Chapter 71: 777, the departing dragons

【On this day, Natsu and the others had no lessons, and the giant dragons and Anna prepared a rich evening banquet.】

【The five Dragon Slayer Mages, the five giant dragons, and Teacher Anna all gathered together.】

【They ate meat together, raised their glasses together, laughed together, sighed together, and recalled together.】

【For the few little guys, this was perhaps the happiest day of the year.】

【They even thought it was Teacher Anna's farewell banquet, so one by one, they laughed even more happily.】

【Perhaps for a naughty child, the day a strict teacher leaves, you won't have any reluctance.】

【You might even be glad that in the days to come, without the teacher's discipline, you will be so free.】

【But, the moment a naughty child matures, the moment he truly grows up, perhaps they will be grateful for the teacher's strictness in their youth and understand the teacher's painstaking efforts at that time.】

【Of course, Wendy was the exact opposite; this little girl kept pulling on Teacher Anna's clothes.】

【Refusing to let go.】

【Until Anna gently stroked Wendy's sky-blue hair and whispered.】

【"Don't worry, Wendy, I won't leave."】

【"No matter where you go in the future, I will always be with you, watching you grow up, and protecting you until you are an adult."】

【The banquet gradually came to an end amidst laughter.】

【The few children said goodbye in front of the bonfire, then followed their parents back to where they lived.】

【Perhaps it was because they had too much fun at the carnival today.】

【Natsu had already fallen into a deep sleep when he returned to the forest where he lived with Igneel.】

【Igneel carefully placed Natsu down from his back.】

【His loving gaze stared at Natsu, with some reluctance in his eyes, but more of it was worry.】

【"The time has come..."】

【He raised his head and stared at the full moon in the sky.】

【His eyes were hazy, and his thoughts kept drifting.】

【Finally, it froze on that day, a black-haired boy, holding a cherry-blossom-haired baby, found him.】

【From that day on, the Fire Long Wang, who shook the entire dragon race, completely disappeared.】

【Hiding in a forest, he became a boy's foster father, or rather, a nanny would be more accurate.】

【Over the years, he watched that baby gradually grow up, with laughter along the way, as well as anger and rage.】

【But, without a doubt, the days spent with Natsu were the happiest time in Igneel's life.】

【Even the day he was crowned the Long Wang of the Fire Dragon race was not this happy.】

【If he could, Igneel would infinitely want to stay by Natsu's side.】

【Just living in this primeval forest like this would also be quite good.】

【But, fate is fickle; for that plan, for the sake of being able to defeat Acnologia, Igneel had to do this.】

【He lowered his head again, his lantern-like eyes staring at Natsu.】

【Staring and staring, he couldn't help but use his claw to gently poke Natsu's cheek.】

【Seeing Natsu in his sleep push away his claw in annoyance and turn over to sleep soundly, Igneel smiled.】

【"If only there could be more time, if you were a bit stronger... perhaps I wouldn't be so worried."】

【"What a lazy little brat..."】

【But, even with all the reluctance, even with all the worry, Igneel had no other way.】

【His body could no longer support him.】

【Staring at the sleeping Natsu, Igneel slowly lay down, placed his head beside Natsu, and then slowly closed his eyes.】

【In the final moments, just being together quietly was already very good.】

【The wind was howling.】

【Natsu, who seemed to have sensed a trace of chill, tightened his small body.】

【Then he sat up from the ground, his small hands rubbing his somewhat dazed eyes.】

【He turned his gaze and found Igneel, who was lying beside him with his eyes closed in deep sleep.】

【Smacking his lips, Natsu crawled toward Igneel using his hands and feet.】

【Then he climbed onto the dragon's claw and leaned against Igneel's shoulder.】

【The thick and huge body blocked a large amount of cold wind for Natsu, and the warm and comfortable environment made Natsu fall into a deep sleep again.】

【In his dream, Natsu seemed to dream that he had grown up, grown into a big guy, grown into Igneel's pride.】

【Of course, he didn't forget to stomp that annoying guy Gajeel under his feet in the dream.】

【But, just as Natsu was about to show off to Igneel, he turned back and found that Igneel had completely disappeared.】

【"Igneel?"】

【Natsu whispered in his sleep.】

【His brows were tightly furrowed, and his body was shaking uneasily.】

【Finally, Natsu, who seemed to have dreamed of some terrible scene, woke up suddenly, and a cry of surprise escaped his lips.】

【"Igneel!!!"】

【Whoosh...】

【All around there was only the breeze carrying away pieces of withered leaves; besides that, there was nothing else that could respond to Natsu.】

【He couldn't help but twitch his nose; a Dragon Slayer Mage's sense of smell was not something ordinary people could compare to; as long as there was a trace of scent, he could capture it.】

【But... this time there was none; the surrounding jungle was filled with all kinds of strange scents, but the scent of the giant dragon in his memory did not exist at all.】

【Natsu's figure stiffened, and tears were spinning wildly in his eye sockets.】

【July 7th, X777.】

【In the year Natsu was eleven, Igneel disappeared; he didn't leave any words, nor were there any signs, and he just disappeared from Natsu's world out of thin air.】

【At this moment, he was like a child abandoned by the world, kneeling helplessly alone in the strange forest, sobbing alone...】

【The white-bordered image also froze and gradually dimmed.】 ===== CHAPTER 72 =====