"Agh!" Acnologia let out a painful howl. This time he was truly seriously injured. The blood in his body seemed to be boiling, and the blood flow was irregular. Chen Fan made Acnologia feel fear, something he had long forgotten after traveling all over the world for more than 400 years.
The man before him was terrifying; this power was not something a human should possess. He suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to escape.
Acnologia's magical energy surged, gradually enveloping her body, as if she was about to unleash a powerful attack. Chen Fan jumped off Acnologia, wanting to see what else Acnologia was planning.
But to everyone's surprise, Acnologia grabbed the severed Dark Wings, pushed off with his feet, and swiftly flew away into the distance.
Everyone who witnessed it was stunned; the Black Dragon Acnologia, such a powerful being, had actually escaped.
"The Evil's Maxim ...!... has actually escaped!" Makarov said, his body trembling.
Makarov's words reminded everyone that the black dragon Acnologia had escaped. What did that mean? It meant victory! Everyone had finally survived and protected Fairy Tail's sacred ground.
They exchanged a glance. "We've won...!"
"We've finally won!"
"We survived...!"
Everyone shed tears of excitement, celebrating and shouting with joy. The Black Acnologia had put immense pressure on them.
Everyone looked at Chen Fan, the greatest contributor to this victory. If it weren't for Chen Fan, everyone would have died, yet Chen Fan's body remained standing.
Suddenly, Chen Fan fell straight down. At that moment, two figures rushed over quickly— Erza and Mira —and caught Chen Fan just before Chen Fan collapsed.
Looking at Chen Fan's gray, dry hair, his tight, wrinkled skin, and his lifeless eyes, Erza and Mira knew that Chen Fan must have used some kind of deadly technique. He seemed to be on the verge of death, his life force almost gone.
Tears streamed down Erza and Mira's faces. The person who used to be so noisy, teasing, sarcastic, a little lecherous, a little fickle, and who protected and loved them had become like this. The tears simply couldn't be stopped.
"I'm sorry...! I made you cry again...! I promised I wouldn't make you cry again." Chen Fan tried to put on his usual nonchalant smile as he gently wiped away the tears from Mira and Erza's faces.
Although Chen Fan tried to wipe away his tears, they kept flowing again as soon as he wiped them away, and he couldn't stop them at all;
"It's all my fault...! If I hadn't provoked the Black Dragon, none of this would have happened..." Chen Fan said with a smile;
"Don't say that. We've all heard from the guild master that the appearance of the Black Dragon means destruction. Your goal is to draw the Black Dragon's hatred to yourself, buying us time to escape. We all know that..." Erza said, tears streaming down her face.
"Really!... You all know now!... My acting has gotten worse, huh?... Or has everyone gotten smarter?... Being able to protect you all... I'm really happy... so happy! I feel it's all worth it, no matter what it takes... Smile, we've won!" Chen Fan said haltingly. He already felt his life was nearing its end. This time, he had overdrawn almost all of his life force, his brain had instantly reached LV5, but the price he paid was heavy. His life force was constantly dissipating, his calculation ability was waning, and his vision was becoming blurry.
The Fairy Tail members also fell silent. They too could feel Chen Fan's life force draining away. Most of them had tears in their eyes. For so many years, Chen Fan had protected and guided them like an older brother. This sudden separation by death was unbearable for these men and women alike. But no one disturbed Mira, Erza, and Chen Fan, because that space and time belonged to them.
Makarov was also in tears, sobbing incessantly. He blamed himself for not being able to provide a safe haven for his children as a father, and for having them protect him instead. He felt he had failed in his responsibilities as a father.
At this moment, within ERA, the Magic Council;
"The world needs balance, and cannot tolerate anything that disrupts that balance. Its existence will bring danger to the world and must be destroyed. Raise your hand if you agree to launch 'Edilio'!"
"Agree!"
"Agree...!"
"Agree...!"...
"Be opposed to...!"
"Objection...!" said Guran Doma and another councilor Makarov;
"Council Chairman Guran, launching 'Edilio' only requires the approval of eight people. Your and Councilor Makarov's dissenting votes are invalid. Prepare to launch Edilio!" a councilor said with a sinister smile.