A triumphant cheer rose as the Zodiac Gate clicked shut.
"Oooooooh—success!" Arcadios shouted. "But celebrate later—how many dragons emerged?"
"Seven heads!" a guard answered.
From the crowd, a voice rang out: "Seven is a start, Lucy, Yukino—but we can't drive back ten thousand!"
"Master Rogue?" Yukino gasped, her eyes widening. Before them stood a man who looked like Rogue—yet his hair was half black and half white, his face marked by scars and lines, his robes half ebony, half ivory. This wasn't the Rogue they knew.
Princess Hisui's eyes filled with dread. "He told me of the future…"
Arcadios caught her meaning. "He's the one who deceived you?"
Lucy clenched her fists. "You've been here from the start just to do this?"
The stranger—Rogue from the future—smiled arrogantly and spread his arms. "Listen, fools! Humanity's era ends tonight. Dragons will rule once more! First, slay every mage in these streets."
On his command, the seven dragons scattered: a rock dragon charged Blue Pegasus, a green-scaled wyrm descended on the Scales of the Serpent, and a crimson beast bore down on Mermaid Heel and Quatro Cerberus, who united to fend it off.
In Central Park, Fairy Tail's line braced as a flame-dragon erupted from the gate.
"My name is Atlas Flame," it thundered. "Taste the fire of hell!"
"Stand back!" Su Yan yelled—and raised his shield of Armament Aura just as the dragon exhaled a torrent of searing flame.
A warrior burst forward to protect Su Yan, but the blast knocked everyone off their feet—until the fire abruptly snapped inward and vanished.
"Drink~!" Natsu belched, licking his lips in delight.
"Natsu?!" Su Yan cried.
"It's delicious!" Natsu grinned. "First time I've tasted dragon flame—and it's phenomenal. Thanks for the treat!"
"You can consume dragon fire? A Fire Dragon Slayer?" Lucy stared in disbelief.
Natsu puffed out his chest. "Time to finish this fellow! You all, spread out and help the other guilds."
"Wait—what? You want us to help other guilds?!" Makarov blinked.
"How do you plan to 'finish' him?" Levy asked.
"It's simple!" Natsu roared, eyes blazing like embers. "I'm going to eat him!"
"How dare you threaten me, mortal?" Atlas Flame snarled, spinning and sending shockwaves across the park that shattered trees and sent onlookers flying.
Su Yan's expression darkened. "Erza!"
Erza nodded and hurled Su Yan's old mace into his outstretched hand. He landed nimbly on the shattered ground and faced Atlas Flame.
"Humans can never best a dragon!" Atlas Flame bellowed.
Su Yan gripped the mace, armored aura crackling around him, and leapt skyward.
"Reptilian Smash!" he roared, bringing the heavy mace down on the dragon's skull.
The impact echoed like thunder. Atlas Flame crashed into the earth, carving out a massive crater—and lay still.
Silence fell over Central Park. Then slowly, the gathered mages opened their mouths in astonishment:
Su Yan had felled a mighty flame-dragon with a single mace strike.
Fairy Tail members stared at him, jaws agape. This was no mere mage—it was a force beyond reckoning.