When he appeared, the heavens and earth froze.
All colors drained away.
Time and space split into mottled brilliance, shattering into countless streams of light.
When he appeared, the world churned.
Endless magic vibrated through reality, sending ripples that spread from horizon to horizon.
The collapsing statue transformed into a young man with dragon horns.
Even standing still, his presence alone threatened to shatter the world—
No, this wasn't a metaphor.
The world truly was collapsing!
Countless fractures spread across existence, fragments of time and space reflecting countless possibilities:
In one reflection, Irene Belserion and Elysia Nightwalker slaughtered all magical life while tearing each other apart.
In another, magic once again faded, triggering catastrophic chain reactions—volcanoes erupting, earthquakes shaking the continents, humanity driven toward extinction.
"Zeref of Edolas! Hah, excellent. I never expected someone like you to exist in this world."
Paypay's face twisted in shame and fury—for just moments ago, this man had almost turned him into a puppet.
In truth, the Nine had never been at a disadvantage.
The ones losing ground were Irene and Nightwalker.
This world harbored "gods," though their nature differed across realms.
In Aslant, the petty-minded Ankhseram cursed Zeref for defying death's laws.
But here in Edolas, Zeref—who had lost everyone to the Dragon–Human War—received the blessing of the God of Time and Space when he sought the secrets of time.
That divine blessing allowed Edolas Zeref to glimpse futures with ease.
Time no longer left its mark upon him.
And all time–space magic opened to him without restraint.
Unlike Irene, who muddled through 400 years half-asleep, Edolas Zeref had steadily advanced.
Though the fading world limited his raw magical reserves, his knowledge and understanding of the world surpassed all others.
He could even create an entire miniature world.
The world shattered into fragments as Dragon-Horned Paypay forced himself through, becoming tangible.
"So you've awakened."
Edolas Zeref's body glowed with white light as he gathered fractured pieces of space–time, stabilizing the battlefield. Then he calmly raised his eyes to the dragon-horned youth, saying with mild surprise:
"Seems like even multiple timelines weren't enough to contain you."
On another timeline, a Zeref with infinite magic eventually gained the power to reshape the world.
Here, through four centuries of mastery over time–space magic, Zeref achieved nearly the same without needing infinite reserves.
In fact, he had activated this trap long before Irene arrived.
His goal had been to seal her, Nightwalker, and the gathered magic life into a fabricated timeline—and destroy them at leisure.
Even the Nine might have been caught in the snare.
But then, unexpectedly, a bigger fish had leapt in.
Paypay.
Momentarily stunned, Zeref had improvised, spinning the act further.
But that improvisation led to unforeseen complications.
At first, Paypay—shocked at Zeref's presence—assumed him to be the Zeref of Aslant.
That mistaken belief inadvertently imprinted Aslant-Zeref's memories into Edolas Zeref's mind.
Once PayPay realized the truth, the influence vanished.
And he abandoned his initial impulse to kill Zeref.
Unlike other Paypay fragments, Dragon-Horned Paypay's core resembled the earlier dragon-form Paypay that had merged with the main body—
Loving action, craving chaos, preferring to pull strings from the shadows.
He thought Zeref's continued existence might provide him entertainment.
But his arrogance cost him dearly.
To understand why—
Consider the hypothesis of the "Brain in a Vat."
A human brain is removed, placed in a nutrient solution, and connected to a computer that feeds it sensory inputs.
The brain believes it lives in reality—feeling, moving, perceiving—yet all is illusion.
Memories can be implanted or erased, sensations fabricated.
Could such a brain ever realize its world is false?
Based on this theory—
Zeref had crafted multiple timeline worlds, reflections mimicking reality perfectly.
Irene, Nightwalker, and the Nine all sank into them instantly, noticing no difference.
Even Paypay was ensnared, nearly made into a puppet.
For unless he doubted the world itself, all his overwhelming strength would only act within illusion—its ripples erased by his own subconscious corrections.
His pride became his prison.
He had spoken only after realizing the trap, not out of any wish to save Natsu and the others.
"Too bad. You still miscalculated."
Paypay's eyes blazed with murderous light, his hatred toward Zeref palpable.
"But it wasn't a total failure," Zeref answered coolly, his white glow intensifying as he resealed most of the magic lifeforms. "Because of your interference, some parts of the future became unclear, and so yes—there was an accident. But you've lost your 'wish-made-reality' ability, haven't you?"
Dragon-Horned Paypay's fury deepened.
Indeed, he had only escaped the prison because he lost that power.
Otherwise, his subconscious desire to prevent the world's collapse would have endlessly patched the illusion, binding him forever in an unbreakable prison of his own making.
"Where's your accomplice?" Paypay demanded, eyes narrowing.
"There."
Zeref pointed toward the Nine. When Paypay had broken the false world, Zeref released them—keeping them inside served no more purpose.
The Nine looked bewildered, staring at Paypay and Zeref as they spoke incomprehensible words.
They checked themselves, confused. Moments ago, they had been gravely wounded—yet now, perfectly restored?
"I meant the other one. The bastard who stole my power!"
Paypay's cold gaze pressed down with invisible weight, space itself trembling.
With the slightest effort, he could crush Edolas Zeref to pulp—even if he revived, Paypay would kill him again.
A hundred times.
A thousand times.
Until not even his thoughts remained.
"I don't know. I only glimpsed him in the future and used him as a tool. In truth, I'm curious who he is as well. Perhaps… your counterpart?"
Crack!
Boom!
Zeref exploded instantly, fragments scattering.
"OLD MAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Scarlet flames surged, coalescing into a colossal river of fire.
The ground split like a spider's web under the impact as Natsu charged forward, face twisted in rage at the sight of Zeref's body shattering.
"Natsu, stay out of this."
A single hand stopped him, a mix of heat and cold gusting outward, making everyone's clothes ripple.
Dragon-Horned Paypay's face remained expressionless.
BOOM!
The next instant, Natsu was hurled backward at terrifying speed, crashing into a mountain of lacrima.
His fate is uncertain.