Natsu was pulled away from the battlefield by Gray and the others. Of course, Natsu himself was unwilling; he would have preferred to fight alongside Drake.
But this had been decided before the war began. Unless he obtained the Book of END, Natsu could not directly fight Zeref.
A more practical reason was that all three parties fighting were monsters, and their involvement would only cause more trouble.
In the center of the battlefield, the earth, ripped from its foundation, exploded in mid-air. Zeref's black energy shot through the shattered earth and rocks like missiles, ultimately heading towards Drake in the rear.
Drake took a deep breath, stepped forward, and simultaneously swung his arm, shattering the incoming black energy one by one.
As Drake charged to Zeref's front, he saw a massive magic circle open. Three conical energy bodies, like the claws of a ferocious beast, stabbed out from it, directly knocking Drake back.
But at this moment, Ignia descended from the sky, shattering the cones and the magic circle with a kick. The ensuing flames forced Zeref to retreat.
Just as Ignia stopped himself, Drake appeared before him and delivered a devastating uppercut, laced with black-red lightning, to Ignia's chest.
Amidst sounds like a giant war drum being struck, Ignia flew backward.
If not for his robust dragon physique, his heart wouldn't have just stopped beating for a few seconds; it would have exploded.
But Drake had no time to gloat. Immense dark energy was already descending, enveloping both Drake and Ignia.
In mid-air, Zeref frowned as he saw flames beginning to erupt from the edge of the dark energy.
He had known long ago that both Drake and Ignia were the most powerful opponents he had ever encountered. Perhaps either one of them was no more difficult to deal with than Acnologia.
But he hadn't expected them to be so tenacious when they actually started fighting.
As his thoughts raced, the flames surged, incinerating the dark energy into nothingness. Two figures simultaneously flew up and collided with Zeref.
In mid-air, flames and dark energy erupted together, intertwining and tearing terrifying rifts in the sky.
Amidst the storm-like elemental turbulence, a giant claw covered in scales emerged, and then Ignia, returning to his true form, broke free.
At the same time, the elemental turbulence was suppressed and annihilated by even more powerful magic. Drake, in his dragon form, and Zeref also revealed their true forms.
Drake hovered in mid-air, white mist puffing from between his fangs with each breath.
Drake wasn't sure if it was due to some special reaction between his Dragonification magic and his Nibelungen Ring, but he felt his magic power was unusually active.
Especially Drake's developed ability, [Fighting Spirit], felt stronger than ever before. Therefore, he decisively flapped his dragon wings and charged forward like a meteor.
Zeref clasped his hands together, forming a special hand seal. Dark mist condensed, surprisingly taking on a flame-like texture.
Drake paid no attention to whatever magic Zeref had used, simply launching an uppercut.
"Fire Dragon Emperor's Overlord Fist!"
Flames and black-red lightning fused perfectly. Drake felt this was the most perfect punch he had ever thrown.
The power of this punch was astonishing, directly tearing through Zeref's dark flames and sending him flying backward heavily.
Drake didn't stop, his body twisting into a sidekick that struck Ignia's lunging dragon claw.
Two giant dragons, one large and one small, flew backward simultaneously, but surprisingly, the larger Ignia flew farther.
Drake's mouth was now spitting not just white mist but also tiny sparks of fire.
Just like the catchphrase Igneel always said when fighting his adopted children, Drake seemed truly ignited.
Ignia, who also had Igneel's blood flowing through him, did not feel disheartened by being at a disadvantage. Instead, he became even more excited, even letting out a laugh.
"That's it! This is the kind of all-out battle I pursue! As expected, only we, Igneel's inheritors, are suitable opponents. Let's fight to our heart's content!"
Drake grinned, a hint of wildness flashing in his vertical pupils.
Just as Drake was about to move, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Idiot, you are indeed an inheritor, but what exactly did you inherit from me?"
The familiar voice instantly brought Drake to his senses. It was Igneel's reminder.
In Magnolia, in the Fairy Tail guild, Igneel in his infant form crossed his arms, a smile on his lips.
He naturally knew what this war represented, and it was his own son who had initiated it.
However, being newly reborn, he was powerless to help, and he also believed in the children he had raised—Drake and Natsu—to end it all.
All he could do was point them in the right direction at critical moments.
Therefore, before the war began, Igneel had left his magic power within both of them. Since he was too weak now, that magic only had the ability to transmit his voice.
This was originally intended for Natsu, as he carried both the Dragon Seed and the Demon Seed, posing a hidden danger. At a critical moment, even just a voice could be of great help.
As for the magic power left in Drake, it was just a casual addition. After all, Drake had never caused him too much worry.
But unexpectedly, it was the magic power within Drake that proved effective first.
Igneel knew what problem Drake was facing. It wasn't a side effect of magic but Drake's own state of mind.
Drake and Ignia actually had something in common: they were both individuals who pursued power.
Although their starting points were different—one sought to protect family and comrades, the other sought power for its own sake.
But they had indeed walked the same path. Both had desperately honed themselves and fought against powerful enemies.
Therefore, Drake had also awakened development abilities like [Fighting Spirit].
The desire to fight strong opponents, regardless of the initial intention, had also been Drake's wish.
It couldn't be said that such a mindset was wrong; after all, excellent warriors shared the same qualities.
But Igneel didn't want Drake to be swayed by such feelings. Drake should focus on his true heart.
Igneel believed Drake could adjust on his own, as Drake had always fought towards a single goal.
However, he still used his magic to remind him. Drake had now fully grown. From the time they fought Acnologia together, Igneel knew there was little more he could do for Drake.
And this time, consider it the last small thing a father could do for his child!
...
Drake clutched his chest, a smile forming on his lips.
"Igneel, thank you!"
__________________
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