Chapter 231: The Demon's Attack
"Did... did we finish him off?!"
Evergreen and Elfman stood amidst the splintered wreckage of the ancient forest, their chests heaving as they stared at the scene before them.
A deep trench had been gouged into the earth, stretching for dozens of meters where a body had crashed through tree after tree before finally coming to a halt.
There, lying motionless in a cloud of settling dust, was the young man in black robes—Zeref.
Both of them were startled, their eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and lingering fear. Could it be true? Was Zeref, the legendary Black Wizard, the darkest and most terrifying entity in the history of magic, really taken down by Ren just like that? It felt surreal, like a nightmare ending too abruptly.
"No, that guy can't die," Ren's voice cut through the silence, calm and detached. He walked over to the crater, looking down at the unconscious figure. "He's immortal; he'll revive even if his head is cut off."
"What?!"
Elfman's jaw dropped. "He can still live after his head is cut off? Is this guy even human? That's not manly at all!"
"He surpassed humanity a long time ago," Ren muttered, mostly to himself. He reached down and hoisted the unconscious Black Wizard over his shoulder as easily as if he were carrying a sack of potatoes.
"Alright, you two continue your exam. I'll handle this guy."
Ren turned to face them, the weight of the legendary villain seemingly non-existent to him.
"Continue the exam?" Evergreen adjusted her glasses, her hands still trembling slightly. "Th-this can still continue? After encountering him?"
"Don't worry," Ren said, his blue eyes shimmering with an intense, confident light. "I'll take care of everything. I won't let these guys interfere with your exam. Protecting the guild's fun... that's my job."
With that, Ren turned and walked away, carrying the source of the world's darkness into the shadows of the forest.
Evergreen and Elfman exchanged glances, seeing the awe and confusion reflected in each other's eyes. They had no choice but to trust him.
High above the clouds, far beyond the sight of those on the ground, a massive, ominous airship sliced through the sky. The vessel was dark and foreboding, radiating a sinister magical pressure that caused the very birds to scatter in terror.
Inside the command bridge of the Grimoire Heart airship.
"Finally found him, even if he's still sleeping."
Ultear Milkovich stood before a crystal lacrima, her expression unreadable. She had just received the sensory feedback from the advance team lurking on Tenrou Island. The burst of Death Magic Zeref unleashed earlier had acted like a beacon, piercing through the island's natural barriers and alerting them to his exact location.
"The time is ripe, Master Hades."
Ultear turned to the old man sitting on the throne at the center of the room.
Hades, the Master of Grimoire Heart, stroked his long, white beard. His single visible eye gleaned with a terrifying ambition. His lips curved into a faint, predatory smile as he spoke, his voice echoing with the weight of history.
"That man was born in ancient lands, mastered the darkest magic, spawned tens of thousands of demons, and plunged the world into Chaos. He is the King of Magic, the strongest and most evil man in the history of the magic world... the Black Wizard, Zeref."
Hades stood up, his cape billowing behind him.
"The time has finally come. The day the legendary Black Wizard Zeref revives creates the foundation for the Ultimate Magic World."
"And all the keys are in my hands," Ultear added smoothly. "We will awaken Zeref's Soul from its slumber."
She paused, looking at the map of the island displayed on the screen. "However, there's a problem now. The strongest Mage Guild in the Fiore Kingdom, Fairy Tail, is currently present. They are one of the guilds that helped destroy the Oración Seis, a corner of the Balam Alliance. Their main members, including their S-Class Mages, are gathered on this island for their exam."
"What did you say?! Fiore's strongest guild, Fairy Tail?!"
A voice full of suppressed anger and venom rang out from the shadows of the bridge, dripping with scorn. "No! That's just a trash guild! Fiore's strongest guild is Phantom Lord!! That bastard Makarov just got lucky... he just got lucky and met that brat, Ren!"
Stepping into the light was a man with a gaunt face, a high collar, and eyes burning with madness. It was Ren's old acquaintance, Jose Porla, the former Master of the Phantom Lord Guild.
Memories of his humiliation flooded Jose's mind. Initially, he had diligently managed Phantom Lord, expanding it into a military might that rivaled the kingdom's army. He had money, status, and power as one of the Ten Wizard Saints. But then came the mission from the Heartfilia Conglomerate.
It should have been simple. Retrieve the girl, crush the rival guild.
But that brat... Ren.
Jose clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked. He remembered the fear he felt when Ren's magic overwhelmed him. He remembered the shame of his guild being dismantled, his title stripped by the Magic Council, and his legacy turned into a joke overnight. He couldn't accept it. He had disbanded what remained of Phantom Lord and sought out the true abyss.
He joined the strongest Dark Guild, Grimoire Heart. Recognizing his immense power—comparable to Makarov's—Hades had granted Jose Porla the position of Vice Master.
"Damn Fairy Tail! And Gajeel and Juvia, those two traitors... and that brat Ren!" Jose hissed, dark purple magic crackling around his fingers. "I'm going to completely eradicate this damned guild! I will crush them until not even dust remains!"
One of his main reasons for joining Grimoire Heart was revenge. He had trained in the dark arts under Hades' tutelage, his power growing far beyond what it was during the Phantom Lord war. Now, fate had delivered his enemies onto a silver platter.
"Fairy Tail... that is indeed a very troublesome guild," Ultear noted, ignoring Jose's outburst. She was once a Council Member and knew the data well. "Especially Ren. He is an anomaly. A very difficult character to deal with."
Besides Ren, Makarov Dreyar was also a Ten Wizard Saint, possessing the legendary Fairy Law. It was a lineup that could threaten even a dark alliance.
"So what?! It doesn't matter if they're there or not!!"
"Hyahahahaha! I'll just burn them all to ashes! God Slayer flames consume everything!"
Zancrow, one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, burst into insane laughter. Black flames, darker than night, ignited around his body, twisting and snapping like rabid beasts. His eyes were wide with the thrill of slaughter.
"Calm down, Zancrow," a tall, goat-headed figure wearing a suit and sunglasses spoke up. It was Capricorn. "Don't underestimate our enemies. That is currently the strongest light guild in Fiore, no, even in the entire Ishgar continent. Arrogance leads to defeat."
Hades laughed, a deep, resonant sound that seemed to shake the airship.
"Interesting! Isn't this interesting! They still don't understand what true darkness is, the absolute darkness buried in the abyss."
Hades walked to the viewport, looking down at the island that was rapidly approaching.
"Tonight, demons and fairies will hold a feast. Will they devour each other and grow stronger, or be devoured by each other and dissipate? This will be a battle that decides fate, Fairy Tail. Let us see if your light can survive the deep night."
Meanwhile, on Tenrou Island.
The humidity was stifling, and the heat radiating from the ground made the air shimmer.
"What's with this damn exam?! Choose a path, find a grave! I just want to fight! Fight!"
Gajeel kicked a rock, sending it smashing into a nearby tree. He was agitated. While Natsu and the others were likely battling S-Class mages on the 'Combat' routes, he had been stuck walking down the 'Quiet' route.
"I need to hit something! I need to show them I'm S-Class material!"
Behind him, Levy McGarden sighed, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Ugh, you're so noisy. You're always just fighting, Gajeel. Can't you appreciate that we got lucky with the safe route?"
"Safe is boring! Safe doesn't prove anything!" Gajeel snapped.
Levy stopped walking, clutching her bag straps. "You never even look at me... You just want to fight strong guys. Do you think I'm holding you back? Is that it?"
"You want some attention, Levy?" Gajeel stopped and turned, looking down at her with an intense, intimidating glare. "Then fight me seriously right now, and you'll become stronger. Stop whining about it."
Levy's face flushed with anger and hurt. He didn't get it. He didn't understand her feelings at all.
"I'm never talking to you again! Idiot Gajeel!! Iron-for-brains idiot!!"
"Hey, wait—"
"Leave me alone!"
Levy huffed, tears pricking the corners of her eyes, and ran off quickly into the dense undergrowth, separating herself from her partner.
"Tch. Troublesome woman," Gajeel grumbled, scratching his head, but he didn't immediately chase after her, thinking she just needed to cool off.
However, the island was not empty.
At this moment, deeper in the bushes, two figures clad in dark armor were staring in Levy's direction. They were scouts from Grimoire Heart who had infiltrated the island earlier.
"Did you see that? They separated."
"Good opportunity! That small girl looks weak. If we capture her, we can get information on Zeref's location."
"Prepare to make a move!"
"Hehe! Let's break her legs first so she can't run."
The two dark mages drew their weapons, malicious grins hidden beneath their masks. They crept forward silently, preparing to ambush the unsuspecting Script Mage.
But just as the two were about to lunge out of the shadows, a figure suddenly appeared behind them. He didn't make a sound. It was as if he had teleported into existence directly between them.
Heavy hands pressed down on their shoulders, freezing them in place.
"Sorry," a voice whispered, light and playful yet carrying a terrifying undercurrent of danger. "I can't let you interrupt my guild members' assessment like this."
"What?!"
The two scouts were greatly surprised. Their hearts nearly stopped. How did the other party appear beside them without anyone noticing? They were elite scouts!
"Die!!"
At this point, they didn't have time to think about it. Relying on their instincts, they spun around and launched a point-blank magical attack.
However, their magic didn't reach him.
Ren, standing there with his white hair swept back and wearing dark sunglasses, merely lifted a finger. The space between him and the attackers warped.
"Repulsion."
He didn't scream it. He just stated it as a fact.
Bang!!
An invisible, irresistible wall of force slammed into the two mages. It was like being hit by a speeding train.
"Waaah!"
"Gaaah!"
The two figures cried out in pain as their ribs cracked. They were directly flung away, smashing through bushes and trees before crashing heavily into the dirt fifty meters away, unconscious.
"What's going on?!"
Levy, who hadn't gone far, heard the commotion. She turned her head abruptly and saw two unfamiliar figures fly out of the bushes like ragdolls and fall to the ground, kicking up dust.
"Who are you?!"
Levy was startled, pulling out her magic pen. This was the Fairy Tail Guild's Holy Land; how could outsiders enter here? And those uniforms... they looked like Dark Guild members.
Just then, the familiar figure emerged from the bushes, dusting off his hands. With white hair, blue eyes that seemed to hold the sky, and an aura of absolute confidence—it was Ren in his Gojo Satoru form.
Levy lowered her pen, relief flooding her chest. "Ren?!! Who are they?!"
Ren glanced at the unconscious bodies in the distance with disinterest.
"Them? They're just two little mice who got lost."
Ren looked at Levy, smiled his trademark charming smile, and waved his hand dismissively, saying:
"You don't need to worry about them; I'll handle it. You continue with your exam."
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