Magnolia Town Main Plaza.
Word that Laxus and Goku were about to duel spread like wildfire. The entire Fairy Tail guild emptied out, following the pair to the open square.
Seeing the guild mages congregating in such force, the local townsfolk and tourists naturally swarmed the area as well.
It didn't take long for the crowd to learn the nature of the event from the gossiping mages.
For the residents of Magnolia, this wasn't exactly a rare occurrence; Fairy Tail mages brawling in the plaza was a semi-regular spectator sport.
However, once the names were revealed—Laxus, the S-Class powerhouse and top candidate for "Strongest in the Guild," versus Goku, the rising star currently dominating every headline—a sensation was ignited. Nearly half the town's population gathered to watch.
"Go ahead, use your Giant Magic," Laxus said, casually tossing his fur-trimmed coat aside. Golden lightning flickered across his skin, his tall, imposing frame radiating the aura of an absolute predator.
"I'll show you exactly how wide the gap between us really is!"
In contrast, Goku was still going through basic leg stretches and warm-up routines. To the uninitiated, he looked entirely unimposing.
"Aye... seeing them stand there together, you'd almost think Laxus is the one who could blow up the moon," Happy remarked from his perch on Natsu's shoulder.
"So, who did you bet on?" Lucy whispered, leaning in with a mischievous glint in her eye.
Happy blinked. "Goku, obviously!"
"Me too," Lucy giggled.
The last time Goku fought Erza, the two of them had made a killing. They were hoping for a repeat performance today.
They knew that after this, no one would likely ever open a betting pool against Goku again. If everyone bet on the kid, Cana would go bankrupt.
Fortunately, while Goku's fame was growing, Laxus was an established titan of the guild.
More importantly, Laxus simply looked the part of a victor. As a result, today's betting pool still saw a significant number of people putting their money on the Lightning Mage.
The odds weren't as skewed as the day Goku fought Erza; currently, it sat at a flat even—one to one. Those unaware of the full truth genuinely believed this was a fifty-fifty toss-up.
"No need," Goku said, dropping into the classic Turtle School stance.
"I don't need Giant Magic to fight you."
After gauging the power levels of this world, Goku understood that even if Laxus was at the level of a Wizard Saint, he could win without resorting to his Great Ape-derived transformations.
"Arrogance!" Laxus's expression darkened. He raised a hand, a yellow Magic Seal manifesting instantly.
"Raging Flash!"
A bolt of jagged yellow lightning tore down from the sky, aiming straight for Goku.
The strike hit with pinpoint accuracy, but Goku's form merely dissolved into the air. It was an Afterimage Strike.
The real Goku had already reappeared behind Laxus, his palm slicing toward the man's neck.
"Don't underestimate me! Lightning Body!"
The electricity coating Laxus's skin intensified, his physical stats skyrocketing. He ducked just in time to avoid the strike to his nape and immediately threw a counter-punch.
In an instant, the two were locked in a blur of hand-to-hand combat. They moved so fast that ordinary townsfolk could barely track them.
The mages, however, saw a chaotic collision between a streak of yellow lightning and a flash of white light.
Only high-level experts like Natsu and Erza could truly decipher the techniques being exchanged.
"You're pretty good!"
Goku was enjoying himself. Laxus was stronger than he had anticipated, and the thrill of the fight was starting to set in.
Since leaving his own world, he rarely had the chance to engage in this kind of high-speed martial arts exchange. It reminded him of the World Martial Arts Tournament.
"It seems I underestimated you. Then try this on for size!"
Laxus disengaged from the melee, his voice rising in an incantation: "The roar that echoes through the heavens is the call of the lightning! Descend from the firmament and turn all to ash!"
A massive Magic Seal appeared above Goku's head, and a violent deluge of lightning rained down, leaving no room for evasion.
The brief exchange earlier had taught Laxus a hard lesson: even with his body magically reinforced, he was no match for Goku in pure close-quarters combat.
He had exerted himself fully just to keep up, his breathing already becoming ragged, while the boy seemed to be effortlessly playing around.
Fortunately, a mage's physical prowess was secondary to their magic. He had prepped this spell during the transition; it was time to end this.
"This isn't enough," Goku muttered. He thrust a palm upward.
A massive hand made of shimmering Ki manifested, intercepting and crushing the descending lightning bolts.
"Now, take this!" Goku performed a horizontal hand-chop, sending a barrage of invisible Ki blades flying toward Laxus.
Laxus's eyes widened. He thrust both hands forward: "Raging Bolt!"
Dozens of lightning orbs shot out, barely managing to intercept and neutralize the Ki blades.
"Lightning Array!" Laxus's lips curled into a smirk. Suddenly, a massive Magic Seal erupted directly beneath Goku's feet. He had secretly funneled a portion of his Magic Power into the ground during their earlier physical scuffle, setting a trap.
"Heavenward Volt!"
Goku's entire body was instantly engulfed in a pillar of roaring electricity.
"Your strength is impressive, but your combat experience is lacking," Laxus said, tilting his head back with a haughty expression.
He had earned his power through countless life-and-death missions; he had seen every trick in the book.
Since the day he took his first job, he had never tasted defeat. He had the right to be arrogant.
The smirk froze on his face a second later.
As the wild electricity dissipated, Goku was still standing there, completely unharmed. Aside from his hair being a bit more spiky than usual from the static, there wasn't a single mark on him.
"Your lightning magic is great! You're a good opponent," Goku praised sincerely.
"It's just that your power is a little bit too low."
Goku wasn't even using Full Concentration Breathing or Giant Magic, yet his base stats were at least 30% higher than Laxus's.
The lightning had made him feel a bit tingly, but it couldn't bypass his natural defenses.
However, being struck by the lightning had jogged a memory—a technique used by Jackie Chun (Grandpa Gohan's old rival) back at the World Martial Arts Tournament.
It was a move that nearly defeated him back then—a technique that converted Ki into a terrifying electrical discharge.
It wasn't just powerful; it was a perfect crowd-control move. He had tried to replicate it before but always felt like he was missing a key ingredient.
Getting shocked by Laxus had finally provided the missing link.
"Take this move! Thunder Shock Surprise!"