Inside the cave, the dark-haired youth, who had been waiting for this moment for quite some time, watched his approaching opponent through the settling dust. The corners of his lips curled up slightly. Laxus was finally here!
This young man on Tenrou Island was, of course, Night. The plan Mavis had discussed with Makarov involved not only bringing Night back to the Fairy Tail guild but also making a few adjustments to the trial. She had decided to replace Gildarts, who was supposed to be the final boss, with her own student.
This was precisely what had provoked such a volatile reaction from Makarov. The First had honestly confessed to him that this "boy" was only twelve years old. A twelve-year-old child against a sixteen-year-old Laxus? In Makarov's eyes, it sounded like pure madness!
Yes, he understood that a student of Mavis herself, raised by her from a young age, must possess extraordinary talents. But Laxus was his own flesh and blood, having inherited colossal magical potential right from birth. Furthermore, a Dragon Lacrima had been implanted into his body, making his magical power absolutely insurmountable for his peers, let alone a child four years his junior. And yet, seeing the First's unshakable confidence, Makarov had yielded. Perhaps this "boy" truly harbored something that defied all comprehension.
Not far from the cave, Makarov and Gildarts were intently watching a magical mirror hovering before them. Its smooth surface displayed Laxus spectacularly obliterating the entrance. They didn't let the examinee out of their sight for a single second.
It's begun... Now we'll finally get to see this boy in action, Makarov thought to himself.
I wonder who Laxus's opponent is going to be, Gildarts mused internally.
Somewhere in the shadows, Mavis was also observing the unfolding events. Strictly speaking, this was Night's very first real battle against another human!
...
"Gildarts! Come out and fight me!" Laxus's arrogant shout echoed off the stone walls as he strode confidently deeper into the cavern.
"Huh? What's this brat doing here?" Laxus immediately spotted Night standing right in the center of the chamber. His eyebrows knitted together as he barked, "Hey, pipsqueak, where's Gildarts?!"
"I apologize, but there is no Gildarts here. Only me," Night replied calmly.
Laxus frowned even deeper. "What is that supposed to mean? Don't tell me my final opponent is you, shrimp?!"
"I know it's hard to believe, but you are absolutely right," Night shrugged nonchalantly. "I am indeed your final trial! Defeat me, and the title of S-Class Mage is yours. But if you lose... Well, sorry, but losers have no place among the elite!"
"Are you mocking me?! How could I possibly lose to some kid!" Laxus spat in sheer irritation.
The only thing he wanted right now was an epic showdown with Gildarts, not idle chatter with some little boy. Losing all interest, he turned around, intending to leave. He was firmly resolved to track down his grandfather and shake the life out of him to find out what kind of circus he was running here.
Watching Laxus's retreating back, Night narrowed his eyes slightly. A cold glint flashed in his dark pupils. Who would like being constantly called a "brat" and a "pipsqueak"? This arrogant blond was starting to seriously get on his nerves. Right now, more than anything, he wanted to smash this rebel's face into the dirt and beat the nonsense out of him, ensuring he learned once and for all: you cannot judge a book by its cover!
"Perhaps this 'brat' will turn out to be just a little bit stronger than you think," Night said softly, his voice almost silky as it echoed through the cave.
Hearing this, Laxus merely scoffed in contempt. A little bit stronger? An ant, even if it's slightly larger than the rest, is still just an ant. What difference did it make how strong he was? He didn't take Night's words seriously in the slightest.
But if the first sentence had struck Laxus as merely laughable, the next one left him completely stunned:
"Tell me... Have you ever been hit by a Lightspeed Kick?"
A Lightspeed Kick? What kind of nonsense was he spouting?!
While Laxus struggled to process what he had just heard, the right leg of Night, who was standing behind him, became enveloped in a soft golden glow. And in the very next instant, the youth simply vanished.
"What?!" Laxus's pupils constricted sharply. A sudden, blood-curdling sense of mortal danger pierced right through him. His combat instincts reacted faster than his conscious mind, forcing him to reflexively throw up his right arm in defense.
Bam!
Night's silhouette materialized right in front of Laxus. His leg, shining with a golden light, slammed into the raised block with devastating force. Even though the blond's reaction time was phenomenal, he was utterly powerless against a strike delivered at the speed of light. Terrifying kinetic energy crashed into him, and Laxus's body was sent flying backward like a cannonball. With a deafening crash, he slammed into the cave's stone wall, triggering a cascade of rubble and dust.
Outside the cave.
Gildarts, watching the scene unfold through the magical mirror, looked as though his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.
"Wow, that kid is really something else!"
Just like Laxus, Gildarts had initially been utterly baffled upon seeing Night. He couldn't fathom why the Master had placed some child there instead of him. But before he could even voice his question, the youth in the cave provided a more than comprehensive answer. This "boy" relied on absolute, overwhelming power!
Makarov, having mentally prepared himself for surprises, was far less shocked than Gildarts. He merely thought with deep satisfaction, Just as expected from the First's student! If she pitted him against Laxus, it means his power has already reached the S-Class level! A twelve-year-old S-Class Mage... It simply boggles the mind!
Recalling the guild's rising generation—Erza, Gray, the recently "picked up" Natsu, and now this incredible genius—Makarov's eyes sparkled with joy. He could already clearly envision a brilliant and prosperous future for Fairy Tail.
In stark contrast to those two, Mavis remained absolutely unruffled. After all, everything was proceeding exactly according to her plan!
...
Zzzt! Zzzt! Zzzt!
Inside the cave, several golden pillars of lightning suddenly erupted from the cloud of dust where the crater had formed in the wall. Night shifted his position almost imperceptibly, dodging the attack with effortless grace.
Laxus slowly stepped out from the breach in the wall. His clothes were slightly torn, and electrical discharges sparked dangerously in his eyes. Drilling a heavy glare into Night, whose right leg was still radiating a golden glow, he ground out through clenched teeth:
"So you're not as simple as you look, shrimp. Well, in that case, I'll just smear you across the wall first, and then I'll go find Gildarts!"
With those words, Laxus's body became cloaked in a dense web of crackling lightning, and his golden magical power flared upward like a raging inferno.