Ankh's teasing had no effect on Laxus.
The two had grown up together in the guild, much like Erza and Mirajane, or Natsu and Gray.
They were equals in strength, shared similar stubborn temperaments, and were as close as brothers, despite the lightning mage's current rebellious phase.
Just as Laxus could guess Ankh's thoughts, Ankh could see past Laxus' tough facade straight into his conflicted heart.
"I know you've always cared about the younger members of the guild," Ankh advised with a hint of helplessness, leaning back against the tree.
"But your attitude… maybe tone it down a little? terrorizing them isn't leadership."
Laxus remained as unyielding as ever.
He crossed his arms, his gaze cold as he stared into the distance away from the guild hall.
"Unnecessary," Laxus declared flatly. "I don't need them to like me. What I want to build is an unbeatable strongest guild—not some weak guild full of children playing house!"
"Do you really think the guild is weak now?" Ankh glared at him, his voice rising slightly. "In my eyes, the current Fairy Tail is stronger than any guild! We just took down Phantom Lord!"
"Erza, Mira, Natsu—they're all children of Fairy Tail," Ankh continued passionately. "For their comrades and family, they'd risk their lives and unleash power far beyond their innate talents. That is real strength."
Ankh looked at Laxus, whose face was shifting between gloom and frustration.
He sighed, walked over, and patted his friend's shoulder, speaking softly.
"Laxus, is the guild you want to build really like Phantom Lord? A cruel guild that stops at nothing for power? That's not strength, that's just treating them as a weapon! Do you want to be like Jose?"
"Shut up," Laxus growled, but there was no heat in it.
"The guild is our home, the place where our hearts belong," Ankh pressed. "Isn't this exactly why you're willing to protect the guild's original purpose? Because you love it?"
Hearing Ankh's gentle voice, Laxus's expression finally shifted.
The hard lines on his face unconsciously softened, revealing the conflict beneath the scar.
After a long while, Laxus finally spoke, and for the first time ever, Ankh detected a tone of helplessness in his words.
"I... just wanted to prove that the guild would be stronger in my hands than in the old man's."
Ankh could sense the frustration in Laxus's heart.
He smiled knowingly.
"Let me guess—if it were the Guild Master standing here, he'd probably say: 'The guild doesn't belong to him alone, but to all of us,' right?"
Laxus was taken aback.
He scoffed, then chuckled wryly. "Heh. It seems you understand the old man better than I do."
Ankh fell silent, observing his friend.
With Ankh's intervention in this timeline, the development of the "little fairies" in the guild's early years had been altered to varying degrees.
For instance, Cana Alberona—Ankh knew her background regarding Gildarts and provided her an outlet, preventing her from becoming as emotionally burdened and alcoholic as in the original timeline.
Then there were Erza and Mirajane.
The former, with Ankh's companionship, felt secure enough not to develop the crippling fear of being without her armor.
The latter, because Ankh prevented Lisanna from "dying" years ago, didn't suffer the heartbreak that turned her into a retiree.
Mirajane retained her fearless and bold "Demon" nature.
As for Laxus, having Ankh as both a rival and close friend kept his personality from continuing down a completely misguided path of isolation.
But when it came to his relationship with the old man, even Ankh couldn't intervene effectively.
After all, that old man Makarov had outright expelled Laxus's own father, Ivan Dreyar, from the guild years ago.
Though grandparents and grandchildren often share a special bond, when you kick out the entire middle generation without a trace, what grandson could handle that without scars?
Whenever Laxus mentioned Makarov, there was clear resentment in his words.
Laxus had grown up surrounded by people's praise, but it was always about his grandfather not him.
"Grandson of a Ten Wizard Saint,"
"Grandson of Fairy Tail's Guild Master."
Laxus bore not only the weight of such anonymous fame but also the expectations and pressure from all sides.
He wanted to be Laxus, not just "Makarov's grandson."
That's why the Laxus Ankh first met was like a furious lion.
Bearing so much inexplicable burden, the fact that Laxus didn't completely give up on himself was already a testament to his resilience.
Laxus's eyes flashed like lightning, gleaming with intensity as he stared at Ankh and declared.
"The guild I will build will definitely be better than the old man's! I will surpass him!"
Ankh helplessly covered his forehead. So, after all I'd just said, Laxus hadn't taken in a single word.
The misunderstandings between Laxus and Makarov, and the disconnect with his guildmates—these weren't easy problems to solve.
'If a civil war broke out,' Ankh thought grimly, 'it would be yet another troublesome affair.'
In Ankh's memory of the original storyline, the Fairy Tail guild had faced the risk of total annihilation roughly three times:
The first time was when Jose Porla of Phantom Lord seized the opportunity while the guild was vulnerable.
If not for MVP Erza holding her ground—taking a direct hit from the Jupiter Cannon and stalling Jose—the guild would have been utterly annihilated.
The second time was the Civil War instigated by Laxus himself.
Although the Fairy Law he conjured in the original story was just a bluff because he subconsciously loved the guild, the Thunder Palace lacrima bombs he set up in Magnolia were no joke.
Who knew if they would actually activate or not in this reality?
As for the third time... the Edolas crisis.
The entire guild was sucked into another world by the Super Magic Anima and turned into a giant Magic Crystal.
In the end, it was the two wildcards—Mystogan and Gajeel—who turned the situation around.
For the guild, these three crises felt like walking a tightrope each time.
If that were all, Ankh wouldn't mind letting Laxus stir up trouble and start another civil war just to vent.
But the reality is, each of the latter two crises in the original timeline directly cost the guild one of its S-Class combatants.
A civil war is one thing, but if Laxus ever harms—or jokes about harming—his comrades again, Makarov would have no choice but to expel him.
As for Mystogan... he's definitely not staying forever.
An entire world is waiting for him to lead.
'But Laxus can't be allowed to run away or get kicked out,' Ankh calculated.
'If he leaves, I would be the only active Super S-Class mage left in the guild.'
When dealing with Dark Guilds like Grimoire Heart or Tartaros where every member is S-Class, Laxus is an incredibly important asset.
Ankh suddenly seemed to remember something.
He looked at Laxus sharply.
"I recall the Thunder God Tribe has returned recently… You're not planning to force the Master to step down for you, are you?"
Laxus raised an eyebrow, looking at Ankh like he was an idiot.
"Are you stupid? Why would I do that now?" Laxus scoffed. "Isn't you the one the old man sees as the next Guild Master? You're the obstacle, not him."
'Huh?'
'That… does sound right…' Ankh blinked.
But Ankh himself isn't particularly eager for the position.
He'd rather push the role onto Gildarts or train up Erza or Laxus to take over, so he could ascend to godhood and enjoy some carefree time without paperwork.
While Ankh was lost in thought, Laxus continued with a rational analysis, his voice dropping low.
"The only fighters I truly trust are the Thunder God Tribe. But look at the guild now. You, Erza, Mystogan, Mira... just the few of us in the Thunder God Tribe are far from enough to defeat the old man's guild with you guarding it!"
'So… that's the real reason, isn't it?' Ankh realized.
The current Fairy Tail guild isn't like the original timeline, especially with Ankh around.
If Erza, Mirajane, and Mystogan all side with Ankh to protect Makarov, even with all his confidence, Laxus would be doomed to fail.
That's why he's lying low for now.
He knows he can't win against Ankh.
'This, however, worries me deeply,' Ankh thought.
If the root of the problem isn't resolved, it means the civil war is merely postponed until the next time Laxus's emotions explode.
A suppressed Laxus is like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off at the worst possible moment.
'He needs to explode now, on my terms, so we can fix him without getting him expelled.'
After a moment of contemplation, Ankh recalled an idea he once had.
'If… the only way to make Laxus confront his true feelings is to push him into a corner, then he must be lured into the trap himself… To do that, I'll need to coordinate this perfectly.'
Having made up his mind, a strange smile curled on Ankh's lips.
He pushed off the tree trunk and walked up to Laxus.
"So, you think you can't win because of the numbers?" Ankh asked.
"Obviously," Laxus grunted.
Ankh leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"You and the Thunder God Tribe aren't enough to take the guild, that's true. But… what if you add me to the mix?"
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