Compared to the two fairies, Natsu is truly slaying a dragon!

[Boom!!!]

The lightning struck again, and the black-haired man's face reappeared within the flash.

He stood there, like a statue.

[His gaze fell upon Black Natsu; the initial shock had faded, but a strange emotion had emerged.]

[Splash...]

The heavy rain fell from the sky, pounding on the ground with a dense sound of raindrops.

The smell of rain seemed to wash away the overwhelming, nauseating stench of death.

The black-haired boy also stepped forward in step.

They then reached the edge of the forest and stopped more than ten meters in front of Henna.

Her face was covered in water droplets, it was hard to tell if they were tears or rain.

The look in his eyes was unusually gentle, just like the way Igneel used to look at him.

The hesitation in Henna's eyes deepened.

"It really is you... I... I've finally seen you..."

The man's voice choked with emotion.

"Who...who are you?!"

Thunder rumbled, and torrential rain poured down.

At the edge of the lotus pond, two people from different eras, yet intricately connected, meet at this moment...

Natsu: "It was that bastard!"

Abba Green: "I also remember him from back on Sirius Island."

Elfman: "Isn't that Zeref?"

Makarov: "Zeref? That guy actually ran into Honatsu?"

Natsu: "I also met him back on Tenrou Island."

Zeref: "Perhaps this can only be described as a fateful encounter, Natsu."

Natsu: "Fate? Who has fate with you? Back on Tenrou Island, you were the dangerous guy who almost brought endless death."

August: "How could you do this..."

Jelf: "Alright, August, it's not time for all of this yet. If possible, I'd like to keep it a secret for a while longer."

August: "Well... okay..."

Eileen: "Seriously, what kind of sign language are you guys talking about?"

Imber: "Even within the Twelve Shields, only a very small number of people know about this matter. In order not to affect His Majesty's plans, let's wait for the right opportunity to explain."

Blantish: "Very mysterious."

Timalia: "I'm suddenly starting to get curious. What is it that they've been keeping secret until now?"

Augustus: "It cannot be said, it cannot be said."

Eileen: "Tch, fine, don't say anything then. Anyway, Henna has already met His Majesty, maybe their conversation can reveal something?"

"Who are you?!"

Looking at the man in front of him who was inexplicably choking up, Black Natsu frowned and asked a question.

The man who was asked the question paused slightly in surprise.

But she quickly realized what was happening.

She lowered her head with a bitter smile: "Yes...you really shouldn't remember me..."

"Only this way is correct..."

"What are you talking about?"

The man hesitated.

The unspoken emotions swirling in their eyes became even more pronounced.

He opened his mouth, and finally uttered a nonsensical sentence: "You... you've finally grown up."

Henna's doubts deepened.

He involuntarily took a step forward.

Who knew that in that instant...

The man's expression changed to terror.

[She quickly stepped back, saying, "No!! Don't come near me!!!"]

His roar stopped Henna in her tracks.

"Don't come near me...don't come near me..."

The man was breathing heavily, repeatedly muttering this sentence.

He slowly raised his head, his expression one of profound pain.

"I just... just wanted to see you a little closer, but this is already the limit, so... please, please don't come any closer!!!"

[Knock knock...]

As soon as the man finished speaking, an eerie heartbeat echoed in the silent space.

In an instant, Henna sensed a deadly threat!

[Honatsu would never be wrong about that feeling.]

This is the first time I've ever felt this way.

It's as if an all-consuming darkness is gradually approaching!

【"Ughhhhhh!!!!"】

The man clutched his head in anguish and collapsed to his knees, utterly exhausted.

His pupils were trembling, or rather, his entire body was trembling.

"They're here!! They're here!! Run, run, Natsu!!!"

The man screamed in agony.

"Run!! Death... the hunt is on!!"

[Knock knock!!]

The rapid pounding of his heart was so loud that even Henna could hear it clearly.

The next moment, a visible black aura emanated from the man's body.

[It began to spin wildly around the man.]

[And it continues to spread outwards from 073.]

In that brief moment, Black Natsu could see the man's pupils turn from white to red!

It seemed to contain sorrow and despair!

[Boom boom boom—!!!]

A black aura is spreading; all the flowers and plants that come into contact with it begin to wither, the earth begins to dry up, and all the trees die.

Even the falling raindrops seemed to be frozen in mid-air at this moment.

The only sound in the entire world was the howling of that deadly black aura.

Hennaz didn't hesitate at all.

A fatal warning from the depths of his heart caused him to involuntarily retreat rapidly.

The next moment, he jumped directly into the water.

【boom----!!!】

A dark aura enveloped the entire area; everything was beginning to decline and die.

The whole world seemed to have been plunged into black and white.

That's the color of despair...

The rain... has gradually begun to fall.

The pattering sound brought a different kind of color to this deathly silent world.

The leaves falling from the sky, upon contact with raindrops, could no longer withstand the impact and instantly turned into powder, dissipating completely.

Life was taken from them; only the man remained, kneeling on the ground, weeping bitterly.

"I...how could I do this...I...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry."

The man's body was trembling.

He felt as if he were experiencing once again the feeling of taking someone's life, even though... he had tried his best to avoid it, even though this state had been going on for a long time.