A/N : Back again ! This time with Laxus and his team. I hope you'll like this one ! So...
Enjoy !
Chapter 17 : Relentless Team Raijin and Laxus didn't have much trouble figuring out where to go. A group of thugs was wandering around, and a single thunderbolt was enough to make them spill everything. They headed straight to the location they mentioned, finding an old abandoned house hidden in the middle of nowhere, concealed by a thick blanket of vegetation. "Guess we're not knocking?" Bixslow asked with a sly grin. "Oh, hell no," Laxus replied, smashing the door open with ease. Inside, was complete silence. They found themselves in the middle of a large room, surrounded by stairs leading to higher floors. "Split up," commanded Laxus. "If anything happens, you know what to do." He added before walking straight through the room, silently signaling the others to take the stairs. Laxus literally broke open every single door he came by, finding nothing. After a while, they met back at the entrance. Looking back at the stairs, Freed said, "Nothing for us upstairs. Looks like this place is really abandoned." "I'm gonna catch those freaking thugs again and make them tell the truth this time!" said Evergreen, heading toward the door. But before she could leave, the doors slammed shut on their own. The atmosphere became heavy. Way too heavy. So heavy that Evergreen, Freed, and Bixlow had to drop to one knee. Only Laxus remained standing. "Wha..." Freed tried to say, his voice strained under the oppressive atmosphere. Laxus surveyed every corner of the room, his eyes sharp and vigilant, as if expecting something to emerge from the shadows. Suddenly, they heard a chilling laugh. It wasn't from anyone in Fairy Tail. "Look who fell into my little trap... Isn't it those fairies," said a high-pitched voice, dripping with malice. "Oh, looks like someone is strong enough to stand. I like those ones the most." Laxus remained calm, but his eyes narrowed. Without warning, he shot a bolt of thunder towards one of the walls, the lightning briefly illuminating a hidden silhouette. "Oh, I see. You must be Laxus Dreyar. Interesting," the voice continued, now sounding more intrigued. "Show yourself," Laxus commanded firmly, his voice echoing with authority and impatience. "And why would I, when I can toy with you a bit more..." But before he could continue, Laxus unleashed another stream of thunder towards a different wall, the lightning illuminating a shadowy figure. "Zorath..." Laxus muttered, recognition dawning on him. "Oh, so you do know about us? This is getting better and better. I just heard about one of my friends getting defeated by a bunch of fairies," the voice continued, dripping with malice. "Haru" Laxus thought, his mind piecing together the events. "However, unlucky for you, she was just a tool. With me, it's a completely different story." Before they could react, the atmosphere changed dramatically. The oppressive force shifted, not pushing them down but slamming them sideways with overwhelming strength. The four of them, including Laxus, were violently pinned against the wall, unable to move. "I present to you my magic: Gravity," the voice declared, laughing maniacally. The air grew heavier, the pressure unbearable, as if the very space around them was being warped and twisted. Shadows stretched and distorted, adding to the sinister atmosphere. Laxus struggled, his muscles straining against the invisible force. "Damn it," he growled, feeling the weight pressing against his chest. He could see Evergreen, Freed, and Bixlow also struggling, their faces etched with determination and pain. "Impressive, isn't it?" the voice taunted. "You thought you could just waltz in here and take us down? You're in for a rude awakening." Laxus grimaced, straining against the invisible force pinning him to the wall. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice in his head. "Laxus? Laxus, you there?" "Yes, but this isn't really the moment," he responded silently, recognizing the telepathic communication. "Listen. Please be careful. Your area is the most dangerous. The guy there is called Vesper. He's the one who resurrected Zorath. And he's obviously the strongest out there. Haru and the others are coming your way, but you gotta hold on!" Warren's voice was urgent, almost frantic, before abruptly cutting off the communication. "Freed," Laxus said, looking his way. "Almost done, Laxus..." Freed responded, struggling against the immense force pressing down on him. Within the next minute, they could finally move. Thanks to Freed's enchantment, he managed to write one just in time. "Gosh, that's not very... cool?" said Bixslow, stretching as he regained his balance. "You really think a small enchantment will be enough, you stupid fairies?" Vesper laughed, finally stepping closer. An extremely dark aura whirled around him, an aura that could send fear down anyone's spine. "Guess I'll start with the little nerd then," he added, using his magic to focus on Freed, sending him flying against another wall. Laxus growled, electricity crackling around him. "You're gonna pay for that!" he roared, launching a powerful lightning bolt at Vesper. Bixslow's eyes flashed as he activated his Seith magic. "Let's see how you handle this!" He commanded his dolls to attack, their eerie laughter filling the room as they lunged at Vesper. Evergreen's eyes narrowed, her body glowing with golden light. "Fairy Bomb: Gremlin!" She released a flurry of explosive energy blasts towards Vesper. Vesper, surrounded by his dark aura, deflected their attacks with a wave of his hand, sending shockwaves through the room. "Is that all you've got? Pathetic!" he sneered. Freed, recovering from the impact, quickly inscribed a rune on the floor. "Dark Écriture: Pain!" he shouted, launching a series of glowing runes towards Vesper, attempting to bind him in place. Laxus seized the opportunity, charging forward with a roar. "Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!" He summoned a massive spear of lightning, hurling it directly at Vesper. The coordinated attacks converged on Vesper, but he didn't flinch. He stood there, waiting, a smirk playing on his lips. When the attacks struck him at full strength, they merely phased through him, leaving him unscathed. With a casual wave of his hand, he created two gravity points on either side of Freed, crushing him between them. "You don't stand a chance, Fairy Tail. Just give us what we want!" "What do you want?" shouted Laxus. "And why would we even cooperate with you bastards!" Vesper's smirk widened. "It's simple. Surrender now, and we'll spare your lives. Resist, and I'll make sure you regret it." "Like hell we will!" Laxus roared, charging forward with lightning crackling around him. "Lightning Dragon's Jaw!" He unleashed a powerful lightning strike aimed directly at Vesper's head. Vesper raised his hand, and the lightning strike dissipated harmlessly against his gravity field. With a flick of his wrist, he sent Laxus crashing into a wall with bone-crushing force. Bixslow's dolls attacked from all sides, their eerie laughter filling the room. But Vesper swatted them away effortlessly. He sneered, sending a wave of gravity towards Bixslow, pinning him to the floor. Freed on his side, was finally getting out his gravity prison. Laxus pulled himself from the rubble, electricity crackling around him. "We can't keep letting him toss us around like this! We need a new plan!" "Agreed!" shouted Freed, wiping blood from his mouth. "We need to find a way to disrupt his gravity magic!" Vesper chuckled darkly, his aura growing even more oppressive. "You think you can outsmart me? You're only prolonging the inevitable." The team regrouped, battered and bruised, but their resolve unshaken. They knew they had to find a way to break through Vesper's defenses, or they might not make it out of this fight alive. Laxus eyed Vesper, his mind racing. "Bixslow, can you distract him for a moment?" Bixslow nodded, summoning his dolls once more. "You got it, boss." As Bixslow's dolls lunged at Vesper, Evergreen and Freed prepared their next moves. Laxus gathered his remaining strength, electricity crackling around him. "We hit him with everything we've got, all at once. On my signal." Vesper swatted away the dolls again, his laughter echoing through the room. "You never learn, do you?" "Now!" Laxus shouted. Freed inscribed a complex rune in the air. "Dark Écriture: Absolute Dominion!" Glowing chains shot out, aiming to bind Vesper's movements. Evergreen unleashed a storm of explosive blasts. "Fairy Bomb: Blitzkrieg!" The air filled with the roar of detonations as the blasts converged on Vesper. Laxus charged, his body surrounded by a fierce aura of lightning. "Lightning Dragon's Raging Bolt!" He hurled a massive bolt of lightning directly at Vesper. The combined assault rocked the room, shaking the very foundations. For a moment, it seemed like they might have overwhelmed him. But as the dust settled, Vesper stood tall, his dark aura flickering but unbroken. "Just give them to me. Give me the Dragon Slayers and that Phoenix Slayer of yours!" Vesper demanded, his voice dripping with malice before breaking into maniacal laughter. "You... you want the Dragon Slayers? And Haru?" Freed exclaimed, shock evident in his voice. "I need their power. With them, I'll be invincible," Vesper smirked, his eyes beginning to glow a sinister red. Laxus chuckled darkly. "In your dreams," he retorted before lunging forward once again, electricity crackling around him. "Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!" he roared, aiming a devastating punch at Vesper. Vesper merely raised a hand, a gravity barrier absorbing the impact. "Pathetic," he sneered, pushing Laxus back with a forceful wave of gravity. Freed, regaining his footing, quickly inscribed runes mid-air. "Dark Écriture: Slay!" He unleashed a series of razor-sharp runes that sliced through the air, aiming to cut through Vesper's defenses. Vesper twisted his body, dodging most of the runes, though a few grazed his skin. "A scratch won't stop me," he hissed, summoning more gravity points to crush Freed's attacks. Evergreen took advantage of the distraction, her eyes glowing with a golden light. "Fairy Bomb: Briar!" She conjured thorny vines of explosive energy that whipped towards Vesper, detonating on impact. The room shook from the explosions, dust and debris flying everywhere. But as the dust settled, Vesper emerged, his dark aura even more intense. Bixslow's dolls swarmed him, their eerie laughter filling the air. "Get him, babies!" Bixslow commanded, his eyes gleaming with determination. The dolls attacked from all angles, trying to overwhelm Vesper. Vesper swatted the dolls away, his expression one of annoyance. "Enough of these petty tricks!" With a flick of his wrist, he created a gravitational vortex, pulling the dolls in and crushing them into nothingness. "Now, it's my turn." Vespere smirked. He raised his hands, the air around him warping and distorting. A massive sphere of gravitational energy began to form above him, growing larger and more intense by the second. The sheer power of it sent shockwaves through the room, knocking the team back. "You wanted a fight? I'll give you a fight you'll never forget!" Vesper roared, the gravitational sphere pulsating with terrifying energy, ready to unleash a devastating attack. The four of them watched the scene unfold, eyes wide in disbelief. "We barely... touched him," said Freed, his voice tinged with exhaustion and frustration. Bixslow gritted his teeth, bracing for impact. "DIE, FAIRIES!" Vesper yelled, sending out his attack, the gravitational sphere hurtling straight for them. They all closed their eyes. It was over. That attack would wipe them out for sure. We're done. We're... not done? They all opened their eyes, only to see an ice barrier standing strong, Gray behind it, his jaw clenched with determination. "Gray?!" shouted Evergreen, her voice filled with surprise and relief. Before they could say anything, they saw a silhouette rushing towards Vesper. Erza lunged forward, her swords aiming directly for him. She had switched into her Black Wing Armor, the dark metal gleaming as she moved with incredible speed. Vesper barely had time to react, raising a hand to block her strike. "Persistent little fairies," he snarled, deflecting her attack with a burst of gravitational force. "Erza, back up!" I shouted, appearing beside her in an instant, my stance low and ready. My bright blue eyes were fierce, my blond hair tousled from the rush. "Kirin, Flash Strike!" I darted forward, my fists crackling with lightning as I struck at Vesper with blinding speed. Vesper grunted, barely managing to deflect my attack. "You again?" he spat, his eyes narrowing. "I'm not letting you get away with this," I growled, stepping back into a defensive stance, my muscles coiled and ready for the next move. Natsu joined the fray, flames roaring around him. "Fire Dragon's Talon!" He leaped into the air, bringing his flaming foot down towards Vesper. Vesper countered with a gravitational push, as he did with Laxus. Gray, still holding the ice barrier, glanced at Freed and Evergreen. "Get ready to strike when there's an opening," he instructed, his eyes focused on the battle. Freed nodded, already inscribing runes in the air. "Dark Écriture: Absolute Domination!" Chains of light shot out, aiming to bind Vesper. Evergreen charged her magic, her eyes glowing with a golden light. "Fairy Bomb: Blitzkrieg!" She unleashed a storm of explosive energy, targeting Vesper from above. I, moving with fluid precision, switched stances. "Aelion, Wind Razor!" I slashed my arm through the air, sending razor-sharp gusts of wind slicing towards Vesper. Vesper, however, still had no problem deflecting every single attack. "How can he deflect all that so fast?!" roared Natsu, flames blazing around him in frustration. Vesper laughed, his voice dripping with malevolence. "Today is the day I hit the jackpot. Two Dragon Slayers and a Phoenix Slayer. Plus the one I already absorbed energy from." "You... What?" Natsu growled, his eyes burning with fury. "What did you do to Wendy, you bastard?!" He lunged forward, a roaring inferno, only to be countered effortlessly by Vesper once again. "I absorbed her energy," Vesper explained with a sinister smirk. "When she came around for her justice mission, I sensed her magic. I knew she was a Dragon Slayer. So I kept sending useless bandits to keep her occupied. Once I was sure, I waited for her to lead me to where she lived. And then I simply caught her. I knew others were hiding in Magnolia, so I only lit up the fire by giving her back to you," he laughed. But his laughter was cut short as Natsu charged at him once more, only to be deflected and sent crashing into a wall. "Natsu!" I yelled, my heart pounding as I watched him struggle to get up. Natsu gritted his teeth, determination burning in his eyes as he pushed himself to his feet. "We need to figure out why we can't fucking touch him," spat Laxus, electricity crackling around him in frustration. Suddenly, an idea sparked in my mind, my eyes widening with realization. "I might have an idea," I said urgently. "Just trust me and keep harassing him!" With that, I zapped away, determined to uncover Vesper's weakness. Team Raijin exchanged surprised glances. "Don't even doubt him," Gray said, his voice steady and serious. "I know he found something. Let him do his thing," he added, his gaze never wavering from Vesper.
A/N : And there. I hope I'm not doing to bad with fight scenes. Really did my best to make the most immersive and alive I could. Next chapter we'll see Haru's plan for this !
Until then, see ya !
.Nei.