January 1, X777
Raizel Pov
Laxus successfully advanced to S-Class before Christmas.
On that day, Gramps and Laxus had a long talk in the hospital ward.
I don't know the details, but I am quite sure the estrangement between them has finally dissolved.
Years ago, after Ivan was expelled by Gramps, Laxus never said a word, but he harbored a deep, quiet resentment.
I don't know if Gramps told Laxus the truth about "Lumen Histoire," but it doesn't matter now.
The ice has melted.
Speaking of which, I was almost led astray by Laxus's philosophy.
Fortunately, Gramps woke me up.
Winning is what matters, but I still don't have a clear direction on exactly which path I should take to achieve it.
Natsu should be arriving soon—just a few more months.
I really want to meet that hot-blooded idiot, but I think I'll refuse his challenges for now.
I just want to fish quietly.
...
The battle between Laxus and Raizel on Tenrou Island had ignited a fire in Erza.
Having met August and witnessed the monstrous strength of her peers, she didn't feel lost or discouraged.
Instead, she set Laxus and Raizel as her benchmarks.
From the very start of the New Year, she threw herself into training with renewed fervor.
Erza never doubted her own talent; on the contrary, she possessed a fierce confidence.
It was a confidence well-placed, as Raizel, Ur, and Makarov often praised her potential.
Ur seemed inspired by the younger generation as well.
Two days into the new year, she set off alone for Mount Hakobe to refine her Ice Make magic.
Since Kagura was now capable of taking care of herself—and joined Raizel in the Eastern Forest whenever Ur was away—Ur felt comfortable leaving for a while.
Unexpectedly, Laxus took Cana on a mission.
Raizel hadn't anticipated this.
It was unclear whether they planned to form a permanent team or if Laxus, now an S-Class Mage, was simply mentoring her temporarily.
Regardless, it was a good development.
Cana was still dedicated to Card Magic. Having always played with Tarot cards, she had a natural affinity for it.
Raizel approved of her choice.
Card Magic was incredibly versatile.
It offered access to multiple attributes—fire, lightning, ice, wind, and water—all from a single deck.
It possessed single-target spells, area-of-effect attacks, and crowd control mechanics like sleep smoke.
A mage who could execute complex combos with cards could generate impressive firepower and utility.
...
Raizel planned to eventually separate Erza and Ultear, having them lead younger guild members like Levy and Laki for training, as those members were falling behind.
However, with Ultear currently on Tenrou Island training under Mavis, Raizel and Erza paused their missions to wait for her return.
In the meantime, the Eastern Forest became their dojo.
Erza continued to spar daily with Raizel's Three Sword Spirits.
Compared to a year ago, her improvement was terrifying.
She could now last a long time against the spirits, even when they weren't holding back as much.
Erza had begun to favor a specific loadout: the Benizakura paired with the Serenity Garment (Clear Heart Clothing), sacrificing defense for pure offense.
However, she was pragmatic; she still switched to the Heaven's Wheel Armor when facing large numbers of enemies to utilize its multi-target capabilities.
Kagura, on the other hand, was walking a different path.
When Erza rested, Kagura would spar.
At first, she tried to fight two or three Sword Spirits simultaneously, asking them to lower their speed.
But Raizel quickly noticed it didn't suit her.
Kagura had a tenacious, predator-like focus.
When fighting three opponents, she would completely ignore two of them, abandoning all defense to lock onto a single target and destroy it.
Erza's balanced, battlefield-control style was incompatible with Kagura's nature.
Recognizing this, Raizel changed the parameters.
He had a single Sword Spirit attack her at high speed.
Under this pressure, Kagura barely managed to defend, yet she seemed to find her rhythm.
She grew more excited with every clash.
Raizel realized she was pursuing the "Ultimate Strike"—the pinnacle of singular, explosive power.
Although she couldn't articulate it yet, her sword swung with that intent.
'Whether this path is good or bad, I don't know,' Raizel thought.
'But she is young. She should walk the path that calls to her.'
Raizel himself was trying to follow the path of Balance—but a "High-Quality Balance."
He didn't want the shortcomings of a leaky barrel; he wanted to be a fortress without cracks.
Magic, physical strength, martial arts—he wanted it all.
Unfortunately, without Laxus around, finding a sparring partner who could push him in martial arts was proving difficult.
...
Lately, the routine was consistent: train in the morning, lunch at Raizel's.
For several days in a row, Erza and Kagura noticed Raizel was distracted.
He would sit with his chin in his hand, staring at his food, barely eating.
After lunch one day, once Erza and Kagura had cleared the dishes, they found Raizel sitting cross-legged on the floor, still lost in the clouds.
"What have you been thinking about all these afternoons?" Erza asked, unable to hold back any longer.
Raizel blinked, snapping out of his trance. "Ah, nothing. Just... thinking about training."
Erza sat down opposite him. "Why not tell us? You've been so out of it that even Kagura has lost her enthusiasm for practice."
Kagura sat beside Erza, watching him silently.
Her large eyes urged him to speak.
Raizel scratched his head. He had been thinking so hard he felt like he was going bald.
"I've been trying to figure out how to train my martial arts," Raizel admitted. "My speed is too fast. The Three Sword Spirits don't provide any real challenge anymore. Do you know that feeling? As soon as they fly at me, my body moves on instinct. I'm not thinking; I'm just reacting."
He sighed. "They can't keep up. Even if I force myself to just parry, between my arm blades, leg blades, and tail, it's too easy. I need actual martial arts pressure."
"Hmm..." Erza rested her chin on her hand, mimicking his pose.
Kagura closed her eyes, deep in thought.
Suddenly, Erza sat up straight. "When you say martial arts, do you mean unarmed or with weapons?"
"Overall, weapons," Raizel said. "Since my strongest forms usually involve a blade."
Erza snapped her fingers. "I remember back at the Academy, you used a specific form—a suit of pink and white armor with a one-handed sword, right?"
Raizel nodded. "Yes. LordKnightmon."
Erza turned to Kagura with a mischievous smile. "How about we fight him together?"
Kagura tilted her head in confusion.
'Fight him? How?'
Eastern Forest
Erza found a long stick and drew a circle with a one-meter radius in the dirt. She tapped the stick against her palm, then pointed at the circle.
"Here are the rules," Erza announced. "Stand inside this circle. You cannot take a step outside of it. You cannot use magic to fly or attack. You can only defend and parry using your sword. If you step out, or if we land a clean hit, you lose."
Raizel stepped into the circle. He summoned a simple training sword.
Opposite him, Erza drew her Dual Blades.
Beside her, Kagura gripped the hilt of Archenemy with both hands, her stance low and focused.
Raizel hadn't expected Erza to come up with such a simple, effective solution.
He had been stuck in the misconception that they were too young to pressure him, so he hadn't considered a handicap match.
He settled into a defensive stance, watching the two girls.
Erza was the whirlwind; Kagura was the lightning strike.
He smiled faintly, raising his left hand to beckon them.
"Come on then. It's been a long time since I've been this interested."