User blog comment:Miskos3/Fairy Tail Episode 256: Tartaros arc: The Final Duels, Review/@comment-1153699-20151025113639/@comment-1153699-20151027110916

Umm.. Yes... Never said he couldn't.

Laxus in this episode wasn't nearly as strong as he usually is due to the MBP (sorta like Goku was at the beginning of the Androids saga), which is why Tempesta was able to overpower him and Laxus actually had to use his brain to win.