King of the Beast Kings

Sunlight spilled across the tranquil lake, where countless golden threads shimmered and danced.

A gentle breeze rippled the surface, spreading out in concentric circles, like a gently swaying mirror reflecting ever-changing light.

A figure emerged from the woods, appearing as a white cloud against the blue sky reflected on the lake.

He looked around but did not see the target he was looking for.

"Very good, I was indeed the first one here." Yuri hadn't found Laxus, smiled and began to survey the lake.

The lake isn't very big, only about the size of two or three football fields. It doesn't look like there are many fish, so becoming a fisherman is probably out of the question.

But I heard there's some kind of Beast King here, how come I haven't seen it after all this time?

The Lansala Rainforest is teeming with magical beasts, Yuri had learned about most of them from the information provided by Levy. However, there was not a single description of this so-called Beast King.

Like a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail, it appears quite mysterious.

However, since that thing has the power to drive so many S-Class magical beasts elsewhere and enjoy this lake all to itself, its strength must not be weak.

I don't know if it has reached SS-Class...

Just as Yuri was thinking this, a figure gradually emerged from the rainforest across the lake.

Suddenly, without any calls or signals, their eyes met inexplicably.

Then, without warning, magic began to erupt simultaneously.

Azure and golden magic collided and surged in the air, creating ripples on the calm lake surface, as if the entire lake was trembling in anticipation of the impending duel.

"I thought you weren't coming."

"You're the one who should have been afraid and run away!"

During the intense battle of magic, the two conveyed this message to each other.

Laxus, eager for battle, couldn't wait to strike first.

He gathered the lightning wrapped around his hands together, instantly transforming it into a giant ball of lightning that flew straight toward Yuri.

The lightning ball streaked across the lake at incredible speed, carving a trench in the water below, and was upon us in the blink of an eye.

However, before the terrifying ball of lightning could explode, Yuri, carrying the Red Queen, shattered it with a single blow, turning it into a torrent of lightning that poured out to both sides.

Without the slightest hesitation, Yuri stepped onto the magic circle and flew towards Laxus.

Laxus saw Yuri taking the initiative to fight, and he too transformed into a bolt of lightning to meet him.

"Bang!"

The sword, spewing flames, and the fist, crackling with lightning, collided, instantly causing the lake below to cave in and burst forth with enormous waves.

"You're really strong!" Laxus exclaimed excitedly.

"You're much weaker than I thought," Yuri said provocatively, raising an eyebrow.

Laxus snorted coldly, knowing that this guy wouldn't say anything nice, so he simply stopped talking, suddenly raised his finger to the sky, and then fell down.

As he moved, a bolt of lightning suddenly appeared in the clear blue sky and crashed down on Yuri.

Yuri looked up, and the serpentine lightning grew larger and larger in his eyes. He instinctively raised his hand to block it, and the lightning exploded on his arm.

Azure light swirled around the dark red scales, Devil Bringer materialized instantly, blocking the attack while simultaneously slamming a punch at Laxus.

Laxus's gaze sharpened; he knew this was Yuri's true magic, and that arm was definitely not something he could fight head-on.

He leaned back as far as he could to dodge the punch, and at the same time kicked at Yuri. However, although he hit the target, the kick didn't feel like it landed.

It's an afterimage!

The illusory figure vanished before Laxus's eyes, and the real Yuri appeared behind him.

EX Level 3 erupted instantly, and the fire dragon, named the internal combustion engine, roared, propelling the Red Queen to slash at Laxus.

Laxus's gaze sharpened. With no way to avoid it, he gathered his magic power throughout his body, and lightning manifested on his body, transforming into a set of lightning armor.

"Bang!"

What was supposed to be a sword strike had a blunt impact, sending Laxus flying as his body skipped across the lake before crashing onto the shore.

Yuri chased after him, stepping on a magic circle, but Laxus suddenly adjusted his position in mid-air and threw out a lightning spear with extremely high speed.

In an instant, the Devil Bringer shone brightly, its magical arm, gleaming with azure light, reaching out to grab Laxus.

The lightning-struck spear struck it, yet not even a ripple was created.

'Is this the power of that arm?!' Laxus exclaimed in surprise as a giant hand enveloped him, its five fingers tightening sharply, squeezing him like a chick.

'Grabbed at nothing?' Yuri didn't feel anything solid, but saw a bolt of lightning shoot out from between his fingers, which were not yet fully closed.

'So that's it, lightning transformation? No wonder he dared to come up and fight in the air without any fear.' Yuri immediately saw through the magic Laxus was casting.

If the previous lightning armor could enhance the caster's defense, then the current lightning transformation increases the caster's speed, turning the body into a real bolt of lightning, a movement magic similar to his Shunpo.

However, unlike his Shunpo which leaves afterimages to confuse enemies, because the caster transforms into lightning, attacks that would otherwise be impossible for a person to dodge can be avoided to some extent.

Lightning streaked through the air, circling around to a point not far behind Yuri before coalescing into a human form. From its palm, it unleashed a violent beam of lightning.

Yuri's gaze sharpened, and in an instant, he turned around and swung his magical arm to deliver a punch in return.

Compared to the faster lightning spear, this thick beam of lightning clearly focuses more on power.

Upon colliding with the magic arm, a powerful impact was instantly generated, and invisible waves reverberated in all directions.

The lake water centered on the two people was forced outwards, exposing the bare ground at the bottom of the lake, and the large trees on the shore were bent over by the strong wind.

The two landed on the shore at the same time, their eyes fixed on each other.

"Let's stop testing now. You should still have some strength left," Laxus said.

Aren't you the same?

Yuri laughed and said, "How about we get a little more serious?"

"That suits me perfectly!"

After saying this, the magic power emanating from the two surged once more, like waves crashing against each other on a lake, each trying to overwhelm the other in terms of momentum.

Suddenly, Yuri and Laxus simultaneously withdrew their magic and turned to look at the sky above the lake.

"Boom!!"

In an instant, a deafening roar shook the entire lake.

The massive figure descending from the sky was like a depth charge, instantly tearing the surrounding lake water apart.

A towering spray erupted from the center of the lake, transforming into surging waves that crashed against the shore.

The splashing water droplets drenched them, but Yuri and his companion showed no reaction.

At this moment, all they could see was the tip of an iceberg's ridge peeking out from the lake...

"The King of Beasts of the Lansala Rainforest?" Laxus frowned.

"No... perhaps something even more terrifying." Yuri frowned as he spoke, seeing a figure gradually stepping onto the monster in the lake.

Soon, a powerful and deep voice came from the center of the lake, which sounded quite familiar to the two of them.

Because the owner of that voice was someone they had seen just half a day ago...

Gildarts!

"Hey, having fun, you kids!"