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*****
But the peace didn't last long.
Three years later, Yuri Dreyar's child, Makarov, was born. Although his birth made her understand the essence of life, she unintentionally released a wave of death energy that killed Makarov's mother.
Terrified, she fled the guild. Years later, she unexpectedly encountered Zeref once again.
From Zeref's words, she learned that she had been cursed by the god Ankhseram because she had created Fairy Law and touched the domain of the gods.
Zeref had suffered the same fate. He, too, had been cursed for creating magic that encroached on divine territory.
Immortal and undying, all whom he loved—be they human, animal, or plant—would be killed by the death energy he involuntarily emitted.
This was why Zeref never stayed in one place and refused to form emotional bonds with others.
Their shared misfortune led them to fall in love. But when they kissed, Zeref's curse was triggered, and she, too, lost her life.
Devastated, Zeref entrusted her to the second guild master. Though he attempted to revive her, he accidentally created the Fairy Heart instead.
Her soul has since remained in a cenotaph on Tenrou Island. Occasionally, she could see Zeref visit—but since he lacked the Fairy Tail guild mark, he couldn't see her.
That was the story of the two of them.
"Over the years, Zeref has changed a lot. He has buried all human emotions deep within himself. On the Western Continent, he founded the Alvarez Empire and treats its people like chess pieces in a strategic game.
If you go looking for him, it could be very dangerous."
Before she died, Zeref had already established the Alvarez Empire. Nearly a century has passed since, and who knows how powerful that empire has become?
"Zeref is the Emperor of the Alvarez Empire?!"
Makarov's face was full of shock after hearing Mavis's story.
George turned to Makarov.
"Master, are you familiar with the Alvarez Empire?"
"The Alvarez Empire is a super-magical military empire formed by 730 magic guilds. The most well-known among them are the Spriggan 12.
God Serena, once the strongest of the Four Heavenly Kings of Ishgar from the Eastern Continent, betrayed us and joined them."
In fact, as early as four years ago, the Alvarez Empire had planned to invade the Eastern Continent. From what he'd gathered, their goal was Lumen Histoire—also known as Fairy Heart.
The invasion was halted only because the Magic Council possessed devastating magic weapons: Etherion and the magic pulse bomb Face.
To find out why Alvarez wanted Fairy Heart, he had sent Mest, who was skilled in memory and teleportation magic, to infiltrate the Magic Council and gather intel.
These were all reports Mest had relayed back—except for the true identity of the mysterious emperor of Alvarez, which remained unknown.
It wasn't until today, through the words of the First Master, that they learned it was none other than the infamous Black Wizard—Zeref.
"Zeref's goal is Fairy Heart, the infinite magic crystal formed from the First Master's body. But what exactly does he want with it? Is it because of his longing for her physical form, or is there another purpose?
Also, this world really does contain higher-dimensional beings—gods who govern life and death."
After hearing Makarov's explanation, George couldn't help but rest his chin on his cat paw, deep in thought.
Combining what the Fire Dragon King, Mavis, and Makarov had said:
Zeref and Mavis were both cursed by Ankhseram—the god who governs life and death—because they created magic that violated divine law.
He had previously speculated that gods might exist in this world.
Partly due to records in some ancient magic books, and partly due to the existence of the Celestial Spirit Realm.
He just hadn't expected the gods of this world to be so petty—as to curse humans simply for creating powerful magic. Clearly, they're not easy to deal with.
He didn't know what kind of magic Zeref had created to be cursed. But Mavis's Fairy Law was certainly not evil magic.
Now that the existence of gods had been confirmed, he would have to be more cautious in the future.
Originally, he thought the Black Dragon was the pinnacle of this world. But it turns out there are deities above that—gods who control life and death, and possibly more.
Of course, this wasn't entirely bad news. Once he became strong enough, he might have the chance to communicate with higher-level gods.
But without at least single-universe-level strength, it would be best not to provoke them for now.
Right now, the focus was still Zeref and the Black Dragon.
He needed to uncover Zeref's true motives and see if he could be persuaded to join them against the Black Dragon. Also, he needed to explore the Western Continent for more powerful magic.
"What does everyone think?"
"Let's go to the Western Continent and ask Zeref directly!"
Natsu stood up without hesitation. He wanted to know the truth—whether he was really a demon created by Zeref, and why Zeref had created him.
When they met on Tenrou Island a year ago, Zeref had said some strange things he hadn't understood at the time.
"Agreed!"
Gajeel followed immediately. Since the guild was Zeref's target, they might as well fight. Fighting was nothing new—who was afraid?
"Agreed. We are the strongest guild; there's no reason to back down."
The noble Minerva waved her fan and raised her hand with a smile.
With Minerva raising her hand, the former Saber Tooth mages naturally supported the decision too.
"Agreed!"
Laxus also raised his hand.
Ever since the civil war within the guild, he had sworn to protect all his comrades.
If the Alvarez Empire truly intended to destroy the guild, then launching a preemptive strike wasn't a bad idea.
Following Laxus, the Thunder God Tribe also raised their hands.
"Agreed! A real man never backs down!"
Elfman flexed his muscles in agreement.
"I agree too. We can't stay passive forever. Etherion is destroyed—they could attack at any moment. Better to strike first!"
Erza crossed her arms and nodded firmly.
Fairy Tail wizards were known for their boldness. Even knowing how powerful the Alvarez Empire was, they still brimmed with fighting spirit.
However, there were exceptions—like Lucy, Levy, and Macao. They believed caution was the better path.
After all, they were facing a super-empire formed from 730 magic guilds, led by an ancient monster like Zeref who had lived for centuries.
They could easily be overwhelmed just by sheer numbers.
"It's too dangerous. Let me go to the Western Continent and speak with Zeref first, to find out where he stands. Then we'll decide our next move."
Makarov slammed his hand on the table, silencing the noisy room, and spoke slowly.
He knew how powerful the Alvarez Empire was. If everyone just rushed in recklessly, they would stand no chance in a real battle.
(End of Chapter)