The sky above the Fairy Tail guild's backyard looked overcast, even though the sun hadn't fully set. The late afternoon breeze blew softly, carrying the scent of old wood and slightly damp earth. Normally, this place was just a lounge area—a spot for members to gather, joke around, or just do some light training. But today... the atmosphere was different.
A large circle had formed.
The guild members stood surrounding the open area, forming a makeshift arena. Laughter and chatter could still be heard, but there was something else beneath it—enthusiasm, curiosity, and a slight tension creeping in slowly.
In the center of the circle, two figures stood facing each other.
Ren Chicle.
And Laxus Dreyar.
The age difference between them was obvious. Ren, an eight-year-old boy with a small frame and sharp eyes, stood casually with both hands in his pockets. Meanwhile, in front of him, Laxus—despite only being ten years old—already possessed a different aura. He was taller, his posture was upright, and there was a glint of confidence... even arrogance... in his eyes.
"Is this seriously going to happen?" whispered someone from the crowd.
"Ren against Laxus? Is that kid looking for a death wish?"
"Obviously Laxus is gonna win!"
The voices started to mix. It didn't take long for the atmosphere to become... much livelier.
"Oi! Let's make a bet!" shouted Macao, raising his glass.
"HAHA! Great idea!" chimed in Wakaba, thick smoke billowing from his pipe.
In an instant, the circle of spectators turned into a sea of bets.
"Ten thousand jewels on Laxus!"
"Twenty thousand! Laxus will definitely win fast!"
"Hahaha, Ren isn't even tall enough to take a serious hit!"
Laughter erupted everywhere. Almost every voice leaned in one direction—Laxus.
Ren just stood still, listening to it all expressionlessly.
Then—
"I'm in on the bet."
Ren's voice sounded calm, but it was loud enough to make several people stop talking.
Several heads immediately turned.
"Huh?" Macao frowned.
Ren raised his hand slightly.
"I bet... on myself."
Silence.
For a moment, the entire crowd fell silent before—
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
An explosion of laughter shook the arena.
"Is this kid serious?!"
"He's betting on himself?!"
"Where did that confidence come from?!"
Wakaba even slapped his knee, laughing out loud.
"Oi, Ren! Are you sure you didn't make the wrong choice? This isn't your average training!"
Ren smiled slightly. A relaxed, almost mischievous smile.
"If I don't believe in myself... who else will?"
That answer made a few people fall silent for a moment.
But the laughter continued.
On the other side, Laxus looked at Ren with a raised eyebrow.
"Hmph."
He crossed his arms over his chest.
"Confidence without power is just a joke."
His gaze was sharp, condescending.
"You think this is a game, kid?"
Ren didn't answer immediately. He just stared back, his eyes calm... too calm for a child his age.
"If this were a game," he said quietly, "I wouldn't be standing here."
Laxus clicked his tongue.
"Don't cry when you lose."
At the edge of the arena, a small man with a massive aura jumped into the center.
Makarov.
"Alright!" his voice echoed, immediately grabbing everyone's attention.
He looked at Ren, then Laxus, with a serious yet warm expression.
"This is just a sparring match... but remember, you represent the pride of Fairy Tail. Show your spirit!"
Both nodded.
Makarov raised his hand.
The wind blew harder, as if it too were holding its breath.
"Ready..."
Ren lowered his center of gravity slightly. His shoulders relaxed, but his eyes were focused.
Laxus shifted his footing, faint magical energy beginning to vibrate around him.
"Begin!"
The voice was like thunder splitting the sky.
—BOOM!
Laxus moved first.
In a flash, the ground beneath his feet cracked slightly as he dashed forward. His speed surprised many.
"Fast!" someone shouted.
Laxus's fist aimed straight for Ren's face.
However—
Ren vanished.
"?!"
Laxus spun his body around.
In the air, Ren could be seen—his body pulled backward by something invisible.
Elastic Propulsion.
A transparent gum thread attached to the ground behind him, pulling his body back as fast as a bullet.
"Whoa?!" Macao's eyes widened.
Ren landed lightly, then immediately darted to the side, his feet barely touching the ground.
Air Step.
He changed directions in mid-air with movements that were impossible for a normal body.
"He's... stepping on the air?!" Wakaba gaped.
Laxus smirked.
"Interesting."
He stomped his foot on the ground and attacked again, this time with a horizontal swing.
Ren didn't dodge.
He raised his hand—
PLAP!
A layer of gum appeared in front of him.
Laxus's fist sank into it like hitting thick rubber.
"?!"
The energy of the punch... was absorbed.
"Seriously?" muttered Laxus.
Ren pulled his hand back.
The gum stretched—
then—
"Return."
—WHOOSH!
The punch was reflected back at an even higher speed.
Laxus was forced to jump back.
Dust flew up as he landed.
The crowd began to quiet down.
"He... just repelled Laxus's attack..."
Ren didn't stop.
He was already moving again.
Thin layers of gum attached to the ground, the rocks, even to Laxus's shoes—without being clearly visible.
Hidden Thread.
Laxus advanced again, more serious this time. His body began to be cloaked in a faint electrical aura.
"Don't think cheap tricks can—"
A tug.
"Kya—?!"
Laxus's body jerked sideways suddenly.
"?!"
He almost lost his balance.
Ren was already in front of him.
"Momentum Punch."
Ren's small fist shot forward—
But behind his body, the gum stretched to the extreme... and was released.
—BOOM!
The punch struck Laxus's stomach with multiplied force.
"Ghk—!"
Laxus's body was pushed several meters back.
Dust flew.
Silence.
No one was laughing now.
"Did he... just..." Macao didn't finish his sentence.
Laxus stood up slowly.
His fists clenched.
His smile vanished.
"So... this is your power."
Lightning began to crackle around his body.
The air changed.
The pressure increased drastically.
Ren stared at him, remaining calm—but his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Now you're getting serious, huh?"
"Don't get a big head."
—ZRAAAK!
Lightning struck the ground around Laxus.
The crowd stepped back reflexively.
"Oi oi... this isn't just a regular spar anymore..."
Laxus disappeared in a flash of light.
Ren reacted instantly—
Gum shot towards the ground—
But—
"Too slow."
Laxus's voice appeared behind him.
—CRASH!
An electricity-coated punch slammed into Ren's back.
The small body was sent flying.
But before he fell—
Gum attached to the air.
Ren pulled himself back, spun around, and landed on one knee.
Thin smoke billowed from his clothes.
"Pretty fast..." he muttered.
Laxus gave him no time.
He attacked relentlessly.
Every punch was accompanied by sparks of electricity.
Ren defended.
Dodged.
Blocked.
Reflected.
The arena turned into a dance between speed and elasticity.
Every clash produced a loud noise.
Every movement got faster.
"Crazy..." whispered Wakaba.
Ren started planting more gum around the arena.
Ground.
Air.
Rocks.
An invisible web began to form.
Laxus attacked again—
But this time—
Pull.
His body was pulled forward.
Pull again—
sideways.
Pull again—
downwards.
"Tch!"
His movements started getting disrupted.
Ren raised his hand.
His fingers moved.
Like controlling a puppet.
"Human Yo-yo."
—WHAM!
Laxus's body was slammed into the ground.
—WHAM!
Thrown into the wall.
—WHAM!
Back into the air.
The crowd fell completely silent.
"He's... controlling Laxus..."
However—
Lightning exploded.
—ZRAAAK!!!
All the gum around them burned.
Ren was thrown backward.
Laxus stood in the middle of the arena, his breathing heavy, his body cloaked in wild electricity.
His eyes were sharp.
"Don't ever... underestimate me."
Ren smiled faintly.
"Good."
He stood up slowly.
His body was trembling slightly... but his eyes were shining.
"Now it's fun."
The wind swirled between them.
Two kids.
Two monsters.
And their fight... had just reached its climax.
Lightning still crackled in the air.
The remains of the burned gum slowly vanished into ethernano particles, glittering like purple dust beneath the darkening sky. The wind swirled wildly in the center of the arena, carrying the scent of scorched earth and pungent electricity.
Ren and Laxus stood facing each other.
The distance between them was about five meters.
But the pressure between them felt... like a chasm.
POV: Ren
He destroyed it all...
Ren took a slow breath, his chest rising and falling lightly. His black eyes remained locked on Laxus, but his mind moved quickly—calculating, analyzing, weighing.
His electrical output has increased drastically... not just raw power, but his control is starting to take shape too.
He twitched his fingers slightly.
No response.
The gum I planted earlier... it's all gone.
Ren smiled faintly.
Good. This means I have to start from scratch again.
His right hand raised slowly.
The air vibrated.
Thin purple threads began to form—finer, smaller than before.
"Still want to continue?" asked Laxus in a flat tone.
Ren tilted his head slightly.
"I'm just getting started."
POV: Laxus
This kid... is weird.
Laxus clenched his fists. Small bolts of lightning jumped between his fingers, hissing like snakes.
He wasn't smiling.
Not anymore.
That attack just now... it wasn't a coincidence. He read my movements.
His gaze narrowed.
And his magic... it's flexible. Too flexible.
He took one step forward.
The ground beneath his foot cracked.
"I'm going to get serious now."
Ren didn't answer.
However—
the gum in his hand... changed.
It was no longer just elastic.
The color was a bit denser.
POV: Makarov
At the edge of the arena, Makarov crossed his arms.
His eyes were sharp.
Ren... you really...
He could see it now.
Not power.
But his way of thinking.
He wasn't fighting to win quickly... he was fighting to understand his opponent.
Makarov smiled slightly.
"Interesting..."
POV: Macao
"Oi... Wakaba..." Macao's voice was quieter than before.
Wakaba didn't answer.
His eyes were glued to the arena.
"This is... something else now."
No one was laughing anymore.
No one was talking about the bet.
All that remained was... tension.
The Fight Resumes
—ZRAAAAK!!!
Laxus disappeared in a flash of lightning.
Faster than before.
Ren reacted instantly—
"Elastic Propulsion."
Gum shot towards the ground behind him—
—WHOOSH!
His body was pulled backward.
But—
Laxus was already above him.
"TOO LATE!"
—CRASH!!!
The lightning-coated fist smashed into the ground.
An explosion of dust billowed high.
The crowd reflexively backed away.
"Ren!!" someone screamed.
But—
from within the dust—
PLAP.
Something attached.
"?"
Laxus frowned.
His leg... couldn't move.
Gum.
Ren appeared from the side—
"Sticky Binding."
His hands moved fast—
faster than before.
Every touch—
left a thin layer.
Arm.
Shoulder.
Waist.
Laxus tried to move—
but—
a pull.
—WHAM!
His body was dragged sideways.
Ren didn't stop.
"Air Step."
He stepped on the air, spun—
and—
"Momentum Kick."
The gum behind him stretched to the extreme—
—BOOM!!!
A kick slammed into Laxus's side.
His body was thrown off—
—CRASH!!
Smashing into the ground.
Dust rose once more.
POV: Laxus (On the ground)
He's... faster.
Laxus gritted his teeth.
And more precise.
His hands pressed against the ground.
Lightning started to gather.
At this rate... I'm going to lose.
His eyes changed.
No longer underestimating.
No longer just annoyed.
But—
angry.
"ENOUGH!!"
—ZRAAAAAAAAAAK!!!
A massive explosion of lightning destroyed all the gum on his body.
The ground around him was scorched.
Ren was thrown back several meters.
POV: Ren (Thrown back)
Ren landed roughly.
His body rolled twice before stopping.
He immediately got up.
However—
his breathing was heavier now.
An area attack... bad news.
He wiped a thin line of blood from the corner of his lip.
But—
he smiled.
"Good..."
POV: Laxus (Standing amidst the lightning)
Lightning surrounded him like a small storm.
"No more playing around."
His voice was low.
"If you're serious... then I'll get serious too."
His hand raised.
Lightning gathered in the palm of his hand.
Denser.
Brighter.
The crowd held their breath.
"Oi... that's..."
"He's... never used that before..."
POV: Makarov (Tense)
"Laxus..."
His eyebrows furrowed.
Don't overdo it...
But—
he didn't stop them.
Because—
he wanted to see.
The Ultimate Clash
Ren stood tall.
He raised both of his hands.
This time—
gum didn't just appear in his hands.
But—
all over his body.
A thin layer.
Like transparent armor.
"Full Output..."
He whispered softly.
Laxus shouted—
"LIGHTNING...!"
The lightning in his hand grew—
"BURST!!"
—ZRAAAAAAAAK!!!!
A beam of lightning shot straight towards Ren.
Destroying the ground in its path.
Ren didn't dodge.
He pulled both his hands back.
All the gum—
stretched.
Like a giant bow.
"Full Counter... Slingshot."
He released it.
—BOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!
Two forces collided.
Lightning.
And elasticity.
An explosion shook the entire arena.
The ground cracked.
Wind exploded in all directions.
The crowd was pushed back.
Dust swallowed everything.
POV: Everyone
Silence.
No one could see.
No one could breathe easily.
Only the sound of the wind.
And the remaining crackling electricity.
POV: Macao (Softly)
"Who... won...?"
The dust slowly cleared.
Silhouettes began to appear.
Two figures.
Still standing.
However—
one of them—
fell to his knees.
Cliffhanger
Ren stood... breathing heavily.
In front of him—
Laxus was kneeling...
but—
smiling.
And in his hand—
a much darker lightning began to form.
"Interesting..."
His voice was hoarse.
"In that case... let's move on to the next stage..."
The sky above them—
rumbled.
Lightning struck.
Bigger.
Wilder.
And something in Laxus's aura...
began to change.
Ren narrowed his eyes.
For the first time—
his smile vanished.
This... is no ordinary lightning.