Under the scorching sun, Evergreen and Elfman walked aimlessly through the forest, looking at the lush trees with a sense of despair.
"How long do we have to walk? The Master didn't give us any hints."
"The second trial is definitely harder than the first, so stop complaining so much."
Tenrou Island looked small from a distance, but once inside, it didn't feel small at all; all sorts of giant beasts thrived and lived here.
Suddenly, a mysterious youth dressed in black appeared under a tree. Seeing the two, a look of confusion appeared on his face, as if he were wondering why there were people on this island.
Elfman immediately became alert. "Who are you?"
This black-haired youth gave him an extremely ominous feeling, his entire body radiating the aura of death.
"This is Fairy Tail's trial ground. Just how did you get in here?"
Evergreen's expression was serious, her fingers resting on her glasses' frame. If the youth made even the slightest move, she would petrify him.
"Fairy Tail?"
Zeref's expression shifted slightly, a trace of nostalgia appearing. Was this Mavis's guild?
Seeing the two about to attack, he hurriedly held out a hand in front of him. "Don't come any closer. I'll leave as soon as possible. I don't want to take any more lives."
Elfman watched Zeref clutch his head in pain, utterly confused. "What's wrong with you?"
"Both of you, get back!"
Acnologia suddenly appeared in front of them. Looking at their bewildered expressions, he said, "The curse of death is coming."
"The curse of death?"
Elfman was about to ask something else, but Evergreen realized something was wrong and pulled him away.
"Don't ask questions, let's go!"
For Acnologia to show up in person, the youth before them was definitely a terrifying figure.
"Hmm??"
Zeref's Death Predation suddenly stopped. Perhaps it was the pressure from Acnologia that made him temporarily forget the beauty of life, or perhaps Ankhseram God's curse didn't want to come into contact with this world-ending dragon king.
He breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless, the Death Predation had finally stopped.
Zeref looked up at the man with an unfathomable aura. As a Mage who had existed since four hundred years ago, he had naturally seen this figure before.
At such close range, he felt the other's unrivaled power even more vividly.
Zeref said softly, "Acnologia, are you here to kill me?"
Acnologia's gaze sized up the most sinister Black Mage in history, and he said slowly, "Unless Ankhseram God's curse is lifted, I'm afraid even I won't be able to kill you."
Zeref nodded. He had expected as much. Although he hoped Acnologia could kill him, unfortunately... Suddenly, Acnologia said, "Maybe we can try breaking the curse."
"Breaking it?"
Zeref was slightly stunned, disbelieving. "Impossible. I've searched for a way to break it for four hundred years. There are few magics in this world I don't know, and I've also looked into your Devouring Magic. It cannot devour Ankhseram God's curse."
He had long since despaired; otherwise, he wouldn't have been listless here for decades.
Acnologia walked over and pressed his hand on Zeref's shoulder. Looking into his tense yet expectant eyes, he said calmly, "You should know that the same magic has different effects in different hands. Just because others can't devour the curse doesn't mean I can't."
With that, his Devouring Magic activated. As the terrifying magic power invaded, Zeref's body suddenly jolted, and he let out a scream of agony.
It felt as if countless tubes were frantically draining his bone marrow, a pain worse than death!
"Endure it!"
Acnologia's domineering magic power delved deep into Zeref's body and finally found the source of the curse: a black-and-white intertwined point like a Taiji symbol, containing nearly infinite Power of Life and Death.
And Zeref's Immortality, that continuous flow of Death Predation magic, was released from it.
"Quite a nice power. I'll take it."
Acnologia's magic turned into a black hole, instantly devouring the black-and-white point. Although there was a sense of resistance, it couldn't shake him.
At the same time, an indifferent voice echoed in Acnologia's mind: "King of Dragons, messenger of the God of Destruction, your crime is unforgivable!"
The reason Ankhseram God bestowed the Power of Life and Death upon Zeref was that he saw Zeref had enough talent and ability to bring death and destruction to the world.
Guided by the deaths of a vast number of living beings, he would be able to descend again and rule this world.
And all of this had been ruined by the Black Dragon.
Acnologia sneered. "Ankhseram God? A fellow hiding in the shadows dares to pass judgment on me?"
"If you dare show yourself in this world, I will personally come and take your life!"
Although he had been scolded, the voice did not appear again.
"Useless trash!"
Acnologia was disdainful. Whether it was a natural god or a human turned god, if they couldn't appear in the physical world, it proved those gods were nothing special.
Since they weren't omnipotent, what was there to fear? Mystery didn't equate to strength; those gods might not even be as good as dragons.
Acnologia let go of Zeref and said casually, "Alright, feel it for yourself."
Zeref paused for a moment. He carefully sensed his body's condition. Although there was no obvious change, a certain invisible shackle had disappeared.
"I've broken free from Ankhseram God? I'm free?"
Zeref couldn't believe it. Looking at his hands, his eyes suddenly turned red, and he burst into tears.
He had waited over four hundred years for this moment. It turned out Acnologia could have helped him lift the curse!
Had he known, he would have gone to Acnologia four hundred years ago. If he had died sooner, he wouldn't have had to cause so many deaths, nor would he have had to cause the death of his lover.
As if afraid he was dreaming, Zeref condensed a magic ball in his hand and aimed it at his own head, but Acnologia raised a hand to stop him.
Acnologia frowned. "What are you doing? Looking for death?"
Zeref nodded silently. "There's no one left in this world I care about. Death is the best final destination for me."
"I didn't remove your curse so you could go and kill yourself."
Acnologia couldn't help but complain, "Your brother Natsu is still here, your wife Mavis isn't dead yet, and your son August is still alive. You could even take a family photo. What's the point of dying?"
If Natsu found out he had caused his brother's death, wouldn't he fight him to the death?
Perhaps Natsu wouldn't know any of this, but Acnologia himself couldn't get past the hurdle in his heart.
Zeref was full of questions. "Mavis is still alive? August is my son?"
Acnologia nodded. "Mavis's Thought Projection is right here on Tenrou Island, and her Thought Projection can return to her body to be resurrected."
"As for August, he is the son you and Mavis had back then. Fairy Tail's second guild master, Hades Prehecht, delivered him."
"Because August had immense magic power from a young age, he always knew you were his father, but he never dared to tell you."
Actually, Acnologia was quite speechless. In this world, parents and children were afraid to recognize each other. He wondered why it was so hard to just say it out loud.
In the end, when August died, his greatest wish was for a family reunion, or to call out 'Mom' and 'Dad' in person. It was truly tragic.
"Alright, I'll only stop you once. Whether you die or not is up to you."