Three days later — clear skies, Hargeon Port.
A blond young man with lightning-shaped scars across his face — Laxus — stood beside Kael, who carried a travel pack on his back. Together, they boarded a sailing ship bound for Lustre Town, located near the Raizer Mountain Range — their next S-Class mission site.
The client, having already received word that the mission was accepted, awaited their arrival.
"Ugh—blurgh—thanks…" Laxus groaned, holding his mouth as seasickness hit him hard.
Kael reached over, placing a glowing hand near Laxus's chest, channeling healing magic that eased nausea.
"Haha, Laxus, does anyone in the guild know that an S-Class wizard gets motion sick?" Kael teased, crossing his arms with a grin as Laxus's pale face began to recover.
It was a spell Kael had specifically learned from the guild library three days ago — just in case this happened. He hadn't decided on what other magic to study yet, but he'd spent those days researching the Raizer Mountains, thunder-element environments, and relevant lightning spells, along with medical magic.
While reading, he discovered that the Raizer region experienced year-round thunderstorms, and that sparked an idea — a memory from his previous life.
Lightning Release: Kirin.An S-rank ninjutsu from another world.
If he could adapt that into Fairy Tail-style lightning magic, using his Observation Haki and Laxus's lightning mastery, the result might surpass even the original technique.
Perfect — this mission could serve as the ultimate training ground for Laxus. And as for their target, Kael wasn't worried at all. With a Lightning Dragon Slayer on his side and a storm-filled battlefield, they had home-field advantage.
"Shut up… don't say another word," Laxus muttered, closing his eyes, clearly not in the mood. Even though the spell had calmed his nausea, he still felt miserable.
"I wasn't gonna say anything… but hey, this'll make a great keepsake. Click! Click!" Kael laughed, hopping side to side with a magic camera, snapping pictures of Laxus's seasick face from every possible angle.
"Kael, you—! Damn it, get back here!" Laxus staggered to his feet, half-dizzy, chasing Kael around the deck while Kael waved the camera like bait.
"Too slow! Hahaha!" Kael dodged easily, laughing all the way.
"Crack! Ka-boom!"
Lightning struck — again and again.
"No wonder this got bumped up to S-Class. Every few steps, another bolt crashes down… normal mages wouldn't even survive this long," Kael muttered as they crossed a deep canyon into the mountain range, thunder roaring overhead.
Laxus walked in front, completely unfazed by the storm, lightning glinting across his shoulders like a crown. Kael followed behind, protected by a glowing Holy Shield, the sacred barrier dispersing each lightning strike harmlessly.
"Such a temper… or maybe just tsundere," Kael sighed. Ever since that photo incident, Laxus hadn't spoken a single word to him — not even during their meeting with the mission client. Kael had done all the talking while Laxus stood behind him, arms crossed and face dark enough to terrify the poor man into near flight.
"Boom!"Suddenly, Laxus's magic flared. His body surged with crackling electricity, pulling in every bolt from the storm around them until he seemed like a thunder god made flesh.
"Kael!" he shouted, glaring furiously.
"My bad! My bad!" Kael instantly raised both hands in surrender, laughing sheepishly. He had gone a little too far with the teasing.
Then —
"ROOOAARR!"A monstrous roar shattered the mountainside ahead, the sound shaking their very bones as hurricane winds blasted through the valley.
"Looks like we've been spotted," Kael said coolly.
The two exchanged a look — then vanished, bodies turning into streaks of lightning and light, surging toward the source of the sound.
"Whoa… that's huge. But… wow, that face…" Kael hovered midair, expression torn between awe and disbelief as he stared at the Wyvern before him — a massive, malformed beast with only faint traces of dragon heritage.
"Hey there, can you talk?" Kael asked casually, but the creature gave no response — only a deep, rumbling growl.
"Thunder Rage: Torrent!" Laxus's voice boomed, and a colossal lightning array formed above the Wyvern's head. A massive bolt split the sky, crashing down onto the beast with explosive force.
The shockwave nearly hit Kael, who vanished in a flash step, reappearing beside Laxus.
"Wow, petty much? That was way too close!" Kael said, deadpan, as Laxus smirked slightly, his mood finally improving.
"RRAAAHH!"
The Wyvern burst from the smoke, unleashing a roaring beam of lightning.
"Holy Light Magic — Sacred Shield!" Kael raised his palm, summoning a brilliant wall of light that absorbed the attack. The beam condensed into a glowing orb, then with a twist of Kael's hand, the barrier folded inward.
He thrust forward —"Reflect Beam!"
The shield transformed into a focused light cannon, returning the Wyvern's attack at double the force.
"BOOOOM!"
"Whew… that was close. No wonder this was ranked S-Class — one wrong move, and you're toast," Kael muttered, though his tone stayed calm, face completely unshaken.
A pained roar echoed through the valley. The Wyvern struggled to rise again, its body covered in burns and gashes, blood spraying — yet still alive.
Even with that punishment, it wasn't down. Its defense was monstrous.
"So we'll just have to get serious," Kael said softly.
Laxus nodded, lightning gathering thick around him as his aura surged. The air trembled with the power of two S-Class mages preparing to strike.
…A single crow flew by.
Laxus waited.And waited.No attack came.
He turned — and twitched with irritation.
There was Kael, floating high above, casually snacking from a bag of chips, watching the fight like it was a movie.
"Guess he wants me to handle this solo, huh?" Laxus muttered through gritted teeth.
"RRAAAHHH!"
The Wyvern went berserk, smashing its claws into the ground, cratering the battlefield with each blow.
"Tch. Fine—catch this."
Laxus shrugged off the fur cloak around his shoulders and tossed it into the air. Kael caught it midair, glancing down at the very coat he'd gifted Laxus himself.
A knowing smile crossed his face.
"This is my domain," Laxus said lowly, feeling the storm's pulse merge with his own. The lightning around him intensified until the air itself screamed.
The entire mountain range crackled with power.
Laxus inhaled sharply—his chest glowing with compressed magic.
"ROAR OF THE THUNDER DRAGON!"
A titanic beam of pure lightning exploded from his mouth, brighter and stronger than the Wyvern's own attack, lighting up the entire Raizer sky.