It felt as though a sharp sword had appeared at their throats!
The sensation left many people deeply uneasy. They instinctively sought the protection of someone strong, but the Magic Council's strongest members had already left. Few remained, and Hogue was the most famous among them!
Many turned to Hogue, hoping to ask him what was happening.
But Hogue was just as speechless. He had no idea what was going on before his eyes!
While Hogue stood stunned, far from the Magic Council, a valley full of hot springs lay hidden in a forest. A young man reclined in one of the springs. His calm expression and deathly still gaze suddenly turned toward the sky. "A new system of magic? I never expected anyone in this age to create one. The last person to build a system of magic was Mavis, if I remember correctly."
There was an indescribable sorrow and melancholy in his detached voice.
Had Ren seen the young man then, he would have recognized him at once. It was Zeref!
After ambushing the Black Dragon, Zeref had left immediately. But he had not left Fiore, a place that held too many memories for him.
Now, soaking in the hot spring, Zeref felt the sharpness and killing intent spreading through the air. "I don't know what kind of magic it is," he said flatly, "but the gods have always envied humanity's gifts. To create a new system is to invite their curse. Ah..."
Zeref sighed and fell silent in the spring, as though he meant to drown himself. But he knew that if dying were so easy, he would not have wandered the world for hundreds of years.
Meanwhile, back at the Magic Council, the chamber filled with that sharp aura slowly cracked apart, revealing Ren!
Outside