Different Paths

Some Year

"Ha~ Why hasn't anything bitten?"

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

Beside him, a turtle stared fixedly at the water's surface.

For Qian Guang, fishing was a hobby, but for Dumb Dumb, it was dinner!

It was only when Qian Guang started fishing that he discovered 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 him in the first place.

Still, it was nice that the annoying cat hadn't come to compete with him for fish today.

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 off 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 eating this thing electrocute him? Better grill it later.

"Heh, with the time you spend fishing, I'd have already eaten plenty of fish."

A golden hedgehog with an arrogant expression appeared before Qian Guang.

Recently, Laxus had been returning to the guild less and less often. Every time, he would hastily leave after taking a job. Lisanna's departure seemed to have solidified some conviction within him.

"You didn't come to take a job this time?"

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

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

"You haven't taken 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 around everywhere. I like taking it easy. Going out to find some herbs once in a while is enough."

"And who said I haven't trained in a long time? I train in secret after you leave. The whole point is to outwork you to death."

Laxus quietly watched Qian Guang ramble on. Their heights were now almost the same. Qian Guang was no longer that little runt from before.

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

"Qian Guang, the old man is already old. He's far too kind. Look at what the guild has become now. Even 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, and everyone is happy. They are our companions."

Laxus looked calmly 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 acknowledged as his rival.

Erza, Mirajane, and Mystogan were still a little lacking.

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

Laxus calmly voiced his ambition.

"Mm. You have the strength and the status. You are qualified 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 turn unconsciously.

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

"Qian Guang, don't you think that trash isn't worthy of staying in the kingdom's number one guild? Shouldn't it be filled with nothing but strong people?"

The magic power around Qian Guang began to rage as he glared at Laxus. "Laxus! I'll say it again: they are our companions."

"Do you want to experience what it feels like for companions to leave again?!"

Bang!

Qian Guang's face darkened. As the smoke cleared, Laxus had caught his fist.

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

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

In the end, he was just a tsundere child who had never grown up, trying to hide that trace of gentleness beneath his arrogance.

"Qian Guang, change Fairy Tail with me."

Laxus and Qian Guang had disliked each other from the first moment they 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, can you be sure it will still be Fairy Tail? Will everyone truly still be the same as before?"

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

Qian Guang took a swig of liquor. This guy was stubborn as a bull. "Then what gives you the right to make choices for others?!"

"If they became wizards, then they already had that resolve, didn't they? Laxus, when you were weak, would you have wanted someone to force you out just to keep you alive?"

Laxus had not expected to be questioned like that. Confusion flashed through his eyes for a moment. He drained the entire bottle in one go, then regained his resolve.

"Heh, at least I'm strong now! If this can make them stop being wizards, then let them blame me. My guild has no need for 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. Zero matter what happened today, he wanted 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 power around him began to rage again, instantly suppressing Laxus.

"Hehe, I will. After you fall."

Qian Guang and Laxus had never needed a reason to fight. It was enough that they didn't like the look of each other.

Whoosh!

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

"What? Have you figured out how to counter it?"

Ever since Qian Guang awakened his Mangekyō, Laxus had never won again. Anyone who did not understand Kamui could not break it.

"Yeah. After trying so many times."

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 his body slowly, leaving the lightning sphere's range.

"Impressive. You even noticed that."

"Let me see how long those eyes of yours can hold out."

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

Laxus attacked Qian Guang using the method that consumed the least stamina, while the lightning sphere remained poised to strike wherever Qian Guang was.

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

Kamui!

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

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

Bang!

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

Unfortunately, Laxus had not put much strength into it due to how hurriedly he had struck.

"Ah, it's been so long since you last hit me that your fists don't hurt anymore."

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

Laxus grinned wildly. Mostly because he had been too frustrated before. He had finally landed a hit.

Qian Guang rolled his shoulders and limbs, then charged forward at high speed, leaving afterimages with his body alone.

"Laxus, how about a match where we trade blows fist to fist?"

Qian Guang voluntarily gave up using Kamui. It had been a long time since he had fought hand-to-hand. Kamui was satisfying, but it lacked a bit of passion.

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

He was not about to fight that monster head-on without using magic power. That kid's physique was far too strange.

Looking at the lightning-covered fists, Qian Guang assumed a punching stance as well. Magic power covered his body, and he crooked a finger in provocation.

Violent lightning instantly arrived before him. Laxus was fast—so fast that ordinary people could see Zero of him with the naked eye, only a golden streak.

But to Qian Guang, who possessed the Sharingan, he was far too slow. Neither of them defended; they simply traded punches to each other's faces.

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

Dumb Dumb sat in the distance, biting into his fish numbed by electricity as he watched the show. Though he could only see two balls of light, he watched with great interest, taking a bite of fish and a sip of liquor.

Qian Guang continuously teleported to adjust his position and seek out Laxus's weak points, but Laxus's reactions were not slow either. He managed to block every time.

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

The two had already exchanged an unknown number of Boom punches, and Laxus's face had swollen up.

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

He was already very tough. Every time Laxus hit him, green light flashed over his body and healed him. One punch, one heal. He was practically a late-game paladin.

Laxus looked at Qian Guang, who was completely unscathed everywhere except his clothes, and ground his teeth in anger. He felt like he had been tricked.

Provided by Qian Wei: Fairy Tail: Starting with Dual Kamui