NOVEL NEXT Chapter 56: Double Boost—The Battle is Decided!
Unlike the stunned onlookers, Laxus was the one suffering in silence.
At first, his pride had driven him forward—his refusal to lose kept him swinging.
But as the seconds ticked by…
Their fists collided again and again, each impact sending shockwaves through their bones. Even with magical reinforcement, blood seeped from their knuckles.
Yet, Laxus realized something terrifying—
Rayne wasn't slowing down.
If anything, his grin grew wider, his strikes heavier.
Like pain meant nothing to him.
And worse—
Each punch was stronger than the last.
An endless escalation, as if his power had no ceiling.
That realization snapped Laxus out of his rage.
"This is bad."
His mind raced.
Lightning Empress Armor drastically enhanced his physical abilities, but the magic drain was insane.
He'd already burned through a ton of energy with his earlier spells—all of which had failed to put Rayne down.
Now, after just nine seconds in his lightning form, his reserves were nearly empty.
If this dragged on, he'd lose.
"One shot. I need to end this in one shot."
Gritting his teeth, Laxus funneled every last drop of magic into his right fist.
Crackling gold lightning coiled around his arm like a thousand shrieking birds—
"KIIIIII—"
"Trying to finish it in one hit? Too late."
Despite his manic grin, Rayne's voice was eerily calm.
"Huh?"
Laxus blinked.
Then—
The emerald gem on Rayne's crimson gauntlet flashed.
"BOOST!!!"
A roar—deeper, wilder than Rayne's own voice—exploded inside his mind.
THUD.
For a split second, Laxus heard it—a heartbeat, drowning out the screech of his lightning.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!!!
A tsunami of crimson magic erupted from Rayne's body.
Scarlet flames engulfed him, ripping his black shirt to shreds as his muscles swelled, veins pulsing with raw power.
His hair whipped wildly in the blazing aura, his eyes glowing with the fury of a dragon.
"So damn noisy—"
Laxus barely caught the mutter before—
DOUBLE BOOST.
After weeks of training—and Conann's constant feedback—Rayne's body could finally handle it.
But with the second doubling came the whispers.
The cursed voices of past hosts, clawing at his mind.
Their despair, their rage—all trying to drown him in madness.
Yet—
Rayne's will burned hotter.
Like a furnace, his sheer bloodlust incinerated the whispers before they could take root.
For the first time in centuries, the cursed souls hesitated.
"What… is this guy?"
They recoiled, melting like snow under the sun.
(They weren't gone—just waiting for a weaker moment.)
Meanwhile—
"HAHAHAHA!!!"
In the depths of Rayne's soul, Ddraig's laughter shook the void.
Her massive draconic eyes gleamed with pride.
This host…
He's perfect.
REALITY—
The crimson inferno around Rayne peaked.
His muscles, his magic—all quadrupled.
But the cost?
Stamina and focus draining fast.
"Let's end this."
Rayne clenched his fist, magic condensing into a scorching blaze.
The sheer density made his armor glow white-hot, residual energy licking his skin like flames.
Opposite him, Laxus gritted his teeth, his own fist dripping with liquid lightning.
He knew he'd lost.
But pride wouldn't let him back down.
THE FINAL IMPACT
"RRRAAAAAGH—!!!"
Two fists—
One wrapped in a storm.
One blazing like a sun.
BOOOOOOM!!!!
The golden lightning shattered.
Laxus' arm bent at a sickening angle as he rocketed backward, crashing into Makarov's giant palm.
Unconscious.
(Just a broken arm and magic exhaustion—nothing serious.)
Meanwhile—
Rayne stood in a crater of upturned earth, steam rising from his body.
The Boosted Gear hummed, its glow fading.
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"
The guild exploded.
"HE DOUBLED HIS POWER—TWICE?!"
"THAT'S CHEATING!!"
"SINCE WHEN CAN MAGIC DO THAT?!"
Even Gildarts and Makarov looked stunned.
"That artifact… is something else."
They exchanged glances.
"We might need to keep an eye on it."
Winner: Rayne.
Laxus: KO'd.
Fairy Tail's balance of power—officially shaken.
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