The doors suddenly swung open like an endless abyss swallowing the starry sky.
Brilliant, shifting colors flashed within the gate, making Ankh dizzy as he was dragged toward it.
Behind Rogue, Soda's figure swelled until it nearly pierced the clouds.
In those impossible-to-look-at eyes burned a terrifying obsession.
'This was a tool created by that special god successor under the watch of the gods, reinforced personally by Zous and further strengthened by me.'
'Are you telling me even this cannot bring you down?!'
"Ankhseram, obediently fall for me!"
Soda's voice exploded across the sky like thunder.
That furious sound echoed through the clouds, shaking even the heavens.
The sun, which had not yet set, began to dim.
Dense black spots crawled across its surface, and then boundless dark clouds covered the sky, stealing almost all light from the city.
The wind before the storm filled every tower and street. The people watching the festival in the city almost all felt a heavy shadow settle over their hearts.
Ankh clung to the doorframe, startled as he felt the devouring force behind him grow stronger and stronger.
If this was merely something Zeref had created, then the Eclipse Gate seemed far too powerful…
Ankh could feel the divine power inside him beginning to stagnate.
If this continued, he really might be sucked into the gate and lost somewhere in unknown space-time.
Rogue threw his head back and laughed like a madman. Then he took a deep breath toward the Eclipse Gate, gathering black-and-white Magic Power into his lungs.
Powerful Dragon Force surged out, firing toward Ankh, who was hanging by a thread.
"Exit the stage of history, Ankh!"
"I'm the winner!"
"White Shadow Dragon's—Roar!"
The power of light and shadow intertwined.
Hanging onto the Eclipse Gate's doorframe, Ankh looked at the breath attack Rogue fired toward him, and a smile appeared on his face, as if he had expected this all along.
Then Ankh shouted toward the sky.
"Time for your entrance, Yusa!"
"Hm?"
Rogue froze.
Even Soda's divine shadow behind him trembled slightly, as if remembering something unpleasant.
"Here I cooome!"
Answering Ankh's call, Yusalk, who had been waiting for quite some time, came pouncing down from the sky in excitement like Sun Wukong finally escaping Five-Finger Mountain.
"Yusalk… so you've chosen Ankhseram's side…"
A deep voice came from Soda's throat.
For some reason, Rogue seemed to hear a trace of disgust in that tone…
Yusalk reached out barehanded and grabbed the roar of light and shadow Rogue had fired.
That powerful stream of energy seemed to become solid in His grasp.
With a twist of Yusalk's hand, the attack turned around and was thrown straight back toward Rogue!
Rogue: !!!
Seeing his own merciless attack flung back at him, Rogue's pupils shrank.
He rolled aside in an extremely sorry state, while the black-and-white beam blasted through the palace and exploded in the gloomy sky, lighting up a large area.
Then Yusalk stretched both hands toward the Eclipse Gate.
Dim, murky divine light sank into the doors, and the suction constantly devouring Ankh began to weaken.
The gate itself also started suffering a powerful backlash.
Taking the chance, Ankh grabbed the doorframe and jumped back to the ground.
After letting out a breath of relief, he smiled and patted Yusalk on the head.
"Nice work, Yusa."
Yusalk scratched His head shyly and could not stop Himself from chuckling.
"It was nothing~"
"But… Ankhseram, in order to pull you out, the Eclipse Gate has already opened. And this gate seems to have become very strange. The dragons may come out at any moment."
Ankh took a deep breath and answered firmly, "Don't worry. I'll close it!"
"Not a chance!"
Hearing this, Rogue, who had not even tamed a single dragon yet, immediately panicked.
The dual Dragon Force of black-and-white light and shadow erupted again, dragging out a long slash as it cleaved toward Ankh.
Ankh did not even need to move.
Yusalk reached out, grabbed the White Shadow Dragon's slash, and slapped it away like a headless fly. It lost control and crashed into the side.
"Damn it!"
Rogue gritted his teeth.
On that towering divine face of Soda's, a faint trace of disgust appeared. Purple divine light shook across His body and sank into the earth, while His deep voice sounded out.
"Since you have violated our agreement, I shall consider you an enemy, Yusalk!"
Purple light seeped from cracks in the ground.
Then the earth beneath Ankh and Yusalk's feet seemed to come alive, trying to swallow them completely.
As the surrounding ground rose higher and higher, an earth giant like a Titan rose from the ground, lifting a massive fist.
Its size was nearly comparable to half the palace.
Yusalk sucked in a sharp breath.
Looking at the apocalyptic scene of the earth shaking, the sky being blotted out, and the ground seeming to overturn toward the heavens, He asked, "He gave the earth a soul. What do we do now?"
"You stop Soda!" Ankh said without hesitation.
"Huh? Me?"
Yusalk almost suspected His ears had stopped working.
"You've been without your memories for too long, haven't you? That's Soda! And look at the difference between how we descended into human bodies…"
Yusalk looked at His own skin, which was already cracking and bleeding.
This was Princess Hisui's body, and the divine power He had used earlier had already exceeded what Hisui could withstand.
Soda, on the other hand, had at least possessed a physically powerful Dragon Slayer!
Ankh applied continuous healing with divine power of life onto Yusalk and said, "You're both gods. I believe you can handle it."
Before his words had fully faded, the violent backlash from the Eclipse Gate was finally dissolved.
A huge dragon head stretched out from behind the gate!
It was a true dragon.
Rogue could not hold back his excited laughter.
"It's starting! It's starting! Descend, my dragon army!"
"Lord Soda! Please drive those two away from the Eclipse Gate!"
Naturally, Soda ignored him.
Under His soul possession, the giant taller than the palace began dropping its massive fist toward Ankh and the others.
Yusalk sighed.
Twisted chaotic power surged around Him, and He charged straight toward the Titan's fist without dodging.
"Come on! I've been sick of you for ages!"
Chaotic divine power shot into the sky.
"Hisui's" petite figure looked like a fairy beneath the dark night as she lightly twisted the Titan giant's fist into pieces.
Space convulsed.
The earth shattered.
The palace was battered into ruin by fragments of the shattered fist.
Mercurius Palace was destroyed by nearly half, and at last, the great bell rang throughout the city.
It was the final warning of disaster's arrival.
Because at the Eclipse Gate, the first dragon was already circling beneath the black sky, throwing its head back and letting out an excited roar.
That unrestrained, joyful cry sounded as if it were calling its companions, preparing to begin the hunt and feast.
"That's… a dragon!!"
At the same time, Mirajane and the others, who had already rescued Team Ram, had rushed out of the Hell Palace.
Seeing that enormous creature in the sky, then looking at the ruined state of the palace, shock filled everyone's faces.
"Ankh!"
Future Natsu reacted almost instinctively, running desperately toward the palace.
His eyes were full of fury, and he kept muttering under his breath.
"Please… Ankh!"
"Please, survive!"
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