Thunder God Tribe vs. Laxus
Of all the battle routes, the one with the least suspense, and also the most suffocating, is this passage.
Freed and Bickslow stopped in their tracks as they looked at the figure ahead, hands in pockets, back to them.
That signature short yellow hair, and that fur coat that he always wore improperly.
And, there was the terrifying pressure of lightning, which was enough to make the air feel heavy just by standing there.
It's obvious who it is.
Laxus.
"Unbelievable..."
Laxus slowly turned around, looking at his two most loyal subordinates, his face expressionless.
"It's the two of you."
"Lord Laxus."
Both Freed and Bickslow had wry smiles on their faces.
They certainly knew how unfathomable Laxus's strength was.
As Thunder God Tribe, no one knew better than them how powerful and terrifying the man before them was.
Jiang Bai could easily defeat Laxus, but they aren't Jiang Bai.
Alright, enough with the chit-chat.
Laxus stretched out his right hand, cracked his wrist, and made a snapping sound.
"Let me see how much your strength has improved lately."
As soon as he finished speaking, Laxus casually waved his right hand.
"Boom!"
A thick bolt of yellow lightning, like a divine punishment descending from the sky, struck straight at Freed and his companion with a deafening roar.
"Dark Ecriture - Imperial!"
Freed reacted extremely quickly, instantly inscribing a defensive spell in front of him.
A purplish-black magic circle unfolded before him, barely managing to block the raging lightning.
The collision of lightning and dark purple magic created ripples of energy that cracked the surrounding ground.
"Then I'll have to offend you, Lord Laxus."
A bead of cold sweat appeared on Freed's forehead.
Such power comes from a mere casual strike.
Laxus showed no mercy to Freed and his Thunder God Tribe.
Rather, it's precisely because of them that Laxus needs to be even stricter.
If it were Lucy and the others, Laxus might actually lower his demands a little, just like Jiang Bai said, because of his guilt.
Of course, the most basic standards of strength must still be met.
But now, standing opposite him are Freed and Bickslow.
They are the Thunder God Tribe swore to follow him for life.
Therefore, the standards need to be raised further.
"Thunder Pressure Raging Waves!"
Laxus thrust his hands forward, and an even larger surge of lightning magic coalesced into a raging ocean of lightning that swept towards the two of them.
That was no longer just ordinary lightning, but a colossal wave of thunder filled with destructive power!
Freed and Bickslow struggled to withstand the catastrophic attack, feeling as if every bone in their bodies was groaning.
"What's wrong?"
Laxus's voice, like a demon's whisper, reached their ears clearly.
"Freed, Bickslow, is this all the strength you two have?"
"Hateful!"
Freed gritted his teeth; he knew he couldn't continue this passive defense.
"We must fight back, Bickslow!"
"I see!"
Bickslow burst out from behind Freed, his eyes flashing red.
"Babies! Charge! Victory Formation!"
He manipulated the five puppets, which instantly dispersed, forming a perfect "V" shape that surrounded Laxus.
Fire!
The five dolls simultaneously unleashed high-density magical energy projectiles from their mouths, forming an impenetrable barrage from five different directions, subjecting Laxus to widespread suppressive fire.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Freed didn't sit idle either.
The rapier he usually used to mark spells was enveloped in dark purple magic.
"Dark Ecriture - Darkness!"
With a low shout, Freed unleashed a burst of magical power from his entire body!
Dark purple magic enveloped him completely, forming a set of ferocious yet magnificent dark armor.
His strength, speed, and explosiveness all surged dramatically at that moment!
"He's got some skills."
Laxus watched the two work together and saw Freed's new approach, and finally a hint of approval appeared in his eyes.
"You two have good eyesight."
"We both want to keep up with Lord Laxus!"
The demonized Freed, his voice low and hoarse, wielded the Dark Sword and charged towards Laxus once more, alongside the Puppet Formation of Bickslow.
"You really dare to say that!"
A haughty smile curved Laxus's lips.
"Then... I'll try this next move!"
He no longer held back and began to simply gather his magic power.
Golden lightning, like countless tiny serpents, swirled and coiled wildly across his body.
The temperature of the entire space seemed to rise suddenly at that moment.
"Lightning Dragon's-- "
Laxus took a deep breath, his chest heaving.
"Roar!!"
A golden Lightning Dragon's breath, thicker and more ferocious than any previous attack, erupted from his mouth like a world-destroying pillar of light!
The golden beam of light easily devoured Bickslow's magic barrage and melted Freed's dark armor.
After the attack, the entire arena fell into a deathly silence.
On the ground, a huge, bottomless ravine remained, its edges still emitting black smoke.
Bickslow's five puppets had been reduced to charred remains, and he himself lay unconscious not far away.
Amidst the smoke and dust, only one figure remained, struggling to support himself with his rapier, teetering on the verge of collapse.
Freed's dark armor was completely shattered; there wasn't a single part of his body that was intact.
But he was still standing.
"As expected of... Lord Laxus..."
With his last ounce of strength, Freed uttered those words.
After saying that, he could no longer hold on, his vision went black, and he fainted.
Laxus looked at the two lying on the ground, completely incapacitated, and slowly withdrew the lightning that had not yet completely dissipated from his body.
He walked over to the two of them and looked down at them.
"It seems you still have a long way to go, Freed."
"I'm sorry, you did not pass this assessment."
Laxus announced the final results.
Unfortunately, both Freed and Bickslow were no longer able to hear.