FTRJ: Chapter 86

Finn rushed forward, helping Gajeel to his feet. "Weren't you supposed to be working? Why are you here?"

Gajeel offered a strained smile. "I have unfinished business with this guy. A chance like this…I had to settle the score."

"And stop him from doing what he's planning," Gajeel said, staring at Laxus, whose body trembled slightly from a recent lightning strike. "But this guy's strength is monstrous. He truly inherited Makarov's power."

"Finn! Gajeel?" Erza ran in. "You're here too."

"Heh heh, looks like only Mystogan is missing. All of Fairy Tail's strongest contenders are here," Laxus taunted, arms crossed.

"Laxus, cancel Tenrō Jima! You want to destroy the city?!" Erza shouted.

"Hahaha, it's the new rule! I'm suffering too, hahaha!" Laxus laughed.

"You…"

Laxus spread his arms. "Time's almost up. How will you stop me?" He gathered lightning, aiming it at Erza.

Boom————

A fiery fist shattered the lightning. Finn stood in front.

"Oh, Finn, you're here early. Let's have a long-awaited fight, hahaha," Laxus said excitedly.

"Laxus, you're hopeless," Finn said, drawing his sword.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in their minds: "Everyone, emergency! Look at the sky!"

"Hmm?" Finn looked at Erza, who also heard it.

"It's Warren!"

Finn knew who it was. Warren's magic let him connect minds. He'd reached everyone in Fairy Tail.

"Everyone, use all your remaining magic to destroy the crystals. It's Laxus's city-destroying magic. No time! Attack together!"

"Warren, can you hear us?" Erza asked.

"It's Erza. I can hear you," Warren's voice echoed in their minds.

"It's Erza, so the petrified people are okay?" someone asked.

"We're all fine," Mirajane and others said.

"That's great!" Many voices echoed.

Hearing the telepathic conversation, everyone agreed to destroy Tenrō Jima. Finn smiled at their unity.

Erza looked at Finn. "Finn, Laxus is yours. Tenrō Jima is ours."

"Finn? Finn found Laxus already?" someone asked.

"Yes," Erza nodded.

"If it's Finn, we're good. Let's focus on Tenrō Jima," Gray said.

"Ah, I wanted to fight Laxus too! Finn beat me to it…" Natsu complained telepathically.

"Alright, no more chit-chat! We're running out of time, everyone, attack!" Erza ran out of the cathedral.

Gajeel got up and headed out.

"You too?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, if I can't beat him, I'll destroy something he cares about," Gajeel said, glaring at Laxus, before leaving.

"You want to destroy Tenrō Jima?" Laxus couldn't hear their thoughts, but understood from Erza.

"Are you kidding? Destroying one crystal causes a lightning strike. There are countless crystals! They can't be destroyed!" Laxus laughed scornfully.

"I believe my comrades can do it, just like they believe I can beat you," Finn said calmly.

"Comrades again? I'm sick of you and the old man's speeches," Laxus's smile vanished.

"Since you believe in them so much, let them destroy my Tenrō Jima and prove it," Laxus sneered.

"You will see," Finn said, without further words.

Boom—

They vanished simultaneously, flames and lightning clashing, neither giving an inch, like two wild beasts locked in a desperate struggle.

The ground beneath their feet cracked and shattered, the fragments of stone propelled skyward by the force of their magical confrontation.

…

The clash of magical energies reached a critical point, exploding outwards in a deafening roar, simultaneously repelling both combatants.

"You should know, Finn," Laxus said, his entire body crackling with raw electrical energy.

"How utterly weak Fairy Tail has become." A massive sphere of concentrated lightning formed in Laxus's hand, hurtling towards Finn.

Finn's fiery fist met the attack, shattering the lightning bolt with ease.

"I'll change this guild! I have to become Master!" Laxus roared, the air around him thrumming with the power of uncontrolled lightning.

"I told you, I'll stop you. Not your dream, but your twisted methods," Finn responded calmly, his voice unwavering.

"Twisted?" Laxus pointed at himself, his laughter echoing through the cathedral. "Finn, you're blinded by those weaklings! Open your eyes and see!"

Laxus's emotions spiraled further into a frenzy. "What kind of guild is this now? Weak, utterly weak! It's because of them that we're constantly ridiculed by outsiders! Do you understand?!"

Finn sighed, his expression filled with a mixture of sadness and resolve. "Show me your true strength, Laxus. I will show you what true weakness is."

Finn slowly drew his flaming sword, Ryūjin Jakka. The temperature in the cathedral began to climb exponentially.

"Excellent. I've been looking forward to this for a long time. Defeat you, and nothing can stop me," Laxus declared, his muscles bulging explosively, tearing the fabric of his shirt as his body underwent a dramatic transformation.

His stature increased dramatically, dragon scales sprouting across his arms and face, and the raw electrical energy crackling around him intensified into a furious storm.

"Dragon Force?" Finn recognized the transformation, a knowing glint in his eyes.

"All thanks to you, I've been striving to become stronger. Can you still handle me now?" Laxus boasted, brimming with confidence fueled by his enhanced power.

"All Things in the Universe, Turn to Ashes. Ryūjin Jakka!" Finn unleashed the full fury of his flaming blade.

A torrent of flames erupted from Finn's blade, instantly engulfing the Kardia Cathedral in a sea of fire.

Feeling the intense heat of the flames engulfing him, Laxus frowned slightly, then let out a burst of laughter. "Finn, you've truly grown weak. Your flames…they're pathetically weak."

Finn shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Impossible. I've simply learned to control my power more effectively."

The flickering flames illuminated Laxus's face, casting his features in a dramatic light. Laxus scoffed, his voice laced with arrogance. "Are you talking about me?

Strength demands arrogance! And I embrace it fully!" Laxus opened his mouth, a colossal sphere of concentrated lightning gathering within.

"Roar of the Thunder Dragon!"

Laxus had indeed grown significantly stronger, and Finn could feel the immense power contained within the massive bolt of lightning hurtling towards him.

Finn crouched slightly, his grip tightening on Ryūjin Jakka. "Ryūjin Jakka!" he whispered, his voice barely audible above the crackling energy.

With a swift, precise movement, Finn swung his flaming blade, the razor-sharp edge slicing cleanly through Laxus's thunderous roar. The momentum of the attack remained undiminished, the fiery blade continuing its trajectory towards Laxus.

Laxus's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected turn of events. "He cut through my Roar?" Despite his astonishment, Laxus's movements remained fluid and precise as he reacted instantly, his body shimmering with electrical energy as he evaded the attack.

The fiery slash continued unimpeded, embedding itself deep within the stone statue behind Laxus, causing a deafening boom. The massive statue was cleaved cleanly in two, but the cut was far from smooth; it resembled a river of molten magma.

"It wasn't so much a cut as it was a melting," Laxus observed, his eyes narrowed in assessment. "To melt such a colossal stone statue in an instant…" He couldn't help but feel a surge of respect for Finn's power.

From that moment on, Laxus no longer dared to underestimate the destructive potential of Finn's flames.

"Damn it!" Laxus cursed under his breath, his body once again shimmering with electrical energy as he transformed into a bolt of lightning, hurtling towards Finn with blinding speed.

"Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!" A golden magic circle materialized in front of Laxus, and a colossal fist formed from pure lightning energy descended upon Finn's position.

Boom—

A deafening explosion rocked the cathedral, sending a cloud of dust and debris billowing into the air.

Amidst the thick smoke, fiery red light blazed forth, countless waves of explosive flames erupting outwards, dispersing the dust and revealing Finn, standing unscathed amidst the inferno.

"Laxus, is this all the strength you've been boasting about?" Finn's voice, amplified by the surrounding flames, echoed through the cathedral, his words laced with a mixture of challenge and disdain.

Finn crouched low to the ground, adopting a runner's stance. With a powerful thrust of his legs, flames erupted from beneath his feet, propelling him forward like a rocket. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground as Finn vanished in a blur of motion.

"You're not the only one who's fast!" Before his voice reached Laxus's ears, Finn was already standing before him, his right leg ablaze as he unleashed a powerful knee strike that connected squarely with Laxus's abdomen.

A searing pain shot through Laxus's body.

Laxus was sent flying backward like a cannonball, crashing heavily into the wall behind him, causing a tremendous roar. Simultaneously, a series of explosions echoed from the sky outside.

A battered and bruised Laxus struggled to his feet from amidst the rubble, his gaze darting towards the magical barrier to his side.

The inscription on the barrier confirmed the unbelievable truth: Tenrō Jima had been destroyed. Laxus's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Impossible? Those…those guys actually did it?" His face was a mask of shock and disbelief.

Through the shattered window, Finn gazed out at the sky, witnessing the countless lightning crystals that had encircled Magnolia simultaneously exploding in a dazzling display of light and energy.

The resounding boom not only shook the cathedral but also reverberated throughout the entire city of Magnolia.

The citizens of Magnolia, captivated by the spectacle, watched the glittering fragments of crystal rain down from the sky, many mistaking them for a spectacular fireworks display orchestrated by the Fairy Tail mages.

Through the telepathic link, Finn could hear the cries of pain and exhaustion from his comrades, followed by their weak but joyous laughter—a sound far removed from the agony of a recent lightning strike, and far more reminiscent of the aftermath of one of Fairy Tail's infamous guild brawls.

"Everyone alright?" Erza's concerned voice echoed in their minds.

"We're doing surprisingly well! To be honest, I feel like I could go another round with Laxus…"

"Oh, why don't you go give Finn a hand then?"

"…Nah…I don't want to steal Finn's opponent."

"Hahaha, our guild…it's really something, isn't it?"

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