The Whole Family Should Be Together
Deep within the forest, the clash between flames and the laws of nature nearly tore the void apart.
The tree roots beneath August's feet, which had once resembled a coiled dragon, had long since been burned to charcoal in this battle of the gods.
This old man, who stood at the pinnacle of magic on the Western Continent, felt an extremely absurd tremor rise in the depths of his chest for no apparent reason.
The old man's eyes flickered; in that fleeting 0.01 seconds, he was distracted.
On the front lines of Dragon Slayer, being distracted by a single-minded creature obsessed with fighting will come at a price!
"We've found a weakness!!"
[Fire Dragon King's Demolition Fist]
The raging, blazing crimson flames transformed into a furious dragon that pierced the sky, and a fiery iron fist carrying the force of a mountain collapsing slammed fiercely toward August's face!
The ancient trees, which were originally full of life within a radius of several hundred meters, were instantly vaporized by the ultra-high temperature, and a blackened, churning magma vacuum circle was forged in the middle of the Forest of Trees!
Natsu, who was teaming up with his teammates to beat up Neinhart who was using the Historical Phantom technique, suddenly charged forward and appeared right in front of August.
With such a big fish delivered to his doorstep, Natsu didn't care about the cause and effect at all. His single-celled organism battle switch was instantly flipped to its maximum!
"Igneel! Warm-up complete! Spirit Fusion Form activated!!"
"Alright, kid, let's finish this quickly! It won't last long!"
The mini Fire Dragon king, suspended in mid-air, snorted coldly and transformed into a dazzling, blazing streak of light that pierced straight into Natsu's heart!
Boom--
The magical pressure, like a volcanic eruption, completely ripped apart the sky!
Natsu's right arm, side of his neck, and cheek were instantly covered with a layer of dark red dragon scales, and a pair of crimson dragon wings suddenly spread out from his back, boosting his magic power several levels.
August's expression turned completely serious.
The Sorcerer King, who is said to be able to "see through and copy all magic in the world in an instant," is not omnipotent.
Even he couldn't achieve the desired mirror copying with magic that required strict conditions.
"Roar!!"
Natsu roared to the sky, his claws slashing through the air, his lungs bulging to an exaggerated, visibly exaggerated arc.
[The Fire Dragon King's Roar]
A destructive fireball, powerful enough to level an entire mountain range, roared out, its scorching wind pressure even completely sucking out the oxygen from the air in a fraction of a second!
August's white beard danced wildly, his feet planted firmly on the scorched earth, and his cheeks bulged out at an incredible amplitude!
[Copy - The Roar of the Eight Dragons]
Eight dazzling dragon breaths of completely different attributes merged from the old man's throat into a pillar of world-destroying light, crashing headlong into him!
Rumble--
The two violent energies collided, tearing apart the spatial mist at the top of the forest. The rising mushroom cloud even pierced through the clouds, and the entire edge of the battlefield could feel the earth pulsating violently.
Far away.
Having just packed Mavis and Zeref into Parasol Tree, Riyao was leisurely strolling through the green forest, carrying a potted plant.
He looked up at the rising mushroom cloud and clicked his tongue.
"Good heavens, Natsu, that fire-breathing idiot, is really not afraid of burning down my entire landscaping project when Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence has its limits. If he keeps messing around like this, the Kingdom of Fiore's Ecological Protection Association will be coming to my door demanding compensation tomorrow."
Riyao lifted the miniature Parasol Tree that glowed with a bluish light in his palm, and the tree roots under his feet slid automatically, transforming into a stream of light that headed straight for the core of the battlefield.
"Hurry up, we only need one last family member... We can't let that idiot Natsu actually roast our nephew to a crisp on the spot, or my reputation for curing all diseases will be ruined instantly!"
At the very center of the battlefield, amidst ruins and scorching heat.
Natsu's dragon-human form transformed into a streak of red light in mid-air, with flames trailing behind him, creating a gigantic phoenix phantom. He plowed the ground, carving out lava trenches several meters deep.
[Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Phoenix Sword]
Standing at the very center of the raging heatwave, August simply raised his hand, and as his sleeves fluttered, a mirror of imaginary numbers, flowing like mercury, materialized out of thin air before him.
[Lost Reflection - Void Mirror]
Buzz!
Natsu, along with his fire phoenix, crashed into the mirror. The next instant, however, he was thrown back by the mirror with twice the momentum, rolling dozens of times on the ground before finally coming to a stop, covered in dust and dirt.
"What a hassle... Copy Magic paired with this seasoned veteran is harder to crack than a tortoise shell."
Unbeknownst to them, Riyao had quietly crouched down on a charred, half-burnt tree branch nearby.
Not only did he not intend to make a move, he even magically produced a bag of spicy sunflower seeds, cracked open the shell with a snap, spat out a seed shell, and cheered Natsu on at the top of his lungs.
"Natsu! Get up! Use your iron head to take him down! I believe in you!"
Natsu: "???"
August: "???"
The two, locked in fierce combat, froze simultaneously, turning their heads to look at the blond-haired youth on the tree trunk whose appearance was completely out of place.
Natsu's forehead veins bulged, and he roared in a frenzy, spewing sparks.
"Riyao, you bastard! Stop sitting there eating sunflower seeds and watching the show! And another thing! This old man is my prey! You're absolutely not allowed to steal my kill!!"
August's lips twitched violently.
He had dominated the continent for over a hundred years, and everyone in the Western Continent regarded him as a legend. This was the first time in his life that someone had treated him as a "head" and was trying to negotiate with him face to face!
On the tree branch, Riyao rested his chin on one hand, his eyes darting back and forth between Natsu and August, muttering to himself about their seniority.
"Let me sort this out... Natsu is Zeref's younger brother, which makes him practically August's uncle. Natsu beating up August, wouldn't that be considered a family dispute?"
Well, Natsu's magic power in his Spirit Fusion Form is rapidly waning; if we continue fighting, it will really turn into a brutal brawl.
"Natsu, time's up. Your trial card has expired. Go play in the mud."
Riyao snapped his fingers casually.
Snap!
Without warning, the ground beneath Natsu's feet collapsed, creating a hollow teleportation tree hole.
Hey! Riyao, you're such a red egg--!
Natsu's roar had barely begun when he was suddenly slid into the void and airdropped back to Fairy Tail's main base.
On the scorched, empty ground, only August and Riyao remained, staring at each other in bewilderment.
Riyao patted the sunflower seed crumbs off his trousers, leaped down from the charred tree branch, and, carrying the miniature Parasol Tree that shimmered with an eerie blue-gold divine light, walked step by step toward the old man.
His smile grew even brighter, but in August's eyes, it seemed to exude a sinister, brainwashing-like quality, like a pyramid scheme.
"Nephew, the most important thing for a family is to be together. Put down your staff and come in by yourself, so I don't have to do it myself. Hitting people hurts a lot."
August's pupils suddenly shrank to the size of needles!
"Etc!"
"Stop waiting! A family should be together all the time! Get inside the tree!!"