"A dragon?!"
Motherglare's pupils dilated. Every nerve in its body tensed instantly.
If Chase's God Slayer Magic had shocked it, then the appearance of this pitch-black dragon left it panicked and filled with barely contained rage.
Despite the fundamental difference in magic power, the wild, dominating aura it radiated couldn't be replicated by human magic.
In other words, this was a real dragon, just like itself?!
"You would willingly serve a human? Are you one of those foolish coexistence faction members?"
Motherglare was on high alert, staring coldly at Gandora. "Where are the other dragons? Were they all eliminated by you?!"
When it had passed through the Eclipse Gate into this magic-rich era, it hadn't sensed any other dragons nearby.
Not that there was nothing at all. It had vaguely heard mournful cries from the Dragon Graveyard beneath the Grand Magic Games venue.
"If you want answers, first have an exciting brawl with me!"
Gandora had no interest in explaining. It beat its wings and lunged, slamming a fist straight into Motherglare's face.
Having been beaten by Acnologia before, Gandora only wanted to fight!
Motherglare was already on the verge of rage. The solid punch pushed it over the edge. It opened its massive maw and bit straight at Gandora's thick, black-armored neck.
Roaring flames of destruction blazed in the tearing winds. Claws flashed with cold light. Tails whipped the earth into violent tremors. The two dragons savagely tore into each other.
Watching this, Chase deactivated his giant form and returned to his original size, keeping only the Sealer's Left and Right Arms and Legs, with his face exposed.
The real battle was only just beginning. He needed to maintain the Exodia set's attribute enhancements.
As for Motherglare, Gandora was more than enough to handle it.
Having awakened his Second Origin, his magic power was much stronger than during the Tenrou Island days. And his opponent wasn't a bug-like freak like Acnologia.
Speaking of which, Chase's mind suddenly flashed to the image of his world's Acnologia being driven into the sea.
Unfortunately, he'd been busy dealing with Ankhseram and the other gods at the time, so he didn't know if that monster had been truly finished.
He would have to confirm that upon returning.
With that thought, Chase walked through the energy barrier of the Fourfold Magic Array and rejoined the group.
Everyone was still stunned, staring blankly at the two dragons tearing into each other, their minds completely blank.
If they weren't mistaken, Chase had just summoned a dragon using his card magic?
A real, living dragon?!
Even Future Macao and the others, who already knew about Gandora's existence, couldn't help but be shaken by the scene, their mouths hanging open.
"Chase! Open the gate! I want to fight alongside Gandora!"
Natsu came running over excitedly. There was no thought of teamwork in his eyes—just the burning desire to fight a "local" dragon.
Makarov had only explained the Eclipse Gate and Motherglare's appearance. He hadn't mentioned Chase's even crazier plan.
"What's the rush? You'll get your fight soon enough."
Chase waved his hand, flatly rejecting Natsu's request.
"How are you, Chase? Are you hurt?" Mirajane approached, her beautiful eyes full of concern.
Though she knew this level of fighting was nothing to him, she still wanted to ask.
"Just a minor dragon. Nothing worth mentioning." Chase clasped his hands behind his back, putting on a cool front for his girlfriend.
"Nothing worth mentioning? Look at all this dust on you. Even your hair's a mess!"
Mirajane stepped close, gently and carefully fixing his messy hair, wiping the mud from his cheek.
Chase stood still like an obedient child, smiling, letting her unique scent wash over him.
Against the backdrop of the two dragons' fierce battle, this blatant display of affection dealt a heavy blow to every single person present.
The silver lining was that it finally snapped them out of their shock.
Erza stood off to the side, fidgeting restlessly, her hands twisting together. She wanted to help fix Chase's hair like Mirajane had, but was too shy with so many people watching.
In matters like this, she was still too timid.
Lucy, seeing right through her best friend, gave her a shove forward. "If you don't act now, you'll really lose to Mira-san~"
If only this airheaded heiress could apply that sharp observation to herself...
"Huh?!"
Taken off guard in her conflicted state, Erza stumbled and fell forward.
Chase caught her just in time. Otherwise, the Fairy Queen's hard-earned cool image from today's finals would have been completely ruined!
Well, in a way, it already was. Erza's face turned beet red, steam practically rising from her head.
"Oh my, sorry Erza. You're too late~" Mirajane teased with a cheerful smile.
Erza's face grew even redder. She hastily pulled herself out of Chase's embrace.
"Wait... does this mean that not only Mirajane the Demon, but even the Fairy Queen..."
Everyone who had witnessed the scene let out shocked gasps.
Their desire for gossip even overshadowed the ongoing battle between Gandora and Motherglare. Their attention shifted completely.
Aside from Future Jura and a few others who knew the truth, most people only knew about Chase and Mirajane's relationship.
"Aye~ Both Mira and Erza are Chase's girlfriends!"
Happy flew into the air to explain, even throwing a wink at Carla nearby. "And I'm currently pursuing Carla~"
"The last part didn't need to be said at all, did it?!" Lucy shouted.
"Sorry. I decline." Carla turned her head away haughtily, giving her answer immediately.
Future Ichiya, who had a crush on Erza, knelt with his hands on the ground, black lines covering his background as he fell into despair. "S-So that means... I never had a chance to begin with?"
The three handsome men and Future Jenny tried to comfort him.
"Somehow, the tense atmosphere just disappeared."
Wendy, taking on Lucy's role, muttered quietly. "Even though Gandora is still fighting over there..."
Just then, a figure walked through the crowd toward Chase and the others, interrupting the chatter.
It was the royal princess herself. The mastermind behind the Eclipse Project.
"Mr. Chase, you knew all along that dragons would come through the Eclipse Gate, didn't you?" Princess Hisui's expression was complicated.
When Chase had first approached her, expressing willingness to cooperate, she'd been happy to have someone who understood and supported her determination to save the world.
Now it seemed that in his eyes, she'd probably been nothing more than a fool.
***
Dive deeper into the story with 30+ advance chapters, available now on Patreon!
patreon.com/CNBLUE
If you're enjoying the novel, please consider leaving a review. Your support is crucial and helps the story grow immensely. Thank you!