39 True Power

Laxus glared at Meliodas and walked towards him. Meliodas returned Laxus's gaze and also walked towards him until both of them were standing right in front of each other, with Meliodas looking straight up at Laxus and Laxus looking straight down. The two began sizing each other up and there was a strange pressure in the air as sparks began to fly around Laxus's body.

Laxus's hostile glare turned into a maniacal grin and he bent down to look Meliodas in the eyes.

"So are you really as strong as Mystogan says you are?" Laxus taunted.

"Why don't you find out?" Meliodas responded with a cheeky smile at Laxus. Laxus's smirk vanished and a crackling sound echoed through the cathedral as lightning surrounded his body.

More lightning began to come from Laxus's body as he stood in front of Meliodas, with large sparks hitting the ground around Meliodas and creating small holes in the floor Meliodas stood firmly in place, his expression serious as he glared at Laxus.

In that moment, Laxus seemingly vanished from in front of Meliodas in a bright flash and reappeared behind him, delivering a kick towards Meliodas's head. Meliodas turned his body and raised his right arm up, blocking the kick. The force of the kick caused him to skid across the hall while his feet were firmly planted, creating small indents in the floor and a trail of dust.

"You took that well." Laxus said with a smirk. Meliodas remained silent and glanced over at Mystogan who was spectating. Mystogan saw the look in Meliodas's eye and immediately knew what to do as he placed his five staves on the ground. Laxus glanced over and saw Mystogan placing his staves.

"Oh no you don't!" Laxus yelled as he charged towards Mystogan. Lightning cloaked his body as he dashed towards Mystogan at blistering speed. As he approached Mystogan, he felt something grab his foot and stop him completely in his tracks. Laxus turned his head and saw Meliodas holding onto his foot, despite him being cloaked in lightning.

The instant Meliodas touched Laxus, the lightning around him transferred to Meliodas, causing his hair to begin to stand and completely blow his shirt off as he was electrocuted.

"Your fight is with me!" Meliodas yelled as he swung Laxus over his head and straight into the ground behind him. Laxus hit the ground hard, creating a crater in the floor of the cathedral.

Laxus felt Meliodas's grip tighten around his foot as Meliodas prepared to throw Laxus. Laxus grit his teeth as he emitted lightning outwards from his body, causing Meliodas to let go of his foot.

"You little shit!" Laxus angrily yelled as he broke free of Meliodas's grip. He delivered a kick to Meliodas in the gut, sending him flying back and straight through one of the support pillars. The stone pillar collapsed as Meliodas was launched through it, but he quickly regained his balance, landing on his feet and sinking his feet into the floor, only for Laxus to reappear in front of him clad in lightning.

Laxus aimed another lightning charged punch at Meliodas. Meliodas ducked the punch in time. He delivered a quick jab to Laxus's gut, momentarily stunning him as he followed through with an uppercut to the chin, launching him straight up towards the ceiling. Before Laxus could go through the ceiling, he managed to stop his momentum partially and press his back up against it, causing that portion of the ceiling to crack. Using the ceiling as a foothold, he kicked off the ceiling towards Meliodas, creating a hole as bits of the roof caved into the ground.

Meliodas looked up at the ceiling, and saw Laxus coming back straight down, charged with lightning and his face filled with rage. He flew straight down at full speed, punching from above Meliodas. Meliodas put his arms up to block as Laxus's fist made contact with Meliodas. The ground below Meliodas cracked, kicking up the stone floors as a crater formed underneath Meliodas's feet and lightning enveloped Meliodas's body.

"Gghhhh." Meliodas grunted as Laxus pushed into Meliodas's firm defense while being electrocuted. Meliodas pushed back harder, repelling Laxus away from him. Laxus regained his balance and landed on the ground a few meters away in front of Meliodas. Laxus brushed off some dust from his shoulder and began to laugh.

"What a joke. This is hardly a-" Laxus stopped as he noticed Mystogan had finished casting his magic. He looked up above him and saw five different colored magic circles that had formed, stacked on top of each other.

"Five Layered Magic Circle: Sacred Song."

The magic circle at the very top let out a beam that traveled through each individual circle below, hitting Laxus who was at the very bottom in a giant pillar of magic.

Mystogan and Meliodas stared at the smoke cloud formed from the blast when Meliodas spotted a lightning clad Laxus travel up the wall of the cathedral. The lightning clad Laxus charged at Meliodas. Meliodas braced himself as he tried to raise his arms up for the hit. Laxus delivered a fast punch to Meliodas's face, right through Meliodas's guard, launching Meliodas across the hall and out of the wall of the Cathedral. Laxus turned to his other side and saw Mystogan standing there with two of his staves out and glowing brightly.

"Two Layered Magic Circle: Burning Abyss."

A wall of flames began to surround Laxus. Laxus cloaked himself in lightning and leaped out easily with his speed before he was completely surrounded. He appeared again, in front of the flames with lightning charged in his left hand. With a large grin on his face, he fired the lightning blast at Mystogan.

Mystogan quickly retaliated, and threw a third stave onto the ground in front of him.

"Three Layered Magic Circle: Mirror Water."

Three magic circles appeared in front of Mystogan that blocked the lightning bolt attack. The lightning suddenly turned completely around as it went back to Laxus. Laxus smirked as he sidestepped to the right to dodge it, with the bolt just barely missing him.

"Full Counter!"

Laxus turned around, surprised, and saw Meliodas who had just swung his blade, redirecting the bolt again at Laxus. Unable to react in time, the bolt hit Laxus in the chest, creating a large explosion of lightning and smoke.

Meliodas and Mystogan carefully watched the smoke again, and saw that Laxus was unfazed by the attack despite it being reflected at over three times the force thanks to Mel Force's boost. 'He has a high resistance to lightning…' Meliodas thought.

"Full Counter huh?" Laxus commented. "That shitty technique won't work on me."

"LAXUS!" Two voices yelled out from the entrance of the cathedral. All three of them turned their heads and saw Erza and Natsu standing at the doorway. Upon seeing them, Mystogan immediately panicked and tried to hide his face the other way from them.

"You're wide open!" Laxus yelled. He raised his arm and pointed a lightning charged hand at Mystogan, shooting a small but quick blast of lightning at Mystogan's face and blowing his mask right off. Both Erza and Natsu looked in shock as they saw Mystogan's face through the smoke.

"Mystogan is Jellal?!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Jellal…" Erza whispered.

"Erza...you are the one person who I wished to never see my face…" Mystogan said with a sad look before turning over to Meliodas. "I'm sorry, but I'm sure you understand, this is where I must leave. I leave it in your hands, Meliodas." Mystogan said as his body began to fade away into mist.

Meliodas nodded and looked back at Natsu and Erza. Natsu had already gotten over seeing Jellal's face but Erza was still visibly distraught.

"Erza I'm taking him on!" Natsu yelled and glanced over at Erza who was still spacing out. "Erza?!"

A bolt of lightning was suddenly launched at a defenseless Erza. Erza watched as the bolt was about to come at her but she didn't move as she couldn't muster up the strength in her legs. Meliodas quickly dashed towards Erza and stood in front of her with his blade drawn.

"Full Coun-"

"I don't think so!" Laxus smirked and made a circle motion with two fingers. The lightning changed directions instantly, moving around to behind Meliodas and going straight to Erza. Meliodas turned around instinctively and kicked Erza out of the way just before the lightning bolt hit them. Erza was launched into a nearby pillar and watched as the lightning bolt hit only Meliodas.

"Ggghhh" Meliodas grunted as he took the force of the lightning attack, causing him to take a knee.

"Dammit Laxus!" Natsu charged at Laxus with his fists ablaze.

Erza looked at Meliodas who was crouching on one knee with smoke coming from his body.

"My weakness caused this to happen to you...I won't falter again!" Erza said as she stood up. Her body began to glow and her appearance changed into a black armor with bat-like wings.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu yelled as he charged at Laxus. Laxus smiled and took the attack head on as he was punched in the cheek. Natsu's fist was caught on Laxus's cheek as Laxus turned his head, unfazed by the attack.

"That's all you got?" Laxus mocked, to Natsu's surprise. He grabbed Natsu's wrist, and threw him across the hall towards one of the pillars. Before Natsu collided with the pillar, Meliodas jumped in and caught him.

"Tch...weaklings helping weaklings." Laxus commented.

Laxus quickly stepped back as a blade barely missed his body and Erza appeared in front of him.

"Laxus, what are those things in the sky?!" Erza questioned as she continued her onslaught of slashes against Laxus. Laxus grinned and continued dodging slashes as he answered.

"Thunder Palace. And you only got a couple of minutes left!" Laxus answered.

"Laxus you bastard! You're really going to destroy the entire town?!" Erza yelled, kicking him back. Laxus skidded across the ground from the force of the blow but grinned as he was unfazed by the attack.

"Sorry but I won't let you do that!" A voice said from behind Laxus. Before Laxus could turn around, he felt a sharp pain hit his back as he was slammed straight into the ground. The entire floor of the cathedral cracked. Several more pillars around them collapsed as the ground became uneven. Parts of the roof began to fall to the ground.

Laxus turned his head as blood dripped from his mouth.

"That was a lucky-" Laxus's words were cut short as Meliodas grabbed his arm and threw him into the ceiling of the cathedral. Laxus hit the ceiling with great force, creating a large hole where he was launched through.

The cathedral was now brighter as nearly half of the roof was destroyed. Meliodas, Erza, and Natsu stared up at the sky. Several seconds later, a lightning bolt struck the ground several meters in front of them. Inside the lightning bolt, was Laxus. Laxus stood up fully and cracked his neck as he began to slowly walk over to Meliodas. He wiped the trickle of blood coming from his mouth and grinned.

"If I defeat you here, will Thunder Palace stop?" Meliodas asked.

"Who knows?" Laxus smirked. " I'll admit though, Mystogan was somewhat right about you. You're decently strong. But I can tell you're still holding back. Also, why not use your blade against me. It looks like a fine sword. Might be able to cut me. Yet you've only used it to counter my attacks." Laxus remarked.

"I'm not trying to kill you Laxus. Neither are Natsu and Erza." Meliodas replied.

"Not trying to kill me?! HAHAHAHA! You're too soft Meliodas, and that will get you killed!" Laxus laughed.

"Laxus, stop Thunder Palace now! There is no need to get the entire town involved like this!" Erza shouted.

"I don't know much about this Thunder Palace, but I'm not sure if beating Laxus here would disable it…" Meliodas said in a solemn tone. He faced towards Erza and Natsu. "Can you two deal with the lacrima? I can take on Laxus by myself."

"Like hell I'm going to let you fight Laxus by yourself! Besides, if we break those Lacrima we'll get electrocuted!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Organic Link Magic?! Laxus how could you!" Erza yelled.

"So what will it be Fairies?! Die by Thunder Palace or die by my hand?!" Laxus exclaimed.

"Neither. I will stop the Thunder Palace and I trust in Meliodas to stop you." Erza declared. She turned around and began walking to the exit. "Even if I die, the town and all of our friends in it will be saved."

"Erza, don't die!" Natsu yelled as Erza left the cathedral. He turned to Meliodas and looked at him. "I'm all fired up!"

"Go with Erza." Meliodas said in a serious tone. Natsu's eyes widened as he looked at Meliodas. Meliodas was absolutely serious and was giving him a different vibe.

"Aghhh!!! Fine! But you definitely owe me a rematch!" Natsu shouted as he ran off with Erza.

"Hahahaha! You think you can fight me all by yourself?! Are you insane? Both you and Mystogan couldn't even do anything." Laxus laughed.

"Laxus. I was entrusted by my comrades to deal with you. You may not understand now, but I'll show you now where power truly comes from!"