The dragon spoke!

The Mountain Dragon glanced back at the massive sphere of energy forming above the island, Etherion, was ready to fire. A flicker of unease flashed in the dragon's eyes.

Whether it understood Rhodes' command or simply acted on instinct, it gently scooped the three of them—Rhodes, Mira, and Erza—into its enormous palm.

Mira glanced at Rhodes. When he didn't say anything, she quietly canceled her take over magic. With that, the three of them huddled together in the dragon's hand. Surprisingly, it didn't feel cramped even as she found herself pressed against Erza.

She looked over at Rhodes again.

But Rhodes had no time to respond. The wind howled past their ears as the Mountain Dragon suddenly accelerated, its speed far beyond anything Mira could match with her wings.

Just as the first beam of Etherion's light burst through the sky, the Mountain Dragon had already carried the trio away from the tower and rejoined their companions, who were still aboard the fleeing boats.

Everyone on deck stared in stunned silence until Rhodes yelled down, "Gray! Make a hanging basket! Natsu, get ready to board!"

Without hesitation, Gray activated his Ice-Make Magic. Crystals of ice grew rapidly, linking the two boats with thick beams. Curved ice pillars extended upward and joined into handles—forming a sturdy, makeshift basket.

Natsu groaned in reluctance but still leapt in.

The Mountain Dragon understood immediately. It reached out with its hind claws, gripping the basket by its icy handles and soaring forward with the boats dangling behind.

Its claws looked alarmingly strong, and for a moment, everyone worried whether Gray's creation would hold. But they had no time to second-guess.

Etherion fired.

A blinding white beam pierced through the sky, striking directly at the island where the Tower of Heaven once stood.

The entire night sky lit up as if it were day. A deafening explosion echoed across the ocean, and waves rose high into the air.

From the dragon's palm, Mira, Rhodes, and Erza could only see the Mountain Dragon's underside—but those in the ice basket had a full view of Etherion's terrifying power.

When the beam finally faded, the ocean surged to fill the massive crater left behind. A great cloud of steam rose where the island once stood. The Tower of Heaven, and the entire landmass it sat on—was gone.

"So that's… Etherion," someone whispered in awe.

Everyone was stunned. The sheer power held by the Magic Council was staggering.

With how often their guild had found itself at odds with the Council, should they be grateful they hadn't been blasted long ago?

Strangely, Natsu, who should've been the most terrified, was now slumped over the edge of the basket, covering his mouth.

"Ugh…" he groaned.

Lucy patted him on the back, concerned. "Are you okay? You're not going to throw up, are you?"

"Mmmfff…"

"If you're gonna puke, do it somewhere else," Gray said without mercy.

"Juvia will Protect Gray-sama!" Juvia declared with determination, instantly shielding him with her body.

Happy blinked and stared at them suspiciously. "There's something going on between you two…"

Juvia, unexpectedly, found herself liking this nosy little cat.

Simon, meanwhile, couldn't take his eyes off Erza, held safely in the Mountain Dragon's front claws. His heart clenched with worry. Was she injured?

"Brace yourselves. Speeding up!" Rhodes called to everyone, pointing in a direction up ahead.

The Mountain Dragon beat its wings—its acceleration nothing short of breathtaking.

"Waaah!" Lucy screamed as she flung herself into Natsu's arms. The sudden jolt nearly sent them both flying out of the basket.

Gray grabbed Lucy's collar from behind to steady her, while Simon reached out and caught Natsu by the scarf.

Juvia wanted to protest, it was truly a burden to Gray-sama, but when she opened her mouth, the rushing wind nearly choked her.

Everyone endured the high-speed flight in stunned silence. They had spent half the night rowing out to the Tower of Heaven… and yet, the return trip took only minutes.

The power of a dragon was truly enviable.

The Mountain Dragon landed gracefully on the beach, gently setting the ice basket down on the sand before lowering its palm and placing the three passengers, Rhodes, Mira, and Erza—onto the ground.

Mira caught Rhodes just as his knees wobbled. Lucy hurried over with quiet tact and helped Erza up.

Everyone stood still, gazing in awe at the massive creature before them. They had a thousand questions, but seeing the dragon tilt its head side to side, observing Rhodes with curious, intelligent eyes, they held their tongues.

They didn't speak.

But the Mountain Dragon did.

Its voice was deep and steady, surprisingly gentle despite the immense power behind it.

"Not bad. I'll introduce you to a friend later."

"It talked?!" Lucy blurted out before she could stop herself, her instinct to complain overwhelming her usual caution.

The dragon turned to look at her.

Lucy immediately clapped her hands over her mouth, her face pale.

Wait… introduce a friend? Another dragon?

Rhodes stared at the dragon, narrowing his eyes. "So you can talk. Then why didn't you ever say anything before when I summoned you?"

Without a moment of hesitation, the dragon replied, "The summoning durations were too short. I always felt like if I tried to speak, I'd be dismissed before finishing a single sentence—because someone didn't have enough magic power."

"…"

Rhode's expression twitched. "Who are you calling short on magic? That's an exaggeration!"

The Mountain Dragon turned away from him with a huff and set its gaze on Natsu, who was now stumbling closer, fists clenched.

"Just… in time… come fight me!" Natsu declared.

"What are you saying?!" Lucy panicked. "You want to fight a dragon? That thing's our friend, right?!"

"I'm a Dragon Slayer! Of course I have to fight a dragon!" Natsu insisted, eyes blazing with determination.

The Mountain Dragon calmly lowered its massive body, stretching out a foreleg. Its paw hovered above Natsu, and with a single curled finger, it gave him the gentlest flick.

"Waaaaaahhh!" Natsu yelped as he was sent flying—straight into the sea with a splash.

"Natsu!" Happy called out and flapped his wings, chasing after his partner.

The Mountain Dragon let out a deep, rumbling sigh.

That felt good.

The Mountain Dragon gave a silent, knowing smile before its body began to fade into golden particles, disappearing from sight.

Mira turned to Rhodes, lightly poking his cheek. "Why are you sulking? Are you… jealous of Natsu?"

Rhodes crossed his arms, still annoyed. "It said I 'don't last long.' Come on, judge for yourself, today I used both take over and summoned a dragon. I was durable, right?"

"Yes, you've been... very impressive." Mira tried to respond seriously, but the phrasing made her pause. Something about it felt… off.

Nearby, Erza flexed her fingers and glanced at Lucy. "You can let go now."

Lucy hesitated. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine."

Mira watched as Erza stood tall and rotated her arms and shoulders with ease. "You can move again?"

"Yes," Erza nodded. "Looks like the binding spell's time ran out."

Most enchantments had a fixed duration based on the caster's remaining magic power. If the spell wasn't reinforced, it naturally dissolved once the energy ran out.

"Simon…" Erza turned toward him, still confused. "Why… Why are you here?"

Simon gave her a calm, sincere explanation of everything that had happened.

Then he looked at her earnestly. "It's good to see you again, Erza."

"Simon." Without hesitation, Erza stepped forward and embraced him.

After the betrayal of Jellal, the confusion of Milliana and Wally, and the uncertainty surrounding Sho, Simon's unwavering loyalty felt like a rare, grounding light.

When they finally broke apart, the tall and broad-shouldered Simon—who stood almost as high as Elfman—was blushing faintly.

Erza didn't notice. She turned to look toward the small boats they'd used to escape. "What about Sho and the others?"

Simon scratched his head. "I'm not sure who knocked Sho out. Milliana and Wally were both taken down during the fight. They're fine—just unconscious."

Erza winced. She was the one who'd struck Sho. He still hadn't woken up. Maybe she had hit too hard…

Gray glanced away, pretending not to hear. He was responsible for smashing Wally. As for Milliana… well, Natsu had distracted her with Happy, then floored her with a sneak punch.

Suddenly, Simon covered his chest and coughed twice.

"Simon, are you hurt?!" Erza quickly turned to him, eyes wide with concern.

This time, it was Rhodes who looked up at the sky, whistling innocently.

That injury?

Yeah… that was his doing.

...

Bonus @1.6Kkk

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