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*****
"It's useless. I've tried everything I could, but nothing worked.
Mavis, you won't be able to do it either. Maybe only Natsu can. He's the strongest demon I ever created.
So, I'm sorry… but I'll have to ask the mages of your guild—to die."
With that, he stood up and turned to leave, walking toward the back of the palace, ignoring Mavis's shouts.
"I'm tired. Kill everyone except Natsu. Then send their corpses back to the Eastern Continent along with him. That's all."
Mavis's presence had stirred something in him, shaken his resolve—so he couldn't stay here any longer.
He had to maintain a cold heart, sealing away all love and emotion. Only then could he keep the curse at bay and continue with his plan.
"Damn, so that's the reason?"
Hearing the conversation between Zeref and Mavis, George finally understood what was going on.
So all this time, Zeref had been trying to provoke Natsu by killing them, pushing him to grow stronger through hatred, so that Natsu would one day kill him and lift the curse.
What a lunatic idea.
Not that it couldn't work—after all, Natsu was the strongest demon, wielded Dragon Slayer magic, and Zeref himself was a master of countless spells, immortal and ageless. He had all the time in the world to nurture him slowly.
Why go for such an extreme method?
Probably because the curse had driven him mad after so many years.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The Spriggan Twelve respectfully saluted Zeref. But once he left, they exchanged uneasy glances.
Because only now did they realize—Zeref had always wanted to die.
"Hey everyone, you don't really want your emperor to die, do you?
That's why I think… maybe we should try talking him out of it."
George saw something in their expressions and made a suggestion.
Zeref wanted death, but clearly, his followers didn't want that outcome.
If they followed his orders and killed the others, leading Natsu to eventually kill Zeref—it wasn't what they truly desired.
So maybe, there was still room for negotiation.
"No need for that. If we kill Natsu too, wouldn't that solve everything?"
Larcade, recently revived by the Magic King, stood up again.
"The strongest demon? I am the strongest demon Father created!"
"Good point. I'll do it. I'll just say I couldn't control my power and accidentally killed him. Happens all the time with me anyway."
The Desert King clearly agreed with Larcade's idea.
The rest of the Spriggan Twelve didn't speak, but their expressions showed silent approval.
Even if it meant disobeying Zeref, they wouldn't allow him to die at Natsu's hands.
And Zeref, already far from the palace, had long foreseen all of this.
"Natsu… Without experiencing true despair, how will you ever grow? And if you die in the process, then I'll resort to my last option."
He knew the Spriggan Twelve wouldn't spare Natsu—that was exactly what he wanted.
If Natsu survived this battle, he would become immensely stronger. And the grief and hatred over his fallen comrades would only push him further.
Only then would he have the chance to kill Zeref.
If he didn't survive, it would mean the plan failed, and Zeref would have to invade the Eastern Continent, merge with Fairy Heart, and rewrite history.
"Well then, as the guild master, I actually prefer solving things with power. I wanted to handle this peacefully, but since you insist… let's fight!"
At this point, words were meaningless.
After all, talking only works after you've beaten someone into submission.
"Change of venue!"
George stomped lightly, and the marble palace floor, as smooth as glass, suddenly softened, sucking everyone into the mirror world.
"Fighting in the palace might cause civilian casualties. In this space, we don't need to worry."
Of course, he wasn't really worried about civilians. He just didn't want their battle—especially with so many Dragon Slayers—inadvertently attracting the Black Dragon.
Zeref and the Spriggan Twelve were manageable. Add the Black Dragon, and it'd be a whole different story.
"Unnecessary. Do you really think you could even scratch the capital?
I don't even need their help. I alone am enough to annihilate all of you."
The Desert King scoffed at George's concern, but didn't oppose him. The others felt the same.
"Alone, huh? You sure about that?"
George had been planning to transform into his dragon form and attack, but after hearing that, he suddenly changed his mind.
Standing beside him, Mavis quietly whispered:
"George, I think we should retreat for now. Even if we win against one, there are still eleven more."
As the tactician known as the Fairy Strategist, Mavis understood the situation clearly—this battle was unwinnable.
Each of the twelve enemies was incredibly powerful—far beyond what their guild members could handle.
Even if George was strong, how many could he defeat alone?
If they waited until people were wounded, retreating would be harder. Better to leave while everyone was still unharmed and at full strength.
"President Mavis, it's fine. I know what I'm doing. This is a rare opportunity."
George waved his hand and gave her a reassuring look.
True, the guild's mages couldn't win against the Spriggan Twelve, even if they teamed up—this was a different level of power.
But if they faced only one or two at a time, there was still hope.
Especially for someone like Natsu, whose immense potential allowed him to push past limits in critical moments. His tenacity was unmatched.
Since the enemies were arrogant enough to believe they could handle everything alone, George could play along—using them as training dummies to sharpen everyone's skills.
He could heal the injured, and replenish their magic.
After all, he'd first become known for his support abilities.
Even if they only managed to take down a few, the experience would help the guild's mages grow immensely.
By the time the Spriggan Twelve realized they needed to gang up, it would be too late. That's when George would act.
He wasn't being overconfident—unless faced with someone far stronger, he couldn't be taken down quickly. Numbers didn't matter.
His magic was nearly limitless, and his body could recover endlessly with enough magic.
He could fight for thousands of years if needed.
Earlier, when facing Zeref, his instinct told him that Zeref, even at full power, wasn't vastly stronger than him.
And now, Zeref—the greatest threat—was gone.
"I, the Desert King, keep my word. None of you interfere. I will bury them all in my desert."
He was surrounded by swirling sand, his face full of arrogance.
"Good. You've got guts!"
George flashed a big cat paw gesture at him.
(End of Chapter)