Chapter 622 - 622: World Alchemy

While the exceptionally brave Gajeel was busy provoking Dimaria, the strongest member of his team had run into a rather troublesome situation of his own.

After finally suppressing the ravenous hunger caused by the Pig Ring, Laxus had intended to head over and help Gajeel.

But when he looked around, he discovered something unexpected.

The Divine Ring he had picked up earlier was gone!

He had only placed it a short distance away to escape the overwhelming hunger it caused, yet somehow the thing had vanished without a trace.

Laxus frowned.

Although he wasn't particularly fond of the ring's ability, it was still a divine artifact. Even if he never used it again, he could always sell it for a fortune.

He wasn't about to let something that valuable disappear.

Following the faint magical traces left behind, Laxus immediately set off in pursuit.

Unfortunately, the dungeon's twisting corridors were no easier to navigate than before.

He took one turn after another, climbed through several passages, and eventually lost track of which floor he was even on.

By the time he finally caught up with the culprit, his expression had become distinctly unimpressed.

Because the thing that had stolen his ring was…

A walking doll.

"What the hell is that supposed to be?"

Laxus stared at the ridiculous little creature.

He frowned and stepped forward, intending to pin the doll beneath his boot and retrieve the ring.

But just as he approached, the doll's vacant expression suddenly changed.

It sprang into the air and launched itself directly at him.

Electricity crackled.

Laxus didn't hesitate.

He swung one hand and slapped the doll aside with a powerful burst of lightning.

Yet instead of shattering as expected, the doll began expanding in midair.

Its body grew larger and larger at an astonishing rate.

Within moments, its head nearly reached the ceiling, transforming what had originally been a tiny toy into an enormous stuffed monster.

And that wasn't the only strange thing happening.

The ground beneath Laxus suddenly began changing.

The rough stone floor transformed into alternating black-and-white tiles. Then the entire surface started rising and falling like waves on a stormy sea, forcing him to constantly adjust his footing to maintain his balance.

Laxus looked up.

The dungeon itself had changed.

The damp, dilapidated walls and narrow corridors had vanished, replaced by an enormous room covered in childish drawings and brightly colored decorations.

Overhead stretched a ceiling resembling the roof of a circus tent.

The entire space was absurdly large, far bigger than the chamber he had entered moments earlier.

And around the gigantic doll, more toys began appearing.

One after another, enormous stuffed creatures emerged from the surroundings, each comparable in size to the first.

Some looked almost innocent.

Others had savage expressions, with grotesque smiles stitched across their faces.

Several were smeared with blood, while others carried enormous, roaring chainsaws.

Their disturbing appearances clashed horribly with the cheerful, childish environment.

Laxus narrowed his eyes.

"An illusion?"

He immediately circulated his Magic Power, attempting to clear his mind and dispel whatever effect had seized his senses.

Nothing changed.

The bizarre room remained perfectly solid.

Even the ground beneath his feet continued undulating.

"Don't bother trying to break the illusion."

A cheerful feminine voice suddenly sounded from above.

"This is a real world, you know. It's not some silly illusion."

Laxus raised his head.

Sitting atop the gigantic stuffed bear was a beautiful, voluptuous woman.

She casually swung her long legs back and forth, looking down at him with an amused smile.

Laxus immediately sensed something unusual about her presence.

His expression turned cold.

"You're one of Serena's companions, aren't you?"

"Serena?"

The woman tilted her head.

"Oh, right! That guy."

She continued swinging her legs while examining Laxus with obvious interest.

"He keeps bragging about being Ishgar's strongest mage. Is that actually true?"

Laxus gave her an indifferent glance.

"If he really were Ishgar's strongest, I wouldn't have been able to kill him."

"Oh, good point!"

The woman giggled.

Then she gracefully hopped down from the enormous doll's head and landed in front of Laxus.

"Well, I suppose I should introduce myself."

She offered him a playful smile.

"My name is Luso Signario."

Her voice became sweet and coaxing.

"Hey, handsome~ Would you mind giving me that other Divine Ring you're carrying?"

She tilted her head, putting on an innocent expression as though she were asking for nothing more than a small favor.

Unfortunately, she had chosen the wrong person to try that on.

Laxus wasn't the sort of man who could be persuaded by a pretty face and a little flirting.

He snorted.

Lightning gathered around his clenched fist.

"How about I smash you and your magic first?"

His eyes narrowed.

"Then you'll find out exactly how willing I am."

The moment he learned she was working with God Serena, there had never been any question about where she stood.

She was an enemy.

That was all Laxus needed to know.

Luso sighed with exaggerated disappointment.

"Aww, seriously?"

She shook her head.

"And here I was hoping to finish my mission quickly."

Then she raised one finger.

"But there's something I need to correct, handsome."

A delighted smile spread across her face as she slowly traced a circle through the air.

"This isn't magic."

She giggled.

"It's alchemy."

Her eyes gleamed.

"World Alchemy!"

The instant she moved her finger, every toy in the room turned toward Laxus.

Dozens of enormous heads shifted in perfect unison.

Their childish, crudely drawn faces stared at him with a disturbingly human awareness.

Some smiled.

Others snarled.

And a few seemed almost excited at the thought of tearing him apart.

The sight was deeply unsettling.

Luso spread her arms wide.

"And inside this Crazy World…"

Her smile became positively ecstatic.

"I AM GOD!"

With a casual wave of her hand, the entire environment came alive.

Countless gigantic dolls surged toward Laxus from every direction, roaring with voices that sounded nothing like the cheerful toys they resembled.

The floor and ceiling moved as well.

Both twisted and heaved like enormous waves, threatening to crush him between them.

Within moments, every part of the surrounding world had become a weapon under Luso's control.

Laxus merely snorted.

"Big words."

Golden lightning erupted around his body.

In the blink of an eye, he gathered an enormous concentration of electrical power and unleashed it directly toward the advancing monsters.

"Raging Thunder Pressure!"

A dense, violent sea of lightning surged forward.

The terrifying current swallowed the monstrous dolls, tearing through their bodies and reducing them to scattered fragments.

But the destruction accomplished very little.

The surrounding world simply began creating more.

Fresh dolls rose from the floor like clay being molded into new shapes, replacing those that had been destroyed almost immediately.

Their numbers remained overwhelming.

Laxus watched the regeneration for a moment.

Then he moved.

Rather than wasting time fighting an endless supply of disposable monsters, he transformed his body into lightning and shot through the gaps before the newly formed dolls could finish taking shape.

His target was Luso.

A streak of electricity flashed across the room.

Then his fist struck.

BOOM!

Luso didn't even attempt to dodge.

Her body disintegrated beneath the blow, scattering into countless particles that vanished into the air.

But before Laxus could lower his arm, her voice rang out again.

This time, it came from far above.

"Still don't get it?"

Laxus looked up.

A gigantic Luso now towered over him.

She had become dozens of times larger than before, looking down with an amused, almost mocking expression.

"In this world, I'm invincible!"

Her enormous eyes gleamed with delight.

"No matter how many times you defeat me, it won't make any difference!"

Laxus stared at her calmly.

He showed no sign of intimidation or frustration.

Instead, his attention shifted toward the strange world around him.

"So that's how it works."

He glanced toward the enormous circus-like ceiling.

"If beating you doesn't matter…"

His gaze sharpened.

"Then I just need to destroy this entire world."

Luso blinked.

Then she burst into laughter.

"Huh? Destroy my world?"

She leaned forward, smiling down at him.

"Do you actually think my—"

Before she could finish, Laxus's Magic Power erupted.

Dragon scales spread across his arms and face once more, while the brilliant golden lightning surrounding him turned a deep, blood-red.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Violent electrical currents surged through the room, carrying a terrifying pressure that seemed capable of tearing everything apart.

Laxus raised both arms.

Above his head, the crimson lightning began gathering into an enormous vortex.

Luso's laughter faltered.

"What are you—"

"LIGHTNING PUMP: CRIMSON IMPERIAL THUNDER!"

Laxus's roar drowned out her voice.

He hurled the concentrated lightning straight toward the ceiling.

A devastating crimson storm erupted overhead.

Countless bolts of destructive red lightning intertwined, twisting into an enormous mass that battered the sky of Luso's artificial world.

The thunder grew louder and louder.

The entire space began trembling.

Then—

CRACK!

A sharp, unmistakable sound rang out.

Luso's smile froze.

Thin fractures had appeared across the seemingly empty space above.

The cracks spread rapidly, branching outward like a shattered mirror.

Her enormous eyes widened.

"W-What…?"

She stared at the rapidly destabilizing surroundings.

"How is that possible…?"

The world she had created was shaking.

The walls trembled.

The ceiling distorted.

Even the giant dolls began losing their shapes as the alchemical structure supporting them fractured beneath the overwhelming force.

Laxus looked up at her.

A contemptuous smile appeared on his face.

"Idiot."

He clenched his fist.

"A real world wouldn't be this fragile."

The crimson lightning overhead surged once more.

"So take your Crazy World…"

His eyes blazed.

"And your stupid fantasies about being a god…"

"AND SHATTER!"

BOOOOOOM!

Thunder roared throughout the artificial space.

Blood-red light swallowed everything.

Countless gigantic toys disintegrated at once, vanishing into clouds of ash and fragments.

The twisted floor collapsed.

The circus-tent ceiling shattered.

The enormous, colorful world broke apart under the devastating electrical storm.

Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone.

Laxus and Luso found themselves standing in the same dark, dilapidated dungeon chamber where the confrontation had begun.

The childish decorations had vanished.

The giant dolls were gone.

And the air once again carried the cold, damp atmosphere of the ancient ruins.

Luso lay sprawled on the floor.

Blood spilled from her mouth as she struggled to lift herself, her previously playful expression replaced by disbelief.

Laxus stood over her, completely composed.

He casually beckoned with one hand.

"Well?"

His voice carried unmistakable contempt.

"What else have you got?"

He cracked his knuckles.

"Go ahead and show me."