Fairy Tail: Collapsing Stars

Chapter 394: Larcade, Stop Now! Outside Are All DragonsChapter 395: What Demon? Just a Tool for Relieving Stress

”One dragon, two dragons, three dragons, four dragons…”

”Larcade, what should we do next?!”

ʼGrim Reaperʼ Bloodman looked panicked. As he gazed at the several dragons soaring through the sky, fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. If there were only one young dragon on the opposing side, they could still fight. After all, they stood at the pinnacle of human combat power. In a one-on-one fight, or even several against one, defeating a young dragon would not be a major problem…

But the powerful and majestic auras filling this space clearly belonged to fully grown dragons, and Dragon King-level dragons at that. Even four hundred years ago, they had stood at the very top of the food chain. They were absolutely not existences that could be defeated by them…

”This situation is something even I never imagined…”

Larcade kept his palms pressed together, still maintaining the appearance of an enlightened monk. However, the slight trembling of his hands revealed that his heart was anything but calm.

Even in his dreams, Larcade had never imagined that after witnessing the black Wings of Despair slaughter dragons into extinction, he would one day see such a scene again.

Before him now, dragons danced across the skies!

For a moment, Larcade felt as though he had returned four hundred years into the past, to the era when dragons still ravaged the world of Earth-land.

In that age, whether it was Ishgar or the Western Continent, the rulers standing atop the food chain and the pyramid of power were neither humans nor demons.

They were dragons!

Before dragons, all life in the world was equal. Whether human or demon, no matter how hard one trained, defeating a dragon was impossible!

During that era, even humanity, now the protagonist race of Earth-land, could only survive by sheltering beside the massive bodies of dragons.

Even Zerefʼs greatest creation, Etherious Natsu Dragneel, could not compare. In fact, if E.N.D. truly possessed power surpassing dragons, Zeref would never have made his younger brother learn Dragon Slayer Magic.

In the world of Earth-land, dragons were synonymous with power.

Without exception.

”So this is why August forbade us from attacking Ishgar?”

ʼWinter Generalʼ Invel Yura suddenly understood. Hidden beneath his glasses was a gloomy expression.

Staring at the dragons outside the battleship window, Invel clenched his fists tightly.

If the reason August opposed the invasion of Ishgar was because of these dragons, then every plan they had made and every effort they had invested would be meaningless.

Because no matter how clever his strategies were, there was no way he could defeat these dragons.

At the same time, the war between the Alvarez Empire and Ishgar would effectively be over.

Yes.

The war had already ended.

As long as these dragons existed, the Alvarez Empire would never conquer Ishgar. In fact, even Alvarez itself might no longer be safe.

And with that, the meaning of Invel Yuraʼs existence would also disappear.

Without war, what use was a military strategist?

There would no longer be a stage upon which he could display his talents.

”Damn it…”

Thinking this, Invel gritted his teeth, his eyes turning bloodshot.

He began wondering whether he should gamble everything.

After all, the power of dragons existed mostly in legends. How strong were dragons really? Were they truly invincible?

No one knew.

But if—just if—he could defeat a dragon here today, everything would change…

”...”

Once the thought of challenging a dragon appeared in Invelʼs mind, it spread like weeds.

It grew uncontrollably, covering every corner of his thoughts.

As the desire to compete against dragons took root, Invel stared fixedly at the dragon hidden within the thunderclouds.

His finger slowly rose.

He seemed ready to unleash his magic upon the dragon in the sky.

”Calm down.”

Just before Invel activated his magic, Bloodmanʼs eyes narrowed.

He had noticed Invelʼs raised arm.

Without wasting words, Bloodman immediately grabbed the arm preparing to cast magic.

Frowning deeply, he spoke softly.

”Invel…”

Looking at Bloodman standing before him, Invelʼs expression became dazed.

He knew desire had clouded his judgment.

Yet stopping here left him unwilling.

His gaze locked onto Bloodman, hoping the other man would say something.

”...”

But Bloodman said nothing.

He merely held Invelʼs arm and gently shook his head.

”But are we really just going to sit here and watch these dragons do whatever they want?”

”In that case, how will Alvarezʼs soldiers view us? Theyʼll think weʼre cowards! Cowards who donʼt dare challenge dragons!”

”If we continue letting these dragons do as they please, morale will collapse. Then what will we use to attack Ishgar afterward?”

Invel stared at Bloodman and questioned him heavily.

”Invel Yura, I think youʼve misunderstood something.”

”Now is not the time to save face before the soldiers.”

”Nor is it the time to think about how weʼll invade Ishgar afterward.”

”The most important thing right now isnʼt fighting these dragons.”

”Itʼs figuring out how to escape from them!”

”If these dragons truly decide to attack us, how many of us do you think will survive? Thatʼs what we should be considering!”

Bloodman shook his head.

The other man was still too young.

Seeing dragons and still thinking about attacking?

What a joke.

Simply escaping alive from dragons should already be considered a blessing.

Especially when Dragon King-class monsters stood among them.

One of them was even the legendary Fire Dragon King Igneel.

If they could escape from Igneelʼs hands alive, it would be enough to boast about for the rest of their lives.

”Are dragons really that powerful?”

”Are dragons truly unbeatable?”

After hearing Bloodmanʼs words, Invel clenched his fists.

His body trembled slightly as he stared at the dragons outside.

”Are dragons really that powerful? Are they truly invincible?”

”Heh.”

”Youʼre still too young, Invel Yura.”

”If you had been born four hundred years ago, you would never ask such a question.”

Bloodman laughed at Invelʼs innocent question.

In Bloodmanʼs eyes, Invel was naïve.

So naïve it was almost adorable.

”Invel Yura.”

”You only need to understand one thing.”

”Dragons are far stronger than you can imagine!”

”When facing dragons, donʼt think about victory.”

”Think about how to escape from them.”

”That is what we should be doing.”

Bloodman patted Invelʼs shoulder.

As a veteran who had survived the Age of Dragons, he offered his advice.

”...”

Bloodmanʼs words shook Invel deeply.

His lips trembled.

He wanted to say something.

Yet in the end, no words came out.

Standing there silently, Invel seemed to contemplate many things.

Finally, he loosened his tightly clenched fists.

It appeared he had understood something.

”I understand…”

No one knew how powerless Invel felt.

But facing those roaring dragons, he could only temporarily bid farewell to his ideals.

”Everyone experiences powerlessness.”

”Invel Yura, you should be grateful that this day arrived so early.”

”Because you still have a long future ahead of you to change yourself.”

Bloodman looked at the pained expression on Invelʼs face and offered a few words of guidance like a mentor.

Ironically, the great demon Bloodman from the Books of Zeref, feared by countless humans across the world, seemed to understand humanity better than Invel himself.

And this also demonstrated Zerefʼs brilliance.

The later demons he created became increasingly human-like.

Larcade Dragneel, his second-to-last creation and near-perfect work, and Natsu Dragneel, his ultimate masterpiece, were practically indistinguishable from humans.

”We absolutely cannot stop here!”

Just as Bloodman nodded in satisfaction upon seeing Invel abandon the idea of attacking dragons, Larcade suddenly made a decision.

Within his deep eyes, endless malice writhed.

It was as if some wicked scheme was taking shape inside him.

”Larcade, stop now!”

”Outside are all dragons!”

”Even if we send all our soldiers forward, theyʼll only die for nothing!”

”Setting aside the fact that these soldiers are living people with families waiting for them back in the empire…”

”If they die here for nothing, countless families will lose loved ones.”

”More importantly, they carry the mark of Alvarez.”

”They are His Majesty Zerefʼs subjects. They are His Majestyʼs assets!”

”We absolutely cannot waste His Majestyʼs assets like this!”

”Larcade, listen to me.”

”Perhaps you donʼt want to hear it, but the facts have proven that Mr. August was right.”

”The waters of Ishgar run deeper than we imagined.”

”We canʼt control them.”

”I donʼt believe now is the right time to invade.”

”Letʼs retreat.”

Jacob Lessio, dressed in a black suit and looking every bit the gentleman, could not bear to see these soldiers die meaninglessly.

Thus, he tried to persuade Larcade.

Although Jacob was an assassin, he understood the weight of life.

Or perhaps because he constantly dealt with life and death, he understood lifeʼs value better than most.

He did not wish to waste the lives of these valuable soldiers.

Furthermore, Jacob had always leaned toward Augustʼs side.

Now that dragons filled the skies, proving August right, there was no longer any reason to continue this invasion.

”Heh…”

The moment Jacob finished speaking, Larcade suddenly laughed.

A confident laugh.

”Jacob Lessio, youʼve become confused!”

”Not just you!”

”Neinhart, Invel Yura, Bloodman, Wall Eehto—youʼve all been fooled by that old man August!”

Larcade laughed with complete confidence.

As though he had seen through everything.

”Hmm?!”

The Spriggan members he named all changed expressions.

None of them understood what Larcade meant.

”Donʼt you understand yet?”

”Yes, August opposed our invasion of Ishgar.”

”Yes, he warned us of tremendous danger.”

”And yes, his words have been proven correct.”

”But donʼt you find it strange?”

”Why did we encounter this group of dragons the very moment we sailed toward Ishgar?”

”Isnʼt that just a little too convenient?”

”Almost as though these dragons knew we were coming and deliberately waited here to ambush us.”

”Of course, you could argue these dragons attack all fleets heading toward Ishgar.”

”But then explain this.”

”Why can civilian merchant fleets travel freely between the two continents without issue?”

A wise light shone in Larcadeʼs eyes.

”You mean…”

The other Spriggan members changed expressions.

”The answer is simple.”

”These dragons are probably working together with August!”

”Right now, August is probably hiding in some room, laughing while watching us through a communication crystal.”

”And havenʼt you noticed?”

”Besides the initial attack, these dragons have mostly been intimidating us.”

”They havenʼt truly attacked.”

”What does that mean?”

”It means they donʼt actually want to attack us!”

”No.”

”More accurately, they canʼt attack us!”

”As for whether these dragons are real or fake, thatʼs still unclear.”

”I personally witnessed Acnologia slaughter dragons four hundred years ago.”

”So, everyone!”

”Do you understand what Iʼm saying now?”

”Advance!”

”Continue advancing!”

”We absolutely cannot allow that old man Augustʼs plan to succeed!”

At this moment, Larcade looked like a sage who had seen through all deception.

His eyes shone with intelligence.

Within them burned the ambition to conquer Ishgar.

”My order is simple.”

”Attack!”

”Use our imperial battleships to smash through these illusions and clouds!”

Larcade pointed forward.

His gaze was sharp and fearless before the dragons.

”Sigh…”

After hearing Larcadeʼs speech, the Spriggan members behind him sighed helplessly.

Though they did not wish to obey him, Larcade remained the supreme commander.

”Attack?”

Bloodman frowned and looked toward the others.

”Mm…”

The other Spriggan members hesitated.

They could not determine whether Larcade was right or wrong.

According to him, everything before them was an illusion.

Yet the dragons felt far too real.

Far beyond anything an illusion could replicate.

”We have no objections…”

After much thought, the Spriggan members quietly replied.

”Excellent.”

Larcade was very satisfied.

He never needed their opinions.

In his view, the Alvarez Empire and even the Spriggan 12 existed only to serve the Dragneel family.

”Full army advance!”

”Do not fear!”

”Everything before you is merely an illusion!”

After obtaining the approval of the Spriggan members, Larcade picked up the communication device and transmitted his voice across the thousands of warships.

”Lord Larcade has given the order! Everything before us is an illusion!”

”Hahaha! I knew it! I guessed it from the start!”

”Dragons are extinct! How could they appear before us?”

”Exactly!”

”Didnʼt the Black Dragon King Acnologia wipe them all out?”

”Advance!”

”Break through the illusion and clear the path for Lord Larcade!”

”For the Empire!”

”For His Majesty!”

As Larcadeʼs voice spread, the warships of Alvarez seemed injected with stimulants.

They stared fanatically at the dragons dancing beyond the clouds.

Their expressions grew crazed.

Their spirits surged.

Meanwhile…

”How strange.”

”Have these humans gone mad?”

”After witnessing my kingʼs dragon might, they still dare attack?”

”Unforgivable!”

Animus, currently borrowing Sonyaʼs body and fully releasing his Dragon Force, appeared as a dragon-human hybrid.

Horns grew from his head.

Dragon wings spread behind him.

A long tail swayed at his back.

His face twisted with anger.

He was clearly enraged by Larcadeʼs advance.

”Interesting…”

The gigantic azure dragon Evan naturally noticed the scene.

Black lightning flickered within his eyes.

”Since they attacked first…”

”They should be prepared to be attacked in return~”

Just as Evan was preparing something, Ireneʼs voice suddenly rang out.

Unlike the others, Irene had not transformed into a dragon.

Instead, she sat lazily upon a floating throne beside Evan.

One elegant leg crossed over the other.

Watching everything comfortably.

Yet murderous intent filled her violet eyes.

Originally, their plan had been simple intimidation.

After all, Evan still had uses for these soldiers.

But now that intimidation had failed, some offensive measures were necessary.

”Then let them fall into the sea.”

Evan and Irene exchanged a glance.

Mother and son instantly understood each otherʼs intentions.

The next moment—

Boundless Conquerorʼs Haki erupted from Evan and Ireneʼs eyes.

It surged toward the Alvarez Empire forces charging forward aboard their warships.

”Ugh…”

With only a single clash—

The army of millions collapsed instantly.

Countless soldiers lost consciousness the moment they sensed something wrong in the atmosphere.

They dropped to the ground like puppets with their strings cut.

”BOOM!!”

An endless pressure erupted from Evan and Irene!

For a moment, it felt as if heaven and earth were splitting apart...

The soldiers of the Alvarez Empire who were directly facing the pressure released by Evan and Irene stood frozen in place, staring blankly ahead.

Before their eyes was a terrifying Azure Dragon larger than a battleship, alongside a beautiful heavenly maiden whose every movement seemed capable of shattering heaven and earth. Just looking at them felt suffocating.

”So the legends about dragons are real!”

This was the last thought remaining in the minds of these soldiers after facing the Conquerorʼs Haki released by Evan and Irene. The next instant, they collapsed to the ground, all color fading from their eyes.

In an instant, the thousands of warships of the Alvarez Empire began falling toward the sea. The million mage soldiers gathered from across the entire Western Continent, each possessing at least B-Rank strength and an average magic power above Level Three, all collapsed unconscious...

A million-strong army was wiped out in an instant.

The Alvarez Empire was on the verge of collapse!

”Itʼs real... Dragons are real...”

At this moment, only the Spriggan 12 aboard the flagship, those standing at the pinnacle of humanity, remained conscious. Of course, this wasnʼt because they could maintain their sense of self before Ireneʼs Conquerorʼs Haki. Rather, if Irene had increased the intensity even slightly, not a single one of the million soldiers of the Alvarez Empire would have survived. Irene was showing mercy...

”Larcade, is this the illusion you were talking about? Open your eyes and take a good look!”

Bloodman stared at the falling warships. Turning toward Larcade, he demanded an explanation.

Others might be intimidated by the Dragneel surname carried by Larcade Dragneel, but Bloodman would not...

They were all demons created by His Majesty Zeref. They all knew each otherʼs origins...

”How could this happen?! How could this happen?! Forget Guiltina—even the dragons on Ishgar werenʼt completely exterminated!”

”Acnologia, take a good look at what youʼve been doing all these centuries! Once the dragons stopped gathering together and fighting like they did four hundred years ago, you couldnʼt find them anymore?!”

”You need to work harder! Since you made such a grand vow, you should exterminate every dragon in this world! Do your job properly!”

Larcade frowned deeply, placing all responsibility for his current failure squarely on Acnologiaʼs lack of professionalism.

”Complaining is meaningless now. Those things arenʼt fake. They really are dragons. For the sake of the Alvarez Empire, and for the sake of His Majesty, we have to survive...”

Neinhartʼs face was filled with terror. Fight dragons? What a joke! Right now, only one thought remained in his mind: run. Run as far away as possible. As long as he didnʼt have to stay here and face those dragons, anything was acceptable...

Yes, Neinhart had lost his nerve. But even in his extreme cowardice, he managed to find a respectable excuse for himself.

Thatʼs right. He wasnʼt trying to survive for his own sake.

He was surviving for His Majesty.

For Emperor Zeref.

That was why he had to live...

”If escaping is even possible...”

After hearing Neinhartʼs words, Bloodman broke into a cold sweat. He barely dared breathe.

Because a pair of crimson-yellow eyes had unknowingly pressed themselves against the glass of their flagship.

Those eyes were as large as millstones, perhaps even larger. The pupils moved slowly, sweeping across the members of the Spriggan 12 inside the flagship cabin, as if the owner of those gigantic eyes were observing everyone present.

”...”

Gulp~

Following Bloodmanʼs warning, everyone noticed the gigantic eyes.

For a moment, whether it was Larcade, the Winter General Invel Yura, or the other members of the Spriggan 12, all of them froze in place. None of them dared breathe too loudly, afraid of provoking the colossal beast before them.

Tap~

Just as Bloodmanʼs fear reached its peak, the gigantic eyes suddenly vanished from sight, disappearing once more into the black storm clouds surrounding the flagship.

Whew...

As the owner of those eyes disappeared, Bloodman and the others finally let out a sigh of relief.

”What overwhelming pressure! Just being stared at by those eyes made it feel impossible to breathe...”

Jacob Lessio muttered to himself. He was certain that the assassination magic he had spent half his life cultivating would be utterly useless against that creature.

”Thatʼs a monster. We have absolutely no chance of winning.”

As Jacob finished speaking, Neinhartʼs legs gave out and he collapsed to his knees. Cold sweat poured down his face as his scalp turned numb.

”Shh...”

Bloodman looked toward his teammates who were whispering among themselves. Panic filled his face as he raised a finger to his lips, signaling them to stay quiet.

”Hehe, donʼt be so nervous. After all, weʼre not demons.”

Just as Bloodman was at the height of his tension, a voice suddenly echoed throughout the cabin.

An unknown youth with reddish-brown hair had somehow appeared inside the command room. With his hands behind his back, he stood calmly before everyone, smiling at Bloodman and the others.

”Who are you?!”

The members of the Spriggan 12 inside the flagship command room were stunned by the sudden appearance of the youth.

They collectively took half a step backward in perfect unison. Even Bloodman, a demon himself, retreated. A bitter smile appeared on his face. If the youth really were a demon, he wouldnʼt be afraid. After all, he himself was one of the strongest demons in the world.

What he feared was that the youth wasnʼt a demon at all...

But a dragon!

”This guy isnʼt right!”

The expressions of the Spriggan 12 changed immediately as they looked at the youth.

Their eyes became more serious than ever before.

Although none of them could sense any magic power from the youth, not a single one of them relaxed their guard.

The youth had no need to display his strength.

The mere fact that he had appeared inside their command room without any of them noticing already explained everything.

”Evan, why are you still wasting words? If it were up to me, Iʼd beat them first and talk later...”

Just as the Spriggan 12 were staring intently at the youth, the air inside the room suddenly grew dry and hot.

A deep, aged voice echoed through the chamber.

The moment that voice sounded, the hearts of the Spriggan 12 sank.

Because beside the youth, another figure had appeared.

A short, middle-aged man stood there bare-chested. His long hair burned like living flames. Since the flames never ceased burning, no one could tell the true color of his hair. They could only make guesses based on the color of the fire itself...

Yet the most eye-catching feature wasnʼt his burning hair.

It was the pitch-black sun tattoo emblazoned upon his chest.

”Fire Dragon King Igneel!”

Bloodman immediately took a large step backward, his expression filled with tension.

”Oh? There are still people in this world, four hundred years later, who recognize me? Interesting...”

Igneel looked toward Bloodman with surprise.

He had not expected anyone in this era, after his journey through the Eclipse Gate, to still recognize him.

After all, he had been gone from the world for many years. Everything he once knew had become history. The world itself had changed beyond recognition.

So being remembered still brought him a certain degree of satisfaction.

”You are... one of those demons created by Zeref?”

After examining Bloodman for a moment, realization flashed across Igneelʼs face.

”If youʼre one of Zerefʼs demons, then it isnʼt strange that you know who I am...”

Igneel nodded.

The demons created by Zeref belonged to the same era as him. Naturally, they would know him.

Though few people recognized him today, four hundred years ago he had been one of the most famous figures in all of Earth-land.

”Lord Fire Dragon King, you had an agreement with my father, Zeref. Why are you stopping us from invading Ishgar?!”

Just as Igneel was reminiscing, Larcade suddenly exploded with anger and shouted his question.

”You are?”

”Ah! I remember now. Youʼre that kid Zeref created right before reviving Natsu! Because you turned out too perfect, Zeref granted you the surname Dragneel...”

Igneel paused for a moment before suddenly recognizing him.

He immediately exposed Larcadeʼs origins.

”Uh...”

The rest of the Spriggan 12 were stunned.

They exchanged glances.

None of them had expected the origin of Larcadeʼs Dragneel surname to be like this.

”...”

Larcadeʼs eyes twitched as he felt the way everyone around him was looking at him change.

”Hmph! I am different from the other demons created by His Majesty!”

”I am not one of Zerefʼs experiments. I am his masterpiece!”

”After all, I was granted the surname Dragneel! I am His Majestyʼs son!”

Larcade snorted coldly, emphasizing his uniqueness.

”...”

Bloodman said nothing.

But his brows furrowed.

The only reason Larcade had received the Dragneel surname was because he had been created later.

Had Bloodman been created a little later, perhaps he would have been the one carrying that name instead.

”Enough.”

”Whether youʼre Zerefʼs son or grandson has absolutely nothing to do with me.”

Igneel looked at Larcade with complete disdain.

Even if Larcade really were Zerefʼs son, so what?

What did that have to do with him?

”Uh...”

Larcade froze.

He had assumed that mentioning Zeref would at least earn him some respect.

After all, even if Igneel didnʼt care about him personally, shouldnʼt he respect Zeref?

”You seem to have misunderstood something.”

”I am not Zerefʼs subordinate.”

”We were partners.”

”And the one I partnered with was the Zeref from four hundred years ago.”

”As for the Zeref of this era, I have no idea what heʼs thinking or whether heʼs still the same man I once knew.”

”Frankly, I donʼt care.”

”As for you lot, if it werenʼt for Natsuʼs relationship with Zeref, Iʼd have roasted all of you with a single breath already.”

Igneelʼs temper was as explosive as ever.

His attitude toward Larcade and the others was cold and irritable.

After all, he was the great Fire Dragon King.

Not some gentle dragon.

It seemed that every ounce of warmth in his life had been reserved exclusively for his son, Natsu Dragneel.

”What...”

Larcadeʼs face twisted in anger.

He could not believe that Igneel would show such disrespect toward the great Emperor Zeref.

”Evan, what exactly do you plan to do with these little fellows~?”

At that moment, a seductive voice suddenly echoed through the room.

A beautiful woman with long golden hair appeared behind Evan.

She wore a modified shrine maiden outfit that exposed much more skin than normal and a shrine maiden hat atop her head.

”Thatʼs a monster...”

The hearts of the Spriggan 12 trembled.

Even under the dim lighting of the cabin, they could feel the overwhelming presence emanating from the woman.

Her magic power was so immense it was almost visible.

”Augustʼs request was simply to preserve the foundations of the Alvarez Empire.”

”Weʼve already spared the lives of those million ordinary soldiers.”

”As for these people... why not just kill them all?”

Before anyone could react, another mature female voice echoed through the chamber.

A crimson-haired beauty appeared without warning.

No—

It was more accurate to say she had been standing there all along.

Until she spoke, no one had noticed her presence.

Despite possessing an overwhelming aura, she had hidden herself perfectly.

The moment the Spriggan 12 noticed her, their expressions changed dramatically.

”What terrifying magic power...”

”Itʼs comparable to August...”

”No... Itʼs even greater than Augustʼs!”

”Both of these women are stronger than August?!”

The Spriggan 12 were numb with shock.

In their eyes, August had always been an insurmountable mountain.

The second strongest existence in the Alvarez Empire after Zeref himself.

Yet now, after heading toward Ishgar, they finally understood what it meant for there to always be someone stronger.

The peak of this world was far higher than they had ever imagined.

”Heh!”

Neinhart looked at Evan and the two women behind him before suddenly letting out a cold laugh.

With his hands in his pockets, he walked directly toward Evan.

”Hm?!”

The other Spriggan 12 members were stunned as they watched Neinhart step forward.

”Has Neinhart gone crazy?”

”No! Neinhart is an extremely calculating person. He would never do something so reckless.”

”Is he planning to sacrifice himself for us?”

Invel Yura looked at Neinhartʼs back with admiration.

”Thatʼs the spirit, Neinhart!”

Even Larcade became excited.

Who said they should fear those stronger than themselves?

If they couldnʼt even face opponents like these, how could they ever challenge the legendary Black Dragon King Acnologia?

”Neinhart...”

”I admit we underestimated you.”

”Weʼre not true warriors at all.”

”You, Neinhart, my friend—you are the real one!”

”Good luck, Neinhart!”

Besides Invel and Larcade, Jacob Lessio, Wahl Icht, and Bloodman all looked at Neinhart with admiration.

Thud!

Just as everyone was moved by Neinhartʼs heroic back, a loud sound echoed through the room.

The hero they had imagined...

The proud and fearless Neinhart...

Walked up to Irene, stood before her for a moment—

Then instantly dropped to his knees.

”Your Majesty! Iʼll do anything you ask! Please spare my life!”

Neinhart, one of the strongest Shields and a being standing at the pinnacle of humanity, knelt before Irene and cried out desperately.

”Dignity? What use is dignity?”

”If dignity solved everything, then why would anyone need strength?”

Neinhart lowered his head and quietly awaited Ireneʼs judgment.

”Ara~”

”This one seems rather interesting~”

Irene narrowed her eyes as she looked at the kneeling Neinhart.

Her gaze resembled someone who had just found a new toy.

Speaking of which, she had already grown tired of playing with the mages from Phantom Lord.

It was probably time to return them.

As for their replacements...

It seemed she had found one.

”Iʼll spare your life, then~”

With that, Irene raised her high heel and stepped firmly onto Neinhartʼs head.

”Thank you, Your Majesty! Long live Queen Irene!”

Neinhart was overjoyed.

Not only had the Queen spared him—

She had even rewarded him!

”...”

Evan looked at the scene before him without feeling the slightest sense of incongruity.

After all, in the original story, Neinhart had always been someone who bullied the weak and feared the strong.

He was also Ireneʼs number one loyal lackey.

”Your companion has already set an example.”

”Now itʼs your turn.”

Evan cracked his neck and looked toward Larcade and the others, waiting for their answer.

”You idiots had better know whatʼs good for you!”

”If you anger these great beings, youʼre not going to enjoy the consequences!”

Still pinned beneath Ireneʼs heel, Neinhart shouted angrily at his former companions.

”Damn it, I want to kill that bastard.”

The expressions of Larcade and the others twitched violently.

The way Neinhart was shamelessly licking Ireneʼs boots filled them with murderous intent.

If he hadnʼt already secured protection from these dragons, they would have attacked him together long ago.

”I suppose I have no choice.”

”I originally didnʼt want to use this.”

At last, Larcade made up his mind.

”I truly didnʼt wish to resort to this...”

”But youʼve forced my hand.”

”In that case, allow me to show you my Curse Power!”

A holy radiance appeared within Larcadeʼs eyes as he pressed his palms together.

”Pleasure!”

The instant Larcade spoke, endless light erupted from his body and surged toward Evanʼs group.

”Heh.”

Prepared in advance, Evan immediately cast Enchantment: Purification on himself while extending its protection to everyone nearby.

However—

There was one person who completely ignored Evanʼs purification and willingly accepted Larcadeʼs magic.

”This feeling...”

”This sensation of my soul trembling...”

”Itʼs wonderful~”

That person was none other than Selene.

A faint blush appeared across her face.

She slowly licked her bright red lips with her delicate tongue while gazing at Larcade with eyes filled with desire.

”Sister...”

”We absolutely have to keep this one!”

A twisted smile appeared on Seleneʼs face.

”How is this possible?!”

Larcade was completely dumbfounded.

Even Zeref could not escape the effects of his magic.

How had this woman resisted it?

”No... thatʼs not right!”

”She didnʼt resist my magic at all!”

”She was affected!”

”But sheʼs enjoying it!”

”Sheʼs actually enjoying it!”

”She even wants me to increase the output?!”

”What an... what an indecent woman...”

After recovering from his shock, Larcade inhaled sharply.

He had traveled across the continent and met all kinds of people.

Yet this was the first time he had encountered someone who not only wasnʼt troubled by his magic but actually wanted more of it.

At this moment, even Larcade had to admit—

This woman was a true monster.

”A demon?”

”Nothing more than a stress-relief toy.”

Seleneʼs lips curled into a faint smile.