"Such incredible magic... perhaps, just perhaps, it can kill me..."
At the same time, before the grave of Mavis, the First Master of Fairy Tail, the Black Wizard Zeref replayed the memory of the magic that had obliterated Hades. A look of joyful surprise gradually dawned on his face.
Ever since he was cursed by the God of Life and Death, Ankhselam, he had finally seen a glimmer of hope.
When he was very young, his parents and younger brother were killed by dragons. To resurrect his brother, Natsu, he entered the Mildian Magic Academy to research magic, quickly becoming the most genius wizard in the academy's history.
Later, because he researched and created the resurrection "R-System" and the time-travel "Eclipse Gate," he was cursed by Ankhselam.
Since then, he became immortal. The more he loved and respected life, the more his body would erupt with a curse of death that withered everything around him.
He was destined to be lonely, destined to harbor no love or kindness, and destined to live in endless pain and regret. He didn't want to hurt anyone, yet he was constantly dealing destruction.
He had created countless powerful demons and spells with one goal: to kill himself and find peace.
Every attempt had failed. The only hope lay with the strongest Etherious demon he created from his brother's corpse—"END," the resurrected Natsu.
But Natsu wasn't strong enough yet, and even if he were, it wasn't certain he could truly kill an immortal.
But just now, seeing the strike that killed Hades, Zeref felt a sensation he hadn't felt in centuries—the feeling that if he were hit, he might actually die.
Regarding the massive war on Tenrou Island, Zeref had noticed it long ago. He usually came here to rest because no humans lived here, meaning his curse wouldn't claim innocent lives.
Moreover, he could sense the soul of his most beloved pupil and former lover here. He hadn't intended to intervene; he wouldn't take a side, and he viewed it as a trial for Natsu.
He never expected such an accidental windfall.
"Oh no... Acnologia is here!"
Just as Zeref intended to go and negotiate with the wizard who killed Hades to see if he could be granted the gift of death, his face suddenly changed. He sensed the aura of the Black Dragon of Apocalypse, Acnologia, rapidly approaching.
"It must be the malice of Hades and the others, combined with the scent of the Dragon Slayers, that drew him here."
Zeref harbored a deep wariness—even fear—of Acnologia.
Because of the dragon's soul-reaping and magic-devouring nature, any magic in the world, other than Dragon Slayer Magic, was useless against him. No matter how powerful Zeref's dark magic was, it meant nothing to the Black Dragon.
And Zeref could not be killed. If he fell into Acnologia's claws, he would become a toy, subjected to eternal torture—a fate worse than death.
Meanwhile, having just regrouped with Natsu and the others, Goku hadn't even had time to fill his stomach or rest before his expression turned dead serious.
"A very, very powerful Ki is approaching fast!"
Natsu and the others were startled by Goku's sudden change. They followed his gaze toward the sky. Like the Underworld King Mard Geer, they saw a black dot approaching at high speed, which gradually took a recognizable shape.
"Is that... a dragon?"
Aside from Goku and Dumbledore, everyone was stunned. To them, dragons were creatures of legend.
Their sudden appearance was almost unbelievable. Goku and Dumbledore had seen dragons before, and while the dragons of this world were significantly larger, they weren't shocked by the concept itself.
"Maybe he knows where Igneel is!"
"Maybe he knows where Metalicana is!"
Natsu and Gajeel, the first to react, became instantly excited. They had been searching for the dragons that raised them and taught them Dragon Slayer Magic for years with zero leads. Seeing a dragon now filled them with hope.
Unfortunately, this dragon was clearly not as friendly as the ones they remembered.
As the Black Dragon flew over Tenrou Island, it was like a black cloud blotting out the sun, casting a suffocating shadow over the land.
"Something's wrong!"
Everyone suddenly felt the dragon's concentrated malice and a terrifying pressure. Compared to this dragon, Hades with his Devil's Eye open seemed as weak as an ant. They weren't even in the same league.
"Could this be the one mentioned in the legends... the Black Dragon of Apocalypse, Acnologia!?"
Makarov, who had been healed and awakened, immediately remembered the legends he had read in ancient magic books.
"What's this about a Black Dragon of Apocalypse?" the others asked, looking at Makarov.
Makarov's face was grim. "All I know is that it's the dragon said to destroy the entire world in the end times."
"What!? Destroy the world!?" The wizards' eyes widened in disbelief.
At that moment, the Black Dragon landed atop a cliff, looking down at the gathered group. His eyes held a playful, mocking glint, as if he were looking at a swarm of insects. He opened his maw and let out a roar. The resulting shockwave was like a violent hurricane sweeping toward them.
"What is this!? Just a roar has this much power!?"
When the dust settled, the surrounding area had been turned into a wasteland. All the trees, plants, and rocks nearby had vanished.
"This is a Master... a true Master!"
Goku's face lit up with excitement. The Black Dragon's strength far exceeded Hades', making him itch to charge up and fight right now. However, Dumbledore reached out and stopped him with a heavy expression.
"Don't be in a hurry. Eat something and recover first. Let us test his limits first."
The Black Dragon's strength was horrifying—as terrifying as Goku in his Great Ape form.
Dumbledore wasn't certain that even a Great Ape Goku could win this fight, especially since Goku wasn't at his peak after the series of battles he'd just fought.
For safety, he wanted Goku to recover his stamina while they gathered intelligence. If Goku lost, everyone would be in danger.
Although Dumbledore had placed a Portkey back in Magnolia and could theoretically teleport everyone away, he couldn't guarantee the dragon didn't have the ability to block spatial magic or wouldn't simply hunt them down across the continent.