Chapter 12 Laxus's Challenge
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Laxus's Challenge
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"Damn it..."
Just as the guild's mages were crying out in surprise, Laxus, who had crashed through several tables and chairs, staggered to his feet. He gently touched his chest. The place where he was heavily struck by Erza still throbbed with a dull pain, which made his face somewhat pale.
"Laxus..."
Just as Laxus touched his chest and glared viciously at Erza, Gildarts suddenly stood up.
‘Is he going to comfort Laxus a bit? Although he looks unreliable on normal days, at critical moments he’s still very…’
Evan, who had been paying attention to Gildarts the whole time, silently thought in his heart upon seeing the man stand up and walk toward Laxus.
"Pfft, hahaha...
Laxus, you were actually defeated by a little girl younger than you! That’s so lame!"
Before Evan could think more, Gildarts held his belly with one hand and pointed at the pale-faced Laxus with the other while laughing heartily.
And Evan silently retracted his previous thoughts...
"So annoying! Old man!"
Laxus glared at Gildarts, and after that, he walked in front of Erza. With a face full of defiance, he spoke.
"I was careless just now! Let's go again!"
"Hmph, I don't want to fight with a little delinquent who doesn't even have a name, has no manners, and has no upbringing!"
Erza turned her head away, ignoring Laxus.
"My name’s Laxus Dreyar!"
Laxus stated his name, and then he looked at Erza and asked.
"Woman, can we continue our battle now?"
At this moment, Laxus no longer treated the little girl in front of him as an ordinary brat, but as an existence known as an opponent.
He, who had always been unable to find a match of the same age inside the guild, felt a trace of joy sprout in his heart after being struck by Erza!
"I refuse!
I’m no longer interested in you!"
Erza shook her head at Laxus. Her gaze scanned the surroundings, and ultimately, it locked onto a corner of the guild.
Sitting there in her lonesome was a girl who looked about as old as Erza. The girl had delicate features and wore a plain white dress. Unlike the boisterous Fairy Tail guild members, the girl looked extremely quiet and gentle.
When Erza looked toward that corner, it just so happened that the girl was also looking in Erza's direction. After their gazes met slightly, the girl bashfully lowered her head.
"This girl looks like someone who can become my friend!"
Erza looked at the girl's attitude and nodded in satisfaction. She then took large strides as she walked toward the girl.
"Hello, my name’s Erza Belserion!"
Erza walked in front of this quiet and gentle girl with long dark brown hair. She reached out her hand toward the girl and smiled while introducing herself.
"My name’s Cana, Cana Alberona..."
The girl introduced herself somewhat shyly.
"From today onwards, we’re friends!"
Erza gently patted Cana's shoulder, taking it upon herself to make the decision, and so, she became friends with the other party.
In fact, Erza was completely clueless on how to make friends with others. Previously, when they still lived in the small town, she only had Evan as a playmate of the same age.
"Uh, alright!"
Cana nodded. She didn't feel any surprise at the latter’s overly familiar attitude because the people in this guild…
Were all exactly like this.
"..."
After Cana became friends with Erza, her expression flickered with a bit of hesitation. She seemed to have something she wanted to ask, but she was too embarrassed to say it out loud.
"Ask whatever you want to ask! After all, we’re already friends now! Friends should talk about absolutely everything with each other!"
Erza keenly sensed the other's hesitation. She wore a smile while saying that Cana could ask her anything freely. In fact, she had already practiced in advance what questions friends would ask each other and how to converse with others of the same age as her, so she was still very confident in herself regarding this point.
"Umm..."
Having received Erza's permission, Cana nodded gently. Then, tears seemed to swirl in her eyes. She tightly held Erza's small hand and asked.
"Is Evan really Gildarts's illegitimate child?!"
"Ah?!"
Erza, who had originally prepared all of her answers — like where her family used to live, what her family did for a living, and how many people were in her family — froze directly in place. She hadn't expected Cana to ask her this kind of thing.
"No longer interested… in me?!"
On the other side, Laxus, who was rejected by Erza, felt like his heart had received a severe critical hit. He knelt on the ground on one kneww, cold sweat continuously flowing down his forehead.
"Pfft, hahaha...
Laxus, you were rejected the first time you took the initiative to invite a girl, that’s so lame!"
Gildarts stood beside Laxus, holding his belly as he laughed heartily and continuously mocked the boy’s embarrassing performance.
"Stop being so annoying, old man!"
Laxus's expression changed, and he furiously retorted at Gildarts.
"He's flying into a rage from humiliation..."
Gildarts gently stroked his abdominal muscles with his palm, the corners of his mouth almost lifting to the sky.
"Hey! That illegitimate child of Gildarts! You come fight with me!"
Laxus stopped paying attention to the annoying guy beside him and instead turned his head to look at Evan.
"Hah?!"
Evan looked left and right, and after confirming that Laxus was calling him, his brows instantly furrowed.
"Hey! Laxus, don't cause trouble for me!"
Before Evan could say more, Gildarts's fist had already landed on Laxus's head.
"So painful!"
The blonde boy rubbed the bump on his head, but he didn't care. He just stared straight at Evan and said.
"Since you’re that woman's big brother, you should also be very strong, right?! How about sparring with me?"
"The current you will be instantly defeated by me."
Evan looked at Laxus plainly, his face expressionless. He was merely stating a fact, after all.
"Oh?! Interesting, I'd like to see how you’d instantly defeat me..."
After hearing the other boy’s words, not only was Laxus not angry, but he was actually somewhat eager to try.
"If that’s the case..."
Evan stretched his body a bit and looked at the merely thirteen-year-old Laxus.
"Soru!"
With the intention of educating Laxus a little, Evan didn't spout too much nonsense. The power of Rokushiki instantly erupted from his body. He transformed into an afterimage, arriving directly in front of the blonde boy, and then he threw a punch that landed directly on the other’s stomach.
"Ugh..."
The massive force made Laxus directly kneel on the ground. He continuously dry-heaved on the floor, his eyes rolling back...
With Evan's speed, the young Laxus didn't even have time to react at all before he had to clutch his stomach as he collapsed onto the ground before losing consciousness.
"Actually, compared to Laxus, I want to spar with you more."
After knocking Laxus out, Evan looked at Gildarts beside him.
He, who had upgraded his abilities to level eight, wanted to have a proper spar with Gildarts, the man standing at the absolute peak of the Fairy Tail guild.
"Sure enough, that astonishing magic power outside the guild just now was released by you!"
Gildarts looked at the knocked-out Laxus thoughtfully.
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T/N - Here we go, Evan vs Gildarts! The first exciting fight in the novel. Place your bets, place your bets. Who’ll win: Evan, Gildarts, or undecided?
Also, lol at Laxus getting destroyed by Erza. When you act like a jerk, don’t expect others to be polite with you. As for Cana, hopefully she can tell Gildarts about her being his daughter much earlier than in canon. Only being able to tell her father that she was his daughter twelve years later despite so many opportunities is just too pitiful no matter how you spin it.