Ignia glared at Selene.
"Why are you siding with humans?!"
"I've answered that question more times than I can count! The age of dragons is over!"
Selene paused, then corrected herself.
"No—it ends now!"
Scales spread across her face, and her body expanded in an instant as she returned to her true form.
The scarlet dragon bearing a sun-shaped mark upon his left breast faced the pale-gold dragon with a foxlike face and nine enormous tails.
"I'll burn you to ashes, Selene!"
"And why shouldn't my moonlight twist your flames apart, Ignia?!"
"Looks like I'm late."
Raizel arrived with Suzaku just as the two Dragon Gods faced each other, their roars already surging forward in a violent clash.
The light from Ignia's flames flickered across Irene's face.
"You are indeed late."
She was not referring to his arrival.
The Law Dragon's heart had already been drained of all its power. Even if Selene and Irene had obtained it, it would have been useless.
"Igniaaaa!"
Natsu came charging into the chamber, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Stay back."
Raizel grabbed him before he could rush forward. Even Natsu would suffer if he entered the shock waves created by Selene and Ignia's clashing roars.
"It's been a long time, Ignia..."
A new voice, deep and heavy, echoed through the labyrinth.
Ignia and Selene both halted their roars.
Then the entire labyrinth began to tremble.
"As I thought."
Selene sighed helplessly.
Dogramag had been resurrected after all. Until now, even she had not known he possessed such an ability.
"What's happening? Is the entire labyrinth shaking?"
Mira and Ultear shielded their eyes and searched for cover as dust and fragments of stone poured from the cracks around them.
"What is it this time?"
Laxus and Virgo also found a temporary shelter.
Dogramag snorted.
"A moment ago, you called me your only friend. Yet in an entire century, you never once visited my grave. Some friend you are."
The solid stone floor at the center of the chamber suddenly split apart.
The entire labyrinth shook violently as an enormous figure composed entirely of rock emerged before them.
The Earth Dragon God—Dogramag.
"Another dragon?!"
Natsu and Suzaku stared at the newly emerged Dragon God in alarm.
"Why would I visit the grave of someone who was still alive?" Ignia scoffed.
Dogramag continued grumbling.
"It was all Elefseria's fault. He forced me into an incredibly long sleep."
He raised his head toward Ignia, who hovered overhead.
"Yo, brother."
Ignia lifted his draconic head and laughed softly.
"It's been a long time, Dogramag."
Raizel's mouth twitched.
"Did this suddenly turn into a family reunion?"
Suzaku finally caught up with what was happening.
"Wait... Was the labyrinth created by Dogramag himself?"
Ignoring everyone around him, Dogramag uttered a cryptic declaration.
"It's complete."
Ignia nodded.
"Yeah. I know."
"We'll begin the plan at the place we agreed upon."
Ignia spread his wings, preparing to leave the Dogramag Labyrinth.
Dogramag suddenly stopped him.
"You go on ahead."
"Huh?"
Ignia paused, looking mildly surprised.
Dogramag rolled his shoulders and stretched his newly restored body.
"I've just awakened after a hundred years. I'd like to loosen up a little."
"And judging by the scents in this labyrinth, there are plenty of delicious humans for me to enjoy."
"Do whatever you want," Ignia replied. "Just don't kill that one. He's my prey."
He glanced toward Natsu.
Dogramag looked at him in surprise.
"Oh? Is that the child you mentioned—the one Igneel raised?"
"I didn't realize you were capable of that kind of concern."
Ignia repeated his warning.
"Listen carefully. You can kill every other human in this place if you feel like it, but you absolutely cannot kill Natsu."
"Can I torture him?"
"Do whatever you want, as long as he survives!"
Ignia grinned.
"I want Igneel's son, Natsu, to witness the world we're going to create."
With that, he beat his wings and flew upward, smashing straight through the stone ceiling of the labyrinth.
"Understood, brother."
'What is going on? Wasn't the plan simply to resurrect Dogramag?'
Irene, Selene, and Raizel were equally confused. None of them could determine what plan the two Dragon Gods were discussing.
"Wait! Ignia!"
Natsu turned toward Happy.
"Happy, let's go after him!"
"You can chase him if you like," Dogramag said threateningly. "But if you do, I'll eat every human in this labyrinth."
"Are you sure you won't regret that?"
"When they're all dead, don't start whining that you should've stayed behind and defeated Dogramag while you had the chance."
"!!!"
Natsu skidded to an immediate halt.
He knew Raizel, Selene, and the others were unlikely to be in any real danger, but he still clenched his teeth and stayed behind.
"Hahahaha!!!"
Dogramag burst into laughter.
"You're incredibly easy to understand!"
Raizel looked expressionlessly at Irene beside him.
"Were we just underestimated?"
Irene shook her head.
"Incorrect. You should say we were underestimated by a dragon."
Dogramag looked dismissively at Raizel and Irene.
"I am Dogramag, the Earth Dragon God. This entire labyrinth is my body, and I am its master."
Before everyone's eyes, he transformed into a human.
He became a towering, powerfully built man with his long hair tied into a braid. Both his height and his muscles surpassed even Elfman's.
The only reason Dogramag dared to abandon his dragon form so casually was because he still possessed another advantage.
"My strength hasn't returned to its peak yet, but I'm powerful enough to entertain you, Natsu."
He beckoned toward him.
Natsu had never been one to ignore a challenge.
Flames wrapped around his right arm as he charged, unleashing Fire Dragon King's Demolition Fist followed by Fire Dragon's Claw.
Dogramag remained completely unmoved, as solid as a mountain.
"He's so strong. Natsu's attacks aren't affecting him at all..."
Despite his severe wounds, Suzaku looked almost tempted to join the fight.
Raizel stopped him immediately.
"In your condition, you'd only be volunteering to get crushed."
Selene created a magic water mirror and moved everyone except Natsu and Suzaku into a concealed area.
Once they were out of Dogramag's sight, she spoke quickly.
"There's no time to explain everything, so listen carefully. Dogramag has a weakness."
"This labyrinth is his body. To construct it, he placed gems containing portions of his own power throughout the structure and used them as anchors to expand it."
"He absorbed several of those gems back into himself in order to regain a physical form, but some remain scattered throughout the labyrinth."
"Those gems are continuously supplying him with power."
"In other words, if we destroy every gem still outside his body, his strength will decline."
Happy raised a paw.
"How many gems are there?"
"Seventy-two."
"That many?!"
Happy flailed in panic like a cat on a hot roof.
"If they're scattered throughout a labyrinth this huge, we'll never find them all!"
"There's no need to worry. I can trace their Magic Power, and Raizel can use Super Archive Magic to inform everyone of their locations."
Selene waved one finger.
Gajeel, Kagura, and Erza appeared beside her.
"Gajeel, you picked up one of those gems, didn't you?"
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