An elderly mage rose from the imperial flagship and drifted calmly through the air toward the Golden Dragon.
He wore a long ceremonial robe embroidered with sigils of rank, a staff floating at his side. His presence alone pressed down like a storm cloud.
"I am August," he announced, his voice steady. "First among the Twelve Shields of the Empire. I have been sent by His Majesty to receive you. Which of you is Guild Master Rowan Mercer?"
The Golden Dragon's defensive barrier faded.
Rowan unfolded his wings and stepped out into the open air, stopping a few meters in front of August.
"I am Rowan Mercer, guild master of Fairy Tail."
August studied him for a brief moment, surprise flickering across his expression.
He hadn't expected the mage whose voice had carried from the coastline all the way to the imperial capital to be… a small golden cat.
Yet his instincts warned him not to underestimate what stood in front of him.
"His Majesty will receive you at the palace in Vistarion," August said politely. "Please follow me."
Rowan nodded and returned to the Golden Dragon.
On the deck, Fairy Tail's members were tense.
Even Gildarts had his arms folded tightly, his jaw set.
"…That guy's no joke," he muttered. "He's heavier than anyone I've met in years."
Mavis hovered near the mast, staring at August's retreating figure with a faint frown.
"I don't know why," she said softly, "but looking at him feels strangely… familiar."
Anna, standing beside her, said nothing.
She was too busy feeling the sheer density of magic saturating the air.
The future truly was different from her era.
Rowan glanced back at his team.
"A little pressure builds character," he said mildly.
For everyone except Gildarts and Jellal, this level of threat was exactly what they needed.
With August's flagship leading the way, no other imperial vessels interfered.
The Golden Dragon crossed the skies unhindered and soon descended toward the imperial capital.
Vistarion.
The city sprawled across the plains like a continent unto itself.
Towers, walls, and palaces rose layer upon layer, easily more than ten times the size of Crocus.
"…That's a capital?" Natsu muttered. "That's not a city. That's a monster."
Rowan landed the Golden Dragon outside the palace grounds and shrank it into his dimensional storage.
August watched the spell closely.
"A transformation-and-compression spell," he thought. "Similar to Brandish's magic… so this is the guild my mother founded."
Fairy Tail and the empire studied each other in silence.
Neither side underestimated the other.
They entered the city and walked along a wide stone avenue toward the palace.
Halfway up the steps, everyone stopped.
The air ahead felt wrong.
Twelve massive magical signatures radiated from the palace interior.
One of them dwarfed the rest.
And it carried a deathly cold presence that clawed at the soul.
"That's Zeref," Anna said hoarsely. "He's here."
Then she hesitated.
"…But something's changed. His magic feels emptier than before."
Mavis stared at the palace gates, her face unreadable.
"Zeref… what are you trying to do now?"
Lucy staggered slightly.
"I… can barely breathe."
Even Natsu felt it.
Each step forward felt like walking into deep water.
Only Gildarts and Jellal moved without slowing.
Rowan stepped ahead of everyone.
His magic surged outward in a controlled burst.
The crushing pressure vanished instantly.
The palace aura recoiled.
Everyone inhaled sharply as their bodies relaxed.
"…The boss just got way stronger," Natsu muttered.
A year ago, Rowan had only been a little stronger than Gildarts.
Now he wasn't even in the same category.
August slowed slightly, glancing back at Rowan with narrowed eyes.
That release of magic had exceeded his own.
"…So that's your true weight," he thought.
They resumed walking.
As they approached the palace doors, the presence of the Twelve Shields sharpened.
Many of them were already watching.
And more than half of them were eager.
Eager for war.
Eager to take Fairy Heart.
Eager to please their emperor.
If these visitors failed to convince Zeref…
They weren't leaving this palace alive.