Fairy Tail: The Uncrowned King of Magic

Chapter 144: Chapter 144

Laxus’s Thunder God Tribe had three core members, each strong enough to qualify as S-Class in an ordinary guild.

First was Freed Justine, Laxus’s fiercely loyal admirer.

He specialized in Script Magic and had a particular obsession with Jutsu-Shiki. His magic power was around ten thousand.

Then there was Bickslow, an incurable shut-in at heart who loved playing with dolls.

He specialized in Soul Magic and possessed the unusual Figure Eyes, which allowed him to manipulate souls.

His magic power was also around ten thousand.

Finally came Evergreen, a narcissist obsessed with anything related to fairies.

She had learned a wide assortment of spells purely because they fit her preferred aesthetic and had naturally awakened the Stone Eyes.

Her magic power, likewise, sat around ten thousand.

Those three formed the core of the Thunder God Tribe, but they were far from its only members.

During the period when Fairy Tail’s fame exploded across Fiore, countless newcomers had flocked to Magnolia hoping to join.

Laxus accepted anyone who met his personal standard—roughly six thousand units of magic power or higher—and gathered them beneath his banner.

That was where the dozen or so black-coated men following him had come from.

So calling the Thunder God Tribe an elite unit wasn’t much of an exaggeration.

The problem was that Laxus’s recent surge in magic power had clearly gone to his head.

He had become arrogant enough to openly look down on everyone around him.

Natsu, naturally, responded to arrogance in the only way Natsu knew how.

"Damn you, Laxus!"

He pointed toward the dueling arena.

"Fight me one-on-one!"

Laxus sneered.

"You can’t even beat Erza, and you think you’re ready to challenge me?"

"Go train for another few years."

He had no interest in wasting time on someone he considered small fry.

Laxus had always been proud, domineering, and more than a little obsessed with strength.

Of everyone in Fairy Tail, the only people he genuinely regarded as worth his attention were the other S-Class Mages—Mystogan and Marshall in particular.

Mystogan was primarily a technical specialist and possessed unusual circumstances surrounding his magic power, so Laxus had little interest in recruiting him.

Marshall was different.

Laxus’s invitation was genuine.

Marshall’s ideas, ambition, and potential all appealed to him, and Laxus desperately wanted the younger boy on his side.

Fairy Tail’s transformation into the strongest guild in Ishgar was, in Laxus’s eyes, largely Marshall’s achievement.

He had watched the entire process happen.

Yet despite Fairy Tail’s incredible growth, Laxus still believed there was far too much dead weight inside the guild.

The membership standards should be higher.

If the useless members could simply be removed, Fairy Tail would become even stronger.

Unfortunately, Makarov still held ultimate authority, while the power granted to S-Class Mages remained limited.

Even the influence they possessed now had only come about because Marshall helped establish those rules.

But Laxus had thought it through.

If every S-Class Mage supported him, then anyone he wanted removed from Fairy Tail could effectively be forced out.

And Marshall was the key.

Winning Marshall’s support would, in Laxus’s mind, practically guarantee the support of the other S-Class members as well.

That was why he valued him so highly.

"Marshall."

Laxus looked at him seriously.

"I’m inviting you sincerely."

"Ordinary people don’t receive this kind of consideration from me. I hope you’ll actually think about it."

Marshall rolled his eyes.

"No."

"Not interested."

Then he added without hesitation.

"Laxus, you’re really childish."

"What did you say?!"

A vein bulged on Laxus’s forehead.

Being called childish by a brat several years younger than him was humiliating beyond belief.

’You obnoxious little—’

His magic power began to leak out before he could stop himself.

"Laxus!"

Mira’s expression changed instantly.

"Put your magic away."

The slightest hint of hostility toward Marshall was enough.

Demonic power erupted around Mira as she stepped protectively in front of him, her expression turning cold and dangerous in an instant.

Before the situation could escalate any further, an angry voice came from the second floor.

"What are all of you doing?!"

Makarov leaned over the railing.

"Are you trying to tear down the guildhall?!"

He had only taken a short afternoon nap.

How had everything already turned into this?

Laxus looked disdainful, but he had no intention of openly falling out with Makarov here.

Besides, he suddenly remembered something else.

During his recent trip, his father had secretly approached him and mentioned a plan involving Phantom Lord...

"Hmph."

Laxus turned away.

"Marshall, you’ll regret refusing me."

He gave Marshall a meaningful look before leading the Thunder God Tribe upstairs.

"..."

Marshall had been tempted to respond with something along the lines of LaxusI’m the one who who will be the guild master, but Makarov was literally standing above him.

Probably best not to say that one aloud.

Natsu, meanwhile, had been ignored for so long that he couldn’t take it anymore.

He continued shouting for Laxus to come back and fight him, only to receive a dismissive reply from upstairs.

"Become S-Class first. Then we’ll talk."

That single sentence shut him down completely.

Natsu’s face turned red with rage.

Once the commotion finally ended, Marshall shook his head.

Laxus really had gotten carried away.

His rebellious phase had somehow survived years past its expected expiration date.

Still, Marshall could understand where much of it came from.

At his core, Laxus wanted to prove himself.

He wanted people to see Laxus of Fairy Tail, not merely Makarov’s grandson.

Makarov was simply too famous and too powerful.

And thanks in no small part to Marshall, the old man’s reputation had become better than ever.

Whenever Laxus completed an impressive job, people would praise him with—

"As expected of Makarov’s grandson."

Naturally, Laxus hated it.

Combined with all the unresolved problems inside the Dreyar family, his relationship with Makarov had steadily deteriorated over the years.

Marshall was ultimately an outsider to that family.

He didn’t think interfering would help.

Even if he tried, what was he supposed to do?

Some family problems could only be resolved when the people involved finally chose to understand each other.

An outsider barging in and lecturing them would probably only make things worse.

"Marshall, he didn’t frighten you, did he?"

The moment Laxus disappeared upstairs, Mira’s frightening expression vanished and she immediately returned to being a gentle older sister.

"That Laxus... He’s already a grown man, yet he’s still trying to intimidate a kid."

"Absolutely shameless."

Mira had become frighteningly good at switching into her "kind big sister" persona.

Then again, it wasn’t entirely an act.

At heart, she really was an incredibly gentle person.

Marshall immediately played cute and earned himself a comforting hug.

’Hehehe.’

It took a while for the stiff atmosphere on the first floor to return to normal.

Laxus rarely spent much time downstairs anyway, so many of Fairy Tail’s newer members weren’t particularly familiar with him.

After finally seeing him in person, discussions naturally broke out.

Some disliked him.

Some openly condemned his attitude.

Others envied his strength or admired his confidence.

Marshall thought all of those reactions were perfectly normal.

A guild where everyone shared exactly the same opinion would be far stranger.

Wherever people gathered, factions and disagreements inevitably followed.

A little controversy kept things lively.

Just then, Marshall’s private terminal received a message from his little swee—

Ahem.

His little servant, Ultear.

The moment he opened it, he was greeted by an almost comically submissive message.

[Dear Little Master~ Your loyal servant’s Moon Drip plan is almost complete.]

[In approximately three days, the seal on the demon Deliora should finally be undone.]

[When the time comes... could Little Master please come and help me?]

Deliora.

Ten years earlier, Ultear’s mother, Ur, had sacrificed herself by using the forbidden spell Iced Shell to seal the demon away.

But if Deliora truly was one of the demons from the Books of Zeref, then Iced Shell could never have permanently destroyed it.

The frozen creature wasn’t Deliora’s true core.

Its actual existence was supposedly preserved in the Books of Zeref held by Tartaros.

Marshall genuinely didn’t know whether he should tell Ultear and Gray that miserable truth.

Ur had sacrificed everything to seal away what amounted to only one manifested life of Deliora.

Still...

Marshall was curious.

After spending ten years frozen inside Iced Shell, what condition would that demonic body be in?

Examining it might provide useful information for his current research.

So he had every intention of going.

Marshall gave Ultear the appropriately aloof response expected of a master addressing his servant.

[I’ll be there.]

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