The full-scale battle between human mages and the dragon horde was a spectacular sight. All kinds of large-scale magic and dragon roars were unleashed like they cost nothing.
Explosions thundered across the sky. Mushroom clouds bloomed one after another. The already shattered primeval forest, along with the surrounding mountains, plains, and even the nearby sea, were all caught in the devastation, slowly crumbling under the relentless energy impacts.
The most terrifying aura of all came from the heart of the primeval forest.
ORA ORA ORA ORA!!
After a brief probing exchange, Chase, clad in the Dual God-Exodia set, and Bahamut, covered in hard bone armor, went toe-to-toe in a purely brutal melee.
Whether it was a dark gold heavy fist swinging down or a gray-purple claw slashing out, their speed and power reached unimaginable levels.
The sonic boom shockwaves from each collision alone seemed to tear the surrounding space apart. The ground crumbled in all directions!
Such savage combat was rare in a world of magic—especially since one of them was a Card Mage and the other was a dragon composed of highly concentrated magic power.
The main reason it had devolved into this was Chase's unwillingness to miss such an exhilarating, high-intensity confrontation.
Aside from his natural inclinations, brawling head-on with dragons—creatures born with formidable bodies—also honed his physique and increased his chances of earning card drops.
To Bahamut, this behavior was the height of arrogance. It accepted the challenge without hesitation. How could it, bearing the title of "Dragon King," possibly fear a mere human in close combat?
So the two, having reached an unspoken understanding, fought with savage abandon. Even if it meant abandoning defense, they were determined to land their fists (or claws) on each other!
BOOM!!
Both heavy straight punches landed simultaneously, distorting each other's faces.
After a brief pause, Chase and Bahamut were sent staggering back by the recoil, carving two deep trenches in the ground.
With a crack, the giant Exodia set, covered in claw marks and cracks, reached its limit and shattered into countless fragments.
Chase emerged bare-chested, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. His chiseled muscles were flushed red, radiating waves of heat.
Even with the Exodia set and God Slayer Magic protection, surviving such a brawl unscathed was impossible!
Bahamut was equally battered, crouching low and gasping heavily. Blood stained its bone armor and scales.
Due to the unique nature of God Slayer Magic, its injuries appeared more severe.
Of course, for a "Dragon King," these were far from fatal—if anything, they were excellent stimulants!
"You truly are strong. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed such an exhilarating battle!"
Bahamut adjusted its breathing, spreading its dark purple wings and straightening up. Its crimson eyes fixed on Chase. "Of all the humans I've known, I'd call you the strongest!"
Where have I heard that line before?
After a moment of curiosity, Chase wiped the blood from his lips, let out a long breath, and said calmly, "What, you want to dance too?"
Bahamut frowned.
Though it didn't understand Chase's meaning, it could tell this human was showing off.
"Comparing battle to dancing... haha, I like that description!"
Fists were the way to earn status and equal dialogue. This Dragon King, ruler of countless dragons, suddenly felt a sense of admiration for Chase.
"Hey, human. How about a bet?"
Bahamut grinned, raising a single claw. "If you lose this fight, you'll join my ranks and fight alongside me. What do you say?"
"Oh? Isn't it you dragons who look down on humans the most?" Chase asked with a smile.
"Don't misunderstand. What I've always looked down on are the weak and pitiful fools." Bahamut said matter-of-factly.
That was the belief of most of the opposition faction.
"Humans are far stronger than you imagine," Chase said, shaking his head.
In other worlds, maybe not. But in the Fairy Tail world, human magic power came from spirit and will. Even intense negative emotions could give birth to kings—like Acnologia and Zeref.
So even without their intervention, the age of dragons would eventually be ended by new geniuses. Nothing lasted forever.
Especially with the mysterious "God Realm" above!
Seeing the doubt and disdain in Bahamut's eyes, Chase knew any explanation would be futile. He changed tack. "Fine. I accept the bet."
"If you lose, you'll serve me as my retainer until death."
Though Bahamut likely wasn't on the level of Igneel the Fire Dragon King, it was still a top-tier Dragon King. Subduing it would give him a powerful trump card against future enemies like the Five Dragon Gods—a reward no less valuable than drawing new cards.
Of course, the prerequisite for this decision was that through their raw fist-to-fist exchange, Chase had come to understand Bahamut's nature: it admired strength purely, without inherent malice.
"Retainer?"
Bahamut was visibly stunned, hardly believing its ears.
It had expected Chase to demand something equal, or perhaps force it to side with the coexistence faction. Never in its wildest dreams did it think a human would be arrogant enough to make a Dragon King its servant!
"Heh. You dare to say that..."
"Then try it. Try to defeat and subdue me completely."
"The warm-up is over. Prepare to face true despair, you arrogant human brat!"
Its shock quickly turned to rage. Bahamut opened its maw and roared. Shockwaves of terror swept across the battlefield.
It held nothing back, unleashing the true power that earned it the title "Nether Dragon King"—dark attribute magic.
VWOOM!!!
An endless, profound darkness exploded from Bahamut. Its cold, sinister magic formed a domain of its own, instantly engulfing Chase and dragging him into a pure abyss of darkness!
"I see. So this is your magic."
Chase stood with his arms crossed in the heart of darkness, carefully observing his surroundings.
The sky and earth had been dyed in shades of gray-black. Everywhere he looked was filled with death.
It was like a separate space carved out of the primeval forest. Though he could see the explosions of his comrades' magic at the edge of his vision, he could sense no corresponding aura.
It resembled Zero's ultimate move, "Genesis: Zero," but the power was on a completely different level.
"Correct. This is my magic—Netherworld Descent: Death Domain."
Bahamut's body radiated black mist. Its crimson eyes burned even brighter, its aura terrifying and oppressive.
"Within this realm, I can freely awaken the souls of fallen dragons and grant them the power of the underworld!"
As it slowly raised its massive arm, the darkness churned. Invisible ripples spread outward like ocean waves.
Thick, viscous black mist rose from the ground, gradually evolving into massive, blood-eyed, murderous phantoms that surrounded Chase from all sides.
They were all the dragons that had died in the battle so far!
***
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