Chapter 6
As they walked through the forest, Leon found himself observing Laxus with more curiosity than he cared to admit. The guy was definitely a character. With every step, he gave off this... aura of superiority, like he was too good to care about anything, but also too good to ignore.
Like he's got a permanent "I'm too cool for this" vibe. Definitely doesn't scream "let's be friends"... more like "I'll tolerate you because you're here." Leon thought to himself, eyeing Laxus's confident stride.
The guy's gotta be, what, 22? 23 at most. Doesn't look that much older than me, Leon thought, eyeing Laxus again. So, the timeline's gotta be close to Canon… or maybe it already started.
Either way, it didn't seem like the best time to strike up a conversation. But here they were, walking through the woods in the middle of nowhere.
Trying to break the silence, Leon gave a little cough before speaking up. "So, uh, you're with a guild, Fairy Tail, right? I saw your mark."
Laxus barely glanced at him, his eyes sharp, his posture stiff. "What of it?" His voice was low, dismissive. As if he was too good to even acknowledge the question fully.
Leon shrugged, keeping his tone light. "Just curious. I've heard people talk about the guild... they say it's like a family or something."
Laxus scoffed, a sound that made it clear he found the very idea ridiculous. "Family? More like a bunch of weaklings who can't even handle their own problems. It's a joke." His voice turned sharper as he continued, his words dripping with disdain.
Leon resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He had a feeling that no matter how many times he asked, Laxus was never going to see it any other way. "Sounds pretty brutal," he said, keeping his tone neutral, trying not to give Laxus the satisfaction of getting under his skin.
"It's the truth," Laxus shot back, his gaze now piercing through Leon like he was just another weakling he was too good to bother with.
Leon stayed quiet, his eyes narrowing just a little, but he kept his expression neutral. There it was, the Laxus he remembered from the anime. Weaklings, misfits... He couldn't help but feel that maybe Laxus was talking about more than just the people in the guild. Maybe he was talking about himself, too.
Leon knew how Laxus had once been full of ambition, eager to prove himself as a strong mage—not just as Makarov's grandson. That had been his struggle, hadn't it? His father's excommunication, the whispers that Laxus was only powerful because of his bloodline. Those rumors had gnawed at him for years, constantly chipping away at his sense of identity.
Laxus wasn't just angry at the guild; he was angry at himself. The more he tried to prove that he wasn't just the son and grandson of two powerful men, the more isolated he became. He pushed people away, including the ones who genuinely cared about him.
Leon couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. I get it, he thought. I know exactly where this leads. In a way, it felt like he had a front-row seat to Laxus's eventual fall from grace—his battle with the guild, his exile, the painful growth that would follow.
But the thing was, Leon didn't need to just watch this happen. He was in it now. And though he knew the path Laxus was on, the choice of whether to change or stay stuck in this toxic spiral was still his.
"Sounds like you've got it all figured out," Leon said, trying to break the silence and keep the conversation going. He was getting a better sense of how to approach this—how to handle Laxus's pride. If anything, that was the key to reaching him, though Leon wasn't sure how to get through that thick, impenetrable wall just yet.
Leon continued, keeping his tone cool and casual. "But you know, sooner or later, if you're the only one pulling your weight, doesn't it get exhausting? I mean, doesn't that kind of strength wear you down eventually?"
Laxus didn't react immediately, his face staying carefully neutral, but Leon could see the subtle twitch in his jaw. He had struck a nerve. "You talk too much," Laxus said, his voice colder now. "Strength is about doing what needs to be done. Don't waste your breath talking about others. If you want to survive, you'll figure it out on your own."
Leon nodded, his gaze steady. "Yeah, I guess so. But it's just... a little ironic, don't you think? You push people away, and then you're left all alone when you're the one who needs help."
A beat passed.
And right there, in the middle of the silence, Leon mentally kicked himself.
Nice. Real nice. Poke the lightning bear, why don't you. What the hell are you doing, talking like this to Laxus of all people? This isn't some heart-to-heart. You're not gonna win him over with logic and emotional insight, dumbass.
But he knew. Deep down, he knew exactly why he said it.
It was a habit. Instinct. That part of him that hated watching people drown when they were so convinced they could breathe underwater. He'd seen it before. Lived it, even. You isolate yourself long enough, you start calling it strength. And before you realize it, you've forgotten what connection even feels like.
Leon wasn't trying to fix Laxus. Hell, he wasn't even sure he liked the guy. But he recognized that edge—the stubbornness, the pain behind the pride.
It reminded him of someone.
Laxus's eyes narrowed, and the brief moment of stillness quickly turned thick with tension.
"You really don't know when to shut up, do you?" Laxus's voice was low, but the venom in it was unmistakable.
Before Leon could respond, Laxus's lightning-fast movements were already in motion. His hand shot out, and with a flick of his wrist, a bolt of electricity surged through the air toward Leon. The strike was so fast, so precise, that if Leon hadn't reacted quickly, it would've caught him off guard.
But he did. With a swift step back, Leon summoned a shadow to form a barrier in front of him, the electricity crackling against the dark energy, sending sparks flying in all directions.
Laxus's eyes burned with fury, and his smirk turned into a sneer. "You think you can talk to me like that and get away with it?" His voice was laced with anger now, and the air around them seemed to hum with the power of his lightning magic. "I've had enough of you running your mouth."
Leon stood firm, eyes locked on Laxus. Despite the rush of adrenaline, there was something about the situation that felt almost... expected. Typical Laxus move. He was all pride and anger, and anything that made him question himself? Well, it made him lash out.
Predictable as ever, Leon thought grimly.
And I still walked right into it. Idiot.
Leon shifted his weight, preparing for whatever else Laxus would throw at him.
Another bolt of lightning shot out, crackling in the air toward Leon, but this time, he was ready. With a wave of his hand, the shadows around him thickened, forming into a giant fist that intercepted the blast. The explosion of energy reverberated through the forest, causing the trees around them to sway and creak under the pressure.
Leon's calm, steady expression didn't change. "You're just proving my point, Laxus," he said, his voice low but clear. "You can throw lightning all you want, but deep down, all you're doing is pushing everyone away because you're too afraid of... well, everything."
Laxus's chest heaved with anger, the electricity sparking at his fingertips as his magic surged in response to Leon's calm. "I'm not afraid of anything," he growled, stepping forward, his fists crackling with power. "Not you, not anyone. You're nothing but another weakling, trying to make me feel bad for being stronger than everyone else. It's pathetic."
"Pathetic?" Leon repeated, his eyebrow raised in challenge. "Yeah, sure. But the truth stings, doesn't it? You're alone because you've made yourself that way. And no amount of lightning or arrogance is going to change that."
Laxus's eyes flickered with something just beneath the surface—something like doubt, or maybe just the briefest flicker of insecurity—but before Leon could fully process it, Laxus lunged forward, a storm of lightning whirling around him, ready to strike.
Leon wasn't about to just stand there and take it. Shadows swirled around him, forming a defensive barrier just as Laxus's attack came crashing down, the force shaking the ground beneath them.
Is this it? Leon thought, his mind racing with the knowledge of what would happen next.
The fight had begun.