Charles looked at Ultear and said, "At first I felt a bit guilty assigning you such a dangerous task of gathering intel, but once I thought about your abilities, I felt reassured. In any case, thank you for your hard work."
Ultear smiled and replied, "It's been a while, and you've gotten a lot more eloquent."
"But I thought once you got the intel, you'd change your plans and avoid Tenrou Island. I didn't expect you all to come anyway."
Charles said, "In Master Makarov's words, declaring war on Fairy Tail… Grimoire Heart picked the wrong opponent."
Ultear said, "Looks like I was worrying too much."
Having grown up under Precht's guidance, Ultear knew how powerful he truly was. Every member of the Seven Kin of Purgatory had mastered Lost Magic—and all of them had learned it from Precht.
In the past, Precht had seemed invincible in Ultear's eyes. Even though she had never been truly loyal to him, the thought of outright leaving Grimoire Heart had never crossed her mind.
But for some reason, after hearing Charles's words, Ultear genuinely felt that he might be able to defeat Precht.
Charles was silent for a moment before asking, "We're definitely going to take down Grimoire Heart. What do you plan to do afterward? Have you considered joining Fairy Tail?"
Ultear smiled and shook her head. "If I joined a legal guild, it would bring nothing but trouble."
Charles blinked, then quickly realized she was right.
The newly reformed Magic Council was currently trying to reestablish its authority, acting overly proactive and aggressive in many areas.
They even viewed Fairy Tail as a destabilizing force and were actively looking for an excuse to dismantle it.
So there was no need to imagine what their stance would be on Ultear, who had once led an assault on the Council itself.
If she really joined Fairy Tail, the Council might drop all pretense and attack directly.
That was also why Erza had reluctantly allowed Jellal to be taken away by the Council.
Ultear looked at Charles and said, "Besides, I want to really take in the sights I once ignored. Most importantly, the mistakes I've made—I need to atone for them myself."
Charles nodded. "As long as you have a plan. If you run into any trouble, reach out. We're comrades now."
Ultear chuckled softly, but the young girl beside her looked puffed up and glared at Charles with clear hostility.
Charles felt baffled. This was his first time meeting Meredy, one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, so why the animosity?
Just as he was about to say something, Charles's expression suddenly changed.
He turned his head sharply. In the sky nearby, a massive flock of birds burst from the trees in alarm.
But some of the slower birds simply dropped dead from the sky.
"As I thought… magic power like an abyss," Charles muttered.
Just now, he had sensed an overwhelmingly terrifying magical presence. It was so intense that even he felt a twinge of dread.
The aura wasn't just powerful—it exuded a crushing, hierarchical pressure. Just sensing it made Charles feel like he was drowning in an ominous abyss.
If such a power had appeared on Tenrou Island, there could only be one explanation:
Zeref had arrived.
No wonder Precht believed that the origin of all magic lay in the dark abyss—Zeref. Anyone who had ever felt this kind of magic would probably think the same.
Precht was still nearby and not going anywhere, so Charles was far more concerned about Zeref.
Even though Makarov had warned everyone not to approach him, Charles feared that some reckless idiot might still wander too close.
"Looks like the real target of Grimoire Heart has appeared. I'm going to check it out."
With that, Charles spread his Dragon Fire Wings and flew toward the source of Zeref's magic. Fal quickly followed overhead.
As he flew, Charles couldn't help but think.
Even though Zeref had lived for who knows how many centuries, his magic shouldn't be so vastly superior in quality to his own.
He was a Dragon Slayer, after all—his magic power was top-tier. Could that terrifying aura really be Zeref's?
Charles suspected it might instead be the cursed power Zeref had gained from the god Ankhseram.
But after bearing that curse for four hundred years, it might as well have become part of Zeref's own strength.
This world did have God Slayer Magic, and if one followed the logic of all the Slayer magics, then it was supposed to channel divine power.
But neither Fire God Slayer Magic nor Sky or Lightning versions truly lived up to the name "divine power," at least in Charles's eyes.
Only Zeref's curse felt like it genuinely came from a god of this world.
Charles didn't know what kind of beings the gods of this world were, but Ankhseram had clearly demonstrated control over the laws of life and death.
If Charles wanted to resurrect Igneel, he'd inevitably have to confront that god's domain.
That's why, ever since deciding to come to Tenrou Island, Charles had made up his mind—he had to meet the Black Wizard in person.
Before long, he saw a pale-faced man in old-fashioned clothing stumbling through the forest.
And then he saw Elfman and Evergreen—right in Zeref's path!
These two again?! In the original storyline, they were also the ones who ran into Zeref. If Natsu hadn't shown up in time, they probably would've been killed outright by Zeref's death wave.
And now, they had once again stumbled upon Zeref. Judging by his appearance, that deadly aura could activate at any moment.
Charles sped up immediately and landed in front of the two, just as they were searching for a target.
"Charles? What are you doing here?" Elfman asked, confused.
"Did you find a target? If so, as a man, I won't let you have it!"
Charles's face was grim. "What's approaching isn't prey—it's a monster that can swallow us all whole!"
He reached back, grabbed their arms, and rapidly retreated. Even Fal flapped its wings mid-air and came to a halt.
A wave of black energy began to spread, and in the blink of an eye, every tree and blade of grass withered and died.
Evergreen's jaw dropped. "What… what is that?!"
Charles said, "Whatever it is, it's extremely dangerous. You two should leave—this exam isn't over yet. Go find your own targets!"
Elfman grabbed Evergreen's hand and turned to run.
Evergreen hesitated. "Shouldn't we stay and help Charles?"
Although she mostly worked with the Thunder God Tribe, she knew Elfman well and understood he wasn't the kind to abandon comrades, which was why she asked.
But Elfman simply said, "Charles is a true man. He'll be fine!"
Charles had no idea how much faith Elfman had in him. At the moment, all his focus was on the man approaching.
"It's been a long time… Black Wizard Zeref."
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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