"Boom!"
Moen's fist, covered in golden armor, smashed forward and collided with Laxus's lightning-clad punch. Terrifying magic power clashed and surged against each other, and just the shockwave generated from the collision extended far outward, as if it would overturn everything on the ground.
The spectators all changed expressions and hurriedly retreated, but before they could move far, the magic shockwave was blocked by a wall as it approached them.
"It's Moen!"
Everyone immediately reacted, this was the technique Moen had just used. Their faces were filled with astonishment. While fighting Laxus, Moen still had the time to pay attention to them? He could even spare the focus to use a wall to protect them?
Clearly, they didn't know how convenient "Crystal Wall" was. Once placed, it basically required no further attention at all.
And focusing on it wouldn't change much anyway, the wall was incredibly sturdy. Even Moen couldn't easily move it once formed; he could only let it disappear.
"Crackle!"
After exchanging a punch with Laxus, Moen pressed his foot down hard onto the ground to dissipate the force, cracks spreading outward from where he stepped.
It had to be said, Laxus's strength was indeed immense. He was already physically powerful, possessed enormous magic power, and with the influence of Dragon Slayer Magic, it was no wonder Joey, who specialized purely in physical combat, had been completely powerless against him.
Against someone like Joey, who focused entirely on physical strength and used all his magic power for defense and close-range bursts ordinary mages would find it very difficult to deal with him.
It could only be said that Joey was somewhat out of place in Fairy Tail. These Dragon Slayers all had incredibly strong bodies.
After all, they could be considered humanoid dragons. No matter how much Joey trained, he would still fall short. And his talent wasn't overwhelmingly high like Erza Scarlet's, so he was destined to struggle to match Dragon Slayers.
Speaking of that, Moen had always been very curious about Erza's background. Her magic power and physical talent were both absurdly strong. It was hard to imagine her origins being simple, but even Erza herself had no memory of it, so this mystery likely wouldn't be solved anytime soon.
"Crackle crackle!"
As the two exchanged punches, the electric current from Laxus's fist instantly spread over Moen's body, emitting sharp, piercing sounds.
Moen directly released his magic power, resonating with the Aries Gold Cloth. A layer of sacred golden light appeared over his body, completely blocking the damage from the electricity.
The defensive power of the Gold Cloth was extremely strong, and Moen's magic output was equally overwhelming. The electricity striking the Cloth was completely ineffective—it couldn't penetrate Moen's external defense at all.
"Buzz!"
Magic surged as Moen withdrew his fist and smoothly followed up with a sweeping side kick toward Laxus's flank. At the same time, countless black feathers descended from the sky, covering Laxus.
The black feathers filling the sky looked strange, but Laxus could clearly sense the danger contained within them.
He transformed into lightning to dodge Moen's kick, then immediately released magic power. Countless bolts of lightning fell from the sky, shattering the black feathers. Moen's techniques were all quite bizarre—Laxus had no intention of taking them head-on.
"Boom boom boom!"
For a moment, explosions rang continuously in the sky as Laxus's heavenly lightning collided with Moen's black feathers, producing piercing sounds.
"Diamond Dust Fist!"
Just as Laxus created distance and broke through the storm of black feathers, Moen clasped his hands together and launched another attack forward.
A violent wave of freezing energy immediately overwhelmed the lightning in the sky and swept toward Laxus. The overflowing ice magic froze everything around it. Wherever the icy tide passed, even the lightning seemed close to being frozen within solid ice, which shocked Laxus greatly.
The Cygnus constellation shone brilliantly as Moen's "Diamond Dust Fist" became increasingly refined, already reaching an intermediate level. Its progress had even surpassed the "Pegasus Meteor Fist."
This was the effect of obtaining the Cygnus Bronze Cloth, the synergy between technique and Cloth brought a massive boost.
Relying only on the influence of the Minor Horse Bronze Cloth, "Pegasus Meteor Fist" clearly couldn't compare to the fully matched "Diamond Dust Fist."
[Diamond Dust Fist · Intermediate, Proficiency: 665/1000]
Although the intermediate-level "Diamond Dust Fist" had not yet reached the extreme of "absolute zero," the icy tide it unleashed was already terrifying. Wherever it passed froze almost instantly, and the thick ice would show no sign of melting even under days of direct sunlight.
It could be said that with this single punch, Moen turned the battlefield into a frozen hell. Even the air seemed frozen, taking a breath felt sharp in the throat.
Gray watched from the side with intense envy. His Ice-Make Magic couldn't achieve anything like this. He truly wanted to learn it—but he couldn't bring himself to take Moen as his master.
Even if it were only nominal and their relationship stayed the same, Gray still couldn't accept it. He had only one master, and at least for now, he couldn't do something like that.
"Buzz!"
Laxus rapidly retreated, avoiding the cold wave, his expression changing.
Moen simply had too many methods—chaotic and varied, with all kinds of abilities. The key was that every single one of them was effective.
It wasn't that no one could use multiple types of magic for example, Makarov, but even Makarov couldn't use all of them effectively in battle. The vast majority of mages specialized in only one type of magic. Other magics might be usable in daily life, but in combat, their strength simply couldn't keep up.
Only Moen, every kind of magic he used was practical and powerful, making it impossible to take lightly. Just now alone, he had already used several different types.
Of course, to Moen, all of these were just one kind of magic, his so-called "Celestial Spirit Magic." This kind of versatility was somewhat similar in principle, as different Celestial Spirits also had completely different functions.
Although Laxus could transform into lightning, under Moen's icy tide he could only avoid the edge of it. The freezing magic covered too large an area, he felt that if he didn't dodge, he might be frozen inside the ice even in his lightning form.
Moen also realized that after these abilities reached the "intermediate" level, not only did their power increase, but their attack range also seemed to expand. The same was true for "Pegasus Meteor Fist" and "Diamond Dust Fist", both covered a wide area.
This made Moen think of his low-proficiency ability, "Barehanded Blade Catch." If it reached intermediate level, would it become an area-of-effect "Disarm"?
"Buzz!"
Being forced back repeatedly, Laxus grew somewhat irritated and embarrassed. He once again transformed into lightning and charged forward. Moen immediately used "Instant Transmission" to dodge, then fired a "Scarlet Needle" with a single finger. Laxus transformed into lightning again to evade.
The two of them barely paused for even a second, constantly shifting positions sometimes clashing, sometimes separating leaving the spectators staring at each other in confusion. Among them, only a few could even follow their speed with their eyes.
What they were witnessing now truly made them feel the gap, the two of them were on an entirely different level.
Moen's figure flickered, either firing "Scarlet Needle," or unleashing a "Pegasus Meteor Fist" or "Diamond Dust Fist." He no longer used "Crystal Wall" for defense, yet still forced Laxus into a rather miserable state. Competing in speed, magic power, and strength like this, Laxus was actually at a disadvantage.
Most importantly, in terms of endurance, he was also inferior to Moen. The stars in the sky continuously flickered, supplying Moen with magic power. Though the rate wasn't fast, it was practically like cheating!
"Buzz!"
Laxus suddenly paused, he had been struck by a needle. His expression turned somewhat helpless as he endured the pain and created some distance.
Moen had clearly figured out the pattern of his ability and seen through his disguise. If Laxus wanted to attack at close range, he had to materialize. While lightning form allowed him to evade attacks, it clearly didn't let him retain offensive capability at the same time.
However, Laxus had also seen through the flaw in Moen's "Instant Transmission"—Moen couldn't move very far, only about ten meters at most.
But even so, he still had no way to deal with Moen. Even with large-scale attacks, Moen could simply stand there and endure them with his Gold Cloth.
In comparison, Laxus's need to materialize in order to attack was a much bigger weakness. Once materialized, he didn't have the speed of lightning, so it was inevitable that he would be hit by Moen's attacks.
The two exchanged several direct punches. The overwhelming barrage of Moen's "Pegasus Meteor Fist" was something only Laxus could barely withstand and even then, he was sweating profusely.
After several exchanges, Moen was fine, but Laxus's hands already ached. His fists had begun to tremble.
"Let's stop here. That was truly a satisfying battle."
Looking at Laxus, who had pulled back, Moen said with a smile. He knew it was time to give Laxus a way out, otherwise Laxus would be too embarrassed to end it himself.
"…Fine. Save your strength for the next stage."
Laxus paused, then also disengaged from combat. He dusted off his clothes, trying to appear as if they were only slightly dirty.
At this moment, the few "Scarlet Needles" Moen had driven into Laxus were still tormenting him. This guy was incredibly tough, even as his body trembled and bled, he endured it without showing weakness.
"Buzz!"
Moen, with a strange expression, removed the effects of "Scarlet Needle" from Laxus and healed his bleeding wounds.
"That technique of yours is pretty good."
Laxus hesitated before speaking, clearly referring to "Scarlet Needle." After experiencing it, he felt like his mind had become clearer. The piercing pain made him think and reflect a lot, it was a very strange sensation.
"No matter what the problem is, fifteen needles will cure it."
Moen raised an eyebrow. He had some understanding of the possible side effects of "Scarlet Needle." Those who endured all fifteen might truly undergo a transformation.
Of course, that was only if the person had goodness in their heart. Otherwise, it would just be pure torture, with no reflection at all—after all, some people never look for problems within themselves.
"How about a few more needles? Look at Gajeel didn't it work well? That kid is much more normal now."
Moen blinked, joking with Laxus. Gajeel was the one who had truly experienced the full "Scarlet Needle." Laxus had only taken two, and due to his strength, the "treatment effect" wasn't as obvious.
That made Moen feel a bit regretful. This technique was perfect for people with muddled thinking, maybe fifteen needles would really help Laxus understand how to integrate into the guild.
"Cut the nonsense. Hurry to the next stage."
Moen's words darkened Laxus's face. He replied irritably, briefly explaining the final stage before turning and leaving. His task was complete, so there was no need for him to stay.
"Hey! I'm serious, Laxus! Give it a try?!"
Moen called after him, unwilling to give up, like a persistent acupuncture master chasing after a patient.
"…"
Laxus didn't respond. He simply turned into lightning and disappeared into the forest in an instant, faster than during the battle. Truly, a person's potential is forced out under pressure.
Moen shook his head with a helpless smile. Since Laxus refused, he couldn't force it—and besides, Laxus wasn't someone easy to push around.
"Did you win?!"
"Did you clear it?!"
"Moen! You're amazing!"
As soon as Laxus left, the spectators all rushed forward, excitedly asking questions all at once, like a group that had just cleared a boss fight together.
Even though they had already been eliminated, they were still thrilled that Moen defeated the "boss." After all, he was one of them and witnessing such a high-level battle made the trip worthwhile.
"I passed. I'm heading to the next stage. Wait for my news."
Moen replied with a smile, then without further delay prepared to continue the exam. He was fairly confident.
"What's the next stage?"
Everyone cooperated, cheering him on before leaving. Only Mirajane stepped closer and quietly asked, looking like she was gathering information in advance for next year's exam.
"Find the grave of the First Guild Master."
Moen smiled and told her softly. Mirajane's eyes widened immediately, clearly finding it very strange.
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