Anka, the Sea Prison Dragon, is probably the most miserable dragon.
The breath from three overhead and the tearing of his wings by two dragons made him plummet almost transforming from a dragon into a lizard, looking extremely pitiful.
Kind-hearted Rhode quickly ended his suffering and then, before Atlas Frey's eyes, skillfully extracted the heart and made a crystal.
There wasn't much expression on that face full of flames, but Natsu always felt that the flames on the uncle's body weren't as hot as they had been initially.
'If I hadn't met Natsu earlier, then I...' Atlas Frey seemed to see his own fate.
No matter how proud he might be, he had to admit that Rhode's power was at least worthy of being his opponent.
Not to mention the other dragons...
It seems indeed he had little chance of winning.
Well, considering the face of Igneru the Fire Dragon King, not mixing with the opposition doesn't seem to have much consequence...
Natsu didn't mind Rhode's actions; dragons that clearly expressed hatred towards humans were equivalent to the magical beasts they usually fought when taking missions.
Taking some magic materials from magical beasts was normal.
Rhode collected his third Dragon-Slaying Magic Crystal of the night and said, "Let's go, quickly finish up the rest, then go back to sleep."
...
The subsequent battle was even less suspenseful; the Purgatory Sub-Dragon and the Alchemy Technology Sub-Dragon had already cleanly and swiftly beaten down Life Prison Dragon Levia, leaving only a last breath for Rhode to handle.
The Sword Gnawing Dragon Siza Lansab was already subdued by the Cloud Sub-Dragon, then beaten up by the Hex-Tech Sub-Dragon, Atlas Frey, as well as Rhode, Natsu, and Wendy.
He tried to escape but failed, met his unfortunate end on the spot, becoming Rhode's 4th Dragon-Slaying Magic Crystal.
The last formidable opponent was the Rock Spirit Dragon Asbiote. After checking with the guild, Laxus and Gajeel decided to help the Mountain Sub-Dragon.
They drove that leathery, thick-skinned stone dragon into retreat.
The Marine Sub-Dragon wandered over to watch the excitement after healing a large batch of injured ones and, encouraged by the Mountain Sub-Dragon, boldly assisted with a few moves.
As a result, when Rhode arrived, the Rock Spirit Dragon was barely breathing, pinned down on the ground.
The Alchemy Technology Sub-Dragon was sent by Rhode to guard the Life Prison Dragon, while the Marine Sub-Dragon continued to roam around, seeking the wounded and providing healing.
All the remaining dragons, including Atlas Frey, gathered here.
Several Dragon Slayer Mages and the two Lucys were also present.
Lucy looked eagerly at Rhode and asked, "So... it's completely resolved, right? Did we win?"
"Yes." Rhode nodded, "Now there's only those residual little dinosaurs left."
Actually, there weren't many little dinosaurs left; now the Royal Capital was full of worms leaping around, searching everywhere, and the mages along with the kingdom's army were also clearing out the remaining enemies, so it wouldn't be long before it was truly over.
This point was clearly understood by everyone, so they showed joyful expressions.
Only Future Lucy, dazed, felt a sense of unreality.
A total of seven dragons, well... six, were defeated just like this?
And although the guild's Dragon Slayer Mages all exerted effort, reflecting on the entire night's battles, Mr. Rhode seemed fully capable of resolving the problem alone.
Having such strong and reliable companions, this guild is so lucky... or rather, this world is so lucky.
Natsu seemed to be carefree, patting Future Lucy's back: "Don't worry, Rhode said it, right? Things will definitely be resolved smoothly over there as well."
Future Lucy looked at Natsu's smile and nodded vigorously: "Yes!"
"What to do with this guy, should we eliminate him?" Gajeel pointed at the Rock Spirit Dragon, eager to try.
The two brats from Sabertooth always boasted about personally 'slaying dragons,' which made him itch a bit.
"Hmm... I have a bold idea," Rhode thought for a moment, "Wait for me."
Not long after, the bewildered Elfman and Lisana were brought over by Rhode, and Mira followed out of curiosity.
"So this is the dragon causing trouble today." Elfman remarked, confused, "But why call me over?"
Rhode pointed at the Rock Spirit Dragon: "It's simple, I just want to ask you if you'd like to try to receive him?"
Elfman was dumbfounded: "Re-Receive?"
Others were also startled by Rhode's idea: "Receive a dragon?!"
Rhode nodded: "Yes, I feel this stone dragon suits Elfman's temperament quite well; it's a good opportunity to become stronger. You won't find another chance like this."
"This...this..." Elfman stammered, unable to speak.
He never really thought he would have the chance to receive a dragon, nor did he have the confidence to succeed.
Temporarily watching, Atlas Frey spoke up: "Such a thing is impossible; how could humans receive a dragon..."
In mid-sentence, he looked at Rhode, who seemed to use something not like Dragon Slayer Magic but more like an acquired dragon power.
Hiss— how did he do it?
Mira was also somewhat worried: "Would it be very dangerous? And dragons have a strong resistance to various magic, so Receiving Magic might have a hard time working?"
Rhode explained: "The Rock Spirit Dragon's physical condition is already very poor; if worried, it could be weakened further, reducing his resistance significantly. Plus, Wendy and I can strengthen Elfman, so the probability of success isn't low."
Lisana asked, "Why doesn't my brother-in-law receive him instead?"
"I already have the Mountain Sub-Dragon's power which overlaps with this guy's attributes, so receiving him wouldn't be very meaningful," Rhode said, "Elfman has always wanted the power to protect his family, hasn't he?"
This statement moved Elfman; he pursed his lips, gazing at Lisana, struggling to say: "I'm worried... about that happening again."
"Afraid of losing control?" Rhode naturally knew Elfman referred to injuring Lisana after receiving the Beast King.
He smiled and pointed to the surrounding dragons: "Don't worry, you can lose control, and I promise not to beat you to death."
"Uh..." Elfman looked at the surrounding giant dragons, especially the Purgatory Sub-Dragon that again seemed eager for a fight, swallowing hard.
Why did it feel like that dragon was hoping he'd lose control?
Elfman pushed the strange thoughts out of his mind, seriously considering the feasibility of the matter.
He realized his brother-in-law seemed to have sorted out all worries for him; he only had to focus on executing the plan.
Just like when the two of them teamed up for task execution—the truth was, he seemed always looked after by his brother-in-law.
He must get stronger!
Elfman made up his mind, finally looking at Mira and Lisana: "Sister, Lisana, I want to try it."
"Alright." Mira trusted Rhode's judgment and grasped Elfman's large hand with hers, "Do what you want."
Lisana held Elfman's other hand, looked up smiling: "Brother Elf, do your best this time."
"Oh, by the way," Rhode suddenly remarked to Lisana, "There's a dragon that looks quite like a fish, still with a breath left; if Lisana wishes, she could try as well."
"Eh???" Lisana's mouth gaped open.