Whether Night's words held a hidden mockery or not didn't matter—Laxus was past caring. Measuring his opponent with a heavy, piercing glare, he said in a low voice:
"Tell me your name!"
The opponent's undeniable power made it abundantly clear to Laxus: he could no longer bring himself to call this guy a "brat." And although Laxus's personality had taken a turn for the worse lately, making him brash and arrogant, one trait within him remained unchanged—his respect for true strength. The moment someone proved their superiority in combat, the Lightning Mage's attitude toward them shifted dramatically.
Heh... He's finally started taking me seriously! Night thought to himself.
Night smiled faintly and replied:
"Night. Night Vermillion!"
"Got it," Laxus nodded, then added, "And you remember my name. Laxus Dreyar. Now, the real fight begins!"
Whoosh!
With a sharp movement, Laxus threw off his jacket, leaving himself in nothing but a black tank top. It was clearly visible how, under the influence of the electrical discharges, his muscles noticeably bulged, increasing in volume. The lightning dancing in his eyes became even more frantic, causing even his black pupils to be tinged with a golden glow.
Finally decided to use Dragon Slayer Magic? Night smirked inwardly.
Because a Dragon Lacrima had been implanted into Laxus's body when he was just a child, in addition to his inherently devastating Lightning Magic, he also wielded an ancient sorcery—Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic.
Bam!
Laxus stomped his foot with immense force, causing the ground beneath him to fracture, and his body, transforming into a bolt of golden lightning, surged forward at breakneck speed. Although the speed of lightning fell short of the speed of light, among all other elements, it rightfully held the title of the absolute fastest.
Having turned into a current of electricity, Laxus appeared right in front of Night in the blink of an eye. His figure regained its solidity, and his right arm, sparking with raging energy, thrust forward accompanied by a furious roar:
"Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!"
He was fast, but Night was even faster. A flash of golden light—and the youth's silhouette vanished from the spot. Laxus's devastating punch slammed directly into the stone wall behind him. A deafening crash echoed, and a crater several meters in diameter was blasted into the rock face.
"Lightning Dragon's Roar!"
By utilizing Dragon Slayer Magic, Laxus had acquired an incredibly sharp sense of smell. The moment his fist cleaved through empty air, he immediately roared and, without even seeing Night, snapped his head around, unleashing a destructive dragon's breath from his mouth.
In the next instant, Night's figure materialized on the other side of the cave—right in the trajectory of the incoming roar. Laxus had launched a preemptive strike, attempting to predict where his opponent would appear, and his calculation had been absolutely flawless.
However, considering the speed Night had demonstrated earlier, he could have easily dodged before the attack reached its target.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, Night did not dodge this time. He met the dragon's roar head-on. Smoothly raising his right hand, he extended his index finger, at the tip of which a golden magic circle flared to life.
"Laser!"
Bzzzt!
A golden beam of light shot forth from his finger and collided with the Lightning Dragon's Roar.
Cr-r-r-r-rack!
The roar, overflowing with dragon magic, was pierced straight through upon colliding with the laser. The beam of light cleaved the attack in two, forcing the opposing mana to dissipate into the air. The laser itself did not vanish and reached Laxus in the blink of an eye. He barely managed to turn into lightning, miraculously avoiding a direct hit.
The beam of light pierced the wall behind him and, without losing a fraction of its speed, burst out of the cave, lingering in the distance for a long time before finally fading.
Having regained his physical form, Laxus let out a heavy, ragged exhale. A storm of shock raged within his soul: this Night's offensive power was in no way inferior to his speed and defense!
Attack, speed, defense—all three aspects were on a transcendent level. Laxus desperately wanted to grab Night by the collar and shake the answer out of him: how the hell had he trained?! This was just plain unnatural!
This was the true might of Light Magic. Light possessed not only absolute speed and impenetrable defense but also an incredible penetrating power that bordered on perfection. The true might of the crown jewel of all elements was on full display.
Since it's come to this, this is the only move I have left! Laxus thought with a heavy heart. This was his strongest, ultimate attack at the moment. If even this couldn't crush Night, then his S-Class Mage Promotion Trial could be considered over!
Boom! Boom!
He slammed both feet into the ground with tremendous force, grinding the stone to dust. A seething, frenzied magical energy erupted from his body like a boundless ocean of lightning. The air around him vibrated intensely, and stone fragments began raining down from the cavern's ceiling.
This terrifying mana was everything Laxus was currently capable of. Evidently, he had decided to go all-in, staking the entire outcome of the battle on a single, final strike.
"Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!"
Colossal golden magic formed the spectral silhouette of a lightning dragon behind Laxus, which ultimately condensed into a gigantic halberd hovering right above him. The moment this weapon was forged, Laxus's face grew noticeably pale. It was clear that the sixteen-year-old could not yet wield this spell as easily and effortlessly as he would in the future.
Night, narrowing his eyes, stared at the halberd above Laxus's head. From his own body poured magical energy as boundless as the ocean itself.
"Light-Make: Spear of Justice!"
A golden spear instantly materialized above Night's head. The blinding light radiated a majestic, sacred, and inviolable aura!
"Haaah!"
"Go!"
Two low shouts rang out simultaneously. In that very second, the Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd and the Spear of Justice shot forward, hurtling toward one another!
KABOOM!!!
A monstrous collision occurred. Terrifying shockwaves rippled outward in all directions, and the roar of the explosion shook the heavens and the earth. At that very moment, the natural cavern's ceiling gave way and began to collapse.
Meanwhile, outside, Makarov and Gildarts were staring intently at the magical mirror with wide eyes, desperate to see the battle's conclusion. But in the next instant, the mirror of light shattered into pieces—evidently, the massive explosion inside the cave had destroyed the projection spell.
"Follow me!" Makarov shouted without a second's hesitation, and the two of them dashed toward the cave at breakneck speed.