Ignia watched the streak of fire in the distance draw closer and closer.
Only when the heat became intense enough to scorch the very sky did the familiar figure finally come into view.
Compared with Ignia, Igneel's scales looked far less aggressive.
His flames did not possess the Fire Dragon God's sharp, violent intensity either.
Instead, Igneel radiated a steady presence as heavy and immovable as a mountain.
"Ignia…"
Igneel stopped before him and stared at the dragon who looked almost exactly like himself.
His expression was extraordinarily complicated.
"So you finally decided to come out, Father."
There was nothing but distance and coldness in Ignia's vertical pupils.
"You hid from Acnologia for four hundred years. Now that you've finally shown yourself, are you planning to challenge him?"
Igneel shook his enormous head.
"I only want to protect humanity and prevent another war like the Dragon King Festival from ever happening again!"
"Coward!"
Flames seemed to ignite within Ignia's eyes as he shouted mockingly.
"Hey! Who the hell are you?! How dare you talk to Igneel like that!"
Natsu, still clinging to the top of Igneel's head, pointed at Ignia and yelled angrily.
Ignia shifted his gaze toward the human sitting atop his father.
The mockery in his eyes only deepened.
"It's because of weak creatures like this that you've continued growing weaker, Father."
"Father?"
Natsu stared at Igneel in surprise.
Igneel said nothing.
Only a weary sigh escaped him.
"You're Igneel's adopted son, Natsu."
Ankh pointed toward Ignia.
"And that guy is Igneel's biological son. Ignia, the Fire Dragon God of the northern continent."
"Ankh!"
Natsu's eyes lit up when he spotted someone familiar.
Then he looked back at Ignia in confusion.
"But why are you talking to Igneel like that?"
"Hahaha…"
Ignia laughed.
"My little brother, what exactly do you think family means among dragons?"
The flames behind him danced wildly as his draconic eyes remained fixed on Igneel.
"When dragons reproduce, the father only stays long enough to protect the hatchling through the most dangerous part of its infancy."
"After that, the child lives with its mother. Once it becomes strong enough to survive on its own, even the mother sends it away to fend for itself."
Selene, who resembled an enormous nine-tailed fox and was clearly enjoying the spectacle, added lazily,
"So for most dragons, we barely remember our fathers at all."
"Expecting some deep father-child bond would be asking far too much."
"So that's how it is…"
Natsu lowered his head and looked at Igneel's silent expression.
He could tell Ignia and Selene were not lying.
He genuinely had never known any of this.
Igneel had never once mentioned having a biological son.
An awkward silence settled over the group.
Natsu had no idea what he was supposed to say.
Igneel and Ignia simply stared at one another.
Fortunately, Ankh stepped in before the father-son reunion became any more uncomfortable.
"We can save the touching family reunion for another day."
"Ignia, why did you come to this battlefield?"
The moment Ignia had arrived, he had immediately started threatening to kill people before getting provoked into fighting Ankh.
At first glance, it almost seemed as though he had genuinely shown up just for entertainment.
But now Selene had appeared as well.
Clearly, something more was going on.
Ignia gestured toward Igneel and snorted, releasing a puff of scorching air from his nostrils.
"The dragons who survived four hundred years ago are appearing again."
"That bastard is bound to show himself too."
Igneel's gaze became grave.
"You're searching for Acnologia?"
"Of course!"
Ignia raised one claw.
Black-red flames blazed across it as his voice became sinister and overflowing with confidence.
"I'm going to kill Acnologia."
"I'll kill the so-called Dragon King and show every living creature in this world that even a Dragon King can be slaughtered by a Dragon God!"
"No!"
Igneel immediately rejected the idea.
"With your current strength, you cannot defeat Acnologia!"
"That was four hundred years ago!"
Ignia's voice suddenly exploded through the sky.
It sounded as though he had been suppressing that anger for centuries.
"The me who stands here today has completely surpassed the Black Feather of Apocalypse!"
"I will erase the humiliation of dragonkind, beginning with the human who transformed himself into that Black Dragon!"
Igneel roared back,
"You've only surpassed the shadow Acnologia left in your memories four hundred years ago!"
"Acnologia has also spent four hundred years becoming stronger. He possesses divine power greater than yours now!"
"If you challenge him as you are, history will only repeat itself!"
"SHUT UP!"
Ignia impatiently raised his head.
A massive blast of dark crimson fire erupted from his mouth.
Igneel watched the enormous fireball rush toward him—
And did not dodge.
The blazing sphere detonated against his body.
The violent impact sent Igneel sliding far backward through the sky and nearly knocked Natsu from his head.
"You bastard! You actually attacked Igneel?!"
Veins bulged across Natsu's forehead.
Without another thought, he launched himself directly at Ignia.
Unfortunately, fury alone could not close a difference in strength.
Before Natsu could even reach the Fire Dragon God, Ignia casually caught him in one enormous claw.
Natsu struggled violently but could not move an inch.
Ankh had no intention of interfering in this wonderfully harmonious family dispute.
The moment Ignia grabbed Natsu, however, he drew his blade and slashed.
Ignia did not bother prolonging the confrontation.
He casually tossed Natsu back toward them.
Still furious, Natsu immediately tried to charge again, but Ankh grabbed him and held him in place.
"Stay back."
"This isn't a fight you can participate in."
Hearing that, Natsu clenched his fists.
He stared seriously at Ignia's towering form and gradually forced himself to calm down.
That familiar feeling had returned.
The same helplessness he had experienced when facing dragons in the royal capital.
The same powerlessness he had felt on Tenrou Island.
One day—
When he became stronger—
He was absolutely going to beat the hell out of this bastard for talking to Igneel like that!
And another thing…
What the hell did he mean by "little brother"?
Whoever had the stronger fists got to be the older brother!
Unfortunately, none of the monsters gathered here had any idea what was currently going through Natsu's head.
Ignia gradually suppressed his anger, although the flames surrounding him only burned more fiercely.
When he spoke again, his voice had regained its calm—
Only now, there was something distinctly cruel beneath it.
"Father…"
"It seems Acnologia frightened you so badly that even your backbone has gone soft."
"Fine."
"I'll defeat you first."
"Then you can watch with your own eyes as I kill Acnologia."
Ignia's voice echoed across the heavens.
The Fire Dragon God, a creature whose very existence resembled a natural disaster, finally released the full force of his flames and lunged straight at his biological father.
Realizing that words would never stop his son, Igneel's own fiery temper finally erupted.
He raised one enormous claw and smashed it toward Ignia.
And just like that—
The dragon version of a perfectly loving father and devoted son began beating the hell out of each other.