"Roar!"
With a deafening roar, a dragon emerged.
In the skies above the raging ocean where Irene and Selene fought, a dragon, pitch-black and marked with ominous blue patterns, tore through the clouds. With massive wings more like a demon's than a dragon's, it radiated an aura of pure destruction—the infamous "Black Dragon."
The beast drew a breath, then—
Boom!
Without uttering a word, the black dragon unleashed a beam of destruction, annihilating the sea, the sky, and everything touched by its power.
"Dragon Slayer," the dragon whispered in human language after this moment of fury.
This dark dragon, once more hovering over Ishgar and driving away the raging celestial dragons, was none other than the hero from four centuries ago, who ended the Dragon Age! Known as the world's strongest dragon-slayer, the peak of Earthland's power, the victor of the Dragon King Festival, and the one who forced Igneel and the black mage Zeref into retreat—Acnologia, the "Black Dragon King."
In the four hundred years since then…
Due to the side effects of Dragon Slayer magic, Acnologia rarely had moments of clarity.
So much so that he'd forgotten his own human name.
But two words remained clear to him—Dragon Slayer. Eradicating all dragons from this world was his mission.
On the Northern Continent, Guiltina, when the battle between Selene and Irene erupted, other apex entities of the world awoke from slumber, their gazes spanning thousands of miles, locking onto the two Dragon Gods. They waited…
First, to see who would emerge victorious between Irene and Selene.
Second, to see if the legendary Black Dragon King would appear.
The moment those ominous black wings appeared again, they collectively averted their gaze, resuming their dormant states or amassing their strength.
"'Black Dragon King' Acnologia, huh?"
"What a monster."
"But no one can stay the strongest forever!"
"A new Dragon King Festival will be held soon!"
"And the victor of that festival will be me, Igneel's son, the Flame God Dragon, Ignia."
Ignia, son of the Flame Dragon King Igneel, bore a sinister grin, his triumphant roar echoing through the heavens.
Meanwhile…
Back in Fiore's Magnolia Town, within the Fairy Tail Guild…
Ian and his companions remained on edge. No one knew what devastation the clash between these two titanic forces—Irene and Selene—might bring to the continent of Ishgar!
"Father…"
As Ian frowned with worry, little Erza, who looked like a cute scarlet dumpling, seemed to receive a message from Irene. She looked up at Ian and softly said:
"Mother just sent me a message. She has good news and bad news."
"The good news is, Selene's aura attracted Acnologia, who was originally lurking around the Sacred Mounatin(Zonia)!"
"To avoid Acnologia's pursuit, Selene had to retreat to Elentear. For the time being, she won't come looking for trouble. So, you can relax."
Erza gave a thumbs-up toward the sky, silently praising Acnologia for his timely intervention.
Without Acnologia's watchful presence, the five Dragon Gods of the Northern Continent might have already left their territory and conquered all of Earthland.
Yet, some dragons' gazes still lingered on Ishgar.
If it weren't for the occasional prodding of Acnologia's nerves by these dragons, reminding him of his unfinished mission to slay all dragons… Acnologia might have already snapped, initiating a cataclysmic purge, as Zeref feared.
For those living in Earthland, it was the existence of such monstrous beings keeping each other in check that granted them precious time to breathe.
"The bad news is that due to Selene and Acnologia's recent activity, the Northern Continent's dragons are now aware of Ishgar!"
"Previously, they merely speculated you were here, but now your location is confirmed. Be mentally prepared…"
After delivering the bad news, Erza fell silent.
"Whew…"
When Ian confirmed that Selene had retreated, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and slumped onto a stool by the bar.
Selene might have left, but now the other dragons had him in their sights? Out of the frying pan, into the fire!
"Master Makarov," Ian said with a wry smile, "now do you understand why I don't wish to be the next Guild Master of Fairy Tail? Even though neither Selene nor Irene bears true enmity toward me, their brief scuffle almost obliterated us. This is what it means to stand at the pinnacle of this world's power."
"In the far North, in Guiltina..." Ian paused, "there are at least five other beings at Selene's level."
"Five more?" Makarov's eyes went wide, as did the rest of the guild members.
If monsters like Selene and Irene still had peers in the Northern Continent, they were indeed in deep trouble.
"And some of them," Ian continued, "hold a grudge against me."
In fact, each of the other god-dragons bore a grudge against Ian, from the Flame Dragon God to the Water Dragon God, and even the Earth, Wood, and Gold Dragon Gods. Once, in their younger days, they were all defeated by Ian.
Ian: "100 Year Quest? I soloed it four hundred years ago, left Ignia with a sore tail. Records can verify."
"Furthermore in this very land," Ian added, "there's even one being more dangerous than Selene."
After a pause, Ian quietly shared the story of his connection with Acnologia, the hero who had once saved him countless times but was now far from being an ally.
"Stronger than Selene?! Ian, what have you gotten yourself into?" Makarov felt a chill down his spine.
"Master, I know you'd never abandon me," Ian said with a sigh, his tone filled with trust. Whatever horrors awaited, Makarov would stand by him and face them.
Makarov said nothing. He simply poured Ian a drink and patted his shoulder, offering silent comfort.
The rest of the guild offered their encouragement, too, knowing that the foes Ian faced were beyond anything they could imagine.
Erza looked at her father, slumped at the bar, with worry in her eyes. She feared her brave, towering father might lose hope. But Ian soon broke into a hearty grin.
"Enough talk! Today is the Harvest Festival! Let's drink to our hearts' content!" He raised his cup. "The drinks are on me! Let's celebrate with the townsfolk of Magnolia!"
For a moment, the hall was filled with shouts of joy, as the carefree wizards of Fairy Tail raised their glasses.
Erza, watching her father laughing and drinking, let out a breath of relief. She'd always admired her father, the one who dared face tens of thousands of dragons alone. Five dragon gods would never be enough to shake his resolve.
Secretly, Ian vowed, "Simulations! I need more simulations! Selene, and the five dragon gods of Guiltina—you'd best prepare yourselves..."
As the guild members got lost in revelry, some let their worries fade.
"Mother! Your clothes, your clothes!" Ultear called to Ur, who was already flushed from the drink, shrugging off her jacket, leaving much of her skin exposed as she downed her drink in large gulps.
"Ugh! I need to get stronger," Ur exclaimed, slamming her mug on the bar. The battle with Irene and Selene had shown her the vast world beyond her imagination. Even the legendary Wizard Saints like Warrod were mere beginners in the vast, unending magical world.
Gildarts, who had also been swiftly defeated by Irene and Selene, stared at the sky through the shattered ceiling, silently contemplating his resolve to grow stronger.
Watching Ian, Gildarts, and Ur, Makarov felt a twinge of satisfaction. Though Irene and Selene had cast a shadow over their hopes, they also revealed the guild's shortcomings. True strength lies in facing one's fears.
Only by facing fear, understanding fear, could one overcome fear.
Magic was the power of the heart; as long as one believed in oneself, anything was possible...
Ian: "Yes, magic is the power of the heart! Our Fairy Tail mages' true cheat isn't some time simulation, but our unwavering belief!"
As long as Acnologia stays calm, we'll never cower! We're the wizards of Fairy Tail.
"Wait a minute..."
Just as Ian thought of this, his eyes narrowed slightly.
What would happen if Irene and Selene joined Fairy Tail?
As everyone knew, Erza, a Wizard Saint-level mage, could transform into Erza the Fairy after shouting, "We are mages of the Fairy Tail guild," and cleave through Irene's devastating Deus Sema.
So what would happen if Irene, already a Dragon God, shouted, "We are mages of the Fairy Tail guild"?
She could probably one-shot Acnologia, right?!
"Cough, cough, I shouldn't think about it, I shouldn't!"
Ian shook his head, burying this seemingly absurd idea.
However...
Regardless of whether this trick worked or not...
Ian could try to bring Irene and Selene into Fairy Tail first.
It could serve as a last resort, a trump card.
Earth Land, already tormented by the battle between Irene and Selene, cried out in anguish to the vast universe, "F***!" upon learning that these two monsters were about to join Fairy Tail, the demolition squad of Ishgar.
From the perspective of Earth Land's spirit...
Acnologia was probably the only good guy in the world.
As for Fairy Tail? They were a malignant tumor growing on its body.
It truly wished for some great being to excise them...
"Bang!"
Just as Makarov rejoiced in the growth of Ian and the others, an empty beer mug fell from the sky and landed squarely on Gildarts' head.
"Who threw that?!"
Gildarts stood up and roared at the guild members.
"Gildarts, come spar with me."
At the same time, Ur, completely drunk and fired up, stretched her muscles, and a wave of her hand sent a magic attack straight at Gildarts.
"Bring it on."
"Just what I needed, my beer's not cold enough."
Gildarts shattered the incoming ice attack with a wave of his hand, grabbed a handful of ice shards, and stuffed them into his mug. He then gulped down the frosty beverage.
Only then did he look at Ur, eager for a fight.
Thus...
A new round of brawling in the guild seemed about to begin.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
"Stop fighting."
"Have mercy on this old man!"
Makarov started crying as he laughed.
Those tables and chairs smashed by these brats were all money!
These heartless little devils, had they learned nothing?!
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