As the spatial gate opened, the world was immediately shrouded in dense magic. Within that abnormal tide of energy seeped a strange will—pervasive and invasive—burrowing into minds, rewriting thoughts.
"Natsu—"
"Zeref."
The black-robed youth began to speak, but countless eyes suddenly appeared around him, hemming him in. A vast will trembled through the magic, its voice booming, shaking the world itself:
"You've come here to die."
"Yes. I've come to die."
For a heartbeat, Zeref froze—then relaxed completely. A brilliant smile spread across his face. He glanced at the amorphous eyes gathering and dispersing in the air. Their terror was nothing compared to the unsettling feeling of being utterly seen through.
So… is this Natsu's miniature, stripped-down version of the Council's "Satellite Array"?
His idle musing didn't last long. The will spoke again after a moment's silence.
"…I can grant that wish."
The eyes shattered into dust-like particles. Hundreds of Natsus appeared at once.
Flames danced in their palms, radiating such piercing brilliance that even glancing at them seared the soul.
"Oh? Not willing to come face me in person?" Zeref spread his hands, a faint disappointment on his face as he beheld the hundreds of Natsus.
"There's no need, Zeref."
"That's true. After all, I'm almost gone." Zeref nodded, expression sinking further.
"…Before I die, will you tell me something?"
"What is it?"
"You've encountered beings called gods. What are they?"
The more Natsu came into contact with this world, the less understandable it became. After inheriting Papi's Collection and digesting its contents, the absurdity gnawed at him even more.
One passage in particular haunted him:
"Many things remain undefined. Only when you clearly perceive them do they become real, stabilizing into one form. But when the observer departs, this state collapses, and when the next arrives with a new understanding, it reshapes anew. This fluidity is most evident in 'magic particles.'"
"The same applies to beings referred to as 'gods.'"
This troubled Natsu deeply. Though he hadn't dedicated himself fully to magical research, and still couldn't grasp it all, he needed to understand gods—his ultimate targets of purification.
"Gods? To me, they're nothing more than a breed of narrow-minded lunatics. Just another peculiar species—like machines or dragons."
Zeref gave a bitter chuckle. "If you can, avoid touching their domain. You'll only invite a curse."
Natsu said nothing to confirm or deny. "It's time for you to leave."
The hundreds of Natsus ignited in unison. Their flames wove together into a massive magic circle. Sharing identical magic and will, they easily accomplished the harsh conditions of fusion magic.
The circle spread, expanding six or seven hundred meters. At its center, a single pale flame flickered—cold white, giving off no heat, as if it were an illusion, not of this world.
"Well then… goodbye."
Zeref stepped into the circle, smiling, occasionally glancing back to gauge Natsu's reaction. His body slowly unraveled, dissolving into radiant motes.
Natsu's projected will intensified, watching closely as light drifted skyward—interwoven with specks of black dust. He caught a handful in his palm, crushing it effortlessly to powder.
From within burst emotions of death and despair.
Natsu frowned. So this is Ankhseram's power?
As he watched further, a sudden spike of danger slammed into him. Magic surged out of control.
Whum!!!
The world was pierced by a holy blade. From orbit, the Satellite Array roared at full power. Magic cascaded like a flood, breaking all restraints, colliding, igniting—becoming a radiant Sword of Light.
Dozens of kilometers around, the earth was obliterated, drilled hundreds of thousands of meters deep. Magma spewed forth, and choking dust veiled the skies. The unleashed magical turbulence spread outward, even stirring tectonic plates. The ecological catastrophe threatened all Ishgar—perhaps the entire magic planet of Aslant.
The strike was so swift, so absolute, even Natsu had no time to react.
"Zeref… please… save this world."
At the last instant, Mavis leapt into the battlefield. She threw herself into Zeref's arms, kissing him as the blast engulfed them both.
From the start, there had never been a true alliance—not for Fairy Tail, not for Mavis. She had been cold and rational enough to see the truth.
The three-continent coalition was mighty, sufficient to forge a planetary government. But against a million Natsus, it was meaningless.
Face was terrifying—a reset magic that could drag the world into ruin—but insufficient to erase Natsu, and the cost was too great.
From beginning to end, the only weapon worth relying on… was the Satellite Array.
As a strategic weapon, its power rivaled planet-killers. At full activation, it could decide everything.
But the Array had been yielded by Natsu himself. If he suspected the Council's true intent, even if he honored his own rules and didn't seize it back, he would never allow it to fire. Its devastation ran counter to his ideals.
The Council, too, lacked the resolve to trigger it at full power. Losing authority was not death, and Natsu's "purification" had not yet reached genocide. Why gamble lives in mutual destruction?
But Mavis dared. A strategist disliked reckless gambits—but when no path remained, she would not hesitate.
Natsu still held the Seven-Point Divine Wheel, and his vast legions could monitor every corner of the world. So Mavis used Fairy Tail operatives within the Council to steer the formation of the coalition—feeding Natsu just enough trust in their strategy.
Meanwhile, she constantly split her own thoughts with Thought Projection and Thought Sealing, fracturing her mind into countless diverging threads.
So much so, she sometimes couldn't tell her own true intent. Each line of thought had merit. Every major decision required her to reorder, then shield her mind again.
Through the Wheel, Natsu heard billions of voices daily. Unless he fixated on her alone, analyzing every move, he could not discern her deception.
And so—for caution's sake—Mavis told no one.
It was dancing on a blade's edge. One misstep, and all was lost.
Her scheme entangled Alvarez, Zeref, and even the Council. At the moment she met Zeref, she used magic to subtly disturb his mind—guiding Alvarez's trajectory, forcing it into her plan, keeping Natsu distracted.
But Zeref's decisiveness had exceeded her calculations. For a brief instant, she faltered—then had no choice but to gamble, pushing the plan forward prematurely.
She ordered the Spriggan 12 to strike the Council. August and Irene obeyed. With teleportation and Fairy Tail infiltrators, the Array's control was seized. At the moment Natsu was absorbed in Zeref's death, they fired.
At the final instant before the strike landed, Mavis hurled herself into the teleportation circle, giving Zeref Fairy Heart as he attempted suicide. She gambled. Gambled that Zeref would stop for her. Gambled that with Fairy Heart, he would restore the world, erasing the Array's devastation.
That was her plan. Bold beyond compare, decisive beyond belief. Few in history could match it.
The choking dust lingered, blotting out sky and land. At its heart, a figure wreathed in white light clutched Mavis, staring in pain and confusion at the ruin.
"…I wasn't enough. I was played."
The air cracked with violent detonations, invisible force shredding the haze, piercing the sky. Above, the Seven-Point Divine Wheel fractured. Natsu's voice rumbled, low and furious:
"Tricks are useless. Face me head-on."
Hidden contingencies triggered. Elsewhere, Ultear received the signal. With her life force, she unleashed Arc of Time, rewinding the world, swiftly restoring what had been lost.
The 800,000 Natsus reappeared, surging forth to assault the coalition.
The Wheel's broken shell shifted into a battered image of Natsu—bloodied, yet calm—his gaze fixed on the fused Zeref, though perhaps his words were meant for all who watched:
Schemes won't save you. Stand and fight.