Different Paths

Some year

"Ha... why hasn't any fish taken the bait?"

A languid man in a black, open-chested hanfu lay on the grass, leisurely fishing.

Beside him, a turtle stared intently at the water.

Fishing was Qian Guang's hobby, but for Dumb Dumb, this was dinner!

Qian Guang had also discovered through fishing that this turtle was actually a landlubber. A turtle that couldn't swim?

Dumb Dumb had immediately said that Qian Guang was making a fuss over nothing. If he could swim, he might not have been caught by Qian Guang in the first place.

Still, it was nice that there was no annoying cat around today to fight him over fish.

Suddenly—

Lightning flashed across the lake's surface, and the fish gathered around the hook instantly floated belly-up.

Qian Guang opened his eyes. "Laxus, you scared away my fish."

With a wave of his right hand, the electrocuted fish flew to Dumb Dumb's mouth.

He looked at the fish by his mouth with some distaste. Would he get electrocuted if he ate this thing? Better grill it later.

"Heh, if I had the time to fish, I'd have already eaten plenty of fish."

A golden hedgehog with a thoroughly unruly expression appeared before Qian Guang.

Recently, Laxus had been returning to the guild less and less often. Every time, he would grab a job and leave in a hurry. Lisanna's departure seemed to have strengthened some conviction within him.

"You didn't pick up a job this time?"

Qian Guang sat up, reached to the side, pulled out a bottle of alcohol, and tossed it to his old friend.

Laxus caught the bottle and sat down across from Qian Guang.

"You haven't gone on a job in a long time. And I haven't seen you train in a long time either."

"Yeah, you know me. I don't really like running all over the place. I like taking it easy. Finding some herbs once in a while is enough."

"And who said I haven't trained in a long time? I always train in secret after you leave. The whole point is to grind you into the dust."

Laxus quietly watched Qian Guang ramble on. By now, they were nearly the same height. Qian Guang was no longer that little runt from before.

Laxus took a swig of alcohol and revealed why he had come.

"Qian Guang, the old man is getting old. He's too merciful. Look at what the guild has become now—any trash can join!"

Qian Guang's playful expression vanished. His eyes were hidden beneath his bangs, making his expression impossible to read.

"Laxus, the guild is doing well. Everyone is happy. They're our companions."

Laxus calmly looked at Qian Guang. If there was anyone in the guild who could be considered the strongest after Gildarts, Qian Guang was the only one he recognized as a worthy opponent.

Erza, Mirajane, and Mystogan still fell a little short.

"I want to become Fairy Tail's guild master."

Laxus calmly stated his ambition.

"Mm, you have the strength, the status, and the qualifications to become Fairy Tail's guild master."

"But I don't support you."

"Why?"

"Laxus, what do you want to do after becoming guild master?"

"I want to make Fairy Tail the strongest guild in the world!"

"Fairy Tail is already the kingdom's number one magic guild."

Qian Guang stared fixedly at Laxus, his Sharingan beginning to spin unconsciously.

"Heh, it's really been a long time since I last saw those eyes of yours."

"Qian Guang, don't you think that trash doesn't deserve to remain in the kingdom's number one guild? Shouldn't it be filled only with the strong?"

The magic around Qian Guang began to rage. He stared at Laxus. "Laxus! I'll say it one more time—they are our companions."

"Do you want to experience what it feels like to lose a companion again?!"

Boom!

Qian Guang's expression darkened. As the smoke dispersed, Laxus had caught his punch.

"Whew... what exactly are you trying to say?"

Qian Guang calmed down. He understood Laxus. He was too extreme, but he cared about everyone just as much. He was only afraid that they would end up like Lisanna.

In the end, he was just a tsundere child who had never grown up, using his rebelliousness to hide that hint of tenderness.

"Qian Guang, change Fairy Tail with me."

Laxus and Qian Guang had disliked each other from the moment they first met. But Laxus had to admit that Qian Guang was the only person he could talk to.

"Laxus, if you drive everyone from the guild, are you sure it will still be Fairy Tail? Will everyone really still be the same as before?"

As though Qian Guang had struck a sore spot, Laxus fell silent. But in the end, he still retorted, "New people will always join. That's still better than letting them go off to die."

Qian Guang took a gulp of alcohol. What a stubborn bull. "So what gives you the right to make choices for others?"

"If they became mages, then they already had that resolve, didn't they? Laxus, when you were weak, would you have wanted others to make you quit just to keep you alive?"

Laxus had not expected that question to be thrown back at him. A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes. He drained the entire bottle, then regained his firm expression.

"Heh, at least I'm strong now! If that can stop them from being mages, then let them blame me. My guild doesn't need weaklings."

Qian Guang shook his head. He couldn't persuade him, so he would just stop him.

"Then do your best, Laxus. There are plenty of competitors ahead of you, and you aren't the strongest."

Laxus smiled as well, magic power surging from his body. No matter what, he had come today to fight Qian Guang. He was the strongest.

"Want to fight? Then go find Gildarts. No matter how you look at it, he's stronger than you."

Though Qian Guang said that, the magic around him began raging again, instantly suppressing Laxus.

"Hehe, I will—after you go down."

Qian Guang and Laxus never needed a reason to fight. Not seeing eye to eye was enough.

Whoosh!

As expected, lightning passed through Qian Guang's body. He had already activated Kamui.

"What? Did you figure out how to counter it?"

Ever since Qian Guang awakened his Mangekyō, Laxus had never won again. Anyone who didn't understand Kamui had no way to break it.

"Yeah. I've tried so many times, after all."

Lightning coiled around Laxus's hand. As it passed through Qian Guang's body, it left behind a sphere of lightning.

Qian Guang did not immediately leave his Kamui state. He merely moved slowly, leaving the lightning sphere's range.

"Impressive. You even noticed that."

"Let's see how long those eyes of yours can last."

As he spoke, he controlled the lightning sphere and charged forward himself, dividing his attention between the two.

Laxus attacked Qian Guang using the method that consumed the least stamina, while the lightning sphere remained poised at Qian Guang's location.

Feeling the terrifying magic power radiating from that lightning sphere, Qian Guang had no desire to take a hit from it.

Kamui!

Kamui activated in his left eye. He wanted to suck the lightning sphere into another dimension.

But the instant he finished absorbing it, Laxus's fist arrived.

Boom!

This was the first time in so long that Laxus had managed to hit Qian Guang.

Unfortunately, he had been too rushed to put much force behind it.

"Ah, it's been so long since you last hit me that your punches have become completely harmless."

"It's fine. As long as I hit you."

Laxus grinned wildly. He had been too frustrated before, and he had finally landed a hit.

Qian Guang stretched his limbs and charged forward, leaving afterimages with his physical speed alone.

"Laxus, how about a contest of fists?"

Qian Guang took the initiative to give up his Kamui. It had been a long time since he had fought hand-to-hand. Kamui was satisfying, but it lacked a little passion.

Laxus had just taken a punch to the face from Qian Guang. He wiped the corner of his mouth, both fists covered in lightning. "You said it."

There was no way he would fight that monster head-on without using magic. That kid's physique was too bizarre.

Qian Guang looked at the lightning-covered fists, adopted a punching stance himself, covered his body in magic power, and curled a finger in provocation.

Violent lightning instantly reached him. Laxus was so fast that ordinary people could not see him with the naked eye; they could only see a golden streak.

But to Qian Guang, who possessed the Sharingan, he was far too slow. Neither of them defended. One punch after another landed on the other's face.

They were not fighting to decide victory or defeat. They were simply enjoying the battle.

Dumb Dumb watched from afar while biting into his numbed fish. Though he could only see two balls of light, he watched with great interest, taking a bite of fish and a sip of alcohol.

Qian Guang continuously teleported to adjust his position and search for Laxus's weak points, but Laxus's reactions were not slow either. Every time, he managed to block him.

Qian Guang felt that Laxus had truly grown much stronger, but why did it feel like all of his moves were designed to deal with him?

Neither of them knew how many punches they had exchanged by then. Laxus's face was already swollen.

The facts proved that against a cheater like Qian Guang, he was equally annoying whether or not he used Kamui.

He was already incredibly durable. Every time Laxus landed a punch, green light flashed over Qian Guang's body and healed him. Punch, heal. Punch, heal. He was practically a late-game paladin.

Laxus stared at Qian Guang, who was completely unharmed everywhere except his clothes, and gritted his teeth in anger, feeling as though he had been tricked.