Chapter 320: I Will Definitely Come Back
"Ren, how should we handle these guys?"
Makarov asked Ren; although he was the Guild Master, in such a tricky situation, it was better to let Ren handle it.
Ren couldn't help but frown as he looked at the several giant Dragons.
He certainly had the ability to kill these guys, but they were, after all, lives from the past. He didn't know what kind of impact killing them here would have.
"Let's send them back," Ren said after a moment of profound thought.
His eyes swept over the terrifying beasts groaning amidst the ruins of the capital. These Dragons were anomalies ripped from their proper place in history, and tampering with their fates by slaughtering them in the present could trigger catastrophic temporal paradoxes. Since they would inevitably face their destined deaths in their original era anyway, there was absolutely no reason for him to bloody his own hands.
Soon, the ground trembled violently beneath their feet. Rumble rumble—!!
The massive, ancient stone doors of the Eclipse Gate groaned as they reopened. A swirling vortex of celestial magic and temporal distortion illuminated the night sky, casting an eerie, pulsating glow over the destroyed city of Crocus.
Without a second thought, dense, vibrant blue energy erupted from Ren's body. The energy rapidly materialized into colossal, glowing Chakra Hands that stretched high into the heavens.
With a simple clench of his fists, Ren manipulated the massive magical constructs. The Chakra Hands lunged forward with blinding speed, bundling up all seven giant Dragons as if they were nothing more than unruly pets.
The legendary beasts roared in fury and terror, their massive wings thrashing against the unyielding grip of Ren's power. Yet, despite their overwhelming physical strength, they were utterly helpless as Ren casually threw them directly into the swirling abyss of the Eclipse Gate.
Hidden deep within the shadows of the rubble, Future Rogue's expression twisted into a remarkably ugly scowl. His pale face contorted with a mixture of disbelief and seething rage.
He had never expected that the seven invincible Dragons he had worked so painstakingly hard to manipulate would be dispatched so easily. Years of meticulous planning and temporal scheming had been erased in mere seconds, all for absolutely nothing.
Although he was incredibly unwilling to accept this crushing defeat, there was literally nothing he could do against a monster like Ren. However, amidst his despair, a dark, desperate glimmer of hope ignited within his mind.
He remembered a crucial piece of knowledge: many members of the Dragon Clan still lived in isolation on the northern Guiltina Continent. Among them were the legendary Five Dragon Gods, beings boasting raw strength completely comparable to the Black Dragon, Acnologia.
[Akarin's Note: The Guiltina Continent and the Five Dragon Gods are major elements introduced in the official Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest sequel.]
As long as he could retreat, bide his time, and find a way to control those god-like entities, he would possess power far greater than what he had lost tonight. His twisted ambition was far from extinguished.
"Hmph! Ren, just you wait," Future Rogue sneered quietly in the darkness, his eyes glowing with malice. "Once I've controlled those legendary Dragons, I'll come back to wipe out both you and Fairy Tail from existence."
"Close the gate—!!"
Princess Hisui E. Fiore, standing firmly amidst the exhausted royal guards, immediately ordered the grand mechanism to be shut down. Her voice echoed clearly across the battlefield, eager to end this nightmare once and for all.
"Wait a moment!"
Ren spoke up, his voice not particularly loud, yet it effortlessly cut through the chaotic noise and stopped the Royal Army in their tracks.
"What is it, Mr. Ren?"
Princess Hisui couldn't help but use an honorific, her posture automatically shifting to one of deep respect. Without a doubt, Ren had proven himself to be the absolute strongest Mage in Fiore—no, his power eclipsed the entire Ishgar continent.
His overwhelming presence was not something a mere princess of a mortal kingdom like herself could ever compare to, or dare to ignore.
"There's still one little mouse scurrying about in the dark," Ren said, a faint, knowing smirk playing on his lips. "Let's send him over too."
While everyone was still a bit dazed by his cryptic words, the air suddenly distorted.
Ren's glowing Chakra Hand suddenly changed trajectory and lunged downward, aiming straight toward Present Rogue Cheney. Under everyone's confused and horrified gazes, the giant hand forcefully grabbed Rogue's shadow on the ground.
With a sickening tearing sound, it pulled a physical person directly out of the two-dimensional darkness.
"What?!"
Future Rogue was completely stunned, gasping for air as he was dangled high above the ground. He had completely masked his magical signature; he couldn't comprehend how the other party had so casually discovered his flawless hiding place.
"Rogue!!!" Sting Eucliffe yelled, his eyes darting frantically between his partner standing next to him and the man held captive in the sky.
Although his physical appearance had aged and his aura was thoroughly corrupted by dark magic, everyone recognized him at a single glance. It was undeniably Rogue from the Sabertooth guild.
"It's... it's me?!"
Present Rogue's eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated shock. His breath hitched in his throat as he stared at his older, sinister counterpart. What on earth was going on?
"How are there two Rogues?!" The surrounding Mages and Royal Guards were entirely dumbfounded, whispering frantically amongst themselves.
Arcadios, the heavily armored Knight Captain of the Cherry Blossom Holy Knights, stepped forward with a furious scowl. "It's him! He is the one who cruelly deceived the Princess!"
He pointed his heavy broadsword directly at the captive time-traveler. "He came from the future and falsely told Her Highness that a swarm of ten thousand Dragons would attack the capital. The Princess believed his manipulative words and opened the Eclipse Gate out of desperation."
Realization dawned on the exhausted crowd. Everyone finally understood that this specific person was the true mastermind, the vile culprit behind this entire apocalyptic incident.
"Let me go!! Damn you, let me go!!"
Future Rogue struggled immediately, thrashing his limbs and flaring his White-Shadow Dragon Slayer magic. But no matter how violently he fought, his magic was utterly suppressed; he couldn't even put a dent in Ren's oppressive Chakra Hand.
"Well, since you love manipulating Dragons so much, I have the perfect destination for you," Ren said smoothly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I'll send you back 400 years into the past. That was the golden era of the Dragon King Festival."
As he spoke those condemning words, Ren swung his arm with immense force, directly throwing the screaming Future Rogue straight into the vortex of the Eclipse Gate.
Hearing that Ren wasn't going to execute him on the spot, but was instead exiling him 400 years into the past, Future Rogue was suddenly overjoyed. His twisted mind immediately began formulating a plan for survival.
"Ren, you arrogant fool! You will deeply regret your decision!!"
With a heavily distorted face, Future Rogue shouted back at Ren as the temporal gravity began to pull him in. "Just you wait! I will survive this!! I will keep surviving, no matter the cost!!"
His voice echoed from within the swirling magical abyss, filled with venomous determination. "I'll live through the centuries until today, 400 years later, and I will definitely come back to settle this score with you!!"
Clang—!!
The massive, heavily ornate doors of the Eclipse Gate finally slammed shut, cutting off his crazed laughter and sealing the timeline once more. The blinding light faded, leaving only the soft glow of the moon.
Mira walked up beside Ren, her beautiful face etched with genuine concern. "Ren, he won't really... come back, right?"
Ren smiled gently, reaching out to pat Mirajane's head to comfort her. "It's completely fine. 400 years ago, the Black Dragon Acnologia ruthlessly ended the era of giant Dragons, slaughtering them all."
He looked at the sealed gate with a dismissive expression. "Even if he goes back with his current strength, what kind of massive waves can he possibly stir up in an era ruled by gods? The era of Dragons was absolutely destined to be destroyed."
Ren chuckled lightly. "Even if he somehow manages to live, he'll just be a rat barely clinging to life in the shadows. He's absolutely nothing for us to fear."
Standing a few meters away, Present Rogue dropped to his knees, his hands trembling violently. "This... was that really me... will I truly become a monster like that?"
Rogue was suddenly overwhelmed with an unbearable sense of guilt and self-loathing. The thought of losing Frosch and descending into such utter darkness terrified him to his core. Would his future self really become the villain who nearly destroyed the world?
Noticing the young Dragon Slayer's despair, Ren walked over and spoke in a clear, authoritative tone. "Don't worry about it! That person isn't you, or rather, he is merely one of the infinite possible futures that could have occurred."
Rogue looked up, tears of confusion pricking the corners of his eyes.
"Your future self hasn't encountered the same events as you did today," Ren explained patiently, utilizing the logic of branching timelines. "Which means your current world-line has already diverted completely from his. As long as you protect what matters to you, you don't need to worry about becoming like that."
Hearing those words, the heavy burden in Rogue's heart finally lifted. Sting clapped him firmly on the shoulder, offering a wide, reassuring grin to his partner.
"But speaking of which," Ren sighed, changing the heavy subject as he glanced at his surroundings. "It seems the beautiful Flower Capital is completely ruined."
Except for the massive Domus Flau—the Grand Magic Games Arena in the distance—which miraculously remained relatively intact, the entire Royal Capital of Crocus was completely leveled. Buildings were reduced to rubble, and the streets were torn to shreds.
Stepping forward through the debris, the King of Fiore, Toma E. Fiore, spoke with unwavering optimism. "It's completely alright! With the power of magic, there is absolutely no problem we cannot fix!"
He loved the Grand Magic Games dearly; the passionate magical duels between Guild Mages always made his old blood boil with excitement. It was the very reason he enthusiastically disguised himself to act as the quirky referee, Mato the Pumpkin Head.
This year's Grand Magic Games, however, had been wildly different from anything in history. The tournament games themselves were incredibly exciting, but they were entirely overshadowed by the apocalyptic battle between humans and Dragons at night.
The unbelievable scene of Ren single-handedly defeating seven legendary Dragons was something King Toma intended to personally write into the grand history of the Kingdom of Fiore. It was a legend that would be passed down for a thousand years.
Since the Royal Capital was practically uninhabitable, everyone had no choice but to evacuate to the Domus Flau arena to rest and recover for the night. The Mages huddled together, sharing stories and drinks amidst the exhaustion.
Over the next few days, the massive project to repair the city officially began. It had to be openly admitted that the court Mages of the Kingdom of Fiore were incredibly skilled in terms of magical technology.
The grand Royal Palace, which had been brutally reduced to ashes during the dragon attacks, soon reappeared against the skyline. Thanks to high-level restoration magic, it looked exactly as majestic as it did before the destruction.
The intricately paved streets were also partially restored in record time. These dedicated court Mages might not be as good at brutal combat as the battle-hardened guild Mages, but their technical and architectural skills far surpassed those of ordinary fighters.
For instance, the incredibly complex Sky Labyrinth manifested during the Grand Magic Games' preliminaries was a very impressive, large-scale piece of Engineering Magic. They were now applying that same magical principle to rebuild the city block by block.
A few days after the Grand Magic Games ended—
"Did you hear? They say that while we were being evacuated, Dragons attacked the city."
"Don't talk nonsense. Aren't Dragons just creatures made up in legends?"
"They say someone saw them with their own eyes."
"Wasn't it just a Mage's magic?"
"But what kind of magic could cause such massive destruction!"...Some of the city's residents gradually returned. Seeing the Flower Capital destroyed beyond recognition, they were all dumbfounded, not knowing what had happened here.
The Kingdom suppressed the news about the Dragons. After all, it wasn't a good thing. If others knew it was because of the Princess that Dragons were brought to this era, both the citizens and neighboring countries would have much to say about the Kingdom of Fiore's actions. So, the best way was to simply hide it.
"Speaking of which, it seems that group of Mages is having a party in the Royal Palace today!"
"Wow! I'm so jealous! There's never been a precedent for inviting Mages into the castle before."
"It shows that this banquet is quite grand!!"
[Akarin Note:
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