Magic Council Headquarters (ERA)

  Late at night, the council’s headquarters were abze with light when the piercing sound of an arm suddenly filled the air.

  Inside the chairman’s office, Gran Doma’s expression darkened as he shot to his feet.

  “What’s going on?”

  With a loud bang, a member of the intelligence department burst into the room, panic etched across his face.

  “Bad news, Chairman!”

  “We’ve detected an abnormal magic signature within the Kingdom of Fiore. It matches the one previously observed in Clover Canyon!”

  “It’s… the bck dragon from the Apocalypse—Acnologia!”

  “What?!”

  Gran Doma’s heart skipped a beat. “Where is it now?”

  The intelligence officer replied quickly, “It’s moving at high speed. Based on its current trajectory, it should be in the Web Valley and will soon reach Magnolia!”

  Hearing this, Gran Doma broke out in a cold sweat.

  Why did all these disasters have to happen during his tenure as chairman?

  First, there was Nate’s Celestial Pokémon game, which had caused immeasurable societal ripples.

  Not long after, the legendary Bck Mage, Zeref, had reappeared.

  And now, Acnologia.

  Could he even continue as chairman after this?

  “Notify the other council members immediately. We’re holding an emergency meeting!”

  …

  Council Meeting Room

  It wasn’t long before all eight members of the council had gathered.

  “Calling us in after hours—what’s this about?” grumbled an elderly woman, sighing. “I was preparing dinner for my granddaughter.”

  “It’s the bck dragon. It has appeared again!” Gran Doma wasted no time getting to the point.

  The room fell into stunned silence.

  Crawford Seam, visibly shaken, asked, “Where is it? Do we know its objective?”

  Gran Doma expined, “The satellite surveilnce magic picked up its energy signature. It’s likely already near Magnolia.”

  “Magnolia? The town where Fairy Tail is located?”

  Crawford frowned deeply. “Could it be connected to Fairy Tail?”

  Gran Doma decred gravely, “Every time the bck dragon appears, it signifies the end of an era. No matter the cost, we cannot stand idly by!”

  After a pause, his voice grew firm.

  “As chairman, I propose we deploy Etherion, the Magic Council’s ultimate weapon. Let’s begin voting!”

  The six council members exchanged uneasy gnces.

  Crawford Seam immediately objected, “Hold on! We should confirm the situation first—”

  Gran Doma cut him off sharply. “I am the chairman!”

  Crawford fell silent, visibly displeased.

  …

  Magnolia – Fairy Tail Guild

  Around 7:00 PM, the guild was quiet, with only a few members present.

  Behind the bar, Mirajane and Lisanna were polishing gsses and cleaning the countertop.

  “Stealing an S-Css request from the master’s office… That’s such a Natsu thing to do,” Mirajane said with a chuckle.

  Seated at the bar, Natsu crossed his arms and grinned smugly. “I’m already S-Css! It’s about time I completed one or two S-Css jobs.”

  “Here you go, Happy.” Lisanna handed Happy a gss of juice before turning to Natsu with a scolding tone. “But stealing isn’t right, Natsu.”

  “Thanks, Lisanna!” Happy purred, sipping his juice and basking in her attention.

  “We tried to stop him,” Happy added. “Natsu even wanted to take on a hundred-year quest at first. But since he couldn’t find the request for that, he grabbed the one on the master’s desk.”

  “Betrayed and sold out?” Nate thought to himself with amusement. Happy truly had no hesitation in giving Natsu away.

  “There’s no actual request form for hundred-year quests,” Nate expined calmly, “and they require traveling to the northern continent… But honestly, compared to hundred-year quests, the threat of the Bck Dragon is far more serious.”

  As he spoke, a small elderly man walked in through the doorway.

  “Nate’s right. The Bck Dragon is incredibly dangerous.”

  “Master,” Mirajane greeted him. “Why did the Council suddenly issue such a request?”

  “About ten days ago, the Bck Dragon appeared in Clover Canyon and caused massive destruction,” Makarov sighed heavily.

  Clover Canyon was riddled with countless fault lines, a result of ancient seismic events. It was often called the “Web Valley,” as many who entered were never seen again.

  “I went to the scene myself. I don’t know who the Bck Dragon fought, but it left behind a massive crater,” Makarov continued. “Afterward, the Council issued a directive to the regional guild alliance, which then sent out S-Css requests to all local guilds.”

  He walked to the bar and sat down, holding the request for the Bck Dragon in his hand.

  “In the Apocalypse, the appearance of Acnologia—the Bck Dragon—signifies the imminent end of an era.”

  To ordinary people, the existence of the Bck Dragon was a tightly kept secret. But for the Magic Council and Makarov, it was a well-known legend.

  The Dragon King, the Bck Feather of Apocalypse, the Wing of Despair, the Source of Evil—the Bck Dragon had countless titles.

  Nate shook his head. “Hear that, Natsu? Don’t mess with it. With your tiny frame, you wouldn’t even make a snack for it.”

  Instead of being frightened, Natsu looked eager. “Dragon syers exist to sy dragons—”

  Before he could finish, a deafening roar thundered from the sky.

  Makarov’s face darkened.

  “That sound…” Mirajane looked up in shock. “It’s coming from above?”

  Nate immediately activated his Six Eyes to their fullest extent. A powerful magic aura was hurtling toward the guild from above at incredible speed.

  “Get down!”

  Boom!

  The roof of the guild shattered as a massive bck cw smashed through the front door and crashed heavily into the hall.

  Roar!

  The Bck Dragon bellowed, its voice alone creating a gale that tore through the interior of the guild.

  “Ahhhh!” Happy screamed, clutching the scarf draped over Nate’s p.

  Inside the hall, tables and chairs were blown away, shelves behind the bar shattered, and bottles of alcohol crashed to the floor.

  Natsu stared at the intruder in disbelief. “A dragon?!”

  “Acnologia!” Makarov murmured, eyes wide with shock. Why was the Bck Dragon here?

  Nate stood, gazing at the dragon. Compared to their st encounter, this close-up meeting made the Bck Dragon’s oppressive aura even more palpable. Through his Six Eyes, Nate observed the immense magic power surging within the creature.

  “I’ve found you, Igneel!” The Bck Dragon’s massive eyes locked onto Natsu, speaking in a chillingly human voice. “I didn’t expect there to be a dragon still alive in this world.”

  “Igneel?”

  Natsu’s face was filled with astonishment. Was it here for the dragon within him?

  The Bck Dragon’s gaze shifted, its enormous eye focusing on Nate.

  “So, we meet again, human. No… you’re no ordinary human. Perhaps it’s more fitting to call you the Master of the Magic Net?”

  Nate paused for a moment before greeting it casually, “Good evening, Bck Dragon. I’m surprised you’re still interested in talking with a ‘human.’”

  But the Bck Dragon’s interest was fleeting; it had no intention of continuing the conversation. Opening its massive jaws, it began gathering terrifying energy within its maw.

  Its intentions were clear—no ulterior motive, no reasoning.

  Just destruction.

  Pure, unrelenting annihition.

  It sought to kill every dragon and destroy everything in its path.

  Bleam