A New Life in Fairy Tail

Chapter 346: Ah, That Feels Much Better

"Wah! Is Laxus going to be okay?!" Lucy asked Mirajane, shielding her face with one arm and frantically holding down her skirt against the gale-force winds generated by the distant shockwaves."He'll be fine. They're just rough housing," Mirajane shook her head with a gentle smile.

Lucy sweatdropped at her answer. This is considered rough housing?! A normal person would be critically injured by attacks like that! They'd definitely end up in the hospital!

"Laxus is incredibly strong, and Noah knows how to control his strength perfectly. So there won't be any major problems," Mirajane reassured her, noticing Lucy's continued anxiety.

"Huh? Is Laxus really that strong?" Lucy asked, surprised.

"Of course. Laxus is incredibly powerful. Even I'm not a match for him," Mirajane stated frankly.

"Wait, seriously?! He's that strong?!"

Lucy had seen Mirajane fight. She knew perfectly well how terrifyingly powerful the 'Demon' Mirajane was. To hear Mirajane blatantly admit she wasn't a match for Laxus put the blond mage's strength into a terrifying new perspective.

"Laxus used to spar with Noah all the time when they were younger. However, as Noah grew stronger and stronger at an absurd rate, the gap widened too much, and Laxus eventually stopped sparring with him. But that doesn't mean Laxus is weak. His strength is still on a completely different level compared to almost everyone else in the guild. Besides, Noah himself said Laxus has incredible talent, and he's four years older than me. So, right now, I'm temporarily not his match," Mirajane explained.

"'Temporarily' not his match?" Lucy picked up on the specific phrasing.

"Of course. It's only temporary. I have absolute faith that my strength will catch up to his, and eventually surpass him," Mirajane smiled, her face radiating absolute confidence.

"Big sis Mira is so amazing!" Lisanna cheered from the side.

"Mhm! Mhm!" Lucy and Levy nodded repeatedly in agreement. They deeply admired Mirajane's confidence and ambition. They both wished they could possess that same unwavering self-assurance.

"Haha, you girls can do it too," Mirajane encouraged them, seeing the awe in their eyes.

"So... they're really just fighting?" Lucy asked, flinching as another massive crack of thunder echoed from outside the guild.

"Of course. Why don't we go out and take a look?" Mirajane suggested, standing up and walking toward the guild doors. Lucy and the others eagerly followed.

A crowd had already gathered outside the entrance. Just as Mirajane and the girls stepped out, a colossal bolt of golden lightning illuminated the sky.

Immediately afterward, a massive pillar of pure white light erupted from the ground, spearing into the heavens and instantly vaporizing a massive section of the clouds above.

BOOOOOOM!

The deafening roar of thunder and the concussive boom of the magical clash washed over them, vibrating in their chests.

"Their fight is so intense!" Lucy gasped, watching the spectacular magical light show illuminating the distant horizon.

"Naturally. Given their level of power, as long as they're taking it somewhat seriously, the collateral effects are bound to be massive. This scale of a fight is completely normal for them," Mirajane said nonchalantly. As an S-Class mage herself, she was entirely desensitized to such apocalyptic displays of power.

The frequency of the lightning strikes and light pillars increased rapidly, and the roaring thunder morphed into a continuous, deafening rumble. The battle between Noah and Laxus was clearly reaching its climax.

KABOOOOM!!!

Suddenly, a massive explosion blossomed just beyond their line of sight. The blinding flash of the resulting fireball was so intense that Mirajane and the others could see it clearly even from the guild entrance.

The accompanying shockwave rolled through the city streets a moment later, still carrying a significant physical force by the time it washed over the guild.

"They should be finished now," Mirajane observed.

"Finished?" Lucy turned to look at her.

"Mhm. Finished. If they kept fighting after an exchange like that, it wouldn't be 'rough housing' anymore; it would be a life-or-death battle," Mirajane explained.

"Mira-chan! Is someone fighting again?" a local Magnolia resident walking by asked casually.

"They just had some pent-up frustration they needed to vent," Mirajane answered with a bright smile.

"Ah, I see. Make sure they're careful! We're really looking forward to your Fantasia Parade!" the resident said cheerfully.

"Look forward to it! It'll be spectacular!" Mirajane waved as the resident continued down the street.

"Are the citizens of Magnolia really this calm about this kind of thing?" Lucy asked in disbelief, watching the resident casually stroll away after discussing a literal magical nuke going off in their backyard. A massive explosion just leveled a forest over there! Are you people seriously not nervous at all?!

"Oh my. Since the guild members fight so frequently, I suppose the residents of Magnolia have just gotten used to it," Mirajane tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"That's... that's a terrifying thing to get used to," Lucy muttered.

"Aye! Lucy is making a huge fuss over nothing!" Happy flew over and landed next to Lucy.

"You stupid cat! How can you not be surprised by a scene like that?!" Lucy grabbed Happy's cheeks and began stretching and squishing his face in frustration.

"Oh! They're back!"

A commotion arose from the front of the crowd. Lucy stopped squishing Happy and looked down the street.

Noah and Laxus were walking back toward the guild. Noah was in front, with Laxus trailing a few paces behind.

"Ahhh! That feels so much better~!" Noah stretched his arms high above his head, letting out a loud, highly satisfied sigh. He looked completely refreshed and revitalized.

"You bastard! You hit way too hard!" Laxus snapped from behind him, wincing and hissing in pain with every step.

"You deserved every bit of it. That's what you get for ditching your shift and making me do your work," Noah replied casually, not even bothering to look back.

Lucy quickly compared their conditions.

Noah was completely unscathed. His clothes weren't even dirty, let alone torn. There wasn't a single scratch or bruise on his face. He looked like he had just returned from a brisk morning jog.

Laxus, on the other hand, was a complete mess. He was clutching a heavy, fur-lined coat in his left hand and pressing his right hand against his stomach, his face twisted in pain. His exposed arms were covered in blossoming purple bruises. His face was swollen, sporting two very distinct, symmetrical black eyes. His remaining clothes were caked in dirt and dust, making it glaringly obvious he had spent a significant portion of the fight rolling around on the ground.

"Laxus!"

The green-haired man rushed forward, looking heartbroken. He quickly and naturally took the heavy coat from Laxus's grip and reached out to support his bruised arm. "Laxus, how bad are your injuries?!"

"I'm fine, Freed. I just need to rest for a couple of days," Laxus grunted, accepting Freed's support. He then glared at the back of Noah's head. "You bastard. You calculated this perfectly, didn't you?"

"Of course. If I hit you too hard and you couldn't participate in the Fantasia Parade, that would be terrible. I'm not that kind of monster," Noah said cheerfully over his shoulder.

"Hmph!" Laxus scoffed. He straightened his posture and gently pushed Freed away. Having caught his breath, he no longer needed the support. The fact that he could stand unaided proved Noah had indeed controlled his strength perfectly to cause maximum pain without inflicting any serious, lasting damage.

"Laxus! Let's settle this!"

Natsu suddenly came charging out of the guild, screaming a challenge.

Laxus sighed heavily, looking thoroughly exhausted. "Wait until I've recovered a bit, Natsu. I'm way too tired right now."

"No! Right now is the best time!" Natsu roared. He ignited both his fists and lunged at Laxus, throwing a flaming haymaker.

"Sigh..." Laxus shook his head. He casually took a single step to the left, effortlessly dodging Natsu's wild swing.

Without missing a beat, Laxus drove his right fist deep into Natsu's unprotected stomach.

"GAH!"

Natsu folded in half instantly, all the strength leaving his body. He collapsed onto the dirt road in a heap.

"So fast!" Lucy gasped, having barely tracked Laxus's counterattack.

"Aye! That's how strong Laxus is. Natsu is way, way weaker than him," Happy stated from Lucy's arms.

"Happy... what did you say...? I'm not... weaker than Laxus...!"

Hearing Happy's blunt assessment, Natsu gritted his teeth and forced himself up from the dirt. He turned to face Laxus, who had already resumed walking toward the guild entrance. "Laxus! One more time!"

"You can still stand up after that, huh?" Laxus paused, turning his head to look back at Natsu. A genuine, appreciative smirk crossed his bruised face.

Seeing Natsu's unbreakable spirit, his refusal to stay down no matter the odds, always earned Laxus's respect. It was irritating, but admirable.

"Of course! I'm going to beat you, Laxus! HAH!"

Natsu roared and charged again, reigniting his fists. He threw a furious punch aimed straight at Laxus's face.

Laxus leaped backward to create distance. Instantly, a massive bolt of golden lightning erupted from his body, arcing high into the sky before crashing down directly onto Natsu.

ZAAAP!

"GYAAAAAH!"

The lightning struck Natsu dead-on, causing him to instantly begin an involuntary, jerky tap-dance of pain as thousands of volts coursed through his body.

When the blinding flash faded, Natsu collapsed face-first into the dirt, entirely blackened and smoking. Faint sparks of residual electricity continued to pop across his charred body.

"Natsu!" Lucy shrieked in horror.

"Don't worry, Natsu is completely fine. This happens all the time," Happy said calmly, entirely unfazed by his partner's smoking corpse.

"How are you this used to Natsu getting electrocuted?! He's way too reckless! He just charges in to get beaten up!" Lucy yelled, though Happy's absolute lack of concern did alleviate her panic. She knew that if Natsu was in any real danger, Happy would be the first one crying. Since Happy was calm, it meant Natsu was genuinely okay.

"Aye! That's just how Natsu is!" Happy agreed proudly.

"Natsu is as energetic as ever," Noah chuckled, having watched the entire one-sided beatdown from the doorway.

"I don't hate Natsu's fighting spirit, but he really needs to get significantly stronger before challenging me again. Fighting him right now doesn't even feel like a warm-up," Laxus sighed, rolling his shoulders.

"Oh? It doesn't feel like a warm-up? Does that mean you want me to spar with you again? If that's what you're asking, I'd be more than happy to oblige," Noah offered, his voice dripping with mock sincerity.

"Hell no! Fighting you 'feels' like getting hit by a train! My entire body is screaming right now. Once is more than enough," Laxus immediately raised his hands in surrender, backing away quickly. He had absolutely zero desire to experience Noah's fists again today. All he wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep for the next forty-eight hours.

~~~

Get early access to 50+ advanced chapters on Patreon!

https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn