Ultear shook her head again, saying: "I can't exactly say I've heard of it. Because I've only heard Hades mention it, that he's searching for Acnologia the Black Dragon and Zeref," she continued.
"But what exactly is he after them for... Hades didn't say, and over these years he's nearly scoured the entire Ishgar Continent, claiming he would soon pinpoint their location. And what about this Black Dragon Acnologia? Is it a codename… or… a dragon?"
At these words, the onlookers were taken aback.
Gildarts spoke: "Are there any living dragons nowadays? They're exceedingly rare," he added.
Gaal said: "There are. The Black Dragon Acnologia is one of them, the strongest among them all."
Makarov said gravely: "If he can be mentioned alongside Zeref, he must be a formidable fellow."
After all, Zeref is the progenitor of dark mages, and for Hades to place them side by side speaks volumes about Acnologia's standing in his eyes.
Gaal shook his head and said: "The comparison isn't entirely accurate, because Zeref can't kill him and he can't kill Zeref… However… He can still trample Zeref, a force that strikes fear into him."
The group was inexplicably horrified; everyone knew what Zeref represented, yet in Gaal's words, it was he who had been subjugated.
With a casual wave of his hand, several sheets of paper materialized: "They appear to have been torn from various notebooks. These are some documents I've gathered, along with Hades' notes, which roughly outline the sequence of events," Gaal explained.
"In the era 400 years ago, dragons freely roamed the continent. They reigned as the supreme rulers of the world."
"Magic Power was not as abundant then, and human magic couldn't harm a dragon—humans could only survive by attaching themselves to these behemoths."
"Amid this reality, dragons were divided into two factions: one that saw humans merely as a source of sustenance, advocating their extermination, and another that regarded humans as friends, promoting peaceful coexistence."
"The prolonged conflict between these factions led to mounting casualties, and the opposition side proved far mightier in both strength and numbers."
"At the brink of human extinction, Dragon Slayer Magic, crafted through Auxiliary Magic, was born, a technique that fused a dragon's might into a human body, granting them the strength, resilience, defense, and even the ferocity of dragons."
"With a steady stream of Dragon Slayers joining their ranks, the coexistence faction gradually gained the upper hand. But then an unexpected turn occurred."
"Driven to madness by the excessive carnage and the overwhelming aura of dragon blood, many Dragon Slayers turned on the dragons of the coexistence faction as well."
"Among this chaos, the most formidable being emerged, a human, burdened with the name of Black Dragon Acnologia, who waged vengeance against the dragons."
"Because he had slain so many dragons, he began to transform into one himself. In the war known as the Dragon King's Festival, he wiped out both factions, annihilating nearly every dragon, and became the sole Dragon King in existence, that is, Black Dragon Acnologia."
"In those days, people trembled at the thought of this monster, a human turned dragon, and tried every conceivable method to slay him. Alas, no one could overcome the Dragon King who had decimated all dragons, not even Zeref."
"Later, calculations by Zeref, the surviving dragons of 400 years past, and others revealed that Magic Power is now at its peak; if one were ever to defeat Black Dragon Acnologia, it could only be done in this era."
"Thus, Zeref devised a device called the Gate of the Eclipse, through which five children imbued with Dragon Slayer power were sent into the future. Half a month ago, a surge of temporal force swept across the world."
As Gaal recounted these events, Ultear felt an inexplicable horror, her scalp prickling: "Are you saying that the incident half a month ago… was orchestrated by humans 400 years ago?!" she exclaimed.
"Is Zeref even human? Could they have created something of that magnitude four centuries ago?" murmured the others.
Makarov, speaking in a low tone, asked, "So… you mean Natsu is involved?"
Gaal nodded and replied, "That's right. Natsu is one of them. The father he speaks of isn't some virtual concept but a real dragon, the Fire Dragon King, Igneel."
The shocked expressions on everyone's faces lingered for a long moment.
After a while, Gildarts still looked incredulous as he said, "That may be so… but why, in 400 years, has there never been a legend of Black Dragon Acnologia?"
Gaal nodded: "From Hades' search to the 400-year-old human efforts to send Dragon Slayers through time, everything proves Acnologia's existence. As for why there's no legend of him… perhaps his story is recorded in obscure texts, or those who witnessed him have since perished, or maybe they've fled to the Underworld or Demon World. In any case, he is very real. And if he decides to annihilate humanity without warning, we're all doomed."
Gildarts furrowed his brow, asking, "Is he really that formidable?"
Gaal sighed and continued, "Perhaps that description doesn't fully convey Acnologia's terror. Let me put it another way: he possesses the body of a dragon while being completely immune to magic. Even if you strike him with all your might, he won't flinch, yet a single casual swipe from him might tear you limb from limb. No human can match the might of a dragon, and let alone the Black Dragon Acnologia who has slain countless dragons with his bare strength."
At his words, gasps echoed throughout the room.
Makarov's eyes widened in shock as he blurted, "This is outrageous! Magic immunity? This is a world of magic, and now you're telling me there exists a dragon immune to it?" the others murmured in disbelief.
Gaal nodded and said, "Yes, magic immunity. That is the true terror. It's hard to fathom a method that could slay him. And Natsu's emergence itself heralds the continued presence of dragons; eventually, humanity and Black Dragon Acnologia are bound to clash. So now we must figure out how to deal with him, we can't simply sit around waiting to die."
Gildarts was utterly stunned, exclaiming, "Magic immunity, how are we supposed to fight that? It's simply absurd! How is it any different from battling a mythological god?"
Ultear frowned and asked, "What about the weapons from the Western Continent? The assassins sent by Grimoire Heart leaked a great deal of intel, apparently, their weapons are far more potent than ours."
Gaal shook his head. "It doesn't matter. No weapon can match Etherion; otherwise, the Western Continent would have attacked long ago. But Acnologia's magic immunity creates a peculiar situation. A hit with Etherion might stun him briefly, but it won't really cause harm, and if Etherion barely fazes him, imagine the effect of everything else."
Makarov pondered aloud, "Should we inform the Magic Council? Perhaps unite the entire magical community to find a solution?"
It might be far-fetched for just the few of us to save the world, but joining forces with the entire magical realm might just work.
Gaal thought for a moment and said, "You should start by informing Chairman Crawford Seam. As for others who are in the know, we must be extremely cautious in vetting them. The Magic Council has been infiltrated like a sieve now. Take it from me: for every five people you encounter in a Council meeting, one might be a sleeper agent from another faction, and that includes members of the Black Magic Order, the Balam Alliance, and so on."
After his words faded, the room fell silent.
Makarov's lips twitched as he asked, "Is it really that dire? This is utterly rotten... doomed, even!"
Gaal replied wearily, "When I stayed there for a month last time, I wasn't merely meditating idly. It's hard to explain everything now, but briefing Crawford Seam shouldn't be an issue. He knows this history and wouldn't betray the Council. Still, to truly convince him, we need solid evidence. Otherwise, if someone claimed that Fairy Tail would perish tomorrow, would you believe it? Even the old relics within the Council wouldn't mobilize without proof, and that proof might also help us identify trustworthy, powerful mages, such as those from Blue Pegasus."
"As for evidence… I believe I have a lead on where to find it."
After a long while, having concluded their discussion, the group pushed open the door to the room.
It must be said that the soundproofing of the Guild Master's room is remarkable; the moment they stepped outside, the raucous clamor of the guild overwhelmed them, and the pressure from Gaal's revelations dissipated in an instant.
It felt as if the collision of myth and reality left them in a state of reverie.
Listening to the chatter, Gildarts walked over to the railing and glanced down at Natsu and Gray playfully tussling, with Cana waving at him. A slight smirk tugged at his lips as he muttered, "Black dragons and the like… they can just go to hell. Annihilating humanity? Forget about it."
No one should ever think of harming Cana, not even a dragon.
Ultear, unusually serious, then turned to Gaal and asked, "So, where are we headed?"
Gaal joined her by the railing, his eyes lingering on the group below, a sight that warmed his heart, for it was everything he longed to protect.
He replied, "Crocus, the City of Hundred Flowers, on the western mountains. There lie innumerable dragon remains from 400 years past… in other words… the Dragon Tomb."