"Oh... so you've come, Mystogan? I didn't think you'd participate in this game," Laxus said, turning around.
"If you deactivate the Thunder Palace now, I might still be able to treat this as a joke. I'll even put in a good word for you with Chen Fan to stop him from..." Mystogan began.
Zap! A bolt of golden lightning shot toward him. Mystogan leaped away to dodge it. Boom! The lightning struck the floor, blasting a large crater into the ground.
"Don't mention that guy to me. Honestly, you're so naive. You know it too, don't you? Who is truly the strongest in Fairy Tail?"
"Though I have no interest in the title, it is certain that the strongest is Chen Fan."
Zap... Another bolt of lightning shot at Mystogan. He dodged once again.
"I told you to stop mentioning that guy! You really are a loyal supporter of his, aren't you, Mystogan? Or should I say..." Laxus stopped mid-sentence.
Mystogan pulled a wooden staff from his back and swung it forward. A wave of magic surged toward Laxus. Crackle! Laxus fired a bolt of lightning, and the two spells collided in the center of the room.
BOOM!! A massive explosion shattered the windows of the Kardia Cathedral. The thunderous roar drew Erza's attention from the distance.
As the dust from the magical collision settled, Mystogan looked at Laxus. "How did you find out?"
"How rare. You're actually losing your cool. How did I find out? Who knows. Maybe I'll tell you after you beat me."
"You'll regret this, Laxus. I will show you magic you have never seen before," Mystogan said sternly.
"Scary, scary. Then please, try your best. Treat this as a warm-up for my fight with that bastard. I'll use you to show him the gap between us." Laxus's face darkened.
Mystogan slammed several wooden staves from his back into the ground. Holding one tightly, he shouted, "Skyscraper!"
Shink! A purple magic circle appeared before Mystogan's staff. Beneath Laxus's feet, several pillars of purple light erupted, and the ground began to churn.
Laxus, who had been inside the cathedral, felt himself rising as the scenery around him shifted into a vast, starry sky. Suddenly, space seemed to tear open, and a giant monster crawled out of the rift. Several black tentacles began to wrap around Laxus. Laxus, seemingly unable to handle the sight, began to scream in terror.
Suddenly, Laxus's body transformed into a bolt of lightning. With a flash of golden light, the entire illusionary scene was torn apart like paper.
"Haha... how boring. Did you really think a petty illusion would work on me, Mystogan?" Laxus waved his hand, and the remaining scenery vanished.
"Impressive. But you noticed a little too late."
"Hmm?"
Flash! A pillar of purple light beamed down from above, enveloping Laxus. Several magic circles of different colors appeared in succession.
"Fall into slumber... Five-Layered Magic Circle: Mikagura!" Mystogan pointed his staff at Laxus and chanted.
Suddenly, the smirk returned to Laxus's face. He looked at Mystogan and said, "I wonder which one of us was too slow?"
Crackle... A golden magic circle appeared beneath Mystogan's feet, sparking with electricity. "This is bad!" Mystogan said, panic flaring in his eyes.
BOOM! The two magic circles erupted simultaneously in a violent explosion.
Once the smoke cleared, both men stood unscathed. Whoosh! Mystogan leaped backward, bringing his hands together in mid-air. A magic circle manifested, and several strands of magic shot out from beneath Laxus to bind him.
Zap! Laxus turned into lightning, escaping the restraints. He lunged toward the mid-air Mystogan as a bolt of golden electricity. A web of lightning formed, trapping Mystogan within.
Fwhoosh! Mystogan turned into a puff of smoke, vanishing from the web and reappearing on the ground. Laxus landed opposite him, and the two returned to their tense standoff.
"Not bad at all," Laxus said with a grin, his tone full of mockery.
Suddenly, Erza's voice echoed from the entrance. "Laxus!"
Her voice startled Mystogan. He looked back, and as if remembering something, he hurriedly covered his face.
"An opening!" Laxus shouted. A golden ball of lightning coalesced in his hand. Crackle! He swung his arm, sending the lightning sphere straight at Mystogan's face.
"..." The lightning meant for Mystogan suddenly rebounded, circling Laxus's body before being absorbed back into him.
"That was close, you know? If he got disfigured, how would my Little G show his face in public? Covering your face because you're too handsome is one thing, but doing it because you're ugly is a very different story." Chen Fan's unique voice rang out.
"Chen Fan!"
"You made it out too?"
Chen Fan ignored Laxus and waved at Mystogan. Then, he scampered over to Erza with a pained expression. "My dear Little Sa-sa, that thing earlier was a complete misunderstanding. I didn't do it on purpose, I swear! Waaah!"
"Hmph." Erza turned her head away, completely ignoring him. All the lines Chen Fan had prepared on the way there were rendered useless.
Seeing Chen Fan ignore him so blatantly, the veins on Laxus's forehead began to throb with electricity. His expression grew increasingly distorted.
Crackle! A massive bolt of lightning surged toward Chen Fan. Chen Fan simply held out his right hand.
Zap! The lightning was deflected elsewhere. Boom! It struck the ground, creating another massive crater.
"Now, Little Laxus, haven't I taught you not to throw lightning around randomly? It's fine if you hit me, but what if you hit the flowers and the grass? That's just poor manners."
"Shut up! You bastard! One more word and I'll kill you!" Laxus roared.
"Oh? Is that so? Then give me a moment." Chen Fan's smile vanished. He turned to Mystogan and Erza. "Alright, I'll take it from here. You two go deal with the Thunder Palace outside. Also, a lot of people have been injured; get them back to Fairy Tail for treatment. Don't make the Master worry."
"Chen Fan..." Erza started to say.
"Don't worry. I'll bring Laxus back," Chen Fan said, looking back at Erza with a smile.
"Drop dead! Who would worry about a big pervert like you?" Erza's face turned bright red as she remembered the earlier incident. Mystogan watched from the side with a complex, unreadable expression.
After Chen Fan finished giving his orders, Erza and Mystogan left the cathedral.
Chen Fan turned back to face Laxus. Laxus, having reached his limit, let out a scream and charged at Chen Fan as a bolt of living lightning.
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