"Damn it…"
As the guild's mages erupted in surprise, Laxus staggered to his feet, having smashed into several tables and chairs. He clutched his chest, Erza's earlier blow still throbbed with a dull ache, leaving his face pale.
"Laxus…"
Just as he was rubbing his injury and glaring fiercely at Erza, Gildarts suddenly stood up.
"Is he going to comfort Laxus now?"
Ren, who had been quietly observing nearby, watched as Gildarts made his way toward Laxus, wondering silently, He might seem unreliable most of the time, but when it counts...
"Pffthaha!"
Before Ren could finish his thought, Gildarts burst into loud laughter, one hand holding his stomach, the other pointing directly at the pale-faced boy.
"Laxus, you got beaten by a girl younger than you? That's just pathetic!"
Ren slowly took back what he'd been thinking.
"Shut up, old man!" Laxus shot a glare at Gildarts, then stepped in front of Erza. His face was full of defiance. "I let my guard down just now! Fight me again!"
"Hmph. I have no interest in fighting someone whose name I don't even know—rude and uncivilized on top of that."
Erza turned away, refusing to acknowledge him.
"My name is Laxus Dreyar!" he snapped, his voice firm. Then he looked directly at her. "Now, woman, can we continue our battle?"
At that moment, Laxus no longer saw Erza as some ordinary brat. He saw her as a worthy opponent.
He'd been bored for so long, never finding a peer who could match him. But after getting hit by Erza, a flicker of excitement sparked in his heart.
"I refuse."
"I've already lost interest in you."
Erza shook her head calmly and looked around the room. Eventually, her gaze settled on someone in a corner of the guild hall.
There sat a quiet girl who appeared to be about the same age as Erza. Her features were delicate, and she wore a plain white dress. Unlike the rowdy Fairy Tail members, this girl radiated a peaceful stillness.
As Erza looked her way, the girl happened to glance back. Their eyes met for a moment before the girl quickly lowered her head, flustered.
"She looks like someone I could be friends with."
Satisfied with what she saw, Erza nodded to herself and strode confidently toward the girl.
"Hi! My name is Erza Belserion!"
Standing before the soft-spoken girl with long chestnut hair, Erza extended her hand with a warm smile.
"I'm Cana… Cana Alberona," the girl replied shyly.
"From now on, we're friends!"
Erza gently patted Cana's shoulder, taking the liberty to declare their friendship herself.
In truth, Erza had no real idea how to make friends. Back in the small town she came from, Ren had been her only playmate.
"Um… okay!"
Cana nodded. She didn't seem the least bit surprised by Erza's bold declaration. After all, in this guild…
Everyone was like this, friendly to a fault and utterly unreserved.
"…"
After becoming friends with Erza, Cana hesitated slightly. It looked like she wanted to ask something, but felt too awkward to bring it up.
"If you want to ask something, just ask! We're friends now, and friends should be able to talk about anything."
Erza noticed her hesitation and smiled, giving Cana the confidence to speak up. She'd already rehearsed possible topics between friends and felt well-prepared for casual conversation.
"Um…" Cana nodded slowly. Her eyes sparkled with a trace of tears as she tightly grasped Erza's hand and asked, "Is it true that Ren is Gildarts' illegitimate son?!"
"Huh?!"
Erza froze on the spot.
She had mentally prepared answers for questions like where she used to live, what her family did, or how many siblings she had—but this caught her completely off guard.
"Not interested in me anymore?!"
Meanwhile, Laxus was still stuck on her rejection. He looked utterly crushed, falling to one knee as cold sweat poured down his face.
"Pffthaha…"
"Laxus, your first time asking a girl to spar and she turned you down. That's brutal!"
Gildarts stood next to Laxus, laughing until his sides hurt, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.
"Shut it already, old man!"
Laxus scowled and snapped back, clearly annoyed.
"Oh no, he's mad!"
Gildarts smugly rubbed his abs, his grin stretching nearly ear to ear.
"Hey! You, the illegitimate son of Gildarts! Come spar with me!"
Laxus suddenly turned away from Gildarts and fixed his gaze on Ren.
"Hah?!"
Ren looked around in confusion, then frowned when he realized Laxus was talking to him.
"Hey, Laxus, don't go causing trouble."
Before Ren could say more, Gildarts' fist came crashing down on Laxus' head.
"Ow!" Laxus rubbed the lump on his head, but he wasn't bothered. His eyes locked firmly on Ren. "Since you're that woman's older brother, you must be strong too. Come on, let's have a match!"
"You'd lose instantly."
Ren looked at him calmly, expressionless, as if stating a simple truth.
"Oh? That so? Then I'd love to see how you plan to take me down in an instant…"
Laxus wasn't angry, on the contrary, he seemed even more eager.
"If you insist…"
Ren stretched a bit and looked at the thirteen-year-old Laxus.
"Soru."
With no further warning, Ren activated Rokushiki's movement technique. A shockwave exploded beneath his feet as his body vanished into a blur, appearing directly in front of Laxus in the blink of an eye. He didn't hesitate, his fist shot forward, striking Laxus squarely in the gut.
"Urgh…"
The force of the punch knocked Laxus to his knees. He began dry-heaving, his eyes rolling back.
Ren's speed had been so overwhelming that Laxus didn't even register the attack until he was already clutching his stomach and collapsing unconscious.
"Actually, more than Laxus, I'd rather have a match with you."
After knocking him out, Ren turned his gaze to Gildarts.
Now that all his skills had reached level 8, Ren wanted to test his strength against the man who stood at the top of Fairy Tail.
"So, that terrifying wave of magic outside the guild earlier really was from you…"
Gildarts looked down at the unconscious Laxus and seemed lost in thought.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!