Erza and Laxus were on high alert; indeed, the opponent they least wanted to face had appeared.
Irene walked over slowly and stopped not far away, a smile on her face: "What's wrong? Why the long faces?"
Erza was a bit nervous: "Mom!"
Feeling the opponent's intense pressure, Erza couldn't help but feel her heart racing, ready for battle at any moment.
Only from an opponent's perspective could one truly feel the weight of that pressure.
Irene covered her mouth and chuckled: "Calling me 'Mom' won't help now; I won't be going easy on you."
"I don't need you to go easy on me!"
Erza looked proud. That damn mom of mine, it's not certain who will win yet.
"I've already fought Acnologia..."
Laxus tossed aside the coat he had just picked up, his face showing a fighting spirit: "In the whole guild, only you are left!"
Aside from Acnologia and Gildarts, the only one he wasn't sure about was Irene. Today, he could finally have a fight.
Irene gently twirled her magic staff and smiled leisurely: "You two can come at me together."
"No need!"
Laxus gave a cold snort and instantly turned into a bolt of lightning, charging forward at a speed almost impossible to see.
Just as he threw a punch, his abdomen was suddenly struck hard by a sharp object. He groaned and was sent flying back, crashing into a coffee shop.
Erza was instantly shocked: "Laxus!"
"I'm fine! *Gag*—"
Laxus crawled out from the rubble, kneeling on one knee and dry-heaving, nearly throwing up his dinner from the night before. He lifted his clothes to look; a deep red mark had appeared.
This was where Irene had poked him with her magic staff. He felt that if she had used a bit more force, his abdomen would have been pierced through.
"You've got to be kidding me..."
Laxus was shocked. A single hit had almost incapacitated him. Why did it feel like Irene was even stronger than Acnologia?
Irene said calmly: "You two should come at me together; you might stand a chance that way."
"Requip: Heavens Wheel Armor!"
Erza activated her Requip magic. A crimson magic circle expanded, and armor made of sword blades replaced her original clothes, with four sword-blade wings spreading out.
"Celestial Wheel: Chaotic Sword Dance!"
She knew how powerful her mom was and didn't need to hold back at all. Hundreds of sharp blades turned into streaks of light, launching a piercing attack.
"You've improved."
A smile appeared in Irene's eyes. The tip of her magic staff tapped the ground, and a thick earthen wall rose from the earth, blocking all the blades.
"Magic Shock!"
She raised her hand, and a powerful pillar of magical energy erupted, instantly piercing the sky and heading straight for Erza.
"Flight Armor!"
Erza quickly swapped her armor, flickering to dodge, holding sharp swords in both hands as she charged like a gale.
However, just as she raised her longsword and before she could attack, she was struck in the side by Irene's backhanded swing of the magic staff, sending her flying sideways.
Erza struggled to get up. Seeing Irene's leisurely manner, she was fuming. What kind of mother hits her daughter without holding back?
Compared to her mom, her dad at least knew how to care for her and definitely wouldn't hit her too hard.
Irene said with a chuckle: "You're the one who said not to go easy."
Erza gritted her teeth: "Again!"
After Laxus caught his breath, he moved quickly. Holding his hands up, the sky was suddenly filled with rolling dark clouds and alternating thunder: "Erza, get out of the way!"
"Falling Thunder!"
Boom!
In the clouds, violent lightning raged, twisting into a thick pillar of light that struck down the moment Erza dodged.
Irene looked up slightly, narrowing her eyes: "Thunder..."
She didn't move from her spot, her magic staff glowing with a dazzling light: "Separation Enchantment!"
As soon as she spoke, to the shock of the two, all the lightning dissipated, the dark clouds scattered, and warm sunlight shone down.
Laxus was shocked: "What is this?"
Irene looked at their confused expressions and felt a bit helpless. We're opponents right now, aren't we?
She explained: "High-level Enchantment Magic. The thunderclouds in the sky were triggered by your Dragon Slaying Magic, and I simply separated your magic from them."
"Just like this!"
Irene pressed her hand down, and Laxus was suddenly enveloped in a red halo, floating uncontrollably. Before he could break out, he felt his magic being rapidly drained.
Laxus turned pale with fright: "Not good!"
At this extraction speed, he would run out of magic in less than three minutes.
Laxus exploded with all his power. His magic burst forth, and violent lightning instantly tore the red halo to shreds. He then opened his mouth to gather magic: "Roar of the Lightning Dragon!"
Boom!
A terrifying beam of lightning tore through the air, shredding all the buildings along the way, with even the ground being torn apart by the aftershocks.
Erza shielded her eyes from the dazzling light and couldn't help but admire: "So strong!"
If she were to take this attack without being able to switch to her Lightning Empress Armor in time, she would definitely be severely injured.
But what method would her mom use this time?
As their tense gazes shifted, the Roar of the Lightning Dragon took a sharp turn right in front of Irene, slamming into the buildings on the right and causing a massive explosion.
Laxus was beyond shocked: "What happened? Why did it miss?"
Irene saw the two of them looking at her with curiosity again, waiting for an explanation, and couldn't help but cover her face: "Can't you two wait until after the fight to ask?"
Looking defeated, she explained helplessly: "I enchanted the house with the Iron Attribute. When you fought Natsu back then, didn't Gajeel act as a Lightning Rod once?"
Laxus asked in Confusion: "But the speed and power of my Roar are much stronger than back then. Why could it still be drawn away?"
If a Lightning Rod could nullify his ability, wouldn't he be completely countered?
Irene explained: "While lightning is fast, it doesn't have a guaranteed hit effect. The Lightning Rod is just one part; I also used my magic to guide the trajectory of the Roar."
"So that's how it is."
Laxus nodded. That was acceptable. Irene's Enchantment Magic seemed omnipotent; being able to warp the trajectory of a Roar made sense.
Irene couldn't help but laugh: "Are you two going to keep fighting, or do you want to surrender and leave?"
Erza's face showed battle intent: "No way, I still have my ultimate move!"
"Behold, my Dragon Knight!"
Before she could finish, Irene reached out her hand, covering them with magic: "High-level Enchantment Magic: Gravity!"
Boom!
Terrifying Gravity descended from the sky, instantly pinning Erza and Laxus to the ground.
However, this level of Gravity wasn't enough to crush them.
Erza and Laxus gritted their teeth and erupted with magic. Just as they were about to get up, another voice came: "Enchantment: Weakness!"
The two suddenly felt completely powerless, finding even moving a finger exhausting. But it wasn't over.
"Fatigue!"
"Confusion!"
"Sleep!"
"Magic!"
With various negative forces added to them and their magic drained, the two completely lost their ability to resist, unable to even keep their eyes open.
After the illusory magic space checked that their magic had been drained and they were unconscious, it teleported them out.
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