A Winner Is Born

Eleven really wanted to hear Makarov's explanation of the Second Origin, but he didn't have the time because Laxus had already charged at him like a mad dog.

"Raging Bolt!"

A lightning ball nearly ten meters in diameter was lifted above Laxus's head and then hurled down at Eleven. The enormous ball of lightning shimmered with golden Electric Light, hanging in the sky like a small sun.

Faced with Laxus's sudden attack, Eleven instinctively wanted to repeat his old trick and create an illusionary clone.

However, when he tried to sever his Spiritual Power again, a sharp Ground Spike shot through his mind, forcing Eleven to stop.

The series of clone attacks just now also damaged Eleven's Spiritual Power. Repeatedly cutting himself in a short period of time will inevitably have some side effects.

Of course, the injury wasn't serious, about the same as a muscle strain, but just to be on the safe side, Eleven abandoned the idea of continuing to divide his Spiritual Power.

After all, it's just an S-rank assessment, not a life-or-death struggle. There's no need to push yourself to the limit. Does he think he can't beat Laxus without the Real Illusion?

Boom!!

With a loud bang, Laxus's lightning ball didn't hit the ground; instead, it was caught by Eleven's Telekinesis and remained suspended in mid-air.

Because his attempt to cast Real Illusion had failed, Eleven had wasted a lot of time, causing him to miss the best opportunity to dodge and leaving him with no choice but to take the hit head-on.

(╬◣д◢): "Aaaaaah, Eleven, die!!"

In the sky, Laxus's face was contorted with rage, his magic erupting as he roared and frantically pressed the lightning orb downwards.

Eleven's eyes flashed with a dark light as he unleashed a massive net of Telekinesis to desperately resist Laxus's offensive. Compared to the attacker, Eleven was clearly at a greater disadvantage on the defensive, having to not only resist the physical force of the lightning orb but also guard against the leakage of lightning power—a very troublesome situation indeed.

The poor lightning ball was trapped between the two powerful figures, unable to move forward or backward, and could only continuously compress its potential, becoming smaller and smaller, flatter and flatter...

Rumble!!

In the end, the small ball of lightning could no longer bear the unbearable weight of life and exploded between the two. The lightning energy, compressed to its extreme, swept across the sky and the earth, uprooting countless towering trees and sending them tumbling and scrambling.

Mira, Erza, and Cana, who were watching from a distance, were also thrown into the air by the blast wave, exclaiming in surprise. If Makarov hadn't pulled them back, they don't know where they would have been blown away.

Makarov was actually quite shocked; the children's growth far exceeded his expectations. Especially Laxus and Eleven, those two little rascals, they were truly amazing!

Hmm! Truly worthy of being the child I taught! Truly worthy of being Fairy Tail mage!

The smoke and dust from the explosion hadn't yet dissipated, but two figures had already broken through the dust and soared into the sky. The golden figure was as fast as lightning, leaving zigzag streaks in the air and colliding with the gray figure countless times.

The gray figure didn't move with great speed, but it remained steadfast and unchanging, repeatedly deflecting the impacts of the golden lightning. The booming explosions were deafening, like the overwhelming might of heaven rolling in the sea of clouds.

Watching the two fight further and further apart, Erza, Mira, and even Cana on the ground clenched their fists. Only at this moment did they truly feel the gap between them and people like Eleven and Laxus.

So it turns out Eleven was just playing with them all along! And even Laxus hadn't used his full strength against them before.

I'm not reconciled! I'm extremely not reconciled!

A strong sense of resentment was practically written on the faces of these young girls; they absolutely did not want to be left behind by Eleven and Laxus. As for the fact that Eleven was two years older than them, and Laxus was even four years older, they had long since automatically ignored that.

Being born earlier is their own ability, and it cannot be an excuse for me to be inferior to them!

"President, I want to go and see!" Erza looked at Makarov earnestly, Mira and Cana beside her agreed, they also wanted to witness the battle Eleven and Laxus.

Makarov looked at the stubborn girls, grinning with satisfaction. These children's eyes were filled with the belief in becoming stronger; truly worthy of being mages of Fairy Tail, truly good children I've taught!

"Okay, then let's watch it to the end together."

(╬◣д◢): "Eleven, stop running! Just accept your fate and die!" Laxus roared menacingly.

ヽ(#`д′): "You're talking nonsense! Which eye of yours saw me running away?" Eleven retorted loudly.

The two chased and fought their way from the edge of the forest to its center. The battle along the way was devastating, with countless wildflowers, cats, and dogs suffering losses.

Eleven and Laxus each displayed their unique abilities, using techniques like super-speed, electric teleportation, illusions to lure enemies, Dragon Slayer Secret Art —they practically spammed out powerful moves and endless schemes—but in the end, neither could defeat the other.

Laxus had just been tricked by Eleven and suffered a great loss, so he was naturally being extra careful. Even if Eleven used Real Illusion again, he wouldn't fall for it again. He would simply create distance and unleash his ultimate, not caring which one was the real Eleven, he would just blow them all up.

Eleven also someone Laxus couldn't handle. The most troublesome time is when a big fool starts using his brain. This guy is not only fast and has high attack power, but he is also very durable and has almost no weaknesses. If he also becomes cautious, Eleven really doesn't know how to defeat him quickly and can only wear Laxus down.

Fortunately, even though Laxus activated his Second Origin, he wasn't truly resurrected at full health and strength. Even though his mana had recovered considerably, the injuries and fatigue from the previous battle remained.

So, after fighting back and forth for a while, Laxus and Eleven remained locked in a stalemate, neither able to gain the upper hand.

"Laxus, what exactly is the Second Origin? How did you activate it?" Eleven fought with his brain, so he had plenty of time to talk back to Laxus.

"I don't know! Lightning Dragon's Roar!" Laxus didn't want to pay attention to Eleven and launched into a real verbal attack.

A thick bolt of lightning pierced the earth. Eleven struck the ground with his Telekinesis, leaped into the air, and performed a beautiful 720-degree spin in mid-air, perfectly avoiding the Roar's attack range, watching it explode into a beautiful mushroom cloud deep in the jungle.

"Tch! You're probably afraid I won't be able to beat you after I learn how to activate the Second Origin, right? Right?" Eleven curled his lip, showing disdain for the enraged Laxus.

"Lightning Dragon's Crushing Fist!" Laxus ignored everything and charged forward, swinging his fists around.

In numerous encounters, Laxus has gained considerable experience in dealing with Eleven, the most important of which is to ignore every word Eleven utters during combat, treating it as if he's just talking nonsense.

Talking to that jerk will only make you lose your mind. Don't try to win an Eleven, because no matter what you say makes sense, Eleven won't listen. He just talks to himself, leading you into his ridiculous rhythm, and then defeating you with his rich experience in being ridiculous.

Laxus understood this all too well, so he completely ignored Eleven's words. Even if he truly didn't know how he had activated his Second Origin, he wouldn't be chatting with Eleven right now.

Eleven annoyed to see Laxus remain silent and only attack. Laxus was exceptionally difficult to deal with today. Although he had always been difficult, today was different. Today, Laxus seemed to be fighting with an unwavering determination to win, leaving no room for error and being extremely cautious.

Gradually, Eleven also put away his last bit of playful mood. Laxus wanted to win, and he didn't want to lose either. From childhood to adulthood, he and Laxus had fought side by side, and he had never once wanted to lose to Laxus.

With a death wish, they fought with all their might! This is the true meaning of the battle between Eleven and Laxus!

ヽ(`д′): "Come on, Laxus! Today I'll show you the difference between you and a true S-class mage!"

(╬◣д◢): "If you want to die, I'll grant your wish, Eleven!!"

Roar!!

At that moment, a deafening roar echoed through the jungle, causing flocks of birds to take flight in all directions, as if some terrifying being was about to descend.

Right where Laxus's roar had struck, a burst of fire shot into the sky, followed by a gigantic fire lizard bursting forth, burning the earth.

The Blazing Fire Demon Dragon! The absolute overlord of this forest! Although it is just a lizard monster, its immense power has earned it the title of dragon.

The forest lord was enjoying a nice afternoon nap at home when disaster struck—his luxurious cave suddenly exploded!

The Blazing Fire Demon Dragon, covered in dust and grime from the explosion, was furious. Looking at its now-ruined cave, it vowed to tear the culprit to pieces!

So, he appeared before Eleven and Laxus, who were the only two little guys in the vicinity who possessed the magic to destroy his cave!

The Blazing Fire Demon Dragon blazed with fur as it stared at the two tiny insects, no bigger than its toes. How dare these weaklings provoke it? How dare these vermin disturb its sleep?!

I'm going to kill you all!!

Although it couldn't speak, the Blazing Fire Demon Dragon's angry roar clearly conveyed this meaning.

"Get out of my way!"

"Lightning Dragon's Halberd!"

"Giant's Fist!"

Without any earth-shattering sound, the Blazing Fire Demon Dragon's massive head suddenly exploded! Then, without even glancing at the small animal they had just casually killed, Eleven and Laxus stepped over the enormous body, one wielding a halberd and the other swinging Telekinesis gauntlets, and began fighting again with clanging and banging.

The poor forest overlord hadn't even had a chance to introduce himself before he was no longer worried about being disturbed from his sleep. The flames on his massive body gradually died down, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud. A golden magic circle quietly appeared, and a golden card slowly emerged.

If this had happened at the very beginning of the assessment, it would have been absolutely insane. But now, the golden card is completely ignored, floating there all alone, looking rather pitiful.

Erza and the others who caught up later looked at the golden card in silence. They had already lost their eligibility for the assessment, so naturally they wouldn't have any bad intentions. However, seeing this card, worth a thousand points, just lying there, they couldn't help but feel a bit conflicted.

Clearly, Eleven and Laxus had long since forgotten about the S-rank assessment; in their eyes, defeating the other was obviously more important than the assessment result.

Meanwhile, Laxus, unaware that he had missed out on a fortune, was still locked in a fierce battle with Eleven. Eleven, unsurprisingly, had long since disregarded the rules of the assessment, making no attempt to remove the qualification badge from Laxus's chest, completely forgetting that he was an examiner.

And that's how the protracted war between these two idiots was able to continue.

So, 24 hours later...

"Hah! Laxus, are you done for? If you are, I can spare you." Eleven said, lying on the ground.

"Heh, Eleven, I think you're the one who doesn't even have the strength to stand up. Shut up, you piece of trash." Laxus retorted, hanging from a tree branch with a bruised and swollen face.

Mira and her friends had already set up tents, lit a campfire, and even cooked a pot of dragon curry, which didn't taste very good...

Freed was back, tears streaming down his face as he cheered Laxus on. He hadn't been idle for the past day and night; he had actually followed Laxus's instructions to collect points cards, and now his pockets were bulging with a large bag.

It wasn't until Freed appeared that Eleven remembered this was an S-class assessment, and that Laxus had helpers who could do other things for him. However, by then, Eleven no longer had the strength to tear off Laxus's name tag.

The blow that sent Laxus crashing into the tree was Eleven's last ounce of strength.

"Alright, assessment time is over!" Makarov announced loudly, having eaten and drunk his fill. "Now it's time to tally your scores."

After saying that, Makarov looked at Freed. In any case, only Laxus's group was still alive. Freed quickly and respectfully handed over the various colored cards from his pocket to Makarov. The old man didn't count them carefully; it was just a formality. As long as he had more than Mira and Erza, that was fine.

Makarov took a deep breath; the S-rank assessment was finally over. He was getting a little annoyed, mainly because the giant lizard's meat was really unpalatable—tough and dry.

"Very well, then I hereby announce that the one who advances to the S-rank assessment this time is Lak..."

"Wait a minute!" Suddenly, Makarov's words were interrupted by Eleven in a weak voice.

"As an S-rank examiner, I have something to say!" Eleven, seemingly drawing strength from nowhere, struggled to sit up from the ground.

Makarov's lips twitched, but he didn't stop him, gesturing for Eleven to continue.

"Ahem," Eleven cleared his throat, looked at Laxus hanging from the tree branch, and smiled slightly, "As the proctor for this assessment, I have thoroughly tested Laxus's abilities as a mage. Although Laxus still has many shortcomings, I believe he can handle S-rank missions and become an outstanding S-rank mage."

"Congratulations, Laxus! As a senior S-class mage, I acknowledge you!" Eleven nodded in satisfaction, looked at Makarov, and gestured for the microphone to be returned to the old man; he could continue.

Makarov:(_)

Laxus:[_]

What the heck?

What the hell is that?!

Makarov was speechless at Eleven, while Laxus was even more bewildered. "What the hell? I've been recognized? Do I need your approval? Do I need your approval?"

Eleven made it seem as if the S-rank designation had been approved by Eleven, which greatly displeased Laxus, who almost quit in a fit of anger!

Damn! I feel like beating this kid to death!

(╬￣俣)

On the other hand Eleven didn't care what others thought; he was secretly delighted. He had finally done something befitting of an examiner, and he was happy and proud!

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