"Magic… genius? Are you making fun of me? What a weirdo. I'm going home."
Ed quickly snapped out of his surprise, said coldly to Noel, and turned to run away without hesitation.
"Hey… seriously, that kid… does he hate magic or something?" Noel watched Ed's retreating figure with a faint, bitter smile.
(I actually want to learn magic too…)
After running for a while at full speed, Ed's steps gradually slowed.
He lowered his head slightly and walked into his home.
Once the door was shut, it felt as though all the strength had been drained from his body in an instant.
He slumped to the ground with his back against the door.
(I actually want to become strong too.)
"Ed, have you even been trying? It's been half a year and you still can't even produce a spark! The others can already cast small spells!"
The impatient expression of the magic instructor still lingered vividly in his mind.
"Ed the loser, the idiot who can't do anything!"
The mocking voices of his peers still echoed in his ears.
"You simply don't have the talent for magic. Continuing will be pointless. You should consider another path."
General Epna's disappointed gaze haunted him still.
...…
At some point, sparkling tears had already begun streaming down Ed's cheeks.
His body trembled slightly, and he suddenly punched the wall with force—but at the very moment his fist made contact, it transformed into golden light and scattered into particles.
"Damn it… damn it all."
Ed pulled his arm back and looked at his hand as it gradually reformed from the golden glow.
He murmured softly,
"Why… why is it that I can do something like that, but I still can't learn magic? Why…?"
"I know better than anyone how painful it is to be weak… That's why I want to become strong. Strong enough… to face any disaster without fear."
...........
A corner of Anphel City.
Yellow lightning flashed, radiating overwhelming power that shook the heart.
The struck enemy let out a shriek, flying off the arena like a kite with its string cut.
Laxus calmly withdrew his fist, his proud gaze sweeping over the stunned crowd below.
"Hey, just what kind of monster is this mage? Since he stepped onto the challenger's stage, he's already taken down eighty-nine warriors!"
"Amazing… He's not even eighteen yet, right? And he's already this powerful?"
"I heard he's from a guild called Fairy Tail. Are all the people from that guild this strong?"
Looking at the completely unscathed Laxus on the arena—who didn't even appear the slightest bit winded—the crowd below broke into murmurs of awe and reverence.
Every voice was filled with admiration for Laxus's strength.
Noel, drawn by the commotion of the crowd, looked up at the high-spirited Laxus standing on the arena.
He approached one of the onlooking girls, lightly grabbed her shoulder, and asked, "Sorry to bother you, miss, but could you tell me what exactly is going on?"
"Huh? You don't know?" the girl asked curiously.
"Well…"
Seeing the suspicious look in her eyes, Noel hesitated slightly, but decided to resolve the situation in the simplest way possible.
His light blue eyes, as deep as the sky, shimmered with a pearl-like brilliance.
On his ethereally handsome face was a calm, composed expression.
The corners of his lips curved upward into an alluring smile, and his gentle voice flowed like a spring breeze brushing across the cheeks—soft, warm, and utterly charming.
"You really can't tell me?"
As it turned out, Noel's charm had an effect on adolescent girls comparable to that of an ultimate magic spell.
The girl in front of him only managed to resist for less than two seconds before completely melting under his gaze, then dazedly told him everything she knew.
The arena before them had long served as a training ground for the city's warriors—a place where they could test their strength against one another.
Novice fighters could challenge stronger opponents to grow under their guidance, while veteran warriors could find evenly matched rivals for competitive duels.
As a result, this arena had become quite popular among the warrior community.
It just so happened that Laxus had passed by and, drawn in by the sound of combat, had decided to join in.
Things quickly escalated until Laxus alone had defeated nearly ninety challengers in a row, effectively dominating the entire arena.
(That guy Laxus, seriously…)
Now that Noel understood the situation, he could only sigh.
Since things had already reached this point, all he could do was observe.
From what he knew of Laxus, the only way to get him off the stage was either to let him enjoy himself fully—or to disappoint him.
Noel had absolutely no intention of becoming Laxus's next punching bag.
At that moment, the already rowdy crowd stirred again.
A well-featured man with neatly combed black hair slowly stepped out from the crowd and made his way toward the arena.
"Is that the man called Epna?" Noel murmured as he looked at the man approaching the stage.
Laxus raised an eyebrow slightly, then smirked indifferently. "Oh? So the general finally makes a move?"
Epna stepped onto the arena and faced off against Laxus.
"Greetings, Mage," he said calmly.
"There's no need for formalities," Laxus said lazily.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're probably the strongest warrior in this city, right? Though it seems that's not saying much, you should be good enough to entertain me for a while."
"I am merely a warrior of Anphel City, not its strongest," Epna replied calmly.
"Still, there's no need for words. For warriors who have faced countless battles, only direct combat can truly express one's convictions."
Blue lightning began to crackle around Epna's body, radiating a presence that was impossible to ignore.
His expression remained calm.
"Then, I won't hold back. Even though I know I may not be your match, I will fight with everything I have."
Laxus let out a cold chuckle, golden lightning surging up from his body.
"Huh, both of them are using lightning magic?" Noel remarked from below, arms crossed as he watched the standoff with interest.
The arena fell into a brief silence—like the stillness before a storm.
Laxus wore a relaxed expression, clearly not taking his opponent seriously, while Epna looked grave and focused.
Then, without warning, both fighters moved at the same time.
Golden lightning and blue sparks burst into the air as the two closed the distance between them.
Boom—the sound of fists and kicks colliding was drowned in a blinding flare of lightning.
Laxus let out a cold sneer and threw a punch at Epna.
Although Epna raised his guard, he still couldn't withstand Laxus's overwhelming strength.
With a muffled grunt, he was sent flying.
In an instant, Laxus's body turned into a flash of lightning and caught up with Epna mid-air.
His leg, infused with magical energy, swung toward Epna's waist.
Epna's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
He leaned his body back just in time to dodge the strike, and at the same moment, countered with a punch imbued with magic aimed at Laxus.
Laxus nonchalantly tilted his head to the side, easily avoiding the blow.
At the same time, a bolt of lightning struck Epna squarely.
With another grunt, Epna was blasted backward.
Yet, even as he retreated, he managed to release a burst of magical energy aimed at Laxus.
"It's useless. Blame your luck for running into me," Laxus said with a scornful smirk.
He opened his mouth slightly—and to Epna's astonishment, the lightning attack was absorbed into Laxus's body as effortlessly as drinking water.
"What?!" Epna's pupils contracted in shock.
Laxus stretched his body and delivered a low, merciless kick that struck Epna hard.
"Now's not the time to be surprised. If you don't take this seriously, it's going to be boring."
Bang—Epna braced himself, stabilizing his stance as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"He actually ate the lightning? That's... unbelievable."
"That's all you've got? That's not nearly enough to impress me," Laxus replied coldly.
"Maybe so," Epna said, taking a battle stance.
"Maybe my strength really is nothing compared to yours. But a true warrior is someone who doesn't take a single step back, even in a battle they have no chance of winning."
"Hahaha, interesting. I'm starting to like you. I'll give you a glorious end, then."
"I truly appreciate that," Epna replied, charging toward Laxus.
He gathered every ounce of magic in his body, rushing forward with unwavering resolve and determination.
Laxus raised one hand high, and in an instant, a massive sphere of lightning formed above his head.
"The thunderous roar that echoes through the sky shall descend from the heavens and reduce everything to ash—Thunder Pressure Surge!"
Boom!
A blinding flash of light made it impossible for anyone to keep their eyes open.
The deafening explosion shook everyone to their core.
When the radiance faded, Epna was lying motionless on the ground, while Laxus stood calmly in place—completely unscathed.
"That's enough for today. I've had my fun," Laxus said, massaging his shoulder as he turned to leave.
"Laxus-dono..." The voice from behind made Laxus pause slightly.
Without turning his body, he simply glanced back toward Epna, who was now struggling to stand.
Epna had managed to get to his feet and faced Laxus.
"First, allow me to apologize. Honestly, when I first saw you and Noel-dono, I was disappointed. You both looked so young—it was hard to imagine how powerful you really were. But after this battle, I'm convinced. You... you two will be the ones to save our city of Anphel. So please, I'm begging you."
"Annoying," Laxus sneered with a smirk, turning away again.
"Who do you think I am? I'm not the type to take a mission lightly. Just stand back and watch."
..........
"It's over," Noel said with a light smile as he watched Laxus leave, ready to turn and walk away himself.
However, at the moment he turned, he inadvertently spotted a small figure leaving as well.
He paused for a moment, then smiled.
--------------
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