It’s Just Gone 16: Chapter 16: As for the Volcano…
It’s Just Gone Laxus was instantly speechless.
‘Why was a guy like this chosen for the S-Class roster?’ Caelan cleared his throat, pretending to be serious.
“Anyway, enough about that.
You’re looking a little rough there, buddy.
Couldn’t even handle this little lizard?” Laxus’s face flushed red with anger.
“What do you know?!
I was just playing with it while waiting for you to show up!
I didn’t want you whining that I stole your kill!” “Hmph!” At that exact moment, the Blazing Flame Lizard that had been knocked to the floor snapped its eyes open.
A sinister, blood-red light ignited in its pupils.
“ROOOAARR—!!!” The monster let out a deafening, agonizing roar.
The cavern immediately began to shake violently.
The lizard’s dark red scales suddenly flared with blinding, intense heat, and a split second later, the entire volcano started to tremble.
“Not good.
This thing is trying to trigger a full-scale eruption!” Caelan yelled.
“We have to stop it!” In a flash of golden light, Caelan instantly appeared directly beneath the monster’s jaw.
“Speed is weight!
Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?
Heavy Light Speed Kick!” A massive cross-shaped burst of light flared at Caelan’s foot as he delivered a devastating upward strike right into the lizard’s chin.
The monster felt its brain rattle violently; its entire skull felt like it was going to shatter.
The sheer force of the kick launched the multi-ton beast straight up into the air, embedding it deep into the solid rock of the cavern ceiling.
Laxus stopped holding back.
Violent, crackling lightning erupted from his body, his muscles bulging as his aura spiked to its peak.
“Lightning Dragon’s Roar!!” A colossal beam of lightning blasted upward, scoring a direct hit on the embedded lizard.
The roar swallowed the beast completely, blasting it layer by layer through the solid rock ceiling until it punched a massive hole straight through the top of the volcano.
The pillar of lightning shot high into the sky, piercing the thick ash clouds.
“That’s for the tail whip, you overgrown gecko,” Laxus grunted.
He glanced over to check on Caelan, only to find the guy already sprinting madly toward the cave exit.
“Hey—!” Laxus started, but then he looked up.
Through the massive hole he had just blown in the ceiling, a literal waterfall of molten magma was pouring down into the cavern.
“Holy crap!
Caelan, you bastard, you just ran away?!” Laxus roared.
Caelan’s voice echoed from down the tunnel.
“What are you doing just standing there?!
Do you have a death wish?!
Run!” Laxus scrambled, sprinting forward for his life.
“You traitor!
You could have at least warned me!” “It’s your fault!” Caelan yelled back.
“I only embedded him in the ceiling!
You’re the one who blasted a hole straight through the magma chamber!
The lava doesn’t have enough pressure to erupt upward anymore, so now it’s pouring inside!” Laxus rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he ran.
“Uh…
I guess that makes sense.” “Stop talking and run!” Caelan screamed.
“The magma is catching up!” Just then, they spotted a familiar figure ahead in the tunnel.
It was Gildarts, who had dropped Erza off at the bottom and was rushing back to check on them.
Gildarts stopped as Caelan and Laxus blew past him, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
“Cough, cough.” Gildarts waved the dust away.
“Hey, what are you two running from?
Is something chasing you?!” He peered down the dark tunnel, his pupils rapidly shrinking.
“Holy crap!” Dropping a choice curse word, Gildarts immediately whipped around and sprinted after them, easily catching up to the two teens.
“What the hell did you two do?!
Why is there a tidal wave of magma in here?!” “Blame Laxus!” Caelan shouted.
The three of them ran a frantic race against death.
After a few agonizing minutes, they finally burst out of the cave entrance, sprinting all the way down to the base of the mountain.
Makarov looked at the three panting, disheveled mages in sheer confusion.
“What happened to you three?” The moment the words left his mouth, a massive torrent of molten rock exploded out of the cave entrance high above, cascading down the mountainside like a fiery waterfall.
Makarov’s jaw dropped.
“What the hell did you three idiots do?!” “Master, this isn’t the time for that!” Caelan gasped.
“If we don’t stop it, the village at the base of the mountain is going to be wiped out!” “I know that!
But how are we supposed to stop a volcanic eruption?!” Caelan, Laxus, and Gildarts all spoke in perfect unison: “By destroying the volcano, obviously.” Hearing each other, the three of them exchanged satisfied nods.
‘They really get me,’ all three thought simultaneously.
A massive vein popped on Makarov’s forehead.
“Can you three try using your brains for once?!” “No time, old man!” Caelan shouted.
He raised a single finger, and a terrifyingly dense point of golden light began to gather at the tip.
The sheer, overwhelming magical pressure radiating from him shocked the other mages.
‘This guy…
he actually has this much Magic Power left?!
Dammit!’ Laxus grit his teeth.
‘As expected of the kid I scouted,’ Gildarts thought proudly.
‘It’s over…
it’s all over…
I’m going to spend the rest of my life in a Council prison,’ Makarov wept internally.
“Cero!” Fwip—!!!
A colossal beam of devastating energy erupted from Caelan’s finger.
The blinding golden light was so intense that everyone had to shield their eyes.
KABOOM—!!!
A few moments later, the light faded.
Everyone slowly lowered their arms and opened their eyes, only to find that the entire volcano had been completely erased from existence.
It was now a perfectly flat plain.
Makarov stared with wide eyes, completely unable to comprehend that this apocalyptic level of destruction came from the seemingly harmless teenager standing next to him.
Caelan nodded in absolute satisfaction.
He casually blew the smoke off his glowing fingertip and tilted his head up proudly.
“I am just that good.” Smack!
Makarov leaped into the air and brought his fist crashing down onto Caelan’s head.
“Can’t you hold back even a little bit, you brat?!
Destroying the peak would have been enough!
Why did you vaporize the entire mountain?!” Suddenly, Caelan froze.
He collapsed onto his hands and knees, staring blankly at the flattened earth with a look of utter despair.
This sudden, dramatic shift in demeanor completely bewildered everyone present.
Makarov looked left and right in sheer confusion.
“I didn’t even hit him that hard…
what’s wrong with him?” The others were equally baffled.
Tears welled up in Caelan’s eyes.
His hand trembled as he pointed at the barren wasteland.
“My…
my…” he sobbed, looking up at Makarov with sheer devastation.
“My gems…
they’re all gone…” “Gems?!” everyone yelled in unison.
Makarov finally noticed Caelan’s ridiculously bulging pockets, practically bursting at the seams with massive rubies, emeralds, and diamonds.
“Are you seriously crying over this right now?!” Makarov deadpanned.
Caelan nodded, wiping away a tear.
Everyone instantly faceplanted into the dirt.
“I thought you were actually hurt,” Makarov sighed in exasperation.
“The gems are gone, and that’s that.
In fact, not only are the mountain’s gems gone, but everything in your pockets is being confiscated to pay for the property damage!” Caelan jumped to his feet like he’d been electrocuted.
“Don’t even think about touching my stash!
See these fists?
They hit really hard, old man!” Makarov completely ignored the threat.
His arm immediately expanded into its Giant form, snatching Caelan by the ankle.
He held the screaming teenager upside down and gave him a few violent shakes.
A glittering cascade of rubies, emeralds, and diamonds rained down onto the dirt.
“Hey!
Be gentle!
Ahhh!”