Decision

Yuno POV

"Oi, Yuno! How much longer till we get to Erminia?" My brother's voice grated on my nerves as he asked the same question for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Damn it, Asta! I told you, we'll get there when we get there! We're almost there anyway, just a few more minutes!" I snapped, turning my head to glare at him. Honestly, I had every right to be pissed. He knew what he was doing. Asta may be clueless when it comes to the subtleties of love, but he isn't an idiot. With his Ki, he should've easily picked up on my growing annoyance. Heck, you didn't even need Ki for that—one glance at my face would be enough for anyone to tell I was fed up.

He's just doing this out of spite because Elefseria chose to give that power to me instead of him.

"We'd already be there if you let us fly," he muttered, sulking like a child. I didn't even dignify that with a response. Maybe if I ignored him, he'd stop pestering me. But, of course, Noelle had other plans.

"Bakasta! How many times do we have to explain it to you?" she snapped, her frustration evident. "We don't know what's waiting for us in Erminia! We have to conserve our stamina in case we get ambushed right when we arrive!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know… But it still doesn't seem fair the old man gave Yuno that power and not me. I could handle it…" Asta mumbled, clearly not willing to drop the issue.

I slumped my shoulders, knowing where this was headed. He was going to keep pushing this, wasn't he?

"For the last time, Bakasta!" Noelle's voice rose in exasperation. "It's not just about strength of will—you need a massive reserve of magic power to use it! You don't have that!"

Asta, of course, wouldn't let that go. "Then I'll just surpass my limits and figure out another way…"

"That's not how it works, you idiot!" Noelle snapped.

As they descended into yet another one of their infamous bickering sessions, I tried to tune them out and focus on more important things. Namely, communicating with the boon Elefseria had bestowed upon me. I needed to sift through my mental library for anything useful. Every time I entered this mental plane, I was blown away by the sheer volume of knowledge stored within it. It was incredible.

### One Day Earlier:

Elefseria had asked us a question, but the answer was so obvious we didn't even hesitate.

"We're in!" Asta, Noelle, and I shouted in unison. Not that we had much of a choice. There wasn't exactly a surplus of convenient ways back home, and this was likely the only opportunity we were going to get.

Elefseria gave us a slight nod, a knowing grin tugging at his lips. "Before I send you off, there are two important things you need to understand. First, you're not the only ones who have taken on this mission. No one has completed this task in over a hundred years, but just two days ago, another group left to take on the same challenge."

That wasn't surprising. Even though I'm new to this world, it was easy to guess that sealing five gods wasn't a task just anyone could handle. But wait—did he say another group was currently active? Were they competitors? What about the reward?

Elefseria must have seen the questions in our eyes because he continued without missing a beat. "The reward of one wish is guaranteed to all who embark on this quest. Each person who completes it will receive their own wish."

Well, that was a relief. It meant we didn't have to fight over the reward, and maybe we could even collaborate with the other group to speed up the process. However, my relief was short-lived.

"But," Elefseria interjected before I could fully relax, "that would have been the case if you weren't planning to wish for something as grand as interdimensional travel. There are seven people in that group, and, excluding your familiars, you have three. My spell operates on equivalent exchange, meaning that while completing the quest is enough to earn you a wish, it won't be enough if all seven members of the other group have similarly grand desires."

Just great. Another complication.

Elefseria sighed, his expression softening slightly. "I could have kept this information from you and let you figure it out the hard way, but I'm not that kind of person. I may be desperate, but I'm not without honor. I'm giving you this information—what you do with it is up to you. Perhaps you can find a way to fulfill the desires of the other group, or maybe you can strike a deal that allows them to let you make your wish. But bear in mind, the odds are slim that all ten of you will get what you want, especially if their wishes are on the same scale as yours."

I let out a deep sigh. Of course, there had to be a catch. Sealing five gods was already a monumental task, but now we had to deal with the possibility that the other group's wishes might prevent us from getting home.

I glanced at Noelle and Asta, exchanging a silent agreement. If the other group was reasonable and willing to negotiate, we'd try to strike a deal that allowed everyone to get what they wanted. But if it came down to a race to complete the quest, we were ready for that too. We'd compete fairly, and if we lost, we'd accept the outcome. However, if they tried to play dirty or eliminate us as competition, we wouldn't hesitate to defend ourselves. We're magic knights, not saints. We protect, but we're not pushovers.

Once that was settled, I turned back to Elefseria. "And what's the second thing?"

Elefseria's expression brightened, and he smiled like a kindly old grandfather. "Ah, yes! Before you leave, I have a gift for you."

"For us?" I exchanged a confused glance with Asta and Noelle.

"No, Yuno," Elefseria clarified, his gaze locking onto mine. "This gift is for you alone."

What? I stared at him, confused.

He continued, thankfully without needing any further prompting. "As foreigners in this world, you're at a significant disadvantage. You're unfamiliar with our food, social customs, gestures, clothing, magic, tools, and even the language. You may not have noticed, but I've been speaking your language this entire time. Those parchments you read? They were written in your language as well. I deciphered it in real time while communicating with you."

Now that I thought about it, he was right. I hadn't even realized. But given how much had happened in the past few days, I guess I just assumed everything was the same. It was a foolish assumption. Captain Yami had once told us how he struggled with the language when he first arrived in the Clover Kingdom. If two continents had different languages, of course two worlds would too.

"So, I'm guessing you have a solution for that?" I asked, hopeful.

"Indeed, I do!" Elefseria chuckled. "Sealing five gods is difficult enough. Expecting you to navigate this world without knowledge of its customs or something as basic as how to make a purchase would be downright cruel. Using my law magic, I will bestow upon all of you the language of this world. But beyond that, I will create a mental library in your soul. This library will contain all the essential and supplementary knowledge you'll need to survive here. You'll be able to access it gradually without overwhelming your minds."

I stared at him, my mind reeling. A mental library? And I was the one strong enough to use it?

Elefseria continued, "Most people wouldn't be able to handle the strain of such a spell, but I can sense that you have not only an enormous reserve of magic but also an unusually strong soul, more than capable of bearing the library's effects."

A strong soul… It made sense. As someone who had been reincarnated as an elf, I was technically a fusion of two beings—the prince of the Spade Kingdom and the child of the Elf Tribe leader.

"Hey! I've got a strong soul too!" Asta started to protest, but Noelle quickly clamped her hand over his mouth, silencing him.

I met Elefseria's gaze, feeling a surprising sense of gratitude. This old man wasn't unreasonable after all. I nodded, permitting him to proceed. "Thank you."

With a smile, Elefseria reached out, his finger glowing with ethereal mana, and gently tapped my forehead.

Back To The Present:

I sifted through the information on Mercphobia that Elefseria had provided me for what felt like the fifth time. Out of the five dragon gods we'd have to face, Mercphobia seemed like the most reasonable. Sure, he had once been a tyrant, but those days were long behind him. He had mellowed considerably and was now revered as Erminia's guardian deity. In fact, Mercphobia had even spared several of the assassins Elefseria had sent after him over the past century, a gesture that spoke volumes about his newfound restraint.

I shared this with Asta and Noelle, though I opted to change Mercphobia's title from "Sea God" to "Water God." After witnessing Leviathan's mana flare up at the mere mention of someone holding a similar title, I figured it was a wise move. If Leviathan knew Mercphobia also went by "Sea God," he'd likely lose it—and the last thing I wanted was to have to fight two Sea Gods in one day.

"Alright, guys, enough bickering," I said, clapping my hands to get their attention. Noelle looked like she was ready to blast Asta with a point-blank Sea Dragon's Roar, and honestly, I couldn't blame her. I still hadn't paid him back for that punch, either.

They both turned to face me, and I smiled as we continued to make our way up the hill. As we neared the summit, I spoke again. "Just over this hill, you'll be able to see Erminia—"

My words caught in my throat as I reached the top and took in the scene below.

What should have been a bustling, cultural city as described in the library was instead a scene of absolute devastation. The entire area lay in ruins, reduced to rubble that reminded me far too much of the Spade Kingdom. But that wasn't all—the whole city was submerged in a massive dome of water, so enormous it made the barrier surrounding the Clover Kingdom's capital look tiny by comparison.

And yet, even that wasn't the most shocking part.

Inside the dome, a sea of roaring flames battled against the water. But the flames weren't coming from just anywhere—they were coming from two colossal dragon gods, locked in an earth-shaking battle. Their mana clashed with such intensity that it sent shivers racing up my spine. I could feel it in the very air—one of them had to be Ignia.

Why is he here?!

I quickly connected the dots with the information I'd read about. Ignia, the Fire God, was known for his uncontrollable temper and destructive tendencies. But what was he doing here, in Erminia, fighting against Mercphobia?

As I stood there, stunned by the sheer power on display, the air was filled with the desperate screams of the city's inhabitants. I had no time to react before Asta and Noelle launched into action. Asta was already flying in on his sword, while Noelle soared forward in her Valkyrie Dress, both of them charging straight into the fray.

"Shit, wait up!" I yelled, cursing under my breath as I summoned a gust of wind to propel myself forward, racing to catch up with them.

Natsu Dragneel POV: 

"That son of a...!" 

I roared in frustration, watching as the figure disappeared into the distance, cutting through the water dome with effortless speed. His mocking laughter echoed in the air long after he was gone, adding salt to the wound. Damn it. Even though you share his scent, there's no way a bastard like you could truly be Igneel's son. Igneel would never do something like this.

Setting an entire town ablaze—innocent people—just to provoke me? To threaten the lives of my friends just to get a reaction out of me? You'd better believe it, Ignia. The one who'll put an end to you is me.

"Natsu! Are you okay?!" 

My head jerked to the side at the sound of Lucy's voice. My partner was rushing toward me, closely followed by my family—Erza, Gray, Wendy, and Carla—the people I trusted most. Relief washed over me when I saw that they were unharmed by Ignia's flames. But despite that, a complicated feeling crept over me.

I knew, deep down, that with the condition they were in after the battle with Mercphobia, there was no way they could have dodged Ignia's attacks if he'd really intended to hurt them. It looked like, even though I was too weak by my so-called brother's standards, he still wasn't willing to cross the line of actually hurting those precious to me.

"Who the hell was that guy?"

"What was he saying to you?"

"Do you know him, Natsu?"

The questions came in rapid fire—first from Gray, then Erza, and finally Wendy. I could only manage a shaky, unconvincing response: "Er… no."

Judging by the looks on their faces, they weren't buying it. Before I could fumble for a better explanation, Happy chimed in, waving his paw to get everyone's attention. "We can get the full story later!" he said, his voice urgent. He pointed to the raging flames consuming the city. "That guy's gotta eat those flames!"

"Great idea!" Lucy said with a relieved smile, as if eating the fire would make everything better.

"Eat that bastard's fire?! Are you crazy?!"

I hated Ignia's guts based on his actions alone, but this fire? I hated it even more. I didn't even need to taste it—just smelling it was enough to know it wasn't like Dad's flames. Igneel's fire was full of warmth and strength. This? This was pure destruction, a fire that existed only to burn and consume. I'd rather drop dead than let that filthy flame enter my mouth.

"Natsu, now's not the time to be picky," Carla said, her usual sharp tone returning.

"Yeah, you've gotta use those flames!" Happy added, as if I wasn't already painfully aware of that fact.

"Gnah…!" I growled in frustration, biting my lip. Just thinking about Ignia's smug face if I used his fire was enough to make my blood boil.

Suddenly, I was yanked out of my thoughts when Gray's stupid arms wrapped around my scarf, choking me slightly. "Look at what's happening here!" he barked, gesturing wildly to the people of Erminia, either burning or drowning in the chaos. "Pick up the pace!"

"Gnah…!" 

Damn it, you think I don't know that? It's not like I'm being stubborn just for the sake of it. I'm scared—scared of what'll happen to me after I eat those flames. Will I still be me? Or will E.N.D. return? What if I lose control and hurt my friends again?

I tried to block out the screams of the townsfolk, and the pleas of my friends. Even though Ignia had left, I could still smell him nearby. He was watching me, and he knew that I knew. If I failed to meet his expectations, he'd intervene, forcing my hand. And I'd rather trust a crazed version of myself than place my faith in the mercy of that lunatic.

"Dammit all!! FINE!" I shouted, my voice filled with frustration as I charged toward the nearest flames. I braced myself to swallow them down, but just as I was about to take them in, I froze.

It wasn't just me—everyone around me was frozen too. My friends, the townsfolk, even Mercphobia, all of us were paralyzed by a new, suffocating presence that weighed down on us like an enormous boulder. The pressure was unlike anything I'd ever felt before—more primal, more dangerous than even Ignia's flames. 

It made that time Gildarts forced me to my knees on Tenrou Island seem like a joke.

No one dared move as the source of this overwhelming power began to speak, its voice deep and rumbling with fury.

"Sea... god... Sea... God?!" The words came out slow, each one dripping with contempt. "You... dare... call yourself... Sea God?!"

From the distance, I faintly heard a woman's voice cry out, "Wait, Leviathan, no… don't do it!"

But I couldn't focus on her. All my attention was on the figure materializing in front of Mercphobia. 

It took the shape of a massive, serpentine aquatic dragon, its body adorned with multiple fins and two long horns on its head. Six glowing eyes peered out, full of rage, and its massive jaws, lined with sharp teeth, opened to snarl.

"I... am... the... only... Sea God… and you... FAKE!!!"

I gulped, feeling sweat drip down my back as I took in the full weight of the situation. 

Today just got a whole lot more complicated.