The next day, in a clearing far from town.
"Go, Brother Zorn!"
"Don't lose, Laxus! Haha!"
"Whoaaaa!" The guild members cheered and hollered from a distance.
"Kid, since you asked me for a match, you can make the first move. Let me see what you've got," Laxus told Zorn confidently.
"All right, I'll get a little serious this time." Zorn removed the weighted magic equipment strapped to his body and casually tossed it aside.
Boom! The ground shook several times like a small earthquake had struck, and a cloud of dust instantly rose where the equipment had landed.
The guild members fell silent. Like the master, their pupils contracted in shock.
Does this kid always train like that? Just what is he carrying? The master looked stunned, but he was still worried about Zorn's condition.
Brother Zorn is amazing! Is this the real reason he's so strong? I have to learn everything I can from him, Gray thought silently, stunned.
"All right, I'm fired up! I knew I was right to learn from Brother Zorn! Ohhh!" Natsu shouted excitedly from the sidelines after seeing what had happened.
"You really are something, kid! Hahaha! Looks like I'll get to enjoy myself this time too! Hahaha!" Laxus laughed and spoke excitedly, paying no mind to what everyone else thought. Then his expression grew serious, and he beckoned. "Come on."
"Holy Light Magic, Light-Speed Kick!" Zorn vanished in a flash, the ground beneath him splitting instantly. As before, he appeared above Laxus and materialized in an instant, bringing his leg down in an axe kick.
Laxus crossed his arms overhead to block. His knees bent and sank as he transferred the force into the ground. The earth beneath them cracked and caved in, sending stones flying. A shockwave spread outward, blowing the crowd several steps back.
"Lightning Strike Fist!" Laxus pushed upward and threw his right fist, charged with electricity, at Zorn, who dodged with a turn of his body. Seeing that he had missed, Laxus gathered his magic power and electricity, covering his entire body. "Lightning Armor!"
Looking at Laxus from across the clearing, Zorn was reminded of the Raikage from another anime he had watched in his previous life, who increased his speed and fighting power by stimulating his body. Let's see just how powerful it is.
With that thought, Zorn summoned the power of Armament Haki within him. His hands and feet were instantly covered in purple, and he charged at Laxus. They met head-on, unleashing a blast of air even stronger than before. The guild members who knew defensive magic cast spells to protect themselves.
The master watched the two constantly dart around and fight at close quarters, relying solely on physical techniques, and marveled inwardly. He also noticed the flash of purple light covering Zorn's fists and feet. As Laxus gradually fell into a disadvantage, he couldn't help but praise the new power Zorn had told him about.
Suddenly, a figure flew backward at incredible speed and slammed into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Your physical skills really are impressive, but this isn't over. Look under your feet." Laxus stood up and dusted himself off as he spoke.
Hearing this, Zorn looked down to see a magic circle beneath his feet. A torrent of lightning poured out and trapped him.
"This can't hold me either, Laxus." Zorn summoned his magic power to break free.
"Of course I know a lightning magic circle can't hold you. But restricting you for just a moment is enough."
"Thunder Pressure Torrent - Heaven's Falling Thunder!" Laxus gathered a vast amount of lightning into a thundercloud above Zorn's head and thrust his hands downward. A torrent of lightning instantly fell from the sky.
Rumble! The lightning engulfed Zorn in an instant.
"Brother Zorn!" Gray shouted, starting to run toward him.
"Gray, Zorn's all right." Erza reached out to stop Gray from rushing forward. She knew Zorn had powerful defensive magic.
The dust raised by the magical attack slowly cleared, revealing a figure protected by a shield of light.
"Laxus, you really are gentle. You weren't using your full strength, were you?" Zorn, unharmed, teased him mildly.
"Tch, your defensive magic is that strong too? I was only testing you. This time, I won't hold back." Laxus curled his lip and gathered his remaining magic power in his palm.
Seeing this, Zorn gathered his own magic power, a similarly powerful light forming in his hand.
"Thunder Magic - Thunder Blast!" Laxus struck first, firing a terrifying mass of energy straight at Zorn.
"Holy Light Magic - Yasakani no Magatama!" Countless Laser Beams shot from Zorn's hand, detonating Laxus's magic before the remaining beams struck the ground around him.
Every time a laser hit the ground, it blasted out a huge crater. The detonated mass of energy raised a mushroom cloud of dust, and the aftermath of the two spells left the onlookers unable to stay on their feet, blowing them all to the ground.
When the shockwaves subsided, everyone saw that the flat ground where the two had fought was gone. All that remained was a massive pit surrounded by craters of every size, leaving nowhere to step.
"That's enough. The match ends here." The master called a halt to the fight, then looked at the scene before him, his eyes twitching. The repair costs would be enormous. Though he had been a little prepared for it, it still pained him.
Still, on second thought, Zorn and Laxus really had reached S-Class standards. He would let them hone their skills a little longer first; he couldn't break the rules.
While Makarov was still thinking, Zorn and Laxus heard the master call a halt and withdrew their magic power.
"Tch, kid, you're strong. You're a real little monster. I know you're still hiding some of your strength, but since the old man called it off, we'll have a proper fight next time we get the chance." Laxus spoke heartily, though he was a little dissatisfied with the master, then vanished in a flash.
Watching Laxus leave as quickly as he had come, Zorn felt even more certain that Laxus was a teenager going through a rebellious phase at this point.
At the Fairy Tail guild...
After watching the fight, everyone returned to the guild and heatedly discussed what they had just seen. The guild immediately returned to its usual noisy state. Zorn sat in an empty seat, answering Natsu and Gray's curious questions over and over, while Laxus lay indifferently on a sofa with his eyes closed, resting.
"Cana, is something on your mind? Why are you here alone?" Erza asked, looking at Cana, who was playing cards by herself.
"I..." Cana hesitated, unsure how to put it, but her gaze drifted inadvertently toward Zorn.
"Zorn, come here. Cana needs to talk to you," Erza called out to him as soon as she noticed.
"Ah, no, that's not... Erza, you..." Cana was immediately at a loss.
"What's wrong, Cana? Is there something you need my help with?" Zorn asked gently as he sat across from her.
"I... I want to learn magic and that pitch-black power from you!" Cana hesitated, then finally made up her mind and said it aloud.
"Of course, Cana. Come along with Natsu and the others from now on." Zorn ruffled her hair.
"Got it. Don't touch my head! I'm an adult, and you're only a few years older than me, so stop acting like a grown-up!" Cana slapped Zorn's hand away, a little embarrassed and indignant.
"All right, all right. Go play with Natsu and the others." Zorn then turned back to Erza. "If you don't have any jobs, you can come try learning too. We'll be on the mountain behind the guild."
"Mm, got it," Erza replied with a nod.