Chapter 370: You Should Be the Guild Master
"Mr. Igneel... why were you inside Natsu's body? And Grandeeney..."
Wendy plucked up her courage, her small hands clenching the fabric of her torn skirt as she asked the massive Fire Dragon for news. The wind howling across the ruined landscape of the Tartaros battlefield seemed to quiet down, as if the world itself was waiting for the ancient beast's answer.
"Mhm! She is also inside your body..." Igneel rumbled, his deep voice vibrating through the cracked earth beneath their feet.
Then, Igneel recounted everything in detail. He spoke of a desperate plan forged centuries ago, though he carefully chose to keep Natsu's true, darker origins as an Etherious a secret for the time being.
Everyone in the guild stood in absolute disbelief. Jaws dropped and eyes widened as they heard that Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy had actually transmigrated from 400 years in the past.
It sounded like a myth, a fairy tale too absurd to be true. However, after seeing with their own eyes the majestic Dragons that had also crossed the 400-year gap at the end of the Grand Magic Games, the mages had no choice but to accept the impossible reality.
"Transmigration through time..." Gray muttered, running a hand through his dust-covered hair.
"It's truly incredible!" Lucy added, her hands covering her mouth in awe at the sheer scale of the history standing before them.
Gajeel and Wendy were also a bit dazed, their minds struggling to process the revelation. To think they had actually been born 400 years ago and hurled through time to this exact era.
But amidst the overwhelming shock, they also received the greatest news of their lives: they had finally found their missing Dragons. The parents they had searched for across the entire continent were closer than they had ever imagined.
"Why doesn't Grandeeney come out to meet us?" Wendy asked in confusion, her brown eyes welling up with hopeful tears.
Gajeel had the exact same question burning in his chest, though he hid it behind a customary scowl. According to what Igneel had just explained about the Dragons creating antibodies to halt the Dragon Seed's mutation, that grueling process should be finished by now.
The colossal Fire Dragon let out a heavy, sorrowful sigh that kicked up clouds of ash. "It was a last resort, because they are actually already dead."
"What?!"
Wendy and Gajeel's faces instantly turned ghostly pale. The hopeful light that had just sparked in the young Sky Dragon Slayer's eyes shattered into absolute horror.
"Saying they are completely dead isn't quite accurate; it's more like a state of semi-death," Igneel clarified, his massive eyes lowering in solemn respect for his fallen kin. "Long ago, all of their souls were forcibly extracted by Acnologia's unique Dragon Slayer Magic."
[Akarin's Note: Grandeeney is the Sky Dragon and Wendy's foster mother, while Metalicana is the Iron Dragon and Gajeel's foster father. Both, along with Weisslogia and Skiadrum, had their souls stolen by Acnologia during the ancient Dragon King Festival, leaving their physical bodies to rot while their spirits clung to their human children.]
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the Fairy Tail mages. The sheer cruelty of such magic was hard to fathom.
"The reason they hid inside your bodies, besides wanting to prevent your dragonification and defeat Acnologia, was also to prolong their own fading lives," Igneel continued. "Once they leave your bodies, their lingering souls will dissipate. They can never go back, so I prevented them from appearing prematurely."
"Igneel... are you okay?!"
Hearing this horrific truth, Natsu immediately looked at his foster father, his fists trembling nervously. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Igneel right after finally getting him back.
Igneel shook his massive, scaled head gently. "I'm fine. I didn't participate in that specific war between Dragons, so I happened to avoid Acnologia's Dragon Slayer Magic."
Someone in the crowd swallowed hard before speaking up. "Souls being extracted... doesn't that mean..."
Could a living creature even survive, let alone fight, if their very soul had been torn from their body? It defied every known law of magic and nature.
"Dragons are different. Their vitality is terrifying; they won't die immediately even if their souls are extracted," Igneel explained, a hint of ancient pride in his tone. "They can live and function even if their physical hearts are destroyed. That is the true, unparalleled vitality of a Dragon."
Igneel then shifted his gaze toward the horizon, where the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse had vanished. "So, while Acnologia seems heavily injured right now, he actually still retains considerable combat power."
"That's just insane!" Makarov exclaimed, wiping cold sweat from his brow.
The members of the Fairy Tail Guild marveled at the sheer absurdity of it all. They had long heard that Dragons were powerful, mythological apex predators, but they hadn't expected them to be this formidable—to possess bodies that refused to die even without a beating heart.
It made them realize just how monstrous their own guildmate truly was. Ren was incredibly impressive as well, having fought and defeated so many Dragons during the Eclipse Gate incident, and now having forced back the Black Dragon himself.
"Let's go. We'll head back to the Fairy Tail Guild first to prevent that monster from suddenly doubling back," Makarov ordered, his tone shifting back to the authoritative voice of the Guild Master.
Ren's magic power was clearly exhausted after pushing his body to such divine limits. If Acnologia returned while their strongest fighter was drained, it would be an unavoidable massacre for all of them.
"He probably won't double back. Acnologia is quite badly injured and needs to recover properly in isolation," Igneel noted, though his fiery eyes remained fixed on Ren. "However, that guy clearly holds a grudge against you now. The next time he appears, his strength might be even more terrifying."
"I know," Ren replied calmly, stretching his aching shoulders. "Next time, my strength will also be greater than it is now."
Ren wasn't afraid. In fact, this earth-shattering battle had given him an incredible amount of confidence. Previously, when watching the Fairy Tail anime in his past life, Acnologia had been the absolute, untouchable ceiling of the series.
No conventional attack magic worked on the Black Dragon, and no one could defeat him in a straightforward duel. That terrifying knowledge had put an immense amount of psychological pressure on Ren ever since he arrived in this world.
But it was different now. He had truly and tangibly injured that mythological beast. Even if it was only for 1 solitary minute exactly at noon, that divine pinnacle of power was enough to break the world's absolute ceiling.
With the System's Character Cards he currently held in his inventory, he had a clear path forward. As long as he recycled the excess cards, he could definitely trigger a Breakthrough to the 8-Star realm.
After that Breakthrough, his base physical strength and magical reserves would increase by another massive margin. However, the midday transformation was still his final trump card; he wouldn't use it carelessly unless absolutely forced to.
From now on, as long as he completed System missions and kept drawing Character Cards, his growth was infinite. Even if he didn't roll particularly powerful crossover characters, any Gold Character Card could be recycled to passively and permanently increase his magic power.
If 7.5-Star magic power wasn't enough to kill Acnologia, then he would reach 8 Stars. If 8 wasn't enough, he would push to 8.5. If 8.5 wasn't enough, then he would shatter the heavens and reach 9 Stars.
Since he could contend with the Black Dragon now, it meant he wouldn't be instantly killed by Acnologia's overwhelming presence. He would simply leave the rest of the work to time and his own relentless grinding.
Acnologia might slowly recover and grow stronger over time, but so would Ren. They would just have to see who scaled the peaks of power faster.
Hearing this bold declaration, Igneel looked deeply at Ren. To be completely honest, against a monster like Acnologia, the Fire Dragon King had seen almost no possibility of a true victory.
Because Acnologia could devour almost all forms of magic power to indefinitely make himself stronger, fighting him was a paradox. Yet, this mortal human standing before him made the ancient Dragon see the world in an entirely new light.
Humans, a seemingly weak and fleeting species, were always capable of producing brilliant, world-altering individuals. Acnologia was one before his corruption, Zeref was another, and the young man named Ren standing before him was undeniably the latest.
Looking at Ren's unwavering, confident expression, Igneel felt a strange sense of peace. He truly believed that Acnologia's dark era might finally be ended by this youth.
With the threat temporarily neutralized, everyone tended to their wounds and returned to Magnolia. Having survived this apocalyptic war, the members of Fairy Tail had undergone a brutal baptism of both body and mind.
The destruction of the Magic Council, the horrors of Tartaros, and the overwhelming presence of the Dragons had left their mark. Furthermore, after witnessing Acnologia's absolute terror, every single mage in the guild now shared a burning motivation to train and become stronger.
Upon finally returning to the guildhall, they were greeted by a distressing sight. Macao and Wakaba were battered, covered in bandages, and looking significantly injured.
After urgently inquiring about what happened in their absence, they learned that the remnants of Tartaros had launched a desperate sneak attack. The demons had successfully assassinated the former Council Chairman, Crawford Theme, right in the city.
Fortunately, Laxus had stepped in just in time, descending like a god of thunder to obliterate the remaining Etherious demons before they could cause any civilian casualties. Makarov couldn't help but feel a deep, lingering fear clutch his chest.
He hadn't expected the dark guild to be so ruthlessly cunning, launching a two-pronged assault while their main forces were occupied. But looking around at his bruised, exhausted, yet smiling children, he thanked the heavens that everyone was alright.
Soon, the Fairy Tail Guild did what it did best. They pushed aside the trauma of war and held a massive, roaring banquet.
They celebrated their hard-fought victory over the Nine Demon Gates of Tartaros, the destruction of the continental Face pulse bombs, and the miraculous repelling of Acnologia. Most importantly, they raised their mugs to celebrate Natsu finally reuniting with his father, Igneel.
The boisterous banquet lasted for 3 entire days and 3 nights. The guildhall was a constant storm of flying food, overflowing barrels of ale, and off-key singing that rattled the reconstructed rafters.
After experiencing such a major, world-ending event, everyone desperately needed the time and space to vent their pent-up emotions. The laughter and brawling were their way of proving they were still alive.
Natsu and Igneel, father and son reunited after a 400-year separation, had endless things to talk about. The Dragon Slayer sat on the massive dragon's snout in the forest clearing outside, eagerly recounting every single adventure he had experienced since he was a child.
While the raucous sounds of the party echoed from the ground floor, Makarov quietly called Ren away from the chaos. He led the young mage up to the guild's empty rooftop to have a private drink under the starry night sky.
"Ren, thank you for your hard work once again," Makarov said softly, handing him a wooden cup of premium ale.
The old man felt incredibly guilty toward Ren. He didn't even know how many times Ren had been sent out, or willingly stepped up, to deal with absolute, world-ending danger. If it weren't for Ren holding the line this time, Makarov didn't even want to imagine what would have become of the world.
Ren took a sip, leaning against the wooden railing. "Honestly, there you go again. Don't talk about hard work or anything like that; this is what I should be doing. Old man, don't say things like that anymore."
If at the very beginning of his journey, Ren had only seen Fairy Tail as a convenient platform or a stepping stone to grind System rewards and become stronger, those days were long gone. He had long since come to see these loud, reckless mages as his family, and this chaotic guildhall as his true home.
"..."
Makarov fell completely silent, his grip tightening around his own cup as he stared out over the peaceful, illuminated streets of Magnolia. The wind gently rustled his white hair.
"What's wrong?" Ren asked, noticing the old man's uncharacteristic hesitation. "Old man, do you have something to say?"
Makarov took a deep breath, turning his aging, wise eyes to look directly into Ren's.
"Ren... why don't you become the Guild Master!"
[Akarin's Note:
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