CRASH!
The massive dragon body, as hard as an iron tower, crashed to the ground.
Its sheer, visible weight was actually causing the ground to collapse!
Acnologia merely flapped its black dragon wings lightly, and the resulting storm blew Hades and his group backward, forcing them to tense their leg muscles just to steady themselves.
"Wings of despair as black as night, overwhelming power, an utterly evil magical wave... this, this monster..." Under the oppressive force, Hades's entire body trembled uncontrollably, his voice filled with fear. "The monster recorded in the apocalypse that ended the age of dragons... Acnologia?!"
With just a single glance, he had guessed the identity of this behemoth before him.
Both were black dragons. If Gandora the Dragon of Destruction, which Chase had summoned earlier, symbolized brutality and ferocity, then Acnologia was the pure embodiment of evil itself!
The cold, icy chill emanating from those pale white pupils penetrated deep into the bone. Even Hades, who practiced Underworld Magic, felt a chill run through his heart.
However, while Hades recognized Acnologia and knew of its terror, the same could not be said for the Grimoire Heart members beside him.
"Another one of these flying, four-legged lizards! Go to hell!!"
Already boiling with rage after being defeated by a Dragon Slayer, Zancrow, seeing this sudden appearance Acnologia acting so high and mighty, immediately flew into a fury.
The enraged man clasped his hands together, forming a massive scythe condensed from pitch-black God Slayer flames. He crouched and charged at Acnologia, then leaped high into the air.
"God of Flame's Demon Might!"
The moment he swung with tremendous force, the black flame scythe rapidly expanded, carving a sharp arc through the sky.
"Ahahaha! So what if it has immense magic power? A lizard is still a lizard! Let's see it get sliced in half by my God Slayer Magic!"
Watching Acnologia stand there like a low-intelligence creature, stunned, Zancrow let out a maniacal laugh.
Then, the next second, his smile froze.
CLANG!
The God of Flame's scythe struck Acnologia's thick neck squarely. Aside from sparks flying, there was no other reaction.
His God Slayer Magic, which could easily cut through steel, couldn't even... scratch its scales?!
Zancrow was greatly shaken. He finally managed to regain some sanity from his enraged state.
Unfortunately, the opponent he had encountered this time was not as merciful as Natsu.
As casually as swatting a buzzing mosquito by his ear, Acnologia extended its dragon claw and gently swatted Zancrow.
BAM!
A dull sonic boom erupted from the horrific monstrous force. Zancrow didn't even have time to scream before he was reduced to a mist of blood, dying instantly!
Compared to its mindset of "toying with ants" when it had descended upon Tenrou Island in the original story, Acnologia seemed rather grumpy this time, showing no mercy.
"D-damn it! Just what kind of monster is this?!" Kain cried out in alarm.
A God Slayer's body was forged through countless battles, possessing formidable durability. Yet Zancrow couldn't even withstand a single casual swipe from this thing?
The gap between them was simply too vast!
This was not an existence that humans could possibly defeat!
Realizing this, the Grimoire Heart elite mages whom Hades had protected were immediately scared out of their wits. They turned tail and fled in all directions, completely losing the will to fight.
"These cowards who fear death above all else..." Rustyrose's expression was terrifyingly dark. As he desperately mobilized his magic power, he looked at Hades. "Master Hades, you go first. I'll hold off this monster."
"I'll stay with you!" Kain stood by his side, his expression resolute.
Despite having done countless cruel and heartless deeds, these two were, unexpectedly, quite loyal.
To them, Hades, who had given them Lost Magic and a new life, was not only the god of the "Great Magical World" but also a father figure!
BOOM!
The magical arrays of Arc of Embodiment and Usual Hour Arrival glowed with dazzling light. Rustyrose and Kain fearlessly charged at Acnologia.
But if even Fairy Tail's strongest magic, which surpassed the three great magics—"We Are Fairy Tail"—was ineffective against Acnologia, how could their desperate struggle, or even their "power-up burst," possibly create a miracle?
Acnologia merely exerted a little effort, tearing Rustyrose and the sacred beast he had materialized in half, and piercing through Kain's chest, which had taken on steel-like properties!
Then, highly concentrated energy accumulated deep within its gaping maw, transforming into a terrifying magical cannon that shot forth.
The light cannon carved through the earth, passing by Hades's side, and exploded behind him in a massive, world-ending mushroom cloud!
The fleeing Grimoire Heart mages were not spared. They were instantly annihilated!
Witnessing this tragedy unfolding before his eyes, Hades's face was filled with despair. He had completely lost the high spirits that came with being the master of the strongest dark guild.
From Acnologia's descent, to Zancrow's attack, to Rustyrose and Kain's desperate resistance, to the complete destruction of Grimoire Heart—the entire process had been far too fast. There was no time to react.
It clearly had no intention of letting anyone present survive!
"How dare you... how dare you go this far! I—" Hades, his hair disheveled, filled with grief and indignation, veins bulging on his forehead, walked step by step toward Acnologia. "—will make you pay a heavy price!!"
A raging, violent magical storm howled forth. With his heart destroyed, he used the remaining vitality of his broken body as fuel, detonating all the potential savings over a hundred years!
WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH.
Countless magical chains flew out from the magical storm, tightly binding Acnologia's massive, powerful dragon body.
Amaterasu magical arrays lit up in dense numbers, each one sensing with the others, forming a network. Their scale far exceeded "Amaterasu Formula 100"!
Hades's skin cracked all over his body. Bright red blood continuously seeped out, then was evaporated by the intense heat, forming a thick mist of blood.
Even as his life force rapidly dissipated, he forced himself to endure the tearing pain, slowly raising his arm to complete the final steps.
"Die... Underworld Amaterasu: Thousand Formula! "
BOOM!
Shockwaves spread. Gale-force winds howled. The horrific magic power accumulated within all the arrays instantly detonated, bursting into a highly concentrated sphere of magical light that seemed capable of distorting and even shattering space itself!
"Heh... heh."
Amidst the boundless despair, a mocking, distinctly human-like laugh suddenly rang out.
Under Hades's terrified, horified gaze, deep within the sphere of magical light capable of destroying everything, Acnologia stepped forward. It slowly opened its massive, fang-filled jaw and gave a gentle inhale.
WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH.
The energy of the magical light sphere immediately broke free from his control, rushing into Acnologia's chest in a swirling vortex, disappearing in the blink of an eye!
"Amaterasu Thousand Formula, infused with Underworld Magic attributes, was just..." Hades felt a chill run through his entire body. He thoroughly experienced what true despair meant.
Having lost the will to fight, he could no longer resist the backlash of his own magic. His body went limp, and he collapsed to his knees.
The next second, Acnologia's claw struck, grabbing him like a pitiful insect, crushing him in its palm.
The scorching hot air gushing from the gaps between the dragon's teeth rushed toward his face. Hades came face to face with those pale white eyes, devoid of any light.
"The scent of dragons... is gone..."
"Where are they... the dragons... where?!"
Acnologia seemed to still be somewhat unconscious, its speech fragmented. But its intense hatred for "dragons" was unmistakably strong.
Hearing this, Hades's pupils suddenly contracted.
Dragons?
Was this monster attracted here by the scent of the dragon that card brat had summoned?
So that's it. That's why Acnologia, recorded in the apocalypse, suddenly appeared!
Recalling the huge commotion of the destruction dragon tearing up the entire forest, combined with the scattered information about Acnologia, this world-ending dragon, Hades quickly pieced together the whole story.
"AAAAHHHH!!"
The intense pain of his bones shattering pulled his thoughts back to reality.
Acnologia tightened the pressure in its palm. "Answer me... the dragons that disappeared... where are they?!"
"Heh... heh... hahahaha!"
Sensing the other's eager and agitated emotions, Hades was momentarily stunned. Then, he suddenly burst into loud laughter.
After laughing, his gaze sharpened. He directly spat all the blood in his throat right onto Acnologia's face.
"If you want to know so badly... go ask your father and mother at home! I have..."
"NO COMMENT! "
With that, a pillar of dark light shot skyward.
Hades, whose pride was extremely strong, refused to die as pathetically as an insect in the other's grasp. So, he burned his very last drop of blood, erupting the final dance of the "demon"!
Under the impact of the dark light pillar, the tightly clenched dragon claw actually loosened!
For the first time since its appearance, a hint of surprise appeared on Acnologia's face. Though the damage was quite minor, its palm had indeed felt a stinging sensation.
In all the years since ending the age of dragons, this was the first time a human had been able to "injure" it!
"Heh... heh... even a monster like you... bleeds red, doesn't it..."
Looking at the trace of blood seeping from the other's palm, Hades laughed with satisfaction.
Starting from his feet, his broken body, suspended in midair, gradually turned to powder and dissipated.
In the final second of his life, Hades's entire life flashed rapidly before his eyes.
Birth, adventure, meeting Mavis, founding Fairy Tail, becoming the second-generation master guiding the guild's direction, leaving Fairy Tail to travel
the world, glimpsing the abyss of magic and falling into darkness, forming Grimoire Heart...
At the very end, the picture froze on Mavis's vibrant, radiant smiling face.
With this, there are no more debts between us... Fairy Tail...
A gentle breeze blew across the battlefield, carrying away the traces of this great mage who had dominated the magical world for so many years.
ROAR!!!
Having not obtained the information about the dragons it sought, Acnologia raised its head to the heavens and roared in fury. The shockwave shook the entire earth, announcing the final curtain fall of the dark guild... Grimoire Heart.
***
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