The arriving Natsu and others all witnessed the moment Charles sent Precht flying.
That signaled the end of the war between demons and fairies—and also marked the conclusion of the second stage of the S-Class promotion exam.
Everyone soon returned to camp, where Makarov announced the results with a relaxed expression.
But Charles could sense that something about Makarov's demeanor had changed—his aura had become more somber. After all, Precht wasn't just an enemy to him—he was once something much more meaningful.
Standing atop a platform hastily assembled from wooden crates, Makarov declared, "This S-Class promotion exam has concluded. The two who have successfully passed are—Cana Alberona… and Charles Dragneel!"
Natsu stomped and pounded the ground in frustration, but the others were far less dramatic and instead turned to congratulate the two victors.
Cana's reaction was surprisingly calm. In contrast, Lucy was practically bursting with joy as she embraced her.
Becoming an S-Class mage and reuniting with her father, Gildarts—that had been Cana's obsession. But now, she had come to understand what truly mattered.
Charles stroked his chin, debating whether to go watch Cana's reunion with Gildarts. Surely Gildarts's reaction would be worth seeing.
Suddenly, Charles sensed a familiar magic presence approaching Tenrou Island. He turned his head just in time to see a streak of yellow lightning tearing across the sky.
"That's…"
Instinctively, Charles glanced at Makarov—and sure enough, the old man's face darkened with displeasure.
Because it was daytime, no one else noticed the anomaly. Only the two of them moved quickly toward the direction the lightning had struck.
If Charles remembered correctly, Laxus had also arrived at Tenrou Island around this time in the original timeline—he'd even helped Natsu activate his Lightning Fire Dragon Mode to defeat Precht.
Yes—there was no mistaking it. That lightning was Laxus's magic.
But to Makarov, despite how much he missed the grandson he had personally expelled from the guild, Laxus was no longer a member and had no right to step foot on the guild's sacred ground.
The two quickly reached the beach—only to find Laxus sprawled out on the sand in a battered state. His cloak was in tatters, as if he'd been through an intense battle.
Makarov didn't even have time to scold him. He rushed over to lift him up.
"Hey! Laxus! Hang in there!"
Charles moved in too, quickly pouring a potion down his throat.
It was Fairy Tail's version of a healing potion—Charles didn't have the Alchemy trait, but with his Mysticism, he could still produce rudimentary elixirs.
Of course, their taste and effectiveness were far inferior to those brewed by the legendary Saint of the Battlefield, but they helped a little.
Maybe it was the potion, or maybe he just choked, but Laxus coughed violently and opened his eyes.
"Laxus, what happened?!" Makarov asked anxiously.
Laxus seemed to recall something and suddenly clutched Makarov's hand tightly.
"Old man, run! No—it's too late. It's already coming!"
Makarov, who knew Laxus better than anyone, was startled. Laxus had always been fearless—this was the first time he had ever seen him look afraid.
Charles also furrowed his brow. He had a good idea of what—or who—Laxus had encountered.
"I ran into a black dragon on the way here," Laxus said, gritting his teeth. "It was terrifying… I tried to stop it, but it didn't even acknowledge me—it just swiped its claw and sent me flying! And it's headed this way. We have to evacuate, now!"
Just as Charles suspected—Acnologia had come!
But in his memory, Acnologia only appeared some time after the battle with Grimoire Heart had concluded.
Laxus, using lightning magic to travel at high speed, must've pushed himself to the limit just to arrive ahead of Acnologia. But with the speed at which that black dragon could fly… he'd be here soon.
Originally, Charles had intended for everyone to leave as quickly as possible—maybe they could avoid the confrontation.
But now, it was too late. The black dragon was coming no matter what.
Makarov, having heard about Acnologia from Gildarts before, immediately realized how dire the situation was.
"You're right. We must evacuate at once!"
Charles sighed and looked toward the distant horizon. "No good—it's too late!"
With that, wings of flame burst from his back.
Makarov shouted, "Charles! What do you think you're doing?!"
Charles replied, "There's no time to run. Master, go help the others prepare—I'll go take a look at what this black dragon really is! Don't worry. I won't be reckless."
Ignoring Makarov's objections, Charles soared off in the direction of the oppressive presence he had sensed.
He hadn't even seen Acnologia yet, but already he felt suffocated.
What did it feel like exactly?
It was like a black line had split the sky at the horizon—and everything beyond it was shrouded in pitch-black darkness. And that black line was moving closer.
Charles had no fear in his heart—only the image from the original story came to mind: Igneel's body torn in half by Acnologia as he plummeted from the sky.
Soon, Charles saw the massive creature flying toward him.
Black scales, eerie markings—and most of all, that overwhelming and ominous magical pressure, like the sky itself was collapsing.
Perhaps noticing Charles, Acnologia paused in midair. Those featureless eyes, devoid of expression, locked onto him.
Charles stopped as well, staring back and speaking calmly.
"Strange… I'm this close to you, and I don't feel afraid at all.
You're not going to say anything? I guess in your eyes, I'm just an insect—not even worth acknowledging. Then how about this?"
Charles's hands were suddenly clad in his Innate Armament, and Faar appeared behind him, merging into his body as flowing flame.
He activated Spirit Assimilation and Kirin Arts simultaneously. His aura exploded in intensity, shaking the ocean itself—the heat of his flames vaporized the seawater, carving a smoldering pit into the surface.
Faced with Charles's surge of power, Acnologia opened his mouth—and a fragmented voice emerged.
"You are… a Dragon Slayer…"
Acnologia had once been human, so of course he could speak.
In the early part of the original story, he seemed like a mindless beast—simply because there was no one worthy of conversing with him.
But now, Charles, having released his full power, was no longer something Acnologia could ignore.
But after saying just one sentence, Acnologia immediately swiped with a claw.
"I never expected a conversation," Charles muttered. "But I guess we're doing this after all."
He transformed into a streak of fire, evading the deadly strike and rushing straight toward Acnologia.
"I've wanted to do this for a long time—Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!"
Never had Charles's flames burned so hot. Never had his strength been so intense.
His fist struck Acnologia square on the head, leaving behind a fist-shaped indentation—and even pushed the massive dragon slightly to the side.
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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