"Natsu!"
Lucy came running over. "Who was that guy?"
"I've got no clue," Natsu replied, shaking his head.
"He seemed to know you, Natsu," Evergreen said, narrowing her eyes.
"Well, I don't remember him at all," Natsu responded flatly.
"There's someone dangerous on the island," Lucy said, glancing around. "Forget the trial for now—this takes priority."
Natsu stayed silent.
"Natsu!" Lucy grabbed his arm, her voice rising. "That guy took down Jehfrit's beast—something that can usually take three hits—in one shot! What if someone else runs into him?!"
"We need to warn everyone," Evergreen said urgently.
"It's a shame Aza got away. He looked terrified of that man," Elfman added grimly.
Meanwhile, somewhere deeper in the forest...
"This is the resting place of the First Master," Makarov said solemnly, standing before the gravestone. "We'll wait for them here."
"I'm afraid that won't work, Master," Jehfrit said.
"What's wrong?" Makarov asked, brows furrowed.
"Natsu and the others... they just encountered Zeref," Jehfrit replied.
"What?!" Makarov stiffened, the name crashing into him like a thunderbolt. As the weight of it sank in, he looked at Jehfrit, almost in disbelief. "Jehfrit, this isn't the time for jokes!"
"Aza saved them, but Zeref vanished. He's likely still somewhere on this island," Jehfrit said.
Just hearing the name "Zeref" made Makarov break into a sweat.
The stronger a wizard, the closer they are to understanding the true nature of magic—and the terror Zeref embodies. Only the young and naive fail to grasp just how dangerous he really is.
"What's your recommendation, Jehfrit?" Makarov asked.
Though he had already chosen Laxus as his successor, Jehfrit's opinions still carried significant weight—both with him and with Laxus himself.
"Call off the trial," Jehfrit said firmly. "People's lives come first. We can always reschedule the test."
"You're right," Makarov agreed. "No matter what Zeref's intentions are, we can't confront him head-on. If we must retreat, we will."
He turned to the First Master's grave, bowed deeply, and murmured, "The living are what matter most."
Zeref wasn't like any other enemy.
If it had been a dark guild invading the island, Fairy Tail would've fought them tooth and nail.
But Zeref...
Resistance would be pointless. It'd just mean dying where you stand.
Makarov had seen too much, lost too many. He wasn't going to let more of his children die in vain.
"Let's warn the others right away," he said.
"I'm sorry, Master," Jehfrit replied. "I won't be going with you. I have my own plan."
Makarov paused for a beat, then nodded. "Very well."
He turned and departed swiftly.
Once alone, Jehfrit knelt before the First Master's grave. After a quiet moment of respect, he spoke.
"Jehfrit of Fairy Tail requests the presence of the First Master, Mavis Vermillion."
…
There was no answer.
"As expected," Jehfrit murmured. He wasn't surprised.
He crossed his legs and sat quietly. "Not everyone who uses demons is like Zeref. First Master, I hope you'll bear witness."
A disclaimer was necessary.
"Master," said Aza, appearing behind him, "Zeref harbors hostility toward you. If you summon too many demons, he may target you."
Aza's voice trembled slightly. Earlier, Zeref had only glanced at him—and nearly a tenth of the Mirror World had collapsed from the pressure.
Aza was still shaken. That kind of raw power—it didn't follow any rules. He'd never seen anything like it.
This wasn't like Ansa. Zeref operated on a different plane of existence. A different dimension entirely.
Now Aza finally understood what Jehfrit had meant. Zeref wasn't just stronger—he was like a human compared to ants. His power couldn't even be comprehended. The disasters he caused weren't battles—they were natural calamities.
Aza had tried simulating the outcome over and over, and still couldn't grasp the scope of Zeref's strength.
He remembered that Zeref hadn't shown overt hostility toward Natsu and the others, which meant the ominous aura was probably accidental. But that one glance at Aza? If he hadn't escaped quickly, both he and the entire Mirror World would have been obliterated.
Which meant Zeref held immense hostility toward demons like him.
And probably... toward their creator, Jehfrit, too.
Jehfrit didn't respond right away. He simply reached into his cloak and pulled out a deck of cards.
He flicked them forward.
Swish. Swish. Swish.
The cards fanned out, forming a magical portal.
A low, guttural roar rumbled from it—and then one by one, demons and magical beasts began to emerge.
"Master?" Aza asked, bewildered.
Jehfrit looked toward the horizon.
"I'm not going to abandon my comrades just because I fear Zeref."
He turned to Aza. "You're getting smarter. More cautious. But also more cowardly. And that's not a good thing."
Aza flinched under Jehfrit's calm, cold gaze. His whole body went cold. He nearly collapsed to his knees.
"I'm not claiming to be wise or righteous," Jehfrit said, glancing at the portal and the monsters stepping out of it.
He continued quietly. "Miko. Acnologia. Zeref. At one point, they might've had noble intentions. They might've even been good. But time... time erodes everything."
Miko, standing silently behind him, pressed her lips together.
"Acnologia sees himself above all. Zeref cares for no one. Miko has shut herself away from the world."
"Even if they don't mean to harm anyone, their very existence is catastrophic."
If Miko had never met Jehfrit, how long would she have survived?
She didn't remember it, but... before meeting him—or after he died—would she have started killing people just for seeing her?
Would she, after decades or centuries, forget who she was... and become a new ultimate demon?
And when that time came... would she be a protector or a destroyer?
There's no way to know.
"Maybe," Jehfrit whispered, staring at his hand, "one day, I'll become like that too."
"Master..." Aza looked terrified, as if he'd just brushed up against something forbidden.
"That's why," Jehfrit said, smiling faintly, "I've never pursued immortality. Dying of old age... that's my final promise. To myself. And to this world."
Long life—even eternal life—only leads to corruption.
Hades, the second Guild Master, was living proof.
That old man had stuck around too long... and turned into a catastrophe.
"But," Jehfrit said, "I'm not pretending to be noble. And I'm not doing this to earn the favor of any gods who might be watching."
He turned to Aza again. "Your problem has always been your lack of originality. Not because I restricted you, but because you restricted yourself."
"You were created by a lunatic with boundaries."
Creating demons was dangerous. Suicidal, even. Calling the researcher behind it a madman was almost an understatement.
Jehfrit didn't think he had any right to justify those experiments. History had proven that nothing good ever came from that path.
He chuckled softly. "A mirror reflects everything—even the ugliest expressions of mankind. Even blood. Even chaos."
"The Mirror World can show everything in the real one... including its darkness."
"Aza," he said earnestly, "I expect great things from you."
"Yes, Master," Aza replied, still not fully understanding.
He was smart—but not wise. He'd consumed countless memories and thoughts, but in the end, they were just data to him. He hadn't lived them.
He was like someone who'd watched a million shows... but never starred in one.
And life doesn't come with a remote.
He had to step into the world. He had to take the hit. Be the shield. Whether he liked it or not.
That's why Jehfrit had created him.
Aza might not understand all that—but he understood this:
If he ever disappointed his master too deeply... Jehfrit could easily make another Aza.
And that thought chilled him to his core.