Fairy Tail Space Mage

Although Sora's Kaoru had already brought everyone a pleasant surprise, Sora was always elusive, and Kaoru, who followed him, also became less frequently seen. Therefore, the birth of Natsu's Happy the following day still brought joy to everyone for a while.

Ridasu Jonah, the guild's artist, even drew a "family portrait" for everyone. However, to fulfill Natsu's wish, Happy was drawn as a small blue dragon.

The only thing that everyone felt was a pity was that Kong wasn't in the guild at the time.

Where was Sora at that time? Sora himself couldn't have imagined it. He would encounter Laxus by the lake and even be challenged by him!

Like Sora, Laxus was also someone who rarely appeared in the guild. Sora liked reading, so she stayed away from the overly lively guild. As for Laxus, she just found the guild boring.

These two elusive individuals have unexpectedly run into each other alone, and Laxus at least sees this as an opportunity!

"Why challenge me? My strength isn't that great. If you want to challenge me, I think Elsa is more suitable." Sora didn't intend to refuse, but first, he wanted to find out the reason.

"Challenge Erza? You think I'd lay a hand on a woman?" Laxus's answer surprised Sora. He wasn't the type to hit women. Even having read the manga on Earth, Sora had no idea such a thing existed!

"Alright, let's go somewhere else." Sora didn't ask any more questions. Although he was no match for Laxus now, his lightning resistance, honed through nearly a year of self-torture using lightning crystals, should at least prevent him from losing too badly.

Sora brought Laxus to the eastern forest near the guild, and after letting Kaoru fly away temporarily, he began his battle with Laxus.

Although Laxus didn't take Kong seriously, he had heard of Kong's close-combat skills. Knowing that Kong possessed a martial arts-type magic, he didn't overestimate his abilities and decided to settle the matter with ranged attacks.

After all, the current Laxus is not the muscular Laxus of six years later. Laxus, who has been physically weak since childhood, has no confidence in close combat against martial arts magic users unless he uses Dragon Slayer Magic.

Laxus first used the fastest spell to cast – "Lightning Strike" – unwilling to give Sora a chance to "move" over for close combat!

"Lightning Strike" is the simplest lightning magic, the foundation of all lightning magic. But Laxus's "Lightning Strike" is incredibly powerful, its strength not to be underestimated! Laxus believes that once his "Lightning Strike" hits Sora, the battle will end quickly. Because in those few seconds when Sora is paralyzed by the "Lightning Strike" and unable to move, his torrential lightning magic will completely engulf Sora!

But he miscalculated. The "lightning strike" did hit Kong, but the large number of "lightning bullets" that followed the "lightning strike" only hit Kong's afterimage. The next moment, Kong's fist appeared in front of him!

Sora unleashed a powerful punch aimed at Laxus's face, but missed completely. Laxus had used his "Lightning Transformation" magic in time to dodge Sora's attack.

Lightning Transformation, an elemental magic that transforms the body into tangible lightning, is one of the strongest forms of elemental magic. Laxus is currently a bolt of lightning, capable of high-speed movement through the air. As long as he doesn't stop, even possessing "movement" magic is useless against him.

"I see. So you can withstand my lightning strike? No wonder the old man was so concerned about you!" Laxus temporarily deactivated his "Lightning Transformation" and praised him from a distance.

Yes, Sora just stopped the activation of "Sky Garment" and withstood Laxus's lightning strike. Although the actual pain far exceeded Sora's expectations, he endured it. If Laxus hadn't already mastered lightning transformation, Sora might have decided the outcome with a single punch.

But now, things are uncertain.

Kong didn't lose his fighting spirit just because Laxus had mastered lightning. As it stands, Laxus doesn't seem inclined to reveal his identity as a Dragon Slayer. In that case, Kong might still have a chance of victory. Kong won't give up trying!

Now that the opponent had stopped, Kong naturally activated "Move". However, this time Laxus was prepared and did not dodge.

Having just experienced Sora's "movement," Laxus understood its weakness. Although he lacked spatial magic, he still managed to pinpoint Sora's location after moving! He coated his fist with magic, his face contorted with excitement, and unleashed a full-force attack on the spot where Sora was about to appear!

However, the ferocity on his face was replaced by astonishment!

His fist clearly struck Kong, yet it felt as if he hadn't hit anything at all! He clearly saw his arm twist abnormally after making contact with Kong's body, finally sliding past the edge of Kong's body!

He felt no real impact, nor did he feel any pain in his arm! His first thought was: I'm under an illusion spell! Then, a sharp pain erupted in his abdomen as the empty "seven-inch fist" struck him squarely!

Laxus is currently unaware that Kong possesses the "Void Robe," and only a handful of people in the entire guild know this. Therefore, he's suffering as a result!

Chapter 012 Laxus's Invitation

Laxus was perfectly struck by the air's "seven-inch punch," flying out at high speed like an arrow until it crashed into a tree and came to a stop!

Although the "Seven-Inch Punch" itself isn't very powerful, Kong's physical strength is quite formidable these days. He can still manage to send his opponent flying with considerable force.

Laxus lay on the ground and didn't get up immediately. Sora thought he had luckily defeated Laxus and was about to call Kaoru to leave when Laxus suddenly got up from the ground.

"Hey! You're already leaving? I haven't had enough fun yet!"

Laxus stood up, and at the same time, bolts of lightning crackled and flashed across his body. His muscles bulged, and his physique instantly became much more massive, transforming him into a completely different person! Most noticeably, his abdomen, where his clothes were torn, appeared to have dragon scale-like structures.

"Dragon Slayer...magic?" Kong sighed, his expression turning serious. He didn't know why Laxus was so serious, really intending to use his hidden trump card against him.

"Heh, you have good taste! You actually recognized my magic! No wonder you're such a close friend of those brats! But now that you know my secret, you won't be leaving easily today. Oh, by the way, you can use 'teleport' to leave, but what about that little cat over there..."

Before Laxus could finish speaking, Xun'er had already guessed his intention and used teleportation magic to send herself away. This left Laxus dumbfounded.

"...Don't threaten me. I won't run away, and I have no interest in telling anyone your secret." Kong shook his head, readjusting himself. Fortunately, he had recovered considerably from the damage caused by Laxus's "lightning strike" during this time. Kong was now in better condition than before.

"Very well! Let's fight!"

As soon as Laxus finished speaking, his body transformed into a dense ball of lightning and hurtled towards Sora at an extremely fast speed! However, just like before, even as lightning, Laxus could only glide past Sora.

The "Sky Garment" defense is still effective against the lightning-enhanced Laxus!

In the eastern forest, bolts of lightning shot repeatedly towards a figure standing still, yet posed no threat whatsoever. Laxus, however, showed no intention of stopping. He knew that Sora's magical power was far inferior to his own; in a battle of attrition, victory would inevitably be his!

Laxus's attrition strategy ultimately failed. He attacked Kong ten times in a row, yet Kong remained completely unfazed.

This made Laxus realize one thing: the empty defensive spell consumed far less mana each time it was used than his! If this continued, it might be his side that couldn't hold on in the end.

As the strongest form of elemental magic, the magical power consumed in each lightning transformation is naturally terrifying.

Laxus decided to change tactics.

He dispelled the lightning transformation and then used a new spell, "Raging Volt," which is a spell that releases a wide-range, high-voltage electromagnetic wave that paralyzes all opponents within its range.

Laxus, as expected, once again discovered Void's weakness in magic. While Void's defensive magic is powerful, it's not adept at dealing with area-of-effect (AoE) magic. However, ordinary AoE magic cannot hit Void, who can use "Move." He can "Move" out of the spell's range. Only "Raging Volt," with its larger area of ​​effect and extremely high casting speed, has a chance of hitting Void!

"Shield of the Void!"

Kong was unfamiliar with "Raging Volt" and didn't know its attack range. Therefore, instead of using a "Move" spell to dodge, he used "Sky Shield" to block it. Fortunately, "Raging Volt" was only a control spell with weak power, and it was easily blocked by "Sky Shield".

Seeing this, Laxus finally lost his patience. He unleashed his strongest area-of-effect lightning magic to date, "Lightning Surge!"

Kong immediately felt a large amount of lightning magic gather above his head and lock onto him. This meant that even if he used a "movement" spell, unless he moved to a very far location, he would have no chance of dodging this attack!

Kong had already said he wouldn't run away, so he had no intention of doing so. He forced himself to ignore the terrifying thunderclouds overhead that were making his scalp tingle, calmed down, and carefully observed Laxus's movements.

The instant Laxus's "Thunderous Rage" magic attack ended, Sora instantly used "Teleport" to appear in front of Laxus. This time, Sora's target wasn't Laxus's abdomen, but his chin! There, the dragon scales weren't covering him. More importantly, he could launch Laxus into the air, using him as a shield!

However, to Kong's astonishment, Laxus was indeed knocked into the air by Kong, but "Thunderous Rage" cleverly avoided the airborne Laxus, turned a corner, and continued to hit Kong!

Before Sora lost consciousness in pain, the chairman's words echoed in her mind once more: "Magic has its own feelings and consciousness..."

Magnolia City, eastern forest, half an hour later.

"Hey, you're not dead, are you?"

When Sora woke up, the first thing she heard was Laxus's voice beside her.

Sora felt terrible; not only was his whole body aching, but his head felt like it had been hit by a hammer, the pain was excruciating. His "Black Knight" armor was completely destroyed, burned to shreds. This injury was truly severe. Laxus hadn't held back at all!

“Your pet still hasn’t come back. It seems your relationship with it isn’t very good,” Laxus continued.

“She…is not a pet.” Kong, with great effort, sat up and answered.

"Yes. I've never seen such a smart pet." Perhaps because the battle was over, Laxus had returned to normal. Now, Laxus was just a lazy 17-year-old boy.

Kong did not answer Laxus's question. He began to meditate, which helped him recover his mana and also aided in healing his injuries.

"Your name is Kong Black, right? The old man and Elsa gave you that name, although I don't think it's very good... I had a lot of fun today. I didn't expect you to be so difficult to deal with."

As Sora was knocked down, Laxus was also knocked unconscious by Sora's aerial punch. Theoretically, it was a draw, but in reality, Laxus, who was basically unharmed and woke up much earlier, won. After all, in actual combat, whoever wakes up first can do whatever they want with their opponent.

Kong didn't say anything. He planned to recover for a while longer before going back to his dorm for a herbal bath. He might be soaking for quite a while today.

"Kong, you're different from those brats in the guild. I'm planning to form a 'Thunder God Clan' commission group. Are you interested in joining?" Seemingly sensing Kong's intentions, Laxus finally revealed his real reason for picking a fight with Kong out of boredom.

“…Sorry, I’m not interested.” Kong glanced at Laxus with some surprise, remained silent for a moment, and then replied.

"Really? What a pity. I thought you were like me, unlike those naive kids." Laxus was a little disappointed.

Actually, Laxus's talent isn't that great. At least, it can't compare to Erza, Natsu, or Mira.

Although he was Makarov's only grandson, he was physically weak and lacked magic power as a child. His current strength is entirely due to the transplantation of the Thunder Dragon's magic crystal and his years of secret efforts. This is probably why he is interested in the Void.

Chapter 013 S-Rank Exam

“I don’t like having deep connections with others, nor will I join any fixed groups. I need time now, time to study, read, and slowly get stronger on my own. I won’t join the ‘Thor’s Gang,’ but if you need an opponent, I’d be happy to oblige.”

After saying these words, Sora used "Move" and disappeared from Laxus's sight.

Laxus paused, seemingly lost in thought, upon hearing Sora's words.

"Indeed, you're progressing very quickly these days. Teaming up with others is just holding you back. But I'm not one to stagnate."

After muttering these words to himself, Laxus also vanished in a bolt of lightning.

After a while, an old woman with purplish-red hair emerged from the woods. She frowned as she looked at the forest, now a scene of devastation caused by the two men's battle.

"The forest has been destroyed again because of pointless fighting. That's why I hate humans... Does Laxus have such hidden abilities? Does Makarov know? And that child..."

Sora never knew that the person who actually picked him up from the eastern forest was not the guild master, but the woman in front of him, Polyusica.

Polyusica is the guild's apothecary advisor. Although she saved Sora's life, she abandoned him to Makarov because she "disliked humans." However, she also gave Sora a large quantity of healing potions. The healing potions Sora has been using are the ones Polyusica gave him; they're not available for sale and are extremely effective.

The battle between Sora and Laxus in the eastern forest was diverted by the birth of the blue kitten "Happy." Within the entire guild, besides Sora and Laxus, only Poryusica and a certain purple kitten knew about it.

From then on, Sora had a formidable opponent. Although they only clashed about once a month, each battle was intense. Laxus could also clearly sense Sora's progress and began to look at him with increasing respect.

Before anyone knew it, mid-December arrived, and the S-rank exam began. Laxus naturally qualified to participate in the S-rank exam. Then, to everyone's surprise, the assistant he invited was Sora.

Indeed, in terms of support abilities alone, Sora possesses powerful defense, mobility, and extensive knowledge. The Fairy Tail S-Class Exam tests not only raw strength but also the participants' experience, wisdom, and knowledge.

From this perspective, Laxus's choice of Sora as his ally isn't surprising. However, can two people who have never even greeted each other cooperate well in battle? Everyone has serious doubts!

The actual result was beyond everyone's expectations. Gildarts, the final opponent in the S-Class Exam and the root cause of Fairy Tail's failure to produce an S-Class Mage for over a decade, personally witnessed their perfect teamwork!

The two understood each other's thoughts without needing to speak, and their quick thinking and reactions during battle, combined with their teamwork, made Gildarts suffer for the first time!

Sky is a sturdy shield, and Laxus is a sharp spear; the two can easily coordinate. Furthermore, both are extremely fast; one uses "Move," and the other uses "Lightning Transformation," causing almost all of Gildarts' attacks to miss. He can only passively take hits.

Finally, Gildarts had no choice but to unleash his true power, which allowed him to defeat Sora and Laxus. Naturally, this meant Laxus passed the S-class exam without any problems.

Sora and Laxus witnessed firsthand just how terrifying it was when a "Ten Wizard Saints" unleashed their full magical power!

Without using any magic, simply standing there caused the magical energy in the air to explode with a roar! The island shook, the sea trembled, and the rocks around Gildarts floated eerily in the air due to the intense magical energy...

Laxus was alright; with over 1 mana, he could still stand. Sora, with only 3 mana, despite his desperate efforts, collapsed to his knees in an instant. Neither of them had a chance to retaliate before Gildarts defeated them instantly! In this situation, neither "movement" nor "lightning transformation" were of any use.

Gildarts, unleashing his true power, demonstrated the full force of his superior destructive magic—Disintegration Magic! In an instant, the Disintegration Magic completely disintegrated everything within a hundred-meter radius! Sora, unable to move, was directly disintegrated into hundreds of smaller clones! Laxus barely escaped to the edge but couldn't escape being disintegrated as well!

It's estimated that although Gildarts' magical power is only at the "Ten Wizard Saints" level, his true strength can crush any "Ten Wizard Saints"! After all, he is the only mage in this world whose magic is based on destructive super magic!

"The strongest in Fairy Tail"—that title is entirely well-deserved! Even Chairman Makarov is probably no match for him!

Although Laxus passed the S-rank exam, he felt no joy, but rather a deep sense of dejection. Sora felt the same way. Immediately afterward, Laxus took on an S-rank request on his own, successfully completing it but ending up badly injured.

While Sora didn't react as strongly as Laxus, he couldn't help but ponder his own magical problems. Yes, because of his spatial attribute, he had always lacked magic. Even if he could use "Circle of the Sky" a year later, he still didn't have any powerful magic, or even any decent offensive magic.

In this situation, even with a large amount of magic power, he still couldn't possibly be a match for a user of "superior-level magic" like Gildarts. Spatial supermagic was practically unheard of. So, what should he do? Perhaps, the only way was to "create his own magic."

Magic is not innate; it is created by humankind.