Was the Black Dragon Once Human?

Atlas Flame looked at Natsu's clenched teeth, a hint of surprise flashing in his magma eyes.

"Hmm? Judging from your tone, you've actually witnessed the ferocity of that demon in this peaceful era?"

The dragon let out a heavy, long sigh.

"But that's understandable, after all, Acnologia... before he transformed into that savage behemoth, he was once a living, breathing human being."

The moment the words left his mouth.

It was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploding above the heads of the Fairy Tail members!

Lucy's legs went weak with fright, and she covered her mouth with both hands, letting out a short gasp.

"What?!"

Gray felt as if he had been doused with ice water from head to toe, and stiffly tilted his head back to shout.

"What a joke! That world-destroying black dragon that could evaporate the entire Tenrou Island into nothingness with a single strike... was once human?!"

Wendy also gripped her skirt tightly with both small hands, her big eyes filled with incomprehensible shock.

"How could a human... possibly transform into that enormous and terrifying black dragon...?"

Natsu froze on the spot, his fists suspended in mid-air, his brain momentarily shutting down.

In the common understanding of the entire magical world, dragons are beings that are inherently superior to humans, and Acnologia is the ultimate calamity standing at the pinnacle of all dragon corpses.

But today, we heard a truth from an ancient dragon that completely shattered everyone's worldview.

Acnologia is human!

Jiang Bai was the only one in the room who remained calm and composed.

As a time traveler, Jiang Bai was very clear about the bloody history of four hundred years ago. The origins of the Black Dragon and the title of Dragon King were hardly secrets.

Atlas Flame continued to utter heavy words.

"I have no reason to deceive you with such a thing."

"During the primitive era four hundred years ago, when an ideological civil war broke out within the dragon race, in order to fight against those evil dragons who advocated slaughtering humans as food,"

"Led by the Fire Dragon King Igneel, the coexistence faction of dragons broke with tradition and taught dragon magic to humankind."

"Acnologia was one of the human Dragon Slayer were taught dragon-slaying techniques."

"But later, that man's mind was completely consumed by slaughter and madness. He not only slaughtered all the evil dragons, but also cruelly tortured and killed the allied dragons who had given him power."

"Perhaps it was because he had slaughtered far too many dragons, and his entire body had been bathed and soaked in scalding dragon blood day and night, that the life force within him had been completely eroded and assimilated by the blood of tens of thousands of dragons,"

"Ultimately, he broke free from the shackles of his life form, completely transforming into a ferocious dragon covered in black scales, and proclaiming himself the Dragon King."

"The dragons initially didn't take him seriously, but in a short time, he proved himself to be the true Dragon King by using the corpses of all the dragons."

At this point, the flames on Atlas Flame's body surged violently. Clearly, even after four hundred years, recalling the brutal battlefield where he was dominated and slaughtered by the black dragon, his soul still carried an indelible fear.

However, upon hearing the keywords "soaked in dragon's blood"...

Lucy, who was standing to the side, turned pale instantly and jumped half a meter away as if she had been electrocuted.

"Stained... with the blood of a dragon?!"

Lucy touched her face nervously.

"We're doomed! We're doomed!! Just a few days ago in the guild, didn't Jiang Bai give us all a dragon blood bath?!"

"I soaked for a full two hours too!!"

"No way! I don't want to become an ugly, scaled, tail-covered, fire-breathing Ushi no Koku Mairi dragon! My entire teenage years are going to be ruined!!"

Lucy huddled up in fear, tugging at Wendy's sleeve and shaking her back and forth, completely engulfed in a hysterical paranoia.

Wendy blinked her big eyes, then subconsciously looked down at the back of her pale hand, a hint of panic creeping onto her face.

Looking at Lucy's comical appearance, with her mind filled with all sorts of wild thoughts.

Jiang Bai couldn't help but roll his eyes, raised his right hand, bent his index and middle fingers, and flicked Lucy's forehead with a resounding thud.

Snap!

"Ouch! That hurts!"

Lucy covered her forehead with both hands, staring at Jiang Bai with teary eyes.

Jiang Bai flicked his fingers, his tone full of speechless disbelief at the woman's thought process.

"Lucy, you have such Pegasus imaginative and outlandish talent for paranoia. You write novels in your spare time, so why do you insist on writing those lovey-dovey romance novels?"

"Just switch careers and write absurd fantasy adventure novels. With your imagination, you'd probably be the number one bestselling author across the entire continent by now. Why would you be worrying about rent all the time?"

After being so ruthlessly rebuked by Jiang Bai, Lucy covered her forehead and sobbed softly, looking aggrieved.

"Well... it's only natural for someone to be scared after hearing what Uncle Long said..."

Jiang Bai turned around and shattered Lucy's preconceived notions with a curt remark.

"Alright, stop with all those crazy transformation scenarios in your head."

"The dragon blood I soaked for you a few days ago is perfectly fine and won't turn you into a giant dragon."

"If bathing in dragon's blood could turn humans into dragons, wouldn't everyone in the primitive era four hundred years ago have become flying dragons by now?"

"The reason why Acnologia mutated and transformed into a black dragon was not because it was soaked in dragon blood!"

Hearing Jiang Bai give such a firm and unequivocal denial...

Gray rested his chin on his hand, and Natsu stopped scratching his head. The group asked in unison.

"Why is that?!"

The Atlas Flame the Hellfire Dragon, hovering in mid-air, lowered its fiery head slightly, somewhat curious about what ancient secrets this unfathomable young human possessed.

Jiang Bai put his hands back into his black trouser pockets, calmly glanced at Natsu and Wendy, and uttered a word that sent chills down everyone's spine.

"It's because— Dragon Slayer Magic itself, or more accurately, Dragon Slayer Magic taught by dragons themselves, excluding things like Laxus."

"Huh?!"

Lucy and Gray were both stunned.

The Happy, floating in mid-air, was so frightened that it clung tightly to its chubby face with its two little paws, tears streaming down its fur as it screamed loudly.

"What?! Dragon Slayer Magic itself?!"

"Then... won't Natsu eventually turn into a giant, monstrous dragon covered in scales, who doesn't recognize his own family?!"

Carla, who was hovering above Wendy's head, also changed her expression drastically. Her white wings trembled violently, and she grabbed Wendy's thin shoulders with both hands.

"Wendy is also Dragon Slayer... Could it be that Wendy also...?"

The atmosphere at the top of the altar suddenly became extremely heavy and oppressive.

Natsu looked down at his hands, a spark flickering between his fingertips, his expression becoming somewhat complicated.

For Dragon Slayer Mage, this skill is the most precious gift left to them by the dragons who raised them. No one could have imagined that such a vicious curse, devouring humanity, was hidden deep within this power.

Wendy also pursed her lips, somewhat at a loss.

Seeing his terrified and bewildered companions and the two kittens, Jiang Bai approached Natsu and Wendy.

His gaze sharpened slightly.

He looked at the two of them, or more accurately, he looked deep into their bodies.

Deep within Natsu's burning, Boil heart, and within Wendy's gentle, clear magical wellspring.

Two ancient seals, Hidden to the extreme, remained silently in place.

Deep within that profound seal, two enormous ancient dragons slumber— the Fire Dragon King Igneel and the Sky Dragon Grandine!

These two individuals, having relinquished their freedom and resided within the children's bodies, acted as two impenetrable firewalls, constantly neutralizing and dissolving the erosion of Dragonification Antibodies brought about by the Dragon Slayer Magic.

Jiang Bai slowly withdrew his clairvoyant Mental Perception, raised his hand and tapped Natsu's hard head, then casually ruffled Wendy's soft, long blue hair.

"What's the panic?"

Meeting the uneasy gazes of his companions, Jiang Bai smiled confidently, his tone relaxed and nonchalant.

"There's no need to worry unnecessarily. Others might turn into monsters after using Dragon Slayer Magic, but Natsu and Wendy, there's absolutely no danger or hidden danger of you becoming dragons."

Happy stretched his neck, his two big eyes blinking.

"Really, Jiang Bai? Why are only Natsu and the others safe?"

"Not just Natsu and Wendy, but Gajeel and Sting are also included."

Jiang Bai put his hands back in his pockets, turned his back to the crowd, and slowly walked towards the edge of the torch platform.

"Want to know why?"

"Just wait patiently. The day the mystery is revealed is not far off. As for the real reason... you will see for yourselves later."

[There will be one more chapter tonight, barring any unforeseen circumstances. If not tonight, then four chapters tomorrow.]