— — — — — — —
Even though it seemed unbelievable, when it came to Uchiha Kitaro, things like this somehow made sense.
Lisanna asked curiously, "Why would Grimoire Heart come to Tenrou Island?"
"They were looking for Zeref," Kitaro replied casually.
"Zeref... Zeref?!"
Everyone was stunned.
"Kitaro, you... you mean that Zeref? The most fearsome dark wizard in history?!" Makarov asked in shock, eyes wide.
Kitaro nodded. "Yeah, that's the one. They came here looking for him."
"H-how is that possible? Wasn't Zeref alive 400 years ago? How could he still be around now?!"
"Yeah! Maybe they were looking for his corpse? Could Zeref be buried on this island?"
Makarov shook his head. "Impossible. This is the resting place of Fairy Tail's First Guild Master, Mavis Vermillion. There's no way Zeref would be buried here."
"Oh, he's here."
"What?"
Hearing Kitaro's words, everyone froze in disbelief and asked again.
"I said, Zeref is on this island. And he's not a corpse—he's alive and well."
"What?!"
Everyone was completely dumbfounded.
"T-that's impossible!"
"When I was dealing with some Grimoire Heart rats sneaking around the island, I happened to run into Zeref. That guy's got some serious issues—he could hurt people without meaning to. So, I just drove him away."
"..."
No one knew what to say. Not only had Kitaro wiped out Grimoire Heart, but he had also chased off the most fearsome dark wizard in history.
At this point, if Kitaro claimed he had slain a dragon, they'd probably believe him too.
"Kitaro, are you sure it was really Zeref?" Makarov asked seriously. If Zeref was still alive, this was a major crisis.
Kitaro nodded. "Yeah, no doubt about it. But there's no need to worry. If that guy ever comes after Fairy Tail, I'll take care of him."
If anyone else had said that, nobody would have believed them. After all, this was Zeref, the legendary dark wizard.
But coming from Kitaro? Somehow, it felt entirely possible.
Even so, Makarov still looked troubled. Zeref's legend was too terrifying—his power was enough to destroy the world.
"Master, don't overthink it. Zeref's been alive for 400 years, and the world hasn't ended yet, right?"
"...That's true."
Makarov sighed in relief. Zeref's reputation was frightening, but he had remained inactive for centuries. If he truly intended to destroy the world, he would have done it already.
Makarov himself had lived over eighty years without hearing much about Zeref, so perhaps there wasn't an immediate threat.
And just like that, a crisis that could have annihilated their guild was resolved without anyone even realizing it. If Kitaro hadn't said anything, no one would have even known what had happened.
The exam continued.
Kitaro and Makarov made their way to the First Guild Master's grave, waiting for the other examinees to arrive.
At that moment, the ethereal form of Mavis Vermillion materialized before them.
Makarov nearly jumped out of his skin. "F-F-First Master?!"
His reaction was understandable—after all, Mavis' physical body still rested beneath Fairy Tail's guild hall, preserved as Fairy Heart—an infinite source of magic power.
So, seeing this golden-haired, fairy-like girl, who looked exactly like Mavis, left him completely shaken.
"Kitaro, did you just say that Zeref was on this island?" Mavis asked seriously. She had been floating above them, listening to their conversation with the guild members.
"Yeah, he should be leaving the island right about now."
"Kitaro, Zeref is extremely dangerous... He..."
Mavis, too, had been cursed by Ankhseram. The more she cherished life, the more she unconsciously drained the souls of those around her.
"Yeah, I know. My soul is pretty resilient, so his curse doesn't affect me. But he's a threat to others, so I made sure he left."
Hearing that, Mavis sighed in relief. "That's good."
"Wait a second! Kitaro, you and the First Master knoweach other?!" Makarov was even more dumbfounded now. It was obvious from their exchange that the two were familiar with each other. But how?
"Yeah, when I arrived here, she was sitting on the tombstone. My eyes are special, so I was able to see her."
Makarov knew about Kitaro's eyes and their abilities, so he wasn't too surprised about that. But something else suddenly struck him.
"First Master... you're alive?!"
Mavis' body was still preserved beneath Fairy Tail, yet here she was. The situation was baffling.
"I'm not sure if I'd call it 'alive.' Right now, I exist as a thought projection," Mavis explained.
"First Master… your body…" Makarov hesitated. If she was a thought projection, maybe she could return to her body and truly revive.
Mavis shook her head. "I've already tried. I can't go back into my body."
"If you're still here, why haven't you returned to the guild?"
Mavis smiled. "I'm in this form now—what's the point? Besides, Fairy Tail is in your hands now."
The people she once knew were long gone. And she had made mistakes in the past—ones that made it difficult for her to face Makarov.
"No matter what form you take, you'll always be Fairy Tail's First Master. If you return to the guild, everyone would be overjoyed."
Mavis hesitated. She had been feeling lonely on the island for a long time.
Just then, a voice rang out.
"Found him! Hey!"
.
.
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