"I enjoyed myself quite a bit, human Mages."
Natsu and Gray frowned deeply, finding Mard Geer's reaction strange.
"Long ago, because of the existence of the First Magic, Magic itself was born. Later, Magic branched into various systems and continued developing..."
"Within that long history, E.N.D. discovered a new possibility for Magic."
"Curses."
As he spoke, Mard Geer clenched his claws tightly.
"Their source of power is curses, resentment, jealousy, hatred, and every other negative emotion... a power born from the essence of life itself!"
Natsu shot back with open disdain, "That's hilarious! Then I'll use Magic to create the future!"
Mard Geer did not argue.
He simply raised his palm toward Natsu and Gray.
A massive amount of black-purple smoke surrounded them from every direction.
"What is this?"
"Fog?"
This was Mard Geer's ultimate Curse.
Memento Mori.
It released a vast cloud of black-purple smoke filled with ghost-like spirits, and any living creature touched by it would be dragged into nothingness.
"My body..."
"I can't move!"
"Magic has no future. Curses are the supreme power that stand above all things!"
The moment Mard Geer finished speaking, Curse Power filled with negative emotions surged into the sky like a flood that could pierce the heavens.
"Negative emotions, you say?"
Kagura opened Archenemy's seal and began absorbing it.
Mira also used Franmalth's ability, doing her best to absorb the Curse Power.
Inside Memento Mori, Gray unleashed his Magic Power at full force as well.
Memento Mori dispersed into the air.
Gray stood in the crater, half his body covered in black demonic markings.
"How is that possible?! Half his body has turned into a demon..."
"All I can do... is believe in Natsu... I'm leaving it to you..."
Gray no longer even had the strength to turn his head.
He fell straight to the ground.
Although Kagura and Mira had helped absorb it, Gray had still paid a massive price to absorb Memento Mori from its center.
"You bastard!!!"
Seeing Gray collapse right in front of him, Natsu's face was instantly covered in crimson dragon scales.
Aside from Dragon Slayer Magic, Natsu had another kind of Magic.
Every member of the guild knew about it.
The Flames of Emotion.
No one knew how Natsu had learned it. Not even Natsu himself truly understood it.
But everyone knew one thing: the angrier Natsu became, the hotter his flames burned, and the stronger his power became.
People's bodies were not all built the same.
You could say that Natsu had no real limit.
That was why Gildarts, Laxus, and the others held him in such high regard.
Natsu's furious fist smashed directly into Mard Geer's face!
"What is this power?!"
Mard Geer was sent flying through the air, his face stinging with pain.
"Is this Dragon Force?!"
Mard Geer stared at the dragon scales on Natsu's face and the golden flames burning around his body.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Shiranui — Crimson Lotus Phoenix Blade!"
Natsu released all of his Magic Power.
The flames around his body transformed into the shape of a phoenix, and he charged headfirst toward Mard Geer at incredible speed, his path cutting through the air like a sword.
The attack struck Mard Geer's abdomen with unstoppable force.
At terrifying speed, it carried Mard Geer high into the sky.
The armor over Mard Geer's abdomen shattered under the direct hit, but he endured the pain and grabbed Natsu, who could no longer move.
"Not yet! I'll destroy your body along with everything else!"
"You really are strong... My Magic Power's already at zero..."
"Disappear!!!" Mard Geer roared with a vicious expression.
'But I believe in you too.'
Even while being held by Mard Geer, Natsu's expression did not change.
"Gray!!!"
Gray struggled to his feet.
In his left arm, he held a massive bow of ice.
"Ice Devil's Zeroth Destruction Bow!"
Hearing Natsu's voice, Gray aimed at Mard Geer.
A high-speed ice arrow shot forward and struck Mard Geer directly, freezing over his abdomen.
Mard Geer could no longer maintain his Etherious Form.
His demonic armor crumbled into stone, then shattered completely.
Mard Geer's eyes went blank as he fell from the sky. Then he turned into a cloud of smoke, returned to his book, and dropped to the ground.
As for Natsu, Kagura stopped his fall with anti-gravity Magic and gently lowered him to the earth.
Mira picked up Mard Geer's book, and Take Over Magic covered its pages.
...
On the other side, Acnologia came crashing down from the sky.
Just moments earlier, the four dragons had restrained Acnologia while Raizel and Igneel each struck Acnologia's chest with a fist, blasting him straight down.
After landing, Igneel pressed one claw onto Acnologia's chest.
Behind him, the other four dragons were all badly wounded and barely clinging to life.
"Go say your farewells," Igneel said, his voice inevitably heavy.
"We'll leave the rest to you," Metalicana said.
He knew they could only do this much.
The time that remained should be spent properly looking at that brat Gajeel.
The other three dragons also spread their wings and flew into the sky, landing beside the Dragon Slayer Mages they had raised.
"You should leave too. Please keep that book safe. Leave the rest to me," Igneel said, nodding to Raizel.
Raizel nodded and left.
He knew Acnologia could not be killed today.
After all, the five dragons were not in their prime.
They were merely soul dragons that had taken residence inside the Dragon Slayers.
On one hand, it had preserved their strength, allowing them to survive in this special form.
Igneel lowered his head and looked toward Natsu, who was not far away.
"We have always used a secret art to sleep within your body."
Covered in wounds from head to toe, Natsu still refused to let the matter go and immediately asked,
"Right, I almost forgot about that! Why inside my body?! I don't remember eating you!"
"There were two reasons. The first was to prevent the Dragon Slayers from turning into dragons like Acnologia."
Raizel had once told Natsu and the others that Acnologia had originally been human before becoming a dragon.
"The other reason..."
Just as Igneel was about to explain, Acnologia roared and stood up.
"Igneel!"
"I'll deal with this creature first!"
Acnologia and Igneel faced each other in the sky.
"To prevent the Dragon Slayers from turning into dragons? You hid inside humans just for that?"
"What is your true purpose? The E.N.D. you fear is no longer here, so stop interfering with humans!"
"Fear? You say I fear a demon from the Books of Zeref? How laughable! I am the Dragon King!"
"You were once only human!"
"My wish is to kill every dragon and destroy everything! Destruction! Destruction!"
This time, it was Igneel who was pinned to the ground by Acnologia.
Acnologia's claws sank into Igneel's chest.
Igneel knew he did not have much time left.
"Natsu! There is one thing I must tell you now."