The afternoon sun in Magnolia cast a lazy, warm glow over the town.
Familiar shouting echoed from inside the rebuilt guild hall.
Natsu and Gray were bickering over trivial things again, with Happy flying around and happily fanning the flames.
Lucy and Levy sat chatting at a corner table, while Juvia sat quietly beside Mirajane to learn how to make the guild's signature dessert.
Meanwhile, in the open space right outside the temporary guild tent, a tense confrontation was unfolding.
Gajeel leaned against a stone pillar with his arms crossed over his chest.
His black hair seemed to shine like metal in the sunlight.
His face remained completely blank, though a deep, complicated emotion hid within his sharp eyes.
Jet and Droy stood right across from him.
These two guild members had been severely injured by Gajeel during the Phantom Lord incident, and they were glaring at him with pure hostility.
"Gajeel, the culprit who destroyed our guild," Jet said coldly. "Do you really think you have the right to say something like that?"
Droy took a step forward, his glare sharp as a knife. "We need to settle this between us."
Gajeel stayed quiet for a few seconds before slowly answering.
"...If you want to fight, bring it on."
He offered no explanation or apology.
He just gave them those simple words.
His voice completely lacked its former arrogance and murderous intent, replaced entirely by a heavy, numb calm.
Jet and Droy exchanged a glance and attacked at the exact same time.
Gajeel didn't dodge.
He didn't even use his Iron Dragon Slayer Magic to defend himself.
Gajeel grunted in pain as the physical attacks slammed into him.
His body swayed, yet he managed to stay on his feet.
The impact knocked him back several meters, leaving smoke rising from his clothes.
Jet and Droy froze in shock.
They fully expected Gajeel to resist, to fight back, or even try tearing them apart with his brutal magic.
They never imagined this once-ferocious Dragon Slayer would take their attacks head-on without putting up a single shield.
"You..." Jet muttered, his grip trembling slightly around his sword.
Gajeel looked up.
His eyes met theirs with a terrifyingly calm stare.
"That's enough, Jet! Droy!" Levy rushed outside, stepping between them. "He's already joined the guild! He's a friend! You can't do this!"
"A comrade?" Jet sneered. "Levy, have you completely forgotten what he did?"
"I haven't forgotten!" Levy cried out, her voice choking with tears. "The Master said Gajeel already paid the price for his actions, and he genuinely wants to join the guild! We need to give him a chance!"
Droy frowned deeply. "Levy, stay out of this. This is between men."
The atmosphere grew incredibly tense.
Just then, a slow, mocking voice cut through the silence.
Everyone turned to see a tall figure casually walking toward them.
His spiky blonde hair stood up like steel needles.
He wore a heavy, fur-collared coat that looked completely out of place in the warm afternoon.
A Magic Sound Pod rested over his ears, its cord dangling down his chest and swaying with every step.
He had a massive, towering build.
Every step he took released a heavy, suffocating pressure, making him look like a lion on the prowl.
Laxus walked right into the center of the clearing.
He glanced over Jet and Droy before locking his eyes on Gajeel, a scornful smirk twisting his lips.
He paused and looked back at Jet and Droy. "You two are completely useless. You can't even knock down a guy who refuses to fight back. How pathetic."
All the color instantly drained from Jet and Droy's faces.
"Laxus, you—"
"Shut up," Laxus interrupted coldly, completely ignoring them. "Get out of the way, trash."
He turned his full attention back to Gajeel, sizing him up with pure disgust.
A blinding bolt of golden lightning shot from his fingertip. It was only as thick as an arm, yet the energy was compressed to an extreme level.
The bolt crossed the distance in a fraction of a second and viciously struck Gajeel!
ZAP!
A deafening crack of thunder echoed across the courtyard.
Gajeel let out an involuntary, agonizing scream as the electricity tore through him.
Laxus was only using standard lightning magic instead of his Dragon Slayer powers.
Even so, the raw strength, piercing force, and sheer concentration of the attack went far beyond what any normal mage could ever imagine.
"The Iron Dragon Slayer? Heh, is that all you've got?"
Before his words even faded, Laxus charged forward.
He clenched his right fist, packing a violent amount of lightning magic into his knuckles.
He threw a brutal punch straight into Gajeel.
A heavy boom erupted, followed immediately by the sickening crunch of breaking bones.
Laxus simply raised his right hand and spread his fingers.
Dazzling golden lightning gathered in his palm, instantly forming a thick spear of pure electricity.
He launched the spear straight at Gajeel! The energy was compressed to its absolute limit.
As the spear tore through the air, it scorched the oxygen, leaving behind a sharp, burnt smell and carving a deep trench directly into the dirt.
Gajeel's eyes widened in panic.
His survival instincts screamed at him to defend himself and counterattack.
However, his body was already severely injured, and that last punch had completely drained him.
His reactions were simply too slow.
He barely managed to twist his body, desperately trying to avoid a fatal hit.
The spear was moving way too fast!
"Stop!" Jet and Droy roared at the exact same time.
They absolutely hated Gajeel and held a grudge against him.
Laxus, however, was throwing a genuine killing blow!
Suddenly, when the lightning spear was only a few inches from Gajeel's chest, it aggressively changed direction.
It traced a bizarre arc through the air, entirely bypassing Gajeel, Jet, and Droy.
Instead, it shot directly toward Levy.
Time seemed to freeze in that exact instant.
Levy's eyes widened in terror as she watched the deadly spear rapidly close the distance.
She desperately wanted to dodge. Her body simply refused to listen, feeling completely pinned in place by an invisible force.
The freezing chill of death shot up from her feet straight to her head.
She could actually smell the harsh stench of lightning burning the air around her face.
Everything happened in a fraction of a second.
Right before the lightning struck Levy, a loud hum vibrated through the clearing.
A dark gold screen of light unfolded directly in front of her. It looked as thin as a cicada's wing, yet it carried an unbreakable, majestic presence.
The lightning spear slammed violently into the barrier, erupting in a deafening crash and a blinding flash of electricity.
The lightning raged and battered against the shield endlessly.
The dark gold screen remained perfectly still, completely absorbing all of the destructive energy.
The blinding light finally faded away.
Ace now stood directly in front of Levy with his right hand extended outward.
The dark gold Digisoul flowed like a living creature around his palm, generating that indestructible shield.
His face remained completely calm.
Deep down, his black eyes flickered with a freezing, absolute fury!
"Laxus," Ace said softly.
His voice cut clearly through the ringing in everyone's ears. "You've crossed the line."
The entire clearing fell deathly silent.
Jet and Droy collapsed onto the dirt, their faces pale and their shirts soaked in cold sweat.
They genuinely believed Levy was about to die a second ago.
Gajeel clutched his bleeding chest and glared at Laxus.
Levy stood safely behind Ace, her small body was still trembling.
She stared up at his broad shoulders. He wasn't exceptionally tall, yet at this exact moment, he looked as sturdy and reliable as a mountain.
The terror of her near-death experience lingered heavily in her mind.
At the same time, a warm, complicated feeling began spreading through her chest.
Laxus slowly lowered his hand and locked eyes with Ace.
The smirk on his face grew even wider.
He didn't look surprised at all.
Instead, his eyes burned with an eager, thrilling excitement, as if he had been waiting for exactly this to happen!
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