The next day, in an open area far from town.
"Go, Zorn."
"Laxus, don't lose, haha!"
"Ooooh!" The Guild Members cheered and shouted from a distance.
"Kid, since you're asking for guidance, you go first. Let me see your strength," Laxus said to Zorn with great confidence.
"Alright, I'll be serious this time," Zorn said, taking off the weighted magic equipment he was wearing and casually tossing it aside.
"Bang!" The surroundings instantly shook like a small earthquake, and the spot where it landed was immediately enveloped in a cloud of smoke.
The Guild Members instantly fell silent, their pupils shrinking in shock, just like their Guild Master.
"Is this kid always training himself like this? What exactly is he carrying?" The Guild Master's face showed shock, but in his heart, he was still worried about Zorn's condition.
"Zorn is so amazing! Is this the fundamental reason for his strength? I must learn from him properly," Gray thought to himself in shock.
"Yosh, I'm fired up! It was definitely the right choice to learn from Zorn. Oh, oh, oh!" Natsu shouted excitedly from the side after seeing this scene.
"You kid, you're really good, hahahaha! It looks like I can have a blast this time, hahahaha!" Laxus said with a loud, excited laugh, ignoring what Everyone around him was thinking. Then his expression turned serious, and he gestured, "Come on."
"Holy Light Magic, Light Speed Kick!" Zorn flashed, and the ground instantly cracked open where he stood. Just like before, Zorn had appeared above Laxus, instantly materializing, and was about to bring his foot down from above.
Laxus crossed his arms upwards to block. Immediately, his legs bent and sank, transferring the force into the ground. The ground at the center between them cracked and sank, shattering, with gravel flying everywhere. A shockwave also spread in all directions, blowing the crowd back a few steps.
"Lightning Strike Fist!" Laxus pushed upwards, his right fist charged with electricity, about to strike Zorn, but Zorn dodged with a sidestep. Seeing that he missed Zorn, Laxus simply gathered his magic power and electricity to cover his entire body: "Lightning War Robe."
Zorn looked at Laxus's appearance from across and was reminded of the Raikage from another anime he watched in his previous life, who increased his speed and combat power by activating his body. "Let me see how powerful that truly is."
Thinking this, Zorn mobilized the power of Armament Haki within his body. His hands and feet were instantly covered in a purple glow, and he then charged towards Laxus. The two collided head-on, and an even more powerful surge of air than before instantly erupted. Those Guild Members who knew some defensive magic also activated theirs for defense.
The Guild Master watched the two continuously engaging in close-quarters combat, purely using physical techniques, and was incredibly amazed. He also noticed the purple light covering Zorn's flashing fists and feet. Seeing Laxus gradually fall into a disadvantage, he couldn't help but praise this new power Zorn had mentioned.
Suddenly, a figure flew backward at an extremely high speed, crashing onto the ground and kicking up countless dust.
"Your physical technique is indeed good, but this isn't over. Look at your feet," Laxus said, standing up and dusting himself off.
Hearing this, Zorn looked down to see a magic circle appear beneath his feet, from which a large amount of lightning surged out, trapping him.
"This can't trap me, Laxus," Zorn said, activating his magic power, intending to break free.
"Of course, I know the Lightning Array can't trap you, but it can restrict you for a little while, and that's enough."
"Lightning Pressure Surge - Heavenly Lightning Strike!" Laxus finished speaking, gathering a large amount of lightning above Zorn's head to form a thundercloud. With a push of his hands, a massive amount of lightning instantly fell from the sky.
"Rumble! The lightning instantly enveloped Zorn's figure."
"Zorn!" Gray shouted loudly, about to run over.
"Gray, Zorn is fine," Erza reached out and stopped Gray, who was about to go forward. Erza knew that Zorn possessed very powerful defensive magic.
The smoke caused by the magic attack slowly dissipated, revealing a figure shielded by a light barrier.
"Laxus, you're really gentle, you didn't use your full strength, did you?" Zorn, unharmed, said with a light tease.
"Tch, your defensive magic is also so powerful. I was just testing. This time, I won't hold back," Laxus said with a twist of his mouth, then activated the remaining magic power in his body, gathering it in his palm.
Seeing this, Zorn also gathered his magic power, and a similarly powerful light gathered in his hands.
"Lightning Magic - Thunder Blast!" Laxus released first, a terrifying ball of energy shooting directly towards Zorn.
"Holy Light Magic - Yasakani no Magatama!" Countless laser beams shot out from Zorn's hands, first detonating Laxus's magic, and the remaining beams shot towards Laxus's surroundings.
Every time the countless lasers hit the ground, they blasted out huge craters. The detonated energy ball, on the other hand, directly kicked up a mushroom-cloud-like dust. The aftershocks from the two of them releasing magic made Everyone unable to stand, and they were all blown to the ground.
After the aftershocks passed, Everyone could only see that the previously flat ground where the two had fought was gone, leaving only a huge deep pit, and large and small craters all around, leaving no place to stand.
"That's enough, this match ends here." The Guild Master first called a halt to the match, then looked at the scene before him, his eye twitching. This was going to be a huge repair cost, and although he had some psychological preparation, his heart still ached a little.
However, on second thought, the strength of both Zorn and Laxus had indeed reached S-class standards. It would be better to let them hone themselves further; this rule could not be broken.
While Makarov was still thinking, Zorn and Laxus also heard the Guild Master's call to stop, and then they both withdrew their magic power fluctuations.
"Tch, kid, your strength is good, you're a little monster. I know you're still hiding your strength. Since the old man called it off, then next time we have a chance, let's fight to our heart's content." Laxus said cheerfully, with a hint of dissatisfaction towards the Guild Master, then flashed and disappeared.
Zorn looked at Laxus, who came and went in a hurry, and became even more certain in his heart that Laxus at this time was just a rebellious teenager.
In the Fairy Tail Guild...
After watching the battle, Everyone returned to the Guild, intensely discussing the fight they had just witnessed. The Guild immediately returned to its original noisy state. Zorn also sat in an empty seat, answering Natsu and Gray's endless new questions, while Laxus lay carelessly on a sofa, closing his eyes to rest.
"Cana, is something on your mind? Why are you here alone?" Erza asked, looking at Cana, who was playing cards by herself.
"I..." Cana hesitated, unsure how to speak, but her gaze inadvertently fell on Zorn.
"Zorn, come here, Cana wants to talk to you," Erza called out directly to Zorn after noticing.
"Ah, ah, no, Erza, you..." Cana fell into a state of confusion upon hearing this.
"What's wrong, Cana? Is there anything you need my help with?" Zorn asked gently, sitting across from Cana.
"I... I want to learn magic and that dark ability from you," Cana said hesitantly, finally making up her mind and speaking loudly.
"Of course, Cana. Then come with Natsu and the others later," Zorn said, rubbing Cana's head.
"I know, don't touch my head, I'm an adult, and you're only a few years older than me, don't act like an adult." Cana said with a hint of shy anger, swatting Zorn's hand away.
"Alright, alright, go play with Natsu and the others." Zorn finished speaking, then turned to Erza and continued, "If you don't have any tasks, you can also try to learn. It's on the mountain behind the Guild."
"Okay, I understand," Erza nodded and replied.