Chapter 6: Copy Magic
Kazuma Yumesaki couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle upon hearing that. "Old man, you really place an immense amount of trust in Erza."
"She is Erza," Makarov replied simply, as if those three words explained everything.
"Fair point. After all, she really is Erza." Yumesaki nodded in agreement.
Makarov blinked, momentarily caught off guard, and shot Yumesaki a suspicious look. He trusted Erza because he had watched her grow up from a young child. Yet, Yumesaki was an outsider from a completely different world—someone who had known Erza for less than a single day—and yet he spoke of her character with absolute certainty.
"Erza mentioned to me that you would be providing a certain set of books. What kind of books are they?"
"Fairy Tail."
"Huh?"
Amused by Makarov's bewildered expression, Yumesaki smiled and reached into his storage, pulling out the volumes of the Fairy Tail manga he had prepared beforehand, and handed them over to the Master.
This was the promise he had made to Erza yesterday. Erza wanted Makarov to be fully aware of the future awaiting their world.
Yumesaki saw no reason to refuse.
Makarov accepted the stack of manga. He instantly recognized Natsu's fiery grin emblazoned on the front cover, though the foreign characters printed alongside the artwork were entirely incomprehensible to him.
Right at that moment, Yumesaki stepped forward and lightly tapped Makarov on the shoulder. Activating the power of the Golden Gate, he directly transferred the linguistic knowledge of the foreign world straight into Makarov's mind.
In a flash, the foreign symbols rearranged themselves in Makarov's perception, and he found himself fully capable of reading the Mandarin text.
"What sort of magic is this? The instantaneous comprehension of language?" Makarov inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"You could call it that." Yumesaki offered a small smile, gesturing toward the books. "Go ahead and read through them first."
Makarov nodded, lowering his head to focus on the pages.
His reading speed was remarkably efficient. In a matter of just a few hours, he had flipped through the entirety of the provided volumes.
Throughout the process, the expressions flitting across the old man's face shifted in a dizzying array of emotions. One moment he was trembling with righteous fury, the next he was gritting his teeth in anger, followed by bouts of profound sorrow and helplessness. It wasn't until he reached the final pages, seeing the bright and heartwarming conclusion, that he finally let out a long, heavy breath of relief.
"Is this... a book of future prophecies?" He lifted his head, his voice carrying a slight tremor.
"Let's not romanticize it too much. It's just a set of comic books from my world."
"But why would an alternate reality possess comic books detailing the exact history of our world?" This was the riddle Makarov found hardest to wrap his head around. As for the existential dread of whether his entire reality was merely a fictional story, he didn't give it a second thought.
He had lived a long, full life. Whether his world was real or a drawing, his own lived experiences told him everything he needed to know.
"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure about that myself." Yumesaki shrugged. It was a question he hadn't figured out either, so he preferred not to spin a false narrative.
Makarov didn't press the matter further. Instead, his gaze sharpened as he asked, "Why choose to disclose all of this to us?"
"Does the reason truly matter?" Yumesaki countered with a question of his own.
Makarov paused, pondering the sentiment. It mattered, yet at the same time, it didn't. The fact that this traveler was willing to hand over such vital knowledge proved he harbored immense goodwill toward Fairy Tail. Furthermore, the youth had already officially joined their ranks and received the guild mark.
Since he was a member of the family, suspicion had no place here.
"I understand."
Makarov closed the book firmly, extending a hand across the desk toward Yumesaki. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, Mr. Yumesaki."
Yumesaki reached out, clasping the old man's hand in a firm shake. "Now that you possess full knowledge of the future, what do you plan to do?"
Makarov countered, "Where exactly did Erza head off to?"
Yumesaki answered, "She should be on her way to dismantle the Eisenwald problem as we speak."
Makarov gave a firm nod. "In that case, I shall take the initiative to handle Jose before things escalate."
Whether it was the Tower of Heaven, the internal guild war, the Oración Seis, the trip to Edolas, Tartaros, the trial on Tenrou Island, the Grand Magic Games, or the Eclipse Gate—those were all crises meant for the distant future.
However, the threat of Phantom Lord's invasion was looming right over their heads in the present.
Moreover, when Phantom Lord eventually struck in the original timeline, they didn't just target and kidnap Lucy; they ruthlessly assaulted and injured Levy and her team, hanging them like trophies.
That crossed a line Makarov could never tolerate.
Thus, neutralizing Jose Porla was a matter of utmost urgency.
Yumesaki raised an eyebrow. "If I remember correctly, the Magic Council strictly forbids unsanctioned warfare between legal guilds. As of right now, Phantom Lord hasn't made a single aggressive move. If you strike Jose first, won't you be flagrantly violating the Council's laws?"
Hearing those words, Makarov slumped slightly back into his seat. This was indeed the core of the dilemma.
In the original timeline, the war erupted because Jose struck first. Fairy Tail's subsequent retaliation was viewed as self-defense, which ultimately led to the official disbandment of Phantom Lord.
If Makarov were to launch a preemptive strike now, the guild facing forced disbandment by the Council wouldn't be Phantom Lord—it would be Fairy Tail.
That was an outcome he could absolutely not permit.
But the alternative was equally unbearable. He possessed absolute knowledge of the future; was he truly expected to sit on his hands, do nothing, and watch his beloved guild hall get blasted to pieces?
Was he supposed to just wait for his children to be beaten and bloodied before he was legally allowed to protect them?
As a Guild Master, how could he possibly allow such a thing?
How could he stand idly by, fully aware of the suffering awaiting his family, just to satisfy a set of bureaucratic rules?
In an instant, Makarov found himself trapped in a painful paradox.
Feeling entirely helpless, he looked up at Yumesaki. "Do you happen to have any better suggestions?"
"As a matter of fact, I do."
Yumesaki spoke as his body suddenly began to shift, utilizing the Transformation Technique to seamlessly take on the towering, draconic appearance of Kaido. "The Transformation Technique—a Ninjutsu capable of mimicking anyone perfectly. You can essentially think of it as a form of illusionary magic."
"I can simply adopt a completely different identity, launch a stealth attack on Jose, and thoroughly crush his Magic Power before he ever knows what hit him."
"Once he's neutralized, Phantom Lord won't pose a threat to anyone."
Ah... this...
Makarov wavered, his moral compass spinning. Even though he was fully aware that Jose was a vile, malicious individual, resorting to a cowardly ambush to permanently cripple another mage's power felt incredibly cutthroat.
His deeply ingrained morals prevented him from executing such a scheme, nor could he comfortably allow Yumesaki to stain his hands on the guild's behalf.
He simply couldn't bring himself to cross that internal ethical boundary.
Noticing the old man's severe hesitation, Yumesaki sighed. "What? Are you seriously planning to wait until after Jose hurts your kids before you retaliate?"
Makarov knit his brows tightly. "Is there truly no alternative that satisfies both sides?"
Yumesaki rolled his eyes. "Looking at the current political landscape, absolutely not. Jose has envied and detested Fairy Tail for years. Even without the catalyst of Lucy's family drama, he would have eventually manufactured any petty excuse to tear your guild down."
"Unless you possess the miraculous ability to completely brainwash Jose and rewrite the mindset of every single Phantom Lord member, a violent clash between your factions is an absolute inevitability."
Makarov let out a long, weary breath. Deep down, he knew the youth spoke the absolute truth.
Ever since their bitter dispute during the Guild Masters' conference six years ago, Jose had completely boycotted every single official gathering.
It was blindingly obvious that the man had been nursing that petty grudge every single day since.
The peace between them was nothing more than a thin, fragile veneer; the bad blood ran far too deep to ever be mended by words.
Furthermore, given Jose's arrogant and volatile nature, he wasn't the type to swallow his pride; he was the type who actively delighted in chaos.
"I understand. I shall deliberate on this carefully and come to a decision soon."
Makarov resolved to wait for Erza's return, gather her input on the situation, and then finalize their course of action.
Yumesaki didn't press the matter. "By the way, there is one minor favor I would like to ask of you."
"Speak freely." Makarov felt that Yumesaki had already bestowed an immeasurable gift upon Fairy Tail. Just the revelation of the future alone was enough to save their guild from falling into countless devastating pitfalls.
Therefore, as long as the request fell within his capabilities, he had no intention of refusing.
"I would like to copy your magic." Yumesaki stated plainly.
"My magic?" Makarov blinked in surprise. "Are you capable of wielding an Instant Copy magic similar to August's?"
August—one of the ultimate antagonists of the future timeline.
He was a prominent member of the Spriggan 12, the elite guard serving the Alvarez Empire founded by the Black Wizard, Zeref.
Not only was he heralded as the absolute strongest Mage within the empire, but he was also widely considered the mightiest man among the Spriggan 12, earning the legendary moniker of the "Magic King." Alongside Erza's mother, Irene, they were feared across the continents as the Twin Wings of Alvarez.
The core of his arsenal was Instant Copy, a terrifying ability that allowed him to replicate and master any magic used against him in a single glance.
Though the magic had a specific blind spot—unable to replicate item-based casting styles—it remained an overwhelmingly broken ability.
Through this power, August had amassed a vast repertoire of spells spanning across ancient eras and foreign lands. Any magic he mastered could no longer inflict damage upon his person, which was the very foundation of his title as the Magic King.
More importantly, he was the tragic, unacknowledged biological son of Fairy Tail's First Master, Mavis Vermillion, and Zeref.
Yumesaki shook his head. "I don't possess the specific Instant Copy spell, but I do have a unique innate Copy ability. It isn't strictly limited to magic; I can replicate almost any skill or power I come across."
Makarov's eyes widened slightly in understanding. "I see... so that is how it works. In that case, is there anything specific you require me to do?"
"Not at all."
Yumesaki simply reached out and lightly patted Makarov's shoulder. Activating his Copy ability, he instantaneously duplicated the entirety of Makarov's magical database within a fraction of a second.
Aside from the incredible Giant Magic, Makarov's repertoire included Fire Magic, Transformation Magic, Reconstruction Magic, Light Magic, and even the legendary grand spell... Fairy Law.
Every single one of these spells was cleanly analyzed, duplicated, and integrated into Yumesaki's own arsenal.
Magic within this world largely bypassed the need for tedious, drawn-out incantations; it could be deployed spontaneously with a mere flick of the wrist.
In practice, it functioned identically to an innate superpower.
Yumesaki figured that adding a wide variety of versatile magical spells to his toolkit could only be beneficial.
"Is it... already finished?" Makarov asked, thoroughly stunned by the lack of any grand magical phenomenon. Upon seeing Yumesaki give a casual nod, he couldn't help but marvel, "Your Copy ability... from what I can perceive, it doesn't seem to possess any discernible disadvantage compared to the Magic King's Instant Copy."
Yumesaki thought about it for a brief second before chuckling. "When you put it that way, I suppose it really is quite similar."
Right then, a thought seemed to strike Makarov, prompting him to speak up with a gentle, paternal earnestness. "I have no objections to you replicating my magic, young man. However, I must request that if you intend to copy the magic of the other guild members, you extend them the courtesy of asking beforehand."
"And if possible, perhaps offer them some form of equitable compensation in return."
He wanted to prevent any situation where Yumesaki secretly drained away his comrades' hard-earned techniques without a word, which could easily breed unnecessary distrust and misunderstandings among the guild family.
Yumesaki flashed a quick OK sign with his fingers. "No problem at all. I happen to have plenty of excellent items and treasures on hand. It'll be a perfect opportunity to share some gifts with everyone."
"You have my gratitude."
"Don't mention it."
After exchanging a few more casual pleasantries, Yumesaki stood up to take his leave, stepping out of the quiet archive room.
By the time Yumesaki descended back down to the main hall of the guild, darkness had already blanketed the sky outside.
The vast majority of the rowdy guild members had already packed up and gone home for the night.
The only people remaining were the lovely poster girl, Mirajane, and a handful of stragglers lingering near the tables.
Catching sight of Yumesaki's return, Mirajane offered a warm, pleasant smile. "You certainly spent quite a long time conversing with the Master. It must have been an incredibly important matter."
Yumesaki didn't attempt to deny it. "It was indeed rather monumental. Though I'm fairly certain it won't be long before the Master decides to fill you in on the details."
Mirajane was an S-Class Mage of the guild, after all; she possessed more than enough merit and clearance to be privy to the secrets of the future.
Given Makarov's protective nature over his core mages, he wouldn't keep her in the dark for long.
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