The world seemed to stop spinning for a few seconds.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the crowded town square, Natsu Dragneel stood completely frozen.
The truth that the old man had just spoken shattered every last trace of false hope he had desperately clung to for the past five years.
The memories that had been buried by the agonizing pain when he first woke up in the forest crater now came flooding back with crystal clarity.
Just as Igneel’s physical form faded into particles of magical light and seeped into his chest, the Fire Dragon King had whispered his final parting words.
“Forgive me, Natsu…
I won’t be able to stay by your side as you brave this unknown world.”
Initially, Natsu assumed the phrase “unknown world” simply referred to the future of Earthland.
He thought Igneel just didn’t recognize the era, exactly as it had played out in the anime’s storyline.
But now, it all made perfect sense.
Igneel had meant it literally.
The anomaly of the Eclipse Gate hadn’t merely hurled them through time; it had torn right through the boundaries of dimension.
They were stranded in an entirely different world.
No wonder Makarov had never come to find him in the forest.
The old man could never cross the boundaries of the universe to reach him.
Slowly, Natsu let out a long, heavy sigh.
The crushing weight of confusion that had burdened his heart was finally lifted, replaced by total comprehension.
He gave the old man a polite bow and a genuinely warm smile.
“Thanks, old man.
Your explanation really helped me out.”
After parting ways, Natsu knew exactly what his next move had to be.
If the center of this world was Orario, then that was where he was heading.
However, before embarking on the long journey to the Labyrinth City, he decided to make a stop and prepare himself in Preblica, a border town not too far from his current location.
Preblica was a beautiful and strategically located transit city.
It was built along the banks of a clear, gently flowing river, situated right at the foot of a majestic mountain range that seemed to challenge the sky itself.
Encircling the city were towering, sturdy stone walls, heavily guarded by patrols to fend off attacks from wild monsters.
Upon arriving in Preblica, the very first thing Natsu did was exchange one of his small crystal stones at the local exchange guild.
Even though he considered it nothing more than a pebble-sized rock, the appraisers at the guild gasped upon seeing its pristine quality and immediately exchanged it for a hefty pouch bursting with Valis coins.
With money finally in hand, Natsu rented a room at a decent inn.
He thoroughly enjoyed the hot water of the public bathhouse, scrubbing away five years’ worth of dirt, dried monster blood, and grime that had caked onto his skin.
He also paid a visit to a barber, having them chop off his wild, unkempt pink hair and trim it back into his familiar, shorter style.
His ragged, beggar-like clothes were tossed in the trash.
In their place, Natsu bought a comfortable set of adventurer’s clothing that perfectly fit his newly muscled physique.
He wore dark trousers, a lightweight short-sleeved shirt that allowed for freedom of movement, and a collarless black jacket left open at the chest.
Of course, the white, scaly scarf left behind by Igneel remained neatly wrapped around his neck, keeping him warm like a father’s embrace.
That afternoon, Preblica was bathed in the reddish-orange glow of the setting sun.
Natsu was strolling through the city market, stocking up his travel bag with bread, dried meat, and water.
However, his footsteps suddenly came to a halt near a fruit stall.
His attention was drawn to the sound of a rather loud argument.
In front of the stall, two women appeared to be fiercely bickering over something seemingly trivial.
The first woman had bright, elegant blonde hair flowing down her back, while the second had hair as brilliantly blue as the morning sky.
Both were stunningly beautiful, dressed impeccably, and arguing with the emotional gestures of ordinary humans.
But Natsu was not an ordinary human.
His sharp draconic instincts immediately flared up.
His nose twitched, catching the scent emanating from the two women.
There was no smell of human sweat, no metallic tang of monster blood.
Their scent was far too pure, so heavenly that it felt surreal.
More than that, Natsu could feel the overwhelming pressure hidden behind their mere presence.
The young man’s dark eyes narrowed sharply.
Even though the divine power—their Arcanum—was tightly sealed by the laws of the lower world, Natsu’s dragon slayer senses could pierce right through the veil of that seal.
He could sense the bottomless depths of their power.
It felt like staring directly into the abyss of an endless, dark ocean; calm and silent, yet capable of swallowing continents if the waves ever rose.
They were Gods.
Which Goddesses they were, Natsu didn’t care, but he was absolutely certain of their existence.
Leaning casually against a wooden pillar in the market, the analytical mind inside Natsu’s head began to churn.
His knowledge of the power scales in his world clashed against the reality right in front of him.
He was well aware that if the gods or goddesses in this Danmachi world were to unseal their Arcanum, Natsu wasn’t at all confident he could win a fight against them.
Arcanum wasn’t just a massive reserve of magic or lethal physical destructive power; it was the absolute authority to manipulate the very laws of the world itself.
Fighting entities capable of bending reality was far beyond the reach of his dragon slayer flames, no matter how much power he had amassed in the forest.
However, a wild hypothesis sparked in his mind.
What if these Gods of Gekai were pitted against the absolute apex entities of his world?
If they fought using raw power alone, stripped of their ability to manipulate the world’s laws, could they survive the wrath of the Dragon Kings from Fairy Tail?
And most importantly, what would happen to these Gods if they were forced to face Acnologia, the Black Dragon of despair?
Thinking of the word “dragon”, Natsu’s memories from his life on Earth called forth a crucial piece of information that had been buried deep within.
In this Danmachi world, gods were not the only apex existence.
There were monsters that defied all logic, absolute threats that even the most legendary heroes had failed to conquer.
The Three Great Quests.
And among them, there was one existence that was feared above all else.
The One-Eyed Black Dragon.
Natsu fell silent.
The evening breeze gently fluttered the white scarf around his neck.
In his veins, the blood of the Dragon Slayer suddenly began to softly boil, responding to the rising anticipation and his awakening feral instincts.
If he had been raised in his world to defeat a dragon king, then it seemed destiny had placed a black dragon in this world to challenge him, too.
A faint smile slowly etched itself onto Natsu’s face, a sharp curve that radiated the pure aura of a true predator.
Just how strong is that monster?