Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.

Chapter Seventeen: Laxus's Rage

Back to where we left off…

The hulking Wrath gripped his sword as Laxus stepped up to the plate. "So you're next?"

"More like the last." Lightning crackled across Laxus's powerful body as he stared down the demonic general. "You're going to pay for everything you've done." He shrugged off his coat and cracked his knuckles. "Just so you know: I'm nowhere near as friendly as Erza."

As a seasoned veteran, Wrath could judge a man's combat abilities at a mere glance. The thrum of power that emanated from Laxus as well as his tall posture and strong glare told the bloody demon that Laxus was certainly a cut above the rest. "So it would seem." Behind his cowl, the demon grinned. "I take back what I said before. I think I'm starting to enjoy myself. Between Jura, those two and you, I'm getting excited."

The demon's statement made Laxus raise an eyebrow. "I didn't think demons were capable of feeling anything."

Wrath hefted his blood-soaked sword. "Oh believe me. I'm just enough human…to enjoy cutting you to ribbons."

Behind him, the three members of the Thunder God Tribe braced themselves. "Oh no, you don't!" Without waiting for Laxus's instructions, the three powerful Wizards jumped up into the air.

"He's weak from fighting Erza and Kagura! Hit 'em hard! Leprechaun!" shouted Evergreen

"You're going to pay for what you've done!" Bickslow summoned his dolls and readied his most powerful blast. "Bayron Formation!"

Freed, already using his Dark Ecriture: Darkness form. "We won't even let you touch Laxus. Dark Ecriture: Flare Bomb!"

The three attacks hit Wrath at once. Laxus turned around and glared at his friends. "What do you think you're doing?"

Freed walked up next to Laxus and observed the cloud of smoke that obscured Wrath. "His focus was squared entirely on you. It seemed prudent for us to launch a swift strike while his guard was down."

A cold voice cut through the smoke. "And what makes you think my guard was ever down?" The Thunder God Tribe all took a step back when Wrath stomped out of the dust cloud. He dusted off his shoulder and looked at the three in mild annoyance. "A fine display of dust. If that was your aim."

"How?!" Evergreen gaped. "He's already been injured by Jura, Erza and Kagura!"

Bickslow braced himself as Wrath hefted his blade up. "This guy makes Grimoire Heart look soft!"

"You're wrong on two accounts," Wrath said as he held the sword up over his head. "First, I am a true demon. An incarnation of Sin itself. I am evil in its purest form, not some dark guild Wizard who seeks paltry Magic for greater power. And second…" his eyes glared at the three. "I was injured by warriors. The stings of flies do nothing to me."

A wave of boiling hot blood was launched at the trio. Bickslow and Freed hid behind a pillar to avoid the attack while Ever took to the air with her wings. "Let's see what kind of statue you make!" Ever took off her glasses to use her Stone Eyes."

The Wizard and demon locked eyes but Wrath remained as he was. "Useless." He jumped up and grabbed Ever's wing, his heavy weight bringing them back down to earth. "Nothing will hold me ever again. Not chains. Not iron bars. And not…" he slammed Ever down onto the ground, "your pathetic magic."

"AGHHHHHH!" Ever screamed as her wings were ripped off. While it was true that the wings were magical in nature and could be summoned at will with her magic, they were still a part of her body when materialized. She squeezed her eyes shut as the pain surged through her spine. When she opened them again she saw Wrath's heavy boot hovering over her face.

Lightning flashed and Wrath staggered backwards before he could smash Evergreen's head in. His shoulder pauldron smoldered from the sudden attack. Laxus jumped into the air and threw more lightning, driving the demon backward. Landing in between Evergreen and Wrath, Laxus readied for more. "Bickslow! Freed! Take Ever and find Natsu and the others!"

"Right!" Bickslow scooped Evergreen off the ground and ran with Freed. "Be careful!" Freed told him as they headed for the stairs. Bickslow immediately had his dolls start to remove rubble to clear a path.

Laxus crackled with furious lightning, his anger reaching his peak. "And just when I had enough reasons to kick your ass. I'm going to rip your head off for what you just did."

"Tough words, boy. Your supposed Wizard Saint talked big earlier. What makes you different from him?"

"Don't get cocky." Laxus revved up his lightning to the max. "I beat Jura once too. You're not special."

The time for words was over for the two. Wrath wanted to test his mettle against this new foe and wasn't going to wait any longer. The hulking demon raised his sword and swung hard. "Sanguniem Pluviis!"

Laxus saw the barrage of red spears and jumped to the side to dodge them. Looking up, he saw Wrath suddenly bearing down on him, his sword already in mid-swing to cut off Laxus's head. "Hmph!" The S-Class Wizard disappeared from sight with a flash of lightning and appeared behind Wrath. "Fry, you bastard!" He summoned a bolt of lightning and threw it hard. "Raging Bolt!"

The lightning javelin hit Wrath square in the back. Yet the demon merely stumbled forward a few steps before reeling backwards and slamming Laxus with the back of his fist, hitting him right in the face. Dazed for a few seconds, Laxus rolled onto the floor. He wasn't surprised to see Wrath already back on the attack, dodged his sword by a hair and grabbed the hilt before Wrath could pull it out. "You're not going to shrug off this one," Laxus said, his face close to Wrath's while they struggled for the sword. Lightning crackled from the blood sword, building up power. "You chose the wrong opponent. Holding a metal sword covered in wet blood…is like holding a giant lightning rod." Lightning focused in Laxus's throat as he leaned back and prepared to deliver the coup de grace. "Lightning Dragon's Roar!"

The amphitheater was leveled by the ferocious blast. Powered up by holding Crimson Tide, Laxus's blast hit Wrath right in the face. Laxus panted for breath before standing up, shrugging off the dust and looking around. Whatever had been left of Castle Volkihar's throne room had been vaporized, leaving Laxus standing underneath open sky. Pulling Crimson Tide out of the ground, Laxus hurled the bloody weapon away, the sword disappearing behind some rubble. The feeling of holding the cursed weapon made even a man of Laxus's character shiver. Whatever evil that had corrupted Wrath had also corrupted his sword. Even holding it for a few seconds felt wrong. He spotted Wrath lying yards away, flat on his back. "That was for Jura."

But then…Wrath got back up.

Laxus stared with wide eyes, shocked that the demon even had his head still on his shoulders, much less was still alive and kicking. "What the hell are you?!" He had put all he had into that blast. More so since he was using Wrath's sword as a conductor. That Wrath could take that at point blank range and still get back up…

Still, even the strongest of the Seven Deadly Sins didn't escape the blast unscathed. His cowl had was gone, revealing the bone-white hair that spilled down his face, caked from blood leaking from the side of his head. His left pauldron was destroyed and his black chest-piece was cracked, looking like it'd fall to pieces any second. "That…hurt…" he grumbled as he staggered to his feet. "I will give credit where credit is due. I first thought that Jura was the only one worthy enough of being considered a worthy opponent. But I see now you are a cut above the rest."

"Stay down. Without your sword you can't use your blood magic."

The demon tilted his head back and raised an eyebrow, amusement spreading across his face. "How quick you are to assume victory. Take it from your elder: do not place a victory flag until after you've stepped over the bodies. I did not defeat Jura with my sword." An aura the color of blood surrounded the hulking demon. "I will crush you the same way I crushed Jura."

Dashing forward, Laxus summoned more lightning. He was not going to give this demon a chance to strike. "Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Wrath met Laxus's fist with his own. The shockwave reverberated throughout the woods. Laxus was in disbelief as he was repelled, skidding a few feet away. "How can he still have so much power?!"

Grinning wickedly, Wrath reached for the straps to his ruined armor and slowly untied them. "We seven derive our powers through the sins we were accused of." His armor clattered to the floor before he reached for his remaining pauldron. "My anger sustains me. My rage and my hatred is bottomless. You will never wear me down." He removed the shoulder armor and tossed it to the floor. He removed his gauntlets before finally ripping off the undershirt he had on.

And it was then that Laxus understood the true source of Wrath's power. "No way…" He saw in horror that Wrath's body was covered in scales. "You're a-"

The vengeful demon took a stance and took a deep breath. "BLOOD DRAGON'S ROAR!"

A blast of boiling hot blood blasted Laxus away. The man screamed as he was scaled by the thick blood. He landed on the floor and stared up at the bloody demon. "You're…a dragon slayer too?!"

"I am Wrath the Blood Dragon. And I will show you the meaning of fury."

To be continued