"This is my proud underwater farm. The wild vegetables and fruits grown here are distributed to the residents of Ermina."
"This is the medical facility. It's where fish injured in the sea come to receive treatment."
Mercphobia even brought Raizel and the others to the top of the temple, where a watchtower had been built.
Raizel's group had already noticed that tower when they first arrived in Ermina.
"This watchtower was built so we could discover people in danger, like Karameel was back then, as early as possible and rescue them."
...
At first, Raizel, Ultear, and the others had thought Mercphobia might be luring them into a trap.
Ever since entering the temple, Kagura's hand had never left her sword.
In the end, they had overthought it. Mercphobia really was just taking them around and showing them the temple's facilities.
Lucy looked as if she had seen a ghost, completely unable to believe what was happening.
"You're really the Water Dragon God Mercphobia???"
"He's such a good person!"
Happy covered his mouth and nose with his paws and began sobbing loudly.
"A dragon rescuing people in danger... I'm so moved I could cry!"
Natsu gritted his teeth while tears streamed down his face.
"You're already crying, you know..." Ultear could not resist pointing out.
"This is too touching!"
Erza looked utterly overwhelmed with emotion, tears falling like rain.
"Does it really need to go that far...?"
Wendy and Kagura stared at them in stunned silence.
Of course, Raizel also felt somewhat moved, but nowhere near the level of those two and that cat.
If anything, their reaction made him want to laugh and sigh at the same time.
"So the whole 'disaster' thing was fake?"
"Yeah. He looks completely harmless."
After that little scene, Happy and Carla spoke one after another.
"That is not the case."
Mercphobia shook his head slightly.
"!"
His expression suddenly changed.
"Although that is true now, I once killed many humans. That is also a fact."
But his face soon softened again. He lowered his gaze to his own hand, his expression filled with memories.
"I will not try to make excuses. At the time, doing so was completely natural to me. Perhaps among those I killed were Elefseria's relatives or friends. It is only reasonable that he would hire people to hunt me."
He added quietly,
"In that era, the strong devouring the weak was simply the way of the world."
Erza blinked.
"Then what changed your heart?"
"The catalyst was Karameel."
When he spoke of Karameel, Mercphobia's lips unconsciously curved into a smile.
He did not hide his original motive.
"To be honest, I did not intend to save her back then. When I found her at sea, I only planned to use her as bait. But somehow, we became familiar with each other..."
Then he bared his teeth in a bright, open smile.
"And by the time I noticed it, I had already started walking the path of coexistence."
Mercphobia's heartfelt smile infected Raizel, Ultear, and the others as well, and smiles appeared on their faces.
Then his tone shifted, growing heavier.
"I do wish things could continue this way forever, but the time when I must disappear from this world is drawing near."
"Why?" Lucy hurriedly asked.
Standing on the watchtower, Mercphobia pointed down below.
"You saw the city of Ermina, didn't you? That abnormal phenomenon where the city sinks whenever the tide rises is caused by my power. I can no longer control it."
"The fish living in that city were originally humans. They were simply placed under a spell that changed them into fish so they could adapt to life underwater."
Erza looked puzzled.
"Then why don't the humans in the city leave?"
Mercphobia shook his head.
"You would have them abandon their homeland? Besides, it would be useless. Even if they left this city, it would only treat the symptom, not the cause. My power would eventually affect nearby cities as well. This power cannot be controlled unless I die."
"How can that be...?"
"Is there really no other way?!" Lucy and Natsu both found that answer hard to accept.
Mercphobia shook his head firmly.
"No. That is why I have been waiting for someone capable of killing me."
Then his tone changed again, growing darker.
"But before that, there is something I must do no matter what. It is my greatest miscalculation, and the worst possible problem..."
It was his greatest mistake.
The reason his power had gone out of control.
Erza immediately pressed him.
"Something you must do?"
Mercphobia's voice was low.
"My power as a dragon was stolen by someone."
Raizel frowned.
"Your power was stolen? You're one of the Five Dragon Gods of the northern continent, and someone stole your power?"
If Mercphobia's power had been taken by force, then whoever took it would have to be stronger than him, wouldn't they?
Mercphobia had remained in human form this whole time and had not used any Magic Power, so Raizel, Erza, and the others really had not felt anything from him.
"That is correct. Before I die, I must recover that power no matter what. If that power is used with malice, then it will bring about true disaster."
Wendy could not help asking,
"Can something like that really happen?"
Mercphobia looked down at his own hand.
"It has already happened to me. I have no reason to deceive you."
"So who stole your power?"
"That person called herself the White Wizard."
"The White Wizard???"
Ultear rested her chin on one hand as she thought.
"Zeref is called the Black Wizard, so she's the opposite? A White Wizard?"
Before anyone could say more, the stone bricks that made up the temple slowly began turning into sand.
Or rather, dust.
"Lord Water God!"
Karameel rushed toward them in a hurry.
"Karameel, don't come in! Take the residents and evacuate first!"
"Nice to meet you."
"Please take good care of us."
A woman's voice and a man's voice came from behind them in greeting.
Appearing before Mercphobia, Raizel, and the others were two men and one woman.
The man in the lead wore a suit of skull armor, a skull-shaped mask, and a black cloak.
He was a member of Diabolos, the Dragon Eater guild— Skullion Raider, the Corpse Dragon!
Standing to his rear left was a woman with long curled hair that half-covered her face.
She was also a Fifth Generation Dragon Slayer Mage—Kiria, the Blade Dragon.
To his right stood a man in armor who claimed to possess absolute defense—Madmole, the Armor Dragon.
Members of the Dragon Eater guild, Diabolos!
They had come here to devour the Water Dragon God's flesh and obtain his power.
However, after seeing Mercphobia, they realized something.
The Water Dragon God had already lost at least most of his power. If Mercphobia did not make a move, most people would find it difficult to notice.
But Diabolos, who had a great deal of contact with dragons, possessed that kind of instinct.
Also, Skullion had overheard the conversation between Mercphobia, Raizel, and the others just now.