The majestic black dragon in the sky, with its unparalleled power, directly dissipated Rufus's remaining fighting spirit. Cold sweat dripping, he looked at the True Red-Eyes Black Dragon fixating on him; a tremor filled his entire body.
All the attention was focused on the True Red-Eyes Black Dragon, so Rufus did not realize he had exposed a flaw.
This wasn't surprising. After completely transforming, the current True Red-Eyes Black Dragon was no longer the same. Facing it, few could remain calm, and Rufus was not among them.
However, the competition was still ongoing. Getting distracted in front of Calvin was tantamount to giving him points. Even so, Calvin carefully prepared to release his magic, avoiding any movement that might alert Rufus.
He did not want to attack multiple times. One decisive strike was ideal.
After summoning the True Red-Eyes Black Dragon, it perched on the rooftops of various buildings, its blood-red eyes coldly watching Rufus. This oppressive presence made Rufus dare not move. Calvin also didn't dare let the dragon make any significant moves. There were too many replicas, and the dragon's enormous size could easily collide with many of them.
When that happened, those few points would be quickly deducted.
That said, summoning a high-level creature like the True Red-Eyes Black Dragon just to intimidate seemed wasteful. Previously, Calvin would never have done something so wasteful. However, Calvin's magical power was beyond even his understanding, making such extravagance less concerning.
With one hand behind his back, emitting a faint glow invisible to others, Calvin prepared to unleash his signature move, Cero.
But just as he raised his hand to fire the destructive beam, he saw two rapid lightning bolts in the corner of his eye. Startled, he abandoned his attack on Rufus and quickly evaded by flapping his wings.
In an instant, the lightning bolts shot through the space where Calvin had been, continuing into the distance, while Rufus, absorbed by the True Red-Eyes Black Dragon, didn't notice them until they struck him. Unprepared, he screamed in pain and was teleported to another area.
Rufus had only four points left, while Laxus, who had attacked him, returned to five points.
At this point, Calvin grumbled, "Stealing someone else's prey is pretty low, Laxus."
"You've got some nerve saying that," Laxus's figure instantly appeared before Calvin, electricity crackling around him. His expression was disdainful, and his eyes were cold.
With that, Laxus's lightning intensified, and with lightning speed, he launched a fierce punch directly at Calvin.
"Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!"
Seeing this, Calvin quickly dodged and distanced himself from Laxus, shouting, "Is it necessary to go all out? Using Dragon Slayer magic?"
"Aren't I just one point behind you? First place is better than second," Laxus retorted coldly, his furious attacks rolling like thunder as if facing a mortal enemy.
Outside, the audience, recovering from the shock of the True Red-Eyes Black Dragon, saw the two members of the same guild engaging in a spectacular fight. Many familiar with Fairy Tail, like Jura, couldn't help but smile, thinking it was typical of Fairy Tail to start infighting.
Laxus summoned a "Voltage Storm," gathering thunderclouds above Calvin, which descended as massive lightning bolts. Calvin snorted, flapped his wings swiftly, and evaded the terrifying lightning like a ghost.
Suddenly, Laxus, in high spirits, stopped his actions, frustratedly clicked his tongue, and landed on the ground, crossing his arms.
The time had run out; the first competition was officially over. Unable to land a hit on Calvin's face, Laxus felt deeply unsatisfied.
The streets began dissipating, and Calvin, retracting the True Red-Eyes Black Dragon, swaggered towards Laxus, teasing, "Too bad, you were so close."
Laxus ignored Calvin, turning away gracefully, leaving Calvin feeling awkward.
With the competition over, the audience erupted. The result was unexpected.
Fairy Tail A and B teams continued to hold first and second place! The preliminary results could be attributed to luck, as Sabertooth had yet to go all out. But the battles just now clearly showed Fairy Tail's unmatched strength.
"Unbelievable, Rufus didn't stand a chance!"
"That black dragon was terrifying! Is he a summoning mage?"
"I know that guy, he was Fairy Tail's ace seven years ago, Calvin the Beastmaster!"
"The other one's not bad either, the blond guy is Makarov's grandson!"
"What's with 'ace,' you guys are clueless. Fairy Tail's real ace has always been Gildarts. These guys are just the new generation." An older spectator spoke knowledgeably, attracting attention and proudly sharing his insights.
In just one competition, Calvin and Laxus's impressive performances transformed Fairy Tail's reputation over the past seven years. After all, their achievements couldn't be ignored.
Makarov, his nose already long with pride, listened to the surrounding praises, getting increasingly carried away, performing an embarrassing dance.
The extent of his embarrassment even made Mavis, an invisible presence to others, quietly distance herself from him.
With the audience so excited, their teammates were even more thrilled. In the stands for the competitors, Natsu and Gray shouted excitedly, cheering Calvin's name, clearly delighted with their early success.
"That's great, Erza! Calvin really took first place," Lucy eagerly told Erza, her eyes sparkling. Calvin's invincible stance had always been her ideal as a holder-type mage. Even though she knew she couldn't be as strong as Calvin, she still liked to fantasize.
Ezra smiled and nodded at Lucy, pleased with Calvin's overwhelming victory, though her gaze towards Calvin carried a meaning Lucy didn't understand.
"Although I knew Calvin was strong, it seemed too easy against Laxus..."
Unlike Natsu and Gray's excitement, when Laxus returned to the Fairy Tail B team's stands, he wore a grim expression, showing none of the joy of a second-place finish.
Seeing Laxus's face, Gajeel, who initially wanted to mock him, swallowed his words and asked, "Just lost by a bit, no need to be so mad."
Laxus shook his head, his eyes revealing an unknown meaning, and said softly, "That kind of boring competition—it doesn't matter if I lose."
"Did you sense it?" Mira interjected.
Laxus nodded slightly, looking at Mira, "You knew all along, didn't you?"
"How could I not know, considering my current relationship with him," Mira replied with a smile.
"What the hell are you talking about? Can't you explain it clearly?" Gajeel yelled in frustration, unable to follow the conversation.
Lexus, not bothered by Gajeel's outburst, explained, "We're talking about Calvin's strength, and just how far it has gone."
This explanation puzzled Gajeel even more, so he continued to ask, "What do you mean? Is he stronger than you?" Even Juvia, usually absent-minded, was now listening intently.
Gajeel had always thought Calvin and Laxus were equally matched. Having fought both of them, he realized he was no match for either, so Laxus, implying Calvin was stronger, made no sense to him.
"Even though the fight with Calvin was brief, standing in front of him feels like facing the ocean, unfathomable. That guy has evolved to a level I can't understand. Seven years ago, he could easily defeat Hades with one hand." Laxus spoke calmly, but Mira, familiar with him, knew he was deeply unwilling.
Since childhood, Calvin has been the only person in Fairy Tail who can match Laxus. Now, realizing he had been left so far behind unknowingly, Lexus couldn't accept it.
"Let you lead for now, but I'll catch up soon! Just wait, Calvin!" Laxus thought, his eyes showing a fierce competitive spirit.