A furious wind scattered, sending rocks flying everywhere.
The combined attack of the two wizards carved a massive, ten-meter crater into the ground. Bluenote Stinger managed to steady himself on the shaking earth, but in that instant, Kira took the opportunity to dive toward him.
"Wind Step!"
The Word Soul Magic immediately activated. Kira applied the [Wind Step] effect to his feet, instantly making him light as a feather, significantly lighter than the head-sized stones flying around him. With a series of rapid blinks, he darted through the soaring debris. His tall figure, cloaked in his billowing black magic robe, flashed up and down through the chaotic field of floating rocks, shooting toward Bluenote like a fired arrow.
Step!
Kira made his final jump off a rock three meters from his opponent, landing as lightly as an arrow. He then instantly sprang off the ground, the rock beneath his feet crumbling.
"Power Strike!"
At the same time, he balled his right hand into a fist, infused it with a Critical Strike effect, and delivered a lightning-fast uppercut toward his opponent's chin!
"Nani?!"
Bluenote had always relied on his Gravity Magic for medium-to-long-range combat. In close-quarters fighting, he was weaker than even the Seven Kin of Purgatory, let alone facing Kira, a seasoned veteran who had trained for years in Fairy Tail.
He had just used a powerful spell, and his recovery animation hadn't finished. Bluenote had barely stabilized his footing when Kira was already right in front of him. In those two short seconds, he hadn't even registered his opponent's movement. By the time Kira was in his face, it was too late to react.
Boom!
"Ugh—!"
Kira's punch connected squarely with Bluenote's chin. Bluenote let out a muffled grunt and was instantly sent flying skyward, the immense force causing him to smash through several rocks still suspended in the air.
Kira remained in his spot, holding the punching pose, striving to maintain his cool demeanor. He said calmly, "An important exam for our junior members is happening nearby. I absolutely will not allow scum like you to interrupt them!"
This was mainly directed at the sole spectator present, Azuma.
Though the saying goes, "Fists fear the young," for Bluenote, a Vice-Master, to be sent flying by a single punch from a young man—how could he show his face again?
---
### ⛓️ Restraint Magic
Floating high in the air, Bluenote felt his jaw was dislocated. The force of the blow sent him higher and higher, his back aching from the impact with the debris. This normally wouldn't be a good thing, but it conveniently put distance between him and his opponent.
"This brat, he has some skills. Now let me... huh?"
Bluenote was about to execute a counterattack when he suddenly felt his arms stiffen and his body lock up, unable to use magic. He looked down to see his entire upper body covered in swirling, black-and-purple Magic Runes. The runes began spreading downward from his neck. With only his head and legs still mobile, his expression changed drastically.
Recalling Kira's punch, he immediately understood: "This is... Binding Magic? Was it from that punch?!"
"Restraint!" Kira spat the word into existence. "Lock!"
With a soft utterance, a ball of black-and-purple magic light appeared in his hand. At the same moment, the runes on Bluenote's body reacted to the magic, emitting a faint purple glow, like chains forged from script. This unexpected binding magic canceled his momentum, freezing his entire body in mid-air.
"What is happening?!"
The orb of magic light in Kira's hand acted like a remote control for the rune chains. Kira slammed his arm down hard in the air, and his target was immediately caught by another gravitational field, dragging him down again.
CRASH!
Gravity pulled Bluenote back, slamming him into the massive crater with a tremendous sound. He cursed inwardly: I'm always the one pushing people down. Today, I finally get a taste of my own medicine.
Kira stood his ground, his expression unfazed, but inwardly he was grading his performance: I'd say at least a 90! I wonder what that poor guy with the broken leg nearby thinks?
---
### 🔫 The Gravity Battle
As the dust cleared, Bluenote climbed out of the pit. He destroyed the Binding Magic with his own power, wiped the blood from his face, and brushed the dirt off his clothes. His gorilla-like face was grim as he glared at Kira: "From Fairy Tail, are you? You use Gravity Magic quite well..."
What do you mean 'quite well'? This is clearly much stronger than yours! I can do everything you can, and I can do things you can't! I'm the number one Gravity Mage in the Kingdom of Fiore!
Kira couldn't help but roll his eyes. "He just took a beating, but he's talking like he won. Is this what they call 'maintaining your swagger even after getting punched'?"
The initial magic power exchange was the first probe, aimed at figuring out the opponent's magic type and fighting style. Since Kira got the first hit, Bluenote was now eager to regain his dignity.
The battleground had shifted to the bottom of the giant crater. The second round was about to begin!
"Be destroyed!"
His previous defeat fueled Bluenote's anger, making the veins in his neck bulge. With a shout, he powered up his legs and stomped hard on the ground, leaping into the air, his cape whipping around him. Simultaneously, he unleashed his Gravity Magic from his splayed fingers, forcefully swinging his hand down. The surging magic power crushed toward Kira.
Whoosh...
The magic pushed against Kira, wrapping around him. The gravity inside the field bore down, carving a smaller pit inside the main crater!
A normal person might have been instantly pinned down due to their slow reaction time, but not Kira. Years of magic combat had honed his reflexes. The moment his opponent jumped, he sensed the gravity attack. He lightly tapped his toe, leveraging the fractured ground to dart sideways, narrowly escaping the blast.
Boom! Swoosh!
Missing his target, Bluenote instantly launched another attack. He remained in place, his hands unleashing a dozen magical gravity fields that blanketed the entire crater. But Kira used two more quick blinks, leaving the gravity fields to trap only his afterimages.
His figure was as swift as a falling star. With his powerful Magic Sense, Kira always anticipated his opponent's gravity fields, either circumventing them or leaping clear just in time.
He moved like a black panther, darting through the giant crater, advancing and retreating at will. Only he could hear the faint tinkling sound accompanying his movements—the music created by the multi-colored crystals on his short purple cloak rubbing against the air.
"Gun Barrage!"
With a soft shout, a familiar spell was used again. Under the effect of the Word Soul, thousands of guns instantly materialized in the air, densely packed and overwhelming, promising immense firepower!
RUMBLE!!!
The guns opened fire, a storm of bullets speeding toward Bluenote in the center. However, Bluenote's strength was far greater than Kira had initially assumed. Under the effect of his magic, every single bullet was violently pressed flat against the ground. Compared to this powerful gravity, the momentum they had gained from the guns was pathetically small.
Bluenote remained completely unfazed, ignoring the bullets at his feet, focusing only on tracking Kira's figure.
He was a traditional type of wizard, unlike most mages in this world. Nine-tenths of his power was invested in his magic, while his physical abilities were weak. Or perhaps, only wizards in Fairy Tail truly managed to master both magic and physical combat.
This was precisely why Kira rarely fought such "lopsided" powerful opponents. Even Ice Demon Ace, whom he had encountered in Zonia previously, was a master of both magic and physical combat.
I remember in the original timeline's Tenrou Island arc, this Gravity Guy got sent flying by a single punch from Gildarts, and then eight years later, he was sent flying by a single punch from Natsu after a year of training. I thought his power wasn't that high, but now it seems he's got a few tricks! Which makes sense, he is the Vice-Master of Grimoire Heart, after all...
Kira had initially wanted to try and send him flying with a single punch, just like Gildarts, but reality proved there was still a small gap. So, he decided he would just need a few more punches.
Unfortunately, after that last attack, Bluenote's guard was significantly higher. He had layered gravitational fields around himself. Getting close would severely restrict Kira's movement. Therefore, Kira's current goal was to deplete his opponent's magic power and then find the perfect moment to unleash his ultimate move.
The plan was to finish this in one blow!