Internet Magic in Fairy Tail

Whoosh!

The Sea King Dragon descended from the clouds, revealing the bustling imperial capital below. The sonic boom from its high-speed flight caused pedestrians in the streets to look up in alarm.

“A dragon!”

Cries of astonishment rippled through the crowd.

Along the grand avenue leading to the royal palace, soldiers clad in black plate armor and wielding long spears stood in two lines. At the end of the road, atop the carpeted stairs, stood the Spriggan 12, the empire’s elite protectors, arranged in a solemn formation.

Each of these powerful mages raised their heads in unison.

“He’s arrived . . . and he’s riding a dragon!”

Winter General Invel’s expression was grave. From the aura emanating from the blue dragon, it was clear this wasn’t a mere showpiece or a subspecies—it was a genuine dragon.

A slender woman in knightly attire smirked as she observed the scene.

“It’s only fitting for a god to travel accompanied by a dragon. It’s all too reasonable.”

She cast a sidelong glance at Irene.

Irene, however, kept her eyes closed and spoke lightly, “That’s merely the god’s mount.”

“Was it forcibly enslaved?” asked a man with neatly combed, bluish-purple hair tied in a ponytail. He squinted at the dragon. “There’s a chain around its neck.”

A black chain—resembling a leash—dangled there. All eyes fixated on the imposing creature.

Whoosh—

The Sea King Dragon, Lasteigeeney, dove toward the ground. Just before impact, it flared its wings, creating a gust of wind before landing gently on the palace steps. It then lowered its head to serve as a stairway.

Brandish was the first to disembark, followed by Mavis. Nate floated down last, descending effortlessly from the dragon’s head.

Snap!

Nate snapped his fingers.

“Good work, Lasteigeeney. You can rest now.”

A soft golden glow enveloped the Sea King Dragon before it vanished into thin air.

Dimaria, known as the “Warrior Queen,” widened her eyes in shock. As a descendant of the Time God Chronos, she was highly attuned to time magic. That teleportation wasn’t just spatial—it carried the distinct essence of temporal magic.

“Dragons have been extinct in this era for a long time . . . Could that blue dragon have been summoned from history?”

Her guess was half correct. Cold sweat trickled down Dimaria’s temple as the implications of her theory frightened her. If it were true, it meant that more dragons could be summoned.

Winter General Invel took a step forward, placing his right hand over his chest and bowing respectfully.

“Honored Lord of the Magic Net, I am Invel Yura, the regent of the Alvarez Empire. On behalf of the empire, I welcome your arrival.”

“You should address him as ‘Your Majesty,’” Irene said, opening her eyes with a sly smile.

Nate waved dismissively. “That’s fine. This is our first meeting—we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other.”

“Your understanding is much appreciated,” Invel replied, his initial tension easing slightly.

The Spriggan 12 had yet to reach a consensus on whether to accept Nate as the new emperor. The announcement had come far too abruptly. Just two hours ago, Brandish had informed Invel via the Magic Net. There hadn’t even been time to convene the Twelve Shields for a meeting; he had barely managed to arrange this welcoming ceremony.

Nate’s gaze swept over the ten figures before him. As expected of the Spriggan 12, even the weakest among them possessed nine-star magic power—a peak for ordinary humans. But some had transcended those limits.

Irene and an elderly man caught Nate’s attention. The elderly man, standing silently beside Irene, had wavy white hair, a thick beard, and held a staff. That must be August, the Wizard King. Nate gave him a brief glance before moving on without lingering.

“And who is this?” Invel asked, noticing Mavis.

“I’m Mavis. Mavis Vermilion,” she replied cheerfully. “Hello, everyone! I’m just here to accompany the Fourth to have a look around.”

She looked around curiously, her eyes sparkling.

“What a grand palace!”

It was far more opulent and expansive than Fiore’s Mercurius Palace. Like an excited child, Mavis wandered about, observing everything with wide-eyed wonder, completely at ease.

Mavis, the first Guild Master of Fairy Tail!

He might not have recognized the others, but Mavis was unmistakable. Strictly speaking, she was even considered one of Emperor Zeref’s students. But . . . wasn’t she supposed to be dead? Yet the Mavis before him was clearly a living, breathing young girl.

“In a place like this, it’s not convenient to talk. Your Majesty, please follow me.” Irene smiled faintly, gesturing invitingly.

“ . . . ”

That feigned unfamiliarity, paired with a touch of intentional coyness, seemed almost deliberate. Nate chuckled and followed her into the palace. The others quickly followed suit.

Trailing at the back were two men.

“Did you notice it, Neinhart?” asked the shirtless, tanned-skinned Ajeel Ram, the Desert King.

“What?” replied the man referred to as Neinhart, who wore green armor and had purple hair tied in a single ponytail.@@novelbin@@

“Is a god’s magic supposed to be this weak?” Ajeel sneered, speaking softly. “It feels about the same as mine.”

Nate’s magic power was also at nine stars. Without being able to see as precisely as Nate’s Six Eyes, Ajeel could only gauge roughly, but even then, it was clear: the so-called “God of the Magic Net” had magic power on par with his.

Neinhart shrugged. “You can try challenging him. I’ll make good use of your ‘corpse.’”

“Don’t talk as if I’d lose,” Ajeel retorted dismissively, then fell silent.

…

Soon after, Irene led Nate to a round table conference room. Nate took his seat in the chair directly facing the door, with Mavis casually seating herself to his left and Irene on his right. One by one, the others filled the remaining chairs. There were thirteen chairs in total, but only eleven were occupied.

Nate scanned the room. Excluding him and Mavis, there were only eleven present.

“I heard you’re called the Spriggan 12. Why are there only eleven of you?”

“That idiot got himself killed by Emperor Zeref’s curse,” Ajeel blurted out before Invel could respond. “The God of the Magic Net, your Internet Magic is indeed extraordinary.”

“Hmm?” Nate immediately sensed the hostility—this guy was a troublemaker. He smiled and asked, “Do you like my Magic Net?”

Ajeel avoided answering. Instead, he stood up, folding his arms.

“This form of yours—‘human form,’ right? Your magic doesn’t seem that strong. Why not descend fully as a god? I’m very curious about the existence of gods.”

Nate thought for a moment. “What’s your name?”

“Desert King, Ajeel Ram!” Ajeel grinned. “Would I have the honor of sparring with you? To witness the power of a god firsthand?”

“The power of a god . . . ” Nate repeated softly, the corners of his lips curling briefly into a smile before fading. His gaze sharpened.

In an instant, a massive wave of cursed energy descended upon Ajeel.

…

One-star cursed energy . . . Ten-star cursed energy . . . A hundred-star cursed energy!

Boom!!!

It felt as though the entire palace trembled. Ajeel’s head spun, and he found it difficult to breathe. The terrifying curse seemed to pierce his very soul, an icy chill seeping from his bones and spreading through his entire body. Cold sweat dripped down his face as his once-straight posture gradually collapsed.

What is this?! A god’s curse!!

“I understand your curiosity about gods,” Nate said, his voice calm but commanding. “But staring directly at the sun will only leave you blind.”

With a casual gesture, he dismissed the curse, his expression returning to a gentle smile.

“Now, sit down, Ajeel.”

Thud!

Ajeel collapsed back into his seat, breathing shallowly, his head bowed.