None of the Spriggan 12 could have imagined that August, the usually stoic and awe-inspiring Wizard King, would ever shed tears.
The reason was Mavis's loving smile and the words, "You've worked hard all these years, alone."
As a result, August, who had arrived with the mission to destroy Fairy Tail, lost all will to fight on the spot.
His companion, Jacob, one of the Spriggan 12 known as the "Assassin," wanted to eliminate Mavis, the culprit who had corrupted August's heart. What a joke!
Someone who had craved love for decades had just received maternal affection, and you wanted to kill his mother? The only reason Jacob wasn't disintegrated was probably because August didn't want to appear too cruel in front of Mavis.
The same thing happened on another battlefield. When Brandish encountered Aquarius, she lost all her [Nation Destroyer] arrogance and was completely subdued.
After Aquarius used magic to show Brandish the truth of the past, she chose to withdraw from the battlefield.
Thus, without losing a single soldier, the Spriggan 12 were reduced by three more.
Adding Bradman and Neinhart, who were eliminated early on by Ignia, and Agil and Serena, defeated by Drake and Stella respectively, the Spriggan 12 had already suffered more than half their casualties.
What surprised Drake was Neinhart's early elimination; it was an unexpected bonus.
Neinhart was unique. Unlike others, he didn't have an imposing title, but his magic was peculiar.
He could materialize the deceased by using memories as anchors. In the original story, in the latter half of the war, he had resurrected Serena and several other Spriggan 12 members killed by Acnologia, making the war significantly more difficult.
Drake had initially considered him the first target to be defeated, but this time, his early elimination saved him effort.
In fact, the progress of the entire war was becoming smoother. And Mavis deserved the most credit, as she did more than just persuade August to surrender.
Mavis was not only a mage who had ventured into forbidden territory but also held the title of "Fairy Strategist." It was important to remember that this title was earned through battlefield victories.
With her exceptional calculation abilities, Mavis managed to control the war, even though its scale covered the entire continent.
Although Drake had been busy dealing with a considerable number of Alvarez troops, most of the remaining Spriggan 12 had clashed with Ignis Temple.
Only after they settled their disputes would Fairy Tail's various squads step in to clean up the aftermath.
However, this was, after all, a world where individual strength could influence everything. Mavis's strategies, no matter how perfect, could not account for all possibilities.
For example, Irene, due to her immense strength, resolved her opponent much faster than Mavis had anticipated.
Then, as if by fate, Irene and Erza, mother and daughter, met on the battlefield.
Erza then showed her mother her resolve through combat.
Mavis herself was aware of this, and the two individuals she could least control in this war were Zeref and Ignia.
And yet, they were the key to the war. Without defeating them, this war could not truly end.
Therefore, after dealing with other matters, Mavis contacted Drake's side.
However, the reply came from Gray, who said in a peculiar tone, "We haven't even started fighting here yet, but Natsu's brothers are already in a standoff!"
Gray's description stunned Mavis for a moment, after which she quickly understood what had happened.
...
Drake looked around and said, "This should be the end of everything!"
Zeref still maintained his melancholic demeanor but exuded a heart-palpitating aura.
"Indeed. It is time for both humans and dragons to be purged from this world."
Hmm… a standard villainous monologue. It sounded like the words of a cold-blooded, ruthless major boss.
If it were anyone else, Drake would have simply given them a few more punches in the ensuing battle to wake them up. But for Zeref, Drake's gaze held a hint of pity.
Zeref's curse was arguably the most wicked; the more he valued life, the more life he took. This was simply too cruel for someone as gentle as Zeref.
To cope with this curse, Zeref had forced himself to disregard life for centuries, preventing the curse from erupting.
Drake shuddered just thinking about it. Centuries of self-hypnosis would be unbearable even for the strongest mind! It was truly astonishing that Zeref hadn't gone completely mad.
But there were effects. Zeref's current state was also close to a personality split.
On one hand, he still retained his gentle nature, as evidenced by the occasional outbursts of the curse. But on the other hand, he also had a cold and ruthless side.
This was why he was now acting to eradicate all life, while simultaneously not actively returning the "Book of END."
Compared to Zeref, Ignia was far less complicated.
Ignia's face contorted with wildness, and he shouted, "In the world of dragons, only the victor and the strong can dominate everything. So let us decide the outcome!"
The three fell silent for a moment, as they all knew the trash-talking phase before the battle was over, and what followed would be earth-shattering combat.
Among the three, Ignia naturally had the strongest desire to attack, and thus he was the first to make a move.
What surprised Drake was that Ignia didn't attack him but first threw a punch at Zeref.
Drake had fought Ignia in his human form before. Compared to then, the power Ignia was now displaying was on an entirely different level.
With the restrictions of the Great Labyrinth of Dogramag lifted, Ignia was now revealing the true power of a dragon bearing a divine name.
Facing this punch that could level mountains, Zeref remained calm. A purplish-black magic circle opened before him, blocking Ignia's fist like a shield.
Zeref indeed appeared somewhat frail, more like a research-oriented mage than a combat-oriented one. But it was important to remember that he was the undisputed number one mage in this world.
He was proficient in all magic, including lost and forbidden magic. Coupled with his unparalleled magic power and the immortality granted by the God's Curse, he was undoubtedly the most terrifying opponent.
The magic Zeref was currently using to block Ignia's attack was something Drake had never even heard of, but its defensive power was among the top known magics.
Then Zeref raised his arm, black magic gathering on it. As he counterattacked, he sent Ignia flying.
Before he could pursue, Drake brought down a kick.
Zeref raised his arm to block Drake's leg, but the ground beneath his feet suddenly caved in, forming a huge pit.
Drake looked up to see Ignia lunging forward.
The free-for-all had begun!
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