Chapter 96 93: Gajeel!
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There was real anger in his voice. 'Wait, did Sirzechs send assassins after him? No, that doesn't sound right.'
"Nope, not at all," I said, holding my hands up in a placating gesture. "I just heard someone strong was out here, so I wanted to see who it was. So I could fight them."
Gajeel looked confused for a second, his aggressive posture faltering. I decided to press my advantage.
"As a fellow Dragon Slayer," I said, my voice resonating with a truth only we could understand, "you should know what it's like. To not be able to find someone who could be a real rival."
His expression shifted instantly. The confusion vanished, replaced by a wide, sharp-toothed grin that was equal parts excited and terrifying.
"Gihihi! You're a Dragon Slayer too, huh?" he laughed, a deep, guttural sound. "A pipsqueak like you?"
"Grr, if you wanna fight, then bring it on!" I growled, my own excitement bubbling to the surface.
"Fine by me!"
He shot forward, a black-clad blur of motion. He threw a punch aimed at my face, but I was faster, dropping low and jumping behind him as he passed.
"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"
My flaming fist connected with his back, sending him stumbling forward a few steps. He spun around and lunged at me, his own fist transforming, covered in gleaming iron scales.
"IRON DRAGON'S HARD FIST!"
"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"
Our attacks clashed in a shower of sparks and embers. The force of the impact was immense, but I could tell he was holding back. We both jumped backward, putting some distance between us.
"Quit holding back!" I yelled, my voice ringing with frustration. "I know you're not going all out!"
His eyes widened in surprise, and then his grin grew even wider, stretching from ear to ear. A magic circle flared to life under his feet, and his body was instantly covered in tough, overlapping iron dragon scales.
"You ready for this, pipsqueak?!" he roared.
I quickly used Observe on him again.
Name: Gajeel Redfox
Strength: 275
Endurance: 275
Agility: 275
Intelligence: 275
Wisdom: 275
...
A flat 80-point boost. Not bad.
"Yeah, I think so," I grinned back. "You ready, partner?!"
Gajeel looked confused for a split second. "Partner?"
"Always."
My voice joined with Voltaris's in a triumphant roar. "LIGHTNING DRAGON BALANCE BREAKER!"
The obsidian armor slammed into place around me. The grin on Gajeel's face was now so big it looked like it was going to split his face in two. We rushed at each other, two living calamities meeting in the center of the clearing. I deliberately matched his speed, keeping the fight interesting, a deadly dance of black steel and dark lightning.
I saw him stop suddenly, and I did the same, curious to see what he was up to. He slammed his hands together.
"IRON DRAGON'S LANCE: DEMON LOGS!"
Multiple thick pillars of solid iron erupted from the ground, shooting toward me like massive spears. I dodged them easily, weaving through the impromptu forest of metal. I went to kick him, but he blocked it, his arm morphing into a long, wicked-looking blade.
"This is the Iron Dragon's Sword," he announced. It wasn't the roaring chainsaw-like blade I'd seen in the anime; this was a solid, sharp-edged weapon. He tried to slash me, but I dodged to the side, and as I did, I drove my armored boot into the side of his face. I followed up instantly.
"DRAGON LIGHTNING!"
Arcs of raw, yellow lightning leaped from my gauntlet, enveloping him in a crackling cage of energy. I saw him grit his teeth against the shock, but when the lightning dissipated, he was still standing, still grinning.
"Gihihi! Now this is gettin' me excited!" he roared.
"Me too," I admitted, feeling the thrill of a true battle.
We charged at each other again. He landed a solid punch on the right side of my helmet, the impact ringing through my skull. I retaliated with a powerful kick to his side, forcing him back a step. He didn't back off for long. I needed to create some distance. I drove my fist forward.
I needed to break his rhythm. I switched tactics, channeling a different, colder magic into my armored palm.
"ICICLE LANCE!"
A spear of razor-sharp, magically-hardened ice shot toward him. He dodged it with surprising agility, the lance embedding itself deep into a tree behind him. He used the opening to deliver a brutal kick to my underside, sending me flying upwards. As I was suspended in the air, he took a deep breath.
"IRON DRAGON'S ROAR!"
A deafening, metallic roar erupted from his mouth, a hurricane of iron shards and concussive force that hit me full-on. The impact was like being slammed by a freight train. I was blasted backward, crashing through a series of ancient trees before finally hitting the ground with a bone-jarring thud. The world spun, and my armor's internal display flickered with damage warnings.
I could hear his voice through the ringing in my ears. "Crap… did I overdo it?"
With a groan, I pushed myself up from the crater I'd made, my armor dented but intact. "If that's all you've got," I grunted, shaking my head to clear it, "then this will be easy."
"Cocky little rugrat," he growled, though I could hear the surprise in his voice.
"My roar against yours," I challenged, planting my feet firmly.
"Fine," he agreed, his grin returning.
"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"
"IRON DRAGON'S ROAR!"
A torrent of fire and a vortex of iron collided in the center of the clearing. For a moment, they were evenly matched, a chaotic storm of molten metal. But my flames were hotter, more potent. My roar broke through his, enveloping him in a searing inferno. After the smoke cleared, I saw that the iron scales covering his body were glowing cherry-red, with small, spiderwebbing cracks appearing on their surface.
"Damn, kid," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're pretty good."
"You know," I said, my voice calm, "I'm only matching my power with yours right now. I'm a lot stronger than this. I know you don't like to hear that, but I didn't want to accidentally kill you."
"Huh," he grunted, a strange look on his face. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me one bit."
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