Chapter 20

[Natsu’s action was not overly vigilant.]

[Just ten seconds after he stood up.]

[The wind whistling from the sky blew out the campfire Natsu had lit.]

[And in that violent wind, there was also a roar that could shake the soul!]

[Natsu, who had lived with giant dragons since he was young, knew very well what that roar represented.]

[It’s a dragon!]

[A giant dragon at the top of the biological chain!]

["Damn it... this smell, it’s not Igneel, is it another dragon?"]

[In just an instant, Natsu judged this point, but immediately following was his face, which was ugly to the extreme.]

[Overwhelming malice swept crazily across this sky.]

[It also made Natsu below frown even tighter.]

[Roar————!!!]

[Another terrifying roar resounded through the sky.]

[This time, the sound was much clearer than the last time, and this also proved that the giant dragon was getting closer and closer to him.]

[On the spot, Natsu’s fists were clenched tightly.]

[His eyes drifted quickly around, his mind thinking crazily about ways to escape.]

[But the open terrain all around also left Natsu’s figure completely exposed.]

[Based on Natsu’s understanding of giant dragons, if he started running now, he wouldn't even be able to run out of the open area before being caught by the giant dragon falling from the sky.]

[He chose the location because he thought he would have a better view, but he didn't expect it to become the key to endangering his life.]

[Is it over? No! At this moment, Natsu’s eyes were locked on the land around the shelter that he had poured liquid over.]

[On this land, there was Igneel’s scent. As the Fire Dragon King of the dragon race, Igneel’s status was still very high.]

[Therefore, at this moment, Natsu could only hope that this unknown dragon would reveal a flaw because of its fear of Igneel’s existence, giving him a chance to escape.]

[This was already the only way.]

[While thinking, Natsu bowed his body, his whole person like a taut string, just waiting for a chance to escape.]

[From beginning to end, Natsu knew very well that with the Dragon Slayer Magic he had only practiced for a few months, he did not have the capital to fight against a dragon.]

[Therefore, running away would be the only thing Natsu needed to think about at this moment.]

[In this short moment, above the sky, a huge shadow completely enveloped Natsu.]

[That huge body revealed a steel-like luster under the moonlight.]

[The deafening roar seemed to want to shatter this sky!]

[The Iron Giant Dragon, descends!]

Gajeel: "It appeared, Metalicana!"

Lily: "No matter how many times I watch it, I can feel how powerless one is when facing a giant dragon."

Gildarts: "Yeah, this is simply an existence that human power cannot compare to."

Makarov: "Although I was prepared before, the moment that roar sounded, I still had that feeling of my heart tightening."

Hades: "By the way, those two brats named Sting and Rogue, have you really killed such an existence?"

Sting: "This... this is of course true!"

Lector: "That old man, Sting and Rogue are the strongest Dragon Slayers, don't look down on people!"

Frosch: "Fro thinks so too."

Irene: "Killed a dragon? Interesting little brats, you really aren't afraid of biting your tongues."

Rogue: "You!! If you don't believe it, you can come and challenge us!"

Irene: "? Have you really thought it through, little brat?"

Just as Rogue was about to respond.

[Ding!]

[Next, we enter the prize-winning quiz session. Please listen carefully to the questions.]

The pleasant prompt sound attracted everyone’s eyes to the Sky Screen.

There, the scene had already paused.

A string of text also emerged.

[Question: How did Natsu perform in this test?]

[A: Mentally collapsed, like White Natsu, scared to freeze in place, finally blown away by a roar, and finally cried loudly.]

[B: Background is heaven-reaching. Under the pressure of the giant dragon, he forcibly maintained his calmness, and in the confrontation with the giant dragon, he brought out Igneel’s name, attempting to scare away the invading giant dragon.]

[C: Found life in a desperate situation. Borrowing the violent wind raised by the giant dragon’s roar, he fled to the distance, then used various terrains to circle with the giant dragon, but was finally caught by the giant dragon, yet received a high evaluation from Metalicana.]

[D: Hard steel head-on. After knowing that there was no hope of escape, Natsu bet everything and successfully injured the steel giant dragon!]

[Please think carefully, the answer sheet will be distributed below.]

Irene: "Is it here? The answer sheet! I must be formal this time!"

August: "In that case, our Alvarez Empire will also participate in this quiz."

Hades: "Where will this answer sheet land?"

Brain: "In short, this is my chance for resurrection. My Oración Seis must get it!"

Jellal: "Pfft, have you forgotten? Your Oración Seis are still locked up."

Brain: "...Of course I know. Isn't there a possibility that the answer sheet flew into the hands of the Oración Seis?"

New Magic Council, Doranbolt: "You’re probably dreaming. Even if it really reached the hands of the Oración Seis, they can't use it, because I’m outside the prison of the Oración Seis today."

Brain: "Doranbolt? Where did this guy come from? Are you planning to snatch the answer sheet?"

Doranbolt: "Heh, who stipulated that whoever the answer sheet appears in the hands of is theirs?"

"Whoever it finally falls into the hands of has the qualification to answer, right?"

At the same time, just like the last time.

The screen with the white border lit up at this moment, and it was divided into five frames.

Those who had experienced the last time all knew.

What these five frames represented; those were answer cards.

The last time, Lucy's experience was still vivid in everyone's minds even now.

As long as one could answer the questions correctly, it would be a major leap for one's own strength.

In other words, possessing an answer card meant possessing the qualification to improve one's strength.

Therefore, almost all the mages were staring fixedly at those five frames.

Hoping that a frame would appear near them; only in this way would there be a chance to compete for an answer card.

Zzz...

Accompanied by a faint sound, the static-filled frames gradually gained color.

Hades: "It's appeared! Who will obtain the answer card this time?"

Brain: "Anyway, we are just undead, so let's just watch quietly."

Ur: "It feels very exciting, it's just a pity that I can't participate."

Ultear: "Mother, just wait, I will definitely win an answer card, so you will have a chance to be resurrected."

Meredy: "I will help you, Tia!"

Jellal: "Look, the frames have appeared!"

At this very moment.

The five frames each displayed five different scenes.

The first frame.

Everything in the frame appeared exceptionally strange.

It made people feel somewhat unable to fathom it.

Because it was a giant cube floating in mid-air.

This cube looked similar to an island, but the top, bottom, front, back, left, and right sides all had land, and some sides even had mountains and rivers.

Makarov: "An island floating in the sky?"

Mirajane: "Does our world have such a thing?"

Natsu: "I remember Edolas has islands floating in the sky, but they don't look like this."

Hades: "This is..."

Brain: "It looks familiar, as if I've seen it before."

Lahar: "Tartaros! How could it be Tartaros?!"

After Lahar's words fell, the world channel fell into a brief stagnation.

Tartaros?

Most people were no stranger to this name.

As one of the three pillars of the former dark world, Tartaros, one of the three dark guilds of the Balam Alliance.

It was once ranked alongside dark guilds like Grimoire Heart and Oración Seis.

It could even be said that because of its extreme mystery, Tartaros was even more daunting.

The unknown is always the most terrifying.

And Tartaros was that unknown!

Mavis: "Could it really be Tartaros? This guild should be the largest remaining dark guild now, right?"