User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Chapter 473: Red Lightning, Review./@comment-7418318-20160215174341/@comment-7418318-20160215220817

But why would he be unable to use that technique for himself too?

And that he already was on max isn't a good argument either. He shot so many attacks at Laxus that he must have had at least some "room" in whatever kind of storage he uses for magical energy. Even if he couldn't power-up anymore, he could at least have replenished his stores with the absorbed energy.