Natsu's clothes had been torn apart.
His arms and shoulders were also cut by flying rubble.
Yet he still refused to let go.
He swallowed ball after ball of hellfire.
His depleted magic power began to recover.
But the flames on Atlas Flame's body were rapidly dwindling.
"Damn human!"
It swung its tail, smashing apart the buildings on both sides of the street.
"Get off!"
"No way!"
Natsu replied indistinctly.
In the midst of the ongoing struggle, Atlas Flame suddenly stopped.
As Natsu devoured the flames, it sensed a familiar presence.
That presence was hidden deep within Natsu's Dragon Slayer Magic.
There was no way it could be mistaken.
Atlas Flame slowly turned its head.
"Human."
"What is your relationship with Igneel?"
Natsu's movements abruptly stopped.
He looked up.
"You know Igneel?"
"Answer me."
"Why do you carry his presence?"
Natsu immediately perked up.
"Igneel is my dad!"
"He raised me, and he taught me Dragon Slayer Magic!"
Atlas Flame stared at Natsu on its back.
Its flames stopped churning.
"You are Igneel's child?"
"That's right!"
Natsu hurriedly climbed toward its neck.
"Do you know where Igneel is?"
"He suddenly disappeared seven years ago!"
"I've been looking for him ever since!"
Atlas Flame fell silent.
It finally understood why Natsu could devour its hellfire.
This reckless human before it was the child raised by its old friend.
The human and dragon, who had been fighting to the death moments ago, suddenly stopped.
Atlas Flame no longer tried to throw Natsu off.
And Natsu felt too embarrassed to keep chewing.
Elsewhere, Lu Chongwei had already returned to the hatchling battlefield.
Fairy Tail had just finished clearing out a group of hatchlings.
More Dragon Eggs were still falling from the sky.
"Zhongwei!"
Erza sent a hatchling flying with a slash of her