"Mm, very good!"
"It seems Erza, Chris, and Makarov have not failed the entrustment of our older generation; they've managed both the Academy and the Guild so that they are flourishing more each day!"
Weston smiled with satisfaction. Both the Guild and the Academy were created by his own hand; seeing the younger generation become so powerful—with even more people than originally expected—naturally brought him immense joy. This situation was like planting an apple tree in one's youth and discovering years later that the tree was not only laden with fruit but also bore several other kinds—besides apples, there were bananas, oranges, and even pears. The feeling was simply more marvelous than winning a lottery.
"And then?"
"You, the First Master and First Principal, have come all the way back from Tenrou Island this time. Is it possible you intend to give these children some proper guidance?"
Tenrou Island was precisely where Weston, Mavis, and Zera had chosen to live in seclusion after their retirement. However, starting from Darwin's generation, the original residents of Tenrou Island gradually abandoned their persistence in "guarding the ancestral land" and moved out. Most chose to settle in Magnolia, while a small number went elsewhere; thus, the number of people still living on Tenrou Island today was pitifully small.
"Guidance is unnecessary. Each generation has its own pace of life; I can't be bothered to manage them!"
"They probably wouldn't like listening to an old man like me drone on anyway."
"Coming here this time, my main goal was just this!"
As Weston spoke, he reached out and tapped the Book of END.
Darwin's expression turned serious again: "So, what special significance does this book actually have for Zeref?"
"He... is Zeref's younger brother!"
"Younger brother??!"
Darwin's gaze was initially one of astonishment, but after a moment of reflection, realization quickly dawned: "I see... so it's Natsu!"
"Oh ho, so you knew?"
"Mm, he mentioned it to me a few times. He said he had a younger brother named Natsu who was killed by a dragon when he was young, then was modified by him into a demon and resurrected. He was given to the Fire Dragon King Igneel to be raised, and finally sent to participate in the 'Eclipse Project'."
Weston arched his eyebrows in surprise: "Good heavens! He revealed everything about Natsu to you! Are you two really on such good terms?"
Darwin's face remained calm: "Not everything. At least I only found out just now that Natsu is 'END'."
"Etherious Natsu Dragneel. The abbreviation is 'END'!"
"He told you the name 'Natsu,' yet you didn't notice that. It can only mean you're a bit slow."
Darwin did not argue. He felt embarrassed to mention that when Zeref had talked to him about Natsu years ago, he had even said things like "you remind me of my brother." He was afraid that if his old father found out, he would smugly run to Zeref and say, "Call me daddy."
"Since END is Natsu, Zeref will indeed most likely come here."
"But why do you want this book?"
"It couldn't be that at your age, you've finally decided you want to eliminate 'Darkness'?"
Darwin knew that Weston taking the Book of END was certainly not for the sake of setting a trap to lure Zeref here and kill him. Setting aside whether such a plan could succeed, if he truly had that intention, he could have acted in his youth; there was no need to wait until the high age of ninety to do such a thing.
"Of course not!"
"I just want to give him a hand!"
Darwin asked in confusion: "Give him a hand? What do you mean?"
Weston explained: "The demons of the Book of Zeref are closely tied to Zeref's life; once Zeref dies, the demons will die as well."
"But Natsu is not entirely a demon; he was modified from a human, and specifically from Zeref's own flesh-and-blood brother. This leaves a sliver of hope for his life."
"One only needs to rewrite the contents of the book to allow Natsu to continue living even after Zeref dies."
"Plus, since Natsu does not exist in the 'present,' the chance is even greater!"
"And rewriting a demon book is something that can be easily accomplished with my magic, 'Super Archive'!"
Upon hearing this, Darwin was momentarily stunned. He wasn't surprised by Weston's ability or idea, but rather by the information revealed behind those few sentences.
"You really do want to eliminate Zeref?"
"That guy lives in such agony, and his very existence is so dangerous. Wouldn't it be quite good to just help him find release?"
That was true enough!
"Then... how are you going to do it?"
"It's not me who will do it, it's you!"
"Me?"
"Precisely you!"
Weston nodded, his eyes quietly watching Darwin: "Use your 'Imaginary Take Over' magic to Take Over 'Ankhseram,' and use 'Divine Power' to strip the 'Curse' from Zeref's body. Then, he will naturally pass away."
"I know you've been trying to do this for many years. Counting the time, you should be able to achieve it by now, right?"
Darwin was silent for a long while before finally letting out a long sigh.
"Seriously..."
"You understand everything!"
"You're a man nearly a hundred years old; at least respect your son's privacy!"
"When did you find out I was doing this?"
These words were an admission.
Weston let out a sigh of emotion: "Just now!"
Darwin was stunned again: "Huh?? Ah??"
"I said just now! Didn't you hear me?"
"What I mean is, everything I said just now was a bluff. Actually, I wasn't at all certain if you were doing this; I just felt you might be, so I said it. I didn't think you'd be bluffed into revealing it so easily."
"To not even have this much shrewdness... I think your years as 'Guild Master of the Magic Council' have been wasted!"
Weston shook his head repeatedly, looking like he was disappointed in his son.
Darwin's eyes twitched uncontrollably: "..."
It wasn't that he lacked shrewdness; it was that in his eyes, his old father always seemed to grasp many unknown things. It wasn't strange at all for him to know his privacy. So when Weston spoke so surely and accurately about him perfecting "Divine Take Over," Darwin hadn't doubted for a second that he might be bluffing.
After a long silence, Darwin finally squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth.
"Old man, you used all your cunning on your own son!"
"Hahaha—"
Weston burst out laughing, then suddenly said: "You've been listening for so long, isn't it time to come out?"
What did that mean? Darwin initially blinked in confusion, but then he felt something. He suddenly looked toward the balcony, quietly waiting for something.
A few seconds later, the room indeed underwent a change. A black dot suddenly appeared in the void, and a surge of magic power spread out with the black dot as its center, enveloping the entire room in the blink of an eye.
Then, a young figure appeared in the room.
Zeref!