Hey guys i hope you enjoy this and hope it doesn't feel like a nerf or something. The reason Varion doesn't stomp his opponent this fight is (A) due to him not being used to fighting people and he is rather inexperienced in this area due to when he fought the kid he was so much stronger he got nothing from it. (B) he's still rather young and not a demon lord like Milim. I figured it would take a good while longer for his powers to reach BS levels like hers. If he's too weak or strong let me know so I can adjust. Please leave a comment or a review Thank you
Chapter 12: Gajeel and a Fight
Varion stepped out of the Fairy Tail guild hall, the morning sun warm on his face as he left the cheers and chaos behind. The kids were safe—settled, watched over by Makarov and the others. That freed him to focus. Gajeel. The iron dragon slayer's magic signature was steady but isolated, pulling him east across Fiore.
Without the kids to carry, he didn't need to hold back. Magic surged through him, horns curving up from his temples, scales rippling along his arms and back. His wings unfurled fully—massive, silver-blue spans catching the light like distant stars. He crouched, then launched skyward in a burst of power, the ground cracking slightly beneath him.
The world blurred immediately. Varion flew at full speed, wings slicing through the air with thunderous force. Wind howled past, but his magic shielded him, turning the rush into a silent glide. Below, Fiore streaked by in a haze—Magnolia's rooftops vanishing behind him, fields and rivers merging into green-gold ribbons, forests flashing like dark smears.
He angled east, pushing harder. Mountains rose ahead—the jagged peaks of the Fiore range, snow-capped and imposing. Varion didn't slow; he ascended sharply, wings pumping as he crested the heights in a blur, cold air biting but ignored. Peaks whipped past—craggy cliffs, hidden valleys, a glimpse of a frozen lake—gone in seconds. The landscape shifted again: rolling hills, scattered towns, a wide river glinting like molten silver.
Hours compressed into what felt like minutes. Gajeel's signature grew stronger—sharp, metallic, laced with frustration and sleight unease. Varion slowed as he neared, descending toward a sprawling scrap yard on the outskirts of a rundown industrial town. Twisted metal heaps towered like rusted giants, old machines and debris scattered under the afternoon sun. The air smelled of rust and oil and something else, something off .
Varion landed lightly at the edge, wings folding away, horns and scales receding. His senses locked on—Gajeel was in there, somewhere amid the junk.
Varion moved through the scrap yard with quiet purpose, his footsteps muffled by the layers of rusted metal and discarded debris underfoot. The air was thick with the scent of iron and decay, but his senses cut through it all, zeroing in on Gajeel's sharp, metallic aura. It was close now—stronger, laced with irritation and wariness. He wove around towering piles of junk, the source pulling him forward like a thread.
As he rounded a bent sheet of steel, he spotted them: Gajeel, about 10 years old now, with his long black hair and studded piercings, standing with arms crossed in front of a tall, lanky man in a dark cloak. The man's magic felt wrong—dark, not like Rogue's shadows, but twisted with evil and greed, like oil seeping through water. Varion's instincts prickled; he didn't like this guy already.
The man was speaking, his voice smooth and persuasive. "...a place where your talents would be appreciated, boy. Phantom Lord could use someone with your… unique strength. Join us, and you'll have power, respect—"
Varion stepped out into view, interrupting loudly before the offer could finish. "There you are, Gajeel. I've been looking all over Fiore for you."
Gajeel whirled, red eyes narrowing in confusion, his iron-studded brows furrowing. "The hell? Who're you, red? How do you know my name?"
Varion kept his tone calm, but firm, ignoring the man for a moment. Gajeel's instincts screamed at him—this guy felt familiar, safe, like someone he should trust. But that didn't make sense; he didn't remember him. It pissed him off, the confusion twisting in his gut. "Oi, answer me! You some kinda stalker or what?"
The tall man—Jose Porla, though Varion didn't know his name yet—turned slowly, his polite smile not reaching his cold eyes. Varion could feel his strength now, a coiled darkness that set his teeth on edge. This guy was powerful, and something about him reeked of trouble.
Jose adjusted his cloak, his voice snarky but laced with false civility. "My, my. It's impolite to interrupt people in the middle of a conversation, young man."
Varion met Jose's gaze evenly, not backing down. "Gajeel's my little brother," he said, stepping closer. "He has amnesia—only remembers a small amount of his childhood with Metalicana. That's why he's out here alone. But he's coming with me now."
Gajeel's eyes widened, the mention of Metalicana hitting like a punch. How did this guy know about that? The dragon, the training, the vague fragments of his past—it all lined up. His instincts roared louder—trust him, he's family—but it frustrated him, the fog in his head refusing to clear. "What the—? How do you know about Metalicana? And brother? I don't remember no damn brother! This some kinda trick?"
Jose's smile tightened, irritation flashing behind his eyes as he saw Gajeel's hesitation grow.
Varion held Gajeel's gaze steadily, ignoring Jose's growing irritation for the moment. "Metalicana entrusted you to me before he left," he said quickly, his voice calm but firm. "I know where he is, but I'll tell you later. For now, trust me—we need to go."
Gajeel's red eyes widened, and he stomped forward a few steps, confusion twisting into desperate hope. "You know where Metalicana is? Tell me now, damn it! Where—"
Varion moved fast, stepping forward and positioning himself between Gajeel and Jose in one smooth motion. He kept his eyes on the tall man the whole time, sensing the dark aura starting to leak out—greed and malice seeping like smoke, twisting the air around them. Jose's polite facade cracked, his restraint visibly straining as his fingers twitched, like he was itching to lash out at the interruption.
Jose's voice came out snarky, laced with barely contained anger. "I wasn't done talking to that kid yet."
Varion turned fully to him now, his tone even but unyielding. "Sorry, but I'm his guardian, and I say you are."
Jose's eyes narrowed, his hold over his magic snapping like a taut wire. Dark energy surged out in a wave, heavy and oppressive, meant to intimidate—to crush wills and force submission. It rolled over them like a shadow, thick with evil intent.
Varion felt it press against him—unpleasant, like oily smoke in his lungs—but it didn't faze him much. His Star Dragonoid essence held firm shrugging it off. But behind him, Gajeel dropped to his knees with a gasp, clutching his chest as the pressure hit him hard, his breath ragged.
That pissed Varion off. His own magic flared in response—a silver-white surge of starlight essence, pure and unyielding, pushing back against Jose's darkness. The two forces clashed mid-air, sparks of light and shadow exploding between them like crackling lightning, the ground trembling slightly under the strain.
Jose's eyes widened in surprise, his snarky smile faltering for a split second—he hadn't expected resistance like this from some kid. But he didn't back down; instead, he doubled his efforts, pouring more dark magic into the aura, the shadows thickening as he tried to overwhelm Varion completely.
His dark magic surging like a tidal wave of shadows, thickening the air until it felt like breathing tar. The pressure intensified, a crushing force meant to break Varion's will and body in one go. Varion gritted his teeth, his star dragon magic flaring brighter to hold the line—but behind him, Gajeel let out a pained whimper, the boy collapsing fully to the ground, gasping as the evil aura squeezed his lungs.
That was all it took.
Varion snapped. His calm shattered like glass, raw fury igniting in his chest. "Get away from him!" he roared, his body moving on instinct. He rushed forward in a blur, dragonoid strength propelling him like a comet. Jose's eyes widened in shock as Varion closed the distance, his fist rocketing out in a devastating punch that connected square with the man's chest.
The impact echoed like thunder, sending Jose flying back through a pile of scrap metal, the twisted steel crumpling under him as he skidded to a halt. Jose coughed, staggering to his feet, his polite facade cracking into a snarl of rage. "You insolent brat—!"
The fight kicked off in earnest. Jose unleashed a barrage of dark blasts—shadowy tendrils whipping through the air like vipers, each one laced with malice that drained the life from anything they touched. Varion dodged most, but one grazed his arm, burning like acid. Jose's power was vast, refined by years of dark arts, overwhelming Varion's raw and still younger and less trained magic. He was losing in magic by a large margin At range, the gap was too wide to surpass; Jose's attacks came faster, harder, pushing Varion back step by step.
But up close? That was different.
Varion noticed the pattern—Jose overpowered him at range, but faltered when closed in. He adapted instantly, combining his Star Dragon Slayer magic into melee using 'star dragon claws and talons'. His hands glowed with silver-white energy, claws extending from his fingers like sharpened stars. He charged again, weaving through a shadow blast and slashing with his claws—each strike infused with celestial fire that seared Jose's defenses.
Jose countered with a dark barrier, but Varion's physical strength made up the gap, his blows landing with bone-shaking force honed from years under Veldanava's training. A claw swipe ripped through the barrier, grazing Jose's cloak and drawing a hiss of pain. They were slightly even overall—Jose's magic edge balanced by Varion's raw power and speed—but Varion's age showed; his less experience with fighting other mages showed as Jose pressed the advantage.
"You dare challenge me?" Jose sneered, summoning more shadows to entangle Varion's legs.
Varion roared, magic energy exploding from his body to shatter the binds. He lunged, claws aiming for Jose's throat—melee was his domain now, and he wouldn't back down until Gajeel was safe.
Jose doubled his efforts, his dark magic surging like a tidal wave of shadows, thickening the air until it felt like breathing tar. The pressure intensified, a crushing force meant to break Varion's will and body in one go. Varion felt the weight slam against him again—unpleasant, like oily smoke in his lungs— it hit harder, bruising his skin and slowing his movements. Behind him, Gajeel let out a pained whimper, gasping as the evil aura squeezed his lungs.
Jose's lips curled into a smug grin, his voice dripping with arrogance as he floated back, keeping distance. "Impressive resilience for a child. But power like yours… it won't last."
Varion didn't respond with words. He surged forward again, closing the gap despite the shadows lashing at him like whips. A tendril caught his leg, slicing through his pants and drawing blood, but he ignored the sting, channeling his magic into his fist. "Star Dragon's Comet Fist!" he roared, his hand glowing with cosmic energy, trailing starlight like a falling meteor. The punch slammed into Jose's hastily formed Shade barrier—a wall of ghostly figures twisting into a shield—but the impact exploded in a burst of light, shattering several shades and forcing Jose to stagger back a good distance.
Jose laughed, adapting quickly, his form blurring as he used Thought Projection to create illusory duplicates, circling Varion to confuse him. "You think brute force is enough? How naive." He raised his hands, unleashing a Dead Wave—a massive crescent of dark energy slicing through the air like a scythe, aimed to bisect Varion.
Varion twisted mid-air, dodging most of it, but the edge clipped his side, tearing his shirt and leaving a deep gash that burned with corrupting darkness. Blood trickled, his vision blurring for a second, but he pushed through, the stacking injuries piled on top of each other—arm throbbing, leg stinging, side aching. He couldn't stop; Gajeel needed him.
Switching to melee fully, Varion closed in again, his hands transforming. "Star Dragon's Claw!" Silver-white energy formed razor-sharp claws over his fingers, infused with stellar power that cut through shadows like light through night. He slashed at one duplicate—illusory, it dispersed—but the real Jose fired a Dark Pulse, a concentrated beam of blackness that slammed into Varion's shoulder, knocking him back and charring his skin.
Jose floated higher, keeping his distance now, adapting to Varion's close-range preference. He summoned more Shades—ethereal ghosts swarming like a horde, entangling Varion's limbs with Shade Entangle, ghostly chains wrapping around him to drain his strength. "You fight like a beast," Jose gloated, his voice echoing. " Allow me to introduce myself properly—Jose Porla, master of Phantom Lord. And you, boy, are far in over your head."
Varion snarled, his body heating with starlight as he broke free, the chains shattering in a cosmic burst. Injuries piled on—a fresh burn on his shoulder, ribs bruised from the pulse—but his physical strength surged, dragonoid resilience keeping him going. He leaped up, summoning his wings briefly to boost him close. "Star Dragon's Wing Attack!" He channeled the energy through them, slashing them wide in a sweeping arcs, unleashing a broad wave of stellar blades that dispersed a wave of Shades and illusions, forceing Jose to condense his Shade magic into a protective form—a dense, gelatinous barrier of darkness that absorbed the blow but cracked under the force, the starlight eating away at the edges like acid on ink.
Jose countered with another Dead Wave, the scythe-like blast grazing Varion's thigh, drawing more blood and slowing him slightly. But Varion adapted too, mixing range into his melee—he followed up with "Star Dragon's Roar!" A beam of pure celestial fire erupted from his mouth, swirling with star fragments, slamming into Jose's form. The roar was devastating against the darkness, the light piercing through like dawn shattering night, shattering the condensed Shade barrier completely, singeing Jose's cloak and drawing a grunt of pain as shadows evaporated in bursts of steam.
Jose retreated further, gloating even as he panted. "Such raw power… but unrefined. You'll tire soon, boy."
Jose floated higher, his dark magic coiling tighter as he unleashed another barrage—more Shades swarming like a plague, their ghostly forms screeching as they dove at Varion. "You'll crumble soon enough," Jose sneered, his voice echoing through the projections. "Your light is nothing against true darkness!"
Varion slashed through the horde with his claws, starlight shredding the shades in bursts of light, but the necrotic taint from earlier hits was creeping in. Jose's magic wasn't just force—it rotted from within, a slow decay that sapped his strength not through exhaustion but through corrupting his body. His movements slowed just a fraction, muscles aching like poisoned veins.
Jose seized the opening, firing a concentrated Dark Pulse straight at Varion's face. The beam connected directly—a searing blast of blackness that exploded against his skin. Varion staggered, the impact knocking him off his feet and sending him crashing onto his back amid the scrap, metal shards digging into his shoulders.
For a second, the world spun—pain blooming across his face. He tasted blood from a busted lip, felt warm liquid trickling from a cut over his eye, and a bruise swelling rapidly, throbbing like he'd taken a hammer blow. Gajeel groaned nearby, still down, the fight's toll hitting him harder.
Jose laughed, descending slightly. "Welll is that all are you done?"
Varion pushed up, wiping blood from his eye, his vision clearing through sheer will. The injuries stung, but they fueled him—the pain sharpening his focus. He stood, silver energy crackling around him like static stars. "Not yet."
Jose's eyes narrowed, sensing the shift. He unleashed another Dead Wave, the scythe of darkness arcing wide.
Varion didn't dodge. Instead, he channeled deeper magic being pulled to him from the very air and himself, drawing on a secret art he'd named after a story his father had told—a devastating move from his "sister" Milim in another world. "Draco Nova!" he roared, gathering stardust-like energy into a compact sphere in front of his fist, the air humming with cosmic power. It wasn't like Milim's full might—not even close, a scaled-down version that wouldn't level mountains but packed enough punch for this fight. He punched out towards Jose and it exploded outward in a focused beam, a radiant lance of stellar destruction streaking toward Jose like a comet's tail.
The nova collided with the Dead Wave, light devouring darkness in a violent clash—shadows evaporating in hissing steam, the scrap yard lighting up like day. Jose's attack shattered, the backlash forcing him back, his cloak singed and aura flickering as the beam grazed his side, burning through his defenses and drawing a sharp hiss of pain.
Varion panted, the effort taxing his wounded body, but he stood firm, claws ready, eyes locked on Jose. He looked like he could keep going—starlight still humming in his veins, ready for more.
Jose hovered, assessing—the nova's brilliance had lit up the sky, drawing eyes from the nearby town. Sirens wailed in the distance—Rune Knights, no doubt. His expression soured, the fight no longer worth the exposure. "Hmph. You've proven… entertaining. I'll be merciful this time and withdraw. But remember my name, boy. We will meet again."
With a swirl of shadows, Jose vanished, his presence fading like smoke.
Varion exhaled, the adrenaline crashing as he dropped to one knee, pain flaring from his injuries. But Gajeel was safe. That was all that mattered.