They rushed to intervene, but the two caught up in their heated brawl wouldn't listen. With no other choice, Roger used his voodoo doll to forcibly separate them.
Once they were apart, he explained the situation, bringing an end to the farce amidst their mutual glares of annoyance.
Two months later, deep in the forest east of the guild, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled patterns on Roger's body.
He sat cross-legged on a cool boulder, his chest heaving, sweat dripping down his cheeks. Letting out a long breath, he opened his eyes and glanced at the system panel floating in the air.
[Name: Roger]
[Rank: A-Class Wizard]
[Magic Power: 12,000/12,000]
[Magic: Contract Magic LV1, Illusion Magic LV5, Requip Magic—Knight LV5, Enhancement Magic LV4, Strengthening Magic LV4, Gravity Magic LV3, Card Magic LV3, Wind Magic LV3, Fire Creation Magic LV2, Water Magic LV3]
[Skills: Voice Alteration LV5, Cooking LV5, Swordsmanship LV4, Magic Missile (Pseudo) LV3, Disguise LV8, Baji Quan LV4, Magic Suppression LV2]
"Phew… finally crossed the A-Class threshold," Roger muttered, wiping the sweat from his face. "Didn't expect you'd need 10,000 magic power to jump from B-Class to A-Class. That's a big leap."
He tilted his head back to look at the sky. "Guess Kana still chose card magic like in the original story, thanks to my prophecy crystal ball."
A card with a golden lightning pattern silently appeared in his palm.
"But after signing the contract, the nature of her card magic seems to have changed. Now it can store someone else's attack and release it when needed."
With a flicker of thought, a green magic circle spun into existence before him. As the light faded, a new card floated in the air, depicting two interconnected cups.
"Hm? This is…" Roger pinched the card, feeling a strange suction within it, like twin miniature whirlpools. "The 'Magic Cylinder' from Yu-Gi-Oh?"
"Pretty interesting. The new card magic can consume magic power to randomly draw a card from another world. Too bad the card's type and strength are unpredictable. Even pouring in all my magic power might just get me a slime card."
He shook his head with a wry smile, tucking the card into the magic pouch at his waist.
"It's like opening a blind box. So far, the best prize has been this trap card."
Just as he was about to stand, a chill ran down his spine, like a cold snake slithering across his skin. Someone was watching him.
Instinct kicked in. His wrist flicked, and a heavy iron sword materialized in his hand. With a sharp whistle, the blade pointed straight at the rustling bushes nearby.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
The bushes parted, and a tall, blond figure strolled out casually, arms crossed, chin slightly raised. His eyes carried a mix of scrutiny and a faint trace of curiosity. He stopped a few meters from Roger.
"Your instincts are as sharp as the rumors say."
"Laxus?" Roger's brow furrowed, and he slowly lowered his sword, puzzled. The two had never spoken since joining the guild. Why was he here now?
"How'd you find me?"
"Cough." Laxus scratched his cheek, looking a bit awkward, his gaze drifting to the treetops. "Asked Kana. Traded her a magic crystal for the info." His tone was reluctant, as if admitting it was a little embarrassing.
Roger rubbed his forehead, exasperated. "That girl… still trying to use magic crystals to summon powerful cards? She's gone card-crazy."
Laxus's eyes locked onto Roger. This guy had injured the old man right after joining the guild, climbed from B-Class to A-Class in under two months, and even Erza, who was contracted to him, had recently become an A-Class wizard.
Contract magic… it's unreal.
"Wanna spar?" Laxus asked. "I've got a swordsmanship manual from a job. The old man says it's strong. Beat me, and it's yours."
A fight? Roger weighed the pros and cons. Some of his magic had hit a bottleneck recently, and Laxus was stronger than him. Sparring might yield some breakthroughs.
Nodding in agreement, the two quickly cleared a space in the forest and faced each other.
Without wasting words, golden lightning erupted from Laxus, his body transforming into a streak of thunder that tore through the air!
[Thunderstrike Fist]
His fist, wrapped in raging lightning, screamed through the air toward Roger's face!
The moment it connected, Roger's body poofed like a popped balloon, inflating and twisting unnaturally!
"Illusion Magic? When?!" Laxus's pupils shrank, alarm bells ringing in his head. At the same instant, a lightning shield materialized in front of him!
BOOM!
Flames and thunder clashed with a deafening roar! The shockwave, laced with searing heat and crackling arcs, snapped nearby saplings in half!
"Got you!" Roger's icy voice rang out like a phantom right by Laxus's ear!
[Gravity Manipulation]
A silver-gray magic circle flared beneath Laxus's feet. An unimaginable force slammed down on him!
The ground cracked underfoot, spiderweb fractures spreading outward. His bones groaned under the pressure.
"How many types of magic does this guy have?!" Laxus growled through gritted teeth, his blond hair standing on end from the surge of magic power.
[Raging Volt]
BOOM!
Endless golden lightning exploded from Laxus, flooding the clearing like a burst dam, bathing everything in blinding platinum light!
As the glow faded, Roger appeared three meters away, his body crackling with faint electric arcs, muscles slightly stiff.
"Paralyzed?!" Roger grimaced, feeling his unresponsive muscles. "Elemental magic is such a pain." He forcibly channeled his magic power.
[Strengthening Magic]
Red-hot, lava-like magical runes spread from his shoulder across his body. But then, golden lightning flashed in his eyes—Laxus's thunder-wrapped fist was already inches away!
No time to dodge!
A glint of resolve flashed in Roger's eyes. Instead of retreating, he leaned in, twisting his body at an impossible angle to barely dodge the fist!
The savage wind from the punch stung his cheeks, the destructive force grazing past his nose with a howl!
"He dodged it? Impossible!" Shock filled Laxus's eyes. He forcibly twisted his body, but the momentum threw him off balance. All he could do was cross his arms in front of his chest!
BAM!
Roger's fist, charged with the terrifying power of strengthening magic, slammed into Laxus's crossed arms!
A dull, heart-stopping explosion rang out! A visible ring of white shockwaves surged outward!
Laxus felt like he'd been hit head-on by a charging beast. Pain shot through his arms, and his body flew backward uncontrollably, like a golden cannonball. He crashed through several thick trees before disappearing into the dust-filled depths of the forest!