A declaration of war against the world

The first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the bedroom through the window.

Jiang Bai rubbed his throbbing temples, sat up from the soft bed, rolled off the bed, and put on his black casual trousers.

The hangover from last night's strong liquor has completely subsided thanks to my superhuman self-regulation.

After pushing open the door and washing up on the first floor, I stepped onto the main road leading to the guild.

The moment I stepped into the ruins of the guild gate.

Even though Jiang Bai usually had a thick skin, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

The new building, which was just completed last night, is now brightly lit and well-ventilated in the main hall.

Makarov sat on the ruins of the dilapidated bar, holding the ledger in his hands, his gaze fixed on Jiang Bai, who had just stepped across the threshold.

Jiang Bai stood there scratching his head, internally ranting and raving.

Late last night, I was still sitting at that small round table, giving Makarov a thoughtful and far-sighted advice, telling the old man to keep those 60 million J as the guild's exclusive reserve maintenance fund.

The scenario I envisioned in my mind at the time was that Natsu and his gang of destructives would go out on a mission someday, or fight and smash up the guild hall, and I would use this huge sum of money to clean up their messes.

After all, Natsu is the head of the demolition team, famous throughout the kingdom. He usually only has a few coins in his pocket, so if he really smashed something, the guild simply couldn't afford to pay for it.

The result was quite good.

The reserve fund deposited in the vault didn't even last half a night; it was almost entirely squandered on him.

The number one demolition maniac who personally blew up the brand-new guild into a honeycomb was actually himself, the savior.

However, the awkward feeling only lingered in Jiang Bai's mind for less than three seconds.

People with thick skin always know how to reconcile with themselves.

Jiang Bai strode across the broken wooden planks on the ground with a blank expression and walked straight to the only remaining half of the bar counter to sit down.

"Mira, a sandwich and some hot milk, I'm starving."

Mirajane brought out a plate from the kitchen, casually placed the cleaned tableware next to Jiang Bai, smiled faintly, and didn't mention a word about the absurd farce of last night.

Makarov's pipe trembled twice, and finally he sighed deeply, lowered his head, and continued to check the expense bills for the royal cheques and the craftsmen's materials, completely giving up on the idea of pursuing accountability.

The strongest nuclear-level character in the entire guild, you can't beat them in a fight, and they won't listen to your insults, so what else can you do but spoil them?

The next two or three days flew by.

Driven by the power of money, the town's best construction teams worked in shifts day and night.

In just three days, the guild was completely transformed, returning to the grandeur it had when it won the Grand Magic Games.

The hall returned to its usual noisy and boisterous atmosphere.

Cana was drinking heartily from her newly replaced wine barrel, Natsu was yelling and shouting in front of the blackboard while clutching his commission form, Lucy was beaming as she counted the coins she had just received from martial arts competitions.

However, on this morning...

Mavis, the first guild master who always liked to float above the guild hall and watch her juniors play around with a smile, unusually did not stay inside the guild.

The ghostly figure, dressed in a pink and white ruffled dress and with bare, snow-white feet, silently passed through the guild's solid wood main gate.

Riding on the illusory breeze, Mavis drifted alone through the bustling streets of the small town, heading towards the rolling forests on the outskirts of town.

Jiang Bai, sitting by the window, glanced at the window frame but made no attempt to get up to stop them or follow them.

Because just half a minute ago.

He had already clearly sensed the ancient, oppressive aura emanating from the barren mountain peak on the western outskirts of Magnolia.

That's Zeref's scent.

Pitch black, desolate, entangled with centuries of curses and decay.

This is the destiny and cause and effect that belonged to the beginning of Fairy Tail. Jiang Bai respects Mavis's choice and naturally will not be bored enough to interfere and ruin the atmosphere.

Of course, a large part of the reason is also because I was quite tired last night.

Outside the town of Magnolia, several miles to the west, lies the edge of a towering cliff.

A gentle breeze rustled through the dense bushes in the mountains, the leaves whispering softly against each other.

Zeref sat alone on a jutting greyish-white rock at the edge of the cliff, wearing a black robe embroidered with gold trim and a wide white scarf loosely draped over his left shoulder.

His black hair danced wildly in the wind as he stared blankly and indifferently at the vibrant Magnolia landscape below.

A petite, ethereal figure silently appeared on the grass three meters behind Zeref.

With her hands behind her back and her bare feet resting on the soft tips of the grass, Mavis spoke softly.

"Are you still paying attention to Fairy Tail, Zeref?"

The black-robed youth sitting on the edge of the cliff did not sway at all.

Zeref's eyes remained fixed on the distant town and houses, his deep voice echoing across the mountaintop.

"Although I still can't see your face or hear your voice, I'm certain that you're right beside me, Mavis."

At this moment, their thoughts transcended the barriers of time.

You were by my side seven years ago.

I was by your side seven years ago.

Almost at the same moment, the two uttered the exact same words in unison.

Even across the boundary of life and death, the tacit understanding between their souls remains deeply etched in their very bones.

Mavis took two steps forward and sat down on the edge of the rock, just a step away from Zeref, tilting her head to look at the black-haired youth beside her.

Are you still looking for a way to kill yourself?

A brief silence fell over the edge of the cliff.

Zeref raised his right hand, looked down at the intricate lines on his palm, and calmly stated his inner decision.

"I don't plan to look anymore."

"In these centuries of endless wandering, I have witnessed the rise and fall of one glorious era after another."

"The wars between nations, the killings between people, the greed, selfishness, and ugliness inherent in human nature—no matter how many times civilizations have been tested, these tendencies continue to cycle endlessly, never changing in the slightest."

Mavis turned to look at the sunlit town at the foot of the mountain and retorted.

Even so, people will still strive to live!

Zeref chuckled softly, his smile filled with chilling sarcasm.

"But among those who survived, how many were truly kind and innocent?"

"I've had enough of this pointless struggle: the wicked occupy high positions while the kind are sacrificed."

Mavis frowned slightly and continued to press for answers.

So you really aren't planning on finding a way to die?

Zeref placed his right hand on his knee, turned his body, and faced the approximate location of Mavis's illusory form.

It's not about giving up.

"It's because I've finally found the person in this world who truly has the power to kill me."

Upon hearing this unexpected answer, Mavis's expression shifted dramatically.

You mean...?

"That's right, it's Jiang Bai from Fairy Tail."

Zeref bluntly stated the name.

"Seven years ago on Tenrou Island, I experienced it firsthand. It was the first time in hundreds of years that I felt death beckoning to me so clearly."

"The Curse of Contradiction of the god Ankhseram is terrible, but if it is his power, it can surely shatter my immortality at its root and grant me true eternal slumber."

Mavis clenched her small hand and pressed for more information.

"So you're going straight into the city to find him?"

Zeref shook his head.

No, I won't go to him now.

"In fact, I had already contacted him once before the Tenrou Island incident broke out."

Zeref recalled their first encounter in the deep mountains and dense forests, a hint of self-mockery in his voice.

"I asked him to just kill me, but he refused on the spot."

"Jiang Bai told me at the time that the time was not yet right to kill me, and that the person who would ultimately take my life would not be him."

Zeref paused, a complex glint in the depths of his eyes.

"At the time, I didn't understand why he would say such a thing; I just thought he was being deliberately mysterious to avoid the battle."

"But over the years I've come to understand that the reason he refused was probably because of the ultimate demonic book I created—'END'."

"It's unbelievable that he knows the truth that I deliberately buried four hundred years ago."

Zeref slowly stood up, the fierce wind at the edge of the cliff making his black robes flutter loudly.

Then he turned his head and looked down at the western part of the continent, his tone returning to its cold and indifferent state.

"In the coming days, Fairy Tail will inevitably face off against Tartaros, the last remaining branch of the long-dormant Balam Alliance."

"And after this clash has completely settled, I will personally intervene to thoroughly reconcile this murky old world, ushering in a true cleansing and rebirth."

Mavis suddenly stood up from the grass, her ethereal eyes fixed on the black-robed youth before her, and shouted a questioning voice.

"Harmony and Rebirth?! Zeref, are you trying to start a full-scale war on the continent?!"

Zeref stared blankly ahead, initially instinctively wanting to utter his original arrogant judgment.

This was originally just a one-sided massacre of all human forces on the continent, initiated by him.

Mortal armies and guilds are as fragile as paper before the Spriggan 12 Imperial Army under Zeref's command.

However, the words were just on the tip of her tongue.

The image of the black-haired youth with his hands in his pockets, who didn't even bother to look at the dragon, involuntarily surfaced in Zeref's mind.

The existence of that extraordinary monster named Jiang Bai completely overturned the entire balance of combat power.

Zeref paused for half a second, then corrected his words.

The term "unilateral massacre" is no longer appropriate.

Zeref turned around, his black robe billowing in the fierce wind, his dark pupils reflecting the flowing clouds of the entire sky, his expression becoming resolute and frenzied.

"That's right, it's war!"

"Since this world keeps rejecting me, then I'll deny this world with my own hands!!"

The chilling vow echoed for a long time atop the mountain, devoid of any warmth.

Mavis stood there, looking at the resolute-looking Zeref, her small hands clenched tightly in front of her chest, her transparent body trembling slightly in the breeze.

Centuries-long grudges and entanglements have finally been brought to an inevitable final battle.