Round Two

"Argh!" Laxus felt the power of the Rasengan as it struck him head-on. Its fierce rotation tore apart the lightning armor around his body, and then the Rasengan in Ed's hand erupted again, sending Laxus flying with its tremendous impact.

"So, it looks like I get the first move in round two, Laxus!" Ed pressed his advantage, pulling out kunai with both hands and throwing them at Laxus.

"Flying Thunder God! Spiral Flash Super Round Dance Howl: Third Style!" Several kunai shot along the path Laxus had been sent flying.

The instant the kunai caught up to Laxus, golden light flashed, and Ed appeared at his side.

He reversed the kunai in his hand and viciously struck Laxus with the ring at its handle. Before Laxus could react, another golden flash appeared. Ed had moved beside another kunai and delivered another heavy blow.

Flying Thunder God's Flash continuously flickered around Laxus as he flew through the air. Only when Laxus was about to hit the ground did Ed flash back to his original position.

"Can you still hold on? You can surrender if you can't~" Ed shook out his hand, twirling the kunai before gripping it in reverse. "If we keep going like this, it'll be hard for me to hold back."

"Pfft." Laxus pushed himself up from the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva. Wiping the corner of his mouth, he charged at Ed again. "That didn't hurt at all! Holding back? Don't make me laugh, Ed! Lightning Call!"

A sudden sense of danger struck Ed, and he immediately used Flying Thunder God to leave the spot. The place where he had just stood was instantly swallowed by dazzling lightning. "Tch, you really are hard to catch. As expected of spatial magic—you're quick when it comes to running away."

Although Ed had suppressed him for a while, Laxus still taunted him.

"Huh? I'm seriously impressed by that mouth of yours. You really are stubborn as hell, Laxus!" Seeing how stubbornly Laxus kept talking, Ed decided to give him another combo. He instantly flashed in front of Laxus, lowered his body, and launched a sideways rising kick enhanced by Monster Strength Art, sending Laxus into the air.

"Don't die on me, Laxus!" Ed activated Flying Thunder God and appeared above Laxus. "Heaven-Shaking Kick!" With a Monster Strength-powered downward kick, he smashed Laxus viciously into the ground again.

After taking several heavy blows in such a short time, Laxus could not help crying out in pain. But he had always been tough, and he refused to accept being beaten without being able to fight back. "Lightning Pressure: Raging Waves!"

Laxus launched another attack without even having time to adjust himself on the ground. A huge ball of lightning appeared overhead and came crashing down toward Ed.

"You know I'm a spatial mage, don't you? What's the point of using an attack that's guaranteed to miss?" Ed flashed away from the strike.

Suddenly, golden electricity flashed at the corner of his eye. Taking advantage of the opening when Ed evaded, Laxus transformed into lightning and rushed to his side, landing a Lightning Strike Fist squarely on Ed.

Ed was caught off guard and sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground. "Cough... that one had some real power." Pain ran through his entire body. "Tch... I'm a high-agility assassin. I still can't compare my health bar to these beasts. He actually had that much strength left."

Ed gritted his teeth and got back to his feet, ready to continue the fight.

"Didn't I catch you? You're a spatial mage, not a time mage. I just need to catch the gaps in your own reactions. Now enjoy yourself, Ed! Lightning Magic Circle!"

Laxus gave him no time to react at all. He gathered magic power and attacked again. A golden magic circle appeared beneath Ed's feet, radiating dangerous lightning. The next moment, the lightning erupted.

Golden light flashed, and Ed appeared beside another Flying Thunder God Kunai. Laxus had already transformed into lightning again and rushed before him. "I've figured it out. Whenever you evade, you habitually go to the farthest kunai. As long as I force you to dodge, I can catch where you'll land! Lightning Strike Spear!" Laxus raised his hand and fired a bolt of lightning.

Ed used Flying Thunder God again to evade, but the instant he landed, lightning flashed before his eyes once more. "What? Still don't believe I can catch your landing spot? Lightning Strike Spear!"

Another pillar of lightning blasted toward Ed. Gritting his teeth, Ed gave up on dodging. He held his hands before him, pinching a kunai between his thumbs in his palms. A magic circle formed from black runes appeared in the air. The lightning struck its center and was swallowed as though it had sunk into mud.

"What!?" Laxus was startled.

"Why don't you have a taste of this yourself? Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder!" A second magic circle appeared in the air. The dazzling lightning was drawn into the first circle, then released from the second and sent directly at Laxus.

Boom! The lightning struck Laxus, kicking up another cloud of dust. When the smoke cleared, Laxus appeared in a disheveled state. The coat he had been wearing had vanished somewhere, and the light-purple shirt beneath it was in tatters. Laxus grabbed the collar of his shirt and tore the ruined garment from his body with a forceful pull. "You can even do something like that? Not bad, Ed!"

"Stop shouting my name all the time. It's really annoying!" Ed flashed before Laxus again, a Rasengan already formed in his hand and about to strike him.

"I was waiting for you to come right to me! Hah!" Laxus roared, and massive amounts of lightning burst from all over his body. Ed's pupils contracted. He reacted instantly and flashed back to his original position. The moment he landed, he thrust the Rasengan in his hand forward, striking the ambushing Laxus head-on.

Savage lightning coiled around Laxus's body as the Lightning Strike Fist in his hand collided with Ed's Rasengan, producing a dazzling radiance.

Magic power surged through both of them and into their techniques. The lightning in Laxus's hand and the Rasengan in Ed's both began to grow, while the clash of their magic power stirred up gust after gust of fierce wind.

With a boom, the shockwave from the explosion sent them both flying. "Raging Volt!" Laxus forcibly twisted his body in midair and attacked Ed again.

"Tch, you really won't give me even the slightest opening! Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder!" Ed used Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder again, reflecting Laxus's attack back at him.

Laxus was struck head-on by his own lightning. Just as Ed was about to catch his breath, he saw that lightning flow into Laxus's mouth like water.

"Now it's time for round three, Ed! I remember Natsu saying this—once you eat it, power comes pouring out! Roar of the Lightning Dragon!" Laxus opened his mouth and unleashed a massive roar that blasted toward Ed.