"The seeds of Haki have been condensed... now I just need a proper guinea pig," Rain muttered, stepping out of the musty old library and into the sunlight of the Fairy Tail guild hall.
He glanced around, scanning for likely test subjects. Unfortunately, all the prime candidates—the ones with enough muscle to not break immediately—were already out on jobs.
"Tch. Shame. Elfman would have been perfect," Rain sighed, almost genuinely regretful. "If even that blockhead can pick it up, there's hope for anyone."
With nobody on the ground floor worth traumatizing, Rain's eyes wandered up to the second floor.
Then he spotted him.
"Oh?"
Rain's lips curled in a sly grin as he made his way up to Laxus Dreyar, who was busy scanning the mission board, probably planning another over-the-top campaign with the Thunder God Tribe.
Rain wasted no time, dropping his pride for maximum effect. "Laxus, I need your help."
Laxus paused, glancing over with his trademark smugness. "Hm? What's this? Even you hitting a wall, Rain? Want me to bail you out? Guess I could, for a price." He smirked, rolling his eyes in that classic tsundere way only Laxus could pull off.
"Yeah, yeah. You're the strongest, big guy. That's why I'm coming to you," Rain replied, leaning in to play along. "Come on, Laxus. Help me out?"
Laxus crossed his arms, but you could tell he was secretly eating up the praise. "All right, spit it out. What do you need from me?"
Rain jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Not here. Let's go outside. Last thing we need is to give Gramps another heart attack."
Laxus just snorted, but followed anyway.
A few minutes later, deep in the woods outside Magnolia, the air felt charged with anticipation—maybe just static from Laxus.
Rain turned to face him. "So here's the deal. When I was off traveling, I stumbled onto a brand-new power. They call it 'Haki'—and trust me, it's a game-changer."
Laxus's brow furrowed. "'Haki'? Never heard of it. Is that the trick you pulled the other day?"
"Bingo," Rain nodded. "That was just the tip of the iceberg. I want to see if you can learn it too. If it works, we can teach it to the rest of the guild."
Laxus's eyes glinted with excitement, even as he tried to play it cool. "Heh. You want to use me as your test dummy? Fine. Show me what you've got."
Rain grinned. If Laxus could pull this off, then spreading Haki through Fairy Tail was only a matter of time.
Rain faced Laxus, his expression serious but tinged with mischief. "Haki is… well, think of it as an amplifying magic. It can boost your magic output—and even ramp up your physical strength."
Laxus snorted, crossing his arms. "So it's just another way to get stronger, huh? That's all you had to say."
Rain chuckled inwardly. For a guy like Laxus, you could talk yourself blue in the face about technique, but if you just mention 'it'll make you stronger,' he's all in—though, true to his tsundere nature, he'd never admit it out loud.
Well, no problem. As long as I stay on top, I can drag this musclehead along, Rain thought. The only catch? If you don't have the guts to put him in his place, Laxus won't give you the time of day.
"Magic and physical power, both at once?" Laxus's eyes gleamed for just a second—an eager spark that betrayed how much he cared about getting stronger.
He tried to hide it, but Rain caught the glint. Got him.
"Want a demonstration?" Rain grinned, sensing Laxus's curiosity. "Here's the deal—Haki isn't just one thing. It splits into types."
First, there's Armament Haki: it hardens your body and magic, makes you hit like a meteor."
"Then there's Observation Haki: you can read movements, maybe even see glimpses of the future."
"And finally… Conqueror's Haki—the willpower that knocks weaker minds flat and lets you dominate a fight before it starts."
Laxus's brows shot up. "Wait, you're telling me you can see the future with this stuff? That's pushing it."
Rain just shrugged, lips curling into a sly smile. "If you think I'm bluffing, just test it yourself. Besides, you're way too sharp to be fooled, right? I mean, with your 'brilliant' mind and all—nobody could ever pull one over on Laxus Dreyar!"
Laxus tried to play it cool, but a proud little smirk betrayed him. "Tch. Damn right."
Without another word, Rain stepped forward, his eyes sharp, and let the three forms of Haki flow through him—armament, observation, and the invisible force of a king.
He hardened his fist with Armament Haki, let his senses sharpen with Observation, and finally, unleashed a pulse of raw Conqueror's Haki that sent a shockwave rippling through the clearing.
A few birds dropped from the trees, stunned. Even the air seemed to crackle.
Rain grinned, looking at Laxus. "Well? Ready to give it a shot?"
Laxus snorted, refusing to show how impressed he was, though his eyes burned with excitement. "Since you're so desperate for me to learn, I guess I'll humor you. Gotta keep up appearances, right?"
Rain just shook his head, smirking at the tsundere routine. "I owe you one, Laxus."
Then, reaching out, Rain placed a hand on Laxus's shoulder. Magic surged between them—Rain channeling just a hint of his own Haki through the link.
"Attach!"
A jolt of foreign energy coursed into Laxus, the key that would let him tap into the power for himself.
Suddenly, Rain's Conqueror's Haki exploded outward, like a tidal wave aimed straight at Laxus.
The ground trembled. Trees bent and leaves scattered.
Laxus staggered, his whole body locking up under the weight of the pressure. For a moment, it felt like every muscle was being forced to kneel.
"Tch… so this is Conqueror's Haki?" Laxus gritted his teeth, stubborn defiance burning in his eyes. "Feels like you're trying to crush me… but I'm not backing down!"
He fought against the pressure, sweat beading on his brow, but his gaze never wavered.
Of course Rain was holding back on his Haki, he didn't want to traumatise him.
"Who the hell do you think I am?!" Laxus roared, defiance blazing in his eyes. "I'm Laxus Dreyar!!!"
Even under the crushing weight of Rain's Conqueror's Haki, Laxus refused to yield.
Instead, he unleashed his will in a wild surge—his entire body roaring with thunder.
Zilalaaaa—!!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Golden lightning exploded from Laxus, arcs of electricity ripping through the air.
"Don't you dare underestimate me!!"
BOOM!
A pillar of golden thunder shot skyward, the shockwave rattling the whole forest. Mixed in with the lightning, an overwhelming burst of Conqueror's Haki—Laxus's own—flooded outward, clashing with Rain's and blasting apart the trees around them.
BOOM!
Trunks shattered. The ground trembled. For a heartbeat, Laxus stood at the center of a storm of lightning and willpower, a true king refusing to bow.
Rain let out a whistle, a proud grin spreading across his face. "So you really woke up your own Conqueror's Haki, huh? Figures."
With that, Rain reined in his own aura, letting the air clear. "Looks like my hunch was right after all."
He watched Laxus standing tall amid the wreckage—lightning crackling around him, Conqueror's spirit blazing in his eyes.
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