Fairy Tail - Twilight Empire

Chapter 92 - Laxus vs Ezel

Jackal and Tempester's little display blew away several of the others from Fairy Tail, knocking them to different places across the ruins of Tartaros's former guild hall. Those two demons scampered off in search of some prey. Laxus remained unfazed by it all. The Thunder Tribe managed to hold onto him, too, and waited with him as Ezel emerged from the dust that billowed up from the explosion.

"Well, look who decided to stick around," Ezel said.

His gravely voiced aggravated Laxus. It made the demon that much more punchable. Laxus's hand fell to the sword at his side.

"You guys go on and get outta here," Laxus said. "I can take care of him myself."

"Laxus—" Evergreen started, but Laxus held his hand up.

"I've made up my mind. You guys need to help the rest of the guild out right now. Lucy is pretty much out of magic, and she'll be killed in an instant if she's found. You think Wendy can handle any of these guys by herself, too? Max and the others? Come on. They need you more than I do right now. I'll be fine."

The Thunder Tribe hesitated. Ezel unfolded his arms.

"If you're certain, then we will leave," Freed said.

"I am."

"Get 'em, Laxus," Bickslow said.

"Laxus," Freed said as they began to move away, "remember. We believe in you."

"Thanks."

"In you."

Laxus slightly turned, an eyebrow cocked, as Freed ran off with the other two. That was...weird. He shrugged and refocused his attention on Ezel. The demon wasn't that much higher up than Laxus was, and Laxus could easily cover the distance between them with a lightning maneuver. But he wasn't there to prove his speed or his power. He knew he had that over Ezel.

He unsheathed the sword. The metal scraped out of its scabbard but failed to glisten in the cloudy skies above.

"Alright, lightning lad, I know you've got some juice in those bones, so I won't be messing around with you," Ezel said. "Mard Geer would be disappointed to find a job done sloppily, so I'll cut you up real good and then head on after your friends."

"Last time you caught me by surprise, freak," Laxus said. "You won't be so lucky."

"I will if you keep playing with that little chunk of steel as if you know what you're doing with it."

Laxus set his jaw, then adjusted his stance. It was one he remembered Dimaria seeing. He did feel more stable in it, felt that the distribution of his weight, and therefore power, was greater. Yeah.

He'd kick this demon's ass.

Ezel did make the first move by throwing up his arms and summoning a swell of power.

"Juzumaru!"

A blue gust shot out of Ezel, a power that rammed into Laxus and pushed him back into a bit of rubble. By the time Laxus recovered, Ezel was in his second form, the one where his arms became swords and he had a bit more armor. Not messing around, indeed.

He moved with speed, a force, at Laxus. Laxus stepped aside, then parried two calculated strikes of Ezel's blades. He knew the speed with which the demon moved; it was a critical advantage. It was all a matter of finding his style, finding his weakness.

Laxus blocked a strike and, with lightning coursing through his body, reposted a follow-up attack by Ezel, who still had two follow-through strikes that were looking to skewer Laxus. He kicked one of the blades into the other.