Chapter 313: I'm Going to Eat It
"Hmm... Indeed, dragons are thick-skinned and very durable. I'd like to give it a try too."
Ren murmured softly, his eyes scanning the massive, looming forms of the dragons currently terrorizing the ruined capital. His lips curled into a confident, almost predatory smile. If these ancient beasts prided themselves on their unyielding defenses, then he simply needed to use an offensive power that could shatter the very world itself.
"Full Body Take Over: Edward Newgate!!"
A terrifying surge of magical energy erupted from Ren's body, twisting the air around him into a violent vortex. His physical form began to change rapidly, his bones cracking and shifting as he slowly grew taller and significantly more muscular. In a matter of seconds, he turned into an imposing, towering old man over six meters tall. A distinct, crescent-shaped white mustache appeared on his face, mirroring the legendary visage of the man he had just taken over.
In his massive hand, he materialized a long, formidable bisento—the supreme grade weapon, Murakumogiri. His whole presence completely shifted. It was no longer just the aura of a powerful mage; it was the suffocating, indomitable pressure of a true emperor of the seas. The very atmosphere trembled under the weight of his Conqueror's Haki.
The Pirate King's ultimate rival, the strongest man in the world, Whitebeard, had made his entrance!!
"This is..."
Future Rogue, suspended in the air on the back of his dragon, couldn't help but frown deeply as he watched Ren's transformation. He narrowed his eyes, trying to search his vast memories of the future, but found absolutely nothing. Ren had never appeared in his original timeline. This monstrous entity standing before him was a complete anomaly. However, according to the fragmented information he had gathered since arriving in this era, this bizarre and awe-inspiring form had to be one of the legendary transformations Ren possessed through his unique Take Over Magic.
Hum————!
Ren slowly clenched his massive fist. A faint, glowing white sphere of condensed vibration power wrapped around his knuckles, humming with a terrifying frequency that caused the surrounding air to distort and scream.
He looked up, his sharp eyes locking onto Future Rogue riding high above. He gave the time-traveling Dragon Slayer a fearless, challenging smile.
Then, he pulled his arm back and threw a heavy, devastating punch directly towards Future Rogue.
"————!"
Crack, crack, crack———!!
The space in front of Whitebeard shattered like a fragile pane of glass. Dense, spider-web-like cracks spread violently through the empty air, emitting a deafening, piercing noise that sounded like the sky itself was breaking apart.
Immediately after, an invisible but overwhelmingly catastrophic shockwave of pure vibration rushed straight towards Future Rogue and his mount.
Boom————!!
The earth trembled violently, the shockwave ripping through the atmosphere until Ren's attack landed directly on the massive body of the dragon beneath Future Rogue.
Boom boom boom————!!
The beast roared in agony as it was hit by the concentrated strike of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power. Its massive, scaled body was forcibly lifted off the ground and sent flying backward, crashing through several ruined buildings and kicking up a massive cloud of dust and debris.
"Human! Die!!"
Zirconis, the Jade Dragon, who had just recovered from his previous beating, rushed up from the ground. His emerald scales gleamed under the chaotic sky as he opened his massive jaws and swung his razor-sharp claws directly at Ren, intending to tear the giant human to shreds.
"Mr. Ren, be careful!!"
Princess Hisui E. Fiore, who was watching the battle unfold from a short distance away, hurriedly called out a warning. Her voice was laced with pure panic, her emerald eyes wide with terror at the sight of the colossal beast lunging at the man who was defending them.
Ren didn't dodge or even attempt to avoid the incoming strike. Instead, he calmly tightened his grip on the handle of his bisento. With a singular, fluid motion, he swung Murakumogiri with just one hand.
Boom——————!!!
The powerful force generated by the collision between the giant man and the ancient dragon destroyed absolutely everything around them. The sheer kinetic energy released from the clash sent shockwaves rippling through the cobblestone streets, obliterating the remnants of the buildings and tearing the very bedrock apart.
"Uwaaaaa!"
"Uwaaaaa!"
All the royal soldiers cried out in alarm. Their armored bodies were blown across the ground like fallen leaves caught in a hurricane, rolling and crawling in a desperate attempt to find cover. The unlucky ones were sent flying into the air by massive pieces of the floor that were kicked up by the violent tremors.
"Princess, be careful!"
Arcadios, the loyal Knight Captain, quickly stepped forward, using his own armored body to shield Princess Hisui from the incoming debris and the blistering shockwaves, bracing himself against the overwhelming tempest.
Seeing this chaotic destruction, Ren let out a booming laugh. "Let's go play somewhere else!"
Ren gripped Murakumogiri tightly and gave the air in front of him another powerful swing, channeling the Tremor-Tremor fruit's power directly into the blade.
Whoosh————!
A blade of compressed air and violent vibrations shot forward. Even with defensive power as great as Zirconis's, the Jade Dragon couldn't withstand the localized earthquake striking his tough scales. His massive body was violently lifted off his feet, and he fell heavily towards the distant, unoccupied section of the town, crushing a row of abandoned houses beneath his weight.
Ren then glanced at the other dragons circling the skies, his eyes narrowing with a fierce battle intent. "You guys too, come out and play with me!"
Ren gripped Murakumogiri with both hands.
Hum————!
A massive, glowing white Vibration Sphere wrapped tightly around the curved blade of Murakumogiri. The hum grew into a deafening roar as the space around the weapon warped and twisted.
Ren planted his feet firmly onto the shattered earth and swung his weapon with all his immense might, targeting the general direction of the dragons looming over the capital.
Rumble————!!
A massive, wide-range shockwave of vibration hit the skies, causing the clouds to part and the air to fracture. The sheer kinetic force slammed into the airborne dragons like a solid wall of moving mountains.
The dragons, despite their enormous size and weight, were all sent flying by this powerful force of vibration, their roars of fury drowned out by the sound of shattering space.
Ren turned his imposing figure back to Princess Hisui and Arcadios, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. "You all should get away from the Royal Capital quickly. This place is about to become a battlefield, and it will be very dangerous for ordinary humans to linger here."
Ren said, cracking his neck as he prepared to leave the immediate vicinity and take the fight to the dragons.
"Mr. Ren! Those dragons..." Princess Hisui started, her voice trembling as she looked at the monstrous beasts recovering in the distance.
"Don't worry about the dragons; I'll take care of them," Ren replied smoothly, offering a confident grin that seemed totally out of place in an apocalyptic scenario.
Without waiting for their response, Ren tapped his massive foot against the ground, shattering it entirely, and quickly bounded into the air, chasing after the dragons he had just sent flying.
Meanwhile, in another sector of Crocus.
Boom————!!
A massive, terrifying dragon landed heavily near the scattered members of Fairy Tail. The impact shook the ground, sending a wave of intense, suffocating heat washing over the mages.
"It's here———!!"
"It's a dragon———!!"
"Wait, look at it... Its body is actually made of flames!!"
The Fairy Tail members couldn't help but look absolutely terrified as they saw this new enemy. The dragon possessed no physical scales or flesh; its entire form was composed of raging, scorching hellfire that melted the cobblestones beneath its feet into glowing magma. The heat it radiated was so intense that the surrounding air wavered and distorted like a mirage.
Makarov Dreyar, the Guild Master, stepped to the front of his children, his face set in a grim expression. He immediately ordered, "Attack————!!"
The dragon let out a booming laugh that sounded like a roaring furnace. "My name is Atlas Flame. Now, taste the Flames of Hell!"
Atlas Flame opened his massive, fiery jaws, and a terrifying torrent of blazing fire spewed out, flooding the entire street like a crimson tsunami.
Boom boom boom————!!
The sheer explosive force of the firestorm hit the guild members. Almost everyone was sent flying backward by the concussive blast of the flames, crying out as the blistering heat scorched their skin and singed their clothes.
However, immediately after the initial wave of destruction, a lone figure stood his ground. Natsu Dragneel stepped forward, planting his feet firmly, and opened his mouth wide. With a powerful inhale, he began to literally suck all the rampant hellfire into his lungs, devouring the deadly attack as if it were a hearty meal.
"Natsu!" Happy cried out, watching his partner gorge himself on the fiery breath.
"These flames...!" Natsu wiped his mouth, a wild, euphoric grin spreading across his face. "They're amazing!! Power is welling up inside me just from eating them!!"
Natsu felt like his whole body was overflowing with pure, unadulterated magical power. The hellfire was richer and more potent than any fire he had ever consumed before, reigniting his magical reserves to their absolute peak.
Erza Scarlet, recovering from the blast, drew her swords and shouted loudly to the scattered guild members, "Is everyone okay?!!"
"Regroup!!" she ordered, her eyes locked onto the towering inferno dragon.
Nearby, Elfman Strauss shielded his younger sister, Lisanna, with his large body. His face was full of terror as he looked up at the fiery beast. "What on earth is that monster!! It's just like Acnologia on Tenrou Island!"
Gray Fullbuster wiped a smudge of soot from his cheek, shivering despite the intense heat radiating from the beast. "Not quite that bad, you idiot, but it's still not something ordinary humans can deal with. My ice is melting before I can even cast it."
He was right. If it had been the Black Dragon Acnologia's attack, they might have all been completely wiped out by that single breath attack just now.
Atlas Flame paused, his fiery eyes narrowing in genuine surprise. "You're still alive after taking one of my moves head-on? And you... you actually ate my flames? Are you a Fire Dragon Slayer Mage, human?"
"We're not just ordinary Mages!" Makarov roared, stepping forward again. "We are family! Members who have been tightly bound together by the bonds of our guild for hundreds of years!! I won't let you lay a finger on my brats!"
Makarov's small body rapidly grew in size as he activated his Giant magic. Within seconds, he transformed into a massive titan, rivaling the dragon in height. He pulled back his enormous, magically enhanced fist and punched the fire dragon directly in the side of its head with all his might.
Sizzle!
Nothing happened to the fire dragon. It didn't even flinch. Instead, Makarov's palm was severely burned by the unimaginably high-temperature flames composing the beast's body, causing the Guild Master to hiss in pain and retract his hand.
"The Master's attack actually..."
"It didn't work?!!"
"How can this be?!"
The members of the Tenrou Group, including Erza, Gray, and Lucy, couldn't believe their eyes when they saw that Master Makarov's immense physical and magical power had absolutely no effect on the dragon.
"Foolish mortals. No matter what kind of power you possess, it's completely impossible to defeat a dragon, because you are only humans!!"
Atlas Flame shouted loudly, his voice echoing with arrogant finality. And then, his massive body began to spin rapidly, transforming into a literal tornado of hellfire.
Boom boom boom boom boom!!
Makarov was violently pushed back by the swirling vortex of flames. The ground around him shattered and melted in large patches, and the surrounding members of the Fairy Tail Guild were sent flying once more, crying out in pain as the intense heat threatened to incinerate them alive.
"Disappear!!" Atlas Flame roared, ready to unleash another devastating attack to turn them all to ash.
Just then, a massive shadow fell over the battlefield. A colossal figure appeared high in the sky, falling rapidly downward like a meteor. Around the figure's foot, a dense, glowing white Vibration Sphere was tightly wrapped, humming with apocalyptic power.
Ren, still in the form of Edward Newgate, plummeted from the heavens and viciously stompped his foot directly onto Atlas Flame's fiery head.
Boom——————!!
The localized earthquake generated from the impact was instantaneous and devastating. Atlas Flame's head was violently slammed into the ground, completely bypassing his fiery physiology. The earth around him shattered into thousands of jagged pieces, creating a massive crater as the dragon's immaterial form was forcibly pinned down by the sheer kinetic force.
"Ren!!!"
Seeing Ren arrive in such a spectacular fashion, the battered members of Fairy Tail felt as if they had just seen their ultimate savior descend from the skies.
Ren looked down at the grounded fire dragon and casually lifted Murakumogiri. "Sorry, I'm a little late!"
Before Ren could launch a follow-up strike, a familiar, hyperactive voice rang out.
"Ren!! Leave this guy to me!! I'm going to eat it!!"
Natsu bounded forward, his fists engulfed in flames, shouting with an incredibly excited face. He was staring at Atlas Flame not as a terrifying monster, but as an all-you-can-eat buffet.
"What?!!"
The surrounding guild members were momentarily startled by Natsu's absurd words. But then, as they looked at Natsu's burning determination, they remembered a crucial fact. Fire magic, no matter how potent or divine, was completely ineffective against Natsu. In fact, consuming the dragon's hellfire would only greatly enhance his strength and stamina. Leaving a dragon made entirely of fire to Natsu was indeed a very appropriate, if not slightly insane, strategy.
Ren paused, glancing down at Natsu, and let out a hearty chuckle. "Hmm... since you say so, I'll leave this guy to you. Don't choke on him. I'll go deal with the others."
Dealing with seven dragons at once was indeed a bit troublesome, even with the power of the Tremor-Tremor fruit. It was good that Natsu could help share the burden and handle the one opponent he had a natural advantage against.
Meanwhile, in the Sabertooth area of the capital.
A white dragon with large, menacing pincers-like horns on its head was violently rampaging through the streets. All the sturdy stone buildings in front of the dragon were crushed as easily as if they were made of soft tofu, collapsing into dust beneath its massive claws.
"Too strong..."
Seeing this white dragon effortlessly level a city block, Sting Eucliffe stood paralyzed, feeling a cold sweat break out across his back. For the first time in his life, he truly felt just how overwhelmingly powerful a living, breathing dragon could be.
"Lector, Frosch, get back," Rogue Cheney ordered, stepping up beside his partner. His face was pale but determined. He spoke to the two small Exceeds huddling behind them. In a battle against such a monstrous dragon, one could easily be killed with just a single mistake. They couldn't afford any distractions.
Rufus Lore, observing the overwhelming destruction with a calculating gaze, adjusted his hat and said, "If I recall correctly, in my memory, both you, Sting, and Rogue boldly claimed that you had successfully killed the dragons that raised you when you were young, right? Why hesitate now?"
Sting gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. The crushing guilt and fear finally forced the truth out of him. "Sorry! That... that was just boasting. How could I have possibly defeated a dragon when I was that small!"
Rogue lowered his head, his voice quiet but steady as he finally confessed the truth of his past. "The Shadow Dragon, Skiadrum... he was already suffering from an incurable disease back then. I didn't defeat him in combat. I just... I just helped him end his own life to stop the pain."
[Akarin Note:
Your Support Keeps This Story Alive!
If you're enjoying this novel, your support means the world to me. Simple actions like leaving a review, power stone, comment, or sharing the story let me know you're out there. It's the greatest motivation for me to keep updating until the very end and ensures this project continues.
For those who wish to support me more directly, you can join my Patreon at [patreon.com/AkarinTL]. As a thank-you, you'll receive access to 50 advanced chapters.
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]