Black Clover: The Son of Fire Dragon Igneel

"A Show of Force and the Saint Ten"

Drake remained suspended in mid-air, observing the Phantom Lord mobile fortress as it steadily approached.

It has to be said, Phantom Lord was incredibly wealthy! Let alone the immense cost and resources required to transform their headquarters into a mobile fortress, the sheer size of the fortress itself dwarfed that of Fairy Tail's guild hall.

It was a castle, a veritable castle! There was simply no way Fairy Tail could ever afford to construct such a massive structure!

It wasn't that Fairy Tail earned less money; the problem was that they simply couldn't keep any money.

Fairy Tail was overflowing with demolition experts; the earnings from a single mission for Natsu and his team wouldn't even cover the cost of repairing the damage they caused, let alone the fines levied by the Council! This was the reason why Makarov always carried heart medication on his person.

It could be said that Fairy Tail managing to maintain a balanced budget was already a remarkable feat in itself.

Drake pulled his thoughts back from this tangent and looked up at the colossal Phantom Lord mobile fortress looming before him.

"Then, let's start with a greeting," he declared.

…

On the beach below, Natsu placed his hand on his forehead, "What in the world is Drake doing? He said to wait for his signal, but he never actually told us what the signal would be!"

Erza spoke up, "Trust Drake! But Natsu, are you sure you're alright? That thing is a moving fortress, not exactly a leisurely mode of transportation!"

Natsu froze, as if only just realizing something, and a look of bitter realization instantly spread across his face.

This was a point that Drake had naturally considered, and it was precisely the reason why he had chosen this location to deliver a powerful demonstration of his strength to Phantom Lord.

Drake raised both his hands, palms facing each other, and a beam of light began to extend between them.

"Come forth, Martial Saint!" he commanded.

The Azure Dragon Crescent Blade materialized in Drake's hands, his second Spirit Weapon.

Drake exhaled a plume of white breath, and every ounce of power within his body began to surge.

The eyes of the dragon etched onto the blade ignited, as if flames were burning within them.

Drake had already activated both his Dragon Blood Mode and his Qilin Power, and the amplified power was channeled into this single strike.

The dragon depicted on the blade seemed to come to life, unleashing a soul-stirring roar.

Drake slowly raised his arm, then with a mighty swing, he unleashed a devastating blow. A fiery dragon, born from the blade itself, shot forth, soaring directly towards the Phantom Lord mobile fortress.

Before the astonished gazes of everyone below, the fiery dragon collided directly with the side of the Phantom Lord fortress.

The force of the strike, transformed into the image of a divine dragon, was immense. A full quarter of the rock layer beneath the fortress was instantly severed, and three of its metal legs on one side were cleanly sliced off.

Having lost its support on one side, the colossal fortress began to topple over.

The falling fortress crashed into the sea with a thunderous impact, creating a massive, ring-shaped wave. The seawater surged towards the harbor, washing over the feet of those who had gathered there.

Erza's mouth hung agape. "I think that's the signal!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with a newfound excitement. "Having such a powerful ally truly invigorates the spirit! Let's go!"

"Happy! Let's make a move!" Natsu shouted.

"Aye!" Happy replied, seizing Natsu and taking to the air, flying directly towards the Phantom Lord fortress.

Gray brought his hands together, gathering a large amount of magical energy before pressing them against the surface of the sea.

"Ice Make: Floor!" he commanded.

From Gray's palms, a layer of ice began to spread rapidly, extending directly beneath the Phantom Lord fortress, freezing its remaining three legs and a portion of its main body.

The remaining Fairy Tail members charged across the ice towards the Phantom Lord fortress, while Drake had already soared to a position directly above the fortress.

Inside the fortress, Drake's single, devastating blow had caused the fortress to tilt precariously, sending a wave of panic through those within.

Jose, after much effort, finally managed to regain his footing. "What in the world happened?!" he roared, his voice laced with fury.

A Phantom Lord mage, his face concealed behind a mask bearing the Phantom Lord insignia, responded, "Guild Master Jose, the base of the fortress has been severely damaged and has lost its mobility!"

Jose let out a burst of laughter. "Makarov's little brats are quite capable, aren't they!"

Just then, another masked Phantom Lord mage rushed in to report, "Guild Master Jose, there's an intruder within the fortress; they've already engaged Rabbit Maru in battle!"

"And Fairy Tail's main force is rapidly approaching, Guild Master Jose! What is your command?"

Jose's smile twisted into a cruel grimace. "They truly possess remarkable courage, these Fairy Tail mages…!"

Before he could finish his sentence, there was a deafening crash as the ceiling above them exploded, sending debris and dust flying everywhere, obscuring everyone's vision.

Accompanied by the sound of approaching footsteps, Drake's voice rang out.

"Guild Master Jose of Phantom Lord, is it? I've finally found you!"

As the dust settled, Jose found himself staring into the relaxed countenance of Drake.

"So, it's one of Makarov's newly acquired underlings," Jose sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "To dare to appear before me alone… you are truly reckless!"

Jose, a member of the Saint Ten, one of the ten strongest mages on the continent, felt his anger boiling over. Makarov's actions were one thing, but for one of his underlings to display such arrogance was simply unforgivable!

Dark magic emanated from Jose, a palpable aura of death that caused those who had been standing beside him to collapse, crawling away in terror, desperate to put as much distance as possible between themselves and their enraged master.

"It's no good! Guild Master Jose has lost his temper!"

"Run for your lives!"

…

Rather than simple darkness, Jose's magic was more accurately described as negative energy. His magic not only possessed considerable physical destructive power but also inflicted significant mental damage upon his opponents.

However, Drake's mental fortitude was exceptionally resilient. While Drake was not immune to fear, he would not succumb to it under the influence of Jose's magic.

Mana Zone: Dragon's Nest!

Drake deployed his Magic Area, instantly weakening the deathly aura emanating from Jose. Reflected in Jose's eyes was the image of a colossal, crimson-colored dragon, and the sound of a fearsome roar echoed in his ears.

A cold smile played upon Jose's lips. "No wonder you dared to come here alone," he sneered, "but kid, your current power is still far from sufficient to stand against a Saint Ten."

The dark magic swirled in the air before coalescing into numerous shadowy figures resembling ghosts—Jose's signature magic, the very magic that had given his guild its name: Phantom Lord.

These ghostly figures were the embodiment of death itself; even the slightest touch would drain the life force from their victims.

"A Saint Ten," Drake murmured, clenching his fist as flames erupted from his palm.

"A worthy opponent. This is exciting!" he declared, his voice brimming with exhilaration.

Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!

With a single, powerful punch, Drake sent several of the ghostly figures crashing into each other, and the flames that erupted from the impact instantly incinerated them.

However, the ghostly figures reappeared in the blink of an eye, joining the others in a renewed assault upon Drake.

Jose erupted into laughter, "See? This is the power of a Saint Ten! Now, understand your place and die!"

Drake's face remained devoid of any tension despite being surrounded; instead, he offered a scornful retort, "You think you've already won?"

Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!

Flames surged forth as Drake swung his arm, sending all the ghostly figures flying. However, they quickly reformed and once again charged towards him.

"Such an annoying magic," Drake muttered, his voice low and laced with irritation.

With a single, decisive step, Drake unleashed a devastating burst of flame, completely obliterating the ghostly figures that had dared to approach him.

Before they could even begin to reform, Drake closed the distance between himself and Jose, and with a swift and powerful Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, he landed a heavy blow upon Jose's face, sending him flying backwards.

The ghostly figures that had been rushing towards Drake vanished instantly upon witnessing their master's defeat.

"Guild Master Jose," Drake declared, his voice calm but firm, "relying on magic of this caliber is simply insufficient. If you don't get serious, you'll be defeated."

__________________

for more advance chapters visit patreon.com/bars45.

For 10$- All advance chapters.