Chapter 9

[Taking light steps, Natsu arrived at the very edge of the mountain peak.]

[Looking out at another mountain peak not far away, he took a slow, deep breath and then closed his eyes.]

Watching this scene, many people became expectant.

Is it just empty talk?

Or is he truly full of confidence?

However, right at this moment.

[Ding! Now entering the prize quiz segment.]

The image on the screen stopped accordingly.

Immediately after, three options appeared above the screen.

[A: Grandstanding; in reality, he didn't hear the breathing method Igneel taught at all, and ended up just spitting saliva all over the ground.]

[B: Just getting a glimpse of the path, a half-baked amateur who, despite giving his all, could only spit out a wisp of flame and set his own clothes on fire.]

[C: Ultimate genius, super learning ability, super combat instinct; having only watched it once and learned it once, he was able to firmly remember all the details required for the breath and successfully performed the Fire Dragon's Roar, destroying one-third of the mountain peak!]

[D: Just a joke; he turned around and made a funny face, indicating that he was just trying to liven up the atmosphere, and ended up being beaten up by an angry Igneel.]

[Below, answer sheets have been distributed randomly. Please answer as soon as possible if you have an answer sheet. The time limit is three minutes.]

Accompanied by the ruthless mechanical sound ringing out.

Five rays of light appeared out of thin air in the sky and were then randomly cast in various directions.

Makarov: "What's going on? Is this the prize quiz mentioned earlier?"

Bob: "It seems so, but you have to get an answer sheet."

Brain: "But who knows where the answer sheets will appear in the world? The world is so big; if an answer sheet appears in some desolate place, wouldn't it be a waste?"

Just as Brain finished speaking,

The white-bordered screen that had gone black was temporarily requisitioned, and five images appeared to broadcast the specific situation of the five answer sheets.

Everything was clear at a glance.

The first image, this seems to be a vacation beach.

A mature woman with crimson hair is lying on a sun chair, leisurely drinking fruit juice and watching the screen.

Her curvaceous, snow-white, and delicate figure attracted the gaze of countless lecherous ghosts!

Suddenly, a golden light flashed.

A card that looked like it was made of gold appeared on the table where the figure kept her juice.

Sitting up in astonishment, the crimson-haired mature woman figure doubtfully took off the sunglasses on the bridge of her nose.

Revealing that perfect face.

Irene blinked her eyes and picked up the golden card on the table.

Options A, B, C, and D were engraved on it.

"This is an answer sheet?"

Irene raised her head, her gaze fixed on the screen in the sky, and she raised her eyebrows slightly.

"So this is the ticket for that so-called prize quiz, right?" ===== CHAPTER 21 =====

The moment the screen showed Irene.

Inside the Fairy Tail guild.

Erza didn't know why, but her brows furrowed.

Why... does this person give off such a special feeling?

Erza frowned tightly, her mind constantly pondering and thinking.

And at this moment, the other answer sheets also found their owners.

The second image is a lush primeval forest.

Golden light descended from the sky.

It fell into the forest, and just when everyone thought this answer sheet would be completely wasted as Brain had said earlier.

A figure walked out from the lush bushes.

The figure was wearing a tattered light blue coat.

Stubble covered his cheeks, and the glasses on the bridge of his nose were stained with a little dust.

The whole person looked quite disheveled.

But, the moment the screen focused on that person, the Fairy Tail guild couldn't help but let out exclamations.

Elfman: "Isn't this... Rustyrose, one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory from Grimoire Heart?"

Evergreen: "It can't be wrong, he's the guy who gave us a lot of trouble on Tenrou Island."

Ultear: "How could it be him? What has this guy been through?"

Hades: "Rustyrose! I didn't expect you to be the one to get an answer sheet!"

The moment he saw the screen, countless thoughts began to flash through Hades' mind.

But it finally settled on the reward mentioned by the screen earlier.

"Resurrection item..."

The soul-form Hades' breathing began to become heavy.

If, as the screen said, the rewards even included items capable of resurrecting the dead...

Then, if Rustyrose answered correctly, could he resurrect himself, who had already died?

This is not an impossible thing.

Although Hades had been joking earlier that he was carefree now and that it was quite nice to occasionally watch the fights between others.

But that was based on the premise that he was just a ghost.

He couldn't do anything now and could only choose to lie flat.

However, if there really was a chance for resurrection...

Thinking of this, Hades did not hesitate at all.

He opened the private message interface to prepare to contact Rustyrose.

……

……

The third image is a wilderness.

Countless soldiers in armor are lying on the ground.

The remaining soldiers are looking at the front in horror.

There, a figure is stepping on their captain and is still smiling at them.

"Monster... that guy is a monster!!!"

The remaining soldiers could no longer bear such psychological pressure and collapsed, screaming.

No one knows what they had been through before.

But, there is no doubt that all of this was done by that golden-haired man.

And, the most terrifying thing is that behind the golden-haired man, there is another figure who seems to be hidden in the shadows and has not made a move.

In other words... just one person defeated their entire army.

Such an existence...

Calling him a monster is no exaggeration.

And just at this moment, a golden light descended from the sky.

It landed in front of the remaining soldiers.

It was a card, a card with four options.

Just as the soldiers were about to pick it up.

A terrifying white light began to bloom from afar.

"White Dragon's — Holy Breath!!!"

Boom——————!!!

The white light, like a laser, swallowed all the soldiers.

When the light dissipated, only a pile of corpses remained at the scene, as well as that golden card that seemed impossible to destroy. ===== CHAPTER 22 =====