The golden light slowly dissipated, receding from every inch of Magnolia like a retreating tide, and the sky returned to its original color.
Riyao stood where he was, extended his dragon-transformed claw, and nonchalantly picked his nose, then blinked, his slit pupils filled with a clear, innocent light.
It was as if that earth-shattering magic just now had nothing to do with him.
Laxus stood opposite him, frozen in place, watching the scene before him in disbelief.
No one had died because of Fairy Law.
Not a single person, not even anyone injured.
The residents on the streets were safe and sound, the rubble on the roofs remained, and not even a flowerpot on the roadside was tilted.
Riyao hugged his own body and twisted, his dragon tail swaying behind him, his tone carrying a touch of mockery and mischief.
"Oh my, who would have thought that deep down, you consider us good partners, Laxus? It's truly moving."
Laxus shuddered, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
He sensed the magic power within his body; Fairy Law had clearly been successfully released, the magic power had indeed been consumed, and the magic had certainly activated.
"Why? Why?"
His voice went from hoarse to shrill, his hands clutching his hair, his whole body trembling.
"It was successfully released, so why is no one hurt?!"
Riyao crossed his arms, his dragon tail curled leisurely around his waist, and he spoke lazily, his tone like he was reasoning with a tantrum-throwing child.
"Fairy Law only eliminates the enemies you perceive in your heart, you stubborn tsundere~ You don't actually consider us enemies, so the magic naturally wouldn't take effect. It's that simple."
Laxus's lips moved a few times, wanting to retort but unable to say a single word.
The expression on his face changed from anger to bewilderment, and from bewilderment to an indescribable pain.
Freed stood at the church entrance, one foot stepped in and then retracted; he didn't know whether to enter or leave.
He had originally intended to come over and persuade Laxus; after all, having followed Laxus for so many years, he didn't want to see him sink deeper and deeper.
But given the current situation, it didn't seem convenient to appear.
He silently retreated into the shadows, watching Laxus with a complex gaze.
Laxus still stood there, unwilling to face the fact, his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white, his shoulders trembling slightly.
Riyao scratched his head, the electric arcs on his dragon horns flickering; he realized he really wasn't good at 'Talk no Jutsu,' repeating the same few lines, and if he kept going, he feared Laxus might explode on the spot.
So! Since he wasn't good at it, he'd leave it to someone who was!
Appear! Shiny alternate-color Natsu!
Riyao waved his hand, and a emerald-green magic circle bloomed beneath Natsu's feet, with cyan flames unfurling like lotus petals layer by layer.
Under the influence of Riyao's magic power, Natsu's aura surged suddenly, cyan and red flames intertwining, and the alternate-color Natsu appeared.
Riyao looked at Natsu's current appearance and almost couldn't hold back his laughter.
Natsu's original hair had been dyed by Riyao's magic power, turning green strand by strand from the tips.
It looked like someone had played a prank and dyed it, and coupled with his silly expression, it looked comical no matter how you looked at it.
To make room for Natsu, Riyao clutched his chest, putting on a show of being severely injured and unable to recover, his body falling backward limply, like a willow in the wind.
His dragon tail even cooperated by tracing an elegant arc in the air.
"Natsu, I'll leave it to you~"
His voice was so weak it sounded like he would stop breathing the next second, but there was clearly a smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.
Mirajane appeared beside them at some point, catching Riyao's falling body and holding him while crying.
"Riyao What's wrong with you"
Her voice was very cheerful, yet there wasn't a single tear in the corners of her eyes; she was clearly playing along with the act.
Riyao leaned into Mirajane's arms, closing his eyes to enjoy it, his tail swaying happily.
Levy appeared at the church entrance, panting, her hands on her knees, her face pale.
"Master! Your grandfather is unconscious! Grandma Porlyusica says he's dying!"
This sentence was like a basin of ice water poured over everyone's heads.
Freed finally walked out from the shadows and stood behind Laxus.
"Laxus, stop now."
Laxus stiffened, slowly turning his head to look at Freed, his lips trembling, but he couldn't say a single word.
Natsu scratched his head and looked at the situation around him; he didn't really understand all those twists and turns.
But he knew one thing: his opponent right now was Laxus.
He didn't say much more, his feet pushing off the ground violently, and he charged toward Laxus like a cannonball fired from a chamber.
Laxus met him almost instinctively, the two colliding, fist to flesh, the dull sounds of impact echoing through the church ruins.
They traded punches and elbow strikes, each collision kicking up a wave of air, sending rubble flying in all directions.
Laxus threw a punch, the force of it tearing through the air; Natsu's cheek was grazed, leaving a bloody mark, but he didn't budge, pushing against Laxus's fist and roaring.
"I don't care at all! I am who I am, I am Laxus! I am not the old man's grandson!"
Laxus's roar carried unwillingness and grievance, the lightning on his fists growing weaker, yet more and more frantic.
Natsu's face pressed against Laxus's fist, grimacing in pain from being hit.
"Laxus! Stop trying to make yourself sound so important!"
He said this, then suddenly raised his leg and kicked Laxus away, gritting his teeth in the gap while he retreated.
"What's so special about being the old man's grandson? Quit barking about such trivial matters!"
Natsu's fists clenched tighter, flames dancing between his fingers, but his voice suddenly deepened.
"The guild is our home, we are all each other's partners and family! Don't you understand that?"
Laxus, perhaps out of some psychological state, became even more furious upon hearing these words.
He roared, the remaining lightning on his body surging out, turning into a bolt of golden lightning as he charged.
Natsu's cyan and red flames also surged, two streams of light colliding in the ruins, exploding into a sky full of dust and smoke, fighting fiercely.
But Laxus's magic power was depleted too much; every punch was a fraction slower than the last, and every bolt of lightning was a bit weaker than the one before.
Natsu seized the opportunity.
He stepped forward and punched Laxus in the chest, the flames piercing the defense of his dragon scales, the scorching impact forcing Laxus backward.
[Fire Dragons Iron Fist]
Immediately after, he rotated sideways, his right leg accelerating while wrapped in flames, sweeping across Laxus's abdomen like a red-hot iron pillar, kicking him so hard he bent over like a shrimp.
[Fire Dragons Hook Claw]
Natsu didn't give him a chance to catch his breath, waving his hands and bringing down two flames onto Laxus's shoulders, charred marks spreading from his shoulders down to his arms.
[Fire Dragons Wing Attack]
Laxus stumbled back, Natsu, wrapped in intertwined cyan and red flames, charged like a burning meteor, slamming his head into Laxus's with a fierce headbutt, the two bouncing apart with a dull thud.
[Fire Dragons Sword Horn]
Natsu used the force of the rebound to rotate his body, his elbows igniting with flames, and with a rotating arc of fire, he smashed into the side of Laxus's face, knocking his head to the side and sending a spray of blood flying from the corner of his mouth.
[Fire Dragons Flame Elbow]
Laxus stood swaying, his vision blurred, his legs weak, but he still stubbornly refused to fall.
Natsu took a deep breath, his arms igniting with even more intense flames, cyan and red intertwining to form a spiral storm, the heat waves distorting the surrounding air, the rubble on the ground scorched red.
[Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Azure Lotus Exploding Flame Blade]
Natsu crossed his arms and slashed out violently, the spiral flame storm whistling out like a blooming azure lotus, the petals being scorching flames and the stamen being a destructive impact, hitting Laxus head-on.
Laxus was beaten by this combo with no power to fight back, reaching the kill threshold, and was completely defeated by the Dragon Slayer Secret Art.
His body traced an arc in the air, his eyes rolled back, his consciousness faded, and he crashed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The battle was over.
Riyao leaned in Mirajane's arms, watching the fallen Laxus from afar, scratching his head and muttering to himself, "Why did the old man still get a heart attack from anger? He was recuperating so well."
Levy came over, pushed up her glasses, and explained solemnly.
"The Master fainted from anger due to the high repair costs of the church; Grandma Porlyusica says he'll be angered to death sooner or later."
Riyao and Mirajane looked at each other, both speechless.
Riyao gave a thumbs up.
"As expected of a Script Mage, you put that so elegantly."
Levy pushed up her glasses, a gleam of light reflecting off the lenses.
"I am merely stating the facts."
Mirajane gently patted Riyao's shoulder and sighed.
"The Master's health is truly worrying."
Riyao thought for a moment; the old man lived from the first episode to over three hundred episodes, truly a legendary survivor.
He stood up from Mirajane's arms, brushed off the non-existent dust from his body, and his dragon tail swayed leisurely.
"Let's go, let's go check on the old man, and by the way, drag this kid Laxus back too; his rebellious phase should be over."