With Fried's willing defeat, the Thunder God Tribe had all fallen, yet the true battle that would decide the outcome of this civil war at the center of the field was only growing fiercer.
Erza moved like lightning; the twin blades of her Black Wing Armor struck in alternating slashes, the black plates gleaming beneath the reflected lightning, every cut carrying a sacred, awe-inspiring air.
Yet Laxus's lightning raged like an abyssal storm.
Golden thunder-snakes coiled around him; every blow made the air sizzle and hum, every clash between lightning and blade shaking the guildhall to its foundations.
Had Hope not secretly used Attachment Spell to reinforce the building, Fairy Tail's headquarters would have long since become rubble.
"Holy Dragon Slayer Magic… hmph!"
Laxus swung his arm, knocking aside Erza's heavy cleave, lightning crawling along his limb and shaping into a savage dragon-claw that lunged back. "You think a power you only gained recently can beat me, someone who's been tempered by lightning since childhood?!"
The lightning-claw collided with Erza's hastily-raised swords, the blast sending her skidding back several steps, scorch marks clear upon the Black Wing Armor.
Erza's breath came a little faster, her gaze only sharper.
Erza possessed perfect compatibility with Holy Dragon Slayer Magic; in under two months she had wielded it as naturally as her own arms—a genius among geniuses.
But Laxus had immersed himself in Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic for more than a decade; his affinity with it was equally high, another superlative prodigy.
Worse, his combat experience was immense.
"Is that all you've got, Erza?!"
By now Laxus had woven Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic into his very instincts. He laughed wildly, fists colliding and releasing a ring-shaped thunder-burst.
Domineering, swift, and utterly devastating.
This was Laxus, the strongest of Fairy Tail's younger generation.
As the storm closed in, Erza completed another Requip; the Black Wing Armor dissolved in motes of light, replaced by the lightning-resistant Thunder Emperor Armor.
Lightning exploded again, forcing Erza back and carving two charred grooves in the floor.
Contempt flickered in Laxus's eyes. "Hmph, you think that scrap-metal can block my lightning?"
Seeing this, Natsu instantly wanted to jump in and help.
"Not yet, Natsu."
Gray stopped him, eyes fixed grimly on the fight. "Laxus isn't the Thunder God Tribe; barging in will only break Erza's rhythm and leave us open to his area attacks. We need the right moment."
Gajeel flexed his iron-scaled wrist with a metallic screech. "Tch, that blond lightning's got some bite; even I'd have to dodge his best shots in a straight duel."
Natsu and Gray shot Gajeel deadpan looks—if you can't beat him, you can't; quit dressing it up.
Just then Laxus seemed to tire of sparring with Erza. Lightning flared around him, a vast surge of magic rising to the ceiling and condensing into several golden thunder-spears.
"Lightning Dragon Halberds!"
With a sweep of his arms the spears rained down like arrows, covering the entire front of the hall—Erza engulfed, and even Natsu's trio far behind caught in the blast radius.
The three had been waiting for an opening, but to Laxus it made no difference; even if the whole Fairy Four ganged up, he wouldn't bat an eye.
Facing an all-out Laxus, the four had no choice but to answer with everything they had.
A scorching fire-tornado shot out with Natsu's punch; a gigantic spiral icicle erupted from Gray's circle; iron scales crawled over Gajeel's arm, forming a massive metal blade.
Sacred light surged from Erza's Thunder Emperor Spear as she blasted it toward the descending halberds.
Boom! Boom! Boom—!!!
Four rolling detonations shook the guild as lightning, flame, ice-shards and iron fragments filled the air; multicolored magical light swallowed the hall, the quake so fierce even watchers on the second floor staggered.
Before the glare faded Laxus attacked again.
Transformed into lightning itself, his speed rivaled Jellal's Meteor; in the blink of an eye he stood directly before Gajeel.
Too fast!
Gajeel's mind screamed, but his body couldn't react; he could only watch the gold-wrapped fist smash into him.
The next instant Gajeel was hurled toward the main doors.
Laxus's trailing lightning followed—using the Jutsu that barred anyone under eighty from leaving, he planned to pin Gajeel against the barrier and finish him in one shot.
But the follow-up missed.
Instead of hitting the barrier, Gajeel crashed straight through; Laxus's own fist was stopped, wild lightning shaking the Jutsu wall.
Hope, lounging outside, gaped at Gajeel picking himself up. "You're eighty years old?!"
"Pah! I'm not even twenty yet!"
Gajeel dusted himself off. "I'm in the prime of my life—no way I'm some geezer like the master!"
Under twenty?
Hope's mouth twitched; honestly, seeing the guy's metal-studded punk face the first time, he'd figured him for some middle-aged emo rocker.
Flung outside once, Gajeel marched back in to redeem himself, activating Dragon Force as his magic skyrocketed.
He'd thought the first time he'd use Dragon Force would be against an enemy, not in an internal guild war.
With Dragon Force Natsu could match the Ten Wizard Saints in raw power; in the same state Gajeel wouldn't be far behind.
"Iron Dragon Sword!"
As Gajeel charged, Natsu's fists ignited and he hurled himself at Laxus in a fiery blur.
Gray flanked, aiming for an opening; a geyser of freezing water burst beneath Laxus's feet, flash-freezing into shackles of ice.
Erza followed, spear leveled.
Facing simultaneous strikes from four sides and four styles, Laxus's eyes at last showed a trace of gravity—yet even more battle-lust blazed forth.
"Good—this is what I wanted!"
"Hahahaha!"
Centered on Laxus, a colossal wave of lightning erupted outward.
Natsu's flames were pierced and scattered; Gajeel's iron sword sparked and cracked; Gray's ice geyser vaporized in the heat.
Without pause Laxus flashed again, appearing at Gray's flank just as the Ice mage regained his footing, and drove a fist into his ribs.
A hastily-raised ice shield shattered, Gray sent flying to slam into the wall.
"Quit gawking! Iron Dragon Drill—Oni Fuel!"
Roaring, Gajeel's right arm became a spinning iron auger that bored toward Laxus's back.
Natsu, wreathed in flame, rushed in from the side.
Yet Laxus might as well have eyes behind his head; without turning he slapped a lightning palm into Natsu's face, deflecting him, then pivoted into a lightning-laced side-kick that buried itself in Gajeel's gut.
He seized both their heads and smashed them together, crackling lightning surging through the pair till they twitched and smoked.
"Pathetic!"
Grinning at the smoldering duo, Laxus sneered, "Know why you can't beat me? Because your Dragon Slayer Magic is half-baked—every—single—move!"
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