Chapter 1: The End and the Beginning (1)
[???'s Perspective]
Year X375.
As a consequence of the Dragon King Festival, dragons were driven to extinction.
All except for one—a being who had once been human.
Amidst this, a small faction of dragons that sought coexistence approached human kingdoms, proposing peace and passing down their power—Dragon Slayer Magic—to a select few humans.
It seemed as though this would prevent the dragons' annihilation, but when Acnologia pushed the kingdom to the brink of destruction, the dragons were cast aside, and the Dragon Slayers who had learned their magic were hunted down and purged.
That is the story as it has been told until now.
"Even in another world, conflict and slaughter remain unending."
Perched in a tree, I took a bite of a fruit while reading the investigative reports delivered by an illusionary owl and crow.
It has been nineteen years since I was reborn into this world.
The gods had sentenced me to eternal exile in another world.
Banished to a world created not by the gods of Earth, but by the deities of another universe—never to return.
I had assumed that if something unknown were to suddenly appear in another universe, its gods would either seal it away or destroy it.
Yet, for some reason, I was born as a human in this world.
Once again, I had crossed the threshold of reincarnation and returned to the mortal realm.
The miraculous nature of this new life made my heart race with excitement, and curiosity filled me—how much could this world truly offer me?
However, the parents I was born to were the worst kind of people.
My father was a drunkard who never worked, relying solely on his looks to seduce women and swindle them out of their money before squandering it all at bars. My mother was a woman of the brothels, though her exact identity remained unknown.
The only things I inherited from them were a handsome face and a gift for eloquence.
By the time I turned three, my latent power began to awaken, and with it, the Eyes of Reincarnation emerged.
Upon witnessing this, my father declared that I was cursed by the gods. He abandoned me in a forsaken forest, far from the kingdom—a place known as the Cursed Woods.
In hindsight, it was inevitable.
A child who never cried, who survived near-starvation without throwing a single tantrum, simply observing the world with an unnatural calm—few would consider such a child normal.
But in truth, being abandoned was the best thing that could have happened to me.
Even as a baby, I never cried. Even when I was on the brink of starvation, I never threw a tantrum. I simply sat there, silently observing the world.
Few would see a child like that as normal.
If anything, being abandoned was an opportunity—one that allowed me to extend my chances of survival.
From the moment my parents cast me aside, I had to fight to stay alive in this forest.
Of course, a mere child alone in a monster-infested wilderness was as good as dead. Survival should have been impossible.
"Still watching the world, are you?"
"Pheonixia, I see you've brought dinner today."
A body covered in crimson scales streaked with golden lines. A head as dark as night, shaped like a warrior's helmet.
A colossal figure—the very pinnacle of existence in this world.
Had she not taken me in, I would have died long ago.
Phantom Dragon, Pheonixia.
The last surviving dragon, reduced to a mere remnant of her former self after barely escaping the Dragon King Festival.
Once, she bore the grand title of the Phantom Empress, but that was a tale of the past.
Years ago, she barely survived a battle against Acnologia. Wounded and on the verge of death, she retreated to this forest to recover her strength.
That was when she found me.
At first, she intended to devour me—to absorb my essence as nourishment.
But then… something changed.
Instead of eating me, she chose to teach me magic.
The demand was so absurd that I briefly considered running away. But I knew the truth.
In this frail child's body, survival was a near impossibility.
Even with all the knowledge and skills I retained from my past life, my body was far too weak to put them to use.
Though I possessed magic, my endurance was so fragile that casting a single spell could bring me to the brink of death.
And so, I accepted Pheonixia's offer and became her adoptive son.
For sixteen years, I trained under her, mastering magic and strengthening my body.
I had managed to regain about forty percent of my former strength.
Now, I had grown strong enough to fight on equal footing with a partially recovered Pheonixia.
Yet, I had no immediate plans to leave the forest.
"Why don't you go hunt for dinner once in a while? Just how long do you plan to keep making this old mother work for you?"
"Hahaha. If anything, it makes more sense for you to do the hunting. I, on the other hand, am far too preoccupied with studying the world."
"Still gathering information about the outside world? You really are a peculiar one. That's enough studying for today. I have someone I want you to meet, so come with me."
Saying this, Pheonixia lowered her back for me to climb on.
She had a tendency to issue commands rather than requests.
Refusing her would likely result in serious trouble, so I had little choice but to comply.
I learned that lesson the hard way once.
Years ago, during my training, I ignored one of her orders and outright refused.
In response, Pheonixia locked herself inside her cave for several months and refused to come out.
_"What did I do so wrong, huh? I raised you all by myself! Carried you, changed your diapers, and this is the thanks I get?! Fine! You're all grown up now, right? Go on, be independent!
You think your mother has an easy life?! You think people treat me well?! No way!
Everyone keeps telling me I should find a mate, but I turn them all down for you! And yet, when I try to train you, you don't even listen!
Fine! If I'm such a burden, then don't be my son! I'll just go adopt a Gekko monkey instead!"_
_"Pheonixia, I apologize. Please come out of the cave. Also, before you continue, I must correct a few things.
First, I am human.
Second, my father abandoned me, and he was later beaten to death by barmaids.
Third, you took me in when I was three years old, meaning you never changed my diapers.
And finally—Pheonixia, you do not have a mate. You are simply an old, unmarried dragon."_
_"See?! See?! Look at you, talking back like that! You think you're so smart, huh? You're not even calling me 'mother' anymore!
You never even show me affection! Have you ever given me a hug? A kiss? Even drawn a picture for me?! Look at Igneel and Natsu, or Grandeeney and Wendy! They show their love all the time!"_
"Those children are still young. I, however, matured mentally at an early age, so such expressions of affection—"
"I don't care! No kiss, no training! And don't even think about using magic!"
And so, until I relented and appeased her, all training was halted.
She was impossible.
What crime had I committed in my past life to deserve an overbearing, doting dragon mother?
Then again, considering my past sins, this was probably mild punishment.
With a sigh, I climbed onto Pheonixia's back.
...
After about ten minutes of flight, we arrived at an unnamed forest in the south.
"Alright, we're here."
Pheonixia landed at the heart of the infamous Forest of Death, a place so dangerous that simply stepping inside was considered a death sentence.
Lowering her head, she allowed me to safely dismount.
Who in the world could she be introducing me to in a place like this?
Just as I was pondering the question, a powerful gust of wind swept down from above.
"Ugh…?"
I instinctively shielded my face from the violent wind and looked up—only to immediately understand the cause.
Descending from the sky were five mighty dragons.
A massive, muscular dragon with crimson scales—Igneel.
A pristine white dragon with flowing whiskers—Grandeeney.
A dragon clad in metallic armor—Metalicana.
An ancient dragon with a long, flowing beard—Weisslogia.
A dragon shrouded in shadows—Skiadrum.
Besides Pheonixia, these were the last five surviving dragons in the world.
"Igneel, it's been a while."
"Yeah, long time no see, old lady."
"Who are you calling old?! You're an old man yourself!"
"Hmph, at least I've been married before. Unlike a certain old maid dragon who's never even had a mate."
"W-What?! An old maid?! Son! Did you hear that?! He just called me an old maid! That's completely uncalled for!"
Ignoring Pheonixia's dramatic outburst, I turned my attention to the other dragons and greeted them.
Whenever she was around them, Pheonixia tended to let her guard down, completely shedding any sense of authority she might have had as the eldest among them.
That left me with no choice but to maintain a level of formality in her stead.
"It has been a while, Ciel. You've grown quite a bit since we last met."
"And you remain as radiant as ever, Grandeeney."
"Hey, kid. Why don't you just become a dragon instead of following that old hag around?"
"Igneel, I still have much to learn before I could even consider such a thing."
"I second that. Pheonixia turns into a blubbering fool every time she brags about her son."
"Despite how she may seem, she is quite serious when it matters. You needn't worry too much, Metalicana."
"Why be so harsh? Even I take the time to boast about my offspring now and then. Let her be."
"I appreciate your kindness, Weisslogia."
"Silence can often be the best response. It is an honor to see you again, Skiadrum."
After exchanging pleasantries with the five dragons, Pheonixia finally adopted a more serious expression—perhaps the most solemn I had ever seen her.
The once lively and playful tone she had disappeared as she addressed the gathering.
"The reason I called you all here today is to inform you that our plan is nearing completion."
Plan?
That was the first time I had heard of anything like that.
I turned to Pheonixia with a questioning gaze.
Yet, the other dragons merely nodded in acknowledgment, as if they had expected this.
Even though I had spent years among these five dragons, I had never heard of this plan before.
So, I simply remained silent and listened.
"There are only two years left until Eclipse is ready."
"After what happened with Acnologia… the fact that we've survived this long, in our weakened states, is nothing short of a miracle."
"Indeed. We cannot defeat Acnologia with our power alone. That is why this plan must succeed."
"Still… can those children really accomplish this?"
"They will. I have no doubt."
"That is why we are sending their guardians with them, isn't it?"
Pheonixia spoke as she pointed toward the depths of the forest.
Following her gaze, I sensed two presences approaching.
The moment I felt their aura, the amusement left my face, replaced by a sharp, calculating gaze.
This presence… it was all too familiar.
Yes, it was a sensation I had encountered countless times throughout my cycles of reincarnation.
Death.
"There's no need to be so wary. He is a human who has been working with us—alongside Igneel—to prepare for this plan."
"A plan? You keep mentioning it, but I've never heard a word about this before."
"That's to be expected. Pheonixia never intended to involve you in it."
"And you are…?"
From the shadows of the forest emerged a woman with golden hair, tied into a ponytail.
She was the only human acquaintance I had in this world—the one who had taught me about its ways.
My mentor.
"Anna. It has been quite some time. You have grown even more beautiful."
"It's been a while, Ciel. You've grown even more handsome yourself."
"And you seem more energetic than before."
"I've been busy teaching Natsu and the others basic knowledge. They can be exhausting, but it's enjoyable to be around them."
I smiled slightly at her response before shifting my gaze toward the man standing beside her—an overwhelming aura of death radiating from his very presence.
"And who is this man exuding such a strong aura of death?"
I pointed toward the dark-haired man standing at a distance from Anna and asked her,
The man stepped forward and greeted me with a calm demeanor.
"So, you must be Ciel. I've heard about you from Anna and Igneel. It's surprising to see someone raised by dragons carry themselves with such grace and politeness."
I studied him carefully before responding.
"And you are…?"
A faint smile appeared on his lips as he introduced himself.
"I am Anna's friend—Zeref Dragneel."
That was the first time I met Zeref Dragneel.
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