Chapter 17: Blaze — Formation of the Strongest Team and the Ten-Year Quest (4)
The Draig Plains — a vast snowy field marking the border between Snowplate City and the Guiltina Continent.
A colossal expanse of snow stretched out endlessly, cloaked in pure white silence.
Not a trace of humans or animals could be seen in this absolute-zero tundra—only a few ancient trees that had stubbornly survived in the harsh cold.
But that frozen stillness… was beginning to crumble.
The ground trembled. Cracks split across the plains.
Something enormous began to rise from beneath the earth.
Centuries' worth of snow collapsed into the fissures.
And from the depths emerged a monstrous whale, letting out a thunderous roar as it swallowed the snow covering the plains to make the terrain easier to navigate.
The beast—its body encased in jagged rock—surged toward the entrance of the Draig Plains.
From a distant ridge, Laxus clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Tch. Just as predicted."
With a scowl, his body sparked with lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished at light speed.
...
At the Snowplate border checkpoint—
Ciel and the other wizards s were waiting on the deck of Christina, the magic assault airship provided by Blue Pegasus.
Soldiers stationed at the border watched nervously, unease plain on their faces.
From their perspective, it was unthinkable.
Taking down the infamous Badrach Whale, a rampaging, man-eating magical beast… with only five wizards s and a single airship?
It sounded like a death sentence.
"Can five mages really stop that thing…?"
"Even if they're from the Council, they're still just guild mages, not Wizard Saints…"
"Why didn't the Council send a proper force? Or more Saints? Are they trying to get us all killed?"
"I mean, sure, Jura is a Wizard Saint—but he's still at the bottom of the rankings. There's no way they can take down that monster…"
Their murmuring grew louder, tension thickening the air.
Gildarts and Ichiya looked like they were about to explode with anger, but Ciel and Jura stepped in to hold them back.
For a soldier, fear was natural.
From their point of view, it made sense—what they were about to face wasn't a wizard… but a man-eating monster that had razed towns and nations for 400 years.
"Tch. We're out here risking our lives, and this is the treatment we get?"
"Maaaan~, not very manly of those soldiers, if you ask me."
"Can't blame them. If we were in their shoes, we'd probably be scared too."
"Kufufufufu… In that case, we simply have to show them. Prove to them that the ones gathered here today truly are the strongest wizards alive."
As they ignored the murmurs and stepped onto Christina's deck, a thunderclap cracked the sky—right on cue.
A bolt of lightning crashed down—and from it, Laxus landed on the deck with a heavy thud.
"Welcome back, Laxus. What's the situation?"
"Just as you expected. The thing's entered the Draig Plains—right at the border."
"Perfect. Ichiya, initiate flight. Let's move."
"Maaaaan~! Full power, top speed—taking off now!"
"Gildarts, Jura—you ready?"
"Always."
"Of course! What about you, Commander?"
Ciel smirked at the title, letting out a soft scoff.
"Commander," huh? That was far too grand for someone like him.
Everyone gathered here was a top-tier wizard—each strong enough to challenge him on equal footing.
And yet, they acknowledged him. Respected him.
Trusted him.
A sense of pride bloomed quietly in his chest.
This wasn't like his previous life, where he ruled through fear and domination.
These people… they saw his strength and chose to treat him as an equal.
For this one moment—they stood together. This… this must be what it means to have comrades.
"Kufufufufu… I'm always ready to go."
"Great! Then let's hunt that damned whale!"
"Maaa~an!"
"Indeed!"
"We'll make those soldiers eat their words when we succeed!"
And thus—the hunt for Badrach Whale began.
...
Southern edge of the Draig Plains—
From atop the magic assault ship Christina, Ciel, Gildarts, and Jura watched as the ground split open and the massive form of Badrach Whale emerged.
Ciel pulled out a communication lacrima and contacted Ichiya in the control room.
"Ichiya, reduce speed and begin descent. The target has surfaced."
[Maaa~an, as you command. Good luck to you.]
Without delay, Christina began a rapid dive toward the whale swimming through the frozen earth.
Once at the proper altitude, Gildarts and Jura leapt from the ship without hesitation.
"Let's go!"
"We'll go on ahead. Ciel, support us from above."
"You can count on me."
As the two wizards descended boldly, Ciel focused his breath—channeling magic power through his body, preparing to unleash his attack the moment it was needed.
"Jura! Now!"
"Understood. [Rock Mountain]—!!"
Falling from the sky, Jura assumed position midair and activated his magic.
The rampaging Badrach Whale, charging straight at the two small figures, suddenly smashed into a colossal mountain of stone that had appeared out of nowhere.
It let out a pained, echoing cry.
But it didn't stop.
The whale kept slamming its head into the rock mountain again and again—desperate to reach the powerful energy signatures it had sensed above ground.
"Kgh…! Such a brute force attack, yet terrifyingly effective…"
"Hang on just a little longer! Ciel's going to lure it toward the Guiltina side. That'll be our cue to launch the final assault!"
"Understood!"
Watching the whale bash itself against Jura's stone mountain, Ciel took a deep breath.
Beside him, Laxus joined in—gathering his magic, preparing to strike in tandem.
Then—
"Roar of the Phantom Dragon!"
"Roar of the Lightning Dragon!"
A twin blast—one of illusory mist, the other of roaring lightning—merged and surged toward the Badrach Whale.
As it surfaced to destroy the mountain in its way, the beast was engulfed in the swirling storm of phantom fog and electrical fury.
The lightning clashed with the whale's innate magical resistance—just enough to allow the illusionary mist to slip through the cracks and shroud the creature in hallucination.
Moments later, the whale stopped.
It turned around—away from Snowplate City—and began swimming back along the path it had come.
"Nice! That dumb whale fell for it."
"Laxus, that was just phase one. Bring back Gildarts and Jura."
"Got it!"
"Ichiya, the target is heading toward the designated strike zone. Fly ahead and cut it off."
[Maaa~an! I'll give my life if I must!]
The first step of the operation—luring the Badrach Whale away from Snowplate—was a success.
Dazed by the dual dragon roars and Ciel's illusion, the creature now unknowingly marched toward its doom.
Christina gave chase through the sky.
Then—another thunderclap struck the deck as Laxus returned, lightning crackling around him, carrying both Gildarts and Jura in tow.
"So… I guess the setup worked?"
"But seriously—was it really necessary for me to jump down in the first place? That guy handled it fine on his own."
"We couldn't afford to take any chances, Gildarts. I needed you there. And I'll need you again in the next phase—it's your turn to shine."
"Ugh, I was hoping this would be over quick~…"
"Every plan has its steps. Now let's finish what we started."
"Yeah, yeah—I'm ready!"
"Now then… time to wake up from your dream."
Ciel raised his left hand and slowly clenched his open fist.
At that exact moment, the moving Badrach Whale came to an abrupt stop.
Confirming this, Gildarts and Jura once again leapt from Christina's deck.
But this time was different.
From the moment he jumped, Jura began to gather all the magic power within his body—unleashing his spell mid-air.
"[Grand Stone Range]!!"
With a sweeping motion, an enormous ring of towering stone peaks erupted from the ground—encircling Badrach Whale and forming a colossal cage.
At the same time, Gildarts focused every ounce of magic into his right hand, delivering his ultimate blow.
"Crushing Magic—[All Crash]!!"
A concentrated orb of destructive energy smashed into the earth.
With a thunderous boom, the land fractured into dust, pulling the immobilized whale fully onto the surface.
Badrach Whale struggled violently, but the fractured terrain no longer supported swimming—it couldn't dive back underground.
Even as it flailed, it found no foothold. The ground rejected it.
And yet its thrashing triggered tremors across the field, sending cracks spidering through the earth beyond the stone ring.
The shockwaves knocked Gildarts and Jura off balance.
"W-Whoa…?!"
"Seriously? Even aboveground, it's still this strong…? Unreal."
As the two battled to suppress the beast, Ciel turned to Laxus beside him.
"Laxus. It's our turn now."
"Yeah. Let's give this bastard our strongest shot."
"Ichiya, prepare to fire Christina's main cannon at full power."
[At last, it's my moment to shine! Maaa~an!]
Ciel then shifted the pattern in his eyes from Heaven (天) to Man (人)—and a thick black mist began rising from his body.
Laxus, feeling the shift in magic, swallowed hard.
The black fog wrapped around Ciel's left hand and half of his face, seeping into his skin and forming ominous black runes.
"Haven't used this much power in a while… I'm a little nervous."
"Ciel… you…"
"Laxus. Show me your strongest Dragon Slayer magic."
"Tch… You'd better do the same, you freak."
"Kufufufu… But of course. I'll show you everything."
A black spear—not his usual violet one—formed in Ciel's hand.
It radiated such a fierce aura that even Laxus began sweating, shaken by a power he had never seen Ciel release before.
Still, Laxus didn't back down. Lightning crackled around both his fists as he summoned his full strength.
"Let's go, Laxus."
"I'm already ahead of you!"
The two Dragon Slayer wizards jumped from the deck—synchronized in flight.
They aimed their most powerful attacks at the Badrach Whale, now stranded on land with its massive belly exposed.
Lightning surged from Laxus's fists like divine judgment.
Black mist erupted from Ciel's spear, forming the silhouette of a massive spectral dragon before launching toward the beast.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art—Lightning Dragon's Divine Roar!!!"
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art—Phantom Demon Heaven-Piercing Halberd!!!"
With a deafening explosion, the thunderbolt and spectral spear shattered the surrounding stone—piercing deep into the whale's flesh.
Its pained screams echoed across the plains… and then slowly quieted.
Even so, it thrashed wildly—trying to escape.
Gildarts responded by breaking apart the stone beneath it, launching it upward to keep it exposed, while Jura reinforced the rocky net to prevent its collapse.
From above, Ichiya aimed Christina's main cannon at the whale's head and fired.
All five wizards unleashed their full strength.
Their combined assault rained down in one final, devastating blow—
—on the legendary Badrach Whale.
...
Thirty minutes later.
The battle had ended, and dust still lingered across the vast plains. From within that dust cloud, four men emerged—covered head to toe in grime and dirt.
Gildarts, whose once brown hair had been blackened by soot, grumbled in annoyance as he tried to shake it off.
"Ughhh, seriously?! I can't even hit up the nightlife lookin' like this!"
"Shut up, old man."
Laxus appeared beside him, fiddling with his broken sound pod, clearly irritated by Gildarts's complaints.
Watching the two bicker, Jura calmly dusted off his shoulders and tried to mediate.
"Hahaha... Well, the mission was a success. We can always buy new gear with the reward. I myself want nothing more than to soak in warm water. I'm completely drained. My magic is gone—I can barely walk."
While everyone else trudged forward like exhausted wrecks, Ciel strolled out of the smoke cloud completely spotless and unbothered.
"Kufufufu… Look at you, all worn out just because your magic ran dry. That's a lack of proper training. You should always save some energy for after the fight—like me."
"What the—?! Why are you the only one who looks clean?!"
"My outfit is made from the scales of Phoenixia—the dragon who raised me. It auto-repairs and keeps itself clean."
"That's insanely convenient... Damn it!"
"Tch. I wanted to see you all beaten up for once, but I guess I'm out of luck."
Ciel might've been teasing, but the truth was—these mages had just fought using every drop of their power and were still walking away alive. That alone proved they were far beyond normal human limits.
Behind them, the last of the black smoke cleared… revealing the brutal aftermath:
The monstrous Badrach Whale—split in half, gushing blood and entrails, lying dead atop the shattered earth.
A creature that had rampaged for 400 years—finally defeated.
If anyone had been watching, they would've frozen in terror at the sight of the four calm wizards walking away from the corpse of a legendary, city-destroying beast.
"So that's it… the Ten-Year Quest is complete."
"Huh. That went smoother than expected."
"Smoother? That's quite the understatement, isn't it? We had to pour everything we had into killing it."
"Still, we did it. A win's a win, right?"
"Let's not take any more jobs from the Magic Council… I haven't used up this much magic since that one duel with my friend."
"What?! You're saying that crazy spell you used earlier, you've shared blows like that with a friend?! Just how terrifying are you and your friend?!"
"Kufufu… And you're one to talk, Gildarts. You literally split the ground and launched it skyward like it was nothing. Are you sure you're human?"
As they exchanged words, the airship Christina descended slowly, and Ichiya welcomed them with open arms.
"Bravo, brave heroes! Maaa~an! That was one thrilling, fiery climax! Truly, a parfum of pure excitement!"
"Thank you, Ichiya. You did well too."
"Hey, porky. You dumped a ton of magic into those cannons earlier… can this ship even get us back?"
To Laxus's concern, Ichiya twirled confidently with a smug grin.
"Hmph. What do you take me for? I am the one and only Ichiya of Blue Pegasus! Even after firing Christina's full arsenal, I made sure to save just enough magic for the return trip. Maaa~an!"
"That's a relief. Honestly, we were dreading the idea of hiking across this frozen wasteland on foot with our magic drained."
"Well then—let's return to town. I have many lovely ladies eagerly awaiting to receive my love~! Maaa!"
"Ooh! Let me come too!"
"The more the merrier."
Just as they were about to board the Chritina.
A thunderous tremor shook the earth, followed by a deafening roar that tore through the snowy plains.
"W-What the hell?!"
"Don't tell me… the Badrach Whale is still alive?!"
"No, that thing stopped breathing long ago. This sound… it's coming from beneath the snow!"
"This roar… could it be—?!"
The roar from deep within the snow left everyone stunned.
Ciel, however, stood frozen.
His hand began to tremble uncontrollably.
He recognized it.
That overwhelming roar, vast and mighty enough to swallow the world—he had heard it before.
A presence so fearsome that it made the Badrach Whale seem insignificant by comparison.
That voice... was carved into his very being.
The memories of barely escaping with his life—of being crushed despite using every ounce of his strength—flashed before his eyes.
"What… is that…?"
"Black wings… a black body…"
"Maaa~n… that can't be… there's no way…"
"T-That's a… that's a dragon!"
Out of the snowstorm burst a monstrous dragon, black as night, wings outstretched.
The aura it radiated was pure death and destruction.
Its very existence twisted the air. Blue glyphs etched across its black scales radiated an unearthly dread.
Everyone present stood paralyzed.
Even Ciel, his hand still trembling from the fear branded into his soul, clenched his fist tightly as he stared at the beast.
And in a voice so soft no one else could hear, he whispered—
"...Acnologia."
They had just completed a Ten-Year Quest. Their magic was drained. Their bodies exhausted.
And now… the worst possible monster had appeared.
Acnologia—the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse.
The wizards fell into silent despair.
They had no strength left to fight. Even if they did, they knew the truth:
They couldn't win.
KRKRRRR—!!
Acnologia stepped forward, effortlessly crushing the corpse of the Badrach Whale beneath one massive claw.
The very creature they had sacrificed everything to defeat… was flattened like it was nothing.
No one moved. No one spoke. They were frozen in fear.
Then—
?!!!
From beneath the snow, dozens—hundreds—of vines erupted, rapidly wrapping around Acnologia's massive body.
Laxus, suddenly snapped from his daze, turned to Ciel.
Ciel knelt down, one knee to the ground, his left hand covering the side of his face—the one marked by the red sigil in his eye.
"Ciel!"
"Kh... There's no time. Quickly—get aboard the Christina. Ichiya, launch the ship immediately and return to the town."
"Maaa~n! Understood! I'll hurry!"
"Sir Ciel, you too—"
"Hey, Ciel! What about you?!"
"Don't worry. I can buy us some time."
With that single line, Ciel turned and stepped down the stairs, walking directly toward Acnologia.
From Acnologia's body, tens of thousands of soft pink lotus flowers had begun to bloom—an illusion spell of immense scale.
But even so, the dragon resisted, and Ciel's face twisted in agony as he struggled to maintain control.
Seeing this, Laxus tried to rush to his aid—but a spear of mist struck the ground at his feet, halting him in his tracks.
"Ciel!"
"You are not his opponent."
"I can still use Dragon Slayer magic! That thing's a dragon, isn't it? Then I can fight too—"
"Silence. What could someone as weak and powerless as you possibly do?"
"Y-You...!"
"Your presence here would only hinder me. Leave. Now."
Laxus opened his mouth to argue, but was cut off by a deafening roar from Acnologia. A razor-sharp shard of stone—dislodged by the force—came flying at his face. He didn't have time to dodge.
"GAAAHHH!!"
"LAXUS!"
Hearing the scream, Gildarts rushed down from the Christina and caught Laxus before he collapsed, glaring at Ciel.
"Ciel! Stop this! We need to escape together! Hurry and come with us!"
"Gildarts... Is Laxus alright?"
"…He lost consciousness from the impact, but he's not critically hurt."
"…Then please tell him—I'm sorry. What I said just now… it was out of line."
"Ciel!"
"Only I can face that dragon. If Acnologia doesn't find something he deems worthy of destruction, he won't just stop at the city—he'll wipe out the entire continent. But with me as bait... he won't leave Ishgar."
"So you're sacrificing yourself?! As a member of Fairy Tail, I can't just abandon you!"
Gildarts made to approach—but a violet mist shot up around his legs, binding both him and the unconscious Laxus.
Straining against the spell, Gildarts tried to break free—but with his magic completely drained, he couldn't dispel the illusion.
Trapped, he was forcibly pulled back onto the Christina, still carrying Laxus. He called out to Ciel, desperately trying to resist, but all he could see was Ciel's back facing the monstrous dragon.
"Ciel, you idiot!! What about Mirajane, Elfman, Lisanna?! What are they supposed to do if you—"
"Gildarts."
Ciel turned his head slightly, a soft smile crossing his face—one filled with resignation, as though this were his final moment.
"Tell the kids I'm sorry. And tell Mira… she doesn't have to forgive me for breaking my promise."
"Ciel... NOOOOO!!!"
"There's no time. Please, go."
With that, the mist forcibly carried Gildarts and Laxus up into the Christina.
Ichiya, seeing they had boarded, launched the ship into the sky and took off at full speed.
Gildarts and Jura, now on the deck, looked back through the fierce winds at the place they had just left.
The battlefield was now swallowed in black light—an abyss of destruction devouring everything.
Suddenly, the shockwave from the blast struck the Christina, violently shaking the ship.
A blinding light came first—then a deafening explosion. The vacuum pressure ripped through the clouds and flipped the world on its head.
Gildarts and Jura braced themselves, shielding their bodies from the blast.
Ten minutes passed before the tremors and light finally began to fade.
Rising slowly, Gildarts looked down from the edge of the deck... and trembled.
"N-No way…"
Where once stood a vast frozen plain… now there was nothing.
No trace of the land. No trace of the massive Badrach Whale they'd defeated. No trace of the towering stone mountains.
Only a vast, endless canyon, shrouded in smoke and darkness.
"C-Ciel… You idiot…"
"Sir Ciel…"
"You said no one would die! How can you die first?! What the hell are those kids supposed to do now without their commander?!"
In fury and grief, Gildarts slammed his fists into the deck over and over again.
His fists bruised and bloodied, but it didn't ease the pain.
Ciel… was gone.
The realization crushed him.
Jura, speechless, lowered his head as he gazed into the canyon that had formed in mere moments.
From the cockpit, Ichiya wiped away silent tears, too stricken to speak.
The Ten-Year Quest that had gone so well—ended in tragedy, with the sudden arrival of the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse.
Ciel was gone.
And as the Christina flew through the skies of Ishgar, its crew bore the weight of that loss in silence.
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