The muscles beneath his shirt began to swell dramatically.
"Roar of the Thunder Dragon!!"
A terrifying surge of lightning gathered in Laxus's mouth, a golden magic circle forming before him. A tremendously thick bolt of lightning roared forth with immense power.
BOOM—
A violent explosion rocked the chamber, the terrifying lightning wreaking havoc throughout the confined space. A brilliant, dazzling golden light enveloped Coco's vision.
Lowering her hand from before her eyes, Coco's eyes widened in disbelief, her expression a mixture of shock and astonishment.
"Byro… has been defeated!" she whispered in a hushed tone, her voice barely audible above the reverberations of the explosion.
Observing Byro, who had been restored to his human form, Laxus couldn't help but feel a sense of bewilderment. He had initially assumed that Byro, given his boastful demeanor and his remarkably exaggerated physique, would prove to be a formidable opponent.
Consequently, he had approached the confrontation with utmost seriousness and resolve.
However, to his utter astonishment, Byro had been unable to withstand even a single one of his attacks.
At that very moment, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from behind Laxus. Turning his head, he caught sight of Natsu and his companions.
"Laxus, we heard the sounds of a battle from just outside the chamber. Did you encounter any enemies?" Natsu shouted, his voice echoing through the room as he and his companions entered.
Laxus gestured towards Byro, who lay unconscious on the ground, his fate uncertain.
"He has already been defeated," Laxus stated calmly.
"Oh! So it's over already?" Lucy exclaimed, her voice laced with surprise.
"Haha, as expected of Laxus! With this, the Dragon Chain Cannon should be stopped, right?" Natsu chuckled, his voice filled with relief and admiration.
"Indeed, now all that remains is the Dragon Knight outside," Laxus confirmed, nodding his head as he shifted his gaze towards the sky, which was gradually darkening.
"And Erza is still engaged in combat with her counterpart from this world," Lucy added, her voice laced with concern.
"Then let's hurry to assist them," Gray declared, his voice filled with excitement as he cracked his knuckles. "Let's eliminate all of these individuals, and then we can proceed to restore our comrades to their original forms."
"Byro! No!" Coco's terrified scream cut through the air, interrupting the group's discussion.
Everyone's attention immediately shifted towards Byro, who was now gasping for breath as he leaned heavily against the control panel. The key to the Dragon Chain Cannon was already inserted into the activation mechanism.
"Hee hee! You cannot stop us!" he cackled maniacally, his voice filled with a chilling sense of malice as he forcefully turned the key.
Instantly, the entire chamber began to tremble violently.
…Outside…
Nancy's gaze was fixed upon Finn, who was valiantly bracing himself against the colossal metallic fist, her expression one of profound worry.
"Finn, are you alright?" she called out anxiously, her voice filled with concern.
"Heh, rest assured, this is far from the extent of my capabilities," Finn responded with a light chuckle, his voice calm and reassuring.
As Finn continued to exert his immense strength, the gigantic iron fist began to rise slowly.
Then, with a sudden, powerful surge of force, Finn heaved upward, sending the colossal fist soaring high into the air.
Even the massive Dragon Knight stumbled backward, its movements hampered by the sheer force of Finn's unexpected counter-attack.
It was only at this moment that Finn was finally able to clearly discern the full extent of the machine's imposing form. Its body, constructed of steel, possessed a striking metallic sheen. Its powerful hind legs provided support for its colossal frame.
Remarkably, despite being fashioned from metallic armor, its tail moved with a fluidity that mimicked the movements of a living creature.
The dragon-like head, crafted from an unknown type of metal, exhaled plumes of white smoke, its crimson eyes fixed intently upon Finn.
"Truly remarkable strength! To withstand a direct blow from the Dragon Knight with nothing more than your human form!" Faust's voice echoed from within the colossal machine, his tone a mixture of astonishment and grudging admiration.
"However, do you truly believe that you possess the capacity to vanquish me, Earthland mage? This is merely a warm-up!" Faust declared, his voice filled with a chilling confidence.
The colossal machine shifted its weight, its limbs creaking and groaning as if they had been unused for an extended period.
"Behold! This is a masterpiece of engineering, a testament to the combined might of the entire kingdom! Its body is constructed from materials capable of repelling magical attacks, and it draws upon the magical energy of Edolas itself as its power source—Dorma Anim!" Faust proclaimed triumphantly.
"Do you truly believe that you can prevail against this, Earthland mage? This is the power of a king! The supreme power!" Faust's roar echoed from within the Dragon Knight, his voice filled with unrestrained arrogance.
His words were not merely a display of confidence; they were a testament to his unyielding self-belief, bordering on arrogance.
"He's actually deploying this terrifying magical weapon! Has he completely lost his mind?!" Nancy exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief and alarm as she gazed upon the Dragon Knight.
"Deploying this will only accelerate the depletion of Edolas's magical energy!" she shouted, her voice filled with urgency.
"Insane?" Faust chuckled from within the Dragon Knight, his voice laced with a hint of amusement.
"Indeed, I am insane! Insane for the sake of the impending… eternal magic!!" he declared, his voice ringing with unrestrained madness as he flung his arms wide open in a gesture of unrestrained jubilation.
"Have you finished your laughter yet?" Finn interrupted Faust's delusional pronouncements, his voice calm and measured.
"While interrupting your fanciful delusions might be considered impolite, I must inform you that the eternal magic you so eagerly anticipate will never materialize."
Flames erupted from Ryūjin Jakka, enveloping Finn's entire body in a protective sheath of fire.
"Delusions? This is hardly a delusion! The Dragon Chain Cannon has already been activated! Your companions are on the verge of colliding with the Exceeds! At that moment, eternal magic will descend upon us! Hahaha!" Faust's laughter echoed, his voice ringing with unrestrained glee.
As Faust's words trailed off, the entire royal capital seemed to respond, its very foundations trembling.
A tremor began to spread throughout the city, its intensity steadily increasing. A crimson glow permeated the city, emanating from beneath the ground itself.
The towering structure that stood majestically at the heart of the capital began to descend slowly, its grotesque dragon-like head suddenly launching itself towards the heavens.
"That's…" Finn exclaimed, his eyes widening in astonishment as he witnessed the unfolding events before him.
"Could that be the Dragon Chain Cannon that the king mentioned earlier?" Nancy inquired, her voice laced with uncertainty.
"Indeed, it is!" Faust's maniacal laughter echoed through the air. "What do you say? Are you filled with terror? Hahaha!"
"Nancy, take me up there! I'm going to stop that thing!" Finn declared resolutely, his gaze fixed upon the approaching threat.
Witnessing the unwavering determination in Finn's eyes, Nancy finally nodded in agreement.
She swiftly seized Finn, preparing to launch themselves into the air.
"Don't even think about it, you fool!"
Upon witnessing Finn's movements, Faust, despite his deep-seated belief that Finn would be unable to prevent the launch of the Dragon Chain Cannon, couldn't help but feel a flicker of unease.
…
Under Faust's control, the Dragon Knight opened its mechanical maw.
A gigantic cannon barrel extended from within the Dragon Knight's mouth.
"Stop right there!"
With a thunderous roar, a terrifying beam of magical energy erupted from the cannon's muzzle.
In the blink of an eye, the beam engulfed Finn and Nancy.
"Don't get in my way!" Finn shouted, whirling Ryūjin Jakka and unleashing a devastating slash.
The powerful strike cleaved the beam of magical energy in two.
Faust within the Dragon Knight was momentarily stunned.
"Impossible…" he muttered incredulously.
"Nancy!" Finn bellowed, his voice ringing with urgency.
"Understood!" Nancy responded, gritting her teeth as she pushed her speed to its absolute limit.
Finn and Nancy vanished from Faust's sight, their forms reduced to mere specks of light.
"You cannot possibly stop it!" Faust roared from within the Dragon Knight, his voice echoing with a mixture of defiance and desperation.
However, Finn remained unfazed by Faust's furious pronouncements, his attention focused solely on the task at hand.
Or perhaps, at this point, he could no longer hear Faust's voice, the only sound reaching his ears being the relentless whistling of the wind.
Finally, thanks to Nancy's incredible speed, Finn caught up to the Dragon Chain Cannon, positioning himself directly in its path.
"All things shall be reduced to ashes! Ryūjin Jakka!!"
As Finn's words echoed through the air, a terrifying torrent of flames erupted, engulfing the surrounding area in a sea of fire, painting the sky a fiery crimson.
The flames that erupted from all directions began to converge upon Ryūjin Jakka, their power merging with the blade.
This technique was the very same one that Finn had employed to successfully thwart the magic spirit's attack.
In this enhanced state, Ryūjin Jakka had attained a power that was strikingly similar to Bankai.
However, this immense power came at a cost; Finn's magical energy was being depleted at an alarming rate. Fortunately, Finn possessed an incredibly vast reserve of magical energy.
If he had not possessed such an immense reserve of magical energy, he would likely have been rendered incapable of continuing the battle after unleashing a single attack in this world, where the rate of magical energy regeneration was exceptionally slow.
"Your companion is attempting to intercept the Dragon Chain Cannon?!" Edolas Erza, her body battered and bruised, cried out in astonishment as she witnessed the scene unfolding from the nameless floating island, her voice laced with a mixture of shock and disbelief.
Initially, upon witnessing the launch of the Dragon Chain Cannon, Edolas Erza had been convinced that victory was theirs. However, the sight of someone daring to attempt to intercept the Dragon Chain Cannon's trajectory sent a wave of apprehension through her.
She faltered momentarily, but quickly regained her composure.
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