...
"Who is she?? How did she swallow Laxus's lightning so easily??"
"This is terrifying... How did she even do that? I can't even process what I just saw!"
"It's unbelievable. I refuse to believe a little girl possesses that kind of monstrous magic!"
Gasps and shouts of pure disbelief rippled through the Fairy Tail guild.
Alice's casual display of dominance had completely paralyzed both Laxus and the rest of the mages. Laxus was an S-Class monster, a mage whose raw destructive power was feared across the continent. Yet, his signature lightning had been effortlessly devoured.
Alice hadn't even unleashed a fraction of her true power, simply because it wasn't necessary.
In her home world, a mage of Laxus's caliber would be considered complete garbage. True dragons were exceptionally rare, and the Dragon Slayers who hunted them were as common as ants. Judging by this brief exchange, the combat ceiling of this world was laughably low.
Alice sighed, her voice soft but echoing clearly across the crater. "I understand now."
"I truly underestimated just how weak you are," she mocked, shaking her head. "I barely used any magic at all, yet that was your strongest attack, wasn't it?"
Laxus ground his teeth, electricity violently sparking from his rigid muscles.
"Since you want to run your mouth, I will make sure you never speak again!" Laxus roared.
Every eye in the ruined town was locked onto Laxus and the mysterious silver-haired girl.
Natsu pumped his fist in the air, completely oblivious to the tension. "I didn't expect our new guildmates to be this insanely strong! But hey, if they really beat Laxus, then they are definitely one of us—heh!"
The rest of the guild immediately groaned, treating Natsu's words like hot air.
"Why would someone with this kind of god-like power want to join Fairy Tail??" Macao yelled. "They have to have an ulterior motive!"
"They might be strong, but Laxus isn't a pushover either," Wakaba muttered, chewing heavily on his cigar. "Let's just watch. If things go south, we can step in."
Natsu finally kept his mouth shut, his eyes glued to the two combatants standing in the epicenter of the destruction.
—————
"Come forth, Lightning Dragon!" Laxus bellowed, his magic power skyrocketing.
Alice looked at Laxus with half-lidded eyes. She couldn't even be bothered to entertain him. For someone so weak to act so arrogant in her presence... it demanded a proper punishment.
She raised a single, slender finger. "Devour."
In a flash of blinding light, Laxus's ultimate attack vanished into thin air.
At that exact moment, a cold dread finally washed over Laxus. He realized the horrifying truth—this girl didn't even view him as an enemy. It wasn't a lack of respect—he was simply too weak for her to even consider fighting back properly.
"Y-YOU... WHO THE HELL ARE YOU??" Laxus stammered, stepping back. "What did you just do to my magic??"
Alice offered a serene, chilling smile. "You should know exactly what I did. But since you are so eager to see it, I have nothing left to say."
She pointed her finger directly at his chest.
"Anti-Devour — Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Lightning Dragon's Descent."
Because she possessed an absolute mastery over dragon magic, Alice effortlessly reconfigured Laxus's swallowed energy, amplified it with divine power, and reflected it right back at him.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A catastrophic pillar of lightning slammed into Laxus, blasting him dozens of meters backward through the rubble. The sheer concussive force of the counterattack was something no ordinary mage could ever hope to replicate.
The veteran mages in the crowd went dead silent. They had seen exactly what happened. Laxus, their unstoppable S-Class powerhouse, had been instantly one-shotted with his own spell.
Natsu, completely unfazed by the terrifying display, trotted over to Shin with a massive, goofy grin.
"Man, I had no idea your wife was that badass!" Natsu laughed, slapping Shin on the shoulder. "But seriously, aren't you guys a little young to be married—heh?"
Shin glanced at Natsu, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "We aren't quite at that stage yet. She is just my fiancée."
Shin wasn't about to deny the relationship—explaining the intricacies of their bond would be far too much of a headache.
Surprisingly, Shin was starting to genuinely like Natsu. Originally, he thought the fiery Dragon Slayer was just an idiot. But looking at the bigger picture, Gray was the real fool here. If Shin joined Fairy Tail with his overwhelming power, the guild's overall strength would instantly jump three entire tiers.
"Well then," Shin announced, his voice carrying over the stunned crowd. "We have officially defeated Laxus. I want to join Fairy Tail. Do any of you still have objections?"
The crowd shifted uncomfortably. They had just witnessed these 'newcomers' completely obliterate Laxus without breaking a sweat. No one dared step forward to challenge them in combat.
But the morality of the situation still hung heavy in the air. This man had just leveled the town and supposedly killed countless innocent bystanders with his devastating shockwave.
"We cannot allow this!" a guild member finally shouted from the back. "You murdered so many innocent people! Besides, joining the guild requires the Master's direct approval! We don't have the authority to let you in!"
Shin noted the subtle shift in their tone. Despite their protests, their hostility had significantly dialed back. Fear and respect had taken root.
"If that is how it works, then I understand," Shin replied smoothly. "I will simply wait to meet your Guild Master."
He casually shoved his hands into his pockets. "These bureaucratic rules are quite bothersome. Regardless, you have your own internal mess to clean up with Laxus. I genuinely want to join Fairy Tail, so I will return later. Take this time to sort out your family drama."
"Alice, Lucy. We are leaving."
Shin's right eye spun, activating his Mangekyō Sharingan. The space around the trio violently twisted and warped inward. In the blink of an eye, Shin, Alice, and Lucy vanished into a swirling vortex, leaving the Fairy Tail guild staring at an empty crater.
Total silence reigned over the ruins. The reality of Shin's terrifying power finally settled over the survivors.
"What kind of magic was that??"
"Even the highest tier of teleportation magic doesn't warp reality like that! He literally tore a hole in space!"
"What kind of monster possesses that kind of magic? And why the hell does a monster like that want to join a guild like ours? It doesn't make any sense!"
"Forget about him for now," Erza ordered, her voice cutting through the panic. "We need to deal with Laxus. Master Makarov already knows about the rebellion, and he is furious. But no matter what happens... Laxus is still the Master's grandson."
Amidst the rubble, Laxus groaned. He was undoubtedly the most tragic figure of the day. He had just launched his grand rebellion to seize the guild, only for some random stranger to crash the party and completely shatter his pride.
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