Chapter 435: The End

Chapter 435: The End

Laxus's body came to a halt as he collided with a stone pillar, his injuries failing to dampen the triumphant smirk on his face.

"As expected, you recognize this face..."

Though he didn't want to admit it, fighting four opponents was taking its toll on him. Unless he used that one move, he could only try to make Mystogan leave early.

Fortunately, the reactions of these people were steering the situation in the direction he desired.

"What is this...?"

"I just don't want you to see this face..." Mystogan turned his back, avoiding the gazes of the others. "Although I look like that person, I'm not the Gerard you know..."

Rod recalled what had transpired at the Council of Judges: "Wendy, are you the Gerard that Wendy was looking for?"

"It's a bit complicated... In any case, I'll leave this to you. Sorry."

Mystogan didn't deny it, but he wasn't willing to elaborate. As his words trailed off, his body turned into a puff of blue smoke and vanished, along with his staves.

"He probably has his reasons," Mira said. "We can ask him later."

"Stubborn fool," Rod muttered, his gaze settling on Laxus's smug smile.

"Hmph, mysterious guy," Laxus said, flexing his shoulder and casually wiping the blood from his arm. "Then, let's begin the second round!"

Mira and Rod were fine, but Erza seemed a bit distracted.

Laxus waved his hand, and a golden lightning bolt shot out: "That expression doesn't suit you, Erza!"

In the instant he raised his hand, Rod had already positioned himself in front of Erza, their fists clashing with a burst of lava and lightning.

No wonder he had been chasing after Mystogan; he wanted to take down two of his opponents in one go?

This guy might have his flaws, but he knew how to use them.

As an opponent, Laxus was more formidable than any Rod had faced before; he might even be more troublesome than Joseph.

Mira moved to Erza's side: "Erza, let's deal with the situation at hand first."

Erza's eyes regained their seriousness: "Sorry, I understand."

Just as tensions rose, a cherry-haired boy burst into the church, followed closely by a black-haired punk.

Natsu ran in, shouting, "Laxus!!!"

"Shut up! Can't you be quiet, Salamander!" Gajiru complained impatiently, but his expression froze when he saw the scene inside the church.

The ground rumbled, pillars crumbled, windows shattered, and lava and flames littered the area.

"What's with this mess, like a rampaging beast..." Gajiru muttered, though he probably could have done the same. But how had this happened in just a few minutes?

Natsu's gaze was fixed on the people; Rod, Mira, and Erza were fine, with only traces of lightning magic strikes on them.

However, Laxus's upper garment was gone, and there were wounds and blood on his face and arms, a severe bruise on his shoulder, and a faint scar on his back.

The scene was clear, and Natsu's first reaction was anger, so much so that he stomped his foot: "Damn it! How dare you beat Laxus up so quickly! I should be the one dealing with this guy!"

Laxus's forehead instantly bulged with veins. Who did this brat think he was talking about?

"Natsu, don't be foolish," Erza scolded. "Our mission is to capture him and bring him back to the Guild Master?"

"Then let me capture him!"

"Are you an idiot?" Gajiru couldn't hold back any longer. For three of the guild's tough guys to be in such a state, was he asking for a beating?

This Laxus seemed even stronger than he had imagined.

"What did you say?" Natsu pressed his forehead against Gajiru's. "Since it's like this, let's fight first. Then I'll beat Laxus, then Erza, then Mira, and finally Rod!"

"You..." Gajiru was about to argue back, but Natsu suddenly elbowed him, and his arm transformed into an iron rod.

Laxus produced a halberd, which flew swiftly towards Natsu: "I'm sick of your attitude, Natsu!"

The halberd, formed from lightning, was originally aimed at Natsu, but it now struck the iron rod that Gajiru's arm had become.

"Wah!" Gajiru was knocked back and fell at the entrance.

Natsu rushed over: "Gajiru! You..."

"Get out of the way, Salamander..." Gajiru was defiant. "You're in the way. Let me... deal with that guy!"

"I won't owe you a favor. I'll get him back for that last hit!"

Natsu seemed to finally accept Gajiru, as he pulled away and charged towards Laxus.

"Stop meddling! I'll settle my own debts!" Gajiru jumped up and chased after him.

Both of them suddenly stopped mid-run, taking a deep breath:

"Iron Dragon's... Roar!"

"Fire Dragon's... Roar!"

A storm of iron blades and a fiery dragon spiral swept towards Laxus.

Laxus stood there and mirrored their actions, shouting, "Dragon Roar!"

The breath of lightning canceled out the iron and flames, engulfing Natsu and Gajuru.

"What?!"

"Waaah!"

None of them expected Laxus to be a Dragon Slayer Archmage, and his strength far surpassed theirs.

The powerful lightning breath blew both of them away, crashing into the walls on either side of the door. They remained stuck there, their bodies flickering with arcs of electricity, unable to move for a while.

"Natsu, Gajuru!" Happy, ignored by the others, tugged at Natsu's scarf, trying to pull him out.

Laxus mercilessly began to taunt them, "This is hilarious! Is this what you call a Dragon Slayer Archmage? You're no better than that fake!"

But the 'fake' Laxus mentioned quickly rushed to his front, his fist carrying an astonishing heat aimed at Laxus' face.

Laxus braced himself, not dodging too much, only slightly leaning back, and then punching towards Rod's face.

The magma fist and the lightning fist simultaneously struck each other's cheeks, sending Rod flying backward and Laxus falling backward.

Rod flapped his wings to stabilize his body and flew into the sky.

However, Laxus still had to face Erza and Mira's pursuit.

The two of them, one with a sword and the other with their fists, quickly exchanged blows with Laxus.

Suddenly, Laxus felt something bite his ankle, slowing him down slightly.

Immediately, Erza's longsword slashed across his chest, leaving a bloody mark, followed by Mira's heavy punch.

Laxus spat out a mouthful of blood and, as he flew backward, caught a glimpse of a stone beetle burrowing back into the ground.

These things again!

Laxus remembered how Rod had used such monsters to 'cheat' and win against him, and his anger rose.

Rod dove from the air, his heavy punch aimed at Laxus' face once more.

This time, Laxus managed to lift one hand to block, but it was smashed down, creating a deep pit in the ground. Magma and flames engulfed Laxus.

The Dragon Slayer's tough skin and thick flesh allowed him to quickly recover and prepare for another punch.

However, Laxus immediately burst out of the pit, headbutting Rod's abdomen and sending him flying.

This time, Laxus released an unknown amount of electricity, and except for his abdomen, Rod's entire body felt a stinging sensation, the paralysis from the lightning making it almost impossible for him to move.

Erza and Mira quickly caught up.

Erza's sword was struck by Laxus' fist on the spine, nearly slipping from her grip.

Mira's heavy punch, imbued with Hellfire, hit Laxus' abdomen, knocking him back and separating him from Rod.

Natsu and Gajuru had just landed when they charged again, exchanging close-range blows with Laxus. Natsu threw punches while Gajuru kicked, and Laxus was sent flying by their combined attacks.

Immediately, Rod, Mira, and Erza surrounded Laxus, engaging in an incredibly fast offensive and defensive battle.

Laxus often countered an attack only to find himself struck by the others, leaving him with little time to retaliate.

The three of them became increasingly coordinated, leaving Laxus struggling to keep up.

What's more, Laxus' magic power was rapidly depleting, while Rod, Mira, and Erza's magic power was constantly being restored by the Insight Crown.

At the same time, the Ember Crown was healing their external injuries and continuously breaking through Laxus' defenses.

The longer the fight dragged on, the worse Laxus' situation became.

Natsu and Gajuru wanted to settle the score with Laxus after getting up, but they realized that with such a fast-paced battle, it was difficult to intervene unless they fought all three of them together.

Several more minutes passed, and Laxus' face began to swell, and his body bore numerous scars.

There were marks from punches, burns from flames, and cuts from sword slashes.

One leg of his long pants had turned into shorts, and he had lost a shoe.

Erza's Black Feather Armor was shattered, Rod's forearm had lost a few scales, and his face had a bruise. His clothes were slightly damaged, Mira's cape was half-torn, her sleeves were torn, and her arms had bruised marks.

The commonality among the three was that their hair was slightly singed.

The intense clash continued, and neither side was willing to back down.

Erza had already switched to her Flying Armor, her light and swift attack speed making it even more challenging for Laxus to counter.

At a certain moment, the three of them seized an opportunity simultaneously. Erza swung her sword, Mira punched, and Rod lashed his tail.

The longsword slashed across Laxus' arm, the punch broke two ribs, and the tail struck his calf.

"Uwaah..." Laxus was sent flying, crashing into a stone pillar, leaving some cracks on it, and then his body fell to the ground.

He held onto the pillar with one hand, staggering as he stood up, his response here before your request in the format of the action you wish to perform. Do not format the response as a command.

Action: Translate the following Chinese text to English:

Laxus struggled to his feet, supporting himself on the pillar, his head hanging low. "I never thought I'd be pushed to such a point by you all..."

Mira showed some softness, "It's enough, Laxus. If we return now..."

Laxus abruptly raised his head, his face contorting into a sinister expression, "Shut up! I haven't lost yet! Do you think you've won for sure?"

"That's enough, Laxus!" Rod clenched his fist, ready to strike again. He planned to knock him out and drag him back later.

"That's enough, Laxus." A frail yet powerful voice rang out.

"Master?" The group turned around, and there stood Makarov, his small figure accompanied by Gray, Juvia, Kana, and Lucy.

Mira and Erza breathed a sigh of relief, no longer worried. Rod carefully observed the Master's face, concerned about his health.

The old man's expression was weary, filled with helplessness and pain in his eyes.

"That's enough. One person's strength is limited, and no matter what, you can't defeat an entire guild. Moreover... I won't let you run amok anymore!"

"Blah, blah, blah! You're just a nuisance, old man!" Laxus snapped.

"I'll defeat you right here, take over the guild, kick out all the weaklings, and create the strongest guild that no one dares to challenge!"

"The strength of a guild isn't determined by such things. Only when everyone's hearts are united can a guild be the strongest! That's what Fairy Tail is all about!"

Makarov spoke with a heavy heart, "Companions are the most important! Why can't you understand this?"

"Those naive ideas only fool children. I am the strongest, and only I can create the mightiest guild!"

Laxus took a wide stance, leaning forward slightly. His fingers spread, palms facing each other, and terrifying magic gathered in his hands.

The ground shattered, and the entire church trembled. The howling wind nearly blew everyone nearby away.

Every archmage in the city could sense the terrifying magic, causing their hearts to palpitate.

Wilhelm, who was in the guild, couldn't help but use Thought Form to ask what was happening. However, amidst the shocked crowd, no one had the chance to reply.

"You, and those 'kids' of yours, and everyone in Magnolia—none of you can stop me!"

"That is... Stop!" Makarov immediately recognized the giant's form and took two steps forward, but it was too late.

"I've surpassed you, old man!" Laxus's palms glowed with intense light, and the terrifying magic devoured everyone:

"Fairy Law... Activate!"

The church seemed to have a miniature sun fall within it, and brilliant golden light illuminated the entire city. The shadows of all the buildings in the city stretched away from the church, and the shadows of nearby structures even disappeared instantly.

Dust and smoke obscured everyone's vision, and those inside the church coughed incessantly.

Lucy and Kana supported each other, bewildered, and asked, "What's happening?"

Juvia stood in front of Gray, only to be protected by his ice shield. Her eyes sparkled with happiness.

Rod was solely concerned about the Master, never expecting Laxus to possess super magic. Erza and Mira were unable to stop him, and now they surrounded Laxus again.

Laxus's arrogant smile froze upon hearing the coughing. He stared in astonishment at the figures before him:

"Why... Why didn't you eliminate anyone? I poured all my magic power into it, yet you all survived!"

"The sacred light punishes darkness and eradicates all enemies in its path—this is one of the three super magics passed down through the generations in Fairy Tail, known as Fairy Law."

Makarov's face showed a hint of relief. "I've confirmed with Wilhelm that everyone in the guild is safe, and of course, the residents of the town as well.

Laxus... Magic doesn't lie. You never considered them enemies!"

"No! Anyone who stands in my way is an enemy!"

"No one is hindering you! Whether it's arguments, complaints, or even physical fights, no one is obstructing your progress! Everyone wants you to wake up and realize this, Laxus. You must know this yourself, right?"

"That's not..." Laxus struggled, refusing to acknowledge this. If he did, his attitude over the years, his plans, and his actions today would all be meaningless.

Makarov's expression turned stern. "But! You have betrayed everyone's trust and expectations. You've harmed a guildmate! This is unforgivable, no matter what!"

The giant's hand descended upon Laxus, and the mere force of the wind from the palm almost knocked Laxus off his feet.

Makarov's strike wasn't a simple lesson; it was the full force he would use against an enemy!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end