Fairy Tail: All Magic Converges in One Body

Athena had the same idea. She turned around and led the way. After taking a few steps, she turned back and looked at Hope with a slightly awkward curiosity in her eyes.

"Was that behavior just now... a bad example between 'friends'?"

Before Hope could even speak, Erza strode forward, pulled Hope behind her, and faced Athena's clear gaze, her expression serious as if she were about to conduct a negotiation.

“That’s right, such intimate gestures aren’t what ordinary friends should do,” Erza said seriously. “The correct example should be like this…”

She reached out her hand, paused in front of Athena, and then gently placed it on the other's shoulder, patting it lightly.

"Between friends, this is enough."

Athena looked down at the hand resting on her shoulder, her alchemical circuits operating at high speed, analyzing the temperature, force, and angle of the movement, as well as the slight blush on Erza's face that she herself had not been aware of before.

"I see."

Athena nodded thoughtfully. "I understand."

She then looked at Hope, who was being shielded by Erza, and asked seriously, "So you were excited about that action of riding on you because Erza is your 'girlfriend' and I'm just a 'friend'?"

"Pfft—" Kana spat out a mouthful of wine.

Mirajane covered her mouth and laughed so hard her shoulders shook.

Who said Athena is an artificially stupid person? This Athena is truly amazing. After all, purity is one thing, but that doesn't mean she's an idiot...

Hope gave a thumbs up with a complicated expression. "Perfect score in summarizing, zero in social skills. Athena, if Erza kills me today, please, you culprit, burn some incense for me."

Erza forced a serious expression to remain calm. "That's all, Athena. Please don't do this to other people's boyfriends again."

Athena silently repeated the sentence, then immediately added, "So, if I become Hope's girlfriend, does that mean it's okay?"

"...You can understand it that way too."

Erza gave up trying to correct her, but her feverish body, flushed cheeks, and the sharp, dagger-like gaze she occasionally cast at Hope all indicated that she was simply transferring her displeasure onto someone else.

Hope: I'm tired. Let's destroy it...

......

The group soon arrived at the Golden Owl, led by Athena.

The Golden Owl is located in the heart of Philanthropic City, which gradually expanded from here into the largest industrial city it is today.

Upon entering the building, a spacious hall comes into view, with only a few tables and chairs. Fortunately, there are three people in the hall, which makes it feel somewhat lively.

Upon seeing someone enter the guild, a burly man dressed as a sumo wrestler stood up and exclaimed, "Lady Athena is back!"

Another guy dressed as a ninja, cosplaying as Ninja Gaiden from the neighboring show, stood up, but when he saw the four people behind Athena, his tone wasn't as polite as his companion's.

"Lady Athena, why are these people standing here unharmed?"

“It’s none of your business to interfere in my affairs, Steel, Source.” Athena stopped looking at her two guildmates and instead turned her gaze to the people behind them.

He was a middle-aged man wearing an overcoat, with neatly combed white hair and an eye patch over his left eye.

This person is the founder and president of "Golden Owl".

Duke Barbaroa.

Of course, Hope and Athena both knew he was a fake.

"President, I'm back."

Athena's voice was filled with excitement, "I already have feelings. Now, with your power, you can make me whole and a true human being."

A barely perceptible glint of murderous intent flashed in Duke's single eye, but he smiled and said, "Is that really so? You truly possess emotions?"

"Yes."

"My current feeling... is probably joy."

Athena, unaware of the fleeting murderous intent lurking in the fake Duke's eyes, and surprised that he was going to fulfill his promise to invite her to join the "Golden Owl," immediately walked towards him.

However, what awaited her was an arm that pierced through her abdomen.

Her physical defenses were easily torn apart like paper. Athena watched incredulously as the fake Duke coldly withdrew his arm from her body.

"Why...?"

"Because you're a defective product."

The fake Duke sneered, "It actually developed self-awareness. I've wasted so much of my time. Fortunately, I've already gotten what I wanted from you."

“Let me send you down to see the real Duke Barbarossa.” The fake Duke raised his hand, pointing it at Athena. “Now, disappear.”

However, the next second, a hand gripped his wrist tightly.

Hope's voice came from the side, "Golden Dragon, you hurt my friend in front of me. It seems you really want to fight me."

Chapter 347 You've Been Enhanced

The moment the words "Golden Dragon" were uttered, the air in the hall suddenly froze.

The fake Duke, carrying the will of the Golden Dragon, unabashedly unleashed murderous intent from his single eye, yet a hypocritical smile still lingered on his lips.

“Interesting. It seems you are the human who tried to spy on me through Sai.”

He jerked his wrist, trying to break free from Hope's grip, but found that the hand was as if welded to his wrist bone and wouldn't budge.

This is a bit awkward...

Hope tightened her fingers, her knuckles digging into the gaps in the other's wrist bones.

Golden Dragon's pupils contracted slightly.

As one of the five divine dragons, he stands at the pinnacle of this continent. The flames of the Flame Dragon cannot harm him, the space of the Moon Dragon cannot find him, and the other dragons have even less chance of harming him.

Humans? In his eyes, they were nothing more than ants.

Yet this ant before him could actually cause him pain, even though it was just a human body created through alchemy.

Jin Shenlong released his grip on the hand, and his entire arm automatically broke off at the shoulder like a piece of a spliced ​​assembly. He turned into a cloud of golden smoke and drifted backward, reforming several meters away.

Hope casually tossed aside the severed arm, which had reverted to alchemical material, and looked at the golden dragon, which had been reforged into a new shoulder, speaking in a nonchalant tone.

"Alchemy illusions are so convenient; since they're not the real body, they can be ruined at will."

After saying that, Hope turned her head to look at Athena lying on the ground.

A hole the size of a bowl had been pierced through her abdomen, from which alchemical liquid and some fluorescent blue liquid were gushing out, meandering down the lines of her mechanical body.

Hope attempted to recreate Athena using the "arc of the world," but failed because Athena was a truly living being.

Erza gently helped Athena up and let her lean against her. Athena's expression was calm, so calm that she didn't seem like someone who had just been betrayed by someone she trusted.

But Mirajane could feel her body trembling slightly.

"Does it hurt?" Kana held her hand.

Athena paused, looking down at the wound on her abdomen. The alchemical circuit crackled and sparked at the broken point, looking quite horrifying.

"I...don't know." Her voice sounded somewhat lost.

She had always known that the person was not her creator, Lord Duke Barbaroa, but the proposal given to her by the fake Duke was enough to make her ignore the other party's identity.

Athena longed to have emotions and become human.

So even knowing that the fake Duke had ill intentions, she still flew like a moth to a flame, chasing after that sliver of hope of becoming human.

But that glimmer of hope was ultimately extinguished, or rather, it never existed at all; it was just a lie used to exploit her. Once she was no longer of any use, the fake Duke would mercilessly kill her.

The feeling of sadness is truly unbearable...

Athena looked up at Erza and the other two, who were all looking at her with concern. Something flickered in her mechanical eyes, and her other hand trembled as she pressed it against her chest.

"I feel so uncomfortable here."

"That's called being sad."

Hope said, "Congratulations, Athena, you have gained another human emotion."

Jin Shenlong snorted impatiently, controlling the fake Duke to raise one hand. Golden magic gathered in his palm into a dazzling ball of light, and the terrifying energy fluctuations made the entire guild hall tremble.

"You can go to hell and discuss those useless feelings."

The sphere of light exploded, and a golden beam of light, carrying the force of destruction, hurtled towards Hope and the others.

Hope simply raised one hand, fingers spread, to meet the golden beam of light head-on.

boom--!

The golden beam of light seemed to hit an invisible wall the moment it touched Hope's palm, and the energy waves bypassed them and exploded in all directions.

The entire hall was engulfed in golden light; walls cracked, floors were torn off, and debris from the roof rained down. The residents of Philanthropic City looked in terror toward the direction of the golden owl, thinking an earthquake had occurred.

Steel and Source were forced back by the shockwave, staring in shock at Hope, who was completely unharmed.

The president's attack was actually blocked by that man with a simple raise of his hand.

There's no magical energy fluctuation, is it 'alchemy'?

But where would you find such a powerful alchemist?

When the smoke cleared, the area where the Golden Owl had been damaged returned to its original state. After all, it was a building transformed from the Golden Dragon, so its quality was undoubtedly excellent.

"Who exactly are you?"

Jin Shenlong's voice was no longer calm, his eyes filled with apprehension, "As far as I know, there cannot be an existence of this level among humans."

"So you think even dark mages are no good?"

Hope's words made the Golden Dragon feel as if he had swallowed a fly. Having stayed on the continent of Giltina for so many years, he had thought about going back to Ishgar for a visit.

However, on that continent, besides the terrifying existence of the Black Dragon, there was another Black Mage who was just as dangerous as the former, wandering around everywhere.

Now he was even less inclined to return to Ishgar.

Ignoring the golden dragon whose expression was unpredictable, Hope crouched down to check Athena's injuries.

"How is she?" Erza asked with concern.

Hope replied calmly, "It's nothing serious, just a minor fatal wound."

"Am I... going to die?" Hearing him say this, Athena's tone held no fear whatsoever, only a strange curiosity. "Is this... what fear feels like?"

Kana nodded at Hope, "Don't be afraid. This guy said it's just a minor fatal wound, he can definitely fix you."