— — — — — — —
For years, he had been hiding, constantly on the move to avoid Acnologia.
The curse of Ankhseram had granted him immortality, but being immortal didn't mean he was invincible.
Compared to most humans, his power was at the absolute pinnacle. However, against dragons, his strength was nothing extraordinary.
His expertise lay in research, not combat.
He could create powerful magic, but no matter how advanced his spells were, they had no effect on Acnologia.
Ironically, his so-called blessing of immortality had become his greatest weakness in front of Acnologia.
After all, an undying insect, no matter how many times it comes back to life, poses no real threat. At most, it just dies repeatedly, getting locked away and toyed with endlessly.
The thought of being killed over and over again by Acnologia terrified him. That was why he had chosen to run.
But now, that terrifying monster was losing ground to a mere young man. Had he been in hiding for too long? Had the world changed so much that someone strong enough to challenge Acnologia had appeared?
Still, defeating Acnologia was impossible.
Zeref was convinced that in the end, Acnologia would win. He knew firsthand just how powerful the dragon was.
Even if that young man could suppress him for now, Acnologia could devour magic itself.
Magic was completely ineffective against him.
Uchiha Kitaro formed a hand seal and inhaled deeply:
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
A sea of fire erupted from his mouth.
"Whoa! So much fire! I wonder what it tastes like?" Natsu's eyes lit up with excitement.
Lucy shot him an exasperated look. "Hey! That's Kitaro's fire! Don't you think eating it would be kind of gross?"
"Uh…"
Natsu hesitated. Now that she put it that way, the idea did seem a bit unsettling.
Meanwhile, Acnologia wasted no time and opened his jaws wide, swallowing all of the flames in one go.
"Hmph… As expected, he can devour even ninjutsu."
Kitaro wasn't surprised at all.
Chakra and magic were different in form, but at their core, they were both manifestations of mental and physical energy. He had even tested this theory on Natsu before, letting him consume chakra-infused flames, and sure enough, Natsu could absorb and enhance his power with them.
Dragons had a unique physiology. They could absorb almost any kind of energy, though their efficiency was highest with their own element. Other types of energy put a greater strain on them.
Acnologia, however, had no such limitations. He could absorb all kinds of magical energy, making him nearly impervious to magic-based attacks.
That was the secret behind his overwhelming power.
"He ate the fire?!"
While Kitaro remained unfazed, the others were visibly shaken.
"If magic won't work, I'll just go with brute force."
Whoosh!
In an instant, Kitaro appeared in front of Acnologia. The dragon lunged at his throat with razor-sharp fangs.
BAM!
Kitaro's fist connected with Acnologia's jaw, stopping the attack cold.
Enraged, Acnologia swiped at him with his massive claws.
"Watch out!!"
RIP!
Kitaro's clothes were torn open, and three deep claw marks appeared on his chest.
But just as quickly as they appeared, the wounds vanished, healing instantly.
"Wait… Did he just get hit?"
"I think so… but then again, maybe not?"
Unbeknownst to them, Kitaro had inherited the abilities of Muzan after devouring him, and his body had since evolved even further.
He retaliated with a crushing punch to Acnologia's face.
"ROARR!!"
Acnologia howled in pain.
But Kitaro didn't let up. His fists rained down like meteors, pounding Acnologia's head relentlessly.
For the first time, the legendary dragon found himself completely overwhelmed. Blood even trickled from the corner of his mouth—but that was all. A mere scratch.
Dragon physiology granted Acnologia monstrous durability. Even after taking a flurry of Kitaro's punches, he remained largely unscathed.
"Tempest Kick!!"
Kitaro's leg lashed out like a blade, striking Acnologia square in the chest.
BOOM!!
The dragon's massive body was sent skidding backward.
After a brief pause, Acnologia raised his head and locked eyes with Kitaro, his expression murderous. "You… You're strong. It's been a long time since I've encountered a human as powerful as you. But this is nowhere near enough to harm me!!"
"Hm… You might be right." Kitaro nodded slightly. "Guess I'll have to step it up a bit."
Crackle! Crackle!
Electricity crackled around Kitaro's body as blue energy surged forth. Thunder rumbled as lightning coiled around him.
He activated both Lightning Breathing and Lightning Chakra Mode.
And then—
He unleashed Dragon Lightning Mode.
"Lightning, huh?"
Acnologia scoffed, unimpressed. He had no reason to fear elemental attacks.
Swoosh!
Kitaro vanished in an instant, reappearing right in front of Acnologia with his hand engulfed in lightning.
SLASH!!
Even with his thick dragon scales, Acnologia couldn't block the attack entirely.
A deep wound opened on his arm, and fresh blood splattered into the air.
"..."
"WHAT?!"
Zeref, watching from afar, was utterly shocked.
He had assumed that Kitaro's lightning would be just as ineffective as any other magic. After all, Acnologia had always been impervious to magic—whether from humans or dragons.
And yet, Kitaro had just injured him with a single strike.
.
.
.