Acnologia Arrives

On the airship Grimoire Heart.

Hades sat in the main seat, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest.

In the empty cabin, only a few soldiers remained, huddled in a corner, not daring to breathe.

Hades closed his eyes and remained silent.

Nobody knows what he's thinking.

Footsteps sounded.

Very light, very slow.

Zeref slowly emerged from the shadows.

He stood there openly in front of Hades, without any attempt to conceal himself.

Hades sensed an unusual fluctuation of magical energy and abruptly opened his eyes.

The pupils constricted suddenly.

The person he had been longing for was standing right in front of him.

He began to tremble.

My fingers were trembling, my shoulders were trembling, and my lips were trembling.

"Zeref..."

His voice was incredibly hoarse.

"Quick! Get the keys!"

He suddenly turned his head and roared at the soldier.

"Zeref is about to awaken!"

Zeref shook his head.

No key is needed.

His tone was calm.

"I've been awake the whole time."

Hades froze.

"Impossible."

He stared at Zeref.

"If you've been awake the whole time, how could you...?"

"So weak?"

Zeref finished speaking for him.

"..."

Hades was speechless.

"This is my true strength."

"Zeref said slowly."

"For the past four hundred years, I have never actively pursued the demonic path, unless I have forgotten the value of life."

After saying that, he struck a pose.

Hades' mind went blank.

He was all too familiar with that pose.

The Fairy Law.

A light shone between Zeref's hands, sacred and cold.

He began announcing Hades' crimes.

"You have committed one of the crimes."

The sound echoed in the empty cabin.

"Your malice summoned it, Black Wings of the End, Acnologia. It will bring about the end of the world."

Hades' pupils trembled.

"You have committed the second crime."

Zeref's eyes darkened.

"You've made me forget the preciousness of life; that's the most unforgivable thing!"

Go and repent!

A burst of light erupted.

This is not the version of Fairy Law that Makarov and Laxus used.

This is authentic Law Magic.

A magic that can truly erase life.

Light filled the entire airship, illuminating every corner.

Everyone present was eliminated by the law.

Silently.

He didn't even have time to scream.

Only Zeref remained on the airship.

He stood in the empty cabin, looking in a certain direction through the porthole.

His gaze was complex.

"It's here."

The sound was very soft.

Natsu...

On Tenrou Island.

Gildarts abruptly turned his head and looked towards the distant horizon.

He froze completely.

"This... this is?!"

The voice was trembling.

"Impossible! How could it be here?"

No one had ever seen Gildarts like this before.

Gildarts, who had remained unfazed even when facing Hades, was now pale and breathing rapidly.

Everyone followed his gaze.

In the distance, there is a black dot in the sky.

The black spot gradually enlarged.

Zoom in again.

The silhouette of a giant black dragon with blue stripes gradually became clear.

Their wings blotted out the sky and the sun.

Gildarts confirmed it.

That's the Black Dragon.

He roared at the crowd, his voice trembling.

Listen!

"When I went to carry out the 100-Year Quest, that's when I encountered this giant dragon!"

"It almost killed me!"

Everyone stared in astonishment.

Natsu stared blankly at the approaching Black Dragon, his pupils contracting.

The Dragon Slayer's instincts roared.

Riyao sighed, his fist slowly clenching.

While everyone was still in shock, Acnologia had already flown to the seaside.

Landing.

Boom!

The earth trembled.

It raised its head and let out a roar.

The sound was so loud that the air itself seemed to tremble.

The Magic Council members on the distant sea all covered their ears.

Ultear and Meredy, who had just left Tenrou Island, both turned back on the ship at the same time.

Zeref closed his eyes on the airship.

Its power and influence shook all directions.

This sense of oppression was more intense and heavier than the one Gildarts had inflicted on Natsu.

The air was being compressed downwards, making it difficult to breathe.

Gildarts and Makarov stood in front of the crowd.

Makarov turned around and shouted at the crowd.

"Run!"

His voice was hoarse.

"This is not something you can handle!"

He looked at Gildarts.

"Gildarts, you're leaving too! You'll be the next guild master!"

After he finished speaking, his body began to swell.

Enlarged.

It became the same size as the Black Dragon.

He lunged forward and hugged the Black Dragon tightly with both arms.

Let's go!

Gildarts did not move.

Natsu didn't move either.

No one moved.

Natsu clenched his fists, and flames ignited on them.

His instincts Dragon Slayer compelled him to charge forward.

But more importantly, there's the group of people behind him.

He didn't want to leave.

I don't want to give up on any of them.

Riyao shook his head and took a step forward.

"Old man."

He looked up at the gigantic Makarov.

"You think we'll just leave obediently? There's no way that's going to happen."

Gildarts threw off his cloak, which fell to the ground.

"Yes."

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"These rascals are no good kids."

Everyone present assumed a fighting stance.

Flames erupted from Natsu's fists, and dragon scales faintly emerged from beneath his skin, the patterns spreading along his arms.

Lucy tugged at the River of Stars, took a deep breath, and her eyes remained unwavering.

Gajeel grinned, his entire body covered in Iron Dragon starting from his neck, gleaming with a metallic sheen.

Lily's body grew larger, and he held a heavy sword horizontally in front of him, its blade gleaming coldly.

Levy, holding a quill pen, rapidly wrote magical Solid Script in the air.

Wendy opened her arms, Enchantment Magic spread out, giving everyone a faint glow.

Gray clasped his hands together, and an ice-blue magic circle unfolded, emanating a chill from beneath his feet, causing a thin layer of ice to form on the ground.

Water streams swirled around Juvia, droplets hovering in the air, poised to burst forth.

Erza flashed with light as she switched to the Heaven's Wheel Armor, hundreds of flying swords hovering behind her, their tips all aimed at the Black Dragon.

The thick, dark flames emanating from Mirajane dripped down, scorching the ground beneath his feet.

Riyao switches to Azure Dragon Form, pushing the dragonification to its limit, with dragon scales covering its entire body and its pupils becoming vertical.

Cana raised her arm, Fairy Glitter patterns on her skin glowed faintly, growing brighter and brighter.

Lisanna received the White Tiger's soul; white magic surged from within her, and her nails became sharp.

Elfman pounded his chest with a dull thud, roared, and his muscles bulged.

Lightning crackled around Laxus, arcs of electricity leaping and becoming increasingly dense across his body.

Freed, wielding a rapier, entered his Dark Form, dark patterns appearing on his body.

Bickslow directed the puppet totems to form a battle formation, and the puppets clicked and clacked as they arranged themselves into an attack queue.

Evergreen took off her glasses, and countless Leprechaun emerged from behind her, their wings flapping in a chorus of sounds.

Everyone.

Not one was left out.

Makarov held the Black Dragon tightly and turned around.

Looking at these children.

Not a single one escaped.

His eyes reddened.

His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something.

He didn't say anything.