Chapter 25 (SC)

Side Chapter. Phantom Lord Arc after these chapters.

This one features Laxus a year after he became an S-Class Mage. How he came to truly respect Itachi-sama.

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Third Person POV

Laxus sat on the second floor, looking down on the partying Fairy Tail members.

"Tch." he clicked his tongue and turned back to the request board, no longer wanting to look at his weak "family."

As he flipped through the request fliers, he suddenly felt a presence behind him.

"Who-"

Laxus turned around, hand covered in lightning.

He froze as he saw the scarlet red eyes of the black-haired man.

"Laxus," he greeted.

"Oh, it's you, Itachi," said Laxus taking a relieved sigh.

Laxus then walked to a table, taking a seat.

"Back from another mission?"

Itachi simply nodded and then took a glance at the request board before grabbing the centermost flier.

He turned around, slowly walking away.

However, Laxus had something to say to him.

"Itachi. You've been S-Class for a long time. And I've been S-Class for a year. How about we have a little spar?"

Laxus grinned confidently as he challenged Itachi.

(AN: Haha, f*cking rip.)

Itachi paused for a moment and then turned his head towards Laxus displaying his scarlet left eye, shaped in a three-pronged curved spiral.

"A spar... you say?"

Laxus nodded as he stared at Itachi, still confident as ever.

Itachi then turned to face him, his eyes now in a regular three tomoe shape.

"Is it a spar you really want?"

Laxus looked at him confused and nodded slowly.

Itachi closed his eyes for a moment and then slowly reopened them.

"Very well. I will humor you."

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Itachi and Laxus stood several meters apart in a forest clearing outside of Magnolia.

They faced each other and neither said anything for a few minutes.

Laxus then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Ready," he said, eyes still closed.

Itachi looked at him, mildly impressed.

"So it seems you are confident in your ability to fight without sight."

Laxus smiled,

"Naturally. Even though I am powerful enough to fight off your illusion magic, I'd rather not deal with such a hassle during battle."

"Oh... a hassle you say?"

"...Very well then. Ready."

Itachi slowly walked around the perimeter of the forest clearing with Laxus following suit.

They circled around the clearing a few times.

Suddenly, Laxus launched himself toward Itachi as he covered himself in lightning.

The lightning burnt the ground as Laxus sped himself across the clearing.

Itachi held out his palm facing Laxus.

A brown magic circle suddenly appeared half his size.

"Earth Magic: Iron Rock Wall"

The ground rumbled for a brief moment before a dozen meter wide and tall wall appeared between Itachi and Laxus.

"Heh, that isn't going to stop me!" shouted Laxus as he broke through the wall, completely obliterating it.

He looked around the dust and wasn't surprised to see that Itachi had managed to dodge his attack safely.

Laxus then turned around and smiled behind his back.

"You're quite fast, Itachi. However..."

Itachi stood at the midpoint between where he and Laxus originally stood.

His cloak and hair waved along with the breeze as the leaves fell.

Laxus stepped back, deeply inhaling.

"Lightning Dragon..."

"ROAR!"

A surge of lightning erupted from Laxus's mouth, completely razing the ground. Rocks and boulders flew outwards as the lightning flew right towards Itachi.

Itachi calmly looked on at the incoming lightning and clapped his hands together, closing the fourth and fifth fingers as he lightly inhaled.

A red magic circle in front of Itachi.

Moments later, Itachi exhaled a large breath of fire that burnt the surroundings as it moved towards the lightning.

BOOM!

The resulting clash dyed the sky orange as flames and lightning fought for dominance.

Itachi gradually began to be pushed back as Laxus's energy had the quality of dragon's.

Laxus's eyes gleamed as he realized he was going to win.

However, when he heard Itachi's low voice followed by a sharp noise, he couldn't help but begin to fear.

"Amaterasu."

The clash of orange flames and lightning were slowly enclosed in new flames--pitch-black flames that seemed to have come from the depths of hell.

Laxus unconsciously stepped backwards, not wanting to be harmed by the dark flames.

However, the flames continued to burn through both Itachi's flames and his lightning as it gradually headed toward's Laxus's mouth.

Laxus stopped fueling magic energy into his roar and jumped several feet backwards.

He stared in awe as the black flames completely burnt away his own lightning and Itachi's flames.

Itachi exhaled, his breath in slight disorder as he closed his bleeding right eye.

Laxus grinned at Itachi, his eyes lighting with intent to fight.

"So those are the legendary flames of Amaterasu. Said to burn anything and everything, even fire itself! Absolutely amazing!"

He then locked his hands together in a tight fist as he hopped forwards.

"Lightning Dragon's Jaw!"

Right before he landed into the ground, Laxus struck his hands into the ground, further destroying the ground as he shook the earth. Rocks and boulders were lifted into the air as the ground was no longer stable.

Itachi gracefully jumped backwards and began to leap from one rock to another.

However, a wave of lightning spread from Laxus, wrapping each rock in electricity.

Itachi realized that he would not be able to dodge for long as he saw the lightning slowly encroaching upon him and used one last rock to launch himself towards Laxus.

Laxus laughed in joy seeing that.

"Finally! The real fight begins!"

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