"Your logic is full of holes. First off, I never said I was the strongest. I'm a bit vain, sure, but I don't care about the title—I just like the process of getting stronger."
Kael stared at Laxus, his expression bored. "Second, I never tried to steal the position of Guild Master. The old man tried to shove it down my throat, and I turned it down because it sounded like a massive pain. Stop acting like I'm some 'fake heir' stealing your inheritance. I couldn't care less about leading the guild."
"Third," Kael's voice dropped an octave, turning cold. "No matter what you say, none of that justifies starting a civil war or using the girls' lives as leverage. Now you're holding the entire town of Magnolia hostage. Your behavior isn't just bad—it's worse than the Dark Guilds."
"Fourth... you've been getting on my nerves for a long time. 'Strongest' this, 'strongest' that. Seriously, what is wrong with you? If you're so desperate for the title, go find the Four Gods of Ishgar. Beat them, and the whole continent will call you the strongest. Otherwise, shut up."
Laxus's eye twitched. "I'll get to them eventually!"
He was arrogant, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew perfectly well that the Four Gods of Ishgar were monsters he couldn't challenge yet. Going after them now would be a suicide mission. But they were just old; in a few years, he'd take them down. For now, his goal was the man standing in front of him.
"Enough talk! Let me show you the difference in our levels!!"
SHING!
Kael appeared in front of Laxus instantly. It wasn't a teleport—it was high-speed movement fueled by a burst of speed.
Kael drove a fist toward Laxus's gut.
CRACKLE!
Laxus transformed into a bolt of golden lightning, circling behind Kael with a jagged, predatory grin.
"Raging Bolt!!"
Laxus swung his palm, unleashing a massive discharge of golden electricity.
Kael leaped into the air, dodging the blast with ease. Laxus turned back into lightning, surging up a stone pillar to the ceiling before reappearing directly behind Kael's head.
His fist, wreathed in roaring thunder, swung down with absolute confidence.
But just as Laxus thought he had him, Kael tilted his head a fraction of an inch, letting the fist whistle past. Before Laxus could react, Kael grabbed him by the collar and slammed him toward the floor.
BOOM!
The stone tiles of the cathedral shattered upon impact.
"Lightning!!"
Laxus thrust his hand upward, firing a concentrated bolt of electricity shaped like a lance. Kael simply flicked his wrist.
The trajectory of the spear warped, redirected by a subtle pull of his magic. It slammed into a nearby support pillar instead.
CRASH!
The massive stone column disintegrated.
"HAA!!"
Laxus didn't stop. He unleashed a pillar of lightning from his palm, aimed straight at Kael.
SHING!
Kael vanished, reappearing behind Laxus in an instant.
"That speed?!" Laxus gasped. He hadn't expected Kael to possess that kind of mobility.
WHAM!
Kael's left leg snapped out in a high roundhouse kick, connecting squarely with Laxus's waist.
Laxus felt a surge of agonizing pain shoot through his side. "GUAAGH!"
BOOM!
Laxus was sent flying, smashing through another support pillar.
Almost simultaneously, a golden magic circle erupted under Kael's feet.
KABOOM!!
A massive surge of lightning shot toward the ceiling, swallowing Kael whole.
"Heh! You think I came here without a plan?" Laxus snapped.
The lightning dissipated, but Kael was standing exactly where he had been, completely unscathed.
"What?! Impossible! No one walks away from my lightning circles like that!!"
Laxus stared, eyes wide with disbelief. He had seen the strike land with his own eyes.
Kael scratched his head. He felt like he had explained his powers a dozen times today, but he was a helpful guy, so he might as well do it again.
"Mhm. To put it simply, you didn't hit me. Your lightning only touched the magic barrier between us."
"Here, I'll show you. Put your hand out."
Laxus, curious despite his rage, reached out. He wasn't afraid; he wanted to understand the logic behind this power. As his hand approached Kael's palm, he felt a crushing resistance. No matter how much strength he used, he couldn't close the final gap.
"What is this?!"
"This is my barrier spell. It's not that I'm 'stopping' you; it's that the closer you get, the slower you become. That lightning blast you just used? Same thing. I just applied a little pressure and made it flow around me."
"What?!" Laxus couldn't believe such a broken magic existed.
"So, what now? I could just stand here and hold your hand all day if you want," Kael teased.
"...No thanks."
"Don't be shy. You're making me blush."
"You bastard!"
Laxus glared, but Kael was faster, snapping a punch directly into Laxus's jaw.
"GUH!"
"You son of a...!"
Laxus swung a lightning-enhanced fist at Kael's face. Just before impact, Kael ducked, stepped into Laxus's guard, and landed another heavy blow to the ribs.
PUNCH. PUNCH. PUNCH.
It was a one-sided exchange. Kael's strikes landed with pinpoint precision, while Laxus's attacks were either dodged or slowed to a crawl by his barrier spell.
"DAMN IT!!"
Laxus couldn't take the humiliation anymore. He turned into lightning to put distance between them, his eyes glowing a deep, bloodshot red.
Kael looked at his empty palm. "Leaving so soon? I thought we were getting close."
Laxus grit his teeth. "Don't get cocky, brat. I've already figured out your weakness."
Kael looked at him with genuine interest. "Oh? Tell me. Even I don't know my own weaknesses. I'd love to improve."
"Hmph! Your Limitless is impressive, but it doesn't mean you can stop everything perfectly. If it was truly absolute, you wouldn't bother dodging my attacks at all."
Kael nodded. "Not bad, Laxus. You caught on quick."
The nature of magic in this world functioned similarly to a magic barrier. It could technically neutralize or bypass the Limitless, given enough power and time—even if it was only for a fraction of a second. But for Kael, that fraction of a second was all he needed to move.
"And," Laxus said sharply, "the more powerful the magic, the faster it breaks through your defense!!"
"The old man has been nagging me to keep this quiet, so I've kept it hidden. But today, I'll give you a front-row seat."
Laxus's magic power exploded. Golden lightning roared around him, and faint, shimmering patterns began to ripple across his skin.
"A Dragon Slayer, huh?" Kael noted.
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