Fairy Tail: Collapsing Stars

Chapter 375: Let Us Make Dragons Great Again

”So what should we do next?!”

”Since this guy chose to join Fairy Tail Guild, doesnʼt that make him our companion?”

”If thatʼs the case, then we wonʼt be able to fight freely anymore, right?”

Laxus raised his eyebrows as he looked at Animus, who had directly submitted.

Since Animus had already submitted, it was obvious that the fight was no longer going to happen.

Originally, the reason Laxus had been tricked over here by Erza and the others was to test just how powerful the Dragon Slayer Magic he had learned had become, and how large the gap between himself and wild dragons really was!

But since Animus was about to become a member of Fairy Tail, there was no need for testing anymore. After all, Dragon Slayer Magic, a magic with such destructive power, was not magic meant to attack companions from the same guild…

Moreover, once they became companions in the same guild, they would naturally hesitate somewhat when making a move.

If one felt hesitation and confusion in battle, then it would be impossible to properly test the power of oneʼs magic!

”Of course our task next is tourism. The Kingdom of Stella is a famous tourist destination. If we donʼt properly enjoy ourselves, wouldnʼt that be a waste?”

”Laxus, Natsu, Gajeel, you all have to remember that our primary purpose for coming to the Kingdom of Stella was not anything else, but tourism!!”

”The reason we came all the way from the Kingdom of Fiore to this distant Kingdom of Stella was first for tourism, and only afterward to deal with other things…”

After hearing Laxusʼs words, Evan raised his eyebrows and spoke to everyone with an extremely serious expression.

”So you people actually came here for tourism, and then just happened to discover me, so I got conveniently dealt with along the way?”

Hearing this, the corners of Animusʼs eyes twitched slightly. He had thought that Evan and the others came to the Kingdom of Stella specifically to deal with him. After all this time, it turned out he had overestimated himself and was simply being self-indulgent. The group before him simply did not care about his insignificant power.

That made sense. Among the people before him, no, among these monsters! There were already three Dragon King-level existences alone. Besides those three Dragon King-level existences, there was also a dragon seemingly sleeping inside some human bratʼs body, and that dragon was also at Dragon King-level…

That was four Dragon King-level dragons! Even four hundred years ago at the peak of dragonkind, there had never been four existences of this level! If their dragon side had possessed this kind of strength during the Dragon King Festival back then, perhaps they would not have lost to Acnologia…

”Sigh…”

Thinking of this, Animus could not help but sigh, feeling incomparably bitter inside.

No matter how he thought about it, the era of dragons had already passed.

”Animus, we plan to properly enjoy ourselves in your country…”

”I heard your country produces crystals, and those crystals are very beautiful. They shouldnʼt be too expensive, right?”

Just as Animus was lost in thought, Evan walked before him and smilingly asked.

”Uh…”

As Evanʼs words fell, Animus frowned slightly. He always felt like there was another meaning hidden in Evanʼs words~

”Well, whatever catches your eyes, please just take it. Put all the bills on my account, Animus! This is my country, and everything here is under my control…”

Animus thought for a moment. After all, he had lived together with humans for over four hundred years. During those four hundred years, he had seen countless humans, so he could roughly understand Evanʼs current mood…

No, there was no need to guess anything. Evan had directly displayed everything he wanted on his face, and Animus could clearly see two large words written there, namely ʼGreedʼ!

He was just not completely certain yet. After all, Evan was a dragon and unlike those low-level humans. Noble dragons like them never cared about the lowly treasures humans valued.

”Youʼre saying all expenses will be charged to your account? As expected of the king of the Kingdom of Stella, truly wealthy and generous! Everyone, later on, please enjoy yourselves as much as possible in the Kingdom of Stella! All expenses today will be paid by Animus~”

After hearing Animusʼs words, Evan slightly raised the corners of his mouth. First he lightly patted Animus on the shoulder with an expression of ʼa child worth teaching,ʼ then smiled at Irene and the others as he spoke.

”Oh!!”

As Evanʼs voice fell, Natsu, Kurnugi, and Gajeel all cooperatively shouted in unison.

Even Selene and Irene had beautiful curves appear on their lovely faces…

In this world, there were no women who disliked shopping…

”Hehe, as long as you all like it…”

Animus lightly smiled as he looked at the delighted dragons and Dragon Slayer Mages, not daring to say much else.

”Then next, Animus, I have some other matters I want to discuss with you…”

After obtaining Animusʼs sponsorship, Evan dragged Animus toward the neighboring palace that had not been destroyed.

Before leaving, Evan did not forget to turn around and smile at Irene and the others. ”Irene, I still have some things I want to discuss with Animus. So everyone, letʼs temporarily split up here and gather back here again at sunset. What do you think?”

”Of course…”

Irene knew that Evan had his own plans. She smiled gently at Evan and said nothing more, silently watching his figure depart.

As for everyone else, including dragons and Dragon Slayer Mages such as Laxus and Kurnugi, none of them said anything while looking at Evan and Animus leaving.

”So suspicious…”

Only Erza tightly frowned as she looked at Evan and Animus. She could clearly see the word suspicious written all over them.

”Alright, now that troublesome people like Natsu and the others are gone…”

”Next, we can finally handle serious business…”

Evan dragged Animus into the neighboring room. It was Animusʼs bedroom. First, Evan threw Animus onto the bed in the bedroom, then closed the roomʼs door.

”Uh…”

Animus, who previously had not thought much of anything, suddenly changed expression after hearing Evanʼs words. He abruptly remembered that he could no longer be referred to as he, but rather she.

After all, she was currently using Sonyaʼs body. Could it be that this Dragon King-level monster before her had suddenly become lustful?!

Animusʼs expression drastically changed. He knew that four hundred years ago, there had been a group of dragons who mingled together with humans, and some especially extreme dragons had even formed relationships crossing species boundaries with humans…

And most importantly, the name Belserion belonged to the leader of those dragons who mingled together with humans back then…

In other words, these dragons carrying the surname Belserion were very likely descendants born from dragons and humans crossing species boundaries…

Simply put, these dragons with the surname Belserion perhaps retained human aesthetics. Looking at it this way, wasnʼt she very dangerous?

Thinking of this, Animusʼs face turned deathly pale as her entire body trembled.

”Now then, letʼs discuss serious matters!”

After closing the door, Evan looked toward Animus.

”Iʼm sorry. Although my current body is female, my spirit is male, so I cannot do it…”

Just as Evan was about to discuss Magic Crystals with Animus, Animus bowed deeply toward Evan while solemnly speaking.

”What are you talking about? I was planning to discuss Magic Crystals with you. What exactly are you thinking about in that brain of yours?!”

After hearing Animusʼs words, the corners of Evanʼs eyes twitched slightly. Honestly speaking, he was somewhat speechless.

”Uh…”

Hearing this, Animus froze. She had thought Evan intended to…

How should she put it? Even Animus herself could barely bring herself to say her previous thoughts aloud. It was simply too embarrassing!

”I think… I was also thinking about Magic Crystals.”

Animusʼs expression changed as she quietly changed her wording.

”...”

Evan remained silent. He simply stared silently at Animus without saying anything.

”It seems that you already know my characteristics. I can mass-produce Dragon Slayer Magic Crystals. However, naturally, the Dragon Slayer Magic Crystals I produce are completely different from those truly produced using dragon hearts. They can only be considered defective products…”

Animus sensed some awkwardness. In order to ease the embarrassment, she first lightly coughed twice before continuing.

”Yes, of course I know that the Dragon Slayer Magic Crystals you produce can only be considered defective products compared to the true Dragon Slayer Magic Crystals produced from dragon hearts, but that is already enough…” 

Evan lightly nodded. In this world, although there were not many Mages implanted with Dragon Slayer Magic Crystals, the so-called Second Generation Dragon Slayer Mages, there were not few either.

However, among those Second Generation Dragon Slayer Mages, how many could truly unleash the power of the Dragon Slayer Magic Crystals within them?!

True Dragon Slayer Magic Crystals were made from dragon hearts and contained nearly all the power of a dragon.

However, because human bodies were incomparably fragile and fundamentally unable to withstand that power, ordinary Mages could not fully unleash the crystalʼs power even after implantation. In the end, this kind of thing still depended on talent…

As for the Magic Crystals mass-produced by Animus, although they did not possess the power inherently contained within the original Dragon Slayer Magic Crystals, they could still grant Mages Dragon Slayer traits. In other words, after ordinary Mages implanted the Magic Crystals created by Animus, they would at least gain the power to use Dragon Slayer Magic. Most importantly, Animusʼs Magic Crystals could also achieve the same thing as ordinary Magic Crystals, namely preventing humans from undergoing Dragonification after excessively using Dragon Slayer Magic. Therefore, they still possessed great value…

”So your plan is to implant my Magic Crystals into humans to create a powerful army?”

”If itʼs merely for creating an army, then I think there is absolutely no need to implant them into human bodies! Originally, I had already used the characteristics of my Magic Crystals to create many Dragon Slayer Quant Soldiers. They possess limitless stamina, and every one of them has formidable combat power! As long as they have sufficient magic power, they can operate, and they will not stop before their magic power runs out! Those weapons are far easier to use than humans. Honestly speaking, I originally planned to use the power of Dragon Cry to fully awaken them, but Dragon Cry…”

At this point, Animus stopped. Zash had already told her that Dragon Cry had been taken by Evan Belserion. In other words, the Dragon Cry she had longed for so dearly should now be in the hands of this Dragon King-level monster before her. If her guess was correct, her Dragon Cry had probably already been absorbed by this monster…

”Putting Dragon Cry aside, Iʼm talking about those Quant Soldiers. I believe they are much stronger than humans!”

Animus no longer dwelled on the issue of Dragon Cry. In the first place, this world was one where the strong decided everything. Since Evan was stronger than her, it was perfectly normal for him to obtain Dragon Cry. She held no resentment over this matter and could only say that her own strength was insufficient…

But setting Dragon Cry aside, as a dragon, Animus did not trust humans, so she had no intention of using her imitation Dragon Slayer Magic Crystals to strengthen those foolish humans.

”Your Quant Soldiers are indeed very powerful, but their potential is insufficient. Human potential is limitless. Perhaps someone may even rely on those weak Magic Crystals to reach a level comparable to dragons…”

After hearing Animusʼs words, Evan shook his head.

”Then thatʼs even more unacceptable! If another Acnologia appears, will there still be any place left in this world for dragons to survive?!”

Perhaps because of Evanʼs Fish-Fish Fruit, Evanʼs aura was even more dragon-like than actual dragons. Therefore, in Animusʼs eyes, Evan was completely one of their own kind, so she spoke without restraint.

”Animus, your vision is truly too shallow…”

After hearing Animusʼs words, Evan helplessly sighed. His eyes looking at Animus were filled entirely with disappointment.

”T-Then, have I made some kind of mistake?”

Animus froze, not understanding what she had done wrong.

”Animus, answer me this. What is the end point of Dragon Slayer Magic?”

Evan stood with his hands behind his back and asked Animus.

”Become… a dragon?”

Animus froze for a moment. Thoughtfulness appeared in her eyes. After hesitating slightly, she looked at Evan and asked.

”Yes, the end point of Dragon Slayer Magic is becoming a dragon!”

”Then once those Dragon Slayer Mages use the Dragon Slayer Magic Crystals we provide to fully master Dragon Slayer Magic, what do you think would happen if we suddenly separated the Magic Crystals that were being used to restrain them?”

Evan narrowed his eyes as he continued questioning Animus.

”Hiss…”

After hearing Evanʼs words, Animus sucked in a breath of cold air as her expression slightly changed.

”At that time, countless Dragon Slayer Mages would transform into dragons!”

Animus looked at Evan in shock.

”Exactly. Do you think the coming era will become the era of humans? No, it will not! The coming era will not become the era of humans. The coming era will belong to us…”

”Animus, at this moment, let the two of us join hands! Let us make dragons great again~”

”I understand!”

After carefully sizing Evan up from top to bottom, Animus finally achieved enlightenment.

Thatʼs right. Since those humans intended to exterminate dragons, then they would do the exact opposite and turn all those dragon-slaying heroes who intended to slay dragons into dragons themselves!

Once all those dragon-slaying heroes became dragons, she wanted to see whether those heroes would continue helping humans or instead protect the interests of dragons~

”Itʼs good that you understand…”

”In truth, the reason I need a large number of Dragon Slayer Magic Crystals is to cultivate even more Dragon Slayer Mages!”

”After all, the Black Dragon King Acnologia is a common enemy of both humans and dragons…”

”As for the Black Dragonʼs strength, I believe no one understands his terror better than you, right?”

Evan slightly raised the corners of his mouth as he looked at Animus, who was gradually being completely fooled by him.

”Acnologia is a nightmare. I will never forget that earth-shattering battle four hundred years ago!”

”Originally, that battle was a war between us dragons, the traitors who betrayed us, and the Dragon Slayer Mages among humans who had learned Dragon Slayer Magic…”

”But suddenly, that man appeared! His Dragon Slayer Magic was incomparably powerful, far surpassing all of us. Neither elemental magic nor spatial magic could affect him in the slightest! In the end, he bathed in dragon blood and devoured dragon souls, transforming into a pitch-black demonic dragon! He was the sole victor of the Dragon King Festival four hundred years ago, the Black Dragon King Acnologia!”

Fear appeared within Animusʼs expression. The reason she had fallen to the point of merging herself with a human and ultimately becoming unable to separate from that body was precisely because of that pitch-black demonic dragon.

Animus believed that no one in this world understood Acnologiaʼs terror better than she did…

”You intend to make a move against him? Forgive my bluntness, but even possessing four Dragon King-level dragons may not necessarily be enough to defeat him…”

Animus had already been completely traumatized by Acnologia. The moment she heard Evan and the others intended to act against Acnologia, her face immediately filled with fear, and terror appeared in her eyes.

”In truth, besides you, we have already gathered sufficient strength…”

”Speaking of which, the invincible Dragon King from four hundred years ago did not appear on the battlefield back then, correct?”

Evan slightly raised the corners of his mouth. He knew it was time to reveal his second card.

”The Dragon King known as ʼInvincibleʼ four hundred years ago…”

”You mean the Fire Dragon King Igneel?!”

Animus froze for a moment before carefully asking Evan.

”Yes. Igneel knew that even he could not injure Acnologia four hundred years ago, so in order to defeat Acnologia, he arranged a plan and traveled through time to arrive in the present! He intends to hold a true Dragon King Festival with Acnologia…”

”Besides that, on our side we also have me, the Sage Dragon Irene, and the Moon Dragon God Selene. With the strength of the three of us, even during the strongest era of dragonkind four hundred years ago, we would have possessed the possibility of ascending to become Dragon Kings!”

”And countless Dragon Slayer Mages personally raised by dragons, the Dragon Children who possess limitless potential. Animus, are you interested in joining this grand finale prepared specifically for the Black Dragon King?!”

Evan snapped his fingers, and a chair instantly appeared behind him. He lightly sat upon it and softly asked Animus.

”So the dragon soul sleeping within that human body belongs to Igneel…”

”If itʼs Igneel, then perhaps he truly can defeat Acnologia…”

Animus had already been completely persuaded by Evan. Brilliant light shone from her eyes. She swore that throughout these muddled four hundred years, she had never once felt as passionate and boiling with excitement as she did today.

”If we truly create that new era, then I shall honor you as king!”

Animus was so fired up by Evanʼs words that she directly knelt on one knee and respectfully shouted toward Evan.

”Hehe…”

In response, Evan merely smiled faintly without saying anything else.

The mass-production plan for Dragon Slayer Mages officially begins…

What Magic Council? It was merely a school helping Fairy Tail cultivate Dragon Slayer Mages.

At that point, it would basically become the Ishgar branch campus of Cassell Academy.