Chapter 1097 434: As Expected of Natsu and Lucy

"END... The strongest demon, is me?"

Natsu's reaction was much calmer than Rhode had expected.

Rhode initially thought that Natsu would yell, 'How could I be a book?' and then rush up saying, 'I'll burn that book to show you.'

However, although Natsu was unwilling to believe it, he didn't do anything impulsive.

Just as Rhode was about to say something, he heard Hapi's tearful voice:

"No! Natsu is not a demon!"

"Hapi?"

Natsu turned his head towards the direction of the stairway, and Hapi had already tearfully flown into his arms.

Rhode glanced past Lucy and looked back for a moment, paused for two seconds, then said helplessly:

"Didn't I say no eavesdropping? This is Natsu's privacy... The one in the back, come out too."

"Because you were looking so serious just now." Lucy, who was caught, felt a bit embarrassed but couldn't worry about that now.

She asked worriedly, "Mr. Rhode, is what you said true?"

Hapi also looked at Rhode eagerly, hoping he would shake his head.

But Rhode nodded: "It's true."

Natsu, interrupted like this, suddenly remembered something and asked:

"But I remember END seems to be a demon that even Igneru couldn't kill... If it's me, how could..."

"I think it's not that he was unable to kill END, but rather unable to harm his own child."

Rhode placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder, "Natsu, whether you are human, demon, or something else, Igneru loves you."

Natsu pursed his lips: "Igneru..."

Lucy seemed to not want to spoil the atmosphere and softly said: "Feels like Mr. Rhode is talking more and more like a father."

Rhode knocked lightly on Lucy's head: "Also, besides Igneru, there's also a bunch of foolish comrades who don't like listening to instructions but love you."

"Ouch!" Lucy crouched down holding her head pitifully.

In the stairway, Gray leaned against the wall, and clicked his tongue lightly: "That guy Rhode, who does he call a fool?"

Beside him, Erza chuckled, denying 'fool,' but not 'loving Natsu,' huh?

She looked at the black markings on Gray's arm and asked: "Is it okay?"

Gray followed her gaze down and similarly thought of his father Shilba.

Shilba initially believed that although Dailola destroyed his hometown, the real culprit was the president of the Gate of the Underworld, END.

He always wanted to use his Evil Destruction Magic to destroy the Gate of the Underworld and eliminate END, and before vanishing, he passed these powers and goals to Gray.

But if Natsu is END...

Gray shook his head, saying to Erza's concerned gaze: "Don't worry, I can tell the difference between comrades and demons."

Natsu, this guy, doesn't seem like someone who could establish the Gate of the Underworld, much less instruct Dailola to destroy towns...

He would go himself to destroy it.

According to Rhode's analysis, the so-called president of the Gate of the Underworld seemed more like Pluton using the name of the strongest demon END to subdue other demons.

Jubia suddenly appeared: "Gray-sama~~ Jubia hasn't seen you for ten minutes!"

Gray shouted: "Idiot! Don't shout so loudly!"

Erza slapped her forehead and said helplessly: "Your voice is even louder than Jubia's."

Jubia, as if not hearing, held on tightly to Gray's waist:

"Gray-sama~ Zu Yilu is really cute! Why don't we have a child~ Name it Gray-Zu, or Gray-Shu~"

Gray collapsed: "What are you talking about!"

"Already... already progressed to this stage?" Erza was shocked and then fell into thought.

If I had a child, what should I name them? Erza-Berry? Erza-Sword?

Thinking about it, Erza's face flushed red and her fists swung aggressively.

Gray and Jubia instantly fell to the ground, with a big bump on their heads.

"D-don't discuss such strange topics!" Erza warned with a red face.

Gray twitched his limbs: "Do say that before you hit us..."

...

While things were chaotic here, a new topic had already begun on the other side.

Lucy asked: "Does this mean Natsu is over 400 years old?"

Rhode couldn't help but marvel at Lucy's unique thought process:

Upon first hearing the explosive news that Natsu was Zeref's brother, she was neither shocked nor skeptical, but concerned about Natsu's age...

"If we only count by birth date, Natsu indeed is over 400 years old. Fried's technique confirmed this before.

"But Natsu hasn't truly lived for over 400 years; he jumped through time to arrive here... Do you remember the Solar Eclipse?"

Lucy nodded.

During last year's Great Demon Fighting Martial Arts, everyone saw the Eclipse Magic, capable of bringing dragons from 400 years ago to the present.

And Natsu should have come through an even earlier Eclipse, opened by Lucy's mother.

Back then, the Star Spirit refused to disclose anything, but now it's finally known.

Rhode then realized that Wendy and Gajeel should also be told about this.

But that's not the current focus.

"Back to the point," Rhode returned to the subject, "Do you understand your current situation, Natsu?"

Natsu calmly said: "You're talking about the fact that if I kill Zeref, I will die too, right?"

Hapi looked at him worriedly: "Natsu..."

Zeref is almost certain to be the guild's enemy, and a battle with him will happen sooner or later.

But as long as there's that living link magic, the companions wouldn't be able to freely fight against Zeref.

Lucy put aside the Eclipse issue and asked: "Is there a way to resolve it?"

Rhode said: "Of course there's a way, but it's somewhat difficult."

Lucy and Hapi unhesitatingly said: "No matter how difficult, we will try our best!"

"That's good." Rhode smiled.

One solution is to address the magic's source.

In Fairy Tail, the source of magic is the power of the heart, is the belief and support of comrades.

In the Book of END, content about the guild, about comrades, already far exceeds the content about END.

As long as everyone is here, Natsu won't disappear.

Of course, this also requires Natsu to remain unwavering in his own heart.

Rhode looked at Natsu: "What does Natsu think?"

Natsu suddenly laughed, flames igniting around him: "That kind of thing, just burn it away!"

Rhode was taken aback for a moment, then smiled knowingly,

It's truly Natsu; the answer is just like Igneru's.

If you feel it closely, the aura of flames on Natsu now is becoming more and more similar to Igneru's.

Hapi raised his hand to shield his face: "It's so hot!"

"Ah—" Lucy screamed, protecting her front with her hands.

It turned out that the temperature of the flames on Natsu's body was too high, and Lucy, who was closest to him, had her clothes melted by the exaggerated heat.

Only a few pieces of fabric struggled to hold on, seemingly about to melt away.

The fair skin and excellent figure were almost completely exposed.

Rhode generously looked for a moment and took a long dress from Mira's wardrobe space to lend to her.

Taking a moment to marvel, truly Lucy.