After Laxus artificially silenced the area, nearly all the Exceeds clearly heard what he had just said.
Tell the Queen to come out?
How dare a filthy human utter such words!
The cats, who had just been frightened into silence by the roaring thunder, quickly recovered.
They grew even more furious, pointing accusingly at Laxus. Some even entertained the idea of rushing forward to throw punches.
However, having just witnessed Laxus's ability to alter the weather with a single thunderbolt, clearly no one dared to be the reckless first mover.
Amid the chorus of feline curses, Gajeel calmly observed the scene and remarked lightly.
"It seems they aren't very welcoming."
Lily watched the crowd of cats with a cold gaze and said, "It has always been like this. They believe humans setting foot on their land defiles their divinity."
"Isn't that black cat the 'Fallen' expelled by the Queen years ago?! How dare that human-loving traitor return!"
"And those two cats! Bringing humans to Extalia—they should be thrown out too!"
"Get out! Get out!"
One had to wonder in what kind of arrogant, sheltered environment these cats had been raised, that they still dared to denounce the group while standing right under Laxus's oppressive aura.
One particularly agitated cat even picked up a stone and hurled it toward them.
The small stone wasn't thrown with much force, but it flew with uncanny accuracy straight toward Wendy's temple.
Wendy screamed in panic.
But Laxus, quick-eyed and swift-handed, reached out and firmly caught the flying stone right before it hit her.
Simultaneously, a murderous glint unlike anything they had seen before began to emanate from Laxus's eyes.
Gajeel, standing right beside him, saw that look and felt his heart sink.
'Oh no, this is bad!'
He had seen that exact look before.
During the Phantom Lord guild war, when Gajeel had faced Laxus as an enemy, he had witnessed it firsthand.
Back then, when Laxus revealed that expression, Gajeel had nearly lost his life to a single punch.
But after the first stone was thrown, more cats immediately followed suit.
They picked up nearby debris and launched it at the group.
"Carla!" Happy hurriedly shielded the distraught Carla beside him.
Mystogan quickly pulled Wendy behind him, while crackling electricity began to surge and dance wildly around Laxus's body.
A city full of cats, filled with arrogance and rejection, hurled weapons at them, completely unaware that deadly danger was creeping closer with their every action.
Stones, vegetable leaves, and trash flying toward them were instantly reduced to ashes by the intense lightning crackling around Laxus.
During this, an immense terrifying surge of Magic Power began to well up within him.
It was brilliant, yet extremely dangerous; sacred, yet utterly extreme.
Laxus clasped his hands together in front of his chest.
Golden magical radiance gathered rapidly, exuding a force that made the very earth tremble.
The Exceeds, terrified by this sudden surge of Magic Power, involuntarily halted their actions.
Their eyes went wide with sheer fear as they stared at Laxus.
Mystogan, sensing the increasingly dangerous aura emanating from Laxus and watching the alarming growth of the magical sphere in his hands, suddenly jolted as if realizing something.
'This Magic Power... this feeling...'
'Fairy Law?!'
'Our opponents are just a bunch of weak cats though?!'
Mystogan quickly grabbed Laxus's arm, his back breaking out in a cold sweat.
"There is no need... there is no need for this, Laxus! We can just slowly clear out the enemies. There is no need to use a Super Magic!"
"Sorry, Mystogan. I run out of patience." Laxus sneered coldly.
Ever since entering the alternate world of Edolas, Laxus had been aggressively suppressing his anger.
An unseen king, willing to harm guild comrades for the sake of Magic Power.
The Fairy Tail guild in this world, where so many innocent people died tragically because of that same Magic Power.
And now here, the mastermind behind the proposal to extract Magic Power from another world—making Happy and Carla orphans—hadn't even shown herself yet, and they were already being surrounded by ignorant cats who nearly hurt Wendy.
Admittedly, after the civil war and his redemption, Laxus had come to terms with his emotions and had become much gentler toward the companions he regarded as family.
But that didn't mean the current Laxus was as emotionally stable as when he eventually returned after his wandering reflection on Tenrou Island in the original story.
Quite the opposite—though the inherently extreme and quick-tempered Laxus had become gentler, that gentleness was not meant for outsiders.
These cats really thought Laxus had no temper!
As Laxus prepared to unleash the Super Magic "Fairy Law" to wipe out all the cats of Extalia in one go, his own comrades Mystogan and Gajeel were the first to panic.
First, they still hadn't obtained any crucial information from the Queen.
Second, the Super Magic Fairy Law uses sacred light to purge darkness, eliminating only those targets the caster identifies as enemies.
If the number of targets exceeds the caster's capabilities, it consumes the caster's own life force as compensation.
Though they believed Laxus's abilities should be sufficient to handle a city of weak cats, Laxus was currently blinded by rage... who would dare take that bet?
The Exceeds recoiled in absolute fear from the magical fluctuation.
Just as both sides were nearly scared out of their wits by Laxus's actions, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Respected Mage, I beg you to forgive our impulsiveness. I am willing to take full responsibility for their mistakes."
The scene descended into chaos as all the Exceeds turned their gaze toward the back of the crowd, spontaneously making way to form a clear path.
Amidst a chorus of "Your Majesty," a white-furred cat dressed in extravagant attire, resembling a noblewoman, quickly trotted out.
Simultaneously, four elderly cats followed closely beside the Queen, collectively escorting her as they emerged.
Laxus still held the blinding radiance of Fairy Law in his grasp.
His gaze was icy as he stared at the female cat and said, "So you are that so-called Queen?"
"Yes, Mage. My name is Shagotte. All these sins are the result of my foolishness. I beg you to spare the people of Extalia."
As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding Exceeds grew violently agitated.
Seeing their all-powerful Queen arrive and speak in such a submissive tone, they were immediately incensed and began shouting.
"Your Majesty! Please use your Divine Power to kill these insolent humans! How dare they speak disrespectfully to you!"
"That's right, Your Majesty! That brat is holding a ball of light and thinks he can threaten the supreme deity! There is no need to reason with him!"
"Your Majesty, please punish these rude creatures at once!"
Louder cries erupted.
These Exceeds, who had never even witnessed destructive Magic, emboldened by their Queen's presence, began spewing whatever insults came to mind.
Shagotte's voice was completely drowned out and she grew increasingly anxious.
Laxus, however, was amused by the pure absurdity of it all.
He stared at Shagotte and sneered, "It seems they wish to vanish alongside you."
Laxus's words pierced her heart like a blade of ice.
Shagotte gritted her teeth and fell to her knees with a heavy thud.
Before everyone's eyes, amidst horrified gazes, Shagotte cried out in anguish.
"Stop ignoring our own weakness, children! I am not a deity, and we are not angels! From beginning to end, we have only ever been a weak race!"