Fighting Luxus

Now that Evergreen had been defeated, I knew that the girls who had been petrified should have been released. I felt a sense of relief, but there was no time to rest. It was time to find Laxus. I recalled that he was likely to be in the cathedral, but I knew the path wouldn't be easy with Fried's enchantments scattered around.

As I made my way through the city, my mind was focused on the task ahead. I knew Laxus was powerful, and this battle wouldn't be as simple as the one with Evergreen. I advanced cautiously, but inevitably, I found myself ensnared by one of Fried's rune traps. Frustration bubbled up inside me. "If I find Fried," I muttered to myself, "I'm going to kick his ass."

After managing to dispel the rune trap, I continued on my way. Suddenly, I rounded a corner and nearly collided with Erza. We both stopped in our tracks, momentarily surprised.

"Oh, Erza," I said, relieved to see her. "You're not petrified anymore."

"Yes, thanks to you," she replied, a smile forming on her lips. "Well done defeating Evergreen."

"It was nothing," I said, scratching my head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Evergreen wasn't really that strong. I'm sure you could have done the same."

Erza chuckled, shaking her head. "You're too modest, Jade. Evergreen was a tough opponent. You handled her well."

We resumed walking together, our pace quick but steady. "So, what's the plan?" I asked, glancing at Erza. "We need to find Laxus and put an end to this."

"Agreed," she nodded. "But we must be cautious. Laxus is incredibly strong, and we can't afford to underestimate him."

As we navigated through the city, we encountered more of Fried's rune traps. Each time, we managed to break through them, but it was clear that Fried had been thorough in his preparations. "He's certainly made this difficult for us," I remarked, my frustration growing.

"Fried is very skilled with his enchantments," Erza agreed. "But we can't let that deter us. We need to stay focused."

We pressed on, the cathedral drawing closer. As we approached, we could see the grand structure looming ahead, its spires reaching toward the sky. The atmosphere grew tense, and I could feel the weight of the impending confrontation. Just as we were about to enter, something else happened: the activation of the Thunder Palace, a grand number of Thunder Lacrimas positioned over Magnolia, set to go off in one hour and ten minutes.

My heart sank. "Laxus," I muttered, realizing the severity of his plan. We had to stop him before it was too late.

Erza and I pushed open the grand doors of the cathedral, and our eyes widened at the sight before us. Mystogan was already there, engaged in a fierce battle with Laxus. Lightning clashed with Mystogan's magic, creating a spectacle of power and destruction.

Laxus saw this as an opportunity and struck at Mystogan's mask, burning it off. The mask shattered, revealing a face identical to Jellal's. Erza stood speechless, shock written all over her face, while I, having seen the anime, was not surprised.

"Mystogan..." Erza whispered, her voice trembling. Mystogan apologized to her, saying he didn't intend for her to know. He claimed to know Jellal, but insisted that he was not him. With one last apology, he disappeared, leaving Erza and me alone with Laxus.

Laxus saw this as another opening and hit Erza with a lightning bolt, which momentarily debilitated her. I clenched my fists, anger boiling inside me. It was time to confront Laxus.

"I guess it's just you and me now, Jade," Laxus sneered, electricity crackling around him. "Let's see if you're as tough as they say."

"Let's see if you can back up all that talk," I retorted, summoning my light magic.

We started the battle, each of us testing the other. Laxus launched bolts of electricity, surrounding his hands and feet with lightning. I countered with my own light magic, firing off light spheres and arrows, moving at the speed of light to evade his physical attacks.

Our powers clashed, illuminating the cathedral with bursts of light and electricity. I could feel the intensity of Laxus's attacks, but I was determined not to back down. I moved swiftly, elementalizing into light to avoid his strikes and countering with rapid-fire light spheres.

Laxus grinned, seemingly unfazed by my attacks. "Is that all you've got?" he taunted, launching a powerful bolt of electricity.

I dodged, reappearing behind him and unleashing a barrage of light arrows. "You haven't seen anything yet," I replied, my voice steady.

We continued to exchange blows, neither of us gaining a clear advantage. The air crackled with energy, and the tension was palpable. Despite the intensity of the battle, I could tell that Laxus was holding back, testing my limits.

At this time, Erza recovered from the shock, standing up with determination in her eyes. She donned her Lightning Empress Armor, her presence commanding and powerful. "Laxus!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the cathedral. "Cease this madness and deactivate the Thunder Palace!"

Laxus smirked, shaking his head. "Not until Makarov resigns," he replied defiantly.

"Then we'll make you stop," Erza declared, joining the battle.

With Erza by my side, our chances improved. She charged at Laxus, her Lightning Empress Armor absorbing and countering his electrical attacks. I supported her with my light magic, creating openings for her to strike.

Laxus fought back fiercely, his lightning attacks becoming more erratic and powerful. But Erza and I worked in tandem, our combined strength pushing him back. Erza's armor allowed her to withstand his lightning, while my speed and light attacks kept him off balance.

"You're both fools if you think you can beat me," Laxus growled, summoning a massive bolt of lightning.

Erza blocked the attack with her sword, the force pushing her back slightly. "We'll do whatever it takes to protect Fairy Tail," she said, her voice unwavering.

"And to stop you," I added, firing a concentrated beam of light at Laxus.

The beam struck him, causing him to stumble. Erza seized the opportunity, launching a powerful strike with her sword. Laxus barely dodged, retaliating with a flurry of lightning bolts.

I moved swiftly, dodging the attacks and closing the distance between us. "Celestial Slash!" I shouted, channeling pure energy into my blade and striking at Laxus.

The impact sent him flying back, crashing into the cathedral wall. He stood up, breathing heavily, but still defiant. "This isn't over," he snarled, summoning more lightning.