Check out my P-word for some exciting chapters! Chapter 78 should be available by the time this chapter was posted. Just look up my name on that site and you'll find me.
Also, gimme your stones pls. Thank you.
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[X784, Tower of Heaven]
— Laxus Dreyar —
The entire room around him was riddled with bodies of dark mages. A hundred people spasming on the ground with lightning coursing their veins.
Laxus stepped over them without care. Sparks trailed behind his every step, leaving crackling footprints on the stone floor. He took a whiff of the air, catching a familiar scent on his nostrils.
"…There you are, pops."
Laxus turned a corner and came face-to-face with chaos. The hallway ahead was a miniature battlefield. Natsu, Gray, and Juvia tangled with his old man. Around them, dozens of paper creatures fluttered and fought against inky black humanoids.
"Laxus!" Natsu called out, breathless.
Gray and Juvia looked back in tandem. Ivan turned, rage flickering across his face.
The first thing Laxus noticed wasn't the surprise. It was the disgust.
"Well, look who finally shows his face," Ivan sneered. "The dear son of mine."
"Son?!" Natsu's eyes boggled. "You're Laxus' dad?!"
Laxus ignored him, eyes locked on the man who'd abandoned him.
"I've been looking for you," Laxus said, his voice low but it echoed through the chamber. "Even dropped by that sad excuse you call a guild. They tried to kill me. I returned the favor."
He took a single step forward, crackling with anticipation.
"Imagine my surprise when I found out you became Oración Seis' lapdog. All that talk about strength being everything—what did they promise you? Power? Immortality? Or were you always just weak and needed someone stronger to tell you what to do?"
Ivan's eyes narrowed to slits. The veins on his temple bulged. "You little—!"
Laxus expected it. Their forearms collided with a shockwave, the entire corridor buckling. Stone cracked. Lights shattered. Even the magical barrier lining the walls buzzed with feedback.
Laxus grinned. "Oi, Natsu! Cover my back! Take care of these puppets, and I'll give you that spar when we get back."
Natsu's face widened, ecstatic. "You mean it?! Hell yeah, I'm getting fired up! Come on Gray, Juvia! Let's turn these paper dolls to dust!"
"Heh, I'm with you." Gray said, smirking. "Gotta say, it's relieving to see Laxus not be an asshole for once. He's just as reliable as Dannis."
"So that is the Thunder God…" Juvia said with awe. "From what Juvia can sense, he's just as strong as the Dark Swordsman. He wasn't even present in the battle with Phantom Lord. Jose-sama truly was foolish to think we stood a chance against Fairy Tail."
The trio then worked in tandem with the remaining of inky humanoids, which Laxus had deduced to be Dannis' famed wraiths.
Laxus trusted his back to them, something he'd never done to anyone else aside from Dannis and the Thunder God Tribe. Speaking of which, he gazed to the side to see Bickslow's charred form. From what he can tell, he was still breathing at the very least.
Ivan caught the glance.
"He tried to stop me," Ivan said, smiling cruelly. "How does it feel, boy? To see your precious bodyguard broken like the rest of them? I had high hopes for him. A shame. Weak, just like you."
Laxus' grin turned to a frown, and he saw red.
Lightning surged out of him like a storm unleashed. The floor beneath him shattered as the air vibrated with intensity.
His body glowed with electric arcs. His muscles rippled as his eyes turned into gold narrow slits. Scales appeared across the length of his arms and his fangs sharpened noticeably. The scar on his right eye pulsed, shining like a jagged thunderbolt.
"You want strong?" he growled, voice almost inhuman. "Then watch."
With a boom, he tackled Ivan, dragging both of them through the floor. They crashed into the level below—then the one beneath that. Dust rose in geysers of broken stone as they tumbled into another cavernous chamber.
Ivan skidded back to his feet, breathing hard.
"You've gotten stronger."
"I'm still not done." Laxus flexed his hands. Lightning surged around his arms like living serpents. "I've never shown this to anyone yet, and I'd rather not have Natsu see this of all people." He took a deep breath, before releasing it. The air vibrated. "Dragon Force."
Ivan's eyes widened in shock. "How did you achieve this..? You're not a true Dragon Slayer!"
"No. But I'm close enough." Lightning peeled off his body that turned the stone around him into molten slag. He stared down at his father, finally seeing the truth of it for the first time.
"So you really did inherit the old man's pride," Ivan said, voice gravel and venom. "But it doesn't matter. So what if you can use it? You got this power from me boy! If it wasn't for me, you would always remain as that weak and soft little child! Forever drowning in mine and Makarov's legacy!"
Laxus' brow twitched. "That so?"
Ivan spread his hands wide as talismans unfurled from his sleeves. Each glowed faintly from the runes inscribed in them, spiraling around Ivan like a living storm.
"Let me show you the power you threw away," Ivan snarled.
The talismans glowed bright—then launched toward Laxus in the shape of massive lances.
Laxus vanished in a crack of thunder, his body turning into pure lightning.
The talismans struck the ground where he stood, erupting into seals of paralysis and suppression. One caught the edge of Laxus' cloak, anchoring it to the floor with a rune of gravity.
Laxus shed the cloak in a single shrug and reappeared behind Ivan—his fist already crackling.
A wall of paper exploded upward from Ivan's shadow, forming a multi-layered shield of razor-edged constructs. The pages snapped together, forming a translucent barrier from the runes of protection inscribed to it.
Laxus slammed his fist forward, disintegrating the first few layers with sheer force. But Ivan darted back, snapping his fingers as more talismans flared.
One tag ignited midair and formed another paper puppet—this one much more powerful than the others. It clashed with Laxus, matching blow for blow in rapid succession. The creature was strong, but slow.
Laxus flashed behind the puppet and struck it down with a hammerfist, breaking it apart in one blow.
The real Ivan wove more talismans in the background. Paper tendrils sprouting from the walls and forming long-limbs that resembled arms. They mimicked Ivan's movements, as he launched the massive fists forward.
"Your strength is wasted, Laxus. You think power alone makes you a man?!" Ivan spat. "No. Control, command, obedience. That's the path to true might!"
"Sounds like someone who's always been afraid of people stronger than him!" Laxus snapped.
He spun into a roundhouse, shattering the limb. Another two closed in from behind—he ducked, swept low, and then leapt into a spinning uppercut that sent them bursting apart like confetti in a thunderstorm.
Ivan leapt forward, talismans circling his arms like serrated gauntlets. He met Laxus mid-air, and for a heartbeat—they brawled.
Laxus had to give his old man some credit. Ivan's form was tight and grounded. He kept his elbows close, knees ready to thunder forward anytime.
Laxus' fighting style was different—all instinct and fury. While Dragon Force gave him a much needed boost to his power and his senses, he also possessed the instincts of a dragon that were hard to control.
Not to mention that his Dragon Force was merely a bare imitation of what a true dragon slayer could use. He couldn't even imagine what Natsu would be capable of in the future.
They exchanged ten, fifteen, twenty blows—then Laxus caught Ivan's arm and headbutted him, the impact sending lightning into the man's skull and sending him stumbling back.
Laxus pivoted with a spinning backfist, Ivan raising a conjured shield of hardened paper. It cracked, leaving molten streaks of plasma into the air.
But something inside Laxus burned hotter than even his lightning.
Every time Ivan sneered… every time he dismissed the others… every time he looked at Laxus like nothing.
"Perhaps seeing him yourself will provide the answers you need. When the time comes, I trust you'll come to the right decision then."
His gramps' words echoed in his mind. And he realized, this was that time.
Ivan lunged forward. Laxus caught his punch—and grinned.
Lightning surged down his spine. Laxus dropped low—then launched upward in a straight uppercut.
Ivan's eyes widened.
A second later, Laxus roared.
His Dragon Force flared, and his voice became a dragon's bellow—the sound split the air like a thunderclap. His fist coiled back, turning into lightning incarnate.
"LIGHTNING DRAGON'S—"
Ivan scrambled a talisman, tried to cast a barrier, but he was too late.
"BREAKDOWN FIST!"
The uppercut obliterated Ivan's defense and launched him straight through the ceiling—then the next one—then the next one.
A sonic boom followed, glass and debris bursting from every direction as Ivan's body tore a path through concrete and steel, leaving a trail of smoke and shattered ceilings.
Laxus stood at the bottom, chest heaving, sparks crackling around his frame. His draconic features slowly faded. Breath by breath, he regained control.
He rolled his shoulders, wiped a streak of blood from his mouth, and looked upward through the hole.
"…Guess I got my answer, gramps."
…
— Hades —
"BAHAHAHA!" Zancrow laughed uproariously as they watched Ivan's defeat. Onscreen, Ivan Dreyar's unconscious body lay buried in rubble, arcs of electricity still crackling over his broken frame.
Hades, seated in the high-backed iron throne at the center of the chamber, stroked his long, silver beard with a thoughtful hum.
"Laxus Dreyar," he murmured. "The Thunder God… has truly earned his title."
The image on the largest screen zoomed in on Laxus, the telltale draconic scales fading from his arms as the remnants of his Dragon Force dissipated.
Hades tilted his head slightly, eye glinting. "To think he's capable of achieving that state… Dragon Force, even in an incomplete form. How fascinating…"
He tapped the armrest with a single knuckle. "As I recall, Laxus is a second-generation dragon slayer—his power originating from an implanted lacrima. But even so… to force the transformation by sheer will…"
Bluenote, arms folded and expression impassive, narrowed his gaze. "Those lightning scars on Ivan. Don't they look familiar to you?"
Hades gained a glint in his eyes. A grin touched his lips. "Why yes… yes, they do. Meredy is still unconscious and we haven't yet gained word from Ultear. But the wounds on Ivan's body match both cases. Laxus being the culprit makes sense as well. Meredy was investigating Ivan Dreyar and must've ran into the Thunder God. Poor Meredy must've accidentally gained his ire."
"Tch," Zancrow scoffed, the fire mage leaning forward on the edge of the table. "So it was him, huh? That punk Laxus. I like it. Can't wait to see what his electricity tastes like when I burn him alive."
Azuma, silent until now, spoke in a calm, low tone. "He's not to be underestimated. Even Ivan didn't stand a chance once that transformation kicked in. And besides, you can eat fire. Not lightning."
Zancrow rolled his eyes. "It was a figure of speech, dammit."
"We'll let you fight him, Zancrow," Hades said with a nod. "If he survives the tower."
Bluenote's eyes flicked to another screen. "The Dark Swordsman has completed his battle."
The screen depicted Dannis Martell standing over the broken form of Ikaruga. The cold look in his eyes sent shivers to everyone in the room who wasn't a Kin.
"Expected," Azuma said. "Ikaruga let pride dictate her terms. To duel him one on one was unwise for a woman of her strength. Dannis Martell is not merely a blade master—he also survived a fight against Grilthos, the same man who once fought you, Bluenote, to a standstill."
Bluenote gave a subtle nod, acknowledging the comparison.
"He's on his way to the upper levels," Hades observed, tapping the side of his throne. "He's following the wraith he planted. How resourceful. I must say… I'm beginning to admire that one."
"The blonde girl's up next," Bluenote added, turning to a different screen.
They all turned to watch. A new screen flickered into view, where Lucy Heartfilia stood back-to-back with her Celestial Spirit, Leo the Lion. The two were fighting against the owl-headed assassin.
Zancrow raised a brow. "Heh. She's still standing?"
Azuma tilted his head. "Unexpected. But then again, Leo was once among the Twelve Golden Zodiacs. Even weakened, his combat potential is not to be trifled with. What do you think, Capricorn?"
Caprico, the goat-like Celestial Spirit remained silent at that. Hades wasn't surprised, for the man standing with them in the room might possess the body of a Celestial Spirit, but the mind belonged to a man named Zoldeo. 'Human Subordination Magic is a curious thing.'
He leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on the back of his fingers as the screen focused on Lucy Heartfilia's face.
"Let's see what she does next," Hades smiled.
…
AN: I hope y'all enjoyed Laxus and Ivan's fight. I admit I took a lot of liberty with Ivan's abilities. The wiki said his powers were Shikigami magic, I just switched it up slightly with Talisman magic.
Papers that can be inscribed with runes to give different effects and enchantments. I had a lot of fun coming up with a bunch of spells and abilities for it.
Coming up next should be finishing up Lucy's fight, then we're coming back to Jellal's reactions to everything.
Also some news, the Skyrim novel titled 'A Craftman's Journey' will posted in two days, which would be either monday or sunday or maybe even tuesday depending on where you are. If you're unwilling to wait, 10 chapters of it should already be available on my P-word.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Cheers!