Chapter 86

Hades: "So, those Dragon Slayers are actually people from four hundred years ago, and they only came to our era because they crossed the gate of time?"

Ultear: "Then, this makes sense. Why the Irene of that world was worried about not being able to meet again."

"Was it because she was afraid the black-haired Natsu would go to the distant future, and she wouldn't be able to live until then?"

Mirajane: "If you put it that way... that Irene was purely taking a risk. This is simply betting her whole life on whether they would meet in the future."

Erza: "Just how infatuated must one be to make such a decision!"

"However, why do I still feel so repulsed? Why is that?"

In the scene.

[Accompanied by Anna’s soft whisper.]

[The tightly closed gate is opened by the twelve rays of light, and holy white light gradually radiates from within the gate.]

[Looking at this scene, Anna understands that this is the holy radiance connecting time and space.]

[Likewise, this is also the radiance that changes destiny.]

[Anna turns back to look at the five children behind her.]

["The unknown future depends on you. Show your radiance in that world, in order to defeat Acnologia!"]

[Without hesitation, Anna takes the five children and crosses the gate directly, and their figures disappear from here.]

[The screen of the screen also shifts accordingly.]

[And marks the date: July 7th, X777, in the early morning hours...]

[On the other side of the gate, a woman who looks exactly like Lucy is panting heavily, her forehead already covered in sweat.]

Outside the screen!

Lucy is struck by lightning again!

"This!!! Is this my mom???"

["The gate... did it really open? The ancestral teachings didn't lie to me..." Layla finally reveals a smile, looking at the pure white radiance emanating from within the gate.]

[Layla Heartfilia, who is also Anna’s descendant!]

[In her family, an ancient book has been passed down, said to have been handed down from the era four hundred years ago.]

[According to the records, it seems to be the ancestral teaching of the Heartfilia family’s ancestor, Anna Heartfilia.]

[To have her descendants gather the twelve Zodiac keys in an era with abundant magic power, and then open the Eclipse Gate.]

[Layla doesn't know if the era she is in is the era of abundant magic power mentioned in the ancestral teachings, but Layla doesn't want her next generation, Lucy, to carry such a mission.]

[Thus, she chooses to open the Eclipse in this era to completely resolve the Heartfilia family’s mission.]

["That is..." Layla’s gaze gradually locks onto the figure slowly stepping out from the light.]

["Are you the Eclipse opener of this era?"]

[Anna’s voice follows.]

[The connectors of two eras meet at this moment...]

[Boom————]

[Just then, the Eclipse Gate behind Anna emits a distinct vibration.]

[Immediately after, five rays of light fly directly out of the Eclipse Gate.]

[That night, people in the capital of the Kingdom of Fiore all saw the five rays of light that suddenly appeared, flashing like comets.]

[That is the symbol of a new era, but at this moment, no one can understand it.]

[...]

[In a primeval forest, the light carries the black-haired Natsu as he descends toward this forest.]

[Boom————!!]

[The huge roar startles the birds in the forest, as well as all the nocturnal creatures.]

[But, strangely, no creature can step into the center of the roar.]

[For all the creatures in the forest, they smell a dangerous aura that they absolutely must not approach.]

[It is as if... a giant dragon has descended here.]

[And at that landing point.]

[The light dissipates, revealing the black-haired Natsu’s unharmed figure.]

[He sits up from the ground, rubbing his head with one hand.]

[As if organizing the chaotic thoughts in his mind.]

[Eventually, it turns into a long sigh.]

["Is it over?"]

[He touches his chest.]

[His keen senses allow him to clearly perceive the warmth in his chest.]

[That is Igneel’s temperature.]

[Recalling all the information collected earlier, such as the scene where Metalicana’s dragon claw becomes transparent.]

[He seems to have understood something.]

[The dragons... have encountered some unknown situation that prevents them from continuing to live in the world.]

[Therefore, they chose to hide in the bodies of the Dragon Slayers, continuing their weak lives.]

[And, according to Igneel and Anna’s words, it can be known that there is another reason they went to the future, and that is because of Acnologia.]

[Why go to such great lengths to go to the future to deal with Acnologia?]

[Clearly, they couldn't beat him in that era, so they thought of such a plan.]

[In an era with high magic concentration, by cultivating Dragon Slayers, they can eventually grow to the point of being able to defeat Acnologia.]

[Then, is the situation with the dragons’ bodies related to Acnologia?]

[High probability, yes.]

[After a series of analyses, most of the reasons are already very clear.]

[Then, the next goal is also very clear.]

[First, find a way to restore the dragons’ bodies, so that Igneel and the other dragons can revive once again.]

[Secondly...]

["Acnologia, huh?"]

[The black-haired Natsu stands up, looks at the sky, and narrows his eyes slightly.]

[His fist clenches involuntarily, and the target is set at this moment!]

Brain: "Ah? He analyzed it just like that?"

"This kid really has something."

As someone who was once able to serve as the director of the Magic Development Bureau, Brain himself is a person with extremely high intelligence.

And from his code name, one can tell.

Brain represents extremely high wisdom.

Therefore, for the analysis of everything just now, if one were to carefully scrutinize it, Brain could also roughly guess everything the black-haired Natsu analyzed.

However, the time was definitely not that fast.

Just now, even Brain himself was still sorting out the information from various clues.

The black-haired Natsu already had a conclusion and had even set a goal.

This is a bit terrifying.

Imagine, how terrifying is a person with maxed-out intelligence and maxed-out combat power?

It’s like the product of the complete fusion of Brain and Zero, two different personalities.

Absolutely crushing a single Brain.

Crushing in every aspect.

A very simple truth is that you can't outplay others in schemes.

And you can't beat them if you flip the table; it’s just that desperate.

Hades: "I’m not surprised anymore. Anyway, whatever happens to the black-haired Natsu, I think it’s reasonable."

"After all, this guy is an outrageous person himself."

Inside the Fairy Tail guild.