Shirou's clones number 30 million

"Huh...!? Wait a minute, I've always kept the stone in my pocket, you just now..."

"That's why I have difficulty perceiving the outside world."

Under normal circumstances, a sweep of Observation Haki can reveal an area within a hundred miles.

However, in order to pass through the Gate of Eclipse, these abilities to connect with the outside world were deliberately suppressed.

Fortunately, there was a backup plan, otherwise Lucy would have been in real danger.

"Which direction is your home in? I'll take you there."

"Riding on the clouds?" Lucy's face lit up with excitement.

The previous time was too short; I didn't get to experience it enough.

"No, I am just an avatar. Although I have the same abilities as the original body, I do not possess the original body's treasures."

In particular, the white mist space cannot be sensed, making it impossible to retrieve anything from inside.

"Then...how do we get there? By carriage? This town has changed so much, there probably won't be any carriages available, right?"

The old mayor, who had been trying to interrupt since earlier, immediately said:

"We rescued a few carriages, if you don't mind..."

Shirou glanced at him, ignored him, and instead said:

“Come on, Lucy, let’s find an open space over there, and I’ll carry you across.”

"May I?"

Lucy was instantly captivated and asked excitedly.

Although I can't ride the clouds, riding a dragon is just as cool, and I would occasionally dream about something similar when I was a child.

Unexpectedly, I had the opportunity to experience it after I grew up.

"Of course, it's faster this way. I don't want to waste a lot of time on the road."

"Huh...? You dislike traveling so much? Then why don't you usually carry me and Mavis on your back?"

“Saving people and taking risks are definitely different. Saving people is an urgent matter, the faster the better. But when it comes to taking risks, the process is more important. Besides, this is a past timeline, and we shouldn't stay here for too long.”

"Then... I'll have to trouble you later."

"You are welcome."

Chapter 386 I'll Wait for You in the Future

Chapter 386, Section 387: I'll be waiting for you in the future.

When the black dragon appeared in the sky, the entire town immediately descended into chaos.

Some hastily gathered their men to prepare for battle; others ran frantically towards the city outskirts, trying to escape; still others lay prostrate on the ground, their foreheads pressed to the earth, constantly whispering prayers.

Meanwhile, the Hatfilia family, located in the town center, were also busy escaping.

However, the black dragon arrived far too quickly, and Leila Heartfilia was in poor health and not suited for long-distance travel.

"How could this be? The black dragon is actually heading this way."

Upon discovering this, Jiude disregarded everything else and hurriedly ran to the inner quarters.

"Leila, it's too late! Quickly lie down and pray. Where's Lucy? Why isn't Lucy here?"

The situation was already extremely urgent, but when he discovered that his daughter was missing, Jiude became even more anxious.

But the black dragon had already flown over the mansion, and its terrifying pressure was truly chilling. Jiude could only pull his wife to kneel down and pray, following the old saying.

"Please, Dragon God, calm your anger..."

However, in the next instant, he suddenly realized that his wife had disappeared.

He hurriedly looked up, only to find his wife being held in the black dragon's claws, flying further and further away.

"Give her back to me! Give Leila back to me!"

At that moment, Jiude completely lost his mind and shouted without any fear.

The next second, the black dragon suddenly stopped in mid-air and looked back at him.

Finished!

Is this the end of my life?

Despite these thoughts, his anger completely overwhelmed his fear, causing him to shout again:

"Give her back! You bastard Black Dragon, give Leila back to me!"

However, as a red light suddenly appeared in the black dragon's eyes, Jiude's consciousness gradually became blurred.

Even though his wife was right there in the air, held in the black dragon's claws, he completely ignored her, only muttering to himself incessantly:

"Leila died of illness..."

The black dragon flew all the way to another country before stopping atop a snow-capped mountain and gently placing Leila on the ground.

At the same time, it transformed back into human form.

The next instant, Lucy, who was sitting on the dragon's back, fell from the sky involuntarily, but was caught by Shirou.

"Thank you, but what did you do to Dad just now? He seemed a bit off at the end."

“I hypnotized him and made him forget that his wife was taken away by the black dragon. In his mind, his wife died of illness.”

Shirou paused for a moment, then added:

“If we don’t do this, he might seek revenge on me in this era after we leave this world.”

“My whereabouts are not difficult to find, and in that case, he will surely die.”

“I see, then so be it.” Lucy sighed softly. “However, this is completely different from what I expected. I was originally planning to say something to this person from this era.”

"To avoid major changes in the future, the less we do, the better."

Shirou glanced at Leila, who was eavesdropping, and said with a smile:

"I think you probably wouldn't want to return to the future only to find that the Kingdom of Fiore has become ruins, would you?"

"Hmm...you're right." Lucy nodded slightly, acknowledging Shirou's approach.

Leila, who had been put down on the snow by Black Dragon Shirou, slowly stood up and walked towards the two of them, shivering.

"Are you... people from the future?"

Lucy glanced at Shirou instinctively, her eyes asking inquiringly:

Could you explain the details to her?

"Well... it's alright with your mother, she'll be sealed away soon anyway."

As they spoke, Shirou simultaneously cast a cold-repelling spell on the two of them.

"Thank you."

Lucy's face lit up with joy, and she quickly ran over to hug Leila.

"Mom, it's been a long time. We're from... probably seven years in the future."

"Is that really the case? I had this thought as soon as I overheard your conversation."

Leila hugged Lucy tightly as well, her face full of smiles.

When the black dragon captured me, I thought I was going to die. I never expected this unexpected situation.

"Lucy, why did you kidnap me?"

"Mom, we want to save you. Your body isn't going to hold on much longer, is it? Actually, we brought some medicine that can help you recover."

Lucy paused, then hesitated before saying:

"However, if we only heal your injuries, you may die from other causes and not be able to live peacefully into the future."

"So, we plan to seal you away, so that you can survive if we unseal you in seven years."

It turned out to be the case.

Leila unconsciously glanced at Shirou to the side. Such a clever trick could definitely not have come up with by her own daughter.

Moreover, even if she could think of it, she wouldn't have the ability to do it.

"Is this Mr. Black Dragon your companion?"

"Yes, he's a trustworthy companion." Lucy nodded emphatically.

"So, black dragons can transform into humans? Does that mean black dragons were originally human? Dragon Slayer Mages?"

Leila looked back and forth between the two of them, her heart filled with surprise.

How could someone possibly turn a legendary dragon into a companion?

"In this era, I am not yet able to transform back into a human." Shirou shook his head slightly. "Or rather, in this current time period, I simply do not have the rationality to transform back into human form. My heart is filled only with rage that can burn everything and a belly full of resentment."

Did the legendary dragon really lack reason? That makes sense; if it truly possessed reason, it wouldn't have transformed into a natural disaster, relentlessly attacking towns and countries for four hundred years.

Leila pondered, "So, in the era seven years from now, the dragons will no longer be causing destruction everywhere?"

Moreover, judging from their appearance, could they possibly become my son-in-law?

"Um...can I go back and say goodbye to my husband and daughter? They must be very worried if I suddenly disappear like this."

“No.” Shirou refused without hesitation. “If your husband and daughter had known from the beginning that you were still alive, things would have changed drastically in the future.”

At the very least, if Jiude knew his wife was still alive, his relationship with his daughter would definitely be better, and he would never treat her as a tool for a political marriage.

In that case, Lucy might not have run away from home or joined Fairy Tail.

"Hmm... In that case, please proceed. We'll meet again in seven years!"

"Wait a moment, I have a few things to explain to you."

Shirou shifted his gaze to Lucy, and said with a smile:

"This is not Lucy from seven years in the future, but Lucy from fourteen years in the future. By chance, she came to the world seven years in the future, but also lost the opportunity to return to the future and could only stay in the era seven years in the future."

"In other words, when you wake up, you'll find that you actually have two daughters."