Boom!!
Black wings blotted out the heavens. A body as vast as a mountain soared through the sky, its overwhelming magic drawing gazes from every direction.
"To think… this era still harbors so many dragons. Disgusting."
Spreading its colossal wings, the creature unleashed a flood of draconic might.
Opposite him stood several figures—the Five Dragon Gods who had noticed disturbances from Guiltina's continent and came to investigate. Though only three had arrived.
On their way to the battlefield, they had encountered the source of that immense magical presence: Acnologia.
"Well, well. If it isn't Lord Acnologia! Four hundred years, and your power doesn't seem to have improved at all."
The Moon Dragon Selene lounged upon an arc of void, her jade-like legs dangling idly as she mocked.
"Acnologia. Perfect. Today will be your death."
The Flame Dragon God Ignia radiated battle lust.
"Acnologia, you will pay for your crimes of four hundred years past."
The Wood Dragon God Aldoron rumbled, voice deep and grave.
"When did mere dragons… gain the gall to bark before me?" Acnologia's eyes blazed with killing intent as he dove, jaws filling with Dragon Roar.
The three opposing dragons did not falter. One by one, they revealed their true forms:
Aldoron's body loomed like a mountain.
Selene slipped between time and space, phantom-like.
Ignia radiated choking heat, his strength not far from Acnologia's own.
ROAR!!
The sky shook with primal collisions. Each clash warped the heavens.
Dragon breath rained, detonating upon impact, fracturing the earth, sending shockwaves across the land. Fires filled the air.
Fifty kilometers away, one of the countless Natsus suddenly halted mid-run. A tremor ran through his body. His expression darkened.
"…You want to see, don't you, Igneel?"
"…You've grown, Natsu."
The voice of Igneel—long hidden within him—sounded both surprised and gratified. Yet Natsu's eyes clouded with worry.
When Natsu had first forged himself into a template, he discovered within his body three other powers beyond his own Dragon Slayer magic.
One was demonic power, its origin clear—born of Zeref, as confirmed when Natsu absorbed the Book of END.
Another was draconic power—different from Dragon Slayer magic, rich with the essence of dragons. It was lively but fading, fragile enough that if separated from Natsu, it would soon vanish. From this, Natsu had guessed Igneel's presence inside him. But no longer the naive, hot-blooded boy, he had chosen not to reveal it, pretending ignorance.
Instead, he had carefully extracted this power, crafted a body, and stored Igneel's essence there.
The last power was the greatest—born of entangled infinite time and space, beyond even the Seven-Point Divine Wheel's ability to replicate. Its true source remained a mystery, but it was the very force that had allowed him to defeat Papi.
"…Do you have something you absolutely must do?" Natsu asked. He wished Igneel would remain within him, so he could at least live on.
"Yes. I want to face the Black Dragon King. To defeat him. My lifelong enemy."
"I can kill him for you," Natsu said at once. "It wouldn't be hard for me."
"Natsu… four hundred years ago, I should have died. Acnologia stole my soul with Dragon Slayer magic. Watching you grow has been more than enough. Now… let me fulfill my wish."
The fiery glow within Natsu flared brighter. Igneel's voice rang with conviction.
"…Alright. Then I'll see you off."
After a pause, Natsu silently drew upon a portion of power from one of his other selves within the Divine Wheel.
"An opening."
Elsewhere, Natsu battled Zeref, who wielded infinite magic and controlled the Satellite Array, with support from the Spriggan 12 if needed.
For just a heartbeat, Natsu faltered. Zeref seized it, his palm gathering the primal force of time-space itself—shaping it into raw "Nothingness"—and struck Natsu squarely.
Natsu staggered, aura dipping—but then it stabilized. His wounds mended instantly.
"Not enough. With your current strength, it's not enough. Without greater power, now… You vanish."
Endless timelines unfolded. Countless Natsus emerged—beggars, students, emperors, wandering mages. Ordinary, painfully ordinary.
Yet among them was one figure that drew the eye: a drowsy youth, lazily stretching before casually waving at Natsu.
"Not this again…!!"
At the Magic Council, Erza's pupils shrank in shock as she witnessed the infinite figures.
"You've seen this before?" Irene asked curiously.
"Yes. In the last campaign… at the very end, Natsu gained this power. He said he didn't know its source. But it was this that let him defeat Pap—" Erza cut herself off, realizing her slip.
"It's fine. At this point, it doesn't matter," Makarov said heavily.
"Papi disappeared. Or rather, he was defeated and vanished. And it was this power of Natsu's that carried that battle. But this time… it seems we won't even get the chance to act."
Seeing the ordinary masses gathering behind Natsu, Makarov's heart clenched.
Last time, Erza had said, it was Fairy Tail members who stood behind Natsu—even Papi.
But now… it was strangers. Countless, faceless ordinary people.
In that instant, Makarov aged decades.
Buzz!!
The Array's visuals warped, sound fracturing into shrill distortion. Then—silence.
Natsu's final strike erased all.
The Council saw nothing more.
"…It seems… we lost."
Makarov no longer held hope. If Natsu still commanded the power from when he faced Papi, then no matter what, Zeref and his forces would never triumph.
Infinite magic meant nothing without output.
Even the Satellite Array was shackled.
The Council's spirits sank. But the Spriggan 12 did not yield. They wrested control of the Array from Fairy Tail, attempting to target Natsu.
But before their hands even touched the interface—
BOOM!!
An explosion of terror consumed the chamber. The entire Council vanished into ash. Tens of thousands of S-Class-equivalent Natsus, linked in shared thought, ready to unleash fusion magic, had arrived.
ROAR!! ACNOLOGIA—your end has come!
Ignia clashed with Acnologia. Selene and Aldoron harried from the sides. For the moment, the battle was at a stalemate.
(Author's note: In canon, each Dragon God is said to rival Acnologia, but since they never truly fought, power-scaling is murky. Fairy Tail's balance fluctuates wildly—sometimes defeating Spriggan members, sometimes nearly losing to lesser foes. Here, Acnologia is portrayed as stronger overall.)
Suddenly, Igneel burst onto the scene, slamming Acnologia back.
"Well, well. So the old man still lives. Surprising." Ignia raised an eyebrow. "But this is my stage, old man. Time you bowed out."
Flames erupted around him, pressing toward Igneel—only for Natsu to block him, glaring fiercely, warning him not to interfere.
Seeing Igneel, Acnologia's fury ignited. "Another dragon?! To think so many still crawl through this age!"
He exhaled a devastating Dragon Roar, splitting Igneel and Ignia apart. Then he dove, maw wide, intent to end it in one strike.
"Perfect. Acnologia! Let us settle this—once and for all!"
Igneel roared with exhilaration. His body ignited in a conflagration that could sear even souls to ash. He charged, empowered as the world's ambient magic flooded into him. His form ascended, radiance sharp and blinding like the sun.
Acnologia sensed danger—but too late. His wings melted under the heat. His magic burned away. His will turned to ash.
BOOM!!
As the last ember faded, Igneel twisted midair, gazing down at Natsu. He smiled.
"Natsu… thank you. After four centuries, at last… my wish is fulfilled."
His massive body dove, as though to embrace him—but halfway, his form unraveled, dissolving into light.
"…I can't stay with you any longer. Forgive me…" Tears welled in his draconic eyes. His smile brimmed with apology.
On the ground, Natsu's body too began fading, magic dispersing—the cost of lending Igneel his strength.
"Igneel… thank you. For teaching me."
His lips trembled, words breaking. He leapt forward—reaching out.
At the last instant, a massive claw and a small hand touched.