should have been really simple, right?"
Erza brought two glasses of orange juice for them and sat next to Cana, turning to Ankh with a puzzled expression.
"It was just gathering herbs, right? Did something happen?"
Ankh sullenly slurped his juice and muttered, "The job itself was simple enough, but I ran into some idiot that keep calling me a woman. Then I ended up fighting him."
Erza and Cana exchanged glances and shared an awkward knowing smile.
They hadn't known Ankh for long, but it was clear to them that this man, with his delicate appearance but masculine heart, absolutely despised being called a woman.
Last time, when Cana called him "sister," she nearly got devoured by the vicious Ankh...
They wondered who the unlucky soul was this time...
"Ah! Laxus is back too!"
While chatting with the two girls, surprised voices from guild members suddenly sounded behind them.
Cana leaned over to look and exclaimed in surprise, "Laxus is back too? Why is he also so disheveled?"
Ankh froze
Laxus? Wasn't he also supposed to be a future S-Class Mage of Fairy Tail?
During this period, Laxus should have just entered his "rebellious phase"...
'Rebellious-phase Laxus.'
Ankh half-turned his body to look at Laxus walking through the door.
When he got a clear view of the person, his pupils abruptly contracted.
That familiar clothing and build, along with the feeling of his Magic Power... Could it be that the person he fought on the snowy mountain was...?
"It's you?!"
Ankh planted one foot on a chair, his eyes blazing with fury as he shouted.
Laxus paused mid-step.
When he saw Ankh's face, a rage surged in his heart again.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Bastard! So you're from the same guild as me!"
Laxus tore off his tattered clothes, raised his fist, and charged at Ankh.
Of course, Ankh wasn't about to back down as he deliver a flying kick straight at Laxus's forehead!
Everyone in the guild was dumbfounded, staring in shock and confusion at the two now wrestling in a heap.
Why were they fighting? Wasn't this their first time meeting each other?
Moreover, Ankh, who had just joined the guild, actually had the ability to fight Laxus?
One must know that Laxus is the grandson of Guild Master Makarov.
Even across the entire continent, there are hardly one or two mages who can be compared to Laxus—of course, among those of the same age as him.
Just look within the guild itself.
Natsu and Gray, who are only a few years younger is way more weaker than Laxus.
Among the younger members of the guild, only Erza can exchange a few moves with him.
But now, there's another one—Ankh…
Erza watched the two of them fighting with great interest and suddenly realized.
"So it was Laxus who provoked Ankh…"
Cana could barely keep up with their movements and couldn't help but exclaim.
"They're so strong!"
The commotion from their fight was immense.
Many chairs and tables in the guild hall were smashed and sent flying, and it almost felt like the roof was about to be torn off.
Natsu, who had just returned to the guild, saw the fight and immediately squeezed through the crowd to get to the battlefield.
Excitedly, he leaned in and shouted loudly.
"Laxus! And Ankh, are you fighting? I want to join too!"
Ankh's face darkened as if it were about to drip with gloom, while Laxus's forehead bulged with veins.
Simultaneously, they turned around and delivered a heavy kick to Natsu while roaring in unison.
"DON'T GET IN THE WAY!"
Boom—Crash!
A series of violent tremors followed, and Natsu, who had rushed in eagerly to fight the moment he returned, was sent flying several meters away, crashing through and breaking a number of things.
"Ah… Huh?"
Natsu was knocked out on the spot and had spirals spinning in his eyes as he unluckily passed out once again…
Gray, watching from the side, broke out in a cold sweat.
He awkwardly whistled and quietly retreated to a distance.
He had almost rushed in himself…
After fighting for a while, Ankh clutched his chest uncomfortably.
Laxus noticed and frowned slightly before speaking in a deep voice.
"Your Magic Power hasn't recovered yet. How about we fight another day?"
Ankh raised his eyebrows and gritted his teeth, forcing a relaxed smile.
"Nah.... It's enough to deal with you."
The tension in Laxus's face eased slightly, and the corner of his mouth curled into a smirk as he shouted.
"BRING IT ON THEN!"