"The bet is open! The bet is open! Rain versus Laxus—who's walking away as the winner? Place your wagers, folks, place your wagers!"
Makao had already leapt onto a barrel, his grin sly, his hands waving as if he were announcing a festival. The second he saw the crowd gathering, the old gambling dog's instincts kicked in.
"Now, now, don't be shy! With just a little money, you might walk away with a huge return! Don't miss your chance—bets are live!"
The guild members erupted in a frenzy.
"You're actually… turning Laxus's fight into a gambling game?!" Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow all twitched violently, their eyes bulging with fury. "Have you no shame?! This is an insult to Laxus-sama himself!"
But even as their words shook with outrage, Makao's sly grin only widened. He leaned toward them with a gleam in his eyes. "Oh? So how much are you planning to invest?"
The three Raijinshuu froze. Then, with perfect synchronicity, they slammed their fists on the table.
"All of it!"
"Stud!"
"Everything we have except the clothes on our backs! We're putting it all on Laxus-sama!"
Gasps tore through the crowd.
"Damn!!! Did they just… go all-in?!"
"Even Fairy Tail's gambling addicts wouldn't dare do that!"
"Who bets all their property?!"
Macao almost dropped his chalk. Even the veterans of the guild, no strangers to wild bets, looked shaken.
"…These maniacs…" Wakaba muttered, puffing his pipe with disbelief. "I've been in casinos all my life, but even I wouldn't put my underwear on the line."
The Raijinshuu, however, looked completely serious. "We know Laxus better than anyone. Not even Master knows his full power like we do. There's only one outcome here—Laxus wins."
Their conviction was absolute.
Meanwhile, the rest of the guild burst into cheers as coins, bills, and whatever valuables they could scrounge up flew into Makao's hands.
"I bet 10,000 J on Rain!"
"30,000 J says Rain knocks Laxus out cold!"
"50,000 J for Laxus!"
"Two barrels of beer and my tab debt on Rain!"
The chaos spiraled higher and higher as bets piled up. In seconds, Fairy Tail had transformed into a full-blown arena-side casino.
"Beer! Drinks! Cold water, peanuts, melon seeds, eight-treasure porridge—get your snacks here!" Wakaba bellowed, his pipe now stuck in his pocket as he joined the food vendor squad.
"Oi! Don't forget fried chicken! We can't watch a fight without fried chicken!" Natsu shouted, already holding a skewer.
"Honestly…" Makarov groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This guild…"
At the same time, Makarov rolled out a little cart stacked with snacks, ale, and even a few random trinkets.
"Snacks! Drinks! Fight souvenirs! Don't miss your chance—everything's half price!" he called, waving his cane proudly. The old man never missed a chance to make money.
Then he waddled over to Makao, who was furiously scribbling down names for the betting pool.
"Guildmaster, want to place a bet too?" Makao asked with a sly grin. "How much on Laxus?"
"Not much. Just one hundred thousand J." Makarov puffed on his pipe with a relaxed smile.
"Alright! One hundred thousand J on Laxus for Master Makarov!" Makao shouted, stamping it down in the book.
Laxus, who had been glaring at the gamblers, blinked. His chest tightened for a moment. The anger faded into something warmer.
"…Old man…" he muttered under his breath. So you really do believe in me.
But then—
"Wait a second."
Makarov raised his cane, stopping Makao mid-scribble.
"Huh? Did I mess up, Guildmaster?" Makao tilted his head.
Makarov's expression grew serious. "Who said I was betting on Laxus? Put me down for Rain."
"EEEHHH?!"
The entire street shook with the guild's collective shriek.
"Oi, oi, old man, that's your grandson!!"
"Unbelievable! Betrayal!!"
The laughter rang out, but Laxus froze, his eyes twitching violently. A vein popped in his forehead.
"…This damn geezer…"
Just a moment ago he'd been moved, but now his face twisted like he'd bitten into something rotten. Sparks of lightning crackled across his shoulders. If not for the fact that it was his grandfather, he looked ready to throw a punch right then and there.
And just when the noise couldn't get any louder—
"Half a million J on Rain."
The guild went dead silent.
Everyone turned.
Mira stood there, her calm smile never faltering, as she handed Makao a heavy pouch of jewels. "All on Rain."
The crowd exploded again.
"Half a million?!"
"Mira's putting it all on Rain?!"
"Damn, she's serious!"
Rain scratched the back of his neck, sighing. "…I feel like this is putting way more pressure on me than the fight itself."
Gulp.
Makao swallowed nervously as Mira's bet echoed in his head. If Rain really wins… I'll lose everything…
His hands twitched. "…Maybe I should put a little on Rain too."
After all, Mira looked way too confident.
But the chatter died down as both fighters stepped forward. The joking, the betting, the chaos—everything melted into tense anticipation.
The duel between Rain and Laxus was about to begin.
"Please… do your best." Rain's voice was calm, but there was weight behind his words.
"Oh? You want me to go all out?" Laxus's grin widened, and for the first time, his tone grew serious. "Fine then. Remember—you asked for it."
Zzzzt! ZZZZZZT!
Golden lightning erupted across Laxus's body, crackling violently as sparks scorched the cobblestone beneath his feet. The roar of electricity filled the air.
"So this is Laxus…"
Erza's eyes narrowed. Even with her own confidence as an S-Class candidate, the sheer force radiating from him made her grip tighten on her sword.
The gap between us… it's still this wide?
Her thoughts sharpened, her mind already sketching new possibilities. I'll need stronger armor. A set that can withstand thunder itself… otherwise, against him, I'd have no chance at all.
Her heart burned—not with fear, but with resolve.
Across from him, Rain's gaze never wavered. He could feel it clearly—under the crackling aura, beneath the raw power—there was something else.
"…The aura of a dragon."
His lips curved faintly. So this is Thunder Dragon Slayer magic.
For an instant, his thoughts flickered back to another presence. It's similar to Kaido's aura. Dragons, through and through… but Laxus is nowhere near that level yet.
"Oh?" Laxus's eyes sharpened, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "You noticed?"
Most people in the guild had no idea he was a Dragon Slayer. Even Natsu, another Dragon Slayer himself, hadn't recognized it. But Rain? He'd seen through it instantly.
"Tch… impressive," Laxus muttered, a grin tugging at his lips. "So, are you ready?"
The air vibrated as lightning gathered around him. Sparks hissed across his arms, then drew inward—concentrating deep in his lungs.
A dazzling glow began to build in his throat.
"Thunder Dragon's… ROAR!!!"
BOOOOOOM!
A blinding torrent of lightning erupted from Laxus's mouth, a storm of crackling destruction tearing straight toward Rain. The cobblestone streets shattered under the sheer force of the shockwave.
The guild members watching from the sidelines cried out in awe.
"That's—!"
"A Dragon Slayer's roar?!"
Natsu's jaw dropped, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. "Laxus is… a Dragon Slayer?!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Even those who had seen countless brawls in Fairy Tail had never witnessed magic like this.
Golden lightning scorched the air itself, and the roar of the Thunder Dragon bore down on Rain with unstoppable force...
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