Chapter 352: The Death of the Former Chairman
Crawford Theme, the disgraced Former Chairman of the Magic Council, gasped for breath, his eyes wide with a terror he had never before experienced. The cold, suffocating grip of realization finally closed tightly around his throat. He had sold out his former comrades, compromised the Council, and betrayed humanity itself, all for the alluring promise of unbridled power. But as the towering, monstrous figure of Torafuzar loomed over him, the dark eyes of the demon devoid of a single shred of empathy, Crawford finally understood his fatal miscalculation.
Demons did not honor deals with cattle. They merely slaughtered them when they ceased to be useful.
But it was far too late for regret.
Squelch!
A sickening crunch of flesh and bone echoed through the quiet halls of the guild. Crawford's eyes rolled back, his mouth opening in a silent, bloody scream. His portly body slumped forward heavily, collapsing to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. A pool of crimson began to rapidly expand beneath him. The Former Chairman was dead.
Torafuzar slowly retracted his bloodied arm, flicking the crimson droplets from his bladed appendage with a look of utter disdain. His cold, reptilian gaze swept across the room, locking onto the two trembling figures standing behind the iron bars of the holding cell.
Macao and Wakaba froze, the blood draining from their faces. The sheer, oppressive weight of the demon's aura was suffocating, pressing down on their chests like an anvil. As members of Fairy Tail, they were undeniable enemies of Tartaros.
Torafuzar cracked his massive neck, a sickening popping sound echoing in the tense air. His primary mission—the assassination of the Former Chairman to sever the final biological link—was complete. Now, it was time for his secondary objective: the total annihilation of the Fairy Tail Guild.
"Now... go to hell, human trash!" Torafuzar roared, his muscular legs kicking off the floorboards. The ground splintered beneath his immense physical strength as he lunged forward, closing the distance toward Macao and Wakaba in the blink of an eye. The sharp, deadly blades on his forearms gleamed with a sinister light, aiming directly for their necks.
Macao and Wakaba braced themselves, closing their eyes in preparation for the inevitable end.
Suddenly, the air pressure in the room plummeted. The distinct, sharp scent of ozone flooded their nostrils, making the hairs on the back of their necks stand up.
CRACK—!
A blinding, deafening bolt of golden lightning crashed down from the heavens, completely obliterating the ceiling of the Fairy Tail guild hall. The sheer concussive force of the strike shattered the wooden beams, raining debris down in a chaotic shower that landed squarely in the path between Torafuzar and the two veteran mages.
"What?!" Torafuzar skidded to a halt, raising his arms to shield his eyes from the intense, blinding flash of light.
As the smoke and dust began to clear, crackling arcs of golden electricity danced wildly across the ruined floorboards. A towering, broad-shouldered figure was already standing firmly before the demon. He wasn't dressed for combat; a thick, dark overcoat was simply thrown over his heavily bandaged chest. Golden sparks hissed and popped around his clenched fists.
"I only took a short nap..." Laxus Dreyar rumbled, his deep, resonant voice vibrating with a dangerous, barely contained fury. Slowly, he lifted his head, his sharp eyes locking onto the demon with a predatory glare. "...and a rat actually managed to sneak into my home. To dare trespass in Fairy Tail... I assume you're fully prepared to pay with your miserable life."
"Laxus!!" Macao and Wakaba cried out in unison, their voices cracking with sheer, unadulterated joy and overwhelming relief.
Laxus had been hovering near death's door, his body ravaged from inhaling a lethal dose of Magical Barrier Particles to save his team. Everyone in the guild had been utterly sick with worry, praying for his recovery. Seeing him standing there now, alive and radiating that familiar, overwhelming magical pressure, felt like a miracle. They instantly breathed a heavy sigh of relief; if Laxus was here, they were safe.
"Where is everyone?" Laxus asked, his tone gruff, not taking his eyes off the demon. "Why are only you two left in the guild?"
Laxus was deeply confused. He had been confined to the infirmary, trapped in a feverish, agonizing sleep. But the moment his heightened senses picked up the distinct, malevolent magical fluctuations of an intruder, his instincts had forcibly dragged him back to consciousness. He hadn't even had time to dress properly, throwing on his signature coat and rushing down.
"Everyone went to the Tartaros guild headquarters!" Macao quickly answered, his voice trembling slightly from the leftover adrenaline. "We stayed behind to protect the guild hall and to guard the Former Chairman!"
"The Former Chairman?" Laxus frowned, his gaze briefly shifting toward the iron cage.
As Macao pointed toward the cell, his own eyes landed on the bloody, unmoving heap on the floor. The veteran mage's expression morphed into one of absolute, blood-curdling horror. "Oh no! The... the Former Chairman is dead!"
Wakaba's face turned equally ashen. The cigar practically fell from his lips as he stared at Crawford's lifeless corpse. The implications of this were catastrophic.
"Heh! Hehehe..." Torafuzar let out a dark, booming chuckle, his muscular frame trembling with sinister amusement. "Exactly. The death of the Former Chairman means the third and final key has been severed. The seal is broken. Next, every single one of you filthy humans is finished."
"What the hell do you mean?!" Laxus growled, feeling like he had missed a massive chunk of vital information while unconscious.
Macao gripped the iron bars of the cage, his knuckles turning white. "Laxus, it's terrible! The Former Chairman was a traitor; he was the one providing Tartaros with the intel on the other Council Members! The Magic Council possesses a terrifying doomsday weapon called 'Face'—a continent-wide Magic Pulse Bomb. It was sealed away through an organic biological link magic tied to three former Chairmen. Once those three people die, 'Face' will automatically activate. And when it goes off, all the magic across the entire continent of Ishgar will completely vanish!"
Laxus's expression darkened instantly, a dangerous shadow falling over his eyes. He hadn't realized the Magic Council possessed something so insanely reckless and terrifying. If all magic disappeared, not only would mages become defenseless, but countless magical tools, medical equipment, and protective barriers keeping normal citizens safe from monsters would instantly fail. It would be mass genocide.
"You don't need to worry about any of that..." Torafuzar sneered, his muscles bulging as dark curse power flared around him. "...because you won't live long enough to see that beautiful moment!"
Torafuzar lunged at Laxus with terrifying speed, clearing the distance in a single bound. He threw his arm forward in a vicious, horizontal slash, aiming to decapitate the Dragon Slayer with his razor-sharp forearm blades.
Laxus didn't flinch. He didn't even bother to shift his stance. He simply reached out with a bare, calloused hand.
CLANG!
The sound of sharp metal clashing against flesh rang out through the guild. A shockwave rippled out from the point of impact, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"What?!" Torafuzar's eyes widened in utter disbelief. He pushed forward with all his demonic strength, but his blade wouldn't budge an inch. Laxus was holding the razor-sharp appendage firmly in his bare hand, completely unbothered. "You... you blocked my blade with your bare hand?!"
Torafuzar was genuinely shocked. His blades could cleave through solid steel like butter. He had never seen a human, let alone a seemingly injured one, casually catch his attack as if it were nothing more than a child's toy.
Crackle... crackle!!
Vibrant, golden electrical arcs began to violently spark and hiss around Laxus's head, illuminating his fierce, shadowed features. His eyes glowed with an intimidating, predatory light.
"You're in my house," Laxus whispered, his voice dangerously low.
BOOM—!!
A massive, blinding pillar of golden lightning erupted directly from the floorboards beneath Torafuzar. The raw, high-voltage energy struck the demon squarely in the chest, tearing through his defenses with devastating thermal and concussive force.
"Aaaargh!!"
Torafuzar let out a pained roar as he was sent hurtling backward through the air. He crashed violently through the remaining debris of the guild, landing hard in the open courtyard outside. His massive body skidded across the dirt, thick plumes of black smoke rising from his heavily charred chest.
"Damn it!" Torafuzar cursed, spitting a mouthful of dark blood onto the ground. He hadn't expected to be blown away so effortlessly.
Just as the demon staggered to his feet, intent on continuing the fight, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. A sudden, overwhelming spatial pressure materialized directly behind him. Torafuzar didn't even think; he immediately spun around on his heel, swinging his bladed arm in a wide, desperate arc.
Zzt!
A flash of golden lightning illuminated the courtyard for a fraction of a second. Before Torafuzar's swing could even complete its trajectory, Laxus was already there. He pressed his open palm flat against the center of Torafuzar's back.
"Oh no—!"
CRACK—!
A terrifying explosion of golden electricity erupted point-blank from Laxus's palm. The sheer kinetic force of the blast sent Torafuzar rocketing forward like a cannonball. He crashed through the stone fencing of the courtyard, tumbling wildly until he finally dug his claws into the earth to forcefully halt his momentum.
"You..." Torafuzar slowly stood up, his breathing heavy, his expression growing incredibly serious. The man standing before him was a completely different breed of monster. The raw magical power emanating from him was staggering, far eclipsing the two pieces of trash inside the guild.
It was clear that casual attacks weren't going to cut it. He could no longer hide his true strength.
"Oooooooooh!!!"
Torafuzar threw his head back and unleashed a deafening, demonic roar. A vortex of putrid, black Curse Power erupted around him, violently swirling and distorting space itself. His body began to undergo a horrifying, grotesque transformation. His muscles expanded to twice their size, tearing through his standard clothing. His skin darkened into a thick, scaly, shark-like hide, and jagged, demonic fins protruded from his forearms and back.
He had entered his true, unleashed state: his Etherious Form.
Without giving the demon a moment to breathe, Laxus casually raised his palm. A highly concentrated, blinding pillar of lightning shot forward, tearing through the air with a supersonic crack.
Torafuzar's eyes narrowed. He crossed his massive arms in front of his face. His dark, scaly skin suddenly shimmered, transforming into a glossy, impenetrable black hue, resembling hardened diamond.
BOOM—!
The lightning pillar slammed directly into Torafuzar's crossed arms, erupting into a massive dome of golden energy. The earth shattered beneath the demon's feet, and he was pushed back several yards by the sheer force of the blast. As the dust cleared, smoke rose slightly from his arms, but he stood firm. He had completely tanked the attack head-on.
"Hmm?" Laxus lowered his hand, an eyebrow raised in mild surprise. Not many things could take a direct hit from his lightning and remain in one piece.
"It's entirely useless!" Torafuzar mocked, an arrogant, toothy grin spreading across his terrifying maw. "My Curse allows me to alter the density of my body, hardening my flesh to a level that surpasses even the toughest alloys. In terms of pure physical defense, I am one of the absolute best within the ranks of Tartaros! Your magic cannot pierce me!"
With a thunderous stomp that shattered the ground, Torafuzar rushed toward Laxus like a runaway freight train. Drawing his fist back, he threw a devastating, armor-hardened punch aimed straight for Laxus's skull.
Laxus didn't even blink. In a flash of static electricity, his body simply dissolved into pure lightning, causing Torafuzar's massive fist to strike nothing but empty air.
Before the demon could even process the miss, Laxus reappeared high in the air directly behind him.
"Raging Bolt!"
Laxus waved his hand downward in a sweeping motion. A deafening crack of thunder shook the heavens as a massive, concentrated bolt of high-voltage electricity rained down from the sky, slamming directly onto Torafuzar's back.
BOOM—!
"Hmph!" Torafuzar let out a muffled, painful groan, his knees buckling slightly under the immense pressure. The heat of Laxus's lightning magic was utterly terrifying; even his carbon-hardened skin couldn't completely insulate him from the agonizing internal shock.
"Oh? You've actually got some skill," Laxus remarked, landing gracefully on the ground. He cracked his knuckles. This guy's defense was indeed significantly higher than the wind-using demon that had ambushed Yajima and his team at the restaurant.
"DIE, HUMAN!" Torafuzar roared, his pride wounded. He charged blindly at Laxus, swinging his massive, diamond-hardened fists in a flurry of lethal, devastating blows.
"But you're a bit too clumsy!"
Laxus's eyes tracked every single movement effortlessly. He weaved through the furious barrage of punches with the grace of a seasoned predator, his body moving in perfect synchronization with the sparking electricity around him. Slipping past a heavy right hook, Laxus pivoted tightly, his own fist igniting with a blinding, concentrated aura of golden lightning.
"Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!"
Laxus stepped entirely into Torafuzar's guard and slammed his electrified fist directly into the demon's hardened abdomen. The concussive impact was akin to a meteor strike.
"Aaaaaargh!!"
Torafuzar's eyes practically bugged out of his skull. The devastating force bypassed his hardened exterior, sending violently destructive shockwaves straight through his internal organs. He coughed up a sickening splatter of blood as he was sent flying backward into the sky.
Laxus didn't let up. He pulled both his hands apart, an insane amount of magical energy gathering between his palms. The air itself began to scream as the electricity condensed and solidified.
"Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!!"
A massive, glowing halberd forged of pure, destructive lightning materialized in Laxus's grasp. With a fierce roar of exertion, he hurled it with all his monstrous might at the airborne demon.
BOOM—!
"AAAAAAAGH!!" Torafuzar screamed in sheer agony as the halberd pierced his defenses, striking him squarely in the chest. A massive, devastating explosion of electricity erupted in mid-air. When the smoke momentarily cleared, Torafuzar's once-impenetrable, diamond-like skin was entirely covered in a dense, terrifying web of deep, glowing cracks.
As the heavily damaged demon began to fall back toward the earth, Laxus took a deep breath, his chest expanding as he drew in a massive amount of atmospheric ethernano. The static electricity in the area grew so intense that the surrounding rubble began to float.
He wasn't going to give this demon a single second to recover. He remembered all too well the devastating self-destruction technique that the other demon, Tempester, had utilized. If this monster possessed a similar biological fail-safe, Laxus refused to give him the chance to detonate and release those accursed Bane Particles. He would eradicate every single cell of his body right here, right now.
"Lightning Dragon's... ROAR!!!"
Without waiting for the enemy to hit the ground, Laxus opened his mouth and exhaled a violent, apocalyptic torrent of concentrated golden lightning. The massive beam of pure destruction instantly engulfed Torafuzar's battered body.
"Aaaaaaaagh—!!!"
BOOM—!!!
The sheer, terrifying magnitude of the Roar didn't just obliterate the demon; it tore straight through the courtyard, annihilating everything in its path, and shot out over the lake behind the Fairy Tail guild. The intense heat and concussive force violently split the water's surface, creating a massive, parting trench in the lake that sent towering waves crashing onto the distant shores.
After several long moments, the deafening roar of thunder slowly dissipated, leaving only the sound of sizzling earth and falling water.
Torafuzar lay broken and motionless at the bottom of a scorched crater, his body completely charred and lifeless. The mighty Demon Gate had been thoroughly exterminated.
"Cough! Cough!"
The adrenaline rapidly draining from his system, Laxus suddenly fell to his knees. A violent, agonizing fit of coughing racked his entire body. He pressed his hand against his mouth, his broad shoulders trembling. When he pulled his hand away, he stared down at his palm.
It was covered in a thick layer of dark crimson blood.
Having learned a bitter lesson from Tempester, Laxus had made sure to move swiftly and decisively the moment he confirmed this opponent was the same kind of Etherious being. He had poured every ounce of his remaining magical power into completely overwhelming the enemy, giving Torafuzar zero chance to unleash any suicidal final attacks.
But the physical toll of channeling that much magic, while his internal organs were still severely corrupted and failing from the Magical Barrier Particles he had previously inhaled, was too much. His lungs felt as though they were filled with crushed glass.
His vision violently blurred. Laxus's massive body went entirely limp, and he collapsed face-first onto the scorched, destroyed earth of the courtyard.
"Laxus!!" Macao and Wakaba's terrified screams echoed into the sky as they desperately scrambled out of the ruined guild hall toward their fallen comrade.
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