readease Chapter 579 Thank you, everyone from Fairy Tail!
Chapter 579 Thank you, everyone from Fairy Tail!
Chapter 579 Thank you, everyone from Fairy Tail!
Boom!!
The giant cube-shaped monster traced a twisted trajectory in the air before crashing to the ground, leaving a long, black smoke trail behind it.
The massive body crashed into the ground, triggering a devastating explosion in the already ravaged capital of the Principality of Veronica.
The shockwave, carrying debris and dust, swept in all directions, affecting the entire town to varying degrees. Buildings collapsed, city walls crumbled, and everywhere one looked was a scene of desolation filled with smoke and fire.
With the death of the Underworld Beast, Fairy Tail's battle against Tartaros came to an end.
Including Hades Maldo, Kuanghua, Sera, and the other nine members of the Nine Ghost Gates were completely defeated, and none of the demons of the Underworld survived.
Fairy Tail rightfully won a great victory!
In the air, in the central plaza of the magical weapon Nirvana, all the participants were present.
The setting sun cast long shadows on everyone.
Everyone was covered in bruises and dirt, and their spirits were visibly low.
In order to maximize the value of the Gates of Hell and allow the children to accumulate sufficient practical experience to become stronger, Makarov, who was in charge of overseeing the operation, did not destroy the Core of Hell immediately.
Instead, they allowed the Nine Ghost Gate demons to revive several times until everyone's magic power was exhausted before they finally took action to eliminate them along with the Netherworld Beasts!
Despite being exhausted, the participants remained quite active, playfully bumping foreheads and arguing heatedly, boasting to their comrades about their achievements and how formidable their opponents were.
"Damn it, I was so focused on showing off that I forgot the capital city is right below the battlefield—"
Only Old Ma had a horrified expression, as if he had eaten shit. He raised his hands and pressed them tightly against the sides of his head, his fingers digging deep into his gray hair.
Although no innocent civilians were injured, and although they had a legitimate reason to wage war against the Gates of Hell, the fact that the capital of a duchy was destroyed like this meant that he, as the chairman, would certainly not escape the severe reprimand and criticism from the council!
"Well done, old man." Laxus walked over slowly, a malicious smile on his lips.
He was also wounded in the fight with Maldo, with a bloody gash on his left cheek and bandages wrapped around his arm, but his steps remained steady.
Because Maldo had almost had his Dao Heart shattered by Chase's attack before, it wasn't particularly difficult for him to deal with the situation when he activated Thor Dragon Mode, and his injuries were relatively minor.
"Laxus, it seems you've really grown a lot after these two and a half years of training. Your performance in this battle was excellent; not only was your strength formidable, but your timing was also impeccable."
Makarov glanced at him casually, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
After showering him with praise, the shrewd old man revealed his true intentions and said earnestly, "Grandpa is getting old. It's time to officially hand over the chairmanship to you."
"Spare me, old man. I've long since lost interest in being the chairman or anything like that."
Laxus waved his hand decisively, refusing without a second thought, while adding a sarcastic reminder, "Also, the new Speaker, Hyberion, is a very ruthless person."
"That's why I wanted you to help me out, you bastard!" Makarov's voice suddenly rose.
As one of the Ten Wizard Saints of Ishgard, he naturally knew just how troublesome Hyberion, the second-ranked man, really was.
That was someone even he found troublesome—rigid, strict, and unforgiving.
"It's really noisy over there—"
Laxus pretended not to hear, turning to look at the two colossal creatures locked in a fierce battle in the distance. His voice grew more serious, "What kind of monster did that Chase release?!"
There, the divine-armored Chase clashed with the fiery phoenix once more, unleashing a barrage of god-slaying magic and phoenix fire, which exploded into terrifying mushroom clouds on the ground.
The earth roared, and the shockwave spread like a raging storm, almost tearing the sky apart with its extreme power!
Upon hearing this, Makarov, who was about to offer some more heartfelt advice, put aside his thoughts and followed his gaze toward the battlefield.
Because the commotion was so terrifying, the friends who were engrossed in showing off to each other belatedly realized: Oh right, there was still one most important thing that hadn't been resolved.
That is the phoenix destiny that Eclair bears!
Akelia remained silent in the crowd, her hands unconsciously clenching the hem of her skirt at her sides, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
Even though she had only been a mage for a short time, she could see that under the relentless bombardment of the power of the God of Chess, the flames on the giant phoenix's body were gradually dimming and it was losing ground.
It's only a matter of time before they're defeated and wiped out—maybe in a few minutes, maybe even less.
At that time, she, who has gained immortality by drinking the blood of the phoenix, will perish along with it.
Before joining the Fairy Tail family, Eclair was not afraid of this.
Or to be more precise, she was already tired of living and couldn't have imagined this kind of ending.
Over four hundred years, she witnessed too many partings and deaths, and experienced too much war and strife. For her, immortality was not a blessing, but a curse.
However, after becoming a member of Fairy Tail, she unknowingly fell in love with her ordinary yet incredibly fulfilling daily life, and the joyful laughter of her friends.
Splash!
A dark shadow suddenly swept overhead, whipping up a strong gust of wind on Nirvana and lifting the bangs from her forehead.
The dark purple dragon landed smoothly, its massive claws leaving deep scratches on the ground before its body rapidly contracted and its scales disappeared.
Bahamut, who has returned to human form, arrives with Natsuru and the others.
At this point, apart from Chess, who was engaged in a passionate fight with the demon phoenix, the entire Fairy Tail crew had gathered.
"Everyone! Are you all alright?" As soon as Lucy landed, she eagerly looked around, her eyes filled with concern, her gaze quickly sweeping over everyone.
"It's Lucy! I heard it from that werewolf demon. You beat it up pretty badly~" Levy chuckled and leaned closer, her eyes crinkling into crescents.
"Haha, no, no." Lucy scratched the back of her head, smiled shyly, and her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Feed Wendy, that very fair-skinned and big woman keeps talking about you."
"Very big————"
Upon hearing Uncle Macao's words, Wendy immediately braced herself with her hands on the ground, surrounded by black mist, shrouded in a gloomy aura, showing no sign of the joy Lucy felt when praised.
"Alright! Now that everyone's here, there's something very important I have to tell you beforehand."
Makarov interrupted the chatter, his voice steady yet tinged with a heavy tone, "About Eclair and the demonic phoenix."
Eclair and the demonic phoenix?
That serious and earnest expression made everyone, who were immersed in the joy of impending victory, feel a sudden tightness in their hearts, as if something had suddenly gripped their hearts.
Xia Lulu recalled the future she had previously foreseen, and a strong sense of unease welled up in her heart.
Knowing what the president wanted to say, Eclair lowered her head with a dim gaze, while Mengmeng beside her clung tightly to her clothes.
Having drawn all eyes to him, Makarov strode onto the platform, his cloak billowing in the wind.
The old man stared intently at the divine giant who had completely suppressed the phoenix, his slightly cloudy eyes reflecting the clash of lightning and flames in the distance.
After a few seconds of silence, he turned to Acreya and slowly said, "If we kill the phoenix, all those who gain immortality through its blood will disappear, right, Acreya?"
Upon hearing this, the entire room fell into a deathly silence, the relaxed and cheerful atmosphere shattering instantly, as if someone had suddenly pressed the mute button.
The wind seemed to stop for a moment, leaving only the distant sound of explosions rolling across the sky like muffled thunder.
Lucy's smile froze on her face, the black mist surrounding Wendy dissipated completely, Gray's hand hovered halfway in mid-air, and Natsu's mouth hung open, unable to utter a word.
Everyone stood there, frozen in place, as if petrified.
"Wait, wait a minute, President, what does 'disappear' mean—"
Lucy's expression changed drastically upon realizing what had happened, and even her voice trembled slightly.
"That's right, I was able to survive until now only because of the Phoenix, it's only natural." Eclair nodded gently, her voice as calm as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her.
Her loose bangs covered her expression, only her slightly trembling eyelashes revealed that her heart was not as calm as it appeared.
"How could this be—" Wendy covered her mouth in disbelief, her cute little face turning pale.
The others also looked quite grim, completely unable to accept such a cruel reality.
In their hearts, the taciturn Eclair was already an inseparable "family member".
The fear of losing a loved one, like a cold tide, silently overwhelmed everyone.
Just then, a figure suddenly rushed out from the silent crowd, moving as fast as lightning.
"Natsu, what do you think you're doing?!"
Erza quickly pulled him back, her hands gripping his arm tightly, the muscles beneath his armor taut.
"Erza, let me go right now! We have to stop Chess and tell him he absolutely cannot kill the Phoenix!"
Natsu was extremely anxious and struggled desperately to rush forward, his feet leaving marks on the ground.
Upon hearing this, Erza kept her lips tightly closed and did not reply, continuing to hold his arm tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
Although she felt exactly the same way as Natsu at that moment, knowing Chess as she did, she knew that Chess must have known the truth long ago.
Even under these circumstances, he still chose to relentlessly pursue the Phoenix.
Erza didn't know what Chase was planning, but as his girlfriend and partner, she chose to trust him completely.
This trust overcame all impulsive emotions, driving her to grab Natsu immediately.
"Don't do something stupid, Natsu. Chess knows exactly what he's doing!"
After a stern rebuke calmed the struggling Naz down, Makarov sighed heavily, put his hands behind his back, and looked back into the distance.
"In any case, the danger posed by the demonic phoenix is too great, and it must be eliminated for the safety of the entire world."
"Resealing it again will only leave endless hidden dangers. Besides, the Fire Clan, who could seal the Phoenix, is long gone." The last sentence weighed heavily on everyone's heart like a boulder, including the other idiots who planned to rush out with Natsu.
"I can't accept that Eclair will disappear along with her or anything like that. I absolutely cannot accept it!"
Lucy had no idea what to do, so she could only hug Acreia tightly with tears in her eyes and pour out her deepest feelings.
And this is the sentiment of everyone present: no one can accept it with a smile, and no one can let go peacefully.
"It's alright, Lucy, I've lived long enough."
Eclair opened her arms and hugged Lucy, pretending to be strong, and said, "No one can live forever, but the memories between people will not disappear with the passage of time."
"The time I spent in the guild was the happiest time in the more than four hundred years that I have been tormented by fate."
"Or rather, being able to meet you and everyone else before I disappear is the greatest fortune of my life —"
Boom!
In the distance, terrifying explosions continued unabated, relentlessly destroying everything around them.
Flames shot into the sky again and again, dyeing half the sky a blood-red hue.
Chase was covered in blood, and his divine armor was damaged in many places, but he seemed to feel no pain. He swung his divine power and punched the phoenix through the chest.
The phoenix let out a miserable cry and fell from the sky, its blood dripping as its once proud golden eyes gradually lost their luster.
The defeat is set.
The crimson flames from the explosion illuminated Eclair's calm face and Lucy's tear-streaked face.
Thank you all for your support. I will never forget you, I will never forget you all.
Eclair's voice was very soft, "I am a member of Fairy Tail."
When she uttered those words, they carried the weight of four hundred years of loneliness, as well as the warmth and peace of finding a home.
Over there, the heavily armored Chase landed with a thud, his heavy body creating a huge crater in the ground, raising clouds of dust.
Facing the phoenix, which had lost all ability to resist, he slowly raised his clenched, massive right fist.
The power of the gods poured out continuously, gathering into a deep vortex on the fist, unleashing a destructive light capable of shattering everything in the world.
"Chesgo, no!!"
Lucy shouted and hugged Eclair even tighter, as if she could keep her by holding her tight enough.
However, Chase seemed not to hear, his gaze as firm as a rock.
Boom!!!
The unrestrained divine fist slammed down, unleashing destructive power that shattered the desperately resisting phoenix along with the entire earth into pieces!
In that instant, the world lost its color, all was silent, and only a blinding white light remained.
The phoenix, bestowed with divine power by the god of demons and hailed as eternally immortal, has been utterly destroyed!
Along with this, Eclair, who had gained immortality by drinking the blood of the phoenix, also turned into a beam of light and slowly left Lucy's embrace.
"Thank you, Lucy. Thank you everyone from Fairy Tail—"
Eclair smiled at the people on Nirvana, then turned into countless specks of light and vanished.