Nebaru stared in disbelief at the blade buried in his chest and the blood gushing out fast enough to blur his vision.
Only then did fear finally register.
His normally sluggish, sticky thoughts seemed to clear all at once beneath the slash.
He staggered backward in panic, but the bleeding from his chest showed no sign of stopping.
A weapon forged from Dragon Slayer Lacrimas did more than suppress draconic attributes. It was also especially lethal against anything carrying the power of a dragon.
Nebaru desperately smeared layer after layer of slime over the wound, trying to keep himself alive, but nothing could stop his life force from draining away.
As his vision grew increasingly dim, he watched Ankh turn his back on him and move to free the trapped soldiers.
A violent fury suddenly surged from the depths of Nebaru's heart.
He was a mage of Diabolos!
A Dragon Slayer who had gained his power by devouring a mighty dragon!
How could he possibly die like this?!
"I'LL EAT YOU, YOU BASTARD!"
"WE'LL DIE TOGETHER!!"
Nebaru suddenly began screaming hysterically.
The revolting, viscous Magic Power surrounding him erupted, while countless shapes writhed beneath his skin like insects.
His entire body began swelling at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Ankh stopped and glanced back, puzzled by the strange power emerging from the dying man.
'Is that… Dragon Force?'
No.
It did not feel right.
Whether it was Natsu's group or Sting's, their Dragon Force was remarkably balanced.
It strengthened them without eroding the parts that made them human.
Natsu and the others merely developed tough dragon scales across parts of their bodies, while Wendy grew feather-like dragon features.
Their physical abilities rose dramatically, the quality of their Magic Power advanced to an entirely new level, and they remained fully conscious throughout the transformation.
Their improvement was also based on their normal strength. The stronger they became in their base state, the more powerful their Dragon Force would be.
It was not some fixed amount of borrowed strength.
Nebaru's so-called Dragon Force, however, looked more like the Demonization used by Tartaros.
It was a one-use transformation that could not be properly trained.
Instead of building upon his own abilities, it awakened the hidden source buried within his body.
His reason was almost completely swallowed by the feral instincts in his blood, leaving him unable to control himself.
Nebaru's body continued expanding until he had transformed into a hideous monster.
His face turned blue and savage, fangs jutting from his mouth as drool spilled down his chin.
All intelligence had vanished from his eyes, while low growls rumbled continuously from his throat.
"SHUT UP! I'M GOING TO EAT HIM!"
Nebaru suddenly roared irritably at the empty space beside him.
Ankh blinked.
'Someone else is here?'
The aura of death around Nebaru had weakened slightly.
The price, however, was his own mind.
Having fallen completely into a frenzy, Nebaru charged toward Ankh and brought one enormous fist crashing down with a deafening boom.
Ankh raised his blade in front of his chest.
Clang—!
The clash of metal against hardened scales rang across the entire camp.
'This Dragon Force…'
'For now, I'll call it Berserk Dragon Force.'
'It seems to be gradually turning him into an actual dragon.'
Ankh knocked Nebaru's giant arm aside with a thoughtful swing.
In the next moment, he shifted through space and appeared directly in front of the monster's face, bringing the blade down in another vicious slash.
Nebaru howled in agony.
His enormous body crashed to the ground, yet the transformation did not stop.
His head stretched into the long shape of a dragon's skull.
Scales and spikes tore through his skin, while his limbs grew thicker and forced him onto all fours.
Two swollen bulges also began forming across his back.
'Using Dragon Force forcibly transforms him into a mindless dragon.'
'Interesting.'
Ankh's curiosity stirred as Nebaru stubbornly threw himself at him again.
He decided to finish the battle quickly and study the transformation afterward.
At his command, the hilt of the weapon in his hand changed into a glowing crimson crystal resembling molten lava. Sparks flickered around the scarlet blade.
Purgatory Dragon Mode.
Nebaru had already lost every trace of technique or discipline.
Ankh lowered his body, rushed straight toward him, and unleashed a blazing quick-draw slash across his chest.
The single wound already carved there was joined by another, leaving an enormous X-shaped scar over Nebaru's torso.
The dragonized man threw his head back and unleashed a howl of unbearable agony, loud enough that it could probably be heard from across the sea.
At the same time, Ankh's weapon began drawing the immense Dragon Power out of Nebaru's body.
As a weapon capable of continuous growth, the Dragon God's Arsenal could be strengthened not only through its master's cultivation, but also by absorbing draconic materials.
The Dragon Power of a Dragon Slayer was naturally an exceptional source of nourishment.
When Nebaru sensed the power draining from him, he could no longer even scream.
His monstrous body gradually shrank back into its human shape.
Not only had his Dragon Power been completely devoured, but every last trace of his Magic Power had also been drained by the Dragon God's Arsenal.
Even if he somehow survived, Magic Deficiency Disease would likely leave him permanently disabled—or reduce him to a vegetative state.
But judging from his condition, he would not live long enough for that to matter.
Ankh crouched beside Nebaru and studied the light fading from his eyes.
"So your Dragon Force is poison," he murmured thoughtfully. "Once activated, the only way to return to normal is to exhaust all your Magic Power."
"Unfortunately…"
Unless a mage possessed a Second Origin, or enough willpower to endure until their Magic Power gradually recovered, emptying their reserves completely was little different from a death sentence.
"One down."
Ankh rose to his feet and turned toward the empty air nearby.
"Now for the other one."
The rescued soldiers stared at him in confusion as he addressed apparently nothing.
"You were this guy's companion, weren't you? Tell me your name."
The soldiers exchanged bewildered glances.
Had the slime finally disgusted Wizard Saint Ankh so badly that he had lost his mind?
While everyone else struggled to understand his behavior, a thin young man standing near Nebaru's corpse suddenly stiffened.
He glanced behind himself in disbelief before asking cautiously,
"You can see me?"
Ankh gave a slight nod.
Strictly speaking, all he could see was a vague, white, human-shaped outline drifting before him.
This was probably the influence of Sorda, the God of Souls.
Ankh quietly touched the crystal around his wrist.
The powers he had received from the gods did more than allow him to wield divine power through God Soul Take Over, much like those who inherited a god's legacy.
They were also subtly evolving and refining each of his specialized abilities.
His inheritance of soul divinity had gradually given him the ability to perceive spiritual entities and strengthened his soul so that it could not easily be shaken or displaced.
That was how he had noticed the truth.
The gloomy, frail-looking young man before him was already dead.
He was a ghost wandering through the mortal world.
"A man who isn't a Dragon Slayer can actually see me…"
After his initial surprise, the young man quickly returned to his usual lifeless expression.
A faint smile pulled at his lips.
"I am Wraith of Diabolos."
"The Spirit Dragon Slayer."