"Laxus was hiding that much power?!"
The crowd erupted as lightning scorched the air. The guild members who'd placed their bets stared, mouths hanging open.
Their faces turned pale at the same time.
"My heart… it hurts," one groaned, clutching his chest.
"What hurts?" Wakaba asked, pipe wobbling in his mouth. "You're not the one getting electrocuted."
"Because I bet on Rain!" the man wailed dramatically.
"Ohhh…" Wakaba nodded slowly. "Yeah, that'll do it."
He puffed his pipe once, then smirked. "How about you, Makao? You look a little too calm for someone about to lose his savings."
A bad feeling crawled up Makao's spine. "...Wait. Don't tell me—"
"Yup." Wakaba grinned, smoke curling from his lips. "I switched my bet. Put a hundred-thousand J on Laxus. Half a year's living expenses, baby."
"WHAT?!"
Makao's jaw hit the ground.
The two stared at each other, realization dawning in perfect sync.
"…We're sworn enemies now," they said together, sparks practically flying between them as the battle on the street raged on.
--
The guild members gawked as the Thunder Dragon's Roar tore through the street, lightning blazing everywhere.
But Rain didn't even blink.
He drew his blade in a single smooth motion—
SHING!
The lightning blast split cleanly down the middle, exploding past him in two harmless arcs.
"W-What?!" Laxus froze, disbelief flashing across his face. "He cut through my roar?!"
Rain lowered his sword, the edge still crackling faintly with residual static. "Not bad. But you're gonna have to do better than that."
A grin spread across Laxus's face. "Heh. Good. I was hoping you'd say that."
The ground rumbled as electricity surged from his body again, gold sparks flashing like miniature suns.
"Come on, then! Let's see what you've got!"
Rain vanished.
The air itself split from the speed of his movement.
"So fast?!" Laxus's pupils shrank as Rain appeared right in front of him, blade already swinging.
"Thunder Armor!"
Lightning burst around Laxus just in time to block the strike—
BOOM!
The impact sent shockwaves rolling down the street, tiles shattering beneath their feet.
Laxus smirked, his teeth bared. "You hit hard, I'll give you that."
Rain tilted his head, amused. "You're not bad yourself. But you rely too much on that lightning of yours."
"Yeah?" Laxus raised his fists, arcs of light sparking between them. "Then let's see if you can keep up when I get serious!"
He swung his arm forward, a bolt of lightning tearing straight toward Rain—
—but Rain's eyes glinted. He raised his sword just slightly.
The bolt fizzled out halfway, scattering like harmless sparks.
The entire guild gasped.
"Wha—he cancelled it?!" Natsu yelled.
Rain smiled lightly, resting the blade on his shoulder. "If you're gonna throw thunder at me, make sure it's the kind that bites."
Laxus grinned back, electricity surging even fiercer now. "Heh. Don't worry. The next one will."
"There's no next time...laxus!" Rain said with smile.
A wave of pressure slammed into laxus before he could even move.
BOOM!
The ground split beneath his feet. His breath caught. His entire body locked up as a suffocating force crushed the air around him.
"What… what is this pressure?!" Laxus said as his body temebled slightly.
Rain's eyes glowed crimson for an instant, his aura swirling like a storm. "Conqueror's Will."
A ripple of invisible power surged outward, sending cracks spider-webbing through the cobblestone. The guild members watching stumbled back, unable to breathe for a second.
Laxus's fists trembled against his will. His instincts screamed at him to kneel, to back away.
He gritted his teeth, veins bulging at his temples.
"I'm… trembling?" he hissed, eyes wide. "Me?! No way… I—I'm not afraid of anyone!"
The next moment, Rain narrowed his eyes. His grip on the sword tightened.
In the next instant, his blade moved.
So fast that even Laxus's trained eyes couldn't follow.
"Divine Departure."
BOOOOOOM!
A shockwave split the air. The lightning storm shattered apart as Rain's strike hit.
Laxus didn't even have time to react—he was thrown backward like a thunderbolt fired in reverse, smashing through a distant wall before the sound caught up.
CRASH!
Dust filled the street. The echoes rolled through Magnolia like a quake.
And then—silence.
Laxus's body slumped against the rubble, completely unconscious.
Rain lowered his sword, a faint hum of energy still swirling around the blade. The faint trace of Conqueror's Haki shimmered in the air before fading.
He exhaled lightly. 'Thankfully…I held back too much. If I hadn't, he'd be in half.'
The guild stared.
"…He just—he just dropped Laxus. One hit," Natsu whispered, eyes wide.
Gray rubbed his forehead. "That wasn't even a fight, that was a demolition."
Even Erza's expression turned serious. "Such precision and pressure… that wasn't magic. That was something else entirely."
Up on the railing, Makarov's pipe nearly slipped from his mouth.
"This boy...to think he was hiding this much power?" he muttered, half-amazed, half-proud.
He smiled, folding his arms as he looked down at Rain and Mira. "Good grief… the future generations really are terrifying."
Then his grin turned smug. "If their strength isn't far from mine and Gildarts… heh, wait till the next guild-masters' meeting. I'll have something to brag about for years."
Down below, realization hit.
"Wait, Rain won?! He actually won?!"
"Yeah, he flattened Laxus!!"
Cheers erupted instantly. The half of the guild that had bet on Rain screamed with joy, waving their tickets in the air.
"We're rich!!!"
Meanwhile, the unlucky half dropped to their knees, faces pale.
"My rent money…"
"My entire savings…"
"There goes my lunch for the next three months…"
The guild floor split into two sides — one celebrating, one mourning.
Then Makarov cleared his throat, stepping onto his cart again, a suspiciously happy twinkle in his eye.
"Ahem! Attention, my dear members of Fairy Tail!"
The broke gamblers turned toward him hopefully. "G-Guildmaster… you're going to help us out, right?"
"Of course, of course!" he said warmly. "I'm always looking out for my children!"
Hope lit up in their eyes.
"Which is why," Makarov continued, beaming, "I'm proud to announce a special new service! For those who've lost all their money in betting… the guild will now offer floor-sleeping spots in the main hall! Only 100 J a night! Cheap, clean, and cozy!"
"WHAT?!"
The broke half of the guild fell over like dominoes.
"Old man's making money off us again!!!"
Makarov puffed his pipe, smiling contently. "Well, someone's gotta pay the repair bills."
Even Rain chuckled quietly as Mira covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Fairy Tail — the strongest, loudest, and most ridiculous guild in the world.
"Still carrying something like this, huh?"
Wakaba and the others groaned, rubbing their heads as Makarov's cheerful "floor rental" idea sank in.
And yet… the longer they thought about it, the more tempting it sounded.
"Wait… only 100 J a night?"
"That's cheaper than my apartment rent."
"…and you get to sleep under the chandelier. That's kinda fancy."
Before long, a few of the broke gamblers were already eyeing the guild floor like it was prime real estate.
Makarov grinned behind his pipe. "Knew they'd cave."
But the silence didn't last.
"LAXUS!!!"
The shout came from the Raijinshuu as they rushed toward their fallen leader.
Freed skidded to a stop beside him, eyes wide. "Laxus-sama! Are you alright?!"
Bickslow crouched beside him, guilt and panic mixing in his face. "Boss, wake up! You can't just lose after we bet everything we own!"
Evergreen clutched her head. "I can't believe we actually went all in!"
The three of them froze as the realization hit.
They had gambled every last jewel they had—except for the clothes they were wearing.
And now… they had nothing.
"…"
An awkward silence hung over the trio.
Freed's smile twitched. "…So… maybe we should, uh, go take a job or two?"
"Yeah," Bickslow said quickly, nodding. "Big ones. Real big ones."
Evergreen sighed dramatically. "Preferably ones that pay fast."
Mira chuckled from nearby, watching them scramble. "At least they're motivated now."
Rain scratched the back of his neck, half amused, half exasperated. "Guess I cost them their savings. I'll buy them lunch later."
"Make it dinner," Mira teased. "They'll need the calories."
The guild burst into laughter again.
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