The people of Edolas are not the people of the Fiore Kingdom, nor are they the people of any country in Aslan.
Perhaps they were once kept in the dark, but Gajeel said that he would take advantage of the chaos in the morning to spread the news that the Magic Crystals were once human.
Such shocking news, and with many having witnessed the transformation of Magic Crystals back into Mira and Elfman, Rhode didn't believe all these people were unaware.
Yet they still charge here brandishing weapons.
They are accomplices of the invaders who want to take the lives of their comrades.
Rhode didn't want to waste words with these people. Did Faust just say that losing means losing everything?
Then let's make him lose everything!
"Summon, Purgatory Sub-Dragon!"
"Roar———" A colossal red beast appeared, stomping directly at the palace gates destroyed by Kildas.
The surrounding temperature suddenly rose, but due to Rhode's prior instructions, the Purgatory Sub-Dragon didn't create an overly dramatic scene upon its appearance.
Yet, the soldiers who were ready for a life-or-death battle felt the scorching heat behind them, hearing the loud dragon roar.
They stiffly turned their heads, unable to see the full scope of the monster and had to lift their heads bit by bit.
An enormous crimson monster, with gleaming dragon claws, a body radiating immense heat, and a mouth spewing flames with every breath...
Fear.
The battle intent that had just arisen was slowly being replaced by fear, as their duty as soldiers made them slowly point their long spears at the monster, but their body's instincts made them start to tremble.
"W-What is that?"
Not only were the soldiers trembling, but the people who had rushed over aggressively also came to a halt.
A Dragon...wasn't it a non-existent, mythical creature?
Then what exactly was this colossal entity standing alive before them?
Having seen the Purgatory Sub-Dragon before, Mira and Erza were not surprised, just took a step back, one directly holding Rhode's left arm, the other planned to intervene if Rhode couldn't sustain it.
Kildas immediately clenched his fists and tensed up the moment the Purgatory Sub-Dragon appeared.
Only after realizing it was Rhode's magic did he relax, though he still had a serious look on his face as he stared at him.
The Purgatory Sub-Dragon paid no mind to the attitudes of the small fry, scanning the area, pausing on Kildas briefly before looking at Rhode.
It succinctly asked, "Bro, who to take down?"
Rhode waved his right hand: "This city, whoever disobeys, take them down."
"Heh..." The Purgatory Sub-Dragon let out a strange laugh, and the temperature rose further; the palace walls started to melt, and the ground erupted into fierce flames.
The soldiers could not stand in the sea of fire, desperately fleeing into the distance.
Ordinary people nearby also took a few rigid steps back, finding their legs disobedient.
The Purgatory Sub-Dragon didn't spare a glance at them, took to the sky with a flap of its wings, creating heart-stopping heat waves.
At that moment, countless people in the Royal Capital saw a red light shooting upward, and upon closer inspection, they found a fierce dragon appearing as if from Hell, making them feel trapped in a nightmare.
Yet, their nightmare had only just begun.
The Purgatory Sub-Dragon opened its mouth and spewed, causing red flames and lava to fall into the center of the palace, turning the prosperous palaces into a sea of flames in an instant.
Screams echoed, some soldiers guarding the palace fled, others took out Magic Tools to spray water.
However, the fire within the palace was beyond control in an instant, and dozens of water-spraying Magic Tools were a mere drop in the bucket.
Meanwhile, the Purgatory Sub-Dragon continued spewing flames while flying towards the city's edge from above the palace.
In a flash, a 'fire line' that continued to spread appeared in the Royal Capital, as if someone had turned a volcano upside down and dragged it across the sky.
No amount of fighting spirit or determination could withstand the arrival of a calamity from the heavens; all crumbled away.
Countless people dropped their weapons and fled frantically out of the city, throwing the Royal Capital into chaos.
Panic arrived quicker than destruction.
Kildas, watching the giant dragon spraying fire recklessly in the sky, sighed after a long while: "Let's go, time to find the mastermind."
The three nodded in agreement.
It's not the scene they wanted to see, but to deal with enemies who nearly annihilated the Guild and town, any action isn't excessive.
The four set out to find the king of Edolas.
The palace lay engulfed in flames, with occasional building collapses adding minor hindrances on their path.
Yet, Kildas' Smashing Magic paved the way effortlessly, not only destroying solid structures but also slicing flames into neat squares and making them disappear completely.
...
"Is this... the Royal Capital?"
Mystogan stood on a giant owl, momentarily hovering at the entrance of the Royal Capital.
From his memory, the Royal Capital of Edolas was a prosperous city, surrounded by tall walls laden with towering elegant architecture within.
What was this city before his eyes?
Half the walls were gone, the route from the city gate to the palace had turned into complete ruins.
The palace was burning fiercely, with several prominent 'fire lines' slicing the city like cut pizza, much of the city already burnt to blackness.
If he hadn't memorized the orientation clearly, he would have doubted he was lost.
"Am I too late..."
The President said that Rhode, Mira, Erza, and Kildas were responsible for attacking the Royal Capital, and Mystogan had mentally prepared for the extent of the destruction.
Yet the current devastation still shocked him.
Mystogan commanded the owl to circle the walls, lowering its altitude upon noticing congregated crowds below.
"That is... the Prince!"
"Prince Jellal!"
"The prince has returned! Save us!"
Mystogan, whose real name is Jellal, prince of the Edolas Kingdom, traveled to Aslan to stop the Anima project.
The populace was unaware of the truth, assuming the prince was secretly traveling and learning among the people.
Mystogan said solemnly, "Tell me what happened?"
"Dragon! There's a dragon spewing fire!"
"It's done by Fairy Tail!"
"We're doomed!"
"The King is still fighting in the city!"
Mystogan gathered the gist amidst the babble of voices and directed the owl towards the palace.
Near the palace, the members of Fairy Tail lay scattered, as Rhode sat atop the Cyan Engraved Golem to restore Magic Power.
Mira, Erza, and Kildas were confronting a mechanical dinosaur.
The voice of King Faust emanated from within the machine: "Hahaha... Be destroyed, rebels! None can defeat Doroma Anim! The king's power is absolute!"