Golden arcs of electricity danced across Laxus's body. A flicker of slight confusion and involuntary astonishment could be read in his gaze. This kid was clearly head and shoulders above all the other children the old man was constantly "dragging" into the guild.
Yes, that kick had caught him off guard, but its destructive power was definitely at least on par with an A-Class spell. But what was truly terrifying was the speed. The youth had crossed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, without the slightest warning. An ordinary mage simply couldn't pull that off.
And yet, if that was his limit, it clearly wasn't enough to make him a worthy opponent for him, Laxus!
Night narrowed his eyes once more. Judging by Laxus's tone, it was clear: although the blond had acknowledged him as an opponent, that same arrogant contempt still laced his voice. Obviously, he was still being underestimated.
In that case, I'll just keep beating you until you start taking me seriously!
Flash!
Night's right leg flared with gold once again, and his silhouette dissolved into thin air.
Lightspeed Kick!
He materialized right in front of Laxus again, delivering the exact same devastating strike. Speed is mass multiplied by acceleration. Possessing absolute speed, he inherently couldn't be physically weak, a fact his first assault had already vividly demonstrated.
Damn it, I just can't react in time! Laxus cursed inwardly.
Even though he was intensely focused and completely prepared for the attack this time, faced with speed that bordered on teleportation, his only option was to hunker down in absolute defense. Even blocking the strikes was incredibly difficult, let alone attempting a counterattack. For Laxus, who had always favored a highly aggressive combat style, being reduced to a punching bag was unbearably humiliating.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
Only flashes of gold flickered across the magical mirror. Night was moving at transcendent speeds, and in just a few seconds, Laxus had absorbed no less than a dozen bone-crushing kicks. Throughout it all, the blond hadn't been able to catch so much as a shadow of his opponent.
Crash!
Another strike—and Laxus was sent flying once more, slamming hard into the stone wall.
"You little bastard, you've really pissed me off now!" a roar filled with primal fury erupted from the cloud of dust.
A ferocious golden lightning bolt shot out from the crater in the wall, materializing into Laxus's figure. His eyes were shooting lightning, both literally and figuratively. Anyone would be enraged to find themselves in a situation where they were being beaten to a pulp without even being able to fight back. And for a mage as proud and powerful as Laxus, it was akin to a public slap in the face.
"Don't think your speed makes you invincible! Roaring Thunder!"
A raging torrent of golden energy erupted from his body, instantly forming a thundercloud near the ceiling that blanketed a good half of the cavern. Laxus was far from stupid: he understood perfectly well that against an enemy with an absolute advantage in speed, only massive area-of-effect attacks would work.
Peals of thunder shook the cavern's very foundations!
Countless golden lightning bolts, saturated with Laxus's wrath, rained down from the thundercloud. The electrical serpents thrashed wildly across the hall, completely cutting off Night's avenues of retreat.
"Heh..." Night merely smirked. Does this guy really think speed is my only trump card?
"Light Wall!"
In that same fraction of a second, an impenetrable barrier woven from the purest particles of light materialized before the youth.
In Maker Magic, aside from the caster's volume of magical power, the key factor of mastery lies in the speed of the creation itself. The faster a mage can give shape to their magic, the deeper their understanding of the element, and the deadlier they are in combat. Night's Light-Make had reached truly astronomical heights—he wove his spells almost instantaneously. This was the very unattainable ideal that Gray and all other Maker Mages strived for.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Furious torrents of lightning crashed down, mercilessly hammering against the barrier of light. However, faced with Lightning Magic—one of the most destructive among the elemental forces—this Light Wall, thin as a cicada's wing, merely rippled slightly, showing not the slightest sign of shattering.
"Impossible!!!" Laxus's eyes widened in sheer shock. He refused to believe what he was seeing. His strongest Lightning Magic couldn't even pierce the opponent's basic shield!
The blond took a deep breath. Staring at Night, who stood behind the barrier completely unscathed by his furious assault, Laxus's gaze grew deadly serious. Now, whether he wanted to or not, he had to acknowledge the power of this "brat" whom he had completely dismissed just a minute ago.
The youth's recent words surfaced in his memory: "Perhaps this 'brat' will turn out to be just a little bit stronger than you think."
It was now glaringly obvious that it was far more than just "a little bit." The overwhelming speed and impenetrable defense that effortlessly withstood "Roaring Thunder" were more than enough to force Laxus to go all out. This kid's speed and defense were on an entirely different level. The only question remained whether his offensive power was just as terrifying. If it was, then even an arrogant genius like Laxus was in for a world of hurt.
And the most terrifying part—the one standing before him was just a child!
A few moments later, the thundercloud dissipated, and the golden lightning slowly dissolved into the cavern's air. The Light Wall, still radiating its soft glow, remained absolutely pristine. Only in response to Night's mental command did it gently fade away.
The youth shifted his gaze to Laxus and said with a faint smile:
"Not bad. That's some pretty powerful Lightning Magic!"
This phrase, intended as a compliment, sounded to Laxus like an elaborate mockery. He felt as though he had been forced to swallow a dead toad. What the hell was this?! He was being mocked by some twelve-year-old kid?!
However, Laxus wasn't the only one feeling awkward. Outside, Makarov and Gildarts, having watched the exchange, simultaneously twitched the corners of their mouths upon hearing Night's words. The exact same thought crossed both their minds: That kid is one sarcastic little devil!