Chapter 711 - 711: Burn, Burn!

Snow and dust filled the air as turbulent waves of debris rolled outward.

At the center of the destruction where Dogramag had once stood was a crater more than twenty kilometers across.

The Earth Dragon God's presence had completely vanished.

His body had been reduced to ash.

Wendy and Sherria, who had thrown themselves flat during the impact, slowly climbed back to their feet.

They stared blankly at the devastation before them, blinking several times.

"How many mountains did that just erase?!"

Even Raizel noticed the destruction from high above.

'So much for protecting Guiltina. You people just deleted part of it!'

Yukino suddenly pointed in another direction.

"Look over there!"

It was still daytime, yet the battlefield where Selene fought Viernes had been swallowed by night.

A full moon hung high above her.

Day and night were divided so cleanly that the boundary could almost be seen with the naked eye.

Selene seemed to stand upon the heavens themselves, the full moon suspended behind her as golden motes of moonlight drifted down and settled across her platinum-white fur.

Her nine tails swayed slowly through the air, giving the Moon Dragon God an almost regal majesty.

She looked down at the badly wounded Viernes.

"You've already died once, Viernes. A dragon facing death for the second time should know when to stop struggling."

Viernes used what strength remained to roar back.

"I AM A DRAGON, NOT A HUMAN!!!"

Selene answered without the slightest interest.

"Oh. Same difference."

Then she sprang upward and climbed even higher into the sky.

Countless particles of moonlight gathered.

They merged into a colossal pillar stretching between heaven and earth.

The beam completely engulfed Viernes.

Golden brilliance illuminated the artificial night surrounding Selene until the darkness itself became as bright as day.

Wendy and Sherria stared upward, mesmerized.

"So beautiful..."

Irene, having finished off Dogramag, returned to their position and gave the spectacle a flat look.

"Needlessly flashy."

A magical water mirror opened beside them.

Selene stepped through in human form.

"Needlessly flashy, but effective. Viernes is dead."

Ultear, Erza, Mira, Kagura, and the others had already headed toward the battlefield where Elefseria and the Dragon Eaters were fighting.

Selene looked back toward the sky, then toward the distant valley.

"But the most important fights are still Ignia and Helios."

Wendy looked between Irene and Selene.

"Aren't we going to help?"

A faint smile appeared on Selene's face.

"Raizel doesn't need us."

Then her gaze shifted toward the valley.

"And Mercphobia has his own pride and convictions."

With a casual wave of her hand, Selene created a magical water mirror in front of everyone.

The battle between Mercphobia, Natsu, and Ignia appeared within it.

...

Tidal waves and walls of fire collided once more, shaking the valley.

One side looked as though a tsunami were sweeping through the mountains.

The other had become an endless sea of flame.

Natsu stood atop Mercphobia's serpentine body between the Water Dragon God's five enormous horns, his white scarf whipping wildly in the wind.

Across from them hovered Ignia.

Selene raised an eyebrow.

"He actually let Natsu stand on his back? You really have changed, Mercphobia."

"Aye! Mercphobia asked him to!"

A familiar voice came from behind them.

Happy staggered back toward the gathering point.

Half his body was scorched black.

The other half was soaking wet.

During the last collision between the waves and the sea of fire, Happy had finally reached his limit and nearly dropped both himself and Natsu out of the sky.

Mercphobia had caught them at the last moment.

"Happy, get away from here. Natsu and I will deal with Ignia."

"Aye! That's what happened."

While Wendy healed him, Happy explained why he looked like he had been simultaneously boiled and drowned—and why Natsu was now riding Mercphobia.

...

Mercphobia felt the slight trembling in Natsu's body and grinned.

"Hahaha! What is it, Natsu? Afraid? Or excited?"

Natsu grinned back.

"Standing on a dragon again after all this time..."

His flames surged.

"NOW I'M FIRED UP!!!"

A giant question mark might as well have appeared above Mercphobia's head.

"What?"

"Igneel!"

Mercphobia immediately understood.

"I see."

The moment Ignia heard Natsu say Igneel's name, his expression twisted.

His eyes burned crimson.

Watching through the water mirror, Selene rubbed her chin.

"I'm starting to think..."

Irene narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

"He's jealous?"

Ignia charged again.

"Hold on, Natsu!"

ROOOOAR!

Mercphobia threw back his head and roared.

Blue particles surged around his body as he whipped his tail and abruptly accelerated upward.

In moments, he had seized the high ground above Ignia.

"Fire Dragon King's Roar!"

"Water Dragon's Roar!"

Natsu's raging flames and Mercphobia's surging torrent each took the shape of serpentine dragons.

The two spiraled around one another as they plunged from above.

They struck Ignia simultaneously.

BOOOOM!

Scalding flames and crushing water blasted across his back, carving vicious wounds into his scales.

Even now, Mercphobia did not want to kill another dragon if it could be avoided.

"Ignia, you're already wounded. Surrender while you still can."

Ignia's face twisted.

Then he threw back his head and laughed.

"Hahahaha!!!"

"Today, either Natsu dies or I do!"

His flames erupted even hotter.

"Again! Burn! Burn until there's nothing left!"

Irene frowned.

"He's lost his mind."

Selene murmured thoughtfully.

"So this is what people mean when they say jealousy makes you ugly?"

Mercphobia sighed.

"If that's your answer..."

Natsu tightened his grip around Mercphobia's horns.

"Then let's go!"

Mercphobia nodded.

His serpentine body bent slightly.

Then snapped straight.

He became a streak of blue light, diving toward Ignia like a gigantic spear.

Natsu leaned forward between his horns, matching Mercphobia's angle perfectly.

"Fire Dragon King's Sword Horn!"

Above Natsu, the fiery image of Igneel appeared.

From a distance, it looked almost as though Igneel and Mercphobia were diving side by side at exactly the same speed.

Ignia did not evade.

He beat his wings and accelerated directly toward them.

The two-on-one collision was overwhelming.

Ignia was blasted out of the sky like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

BOOM!

He crashed halfway up a mountain.

RUMBLE—!

The mountainside collapsed around him.

"NATSU!!!"

Ignia exploded out of the rubble with his face twisted in fury.

His jaws opened.

Blazing fire erupted once more.

Anger.

Jealousy.

Resentment.

All of it fed the flames, making them hotter than before.

The resulting shockwaves tore at Natsu's scarf and Mercphobia's fur.

Neither of them backed down.

Their eyes remained unwavering, burning with the same determination and hunger for battle.

Scarlet flames engulfed Natsu.

Blue radiance gathered around Mercphobia.

"Fire Dragon King's Roar!"

"Water Dragon's Roar!"

Ignia could have dodged.

He chose not to.

His inferno collided directly with the intertwined dragons of fire and water.

For several seconds, neither side gave an inch.

Then—

BOOOOOOM!!!

The blast expanded like a nuclear detonation.

A colossal shockwave erupted from the center and swept across the valley.

A mushroom cloud rose into the heavens as the deafening explosion echoed throughout the entire mountain range.

Ignia's chest rose and fell heavily.

Across from him, Mercphobia's body had been scorched black in places, while Natsu supported himself against the Water Dragon God with one hand, breathing hard.

Ignia stared at them.

Then his mouth split into a wild grin.

"Hahahaha!!!"

His laughter echoed through the mountains.

"YES! THIS IS IT!"

"THIS IS WHAT I WANTED!"