CHAPTER 747: PURGATORY DRAGON: LET ME SEE WHAT’S GOING ON

"Why drag me into this cramped little place? That thing fell on its own, don’t expect me to pay for it."

The moment the Purgatory Dragon appeared, his first words immediately shattered any sense of awe. The same arrogant, lazy tone as always, magnificent in presence, shameless in personality.

Yet despite the absurdity of his attitude, not a single person in the guild dared to laugh. The sheer heat radiating from him was suffocating. His enormous body filled the hall, the flicker of his molten scales painting the room in crimson light.

When his blazing eyes swept the room and locked onto Sting and Rogue, the two Dragon Slayers felt their throats dry up.

"Oh?" the Purgatory Dragon rumbled. "So there really are two dragon whelps here, and ones I’ve never seen before! Come then, let me dote on you!"

The oppressive pressure nearly knocked them to their knees. This aura... this magic... there was no mistaking it.

A true Dragon.

Did they really have to fight this?

Though they had proudly claimed before the world that they’d slain dragons with their own hands, both men knew the truth of those memories. And if they truly had to face one again...

They unconsciously stepped backward.

Sting forced his voice to work. "Why...why can you summon a Dragon!?"

Rhodes blinked, genuinely confused. "Summon dragons? Isn’t that common knowledge by now?"

Hadn’t he demonstrated it himself seven years ago? He’d even shown it to the Council, and again when he flattened Raven Tail.

Had word really not spread?

Mira smiled gently. "Maybe too much time has passed. People might’ve thought it was just a legend."

Meanwhile, the Purgatory Dragon stared down at Sting and Rogue with open contempt.

"These two cubs are pathetic," he muttered. "They actually backed off just from seeing me. Hmph. That Fire Dragon cub and the Iron Dragon cub, now they were fun. Bold, reckless, perfect little troublemakers. My kind of hatchlings."

His burning gaze softened slightly. "And the Sky Dragon cub, so polite and cute. I’d love to have a daughter like that."

Then his tone dropped again, dripping disdain. "But these two... neither cute nor brave. Tch."

Rhodes smirked. "Don’t underestimate them too much. They said they’ve killed dragons before. If you’re not careful, they might beat you to death."

Mira elbowed him sharply. "Stop provoking him. He’s got a temper, what if someone actually dies?"

The Purgatory Dragon narrowed his molten eyes, studying the trembling duo, then snorted flames from his nostrils.

"Nonsense! These two? Kill a dragon? At best, they’ve killed a dragon egg! And even then, they probably couldn’t crack the shell! Back when I was still an egg, just rolling over them once would’ve roasted them alive!"

Rhodes barely managed to stifle his laughter. Brother Purgatory never disappoints, he really has a talent for pissing people off.

Sting and Rogue flushed scarlet, fury surging through them.

Yes, they knew the truth, that Weisslogia and Skiadrum had given up their lives willingly, asking their disciples to strike the final blow to complete their growth.

But those two dragons had entrusted them with their final hopes. Their deaths had been their parting gift, proof that Sting and Rogue would become true Dragon Slayers.

They couldn’t let anyone trample on that.

The Purgatory Dragon’s grin widened. "Now that’s the look I like! Good, good, little brother, sister-in-law, step aside. Let’s have some fun."

Rhodes and Mira exchanged a knowing glance and calmly moved out of the way.

In the next instant, the two Third-Generation Dragon Slayers charged forward, their Dragon Force blazing brighter than ever.

"White Dragon’s Fist!"

"Shadow Dragon’s Slash!"

"White Dragon’s Holy Breath!"

"Shadow Dragon’s Roar!"

Magic erupted in blinding flashes of light and shadow. Every strike they knew, every ounce of their power, they unleashed it all.

The purgatory Dragon only laughed, swatting aside their attacks with his claws, his tail smashing through spell after spell, playing with them as if it were all a game.

"Sting!"

"Rogue!"

Lector and Frosch watched with wide, tearful eyes as Sting and Rogue unleashed everything they had.

The purgatory Dragon hadn’t even moved an inch. Instead, he sighed, a low rumble of pity shaking his chest.

’So much effort, so little result.’

Their Dragon Slayer Magic, honed through years of training, hadn’t even made him flinch.

How heartbreaking must that feel?

Tears pooled in the two Exceeds’ eyes.

Mira brushed her cheek with a faint smile. "It feels... oddly familiar."

Rhodes chuckled. "Mm. Because we’ve seen it way too many times."

Every time Natsu had challenged the purgatory Dragon, the scene had looked exactly the same, the same fierce determination, the same hopelessly one-sided "sparring," and the same smug dragon playing with his prey.

Though calling it perfunctory was unfair. The Purgatory Dragon was taking it seriously... in his own way.

After a few minutes of relentless offense, Sting and Rogue’s breathing grew ragged.

Their exhaustion wasn’t just physical or magical, what truly crushed them was despair. They hadn’t even managed to scratch a single dragon scale.

For years, they had believed themselves to be the strongest Dragon Slayers alive. Now, standing before a real dragon, that illusion crumbled completely.

The rest of Sabertooth looked on in silence, shock and guilt twisting their expressions.

The guild’s strongest duo, overwhelmed without landing a hit.

Their proud techniques had shaken the entire building, yet the dragon stood untouched.

And to think... they’d once mocked Fairy Tail.

They’d questioned whether Rhodes was even worthy of his Saint Ten title.

’What kind of monster were they questioning?’

A quiet sense of shame spread through the crowd.

So Yukino hadn’t exaggerated, Fairy Tail really did have terrifyingly powerful mages.

Were they wrong all along?

Had Master Jieman been wrong, too, for looking down on every other guild?

When they imagined standing in Rhodes’ position, hearing others ridicule his strength behind his back, they didn’t dare think how they’d react.

All they could do now was pray their companions would hold their tongues.

Mira checked her pocket watch and murmured softly, "It’s about time."

Rhodes nodded. The Purgatory Dragon’s temperament was well know, he never played with "dragon cubs" for too long.

Even when he’d begged for playmates a few days ago, he’d lost interest quickly.

Sure enough, after getting a feel for Sting and Rogue’s abilities, the dragon’s excitement began to fade. He yawned, smoke curling lazily from his fangs.

"Rogue, use that one!"

"Got it!"

The two stepped back in perfect sync, raising one hand behind them.

Black and white magic circles flared into existence, each forming a massive sphere of energy.

Their magic began to compress and merge, swirling into a blinding vortex of light and darkness.

"Holy Shadow Dragon’s Flash Fang!"

They shouted together with all their might, and a single crimson tail swept through the air.

WHAM!

The two were sent flying before they even realized what had happened, slamming into the back wall hard enough to leave twin craters.

The markings of Dragon Force faded from their faces, leaving only stunned expressions and a few groans.

The Purgatory Dragon stretched his neck and snorted.

"Tch. What’s with all that ceremony? Can’t you brats finish charging your big moves before you use them? Who’s gonna stand around and wait politely while you gather power? That’s just being an idiot."

His tone was sharp, but not cruel, it carried the blunt scolding of an elder, not the mockery of an enemy.

Sting and Rogue blinked, speechless. Somehow, being yelled at like that didn’t feel insulting.

It felt... almost like a lesson.

The dragon gave a lazy yawn. "Alright, I’ve had my fun. I’m leaving. I’ll drop by again in a couple of days when I miss you kids."

"Again!?" the Sabertooth mages cried in horror.

This one visit had already nearly demolished their guild! Though most of the damage technically came from Sting and Rogue’s own attacks, how on earth were they going to explain this to Master Jieman?

As the Purgatory Dragon’s enormous body began to fade into heat and light, he turned his gaze toward Rhodes.

"Little brother, I’m heading back. Call me if you need anything. Wait, why’d you call me this time anyway? You want me to burn down this sorry excuse of a building?"

Rhodes laughed. "No need. You’ve already done enough damage just by standing here."

The dragon grinned, satisfied. "Fair enough."

...

Stones Plzzz

Bonus @1600

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