Natsu and Gray's first mission outside the guild ended in complete success.The moment they returned, they couldn't stop bragging about it. But before long, their boasting turned into an argument — who did more, who carried the team, who deserved more credit. Within minutes, words became fists, and once again, the Fairy Tail guild erupted into chaos.
None of them noticed Erza standing nearby, her scarlet hair floating slightly with the aura of her rising anger.
"Bam! Bam!" Two solid punches — and just like that, the fight was over.The guild members, now very familiar with Erza's "disciplinary methods," quickly returned to their seats and busied themselves with anything that didn't involve eye contact.
Erza, her expression softening instantly, turned toward Cana and asked with gentle concern, "You're not hurt, are you?"The speed of that mood swing was enough to make Gray and Natsu, lying on the floor, roll their eyes in unison.
Kael sighed and covered his face, unable to watch the scene any longer.Nearby, Lisanna was happily munching on the snacks Natsu had brought back, one hand covering Happy's eyes. "Too violent, Happy. Don't watch, okay?" she said with a playful giggle.
"Aye!" Happy raised his little paw in agreement.
Just then, the guild doors burst open."Boring," Laxus muttered as he strode in, cloak draped over his shoulders. Seeing the sorry state of Natsu and Gray, he turned his head away with visible disdain.
"Yo, Laxus!" Kael called out, motioning for him to come over.
"Training starts in three days," Kael said casually, leaning back in his chair. "Interested? I guarantee it'll give your strength a serious boost."
"Oh? You mean Observation Haki, huh?" Laxus smirked, crossing his arms. "Just don't cry when I surpass you, Kael." His eyes gleamed with pride and confidence.
Kael grinned. "Oh, so you're admitting I'm stronger than you right now?"
A loud slam echoed through the guild as Laxus planted both hands on the table and stood up. "Don't flatter yourself, Kael. Sure, you've got some skill in close combat — but we've yet to decide who's stronger overall!"
"Hahaha, fair enough!" Kael said, laughing heartily as he stood up too.
From his seat at the bar, Makarov watched the exchange with a quiet smile. He could tell — ever since Kael joined in, Laxus had begun to open up again, his fiery spirit slowly returning.
Three days later, in the Eastern Forest Training Grounds, Kael had divided the area into three sections: one for endurance training, one for combat drills, and one dedicated solely to Haki training.
He stood there now with Laxus, Mirajane, Erza, and Cana in the Haki zone.Further away, Natsu and Gray were leading the others in strength and stamina exercises.
Thump. Thump. Thump.Kael held a large, pitch-black wooden staff — clearly infused with Armament Haki — and tapped it lightly against his palm with a mischievous grin.
"This," he said, "is the special training I've prepared just for you, Laxus. Don't resist, alright? You should be thanking me — this'll help you awaken Observation Haki much faster."
It was the same method Silvers Rayleigh had once used to train Luffy — an effective (if painful) way to force the body to sharpen its senses.
Laxus's eyes widened. "You—you can't be serious…" He stammered as Kael slowly stepped forward, grin widening.
Whack! Whack! Whack!Three sharp blows — shoulder, arm, thigh. Laxus hadn't even had time to react.
Kael coughed lightly, pretending to realize something. "Ah, almost forgot. It works even better with a blindfold." He pulled one out of his pocket and handed it over, trying to look professional about it.
The gesture only made Laxus's blood boil further. "You've gotta be kidding me…"
"Come on now," Kael said with mock seriousness. "This is the fastest way to get results. I heard there's going to be an S-Class exam at the end of the year. You do want to win that, don't you?"
That struck a nerve. Laxus clenched his fists, teeth grinding. "…Fine. I'll trust you this once."
He snatched the blindfold and tied it over his eyes. The world went dark — but his hearing instantly sharpened.
"Ready?" Kael's voice echoed around him. "Let's begin."
Whack! Whack! Whack!The sound of impact echoed through the training field.
From the sidelines, Mirajane, Erza, and Cana stared in shock. None of them had seen this side of Kael before.
Erza leaned toward Cana. "Was your Observation Haki training like this too?"
Cana shook her head at first… then hesitated as memories resurfaced."No," she said softly. "Kael never actually hit me. He'd stop just before impact — let me feel the air from the strike, to sense the intent behind it. He said it would teach me to feel the flow of danger. He was surprised how quickly I caught on… he even called me a genius."
Her cheeks reddened slightly as she remembered. "Then he told me about a female ninja from another world who trained her body the same way… he said she'd mastered the art of close combat through instinct alone."
By the end of the first day, Laxus returned to the guild covered in bruises.Makarov nearly exploded when he saw him — literally. His overwhelming magic flared out, shaking the bar until Kael quickly explained the situation. Only then did the master calm down, though he immediately realized he'd shattered the bar counter in his outburst.
The same thing happened every day for a week.But on the eighth day, something changed.
Laxus, still wearing the blindfold, was breathing heavily, his body battered — but he was lasting longer now, reacting faster. Kael could feel it: he was close to a breakthrough.
"Focus," Kael called out, voice sharp. "Pay attention."
The moment he spoke, Kael vanished. Not a sound, not a flicker of movement — he simply disappeared from sight. When he reappeared, he was behind Laxus, staff glowing with golden light, about to strike his head.
And then — something clicked.
In Laxus's mind, two threads of awareness snapped together like lightning. His instincts screamed danger — to the right!
He dropped into a crouch. The staff whooshed over his head, missing by inches. The unleashed energy sliced forward, tearing through the forest.
When Laxus pulled off the blindfold, his eyes widened.For five full kilometers, every tree in sight had been cut clean in half.
"You crazy bastard! Were you actually trying to kill me?!" Laxus roared, lightning crackling across his body.
Kael waved a hand innocently as he dodged the incoming punches. "Hey, hey — of course not. You're overreacting!"
That only made Laxus angrier. His attacks grew fiercer, faster, thunder roaring through the forest. Kael began to counter, their fists clashing again and again, the shockwaves shattering the remaining tree stumps around them.
Finally, Kael halted and grinned. "Laxus… haven't you realized it yet? You've already awakened Observation Haki."
Laxus froze. Then it hit him — he had been sensing Kael's movements perfectly, dodging every attack without seeing. A slow grin spread across his face, followed by booming laughter.
Kael suddenly raised a finger. "Laser."
A blinding beam shot toward Laxus.Without thinking, Laxus tilted his head just slightly — the laser missed, blasting into a distant tree and exploding.
Kael chuckled. "See? Now you feel it, don't you?"
"Yeah," Laxus muttered, still breathing hard, eyes gleaming.
Kael clapped his hands together. "Alright! Lesson complete. We'll refine it later — for now, how about you buy me dinner? I did just teach you something incredible, after all."
"Dream on," Laxus snapped, brushing Kael's arm off his shoulder and walking away without looking back.
"Aw, come on, don't be so cold!" Kael called after him, jogging to keep up."How about a guild feast instead? Something big — the master would love it…"
"..."
"Not answering, huh? Then it's settled!"
"Boring," came Laxus's low grumble.
"Ha! You replied — that's a yes!" Kael said cheerfully.
...
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