"What?! Little brother?"
"Oh my god, did we hear that right? Natsu is Zeref's brother?!!!"
"How is that possible? This must be a joke!"
At the Grand Magic Games stadium, everyone from Fairy Tail and beyond stared at Natsu in stunned disbelief, unable to process what they had just witnessed.
"You've got to be kidding me… Natsu is the Black Wizard's brother?" Someone muttered cautiously, their eyes wide with shock.
The crowd grew restless—this revelation had clearly astounded every mage in Ishgar and even the Alvarez Empire!
"Silence! Natsu is our family!" Chairman Makarov stepped forward, shouting firmly.
Hearing this, the guild members gradually calmed down.
That's right—Natsu was their comrade, their family!
Lucy quietly tightened her grip on Natsu's hand, her gaze unwavering. No matter who Natsu was, he was Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayer!
[The scene continues]
The power of the Fire Dragon King on Natsu's right arm was gradually fading. Exhausted, he knelt on one knee, breathing heavily.
Happy hovered anxiously in the air.
[Natsu!]
[I'm fine… I can still fight!]
[Lend me your strength, Igneel!]
The smoke slowly cleared—Zeref was badly injured but still alive!
[You've truly become strong, Natsu.]
Zeref looked at Natsu with genuine pride, completely disregarding the attacks Natsu had launched at him.
Gazing at the kneeling Natsu, he spoke softly:
[I always believed that perhaps you could be the one to kill me.]
[But it's a little too late now. Rather than my own destruction, I chose the destruction of the world first.]
[Now, meeting you… your next attack might truly end me, an immortal.]
[It all depends on your power.]
A gentle breeze swept by.
[So, while I'm still alive, I want to tell you something important.]
Natsu looked puzzled—what could Zeref possibly have to say at this point?
Before he could speak, Zeref continued:
[My name is Zeref Dragneel.]
[I am your older brother.]
Natsu's eyes widened in disbelief.
[About 400 years ago, our parents died in a fire caused by a dragon's flames. My little brother, Natsu, also died in that disaster.]
Natsu's voice trembled as he replied:
[What are you talking about?]
Zeref ignored his question and went on:
[I conducted research to revive you. As a result… I successfully created a being from the books of Zeref—a demon known as E.N.D.]
[That is you: E.N.D. Natsu Dragneel.]
[The strongest fire demon of the Books of Zeref.]
Everyone outside the screen turned to look at Natsu—this revelation had clearly shaken him to the core.
Hearing this, Natsu felt a chill run through his body, trembling uncontrollably.
If he was E.N.D., then what was the battle against Tartaros all about?
So many were lost in that fight—was he responsible for all of it?
No… it couldn't be.
Just as he was lost in thought, Happy's voice pulled him back to reality.
[Natsu, don't believe him!]
Natsu snapped back to his senses, shaking his head wildly, refusing to accept Zeref's words. He roared:
[Am I Zeref's dead little brother or E.N.D.?]
[This is too much for me to handle!]
Clearly, Natsu's straightforward mind was struggling to process it all.
Hands on his hips, he continued:
[Igneel said he couldn't defeat E.N.D.—if I were E.N.D., wouldn't I have been crushed easily?]
Zeref explained calmly:
[The reason he couldn't defeat E.N.D. wasn't due to a gap in power… It was because he developed love for you, and thus couldn't bring himself to destroy you.]
But Natsu refused to believe it, retorting:
[E.N.D. is the demon who founded Tartaros! Not me! And I'm human!]
[Tartaros was established by Mard Geer. He stumbled upon the Book of E.N.D. and claimed to follow E.N.D.'s will to lead the demons.]
Before he could finish, an ancient book engraved with "E.N.D." appeared in Zeref's hand.
[If I had to say, you could be considered the one who founded Tartaros.]
Natsu completely ignored him, shouting:
[I keep telling you—I know nothing about E.N.D.!]
He raised his right fist and charged forward, refusing to entertain Zeref's nonsense any longer.
The next moment—
A beam of light shot from Zeref's finger, piercing through the Book of E.N.D. on the ground.
Natsu froze mid-step, clutching his chest in agony as if struck by a devastating blow. His energy rapidly drained away.
[You've always been like this—never willing to listen.]
[So I asked my friend Igneel to watch over you.]
[Friend?!]
[Yes. At that time, Igneel was a rare dragon who did not oppose humans. He offered to teach you Dragon Slayer Magic.]
[Igneel, along with Metalicana and the others, devised a plan: to train Dragon Slayers and seal themselves inside their bodies using Soul Magic, journeying into the future…]
[All to defeat Acnologia…]
[But to undo this Soul Magic, a high concentration of magical energy was required. A Celestial Spirit Mage named Anna devised a plan to use the Eclipse Gate to travel through time. Later, another Celestial Spirit Mage named Layla opened the Eclipse Gate, and you arrived on July 7, year 777.]
[The day you believed the dragons disappeared was also the day you awoke.]
[Five were chosen for this plan: Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, Rogue, and Sting.]
[You are all children from 400 years ago. And you, Natsu—you also have me, your older brother. I approved of this plan.]
"This plan sends chills down my spine…"
"So Igneel has been inside me all along?" Tears streamed down Natsu's face. The father he had been searching for was right within him—no wonder he could never find him.
"Natsu was really raised by a dragon…"
[In the scene]
[But it wasn't just about Acnologia. More than that, I hoped you would grow strong enough to kill me.]
[However, 400 years was far too long… I witnessed too many eras come to an end…]
Suddenly, Natsu let out a furious roar and charged at Zeref, his right fist blazing with the flames of his final resolve.
[Shut up! I won't hesitate anymore! I came here to stop you from waging war!]
Zeref watched calmly as Natsu rushed toward him, murmuring:
[You are a demon from the Books of Zeref. If I die, you will die too…]
[This is an unchangeable fact.]
As Natsu's rage reached its peak, the scene abruptly cut to black!