In the endless darkness, there was only a dim purple light in the middle, giving a sense of melancholy and despair.
Suddenly, a crack appeared in this pitch-black space, as if a stroke had wiped away the darkness. Radiance poured in through the crack, dazzlingly bright.
Calvin couldn't remember how long it had been since he last saw such a bright light. It was like a shimmering star in the night sky, dazzling and awe-inspiring.
He knew that with each step towards escaping this ghostly place, he was getting closer.
Glancing at the dark mist not far away, which had been silent for some time, Calvin interpreted it as the opponent's anxious reaction.
His joy only lasted for a moment before an even greater joy emerged. Another crack intersected the original one, forming a cross. Even more radiant light streamed in, reflecting his mood, bright and limitless.
Vaguely, Calvin could see beyond the darkness; a blue sky and white clouds, creating a refreshing feeling. It was the sensation of imminent freedom.
Trapped in his own mental sanctuary for years, if not for Calvin's inherent determination and the looming threat of the Demon Ancestor, he might have gone insane long ago.
In fact, Calvin felt he was on the verge of losing his sanity. He couldn't wait to leave.
The appearance of the first crack was due to Grede being defeated by Laxus and his two companions. As for the second crack, it was naturally because another of the Seven Sins had been defeated.
Let's rewind time a bit.
...
Realizing he was not a match for Laxus, Padre immediately decided to change tactics. Despite his inherent arrogance, he was willing to abandon such tactics rather than be defeated and return to emptiness. Setting his sights on the Dark Magician, one of Calvin's most powerful summons, Padre's current strength ranked among the top even among the Seven Sins.
Apart from the oversized summon, the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Padre was the strongest among the Seven Sins. Being the first one to awaken among them played a significant role.
As he used the Summoning Card to possess the Dark Magician, Padre naturally had a comprehensive understanding of all of Calvin's cards. Then why did he choose the Dark Magician instead of the formidable Red-Eyes Black Dragon as his host?
It was because of the Dark Magician's value, enough for him to forsake the body of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Among all summons, the Dark Magician was undoubtedly the most compatible with other magic support cards. Padre, as the first of the awakened Seven Sins, understood this and chose the Dark Magician. He carefully selected numerous magic cards to make it his own.
Padre knew Calvin's strength well. He understood how powerful the Dark Magician, when combined with magic cards, could be. Even Gerard, once one of the Ten Wizard Saints, was not a match for the Dark Magician.
Thus, Padre was confident, believing that Laxus was not worth mentioning.
However, there was one thing he didn't figure out.
Within Fairy Tail, Calvin was considered one of the strongest candidates. Most people believed that the only one who could compete with him was Laxus.
Putting aside Gildarts and Makarov, within Fairy Tail, there was no clear conclusion on who was the strongest. The ongoing rivalry between Calvin and Laxus had never resulted in a clear victory for either side.
The same disdain appeared in Laxus's heart. He completely looked down on Padre, who occupied the Dark Magician. Padre took out a card, a confident smile on his face, silently chanting, 'Dark Magician Grimoire!'
A thick, four-fingered book made of cowhide appeared out of thin air, floating in front of Padre. At the same time, Laxus could keenly feel that Padre's magical power explosively increased the moment the book appeared.
But his expression remained cool, without a hint of surprise; he didn't even change.
Padre's actions didn't stop there. He consecutively pulled out cards, rapidly activating their effects. Continuous radiance appeared on him.
'Dark Magician Enhancement!'
An orange aura soared into the sky, and faint black thunder permeated the surroundings. Padre's magical power skyrocketed out of nowhere, and he stared at Laxus viciously, resembling a demonic god returning from hell. His handsome face twisted with a scornful expression.
Then, he took another card and directly slapped it into his own body.
Without saying a word, he extended his staff and shouted in his mind, "Dark Magician!"
A terrifyingly large purple-black magical projectile shot out from the staff. It didn't seem very fast, but it gave Laxus an inevitable feeling of unavoidable doom. Seeing this, even Laxus couldn't help but furrow his brow slightly.
'Dark Magician'—as the most potent attack of the Dark Magician, it was certainly not that simple. The magical projectile carried immense mass, with the ability to attract the opponent. Thus, it couldn't be dodged.
Moreover, before this attack, Padre continuously elevated his own state. Whether it was 'Dark Magician Grimoire' or 'Dark Magician Enhancement,' both could significantly enhance the Dark Magician's strength.
Therefore, it wasn't surprising that Laxus furrowed his brow to some extent.
However, it was only to some extent.
He sighed lightly, slowly raising one hand over his head. A weapon composed of lightning slowly appeared.
Subsequently, Laxus's gaze sharpened, flashing with intense killing intent. Disdainingly, he smiled.
After a swift wave of his arm, the lightning weapon vanished. Only a small thunderbolt, not too thick, streaked across the sky. It seemed like a lightning bolt due to its rapid speed.
'Lightning Dragon Heavenward Halberd!'
That small thunderbolt was naturally transformed into the Lightning Dragon Heavenward Halberd. Due to its rapid speed, it appeared as if it were lightning.
In front of the Lightning Dragon Heavenward Halberd, 'Dark Magician' seemed overly slow. In Padre's eyes, all he saw was Laxus making a picking motion, and then 'Dark Magician' was pierced through by a golden lightning bolt. Afterward, it was himself being penetrated.
He didn't even have time to react.
Looking at the large hole in his abdomen, Padre struggled to force a smile, wanting to say something.
However, Laxus didn't want to give him that chance. He had already silently appeared in front of him, gazing at him with eyes as cold as ice. Disdainfully, he spoke.
"Do you only know how to stack magical power? Such a crude method of use, it's almost nauseating."
"A powerful summon like the Dark Magician, under your control, is no different from a clown. It's an insult to Calvin's Summoning Card."
Ignoring Padre's resentment as he heard Laxus's mockery, Laxus found it even more laughable.
"Die, imposter!" With these words, a massive bolt of lightning descended from his hand. After the golden lightning dispersed, there was no trace left of the Dark Magician's body.
However, a card floated in the air, emitting a faint glow.
Seeing this, Laxus couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in confusion.
Then, the card emitted a bright light, causing Laxus to instinctively shield his eyes.