They say a man can fight as long as he has the will, no matter the state of his body. But, maybe these guys should stop.
"Die… Walker…"
Laxus smashed his fist into Allen's chest, breaking his own wrist in the process. Intoxicated by humiliation, rage, despair, and now the taste of freedom and revenge, he didn't realize the truth.
"That's the damn spirit" Allen smiled.
The man had suffered so much and still wanted to fight. Who would Allen Walker be if he didn't answer Laxus with all his might?!
The Chat already anticipated what Allen was about to do, but the rest of the guild didn't, though they had a bad feeling. Lucy felt a strange déjà vu.
Allen summoned Clown Crown and transformed it into a dagger, which he used to stab his own arm. Of course, the blade didn't cut his flesh—it simply injected the same potion Laxus had taken.
Makima – May I ask why you didn't just drink it instead of stabbing yourself?
Harley – Hehe, don't you know?~ It wouldn't have the same impact!~
Nokotan – I don't get it, but go, Master!
Allen's body began to thin, and in mere seconds he looked as malnourished as Laxus. Yet his eyes still burned with fighting spirit.
"Come here, brat! Grandpa Walker's gonna teach you some manners!" Allen's voice was stronger than the frail Laxus's, proof that his bones were made of steel.
"Die… Walker!" Laxus roared, winding up his punch with the strength of a dying horse.
"Laxus!" Allen shouted back, tightening his fist with the power of a starving stray dog.
The guild stood in shock. Lucy, Juvia, Erza, and Mira had no time to stop Allen and now didn't know what to do. Seeing both men in such a fragile state, no one dared step in for fear of breaking something.
Both men, filled with spirit—because that was the only thing they were full of at the moment—yelled as their fists moved toward each other. The guild exchanged glances; everyone wore the same expression.
Who is this crazy guy, and where's Allen?!
While the guild worried about trivial questions, the first punch landed. Allen dodged by moving his head with the agility of a paraplegic snail, while Laxus took Allen's fist to the jaw. The blow wouldn't have killed a fly, but it managed to dislocate Laxus's jaw.
Laxus staggered back, but instead of crying out, he fixed his dislocated jaw and smiled at Allen with will and fire in his eyes. Allen returned the smile, and they charged each other again.
"Laxus!" Makarov tried to intervene, but a barrier suddenly appeared, separating the guild from the fighters.
"I wouldn't recommend that…" said Wednesday, sitting at a nearby table sipping tea.
"Who the hell are you?!" Elfman barked—they already had enough problems. He approached Wednesday, but fell asleep before he could touch her.
"Mystogan's magic?!" Makarov became more cautious.
"Wait, Master!" Erza stepped in front of Wednesday. "She's one of Allen's spirits."
"That's right, she's a friend!" Lucy added quickly.
Makarov knew Allen had several spirits, but it wasn't until Mirajane returned from her vacation in Akane Resort that he confirmed they were all high-level… and all beautiful women(Mirajane said the last part with venom).
"Yes, and I hope you don't interfere—not only because Allen wishes to face Laxus after seeing his fighting spirit, but also because if you tried to stop them right now, you might kill them. Their bodies are extremely fragile."
Once more, fists flew. (Laxus attacked with his still-functioning arm.) This time both fists met in midair with the sound of breaking bones. Everyone's expressions shifted from shock to fear—surely they weren't going to kill each other doing this?
"You hit like a baby, Laxus!"
Allen held him down and headbutted Laxus—with the speed of a sleeping turtle—but still managed to break his nose.
"Shut the fuck up, Allen!"
Laxus wasn't about to be outdone, and punched Allen in the stomach, making him spit up for a moment before Allen returned the punch.
To many, this could seem like a meaningless fight—no flashy techniques, no magic of any kind, nothing that could be called incredible. Pity and discomfort filled the air with every bone-crunching impact. Yet others in the guild, as well as the Chat's viewers, smiled.
Gajeel crossed his arms with a grin, "This is a fight!"
Erza sighed before smiling, comforting Lucy and Juvia, who looked like they might cry seeing Allen hurt.
"It's a man's thing…" Erza said, earning confused looks from both women. Mirajane smirked ironically—tying them to horses wouldn't stop this fight.
"Idiots…" Makarov muttered, pretending to be annoyed, but inside he was happy. He could see some strange satisfaction in Laxus—landing a blow on an opponent like Allen and feeling it returned.
It was a strange feeling...
Laxus remembered being weak. Having a body he thought useless—so when he gained a dragon's power, he became arrogant, determined to erase his weak self forever.
'What's with this guy?' Laxus thought. The man in front of him was so weak he could barely stand (same as Laxus), so slow an old man would mock him (same as Laxus), and so thin it was laughable (same as Laxus)… yet Laxus felt no contempt.
There was no shame in a fight like this—only will and character.
'Amazing… how can someone be so damn strong?!' Laxus started to smile. 'I think I've been wrong about what strength really is!'
Laxus's spirit surged, catching Allen off guard. He landed a punch to Allen's face, forcing him back.
"Don't give up, Allen!" Natsu shouted.
The rest of the guild followed.
"Kick his ass!" Lucy yelled, shocking everyone.
"Allen-sama, don't lose!" Juvia cheered with intensity.
"Allen, you will win." Erza struck her chest with absolute conviction.
"You can do it!" Mirajane said with a cute frown.
"You still owe me for that low score in Miss Fairy Tail—so man up and win!" Cana called out playfully.
"Allen, I believe in you, hit him with a chair!" Levy shouted, still upset at being turned to stone.
"Allen-san, if you win you'll get free coffee for a week with special service!" Laki added, making the other girls glare.
....
Albedo – Allen-sama, smash that insolent fool's face!
Rebecca – Almost there! Make him call his mommy to save him!
Esdeath – This guy's trash—crush him!
Tony – Show the pride of a playboy!
Thor – Come on, brother, destroy him!
Gwen – You can do it, Allen!
Kimiko – Break his face.
Diana – Win!
Eve – I know you can!
MJ – Let's go, Allen, you're the strongest!
Felicia – Hehe, go on—this guy's nothing compared to a bear or Shiva himself!
McDragon – This is nothing compared to conquering a goddess—destroy him!
Rangiku – Beat that ugly guy!
Nanao – Go, Allen Walker!
Orihime – You can do it, Onni-san!
Akeno – Go, Allen-kun~
Rias – Go!
...
The shouts from all around lit Allen's spirit ablaze. He stomped the ground—almost breaking his own knee—but still managed to advance and land a punch on Laxus.
Laxus tried to respond, but Allen seemed possessed by the spirit of an old retired bull with three heart conditions—so he didn't dodge and instead took the hits with the power of a 145-year-old man.
Allen's punches hit Laxus in the ribs multiple times without an answer. Slowly, Laxus let himself fall.
"Yeah!" Allen raised his skeletal fist.
No one could believe it, but Laxus fell first. Allen had no muscle strength, but he was a mass of will and the support of everyone who loves him!
Even lying on the ground, he smiled. Somehow, things like being the strongest, becoming guild master, and even his grudge against Makarov now seemed foolish.
'This is strength…' Laxus thought, with a tinge of envy. But he was satisfied—he understood that Fairy Tail wasn't weak; it was ridiculously strong.
"Laxus, get up!"
"Don't end it like this, Laxus!"
"Come on, beat that guy who's so rude to women!"
Just as Laxus was about to give up, he heard Freed's shout—followed by cheers from Bickslow and Evergreen.
"You guys…" Laxus laughed. It was true—he also had people who believed in him. He felt strange—he had decided to betray Fairy Tail, yet these three idiots had decided to follow him. He couldn't let them down, right?
Laxus stood up once more. "Sorry, Allen. I can't lose yet!"
"Tsk… see, you can be a little cool if you try. You're still light-years behind me, but that's fine for a beginner."
"Shut up, Walker."
Both of them went back to exchanging blows.
They moved like drunken bumblebees and hit with the combined force of two French poodles and a chihuahua — but hey, it was something.
Allen's fist connected with Laxus's jaw, but Laxus twisted his head to avoid getting his jaw dislocated again. Laxus countered with a punch to the chest that nearly broke one of Allen's ribs, but Allen retaliated with an elbow that actually broke Laxus's arm. Laxus had suffered so many fractures that it was absurd he could still move. Allen too, but thanks to his experience in specialized combat and martial arts, he wasn't as beaten up as Laxus.
'It's impossible…' thought Laxus, realizing that no matter how much willpower he had, his body had reached its limit a long time ago. He gave one last look at Makarov, then at his Raijinshuu.
"Old man… don't be too hard on them, they were only following my orders…"
"…!"
Makarov and the rest of the guild were surprised by Laxus's final words.
Laxus pounced on Allen.
"ALLEN!"
"LAXUS!"
Allen was already expecting it and did the same. Both fists traveled at incredible speed (well… not really) and struck each other in the face.
There was a moment of silence before Allen prevailed and Laxus collapsed... again.
"Be a man, Laxus!" shouted Elfman.
"Come on, kid, don't let him intimidate you!" said Macao.
"Crush the insolent bastard!" exclaimed Loke.
Laxus laughed. Even now, after attacking them, insulting them, and betraying them, this group of fools was still cheering him on.
"Thanks… but I can't even move anymore…"
With those words, the end of the battle was sealed.
....
Allen barely managed to remain standing before the potion's effect wore off, returning his body to normal. He checked himself over, took out a potion, and drank it to recover from his wounds — then tossed one to Freed, who had already run to Laxus.
"Allen-sama!" Juvia clung to his sword.
"Allen!" Lucy also threw herself at him, hugging him. "Idiot, do you know how worried I was?!"
"I'm sorry..." Allen smiled helplessly. This sort of thing sometimes made sense in his head, but for the people who cared about him, it was hard to see him hurt. He knew it, yet he still couldn't help it — he was human, and sometimes acted purely on emotion.
"You really are hopeless…" said Erza with a tired smile at Allen's reckless behavior. With this guy, it was always the same — either he did something completely outside common sense or came up with an idea that bordered on the surreal. She approached, straightened his shirt, and even conjured a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his nose.
This action, which in theory meant nothing, made people avert their gaze in embarrassment — it was twenty times more uncomfortable than watching Loke flirt with a girl.
"I wish I could've fought in the Battle Festival~" said Natsu, a little downcast. "But this was fun too!"
"Oh, if that's how you feel, I could use the potion on you and Gray so you can fight."
"No thanks! I've had enough of your devil potions!"
"How rude, there's nothing of Lucifer in my potions — just effort, lots of strange, dangerous, sometimes toxic herbs… and love."
"Damn it!" Laxus growled, getting to his feet. "What the hell did you make me drink, Walker?!"
Makarov stepped forward in front of Allen with a serious look and a heavy aura.
"From here on out, leave it to me, alright?"
"Doesn't matter, I can't move anyway…" Allen shrugged. Lucy and Juvia were still clinging to him, glaring at the others like lionesses defending their prey.
Makarov chuckled, then faced Laxus with seriousness and severity. Laxus's arrogant gaze was replaced by weariness and solemnity.
"Laxus Dreyar, you've committed many offenses against your guildmates — you didn't just attack them, you didn't just turn your back on them… you nearly killed one of them."
"Old man…" Gajeel's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Makarov to bring him up. Not much time had passed, but he already considered himself part of the guild. "Old man, I—!"
Makarov didn't let Gajeel speak.
"But what's truly unforgivable is that you put civilians in danger! We are mages, with the responsibility to protect all those who place their trust in us! What were you thinking?!"
"…"
Laxus gave no excuses, asked for no mercy. His mind, once clouded with bloodlust, was now clear, and he was fully aware of what he had done.
"Old man, the Thunder Palace was all my idea — they didn't know anything…"
"Laxus?!" Freed exclaimed. "That's not true! I helped set the lacrimas!"
"Don't do this — we're guilty too, Master!" said Evergreen.
"No way, I took part in all of it too, Master!" declared Bickslow.
"Don't make me look worse!" Laxus barked, leaving everyone speechless. Then he looked at Makarov. "I'm not stupid enough not to accept the price for my actions. If I don't do it here, I'll lose something even more important!"
The Raijinshuu didn't dare speak again.
Makarov clenched his fist, This is the unpleasant part of being Guild Master. Being a Master is hard. No matter how well-intentioned you are, no matter how hard you work, at some point you'll make mistakes. Ivan… was one of my greatest regrets."
At the mention of his father's name, Laxus trembled. Makarov had always refused to talk about it — he didn't want to ruin Ivan's image in Laxus's eyes.
"Expelling Ivan was the right thing to do as a guild master. He'd fallen into obsession and ambition, becoming increasingly dangerous. And I always blamed myself for it, because I failed both as a master… and even more as a father." Makarov took a deep breath before declaring:
"For the crimes committed, Laxus Dreyar is hereby expelled from the guild."
The news shook everyone except Allen, who had already anticipated this decision. Many couldn't believe it. Laxus had made threats and acted against Fairy Tail, but in the end, thanks to Allen, nothing happened — the people of Magnolia probably wouldn't even know this had taken place.
If no one spoke of it to the Rune Knights or anyone else, it could be swept under the rug.
Allen saw the thought that went through everyone's mind and decided to speak up, "No, how could you face the people of Magnolia if there's no punishment for Laxus?"
Allen's words hit everyone with a harsh truth. Lucy lowered her head — Magnolia was full of kind, good people. Could she really greet them, knowing they had let someone who threatened their lives go unpunished?
Laxus turned to his team. "I'm sorry… I dragged you down with me…"
The three began crying as others in the guild swallowed their frustration.
"As my second decree…" Makarov continued, drawing everyone's attention, "I failed once with my son, and twice with Laxus…"
"That's not true!"
"Master, don't be rash!"
"Master!"
"I'm not fit… so I resign as Guild Master." Makarov smiled.
Everyone in the guild went pale — no one wanted to accept it. No one wanted him to go. No one wanted this outcome, not even Laxus, who clenched his teeth, knowing it was his fault.
Some grew angry, others cried, and some wanted to beg Makarov to stay. But Makarov was firm, not retracting his words — instead, he turned to Allen with a smile.
"I'm not done yet…"
Allen's face turned to one of surprise and denial.
"As my final order, I declare irrevocably and with full confidence that the next Guild Master of Fairy Tail will be Allen Walker!"
'You old son of a–!'
The disbelief spread across the world…
At that moment, the world — which until now had followed the canon storyline to the letter — took a turn no one knew how to predict.
====
A/N: Under these conditions it will be difficult to refuse. 👀
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