Chapter 40: Thunder and Sword.

Chapter 40: Thunder and Sword.

If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer

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Don't forget to check the auxiliary chapter about Adam. It's like an info chapter.

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[Adam POV]

[Three months after Deliora's demise.]

The following months after the events in Ishgar were quiet for the most part.

As I had promised myself, I had taken a month off to recharge, seeing my mind and body were still heavy with the aftermath of everything. Then again, I suppose calling it a month off was a... stretch seeing the only thing I was taking time off from was taking any jobs.

I was still training.

And helping Lilia whenever I had the chance.

But mostly I would be training.

But not everything during this time was rigorous training, there were some bits of festivity here and there that I quite enjoyed.

Like for example, Cana's birthday.

Gildarts had spared no expense for this joyous occasion. He filled the entire town with a colorful array of carnival rides and games.

I still remember the smell of cotton candy and popcorn filling the air in every corner.

Sadly, much to his bad luck, instead of loving it, Cana's face had been a mask of horror as she looked upon the scene, realizing in her childish mind what it meant, three whole days of revelry before her, three whole days of being under everyone's gaze.

Though granted, her general dislike for the party had been mostly because she was embarrassed Gildarts had made her the center of attention for the entire town, not the theme of her party or the gifts themselves.

I took it upon myself to explain this to Gildarts, who vowed to do better on her next birthday.

Talking about Gildarts, there was also his wedding with Cordelia, which I attended as the groom's best man alongside Makarov.

I'm not gonna lie, I was a little taken aback when Gildarts asked me to stand as his best man alongside the old man at his wedding, but I just couldn't say no.

Beyond that, there was also the day Cana officially joined the guild, which like during her birthday her old man had gone all out in celebration.

Ecstatic his little princess had joined the guild, Gildarts had strung hundreds of paper lanterns between the buildings of Magnolia and had the town's musicians playing cheerful tunes to celebrate the momentous occasion.

Thankfully this time the celebration only lasted a day.

These little events made the time go faster than I expected, and in the blink of an eye, three months had passed since Deliora's demise.

All I can say is, life was good all and all.

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I stretched out on the sofa, the worn cushions of my sofa warm under my skin. Mavis floated up beside me, her eyes glued to the pages of the book in my hands, a thick tome of ancient literature that caught her interest, and therefore I had bought.

The only sound in the room was the occasional rustle of paper as we moved through its pages, and the soft ticking of the clock on the wall signaling the past of time.

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, and I had no plans to step outside.

Suddenly, as I was about to start a new chapter, I heard a knock at the door, which caught me off guard, making Mavis groan in annoyance. I frowned tiredly, wondering who it could be, seeing I wasn't expecting anyone today.

Nevertheless much to my general annoyance, I got up calmly and made my way toward the door.

Leaving an angry Mavis behind, I slowly walked up the door, the creaking steps echoing around, before I came to a stop in front of the door, feeling a powerful magical signature emanating from the other side.

One that came from someone I knew.

Laxus.

Now that I was focusing on sensing it, I could feel his energy radiating like a beacon. And I couldn't help but smile, knowing he had grown so much.

A lot more.

At this my lips curled up into a faint smile as I slowly pushed myself off the ground, brushing the dust from my clothes, seeing as I did so, the jagged yellow sparks of lightning that still lingered in my body from the attack.

Seeing me stand, Laxus took a step forward, his face contorted in a turmoil of emotions. His fists were clenched and he stared at me, demanding in more than one way that I meet his challenge. "Are you going to take me seriously now?!" He bellowed, his voice echoing in the air.

He wasn't holding back anymore.

I might as well honor his request before the spectators intervene.

I held the hilt of my Zanpakuto tightly in my right hand, slowly drawing the blade from its sheath. "Judge all things in this universe. Zanryuzuki."

With the release of my Shikai, came a blinding explosion of power that erupted from my body, rippling outwards like a wave, shaking the very foundations of everything around me.

"Ready when you are," I said, taking a step forward, seeing as the very earth trembled beneath my feet, breaking apart, slowly crumbling away like hardened clay, unable to withstand the force of my pressure.

Laxus stood still, his gaze burning into mine for a moment. His knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists, his entire body crackling with electricity. "Good."

With no more words needed, Laxus took a step forward, gathering a large volume of lightning into his right arm as the air around him crackled, before thrusting his arm forward in a punch-like motion, prompting a magical symbol to appear before him, giving form to an over-sized fist made of lightning that raced towards me with frightening speed.

Taking a step forward, I slowly lifted my Zanpakuto, slicing his lightning strike in two with a single stroke, shocking Laxus, before disappearing from his sight in a single step, closing the distance between us in the blink of an eye, as I reappeared in front of him.

Then before he could react properly, in a single fluid motion, I shifted my grip on my Zanpakuto, before plunging the hilt of the blade into his chest, creating a shockwave that reverberated through the ground, forming cracks in the earth all around us.

Laxus stumbled back a few steps, his breath coming in short, shallow gasps. His hands floated up to touch his chest in disbelief as his vision started to dance, showing his struggle to stay conscious. However, this fight of his didn't last long, and soon enough his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped forward onto the ground with a thud, completely unconscious.

The battle over, I lowered my sword and slid it back into its sheath, sealing my Shikai as my eyes lingered on Laxus' still form. Taking a deep breath, I turned around to face the old man, Makarov, who was standing in the shadows a few feet away, his eyes meeting mine, unblinkingly.

"I didn't hurt him, in case you're worried," I said, looking at the old man, as he stepped forward, the light glinting off his bald head, revealing deep crevasses carved into his leathery face that showed his exhaustion.

Makarov closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a weary breath. His mouth curved into a faint smile as he opened his eyes once again. "I know," he said, nodding. "I can't thank you enough for being a friend to him despite everything."

I wasn't doing anything special.

I had no reason to hurt Laxus, even if he was mad at me.

"Don't mention it," I replied, smiling at the old man.

Makarov chuckled softly.

"He will wake up soon, in a few minutes or so, so I would appreciate it if you let me talk with him in private," I said, looking at Makarov. It was high time I talked with Laxus about what had happened.

Makarov silently acknowledged the request with a slight nod of his head, before slowly turning away and setting off with steady strides, his white cloak billowing behind him as he made his way back to Magnolia Town.

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[Third Person POV]

In Adam's point of view, Laxus lay still on the ground for what felt like an eternity before finally his eyelids flickered and he groaned in pain.

Carelessly, the Dragon Slayer tried to sit up, but as he did a sharp pain shot through his body, causing him to wince in pain, forcing him back to the ground.

"Hey there," Adam said, crouching down next to him. "How are you feeling? Do we need Porlyusica?"

Laxus glared at him, refusing to show any sign of weakness, even in pain. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to talk," Adam said, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace. "Look, I know things are heated between us, and that last time we saw each other, I wasn't particularly helpful with your situation, but I want you to know that despite my lack of tact, every word I said that day was true."

Laxus' eyebrows knitted together into a frown as he stared at Adam without saying a word.

Adam sighed heavily, his eyes darting around as he ran a hand through his hair and began speaking again. "I know the ex-communication of your dad was tough for you, and I know you blame me for it, but it wasn't my fault. I had nothing to do with it." He paused, his voice wavering, and he glanced away before continuing.

However before Adam could continue, The Dragon Slayer silenced him with an upraised shaky hand. "I know," Laxus said, his words slicing through the tense air. "I know it wasn't your fault. And honestly, he deserved it. He was a liability to the guild, and his behavior put everyone in danger."

Adam's brow furrowed and he slowly cocked his head to one side in confusion. "Then... Why did you want to fight me so badly?"

Laxus's lips twitched, a slight crease forming between his eyebrows as he sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor, silently expressing how uncertain he felt about the entire situation. "I don't know," he finally said.

Adam sighed, offering Laxus a small, sympathetic smile. "Maybe this was your way to find some closure."

Laxus let out a long, slow sigh, his lips curling ever so slightly almost as if they were on the brink of a smile, before he forced them back into a thin line, as if he wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. "I guess." He muttered.