Beside the creek, there was an open space where Caesar did his daily exercises.Elsa was wearing armor and had taken off her eye patch. Her eyes had been healed by Granny Polysica using prosthetic eyes.
She stood in front of Caesar, holding the knight's sword, and asked, "Are you going to use magic this time?"
"Attack with all your strength," Caesar said, waving at her. "My Take Over Magic absorbs the souls of heroes. I've been working hard these days, saving up jewels to support the heroes I summon, so I'm really strong now."
"So that's why you've been working so hard," said Gray, who was sitting nearby. Realization dawned on his face as he added, "Then Caesar, go for it!"
Just like in the original timeline, Elsa was now the undisputed queen of the kids in Fairy Tail. Aside from Laxus, who was notoriously difficult to deal with, even Gray had been defeated by Elsa many times.
So, seeing Caesar about to have an all-out magic duel with Elsa, Gray rushed over to watch.
"Then let's begin," Elsa nodded. "Requip: Heavenly Wheel Armor."
In a flash of light, her current armor transformed into the Heavenly Wheel Armor.
Seeing the armor still tightly wrapped around her frame, with the addition of two steel wings, Caesar clicked his tongue inwardly.
Looks like this armor isn't her final form yet. I bet it'll evolve more as she matures... but this is enough.
"I'm coming!" Elsa shouted. Her grip tightened around her twin swords, and a fierce aura surged from her. She leaned forward and launched herself like an arrow, her figure blurring with afterimages.
In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of Caesar, swinging her swords with a force that turned them into blinding crescents.
Caesar took a deep breath, and light flared from his body. In the next moment, his hair turned golden, he donned a moon-white divine robe, and held two uniquely shaped kunai.
"Too slow!" Elsa shouted, bringing both swords down.
"Slow? That's not slow at all," Caesar chuckled and suddenly threw a kunai.
Elsa froze momentarily—the kunai hadn't been aimed at her at all. It sailed behind her.
"An empty throw?" she muttered, confused. Then Caesar vanished.
"Teleportation? No—spatial magic!" Elsa spun, swinging her blades behind her.
Clang!
Her swords collided with Caesar's kunai, knocking him back. He skidded across the ground before coming to a stop, still holding the kunai.
"As expected of Elsa. Your reaction speed is insane," Caesar praised.
"Is that your new ability?" she asked, pointing her sword at him. "The speed's not bad—but is that all?"
"Of course not. I'm just getting started," Caesar said before vanishing again.
"Again with that trick?" Elsa spun around to strike but missed. Caesar had thrown another kunai and vanished.
She quickly looked to where the new kunai landed—and there he was.
So, he needs those weird weapons to teleport. Elsa realized immediately. But before she could act, Caesar tossed another handful—seven or eight kunai—surrounding her.
Elsa frowned and lifted her leg, kicking a kunai away.
Dozens of them fell around her in a flash.
"I'm not scared of numbers!" she declared, unleashing her magic. A storm of knight swords appeared behind her.
Even this young, she's a monster, Caesar thought as he vanished again.
"There!" Elsa spotted him and sent two knight swords flying toward him.
Caesar didn't move. A spinning blue sphere formed in his right hand.
"Rasengan!"
He charged forward and smashed the Rasengan into the knight sword, sending it flying from the sheer force.
Then, with a puff of smoke, three more Caesars appeared beside him.
Elsa and Gray both stared, dumbfounded.
"Well then, don't say I'm bullying you with numbers," the four Caesars said simultaneously before disappearing again.
They surrounded Elsa in a quadrilateral.
"Four Red Sun Formation!"
A red, flaming barrier rose around Elsa, trapping her in a burning square.
She attacked the barrier repeatedly with her swords, but it didn't budge.
Smiling bitterly, Elsa lowered her swords and deactivated her armor.
"I give up. I can't break through this barrier... not yet."
Gray jumped up excitedly. "Caesar, you beat the demon queen!"
Boom!
Elsa's iron fist smashed into Gray's head. He fell to the ground holding his head, a huge lump forming.
"You deserved that," Caesar said with a grin.
He canceled the Take Over state and reached out to pull Gray up. Just as he was about to drag Gray along to try out Jiro's card, he noticed something odd.
My attributes... they've improved?
He opened his status screen:
Name: Caesar
Level: 2
Physique: 8+ (184)
Strength: 10+ (173)
Agility: 9+ (201)
My level went up?
Caesar stared in shock. For over a year, he had studied how to level up, but nothing ever worked.
But now—he'd finally leveled up.
In that instant, countless thoughts rushed through his mind.
He turned toward Gray, his eyes glowing.
"Gray, fight me! Use magic!"
"What?"
Gray looked up at him, horrified, eyes brimming with tears.
Two minutes later, Gray lay sprawled on the ground while Caesar stood tall, cooling off with a kick from Devil's Wind Style.
Opening the interface again, Caesar saw his level had increased to Level 3.
So that's the secret... leveling up requires magic battles. You have to defeat strong opponents to grow!