CHAPTER 616: FAIRY SPHERE

Makarov’s body swelled, transforming into a giant nearly as tall as the Black Dragon itself. He stepped forward without hesitation, wrapping his massive arms around the Dragon’s neck.

"Now’s your chance!" he roared.

Gildarts moved instantly, his fist slamming down on top of the Dragon’s skull.

From either side, Erza and Mira struck in unison, Erza’s Fairy Blade slicing down on one elbow while Mira’s Demon Claw tore into the other.

Elfman and Lisanna followed right behind. With Beast King Take Over and Tiger Take Over, they hammered blows into the Dragon’s wrists, throwing their full weight behind the strikes.

Gray and Juvia combined their power, water spiraling into crystalized ice, forming a massive rotating spear. Together they hurled it forward, aiming straight for the Dragon’s chest.

Ultear raised both arms, summoning Ice Make: Rose Garden. Meredy followed up, unleashing dozens of pink, blade-shaped constructs of Magic Power, all converging on the Black Dragon’s torso alongside Gray and Juvia’s strike.

Evergreen and Bickslow locked their eyes on the Dragon. First they attempted to use Stone Eyes and Figure Eyes, only to find them useless against such a foe. Abandoning that plan, they switched tactics, focusing their Magic on the torn wound across the Dragon’s wing.

Levy’s fingers traced glowing letters in the air, Solid Script flaring out one after another, while Freed carved Dark Écriture with his sword. Both launched their spells toward the Black Dragon’s other wing, hoping to cripple its movement.

Cana emptied her entire hand, throwing every last card in her deck. Flashes of color burst against the Dragon’s flank as one Magic after another detonated on its scales.

On the opposite side, Lucy raised her golden key.

"Open! Gate of the Scorpion! Scorpio!"

The Zodiac Spirit appeared, whipping up a massive sand tornado that slammed into the Black Dragon’s right flank, churning with brutal force.

Above them, three Exceeds carried their partners into the sky. Happy held Natsu, Carla carried Wendy, and Lily, transformed into battle mode, lifted both Gajeel and Laxus. The four Dragon Slayers drew in their breath, Magic Power radiating from their bodies.

"Fire Dragon’s..!"

"Sky Dragon’s..!"

"Iron Dragon’s...!"

"Lightning Dragon’s...!"

"ROAR!!!"

Four beams, red, white, black, and gold, merged together into a single colossal blast of Dragon Slayer Magic, hurtling toward the Black Dragon’s back with devastating force.

All at once, Fairy Tail’s attacks converged. Explosions of light filled the battlefield, so bright they nearly swallowed Makarov and the Dragon whole.

When the light faded, every eye widened.

The Black Dragon stood almost entirely unharmed.

Only where attacks had struck its open wounds did it show any reaction, slight irritation, a growl of pain. But beyond that, not a single scale had been knocked loose.

Makarov gritted his teeth, arms straining as he held the Dragon’s neck tighter, refusing to let go. But with a single, violent thrust forward, Acnologia broke free, flinging the Guild Master aside.

Then, with a single savage pounce, it barreled through the front line, swatting the others away as if they were nothing.

More than a dozen members of Fairy Tail crashed to the ground with cries of pain. The giant Makarov had transformed into was slammed down as well, the Black Dragon’s enormous claw pinning him flat against the earth.

"Guild Master!"

"Master!"

Everyone scrambled back to their feet, desperate to reach him, but the Black Dragon ignored them. Its eyes fixed instead on the Dragon Slayers still airborne.

With a single clap of its colossal arms, the sound cracked like thunder. Natsu, Wendy, Gajeel, Laxus, and their Exceed partners were swatted from the sky, smashing into the ground like falling meteors.

Another barrage of Magic rained down on the Dragon, blades, flames, ice, sand, and script-born spells, but the monster didn’t even try to dodge. It stood still, letting every strike land, its expression cold as it watched the Dragon Slayers struggle to rise again.

For just an instant, something flickered in its eyes. Disappointment. None of these so-called Dragon Slayers could become Dragons themselves. If that was the case, then extinguishing them here would be all too simple.

Pinned beneath its claw, Makarov gritted his teeth through the pain. Summoning the last of his strength, he drove his fist into the wound torn across the Dragon’s neck.

The blow caught the beast’s attention. A guttural growl escaped its throat as pain rippled through its massive body. Snarling, it pressed its claw down harder. Blood filled Makarov’s mouth as he coughed violently, his body trembling under the crushing weight.

But the Black Dragon wasn’t finished. Lowering its head, it opened its fanged jaws wide, aiming to snap the Fairy Tail master’s head clean off.

"Gather here, river of light guided by fairies! Shine now, and banish the servants of darkness!"

A voice rang out above the chaos. Rhodes, his right arm glowing with radiant golden markings, thrust his fist forward.

"Fairy Glitter!"

From the heavens, the light of the sun, moon, and stars gathered into one, condensing into a massive golden ring that glimmered over Tenrou Island.

The ring descended like a noose, tightening in an instant around the Black Dragon’s body and binding it in place.

The Dragon instinctively loosened its grip, allowing Makarov to shrink back down to normal size and stagger away. He immediately signaled the others to retreat.

Not that they needed the warning. The sheer force of Fairy Glitter, the blinding radiance, the wild winds tearing at their skin, made it clear this was no ordinary spell. If they didn’t brace themselves, they’d be blown away entirely.

"When did Rhodes... learn a spell this powerful?" someone gasped.

The shock was universal. Even after unleashing everything they had moments ago, no attack came close to the overwhelming energy Rhodes now radiated.

Only when they heard the name Fairy Glitter did realization dawn on a few. Bluenote had mentioned this magic before, one of the Three Great Fairy Magics, sealed away in Mavis’s tomb.

And Rhodes... Rhodes had been the one to pass her test.

Yes. That explained it.

The golden ring constricted tighter. Just as the Black Dragon thrashed against it, Rhodes unleashed the spell in full.

A deafening roar split the air. The golden light exploded upward, shooting through the sky like a second sun.

The ground trembled beneath their feet. The sound was so thunderous it shook Tenrou Island to its core. For a moment, all anyone could see was blinding light.

"With power like this... it has to work..." someone whispered in awe.

But as the light faded, their hope faltered.

Ravines now scarred the battlefield. And at the center of it all, the Black Dragon stood tall.

It threw back its head and roared at the heavens, wounded, yes, scales cracked and blood seeping through, but far from defeated.

"You’ve got to be kidding me..."

"Even that didn’t work?!"

Rhode’s expression hardened. "No, it did work. Just not enough."

Unlike the others, he had seen it. In that instant before the explosion consumed everything, the Dragon had swallowed part of the attack. Just as Natsu could consume flames, this beast had devoured raw magic itself.

It hadn’t managed to eat it all, the blast was too vast, but enough to dull its impact.

Still, Rhodes noticed the damage: cracks splitting its scales, red streaks bleeding through. Fairy Glitter had hurt it. Just not nearly enough.

"ROOOAARRR!!!"

The Black Dragon’s furious cry tore across the battlefield, its voice a weapon in itself. The sound was a gale-force wind and sonic blast combined, ripping through ears and rattling bones.

Everyone staggered, clutching their heads, nearly knocked off their feet.

Even Fairy Glitter hadn’t brought the monster down. Despair clawed at their hearts. What kind of magic could possibly defeat a beast like this?

Natsu stumbled back to his feet, fire igniting in his fists. His eyes burned with defiance.

"It’s not over! We’ll try again!" he shouted. "This time, Dragon Slayer Secret Arts!"

Laxus, Gajeel, and Wendy stepped forward, each unleashing the Dragon Slayer Secret Art they had mastered.

Rhodes renewed the red, blue, and purple buffs around them, while also bracing himself for the next strike.

"Sky Dragon’s Secret Art: Sky Drill!"

"Iron Dragon’s Secret Art: Karma Demon, Iron God Sword!"

"Lightning Dragon’s Secret Art: Roaring Thunder!"

"Fire Dragon’s Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Blade!"

Four beams of destructive magic erupted at once, all aimed at the Black Dragon’s head, a whirling pillar of wind that drilled with piercing force, a colossal blade of gleaming black iron, a torrent of golden lightning that split the sky, and a blazing flame blade that threatened to consume everything.

But the Black Dragon simply opened its mouth.

The wind, the lightning, the fire, devoured in an instant. Even the iron sword, long and razor-sharp, was snapped between its jaws and chewed into fragments.

With a violent toss of its head, it swatted Natsu and Laxus aside like insects, sending them tumbling across the ground.

The monster seemed to be growing bored. Its vast wings beat against the earth, and with a single leap it launched into the air. If it roared from above, unleashing its breath at full strength, everything on the island would be erased.

Blood pounded in Rhode’s head. He no longer cared about Magic Power, or even his own life. He screamed with everything he had:

"Summon, Vilemaw!"

A gigantic purple spider tore into existence, its front leg latching onto the Black Dragon’s left wing. The colossal beast lurched, crashing back down to the ground.

"HSSSSS!!"

The spider hissed, driving its claw tips into the weak points of the Dragon’s wing and pinning it against the earth.

"ROAR!!" The Dragon bellowed in fury, blood spraying as it twisted its head and sank its teeth into the spider’s right foreleg.

The spider shrieked in pain, but raised its other leg high, its sharpened tip aimed straight at the Dragon’s exposed neck.

The Black Dragon countered immediately, seizing the spider’s leg with its front claw and straining against it.

They grappled, locked in a brutal deadlock, the spider’s right leg gouging deeper into the wing wound, its left leg struggling to pierce the Dragon’s throat, while the Black Dragon bit down harder, intent on tearing the spider’s limb apart.

And then, Rhodes collapsed, his head tilting back as his body gave out. The spider’s form flickered, beginning to fade.

"Rhodes!" Mira rushed forward, catching him before he hit the ground.

"Magic Power..." Rhode’s voice was faint, almost gone.

Mira’s eyes brimmed with tears as she clutched his hands. "Take mine! Take it all!"

In the world of magic, there were whispered rumors, that when two hearts were bound together, magic could be shared.

Such miracles were almost unheard of.

But now, Mira’s magic flowed freely into Rhode’s body.

The giant spider steadied, its form solid once more.

Makarov’s sharp eyes widened. "Everyone! Focus your magic power on them, quickly!"

Mira raised Rhode’s hand, and one by one, the others pressed theirs against it, glowing with the light of their magic.

Rhodes could feel it, every voice, every heartbeat pouring into him. Don’t give up. We’ll win. Together, we can do this.

The spider roared, its left leg driving downward, straining to pierce the Black Dragon’s neck.

But the Dragon went berserk. With a savage shake of its head, it bit clean through the spider’s right leg—SNAP. Blood and ichor burst into the air.

The spider shrieked, and though its left leg came crashing down, the Dragon had already jerked its head aside. Instead of a killing blow, the strike only carved a shallow wound across its neck, no bigger than a bowl.

With a thunderous push of its wings, the Black Dragon broke free, leaping skyward.

The spider spat a vast web, trying to bind it from below. But the Dragon’s chest swelled, and a beam of white-hot breath blasted forth, tearing the silk apart and hurling the spider into the ground.

The Fairy Tail mages froze. This spider, this monster they had summoned, was the only thing that had even come close to restraining the Dragon. But it couldn’t fly.

Makarov once more grew to giant size, desperate to grab its legs, but the Dragon was already too high.

It rose higher and higher, chest swelling with power. This time, the scale of its magic was overwhelming, terrifying even compared to the earlier breath attacks.

"It’s the Roar!" someone shouted.

The air trembled with pressure. Even at this distance, they could feel it. The Dragon was going to obliterate everything.

"He’s... he’s going to destroy the whole island?!"

"Impossible!"

"No..." Gildarts’ grim voice cut through the panic. "If Acnologia truly unleashes this, he can. He can erase Tenrou Island in a single breath."

A hoarse voice echoed from the wounded spider. "Sorry... I can’t reach him up there."

It was the bitter truth. No amount of silk could hold such a monster in the sky.

The spider shifted, crawling above the gathered mages, shielding them as best it could with its massive body.

"Is there really no way...?"

"Impossible! We refuse to die here!"

"Defense magic! Quickly, prepare every defense spell you have!"

Panic rippled through the group. Some clenched their fists in defiance, while others, hearts heavy with despair, were already murmuring what might have been their final words.

The will to survive pushed them forward. The belief they had always held, that Fairy Tail never gives up, supported them. And, above all, their companions stood with them.

"There’s still a way! Fairy Sphere!" Rhodes shouted when he heard someone mention defense magic. "I know an absolute defense spell! I’ll need a huge amount of magic power... I’ve never succeeded before, but—"

Mira gripped his hand without hesitation. "I believe in you. You’ll succeed this time."

"I believe in you too. You’ll succeed this time," Makarov echoed firmly.

Gildarts added his hand, smiling. "Take as much magic power as you need."

"I believe too!"

"You can do it!"

"Use my magic power!"

One after another, their voices rang out. His guildmates offered their strength without hesitation. Even Ultear and Meredy, their hearts touched by Fairy Tail’s trust, joined in the circle.

Everyone clasped hands, channeling their magic power through that bond of absolute trust and pouring it into Rhodes.

He steadied his breathing, recalling everything he had learned about Fairy Sphere. Step by step, he controlled the flow of magic.

The voices of his companions echoed inside his heart.

The belief to live. The courage to face an impossible enemy. The resolve to walk forward together.

These feelings rushed into him like a tide.

Then, Mavis’s gentle, ethereal voice whispered in his ear:

"You will succeed. Go forward, Fairy Tail."

Golden light burst from their joined hands, spreading outward, covering the forests and the hills.

At the same moment, the Black Dragon’s roar came crashing down, violent enough to engulf the entire island.

"Fairy Sphere!!"

The golden light hardened, forming a shimmering translucent barrier that wrapped around Tenrou Island and sealed it completely.

The Dragon’s Roar struck. The barrier was swallowed in light, and a massive tsunami rose around the island.

All across Fiore, and beyond, magic detectors suddenly went haywire. The density of magic power spiked so violently that alarms rang throughout the continent.

The Magic Council was thrown into chaos. Emergency alerts were dispatched to national governments. Ministers rushed into meetings. Guild Masters of every major guild were summoned to emergency consultations.

The Council, already in session to discuss Zeref and Grimoire Heart after receiving reports from Lahar and Mest, now had an even greater crisis to face. Their verdict was grim:

"At this level of magic power density, it’s impossible for anyone to survive."

—

It was damp. And cold.

Rhodes stirred, feeling as though he was floating in water.

He opened his eyes. The forest was gone. The towering Tenrou Tree, gone. He shifted and realized he was indeed floating. But strangely, the water only came up to his waist.

With effort, Rhodes stood. Beneath his feet was solid ground. Mist swirled in the dim light. All around him was water, with vague mountain walls far off in the haze.

Had Fairy Sphere failed? No... if he was alive, that meant it had worked. Right?

Then, where was everyone else?

"Mira? Master? Wendy?"

His voice echoed, unanswered. The silence pressed in. Rhode’s brow furrowed. Could it be that Tenrou Island had been shattered, dragged beneath the sea, leaving only this drowned wasteland?

He forced himself to believe the others had survived. They had to. But his chest still tightened with unease.

Splash...

The sound of water behind him. Rhodes turned quickly, hope flashing in his eyes. A shadowy figure moved through the mist, drawing closer.

Rhodes waded forward eagerly. only for his anticipation to collapse in confusion.

"A... giant scuttle crab?"

Towering in front of him was a strange, massive crab. Beside it, swaying in the water, were enormous green water plants.

Grass. It looked like grass.

Rhodes blinked, dizzy and disoriented.

"Just where exactly...is this?"