The forest had become a battleground, the air thick with tension. The ground beneath them trembled as Laxus surged forward, his body crackling with raw electrical energy. But Leon didn't move. He was prepared—his pulse was steady, his mind sharp.
Laxus's voice was a low growl, laced with pure menace. "Weaklings have no right to talk!"
Leon didn't answer. Instead, his focus sharpened as he called upon the shadows. With a quick motion of his hand, Wooly appeared. Its tusks gleamed as it bellowed low, shaking the ground beneath it. Wooly's sheer size was intimidating, but Leon wasn't done. From the deeper shadows, a second creature—the Vulcan- emerged, sleek and black like living smoke, with glowing eyes that burned through the gloom.
Laxus sneered at the creatures, clearly underestimating them. "That's your big plan?" His voice dripped with condescension. "You think I'm going to be stopped by this joke?"
"I think you'll find they're more than that," Leon shot back, his tone steady.
Without waiting for Laxus to respond, Leon's summons sprang into action. Wooly charged forward with a mighty roar, its enormous legs thundering against the earth. The Vulcan, faster and more agile, darted in and out of the shadows, its claws extending as it moved to flank Laxus from the side.
Laxus scoffed and, in an instant, his body crackled with blue electricity. With a snap of his fingers, a bolt of lightning shot toward Wooly. The mammoth-like creature charged forward, but it couldn't outrun the surge of energy. The lightning hit, and Wooly stumbled. It roared in pain but remained on its feet, its eyes burning with fury.
"Pathetic," Laxus muttered, but as he turned to deal with the Vulcan, the creature was already upon him. It slashed at him with lightning-fast strikes, its claws digging into the air like knives.
Laxus grinned, unfazed by the attack. With a swing of his arm, a powerful electrical shockwave burst outward, sending the Vulcan flying back into the trees. The creature hit the ground with a thud, its form flickering and dissipating into the shadows as it temporarily faded from sight.
Leon gritted his teeth, feeling the weight of his summons' vulnerability. He couldn't let them go down like this—not when he was still standing. He focused on the battlefield, his mind racing. He needed to think fast, to outsmart Laxus, or this fight would end before it really started.
Wooly was still on its feet, though clearly struggling. The mammoth-like creature charged again, using its tusks to aim for Laxus, hoping to land a direct blow. But Laxus was already moving, his body shifting with the speed of lightning.
He dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding Wooly's charge. With a twist of his body, Laxus thrust his hand forward, sending another surge of lightning directly at the mammoth's side. Wooly screeched as the bolt hit, sending it staggering back.
Leon didn't have much time. He could see his summons faltering, his energy drained from maintaining them. He had to act quickly.
With a flash of shadow, he appeared behind Laxus, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He had to land a hit—he couldn't let this end in a complete defeat. He raised his hand, summoning the shadow blade again, this time larger and sharper than before, the blade crackling with dark energy. Without hesitation, Leon swung it toward Laxus's back.
Laxus's eyes flicked toward him, and with a burst of lightning, he spun around, knocking the blade away with a crackle of energy. The shockwave sent Leon flying backward, his body slamming into a tree with a bone-rattling impact. He grunted, forcing himself to stay conscious. He couldn't afford to go down this easily.
Laxus wasn't finished. He closed the distance between them with lightning speed, a massive bolt of electricity crackling between his palms. Leon's eyes widened, and before he could react, the bolt struck him square in the chest.
The force of the impact sent him crashing to the ground, his vision blurring as his body screamed in pain. Wooly let out a distressed bellow, but it was clear the creature wasn't going to last much longer.
Laxus stood over Leon, his form crackling with electricity. "You did better than I thought," he said, voice tinged with begrudging respect. "But you're still weak."
Leon struggled to lift his head, blood dripping from his lip. His chest ached from the blast, but the pain only fueled his resolve. "I'm not... done yet..." he spat out, struggling to rise, his hands trembling but determined.
Laxus's eyes flashed with something unreadable for a moment before he turned his back on Leon, the crackle of lightning dying down. "You're lucky I'm letting you walk away today. Don't push me again."
"Hargeon's nearby," he continued, his voice rough but steady. "You can find your way from here on your own."
As Laxus walked away, Leon stayed on the ground, his body sore and battered. But despite everything—the pain, the loss—he could feel the spark inside him ignite.
One day, he would be stronger. And when that day came, he'd make sure Laxus remembered this fight.
—
The walk to Hargeon felt like it took forever. Leon's body was sore, every step a reminder of the fight he had just barely survived. The bruises and burns from Laxus's lightning stung with every movement, and his chest still ached where the electric current had struck. His mind couldn't help but replay the fight—what went wrong, what he could've done differently. But there was no point in dwelling on that now.
The weight of his defeat hung heavily on him, but it wasn't all bad. He had learned a lot from the battle—about his own powers, about Laxus, and about just how far he still had to go.
As they neared the city's gates, Leon's thoughts drifted to the town itself. Hargeon was a bustling coastal city, known for its trade routes and proximity to the sea. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it was a good place to recover, gather himself, and perhaps rethink some of his plans.
As he approached the city gates of Hargeon, Leon didn't even bother to stop and take in the view. The city was busy, the sounds of haggling and chatter filling the air, but he couldn't really focus on it. All he could think about was one thing: how he was going to get through the night.
The guards at the gates barely even glanced at him as he passed through—just another weary traveler. He didn't look like much, just a young guy with a tired expression and a body that clearly wasn't used to this world. He adjusted his pack, his mind racing focusing on one single problem.
I have no money.
The reality hit him like a ton of bricks
Fuck.
It wasn't like he had forgotten. It was more like he'd never had the chance to even think about it. After being suddenly ripped from his world and transported into this one, he hadn't exactly had the time to worry about it.
He was practically empty-handed, with only the clothes on his back and abilities.
He had no idea what to do. He was stranded in a foreign world, no money, no connections, and no real plan for the future. It was hard not to feel like he was sinking in quicksand.
His first instinct was to try and find some work, but even then, he had no real skills to offer. He had his magic, sure, but how would he even go about getting paid for that in a place like this? And even if he could, it seemed unlikely that people would just hand over money for some random guy who appeared out of nowhere.
He sighed, feeling the weight of the situation press down on him. How did it get this bad?
Looking around, he noticed a few street performers setting up nearby. There was a juggler, a musician, and even a fire-eater—all surrounded by curious crowds. Leon lingered for a moment, watching the performers draw in people, jewels falling into their hats and bowls.
He stared at the scene, his mind working quickly. He couldn't exactly juggle knives or play an instrument, but... He had something. He could do something with his magic—just a small trick, maybe.
A little bit of illusion magic might catch the right kind of attention. He could make a shadow puppet or create a little spectacle. It was a gamble, but it was better than doing nothing.
He walked up to the group of performers, trying to look confident. "Hey, uh... Do you need an extra hand?" he asked, his voice uncertain but hopeful.
The juggler stopped mid-throw and gave him a skeptical look, while the musician eyed him from behind her lute. "What can you do, kid?" the juggler asked.
Leon hesitated. "I can do a little trick with shadows. Not much, but... it might work."
The juggler raised an eyebrow. "Well, we could always use something new. Go ahead."
He nodded, relieved that they hadn't turned him away immediately. With a deep breath, Leon extended his hand, summoning a dark shape from his ability. A shadowy figure slowly formed in the air—a bird, large and imposing, flapping its wings in a graceful circle. The crowd, drawn by the strange sight, gathered around, their eyes widening as they watched the shadow bird fly and swoop above them.
Leon moved the shadow, making it twist and turn, performing tricks in the air. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep the crowd's attention. Some people even started tossing a few jewels into the air, laughing and clapping at the simple display. It wasn't a grand spectacle, but for the time being, it was enough.
After a few minutes, the shadow bird flew high, circling once before vanishing into the air, and Leon let the magic dissipate. The crowd clapped lightly, a few tossing some more jewels into the pile at his feet.
He quickly scooped up the jewels, a small grin creeping onto his face. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get him through the night—just enough to rent a room at an inn and buy a meal.
"Thanks," he said to the performers, who had continued with their own acts in the background. They barely acknowledged him, but that was fine. He wasn't here to make friends.
With the handful of jewels now in his possession, Leon made his way through the crowd, feeling a little less like he was walking a tightrope. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was a start.
He could rest tonight. Tomorrow, he'd figure out the next step in this strange new world. But for now, at least he wasn't completely stuck.
He headed toward the nearest inn, ready to get some sleep, knowing that no matter how uncertain his future was, he'd find a way forward.