Rowan blocked another wave of Zeref's curse, his golden fur crackling faintly as death-energy dispersed across his scales.
"…Wow," he muttered. "That god is petty."
He wasn't wrong.
Ankhsaram's curse was a masterpiece of cruelty. For monsters, it was a reward. Immortality. Endless time.
But for people who actually loved the world and the people in it?
It was hell.
You couldn't die.
You couldn't live cleanly either.
Every surge of love became a weapon that murdered everything around you. Every emotional connection became a loaded gun.
Rowan had already started sketching ideas in his head about how the curse might be broken.
In theory, he could try ripping Zeref's soul out and reconstructing it the way he had done with Mavis.
But if soul-transfer magic worked, Zeref would've solved this centuries ago.
Which meant the curse probably bound both body and soul.
And that meant touching it carelessly might draw divine attention.
Hard pass.
For now.
Besides, Mavis's presence neutralized the worst part of the curse anyway. As a soul, she wasn't affected by it. And Rowan himself could tank the overflow without much trouble.
Zeref's curse scaled with love.
Which meant, in pure theory, if Zeref fell deeply in love with Acnologia and kissed him…
Yeah. No.
Some ideas deserved to stay theoretical.
Rowan exhaled and looked at the reunited family in front of him.
"Ten years," he said calmly. "Zeref, you live with Mavis for ten years. No wars. No Fairy Heart. No rewriting history. Just… live."
Zeref lifted his head.
"After ten years, if Mavis's love still can't kill you, I'll have another solution. One that doesn't involve you dying at all."
Silence followed.
Then Zeref nodded.
"I accept."
No hesitation.
Not even suspicion.
Because something fundamental had shifted in him.
Natsu was alive.
Mavis was back.
August was standing right in front of him.
For the first time in four hundred years, Zeref wasn't alone.
Ten years was nothing.
The remaining Twelve Shields exhaled in collective relief. Their emperor wasn't going to die. Their world wasn't about to burn.
Rowan clapped his paws together.
"Great. Group therapy arc officially scheduled."
Then he walked over to the battered Twelve Shields with a cheerful smile.
"Alright, villains-turned-temporary-allies. Line up. I'm your healer now."
For reasons none of them could articulate, every single one of them flinched.
He healed them anyway.
Quietly copied their memories too.
Efficiency mattered.
When he reached Irene, he noticed her staring at Erza with an expression that was equal parts longing and terror.
She knows.
Rowan said nothing.
That conversation wasn't his to start.
If Erza chose to forgive her, Rowan would help Irene regain a human body. That was easy compared to dealing with divine curses.
After everyone was stabilized, Rowan dropped the mirror dimension.
The empire hosted a massive banquet in Fairy Tail's honor that night.
Later, Rowan cornered Zeref with a drink in hand.
"Be honest with me. If I fight Acnologia right now… what are my odds?"
Zeref didn't sugarcoat it.
"You won't win."
Rowan raised an eyebrow.
"Explain."
"You're not weaker than him," Zeref said. "But your magic barely works on him. That's the real problem."
Rowan nodded slowly.
Same conclusion he'd already reached.
Acnologia ignored magic.
Which meant brute force, enhancement spells, or reality-weight attacks were the only options.
The good news?
Zeref's answer also meant Acnologia didn't outdamage him.
They were peers.
Neither could kill the other right now.
The only real danger was collateral damage.
If Acnologia decided to wipe cities off the map, Rowan couldn't be everywhere at once.
Which meant he needed either overwhelming physical dominance…
…or something clever.
Rowan swirled his drink.
"…Guess I'm not ready to pick that fight yet."
Not until he figured out how to turn a dragon god into a crafting material.