Chapter 311: Seven Dragons
"July 7th, huh..."
After Gajeel heard the bell, an unidentifiable look flashed through his eyes.
"This is the day the Dragons disappeared, isn't it?"
Levy had long since heard that Gajeel's Dragon, Natsu's Dragon, and Wendy's Dragon all disappeared on this day, July 7th.
The heavy, ominous tolling of the Crocus city bells echoed through the tense night air. Each metallic chime seemed to vibrate directly against the bones of the Mages gathered in the ruined streets. The once-glamorous capital of Fiore was now a silent warzone, waiting for an enemy no one fully understood.
"Will Dragons truly appear on a day like this?" Levy asked softly, her hands clutching a magical light pen. She looked up at the sky, feeling an inexplicable chill run down her spine. The air felt unnaturally thick, heavy with ancient, dormant magic.
"Igneel will come back with them, right?!"
Natsu's face was full of fierce anticipation. His dark eyes burned with an unwavering, blazing light. He clenched his fists, igniting a small, crackling flame over his knuckles. Although there might be vicious enemies among the rumored ten thousand Dragons, it would be the absolute best outcome if his foster father, Igneel, the Fire Dragon King, came back with them.
Makarov Dreyar, standing atop a crumbled stone pillar, struck his staff against the ground to command attention. His small stature projected an aura of immense respect and unyielding resolve.
Makarov gave the order: "We, Fairy Tail, will be responsible for guarding Central Park! Do not let your guard down for a single second! Protect the citizens at all costs!"
Warren Rocko tapped the side of his head, maintaining his telepathic network across their designated zone. "Master, what about the people from the other guilds? Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Mermaid Heel..."
Macao Conbolt stepped forward, lighting his cigar with a flick of his thumb. "They are all on standby around the perimeter of the city streets. Everyone is holding the line. If a fight breaks out, Crocus is going to turn into a meat grinder."
"By the way... that moon is truly creepy!" Wakaba muttered, taking a long, nervous drag from his pipe.
"An eclipse?"
Laxus Dreyar looked up, his arms crossed over his broad chest. Lightning subtly crackled around his broad shoulders. High above the city, the celestial body had shifted. The moon in the night sky had already turned a deep, sickly blood-red, casting an ominous crimson glow over the entire kingdom.
Meanwhile, deep beneath the royal palace of Mercurius.
Rumble—!!
The massive, ancient stone gears of the Eclipse Gate slowly groaned as it began to open. The colossal doors, etched with forgotten celestial runes, parted to reveal a swirling vortex of dense, blinding light. The sheer magical pressure radiating from the portal caused the surrounding air to warp and distort.
"Look!"
"Ooh!"
"The gate of humanity's hope has finally opened!!"
"The gate to our absolute victory has opened!!"...
All the royal soldiers stationed in the underground courtyard cheered enthusiastically as they saw the massive gate successfully activating. They raised their spears and halberds, tears of relief welling in their eyes.
Princess Emerald breathed a heavy sigh of relief upon seeing the gate open properly. She clasped her hands together in prayer. "This way, we just have to wait for the Eclipse Cannon to charge with the power of the gate. Once the Dragon swarm arrives from the past, we can wipe them out in one fell swoop, and then..."
Suddenly!!
Roar—!!
A primal, earth-shattering roar rang out from the depths of the swirling vortex.
"What's happening?!"
"It's from the castle's direction!"
"Has that Eclipse weapon been activated already?!"
Everyone in the upper city of Crocus speculated anxiously as they heard the terrifying sound echoing from the palace grounds. The sheer volume of the roar caused the glass in nearby buildings to instantly shatter into dust.
At that exact moment, from within the blinding light of the Eclipse Gate, a massive, scaly foot slammed onto the stone floor of the courtyard. A giant Dragon suddenly stepped out from the portal, its sheer size dwarfing the grand underground architecture.
"A Dragon... from the gate..."
Princess Emerald's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks at the sight. The color instantly drained from her beautiful face, replaced by a mask of absolute, paralyzing horror. The gate wasn't a weapon. It was a doorway.
"Roar—!!"
The colossal Dragon that emerged looked up at the artificial sky of the cavern and let out a deafening, triumphant roar.
A powerful, localized shockwave was generated out of thin air simply from the sheer volume and magical density of its voice. The sound barrier visibly cracked like fragile glass.
"Waaah!!"
"Ughhh!!"...
The surrounding elite soldiers in their heavy armor were all blown away like autumn leaves in a hurricane by the forceful impact. They crashed into the stone pillars and walls, their weapons clattering uselessly against the ground.
Rumble—!!
The solid bedrock ground exploded with a deafening bang, constantly shattering and fragmenting under the immense pressure of the Dragon's physical presence. The ambient magic in the air became toxic, suffocating the humans present.
The Dragon fully emerged from the Eclipse Gate, its jade-green scales shimmering in the crimson moonlight filtering from above. It casually raised its massive, razor-sharp claw to strike the ground in a display of dominance.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom—!!!
A terrifying shockwave was released, rolling outward like a tsunami. It aggressively crushed countless stone buildings and structural supports along its path, turning centuries of royal architecture into fine, powdery dust in mere seconds.
Crackle crackle—!!
Far away in the city, the shockwave passed right by the Fairy Tail defensive line, rattling the debris and tearing up the cobblestone streets. Its terrifying power startled everyone, forcing them to brace themselves against the violent gust of wind.
"What the hell was that just now?!" Gray Fullbuster shouted, creating an ice shield.
"Was it a Dragon?!" Erza Scarlet drew her sword, her eyes narrowing intensely.
"In the direction of the castle!!" Natsu yelled, his dragon slayer instincts screaming at him.
Back inside the underground courtyard of the Fiore Palace.
"To think it's strong... to this impossible extent..."
"You've got to be kidding me... how can we possibly defeat something like that with swords and spears?!"
All the royal soldiers were utterly terrified at the sight of the giant Dragon. The sheer scale of the beast was overwhelming. Such a mythical monster was simply not something mortal men could ever hope to contend with.
"Another one came out!!" a soldier shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at the portal.
"What on earth is going on?! Another Dragon has appeared!!"
Through the swirling vortex of the Eclipse Gate, a second set of glowing, malicious eyes appeared, followed by the hulking, fiery silhouette of another ancient beast stepping into the present era.
Princess Emerald's eyes were vacant now, her spirit completely broken. She fell to her knees, her royal dress gathering dirt.
"Ten thousand Dragons... are actually coming out of the gate. I was deceived... it's all my fault. Because of my poor, naive decision-making, the world has met its absolute end." Tears streamed down her pale cheeks as she accepted the apocalypse she had accidentally unleashed.
The Knight Captain, Arcadios, gritted his teeth and hurriedly stepped in front of her, his armor clanking.
"Princess, do not think about who is right or wrong right now! The primary task is to prioritize closing the gate before more of them cross over! Go close the gate, quickly!!"
The Knight Captain gave the desperate order to the surviving soldiers. "Push the doors shut! Do it now!"
The soldiers immediately rushed to the massive mechanisms and pulled the heavy iron levers. But the giant Dragons appeared one after another, their massive claws gripping the edges of the doorway, physically forcing the portal to remain open. Even with dozens of soldiers putting in every ounce of their physical strength, they couldn't close the gate against the mythological beasts.
Just then, a cold, smooth male voice rang out through the chaotic cavern, cutting through the roaring of the Dragons and the screams of the soldiers like a sharp blade.
"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red!!"
[Akarin's Note: Cursed Technique Reversal: Red is a technique from the Gojo Satoru template that creates a powerful, concentrated orb of absolute repulsive force, violently pushing away anything it touches.]
A small, blindingly bright red orb shot straight over the heads of the soldiers, tearing through the air with a high-pitched shrieking sound. It hit the snout of the next massive Dragon that was aggressively trying to push its way out of the portal.
"Awooo—!!"
The giant Dragon let out a startling cry of pain as the absolute repulsive force of the technique slammed into it. The beast's massive form was violently knocked back, stumbling awkwardly back into the swirling vortex of the Eclipse Gate.
"Ooh! It's Mr. Ren!!"
"Thank the gods, Mr. Ren is here!!"...
Ren casually strolled into the underground cavern, his hands tucked neatly into his pockets. He had shown absolute, overwhelming prowess during the Grand Magic Games and had today demonstrated terrifying strength against Sabertooth. All the soldiers naturally recognized him as a beacon of hope.
"Tsk! Still arrived late!" Ren muttered to himself, clicking his tongue in annoyance.
Hearing the Dragon's loud roar echoing from the palace all the way to Central Park, Ren had finally remembered the relevant canon plot of the Grand Magic Games arc. Realizing what was happening, he had immediately channeled his Gojo Satoru template and used spatial teleportation to arrive at the underground courtyard.
Seeing that these people were still dazed and staring at him in awe, the Knight Captain shouted furiously, "You lot, don't just stand there! Hurry up and close the gate!!"
The soldiers finally snapped out of their stupor and rushed forward with renewed vigor.
Without the massive Dragon's physical obstruction holding the doors apart, the soldiers responsible for closing the gate immediately pulled down the lever with all their might, while the others pushed the heavy iron doors with their shoulders.
Rumble—!
The ancient mechanisms ground against each other, and the Eclipse Gate slowly, agonizingly, began to close.
"It's closed!!"
"Ooh!! We did it!!"
The heavy doors slammed shut with a definitive, booming thud, cutting off the vortex of light. The soldiers all cheered, collapsing onto the ground in sheer exhaustion.
However, Knight Captain Arcadios did not celebrate. He shouted loudly, his voice trembling with dread, "It's entirely too early to celebrate! Count them! How many Dragons managed to get out?!"
A soldier quickly surveyed the massive cavern, looking at the towering shadows looming over them. "There are... there are seven!!"
"Seven..."
The Knight Captain's expression was very grim, his grip on his sword tightening until his knuckles turned white. Just one single Dragon was already this overwhelmingly powerful. Facing seven Dragons at once was simply an unimaginable nightmare.
"You've really ruined my grand plans! But I suppose seven is more than enough. Any more than that, and I probably wouldn't be able to effectively control them anyway..."
A man dressed in contrasting black and white clothes slowly walked out from the shadows of a ruined archway. Half of his hair was stark white, and his right eye was covered by a dark shadow, exuding an aura of pure, concentrated malice.
"Who the hell are you?!"
The Knight Captain barked angrily at the newcomer, raising his heavy broadsword.
Princess Emerald looked up, her eyes widening in recognition. "That person... is the... he is the person from the future who told me about the future. He is the one who advised me to use the gate!"
Hearing this, the Knight Captain immediately shifted his stance and pointed his sword directly at the newcomer's throat. "So it was you! You were the bastard who intentionally deceived Her Highness the Princess!!"
Future Rogue's lips curled into a sinister, mocking smile. Shadows violently twisted and writhed around his feet like living serpents. "Listen well, you foolish, pathetic people. The fragile era of humans now comes to an absolute end. And the glorious, eternal era of Dragons is about to begin!!"
"Mr. Ren! Please, I beg of you, help us! Kill these giant Dragons!!"
Princess Emerald saw Ren as her absolute savior. She had personally watched his matches during the day; the five strongest elite members of Sabertooth had attacked him together with their ultimate magic and couldn't cause even a single scratch on Ren's clothes.
Ren was undoubtedly the strongest Mage in the Fiore Kingdom, no, perhaps even in the entire vast continent of Ishgar. Princess Emerald blindly believed that Ren's unfathomable strength would surely be enough to defeat the mythical giant Dragons.
Hearing Princess Emerald desperately ask Ren for help, the surrounding soldiers also began to plead loudly, begging for Ren to take action and eliminate the terrifying giant Dragons before they destroyed the capital.
Seeing these seven giant Dragons towering over the courtyard, Ren also felt a bit of trouble brewing in his mind. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Giant Dragons could be said to be the ultimate creatures standing at the absolute peak of this magical world. In gaming terms, they possessed absurdly high attack power, impenetrable high defense, and monstrously high health pools. Each and every single one of them could be considered a literal BOSS among BOSSes.
These towering beasts definitely weren't like the pathetic, weakling mechanical Dragon he had encountered in Edolas before. They radiated genuine, overwhelming Dragon Fear.
"Ren, is it? Just who exactly are you? In the timeline I come from, you don't exist at all."
Future Rogue frowned deeply as he looked at Ren, his shadow magic flickering uncertainly. Ren's strength was far too great to be ignored; he had seen it during the tournament. But in his own timeline, what had happened today didn't match what he was seeing at all. In his original timeline, a powerhouse named Ren simply didn't exist.
"Who am I? I'm just an ordinary member of Fairy Tail!"
Ren's eyebrows twitched at Future Rogue's words. It seemed his Transmigration didn't affect the future, or rather, the other party and he were just in parallel worlds. The other party had traveled to a parallel space-time through the Eclipse Gate.
[Akarin Note:
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