"Zeref… you're awake!"
"The key! Bring the key quickly!"
Hades urged immediately.
But no one moved.
"Move… we can't move…"
Zeref said indifferently, "There's no need for that. I am awake. I was never asleep. The Black Wizard Zeref is here right now."
"What?!"
Everyone was shocked.
"I never said I needed such an awakening condition. Those are just false things imagined by others. One of the settings fantasized by those who blindly believe in the existence of Black Wizard Zeref is the key to Zeref's revival, and you guys actually believed it."
"To obtain this so-called key, how many lives have you taken?"
Hades said in disbelief, "No… impossible! If you weren't asleep, why would you lose to that brat? You are the strongest evil mage in history."
Zeref said calmly, "400 years ago, I witnessed countless deaths in human wars. However, it was because of those days that I learned the preciousness of life."
"It was from then on that my cursed body, the more it desired to cherish life, the more it would inadvertently take people's souls."
"To stop taking people's souls, I had to forget the importance of human life. I felt very sad, so the internal conflict prevented me from freely using magic."
"Of course, that young human himself is also very powerful. You should all know this well."
Zeref thought of Takeshi. He had rarely seen a human who could directly withstand his Death Predation, a curse originating from the god Ankhseram. Even long-lived Dragons would have their souls damaged if they encountered Ankhseram's curse.
"How… how could this be? Then the Great Magic World…"
Hades had always yearned for Zeref to create the Great Magic World.
Zeref said, "The Great Magic World? You believe something made up by others? My research into magic is deeper than yours, but most of that comes from my long life. The more I've seen, the more I've learned. I'm no different from you, at most my skill level is higher. Nine out of ten rumors about me in this world are false."
"Acnologia heralded the end of this era. This was brought about by your evil desires, and you must be punished."
"One is the sin of bringing Acnologia, and the other is the sin of making me forget the importance of life. Go to hell and repent."
Everyone felt immense fear and despair upon hearing this. They had all pursued the noble ideal of the Great Magic World, but Zeref's words dealt them a heavy blow.
—
Tenrou Island.
"What did you say?!!"
Makarov said, "I said, I'm canceling this S-Class Mage Promotion Trial."
"I don't understand, old man!" Gray's mouth hung open.
He had been preparing to become an S-Class Mage for a long time.
"Why are you canceling it?!" Natsu also shouted.
He absolutely had to become an S-Class Mage.
"I want to be an S-Class Mage!" Gajeel also chimed in.
Elfman retorted, "Levy was the one nominated, you idiot."
"There's no choice. After all that happened, no one can handle it if it happens again." Makarov was somewhat helpless.
The possibility of it happening again was low, but almost everyone in the guild was injured now, and forcing the continuation would only add to their injuries.
"Don't even think about making me give up. I'm going to be an S-Class mage no matter what. Keep it simple, no more searching around. Let our teams have a free-for-all. Whoever is left standing at the end becomes an S-Class Mage." Natsu offered his suggestion.
"I'm fine with that." Gray agreed.
As long as he could become an S-Class mage and the competition wasn't canceled, it was fine.
Gajeel said excitedly, "Me too."
Elfman retorted again, "I told you! You weren't nominated!"
"How could it be so chaotic?"
Makarov naturally wouldn't agree. Although the second round seemed like a simple search for the First Guild Master's grave, there was a reward hidden there: one of Fairy Tail's three Great Fairy Magics, 'Fairy Glitter'. Although it was a one-time use, it was a super life-saving skill. It seemed these brats were not destined to enjoy it.
At this time, Takeshi, Gildarts, and Laxus were sitting by the river fishing.
"I heard you got expelled, brat. How lame. Hahaha." Gildarts patted Laxus's shoulder and mocked him.
He had watched Laxus grow up since he was a child. Although he found what Laxus had done somewhat unbelievable, he knew that the brat wasn't actually a bad guy at heart.
"So annoying." Laxus looked displeased.
"By the way, brat, you didn't use your full strength when you fought me, did you? Damn it! I actually got looked down upon one day." Gildarts then looked at Takeshi.
He had heard the entire process by now: Takeshi, fighting one against three, had crushed three Wizard Saint-level individuals.
He had fought Bluenote and knew his strength. He was a powerhouse far exceeding Natsu and the others. If Bluenote hadn't been injured, it wouldn't have been easy for him to defeat him.
He could handle one, but if he faced two, he would definitely lose.
Takeshi dealt with three with ease, meaning his strength far surpassed his own.
He knew that one day he would be surpassed by these young people, but he hadn't expected it to happen in just a few days. This made him quite uncomfortable, feeling as if he had been abandoned by the era.
Laxus also looked at Takeshi. Although he hadn't fought those three, he had fought the Seven Kin of Purgatory from Grimoire Heart, and they were all formidable individuals.
He had been diligently training during this time, hoping to have a good spar with Takeshi when they met again. He had never given up on becoming the strongest in Fairy Tail.
Who knew that after such a short time, the gap between him and Takeshi had not only not narrowed but had widened? He felt somewhat unbalanced.
Takeshi waved his hand. "My strength is just that. My magic power is similar to Laxus's. It's the character I took over whose strength is very great. It's like a bucket, a thumb-sized outlet and a fist-sized outlet, the power is naturally different."
"With all my magic power, I can only sustain it for about three minutes."
"If the battle ends in three minutes, I win. If it doesn't end in three minutes, I lose. You all saw it, without magic power, even those small fry dared to come at me."