doitstory Chapter 581 Chase breaks through the defenses, and Zeref appears!
Chapter 581 Chase breaks through the defenses, and Zeref appears!
Chapter 581 Chase breaks through the defenses, and Zeref appears!
As they chatted and laughed, the sun had completely set in the west, night fell, and the full moon hung high in the sky.
The bright moonlight poured down like mercury, covering the ravaged land and revealing a scene of desolation.
The capital of the Duchy of Veronica had been reduced to ruins, with rubble and broken walls everywhere. The surrounding land was filled with scorched craters and broken trenches, with wisps of smoke rising from them, like the silent sighs of unhealed scars on the earth.
Nirvana hovers quietly beneath the stars, its massive structure casting a shadow across the night sky, creating a strange contrast with the ravaged earth.
Although there were some unexpected events, with Gray's emotionally charged punch to his father, this war, which could shake the entire magical world, ended with Fairy Tail suffering zero casualties.
?
After the children had released all their emotions, Makarov called everyone over, including Yin.
The moonlight shone on the old man's gray hair, and his aged face showed a solemn expression, completely devoid of any joy after winning the battle.
Now that Eclair's matter has been perfectly resolved, we can now focus on dealing with the final and greatest threat to the Gates of Tartaros!
"Hey! Grandpa, what else is it? I can't wait to go back to the guild and have a banquet!" Natsu exclaimed loudly.
"A real man! I have to show Uncle Gildarts my new form!"
Elfman also looked impatient, bulging his arms and making an exaggerated bodybuilding pose.
Even a Netherworld Beast is still a beast, right? At Chase's reminder, he ran down to try and retrieve the Netherworld Beast that had been shot down earlier.
Although he couldn't fully adapt, he did manage to gain some of the Netherworld Beast's power, which was now stirring within his body.
The other, more composed members noticed the unusual expression on the leader's face and tacitly remained silent, awaiting his next instructions.
Silver and Gray had probably guessed the root cause, and the magic power within their bodies was already quietly surging, ready to be mobilized at any time for battle.
With a clearer understanding of the situation, Chase smiled, interlocked his fingers with Mira and Erza's, and looked relaxed.
Rather than what the old man was about to say, his attention was now focused on a corner on the edge of Nirvana, where something seemed to be silently watching everything from the darkness.
"Quiet down, everyone! It's not time to celebrate yet!"
Makarov spoke up to stop Natsu and the others from making a fuss; his voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.
As he finished speaking, he solemnly took out a heavy black book from his pocket. The letters END engraved on the cover gleamed coldly in the moonlight.
That's right, it's the book of END!
The book was given to Makarov by Laxus after he defeated Maldo. The grandfather and grandson studied it for a long time but found nothing special about it, and they couldn't open it to read the contents.
The pages seemed to be sealed by some force, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't pry them open even a little.
"Wait, President, could this be the Book of End that was mentioned in the intelligence?" Lucy recognized it first, her pupils contracting slightly.
Throughout the entire war, she and most others never even met Pluto Maldo, but they had heard of the existence of this dangerous book from the previous revelations by Jackal and Storm.
The demons of the Nine Ghost Gates had all mentioned this name to some extent, their tone filled with a kind of almost devout awe. It was the most terrifying existence in the Gates of the Underworld!
"Huh? What is the Book of End?" Natsu scratched his head in confusion, his hair a mess, his eyes filled with bewilderment.
"What an idiot," Gray couldn't help but mutter, his lips twitching slightly.
"By the way, Natsume seemed to have fallen asleep around that time." Wendy's smile was a little forced, but she was still quite cute.
"The Book of End, the nominal head of the Gates of the Underworld, and also—"
Yin stepped forward first, his armor gleaming coldly in the moonlight. His gaze was filled with hostility as he stared at the book in Makarov's hand, as if it were not an inanimate object, but a ferocious beast that might awaken at any moment.
"The strongest fire demon recorded in Zeref's Book!"
Gray had just introduced his father to his friends, and Natsu confidently stepped forward to compete with Igneel, saying that Igneel was no match for him, which led to a fight between the two.
"The strongest? Even stronger than Hades Dolma, whom Laxus defeated?" Natsu's eyes lit up, and he unconsciously clenched his fists, flames leaping between his fingers.
"It's Maldora Natsu," Happy corrected, gesturing with his little paw in the air.
"Although I haven't seen END in person, there's no doubt about it. I estimate that the entire Hades Gate combined can't compare to it."
Silver's expression grew increasingly serious, his voice deepened, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes became more pronounced as he frowned.
Chase wanted to retort: No, they're standing right in front of you, perfectly fine—
"I see, now I'm fired up!"
Dragon flames erupted instantly, the orange-red light illuminating the faces of the surrounding companions, and a wave of heat swept over them.
Natsu clashed his fists together, sparks flying, and a bright, battle-ready smile spread across his face. "Old man, watch me burn this damn book to ashes! That way, I'll be stronger than Laxus, wahahahaha!"
The first sentence was relatively normal, but the second sentence immediately made Lucy retort: "So it wasn't about eliminating the threat, it was just about comparing ourselves to Laxus!"
The other companions also wore speechless expressions; some shook their heads, some rubbed their foreheads, and some sighed helplessly.
If the Book of Ending were so easy to destroy, or if it didn't hold any secrets, the Chairman would have done it long ago. Would it even be your turn?
Just as Makarov was considering whether to follow custom and knock this idiot to sleep with a punch, a cold, deep voice suddenly rang out: "It's best not to do that, Natsu."
Along with the sound came a chilling aura that instantly enveloped the entire Nirvana.
The aura was like a cold current surging from the underworld, and the terrifying and intense smell of death spread like a tide, making the air thick and heavy wherever it passed, and even the moonlight seemed to dim.
Everyone was startled and looked up sharply at the source of the extremely unsettling aura.
The moonlight cast long, dark shadows on the ground, and a black-haired man wearing a black and white robe and with a cowlick on his head was slowly walking towards them.
The man's robe swayed gently in the night breeze as he walked at a leisurely pace, his boots making a crisp sound on the stone slabs.
His clean and handsome face was expressionless. Beneath his lowered eyelids, his eyes, like deep black holes, concealed boundless loneliness, desolation, and—an inexplicable, intense danger!
"Oh, after watching for so long, you finally decided to show up?"
Chess released Mira and Erza's hands and, under the surprised and puzzled gazes of his companions, slowly walked to the front of the group.
After ensuring they wouldn't be devoured by the sudden burst of deathly aura, he looked up at the stranger and calmly revealed his identity: "Dark Mage Zeref."
He had already noticed Zeref's presence when he was fighting Maldo.
After all, to Zeref, the Gates of Tartaros was just a bookshelf for storing books; he could sense everything that happened there whenever he wanted.
Poor Maldo and his demons are still desperately searching for their master, even plotting for years to achieve this goal, willing to sacrifice their lives, unaware that in their master's eyes they are nothing more than tools that can be discarded at any time.
Upon hearing the name, Makarov was horrified; his pupils contracted sharply, and his hands trembled involuntarily: "A Dark Mage?!"
You should know that this is the most powerful, ferocious, and evil mage in the history of the magic world.
Not only did he create forbidden magic such as the R System and the Eclipse Gate, but the second guild master, Precito, also fell into the abyss of demonic ways because of him. He is also the creator of all the demons of Etelias!
How could Chase know such a terrifying being? And why did it suddenly appear here? Is it after the Book of End?
Makarov's nerves were on edge, and magic surged wildly within his aged body. He had no doubt about Chase's words; the invisible aura of death emanating from the other man was truly terrifying, even making him, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, feel his scalp tingle!
If even he lost his composure like this, then Silver, Laxus, and the others must have been even more flustered.
Wendy, Lisanna, and the others, who had little knowledge of the magical world and low magical skill, were completely taken aback. They didn't know why the president was suddenly so nervous. They just instinctively felt the suffocating pressure and shrank back behind their companions.
Ignoring the varying reactions of the crowd, Jelf stared intently at Chase with his deep eyes, his gaze fervent and intense, like a drowning man grasping at the last piece of driftwood, or a traveler in the desert spotting an oasis.
"Sassiburli, Mr. Chase, for the past two years I have been thinking of you and longing for you, and I firmly believe that you will definitely reappear."
"Finally, finally this long and agonizing wait can end—"
I recall that carefree handshake on Sirius Island, that real and warm touch of flesh and blood.
Jelf's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. As he spoke, he shakily reached out his hand and walked toward Chase.
Although both of them possess immortality, his life was infinitely more painful than Eclair's.
At least Acreya can communicate and live a normal life with others, but for him, let alone expressing his emotions normally, even normal physical contact with others is a luxury!
Every touch could lead to death, every approach could take someone else's life!
Therefore, Zeref lost control of his emotions the moment he saw Chase, the only one who was immune to Ankhseram's curse.
The tender gaze sent chills down Chase's spine, and memories of his dead self flooded back.
Without the slightest hesitation, he strode forward, raised his hand, and slammed a powerful punch directly into Zeref's face: "You pervert, get the hell out of here!!"
bump!
The powerful force sent Zeref flying, his body arcing through the air before crashing heavily to the ground some distance away, creating a deep crater.
Gravel flew everywhere, and dust rose in all directions.
In the deep pit, Zeref slowly rose, his black and white robe covered in dust, but his ahoge (cowlick) still stubbornly stood up.
Instead of being angry about being slapped, he touched his cheek with great fascination, where the warmth and force of Chase's hand still lingered.
Tears welled up in her eyes and slid down her cheeks, glistening in the moonlight: "It's so nice, this long-lost and intoxicating touch."
Makarov and the Fairy Tail crew, on high alert: "————"
The air seemed to freeze; everyone stood rooted to the spot, mouths slightly agape, eyes vacant.
This guy in front of me is truly the second-generation guild master's idol, the one who strikes fear into the hearts of the entire magic world?
"Wow, what a wonderful relationship! Could it be that Chess and him are actually—" Lucy's pretty face turned red.
In the girl's imaginative mind, a scene brimming with homoerotic undertones instantly appeared.
"There's a... leg... (curls tongue)!" Happy covered his mouth and laughed cheekily.
"Mimimira, should we add him to our list of rivals and give him special attention?!"
Erza's mind went blank; she pointed stiffly at Zeref, her fingers trembling slightly, her body beneath the armor as taut as an iron plate.
"Oh dear, this—I don't know how to judge it either." Even the invincible Mira was dumbfounded, and a hint of awkwardness appeared on her signature calm smile.
After all, they had already consummated their marriage, so they were definitely completely at ease about Chase's orientation.
But the other person's unusual behavior, which was far beyond that of an acquaintance or friend, with their tearful eyes, infatuated tone, and the words "I have been thinking of you and missing you," was really too strange!
Consequently, the way the other companions looked at Chase also became ambiguous.
The atmosphere among the onlookers was electric, even overshadowing the so-called dark magician.
"It's not the kind of relationship you're thinking of!!" Chase felt his scalp tingle under everyone's stares, his ears burned red, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
If the dead phoenix knew that Zeref had broken his spirits with just a few words, it would probably be so angry that it would rise from the ashes once more.
My lord, I can actually do this myself, and I can even do it better!
"Dark Mage Zeref, sounds impressive. Come and fight me!"
The sudden burst of flames eased the awkwardness of the situation. Natsu excitedly ran out of the crowd, his steps light and his eyes burning, and charged straight at Zeref with his blazing fists raised.
For him, a powerful opponent is never a source of fear, but rather a catalyst for excitement.
"Natsu————"
Zeref looked at his younger brother Natsu with a complicated expression, about to say something, when his pupils suddenly contracted and a dark red light quietly appeared, as if some sealed taboo was being awakened.
"Oh no! Wait, wait a minute, Natsu, don't come any closer!!!"
Jelf screamed, his voice filled with unprecedented terror and despair, but he was unable to suppress the increasingly restless energy within him.
hum! !
A dark wave, imbued with a strong aura of death, rapidly spread from him, causing trees to wither, grass to dry up, and insects and birds to die wherever it passed. All life was reduced to nothingness upon the touch of the black wave.
In the blink of an eye, everyone present, along with the massive Nirvana, was enveloped within it, and all things were annihilated!
That was the curse Ankhseram had placed on Zeref—the Death Hunt!
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