As night deepened, the sky filled with stars. The sea breeze turned biting, causing the patrolling Marines to shrink into their collars and tighten their coats as they continued their rounds. The soldier on watch in the lighthouse puffed on his cigarette and looked toward the Recruit Camp.
"Huh? Are they still serving food in the ss hall this late?"
"You damn brat!"
Ms. S leaned against her knees, panting heavily. Before her, a pot of at soup bubbled away, its rich, savory aroma filling the air. After a mont's respite, she began slicing vegetables again, because Loya, at the table opposite, had already finished his latest serving.
Loya rested one hand on his bulging stomach and used the other to scrape the edge of his plate, swallowing the last of the food with a crisp crunch.
"Aha! You..."
Loya had been about to declare victory upon seeing Ms. S still at the stove, but he suddenly shut his mouth. A massive basin of shrimp-fried rice had been slapped down in front of him, the golden grains glistening with mouth-watering oil.
"Kid, you want to win? You're still far too young!" Ms. S scoffed, tossing more ingredients into the wok. "Just wait. Once this soup is finished, you're done for."
Indeed, I am going to lose...
Loya stared at the shrimp with grim determination. While the system could convert food into energy, there was a limit to the rate of assimilation. Without leveling up, it would take at least three hours for the current contents of his stomach to digest.
Do I really have to concede?
Loya shook his head, banishing the thought. As a Dragon Slayer, how could he lose at the table? Besides, with the system's digestive boost, losing to an elderly woman would be humiliating!
As he gnawed on the shrimp, he maximized his digestive output. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit him.
Wait. I'm a Dragon Slayer! Why am I trying to brute-force this?
Loya shoved a mouthful of rice into his mouth, stood up, and headed for the door, muttering through the food, "Excuse , pardon , I'm just stepping out for a mont."
"Kid, are you going to throw up the food?" Ms. S sneered, watching him go.
"I'm going to 'throw up,' yes. But not the food. If you don't believe , co and see."
"Tch, I'm not an idiot. My dish will be ready soon, and you'll lose anyway! Hey, you lot, follow him and make sure he doesn't pull any tricks!"
Ms. S prided herself on being sharp—she wouldn't waste ti—but she sent other cooks to keep an eye on him.
"No way? Is Loya losing?"
"Don't know, let's go see!"
The recruits poured out of the ss hall like a swarm of bees, joining the chefs outside. They found Loya standing in an open lot, cheeks puffed out, surveying the area.
"Is he looking for a spot to puke? If he wastes that much food, Ms. S will go berserk!" the recruits whispered. Loya ignored them. He chose a spot free of buildings, with the nearest obstacle being a patch of grass three ters away. He tilted his head back, clenched his fists, and held them to his mouth.
"Ice Dragon's... ROAR!"
BOOM!
A massive tornado of frigid air roared into the sky. The bystanders stood rooted to the spot, jaws dropped, as the intense cold hit them, making them feel as if they had been transported to the polar regions.
Loya was throwing up, but not food—he was purging magic. In the world of Fairy Tail, dragon magic consud more than just magic power; it burned through massive amounts of stamina. The defining trait of a Dragon Slayer was their monstrous recovery rate. Much like Natsu, no matter how badly he was beaten, he could always bounce back for a final counterattack.
If I can't out-eat you, I'll grind you down!
Loya's plan was to use his Roar to burn through his stamina reserves. As his stamina drained, the system would accelerate the digestion of the food in his stomach to replenish his body.
CRACK!
A sharp sound echoed from the sky. Everyone looked up to see the ice tornado shatter into countless glittering crystals that danced in the moonlight.
"Is... is this fireworks?"
The crowd blinked, stunned by the display. Loya gasped for air, clutching his stomach. It worked—he could feel the food digesting rapidly, a warm glow spreading through his body.
He looked back to see the crowd still standing there, wide-eyed and exposed. He yelled, "Hey! Stop staring! The ice is going to fall soon! Aren't you going to move?!"
"Ah... EH?!"
The realization hit them a second too late. They looked up to see the small crystals growing larger—so the size of heads!
"RUN! HAILSTORM!"
CLATTER-BANG!
The crowd scrambled back into the ss hall. Sure enough, the sky unleashed a barrage of ice. The smallest shards were the size of fists; the largest were as big as tabletops, smashing into the ground with enough force to crater the earth.
Loya knew the ice ford by his magic was just as hard as the ice blades Aokiji used in combat.
"Where's Loya? Why isn't he back inside?!" Ms. S shouted, looking around the panicked crowd.
"There! He's still outside!"
A sharp-eyed recruit pointed out the window. Not only was Loya outside, but he didn't even look like he was trying to dodge.
"Damn it! Save him!" Ms. S roared, ready to charge out, but the other chefs held her back.
"Look, Loya's going to do it again!"
Sure enough, the blue magic circle appeared before his mouth again. BOOM! Another ice tornado shot toward the heavens. This ti, Loya calculated the trajectory precisely, not only destroying most of the falling ice but carving a clear path between himself and the ss hall.
Finished, Loya stood tall and flashed a smug grin. He raised one hand, forming a fist, and condensed blue magic power into a shimring, crystalline umbrella.
Shielded by it, Loya walked slowly along the path cleared by his Roar. Around him, ice boulders whistled as they crashed down, but above his head, it was serene. Only fine ice dust, like a light drizzle, tapped against the canopy.
He walked like an emperor amidst the frost; not a single shard of ice dared to strike him, all bowing in submission as he passed.
"That guy... is he really just a recruit?"
The others fell silent. That power, that presence—not even the Elite Camp could boast such a feat.
Loya returned to the ss hall and tossed the umbrella aside, letting a falling boulder smash it to smithereens. "Well then, Ms. S, shall we continue?"
"No need," Ms. S waved her hand. "I see what you did—you used your ability to burn through your stamina, effectively speed-digesting the food. Tch... A Zoan-type user, huh?" She saw his stomach was flat again and knew the ga was up.
"In that case," Loya bowed, hands pressed together with a smile, "thank you for the al!"
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