Chapter 314: Luring the Monsters
"That kind of thing doesn't matter, just use Dragon Slayer Magic to finish them off!!"
Orga urged, not caring about the past; the current problem was dealing with the Dragon in front of them. The towering beast, covered in metallic, blade-like scales, cast a suffocating shadow over the ruined streets of Crocus.
Boom boom boom!!
Sabertooth lived up to its reputation as a guild of elites, all using magic to attack Scissor Runner, but none of them caused any effective damage. Orga's black lightning struck the beast's chest, while Rufus unleashed a barrage of Memory-Make spells.
Flames, ice, and holy light rained down upon the ancient creature in a dazzling display of modern magical power. Yet, as the smoke from the bombardment cleared, the Sabertooth mages stared in absolute horror.
Not a single scale had been chipped. The Scissor Runner merely blinked its massive, reptilian eyes, looking at them as if they were nothing more than a mild nuisance.
"Is the true power of a Dragon actually this strong?!"
Sting's expression was heavy; it was only now that he realized how much he had been boasting in front of Natsu. He had paraded his title as a 'True Dragon Slayer' with such arrogance, believing that killing a sick, willing Dragon had proven his strength.
Facing a prime, bloodthirsty Dragon of the ancient era was an entirely different reality. His knees trembled, and his White Dragon Slayer magic flickered unsteadily around his fists.
"Even so, I will protect my comrades!"
Rogue said with a determined look in his eyes. He forced his body to move, sinking into the shadows to prepare another strike, despite knowing how futile it was.
"Humans! All of you, die!!"
Scissor Runner gathered magic power in its mouth, intending to wipe out all these humans. A blinding, hyper-condensed sphere of energy formed between its massive jaws, distorting the very air around it with its sheer heat.
It already detested humans to the extreme and wanted to exterminate them all. Now, seeing so many humans, including the Dragon Slayer Mages it hated even more, it intended to completely destroy these guys.
Suddenly!
Rumble————!
A terrifying slash landed on Scissor Runner's body. The invisible wave of force tore through the air with a deafening shriek, carrying the weight of a natural disaster.
"Awoooo————!"
Scissor Runner let out a cry of pain as its massive body was sent flying, crashing through countless buildings. The metallic behemoth tumbled head over tail, reducing stone towers and grand archways into pulverized dust.
The members of Sabertooth were shocked to see the Dragon they couldn't handle at all get sent flying by someone, and they quickly looked in the direction of the slash. The sheer shockwave of the attack blew away the lingering smoke, revealing a figure standing atop the rubble.
There, they saw an exceptionally tall man standing. He wielded a massive, intimidating naginata, and his broad back seemed to hold up the very sky.
"So big————!!"
Many who hadn't seen him before were startled. His towering, muscular physique was vastly different from a normal human, radiating an aura of absolute dominance.
"Mr. Ren!!"
Sting and Rogue immediately recognized the newcomer's identity. They had seen this unbelievable transformation during the Grand Magic Games.
"He's Ren?!"
Many people didn't expect this giant man to be Ren. The usually handsome, standard-sized Fairy Tail mage had become a titan of war.
"Human!!!"
At that moment, a roar came from the sky as Zirconis flew toward them. The Jade Dragon's eyes were bloodshot with absolute fury as he locked onto the giant man below.
It hated the human Ren to death; he had actually made a member of the great Dragon race like itself suffer several setbacks. Zirconis still remembered the humiliating blows he had taken earlier. It wanted to tear this human to pieces.
"Mr. Ren, watch out!!"
Sting quickly warned upon seeing this. Zirconis was diving down at supersonic speeds, its massive claws aimed directly at Ren's head.
Boom——————!!
Ren swung Murakumogiri with one hand, directly blocking Zirconis's attack. A terrifying shockwave erupted from the point of impact, shattering the cobblestone streets for hundreds of meters in every direction.
"What————?!!"
The members of Sabertooth were dumbfounded; Ren had actually blocked a Dragon's attack with one hand. The ground beneath Ren's feet had cratered deeply, yet the man himself hadn't moved a single inch. Was this guy a monster?
"Get lost! Zirconis, I'm going to kill this guy!!"
Rumble————!
Scissor Runner roared and charged at Ren. It burst forth from the mountain of rubble, its blade-like scales screeching against the stone as it bolted forward.
Its primary target was also Ren; being sent flying by him just now was a great humiliation. It had only intended to kill the two Dragon Slayer Mages, Sting and Rogue, first before dealing with Ren, but it hadn't expected Ren to deliver himself to its doorstep.
Ren calmly watched the metallic Dragon charge. He clenched his fist, gathering a terrifying white halo of concentrated vibrations around his knuckles.
He stepped forward and struck Scissor Runner's head with a hammer-like blow.
"————!"
Crack crack!!
The atmosphere shattered, the earth shook, and a massive crack appeared on the ground as Scissor Runner took a direct hit from the fist. It looked as though Ren had punched a physical pane of glass into thin air.
"Awoooo————!"
Scissor Runner cried out in pain as its massive body was sent flying by the shockwave once again. The sheer concussive force scrambled the Dragon's brain, causing its eyes to roll back momentarily as it plowed through the cityscape.
Ren didn't stop there. He immediately shifted his stance, his muscles bulging as he tightly gripped his naginata.
Ren coated Murakumogiri with Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, then swung it with great force. Dark, jagged streaks of red and black lightning crackled wildly around the blade, tearing the air apart.
"Waaaaghhhhhh!!!"
Zirconis also screamed as it was sent flying directly. The devastating strike hit the Jade Dragon squarely in the chest, forcing out a mouthful of dragon blood.
Boom boom boom boom boom!!
Countless buildings were destroyed. Zirconis's massive green body skipped across the city like a stone on water, leveling entire city blocks before coming to a violent halt.
Gasp—————!!
Everyone in Sabertooth was terrified. They stared at the two defeated Dragons, their minds completely unable to process the sheer disparity in strength.
Was this still the same Dragon that had left them helpless? Why did it seem that in front of Ren, these Dragons were no longer invincible?
Instead of finishing them off, Ren hoisted Murakumogiri over his shoulder. Without a backward glance at the Sabertooth mages, he stomped the ground.
Ren stepped off and charged toward the next Dragon. His massive body moved with terrifying speed, leaving behind a trail of shattered earth.
"What is Mr. Ren doing?!"
Sting watched Ren's movements with a face full of confusion. He couldn't understand why Ren would spare them when he clearly had the upper hand.
Rufus sensed for a moment, and his eyes couldn't help but widen: "This... could it be..."
"Could it be what? Speak up!"
Orga asked impatiently. The lightning mage was sweating profusely, his pride completely shattered by the display of power he had just witnessed.
"Ren is heading toward the location of the next Dragon. I suspect he wants to take on all the Dragons by himself!"
Rufus voiced his suspicion. He had been tracking the magical signatures across Crocus, and Ren's trajectory was unmistakable. Although it was somewhat outrageous, it seemed to be the closest to the truth.
"What————?!!"
"Mr. Ren wants to take on all the Dragons alone?!"
"You're joking, right?! No matter how strong Mr. Ren is, those are Dragons!"
The Sabertooth mages exchanged horrified looks. Before this, they were united in their determination to fight the Dragons to the death, but now they no longer had such thoughts.
Their magic had no effect on the Dragons at all; the Dragons' power far exceeded their imagination. With so many of them unable to do anything against a single Dragon, even if Ren was strong, being able to handle one would already be incredible.
Dealing with all the Dragons was simply too much. It was a suicidal endeavor that defied all logic and reason.
Meanwhile, on another battlefield within the ruined capital...
"Archenemy: Undying Under the Heavens - Strength Form!!"
Kagura swung her scabbard, and a violent gravity-laden impact fell upon the Dragon. The sheer weight of the attack crushed the stone plaza beneath the beast, forcing its massive claws into the dirt.
"It's useless! Human magic can't do anything to Dragons!"
Livia laughed triumphantly, the contempt in its eyes very obvious. The dark-scaled Dragon simply shook its head, easily dispersing the immense gravity field as if brushing off a cobweb.
"Kagura, are you okay?"
Millianna quickly asked with concern. The cat-girl mage was panting heavily, her magical binding tubes lying uselessly on the ground, snapped into pieces.
"I'm fine!"
Kagura grit her teeth and looked at Livia in front of her. Her hands were numb from the recoil of her own magic. They had been toyed with by the opponent since a moment ago, and even that toying was something they couldn't withstand.
The power of a Dragon was too terrifying. Livia hadn't even unleashed a breath attack yet; it was merely using its physical strength to humiliate them. Could humans really defeat such creatures?
At that moment, a loud shout rang out from the distance.
"Livia! Stop him for me!!"
Livia froze for a moment and looked up toward the sound. It was the voice of Zirconis, sounding unusually frantic and enraged.
Before Livia could even comprehend why its kin was shouting, a towering shadow eclipsed the sun. It only had time to see a massive fist appear in front of it.
Boom————!!
Livia was hit by the fist before it could react. The sickening sound of scales cracking and bone fracturing echoed across the plaza.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom!
Livia's massive body was sent flying directly. The arrogant Dragon was swatted away like a bothersome insect, crashing through a row of luxury manors in the distance.
Kagura and the others were all dumbfounded. They instinctively shielded their faces from the resulting dust storm. Why did a giant suddenly appear?
"This giant is..."
"It's Ren!!"
Millianna immediately recognized that it was Ren. She had seen him transform during the tournament, but seeing his monstrous size up close was breathtaking.
Ren didn't stop and left immediately. He merely adjusted his coat, not even sparing a glance at the stunned Mermaid Heel mages.
Following that, two Dragons quickly rushed over, not even glancing at Kagura and the others, chasing straight after Ren. Zirconis and Scissor Runner barrelled through the plaza, their roars shaking the heavens as they relentlessly pursued the giant man.
On yet another side of the burning city, the aces of Lamia Scale were facing their own nightmare.
"Iron Rock Fist!!"
Jura used Iron Rock Fist to attack. The fifth-ranked Wizard Saint channeled his immense magical power, summoning a colossal fist of solid rock that slammed directly into the beast's flank.
Boom————!!
The Dragon was completely unscathed. The rock fist crumbled into harmless pebbles against the creature's thick, stony hide.
"Is this kind of creature really something humans can defeat?"
Jura's expression was extremely heavy. He had fought countless powerful mages and demons, but this felt entirely different. It was like trying to punch a mountain to death.
"For a human, your strength is decent, but only as a human. Human magic isn't even worth mentioning in front of a Dragon."
Earth Build mocked everyone. The massive, rock-armored Dragon let out a low, rumbling chuckle that vibrated through the ground.
"Mr. Jura, what should we do?"
Lyon asked Jura. He had just tried all his magic, sending waves of Ice-Make beasts at the monster. It was useless against the Dragon; one could even say it had no effect at all.
"We can only hold on."
Jura had no other options at this point. Retreating would mean letting the monster rampage through the rest of the city, but staying meant certain death.
Toby suggested: "Don't Fairy Tail and Sabertooth have Dragon Slayer Mages?"
Yuka said: "Can Dragon Slayer Mages really defeat a Dragon?"
Everyone looked up at the giant Dragon; it didn't look like something a Dragon Slayer Mage could defeat.
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