Wait… Hold on a second…
Ian's brow furrowed as a sense of unease washed over him. He looked at Erza with growing apprehension and asked, "So, the 'brazen witch' your mother mentioned wreaking havoc on the Northern Continent, Guiltina—who exactly is she?"
"Hmm… I think her name is Selene," Erza replied after thinking for a moment, finally revealing the name of the so-called brazen witch.
To be precise, she revealed the name of the infamous dragon herself.
"Selene…" Ian repeated the name, a bitter taste forming in his mouth.
Indeed, some things are simply inescapable.
"Father, listen!"
"That woman, Selene, is as bad as they come…"
"According to Mother…"
"For the past four hundred years, Selene has constantly caused trouble for her!"
"Thankfully, Mother has also been training for four hundred years, and her power is not inferior to Selene's…"
"But because they keep each other in check…"
"Neither one can easily enter the Ishgar Continent."
"It took everything Mother had just to send me here."
"So, Father, you'll need to wait a bit longer…"
"When Mother defeats that harlot Selene, we'll finally be able to live together forever."
Erza's expression was serious as she explained the situation to Ian.
"Selene and Irene…"
"This is going to be troublesome. Really troublesome."
Ian thought for a moment. But judging by what Erza had said, it also meant that Irene now possessed power on the same level as the God Dragons.
"Considering Irene's raw talent, she would have eventually reached a level that threatens God Dragons even without doing anything…"
"But to think she's been actively training for four hundred years…"
"Irene must be terrifyingly powerful now," Ian mused.
"And another thing…"
"Mother also told me to warn you not to try and find her in the Western Continent."
"She said that your strength is still too weak…"
"As soon as you leave Ishgar, which is protected by Lord Acnologia…"
"That woman will capture you immediately."
Erza's words pierced Ian's pride as she bluntly assessed his abilities.
"Ah, sorry to be such a disappointment when it comes to my strength," Ian replied, a twitch forming in the corner of his eye.
Getting dissed for being weak by his own daughter—could it get any worse?
"Alright then…"
"So, those dragons who bear a grudge against me on the Northern Continent have known about my presence in Ishgar all along?!"
"They haven't come after me all this time because of Lord Acnologia's protection…"
As Ian's mind drifted, he recalled that fateful moment in his first simulation, when he had exhausted his life force and magic, slipping into unconsciousness. At that moment, Acnologia had swooped down from the sky, eradicating every dragon that had been an enemy to humanity.
That was the definition of safety.
Sadly, four hundred years had passed since then, and the hero who had once been humanity's savior, Acnologia, had transformed into the world's greatest threat.
The being who had become the symbol of destruction now loomed over the Ishgar Continent.
Yet, no matter how dark things got, Acnologia would always be Ian's hero.
Although, if Acnologia ever found out about him…
The dragons wouldn't even need to lift a claw. Acnologia would be the first to kill him.
But despite the dangers, Ian now had a clear picture of the global situation.
First and foremost, Acnologia stood as the undisputed strongest, an outlier in every sense.
Next were the God Dragons, who prided themselves on being equal to Acnologia, along with Irene, the mother of Dragon Slayer Magic, who had trained for four hundred years.
Below them were the most powerful humans: Magic King August and the Dark Mage Zeref. Of course, Zeref's immortality due to the Ankhseram Curse meant that if his immortality was factored in, even a God Dragon could eventually be worn down by him.
As for Igneel, the Fire Dragon King sealed within Natsu, he was undoubtedly on par with the God Dragons—or perhaps even stronger, particularly in close combat, where he could pose a real threat to Acnologia.
"Hah…"
Ian let out a heavy sigh.
Though he had already reached the level of a Heavenly King, the gap between him and the true titans of this world—the monsters at the very pinnacle of power—was still immense.
It was clear that the road ahead would be long and arduous.
For the first time, Ian felt an urgent desire for more strength, not to save others this time, but to save himself.
After all, his enemies were numerous—and all of them were incredibly powerful.
Thankfully, these titans were currently locked in a delicate balance of power, buying Ian enough time to develop his own abilities further.
With his talent, Ian believed that, one day, he would be able to stand toe-to-toe with these monstrous beings.
Meanwhile, far to the north, in Guiltina…
No. This wasn't the Northern Continent.
It was another world entirely.
This world was not only in a different dimension from Earth Land but also from Edolas, a dimension that lacked magic and resorted to stealing it from other worlds.
In contrast, this world overflowed with magic to an absurd degree.
Even the weakest mages from Fairy Tail, if they were to come here, would suddenly be capable of unleashing magic on par with S-class mages.
This place was called Elentear, and it had been conquered by the Moon Dragon, Selene.
Yes, this was the power of the God Dragons from the Northern Continent!
Any one of them, if acting alone and not as part of a group, possessed enough strength to conquer civilizations and rule entire worlds.
"Well, well~"
"It seems Irene managed to exploit a gap in my magic array and slip a little dragonling into Ishgar…"
"How typical of the mother of Dragon Slayer Magic!"
"A genius in the arts of enchantment and separation magic…"
"One of the creators of Acnologia!"
"I must say, I'm impressed!"
Selene, known to many as the Moon God Dragon, reclined on her chaise longue, watching the images reflected in her crystal ball. Upon seeing a small, scarlet-haired figure resembling Irene standing by Ian's side, Selene couldn't help but sit up a little straighter.
"It seems the time is right."
Selene turned her gaze upward, her voice calm yet laced with anticipation as she addressed the massive dragon looming in the shadows of the night.
"Kurnugi, go to Ishgar. Find your father."
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