Gajeel put up no resistance. That punch sent him plowing through the ground for dozens of meters, and he only came to a stop after smashing through a massive boulder.
The dust settled.
Gajeel slumped against a shattered rock, his body charred black and badly injured.
"Hey, hey, Laxus, this is just a grudge between us. There's no need to hit him that hard!" said the brown-haired man in a hat, unable to bear watching.
Salsusuke, along with Draer and Levy, formed the "Chariot Engine" team.
They had originally planned to give Gajeel a beating today, to vent their anger for Levy, themselves, and the others—Gajeel had beaten up all three of them during the battle with Phantom Lord.
After all, Gajeel had joined the guild. He would be their companion from now on.
So he and Draer had decided to beat Gajeel up badly, settling their grudge once and for all so they could become comrades who trusted each other afterward.
Gajeel understood that, which was why he had not fought back.
But Laxus showing up and attacking Gajeel with such powerful magic had completely caught them off guard!
They only wanted to vent their anger, not kill Gajeel.
"Huh?" Laxus turned to look at the three of them. Magic power surged around him, and the terrifying pressure of a powerful wizard made their bodies tremble uncontrollably.
"Laxus." Levy gathered her courage and said, "There's no need for this, and this is between us. It has nothing to do with you. Don't attack Gajeel."
Crackle.
Lightning flickered across Laxus's body, frightening Levy into hiding behind a tree.
"If you want to vent your anger, don't go after them. Come at me instead." Gajeel forced himself to his feet.
"Gajeel, you idiot, don't say something like that at a time