Ever since that day, Laxus had been itching to even the score with Kira. But either Kira refused to fight him, or when they did clash, Laxus just couldn't win. Within two years, Kira had become an S-Class wizard, widening the gap between them even further.
To Laxus, Kira was the one rival he had to surpass before he could take over the guild. So, they'd spar every now and then, but after Laxus earned his own S-Class rank, Kira stopped taking him on.
I mean, who doesn't get bored playing the same game over and over, let alone fighting the same guy?
Two years ago, Kira ditched the guild to open his own shop, and Laxus was livid. They were supposed to be pushing each other to get stronger, and here was Kira, bailing on the team like some traitor! It didn't help that Laxus was hitting his rebellious phase, his temper flaring hotter than ever. When his attempts to drag Kira back failed, Laxus stopped seeking him out. Kira, meanwhile, holed up in his shop, and their paths rarely crossed. That weird tension between them just simmered, unresolved.
"Speaking of Mystogan," someone piped up, "there's gotta be a reason he keeps his face hidden, right? I mean, that kind of mystery's bound to cause some misunderstandings."
"Has Kira seen him?" Natsu asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
"What's Mystogan even look like? Why's it such a big secret?" Happy chimed in.
Natsu and Happy weren't the only ones dying to know—pretty much the whole guild was curious about Mystogan's deal.
Kira smirked, dodging the question. "That's his private business, so I'm not spilling. Let's just say his face is… unique. Looks exactly like someone super famous. You'd all lose it if you saw him. But don't dig too deep—I wouldn't take a guild mission to snoop on him, no matter the reward."
"Ugh, now I'm more curious!" Natsu groaned, but he quickly shifted gears. "Forget that! Kira, let's settle this—fight me!"
"Maybe another day," Kira said, waving him off. "I'm wiped out today. Not in the zone. Let's just say you win."
"What?! That's not how it works!" Natsu shouted, then turned his sights elsewhere. "Fine! Laxus! Let's go, you and me!"
"No way," Laxus scoffed from the second floor, leaning against the railing. "You can't even beat Erza. You'd have no shot against me."
"Huh?!" Erza's competitive streak flared, her face darkening. The people around her scrambled to get out of the way.
"Uh… Erza, chill," someone muttered.
Natsu, still on the first floor, yelled up, "Get down here, you coward!"
"Come up here yourself!" Laxus taunted, smirking.
The way Natsu and Laxus were acting, you'd think they were ten years younger than they actually were.
"Oh, you're on!" Natsu roared, charging toward the stairs, only to be stopped by Makarov's giant hand pinning him to the ground.
"Natsu! You're not ready for the second floor yet. You're not there!" Makarov scolded.
Laxus laughed from above. "Ha! Told ya!"
Natsu, flattened to the floor, could only let out a muffled groan of frustration.
Makarov glanced up at Laxus. "You, too, Laxus. Tone it down."
But Laxus wasn't listening. "The throne of Fairy Tail's strongest belongs to me! Not Erza, not Mystogan, not Kira, not even Gildarts!"
His voice grew louder, more arrogant. "I'm the strongest!"
Right then, a massive 3D hologram flickered to life in the guild hall, grabbing everyone's attention. Kira held up a palm-sized lacrima crystal, projecting a crisp image onto the wall.
In the hologram, a young, cocky Laxus was taunting a younger Kira. "Gramps says you're some kind of genius, huh? Come on, let's fight! I'll show you who's the real prodigy of Fairy Tail!"
The scene shifted. Laxus hit the ground hard, courtesy of a single move from Kira. Bruised and battered, he wailed, "No way! I… I lost?!"
Years ago, a young Laxus had tasted defeat for the first time. Pinned under Kira's elbow, unable to move, he'd been forced to say something utterly humiliating to settle their bet.
"Damn it, I lost?!"
The footage had clearly been edited by someone with a knack for mischief. It strung together clip after clip of Laxus getting knocked down in different outfits, different settings, different poses—each time sent flying, followed by that same childhood apology clip, looped louder and louder for maximum chaos. It was like watching Laxus get beaten from kid to adult, over and over.
The guild fell silent for a few seconds, everyone's jaws on the floor. Laxus's face turned beet red, his teeth grinding, veins popping, fists trembling…
He'd just declared himself the strongest, and now this?
"Pfft!" Someone—nobody knew who—broke the silence with a snort. Within seconds, the guild erupted into laughter.
"Hahaha! Laxus, that's rough!"
"Total fail!"
"Strongest, huh?"
"Didn't know you had days like that, Laxus!"
Natsu, who'd been ready to throw down with Laxus moments ago, was laughing the hardest, doubled over and wiping tears from his eyes.
Kira, looking pleased with himself, pocketed the lacrima crystal. "Man, people grow up and love reminiscing with old videos. Gotta say, lacrima recordings are a game-changer. Back then, Laxus was so full of energy, right, Master?"
Makarov chuckled. "Haha, you're right! It's been ages since I've seen that Laxus!"
"You jerk!" Laxus roared. "Why do you even have that?!"
He remembered that day clearly. It was his first fight with Kira, complete with a bet that left him humiliated after his loss. That was the day he learned what it felt like to lose badly after picking up magic.
He'd buried that memory deep, but here was Kira, not just keeping the footage but playing it today, in front of the entire guild, right when Laxus was at his cockiest!
He was, what, ten back then? Just joined the guild? His first challenge to Kira?
And this guy had the nerve to record it?!
How could someone be this twisted?!
"Damn it!" Laxus shouted, mortified. Losing to Kira now would've been better than this!
It'd been so long since he'd dealt with Kira's pranks that he'd almost forgotten how ruthless the guy could be. The tricks, the teasing, the defeats—all those awful memories came flooding back, fueling his rage. Golden lightning crackled in his hand.
With a deafening crack, a bolt of lightning shot toward Kira, too fast for anyone to react.
Nobody expected Laxus to lash out like that, just like nobody expected Kira to pull out that crystal at the worst possible moment. Makarov was the only one who clocked it, but even he couldn't stop it in time.
Luckily, Kira was ready.
A loud boom echoed as the lightning dissipated. Kira stood unharmed, holding a sturdy-looking shield. "Heh, knew you'd try something. Good thing I'm quick! Rubber shield—perfect for shutting down lightning wizards!"
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