A month passed. Acnologia and Irene, the husband and wife duo, fought alongside each other against the Evil Dragons, turning numerous life-and-death crises into safety.
After discussing it, the two felt that fighting groups of dragons was too dangerous. Even if they could escape unscathed every time, there was no guarantee they wouldn't slip up. So, they switched to hunting lone dragons, which was much easier.
Thinking back on how they used to love facing so many dragons head-on, it really was a bit foolish.
On the side of the Evil Dragons, things had turned chaotic. They searched the world for the two, as no one wanted to be targeted and killed after being left alone. Yet, it was impossible for them to travel in large groups every single time.
This resulted in them living in constant fear for just one month. Currently, the number of Evil Dragons in Ishgar had dwindled to only five thousand.
If the number of Evil Dragons were to drop by another half, they were certain that madman Acnologia would immediately declare war on the dragon swarm... Fiore Kingdom.
On this day, a young man walked into the castle of the Anna Heartfilia Family.
He had a kind and gentle face, short black hair, and wore a black standing-collar robe. A pendant hung from his chest, and his entire being exuded an eerie aura, as if he were a mixture of life and death.
Seeing the newcomer, Anna Heartfilia showed a hint of surprise: "Zeref, is it time to start already?"
"The timing is perfect!"
The black-haired youth, Zeref, spoke in a soft and gentle voice. No one would ever imagine that he was the one who would be known as the Ancestor of Black Magic in the future.
"Wait for me, I'll go get Little Natsu and the others!"
Anna Heartfilia did not hesitate and hurriedly ran into the castle. She had already made arrangements for family matters; now, she just needed to take Little Natsu directly to the Eclipse Gate.
After Anna led the five children out, Zeref noticed she was also holding a girl with short crimson hair. He was somewhat surprised: "Who is this girl?"
Anna explained, "Little Erza is the child of Queen Irene of the Dragnof Kingdom. She entrusted her to me a while ago, hoping I could take her to the future."
She didn't mention that Little Erza was Acnologia's child; after all, Zeref might still have some misunderstandings regarding him.
Whether Little Erza would grow up to be good or bad was a matter of education. She believed one should not determine good or evil based on whose child someone was.
Of course, she didn't think Zeref would be so unreasonable; she just wanted to avoid any potential trouble.
Zeref nodded slightly and said, "Alright, let's take her along then."
He could sense that this little girl had great potential. Her talent was likely no weaker than Natsu's, and she might become an important combat force against Acnologia in the future.
Soon, the two brought the six little ones to the front of the Eclipse Gate. Before them was a massive metal door adorned with mysterious patterns resembling a clock. Anyone with strong perception could tell it contained an incredibly vast power of time and space.
Anna Heartfilia reached out to touch the Eclipse Gate, her gaze resolute. With a wave of her hand, the zodiac keys emerged in mid-air, spinning and blooming with golden light that illuminated the sky.
Simultaneously, her magic power as the strongest Celestial Spirit Mage erupted suddenly, a terrifying force surging toward the heavens.
"Open, Eclipse Gate!"
At Anna's call, the mysterious gate slowly swung open. Following a heavy sound and an endless white light, the path ahead became obscured.
Zeref felt the time-space magic contained within and looked back at Anna, his voice gentle: "Go, Anna. Ahead lies the future!"
He looked down at Little Natsu, his eyes showing softness and reluctance: "Go, Natsu, my brother. We shall meet in the future. I hope by then you will possess the power to kill me, the power to kill Acnologia."
"These are the zodiac keys; I'll leave them in your care. In the future, Celestial Spirits can choose their masters freely."
"Alright!"
Anna Heartfilia handed over the twelve golden keys, took a deep look at this Black Wizard who was bent on seeking death, and then stepped into the white light with the six little ones.
See you in the future!
..."Little Erza is gone!"
Irene murmured softly. When the Eclipse Gate opened just now, that terrifying magic power was something she could clearly perceive even from tens of thousands of miles away.
Acnologia nodded slightly. Seeing Irene's somewhat dejected look, he reached out and put his arm around her shoulder: "Don't worry, I've already seen the future. It's beautiful there. She will meet many friends to grow up with and many loving family members."
"For that beautiful future, we must also quicken our pace and eliminate all the Evil Dragons."
Irene was silent for a moment, then reached out to touch Acnologia's chest: "Is your condition alright? I can clearly sense that you are on the brink of madness. I'm worried you won't be able to bear it if you keep killing."
Along with the slaughter, Acnologia was already losing control over his violent murderous intent. There had been an instance where he couldn't distinguish friend from foe; not only did he attack ordinary people, but he even felt killing intent toward her. If he hadn't stopped at the last moment, she might have died.
Acnologia was silent for a while before saying softly, "I'm fine. Once all the Evil Dragons are eliminated, I'll start absorbing the souls I devoured before. By then, I will surely be able to fully control this murderous hostility."
He had experimented before, spending ten days erasing the memories of a dragon soul. After devouring it, his condition indeed improved.
"Acnologia, get out here!"
Suddenly, a heaven-shaking roar came from the sky above. The terrifying sound waves were domineering and boundless; just the expansion of the sound waves alone was enough to shatter the earth.
Acnologia looked up abruptly, his gaze fixed on the giant gold-and-white dragon soaring in the sky. His killing intent rose again: "Sky Dragon King!"
This was the strongest Dragon King among the Evil Dragons. His strength was almost no weaker than the previous King of Red Dragons, Osta, and his speed and defense were extremely formidable. They had fought twice before, and he hadn't been able to kill him, making him quite troublesome.
"Today, I will definitely kill him!"
Acnologia stood up, his magic power surging toward the heavens. The dark wings behind him unfurled, instantly sweeping away the surrounding boulders.
He looked down at Irene: "You don't need to act this time. Don't expose yourself yet. Just find me one opportunity—an opportunity to kill the Sky Dragon King."
As long as he could kill the Sky Dragon King, the Evil Dragons would have no other Dragon Kings left to field. Then, he could go on a killing spree without any reservations!
Irene also understood the situation and nodded seriously: "Go! I will support you at the critical moment."
Acnologia said no more. Flapping his wings, he instantly soared into the sky like a black meteor, crashing toward the Sky Dragon King.
"Good timing!"
The Sky Dragon King laughed loudly. He was only afraid that this monster would hide in the shadows and play some underhanded tricks.
"Die!"
Both sides roared, clashing together with violent murderous intent. The deafening roars pierced the silent night sky, and a terrifying storm of destruction instantly tore everything apart.
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