"Regardless of what their original intentions were, as long as their actions are beneficial in fighting the Dragons right now, that is sufficient."
The King clearly did not wish to complicate matters further.
"Even if responsibility must be assigned, we can address it after this crisis has passed."
"Yes."
Danton was still reluctant to be lenient, but postponing accountability was acceptable under the circumstances.
After a moment's thought, he turned to the soldier who had delivered the report.
"Order the D-Sector Guard Unit to closely monitor Dragons Treasure. If they make any suspicious moves, arrest them immediately."
"Yes, sir."
The soldier accepted the order and withdrew.
Soon after, another guard entered from the palace entrance and reported,
"Mr. Lahar of the Council requests an audience. He wishes to confirm the source of the intelligence and determine whether assistance from Council headquarters is required."
"The Council…"
The King considered briefly, then said, "Tell them no reinforcements are necessary. If they truly wish to help, instruct them to deploy outside the city walls and protect the evacuated civilians."
After all, Eclipse Magic was closely tied to Zeref's Black Magic. The King had no intention of allowing the Council to become aware of its existence.
"Wait, Your Majesty."
Danton stopped the guard. "Allow me to speak with him instead."
The King nodded. Handling the Council required tact.
The lunar eclipse had begun.
A thin shadow appeared along the edge of the full moon, subtle at first, but steadily expanding. The moon's brilliance faded as the shadow consumed it, until its light grew dim and distorted.
Arcadios stood at attention with the Knights under his command. With each increase in the shadow's coverage, the tension among them rose.
Princess Hisui and Yukino were already positioned beside the left gate pillar, where a two-meter-tall activation mechanism stood. The Eclipse Gate could be opened simply by channeling Celestial Spirit magic into the lever.
Around them, Knights formed a tight defensive perimeter, vigilant for any assassination attempt.
Rhodes and his companions stood farther back.
Lucy clutched all twelve Celestial Spirit keys tightly in her hands. Future Lucy held her hand, prepared to act the moment it became necessary.
The surroundings grew eerily quiet.
Nothing happened.
When only a thin crescent of moonlight remained, the silence persisted.
Then, midnight.
The moon was fully consumed by shadow, transforming instantly into a deep crimson orb.
The King gave a single nod toward Arcadios.
Arcadios raised his voice sharply.
"Observation posts, report status!"
A communications soldier activated a magic crystal stationed some distance from the Eclipse Gate.
Reports came in one after another.
"No trace of the Dragons on the east side of the capital!"
"West side clear!"
"South side, no abnormalities!"
"North side, no signs detected!"
Every sector reported the same result.
Arcadios stared at the Eclipse Gate, his expression grave.
"Your Majesty, Lord Danton, please withdraw further."
He then strode toward Princess Hisui and Yukino, signaling to the Garou Knights.
The two women exchanged a brief glance and nodded. Together, they placed their hands on the lever and pushed forward with force.
Their magic power was immediately absorbed. A faint golden glow spread across the activation mechanism.
When the lever was fully lowered, the Eclipse Gate officially activated. Its magic-absorbing function ceased, magic could now be freely used in the surrounding area.
Because Hisui and Yukino acted together, neither was drained excessively and both remained mobile.
They initially intended to remain in place, but Arcadios promptly ordered them to retreat.
The Knights withdrew in an orderly fashion, clearing the road directly in front of the gate.
Buzz… buzz… buzz
Golden light flickered across the Eclipse Gate as massive internal mechanisms began to turn. Even from dozens of meters away, the immense magic power gathering within could be felt.
The colossal metal doors slowly swung outward.
Through the opening was not another world, but a boundless expanse of white nothingness.
Rumble
The sound was not sharp, but deep and oppressive. The friction of metal echoed through the air, and the ground itself seemed to tremble under the gate's movement.
Accompanied by the oppressive pressure of immense, active magic power, the opening of the gate carried a force that shook the soul itself.
Worried that his companions might be overwhelmed by the spectacle and forget their objective, Rhodes spoke sharply,
"Get ready."
"Yes."
Both Lucys nodded in unison, fully prepared to act at a moment's notice.
With a deafening clang, the gate panels swung open to their maximum position and came to a halt. A violent gust of wind surged into the square, pouring out from within the gate.
Everyone stared into the opening.
And then, without warning, a massive head burst through.
It possessed a grayish-white body covered in enormous hexagonal scales, a somewhat rounded head, and four rows of dense black pores lining its underbelly.
"It-it appeared!"
"A Dragon! A Dragon has appeared!"
"It's enormous!"
Not only the soldiers, but even the King, Princess Hisui, and Knight Commander Arcadios froze in shock.
"Mr. Rhodes's pre prediction was correct!"
"The Dragons really emerges from the Eclipse Gate!"
"If we don't close it immediately, ten thousand Dragons will come through!"
The Dragon showed no sign of hesitation. In the blink of an eye, its colossal body cleared the gate and landed in the open square. It reared its head back and released an unrestrained roar.
"Awoooo!"
Terrifying magic power exploded outward with the sound. Unlike a Dragon Slayer's breath attack, which focused power forward, this roar expanded in a near-hemispherical shockwave.
The plaza was obliterated instantly.
Stone tiles shattered into dust. A violent gale flung distant soldiers through the air. The palace gardens and surrounding buildings were ravaged as if struck by a typhoon, reduced to utter devastation in seconds.
Many people were slammed to the ground, clinging desperately to anything they could grab to avoid being blown away.
The soldiers closest to the gate, however, were unharmed.
Because directly in front of them stood Rhodes, a shimmering golden barrier raised before him.
"It's Mr. Rhodes!"
"He blocked it head-on!"
"That kind of power—!"
Rhodes shouted without turning his head,
"Everyone, retreat! That was just a greeting, not an actual attack!"
Arcadios immediately shielded Princess Hisui and Yukino, echoing the order at full volume,
"Retreat! All units, retreat!"
The soldiers scrambled to withdraw to both sides. The two female mages of the Hungry Wolf Knights guarded the Princess, while the remaining three protected the King as they fell back.
"A Dragon really came out!"
Natsu was already surging forward, fist clenched, ready to strike, but Laxus grabbed him by the shoulder.
"That's not our mission right now," Laxus said calmly. "Lucy."
"Yes!"
Both Lucys answered at once, moving toward the Eclipse Gate under the escort of their four companions.
At that moment, the Dragon's gaze shifted.
It noticed the one standing directly in its path.
With a deep, rumbling growl, it raised its massive foreclaw and slammed it down violently in front of Rhodes.
BOOM!
The ground convulsed. Cracks spiderwebbed outward with a deafening crunch, and a compressed wind blade, formed purely from raw force, shot straight toward Rhodes.
The golden shield flickered… and shattered.
The invisible impact struck Rhodes's raised right wrist with a metallic clang.
Dust and debris exploded outward, completely swallowing his figure from view.
...
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