Reading in-depth records on a legal guild was boring work. Meredy almost missed her spars with Zancrow as she read through them and organized her notes on each member. Mirajane sounded like she had the potential to be quite formidable, yet public records indicated she had not taken a job in nearly five years now. Likely, the takeover wizard lacked practice and that made her threat level lower than it once would have been. She still posed a greater threat than her brother simply due to her takeover magic proving to be more versatile than his; she had the ability to perform full-body takeovers for her demon forms.

Continuing on, there were some quite apparent threats in the list. Gildarts Clive was clearly dangerous and must be handled efficiently during their confrontation. Of course, Hades would be skilled enough to deal with the threat that was their guild master, but perhaps Zancrow or Azuma would be talented enough to deal with Gildarts. She'd contemplate the match more once she had a better grasp of all members.

For the most part, the guild left her to work in silence knowing she did her best planning when left alone. Practice fighting against powerful opponents with a magic as non-combative as her own led her to be strategic and creative in fights. Zancrow's flames would burn through anything and he wasn't the sort to form emotional bonds; she'd developed meguility rays in response to have some form of offensive attack. During one of her rare spars with Azuma, she'd discovered that she needed means of harming those that hid away within inanimate objects. Thusly, meguility sodom was born as a means of directly targeting one's sense of pain. As such, she grew to be capable of navigating difficult battles despite her limitations.

Still, Master was the only one not content to leave her be. Her notes were offered as regular reports on her progress. He had been pleased with her successful recovery of the public records on the guild, though he'd claimed it couldn't have changed much since he was last with the guild. Still, the latest information was ideal for a proper plan. Hades spent his time focusing on strengthening the guild - while the Kin of Purgatory were at seven members, he was hoping to increase their ranks to combat the strength level of Tartaros. So, he was seeking out more wizards with lost magics, a difficult latent ability to find.

She was about halfway through the records when a knock came to her door. Meredy lifted her head from her work desk, frowning as her eyes moved across the black walls to face the door. "Who's there?"

"An assistant." Ultear opened the door without further invitation, walking inside and tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Master is seeking out details on new members and a back-up plan now that Deliora is beyond our reach. Until he has a new mission, he ordered that I assist you in strategizing the confrontation with Fairy Tail."

"I can handle it." Meredy looked away with a frown. "This is what I'm good at."

Chuckling, Ultear shook her head. "Perhaps, but you are still just a kid." Meredy's frown deepened while Ultear smiled at her expression. "Cheer up. You were trusted to assist in tracking Zeref down. That was a great honor, a testament to your skill and loyalty to the cause."

"Master didn't even give me a chance."

"Well, he gave you more of a chance than anyone else in the guild." Ultear shook her head. "I assure you, you are useful. I have yet to see reason to throw you back to where we found you at least."

"Ul!" Meredy shook her head. "Don't joke about that." She still had nightmares about the destruction of her home. As much as she tried to shake it off, Meredy often found herself at Ultear's door, asking if she could sleep on the floor in her room just so she could be near the reassuring sound of someone else's breathing.

"Sorry." Ultear sat down on the bed, reaching over to snag the top paper off of her stack of files. "Might as well start on this work if I'm such an irritation to deal with. Just pretend I'm not here…" Ultear's voice trailed off, her teasing tone becoming more sober as she kept staring at the page.

Meredy frowned, tilting her head at the older wizard. "Ultear?" There was no response. Walking over, Meredy pressed a hand onto her shoulder. The time wizard flinched, her head shooting up to meet Meredy's eyes. The paper slipped from her hand, falling into her lap. Meredy caught a glimpse of the name on the wizard's profile - Gray Fullbuster. Still, she only let her eyes linger on the sheet for a moment before looking up at Ultear again. "Is everything alright?"

A dark smile flickered on Ultear's face. "Oh, everything is perfectly fine." Her hand pressed down on the paper. "That rotten boy…he shows up at the most irritating of times, it seems. Honestly, I should have seen this coming. It must be fate that we meet one day, that I have this chance to destroy him."

"Is Gray a powerful wizard?" She didn't know what else to think. Ultear wasn't typically this eager to destroy without good reason.

Laughing, Ultear threw her head back. "Who knows?" She shook her head, looking over at Meredy. "Do you really want to know about him? Why I'm so glad we will be taking everything from him so soon?"

Swallowing, Meredy slowly nodded. There was a hollow ache in her chest as she stared at that expression on Ultear's face. It didn't belong on her, not when she was so wise and helpful with Meredy's magic. Ultear was gentle and knew when to stop before things went too far in their spars. True, Meredy had gotten hurt in their training matches before, but with Ultear, it was always an accident. She'd teach Meredy how to react better in the future to avoid injury next time. So, if listening would help calm Ul, Meredy would listen and do whatever it took to make her smile.

"Because he's nothing but a rotten thief, stealing away everything that was rightfully mine!" Ultear threw the paper aside, her shoulders shaking. "You know about our goal, don't you? About how Zeref will bring about the Ultimate Magic World and complete all of our lost magics to their perfected forms." It was all Ultear talked about. Meredy didn't know much of how it would change her magic, but she understood it would make her stronger. With it, she'd be able to finally consider herself strong enough to prevent a tragedy similar to her past from occurring yet again with her new family. It was why she was drawn to this world, along with the fact that bringing it into existence would be the best she could do to repay Ultear for saving her when she was weak.

"I've never truly spoken about this with the others, you know." Ultear sighed, shaking her head. "But, I think out of all of them, you might be the only one to truly understand. You see, this entire world has done nothing but take from me. I seek the Ultimate Magic World so I can perfect Arc of Time's greatest spell, Last Ages. I want to reclaim my life, Meredy. Once I am able to, I can give you the chance to do the same."

Meredy went still, staring at Ultear with wide eyes. "I can…have my family back?"

Ultear nodded with a smile, patting the bed next to her. Meredy quickly sat down by her side, feeling Ultear wrap an arm over her shoulders and pull her against the time wizard's side. "Of course. And I'll get mine back." She reached down, picking up the paper and setting it between them. "Gray is a mere insect in the way of that plan. He stole my mother away from me. If it weren't for him, I would have had a home to return to…I never would have been forced to fend for myself or learn to—"

Ultear's grip tightened as he glare deepened. When Meredy squirmed, she broke off, taking a deep breath and shaking her head. "Sorry. I easily let my emotions get the best of me, when I think too much on the past." Rightfully so, based on that story.

"It is only natural to be upset." Meredy looked down at the page. "Losing one's family is painful. You deserve to find justice for what you've lost." Meredy might not be able to track down who'd murdered her own family, but Ul had already found the culprit for what she'd lost. "I will help you. When we begin our battle with Fairy Tail, I will ensure Gray Fullbuster meets his demise."

Ultear chuckled, shaking her head and giving Meredy's shoulder one last squeeze. "Oh, don't worry too much over me. As I keep saying, it's everybody for themselves in this guild."

"But not between us." Meredy gave her a faint smile. "I'll always have your back, Ul. I promise, I will never betray you."

The time wizard stared at her with an oddly blank expression. Meredy's smile faded, wondering if Gray was still bothering her. However, Ultear eventually turned away, staring at her lap with a sigh. "Do as you wish. I'm not going to stop you." She set aside Gray's profile, shaking her head. "For now, give me some of your unfinished records. We'll split up the remaining work and then discuss strategy together, okay?"

With a grin, Meredy began to divide up the remaining work. They began to research in silence, the only noise being the scratching of pencil on paper as they both took down notes of what was important. Beginning a new page in her notebook, Meredy quickly jotted down the one note she could confidently make on her ranking to prioritize enemies from within the guild. 1. Gray Fullbuster. He would suffer for making Ultear lose so much in her past. Meredy would make sure of it, even if it was the last thing she ever did.

The man Zeref trapped scanned and read the rules of the enchantment quickly. Gray didn't even know what terms Zeref had used, but Jellal was quick to give a response to whatever he had seen. "If you think this counts as trapping me, you are gravely mistaken. Escape is far too simple, after all." Zeref smiled at him, his eyes open as he remained seated on the ground. Everyone else was tense and ready for a fight, with Lucy holding her keys, flames in Natsu's fists, and Lyon standing ready to use his maker magic. "Etherion."

Gray had no idea what it meant, but he immediately felt Zeref's mind kick into a rapid pace of thoughts. He couldn't exactly get a solid feel of any of them; the man was running through calculations and computations mentally that just made no sense to Gray. However, the barrier around Jellal fell and Gray glared at Zeref in response. "What the hell? Did you seriously just trap him and make it that easy for him to get out?"

Zeref was still in his own mental world, however. Gray turned back towards Jellal, preparing to make a prison around the guy like he'd used on Zeref. Hopefully, this one wouldn't be able to just teleport away from that trap. Before he could do anything, another light flashed and more words stood before Jellal, trapping him once more. "You planned on my escape?" When no one replied, Jellal laughed, slowly clapping for them. "Well, congratulations, I suppose. But, if you think this will hold me forever, you are greatly mistaken. I have others who will complete my task and then the black wizard will reward me with freedom."

"No, I don't think he will." Zeref seemed to have finished his thoughts and responded once more. He looked up, blinking a few times before widening his smile. "Though, I will be commandeering this tower for myself. No one seems to grasp just how viable it would be as a potential way to end my existence."

"Black, we just—" Gray broke off, feeling Erza grab his arm. The other wizard shook his head, frowning at Zeref.

"Don't. He's not going to give up on this, Gray. If you keep at it like this, it's only going to result in another fight." Erza paused. "Aren't you always calling out Natsu for picking fights he can't win? None of us are powerful enough to stop him if he's determined to fight us off." She folded her arms over her chest and took a deep breath. "Don't get me wrong, I don't want him to die. But I can…handle that outcome more than I will tolerate the idea of seeing anyone on our team go down with him." She let her eyes focus on Gray, her expression softening. "At least this way, none of us have to get involved."

"It would cause some benefit, at least. Who knows how many more demons out there are as destructive as Deliora? Without him, they'll all be gone." Lyon crossed his arms over his chest, frowning at Gray. "I'm surprised you even care, considering that fact. I never had issue with his desire for death and I thought you'd agree that he has the right to make such decisions regarding his own life. It was the use of iced shell that we all objected to; forcing another to suffer in the process of achieving such a goal was the true problem with his plans."

"Is anyone going to pay attention to the fact that we've got some strange man trapped on the ground in front of us, or no?" Lucy interrupted, while Gray stiffened, thinking about Lyon's words. Erza commented something about him not being able to leave for a while, but Gray hardly heard her. If Zeref died, his demons went with him. Why hadn't he realized it sooner? His gaze flashed towards Zeref and the black wizard seemed to smile sadly, nodding his head once. It was a confirmation, agreeing to Gray's own dark thoughts.

"You bastard, if you think I'm letting you go through with that, you're wrong." His team turned towards him, startled by Gray's sudden declaration. "Lesson number one on valuing life: don't go and do something that'll get others killed." Gray prepared himself, taking in a deep breath and taking aim. "Ice Make: Wall!" Ice shot along the floor, before rising to create a wall where the entrance to the next floor was. Zeref glanced it, sighing and shaking his head.

"This again? Though, I suppose this is a bit different than your previous attempts." Zeref paused, tilting his head. "You aren't targeting me, so it isn't quite so foolish. And…there is no true malice in your intentions either. Just how do you think you can succeed and hinder me, without actually targeting me?"

"Didn't we just decide it wasn't worth this? Gray, we have other matters to focus on!" Erza glared at him, but Gray wasn't going to drop it. He couldn't just go around blurting out Zeref's past and secrets; most likely, none of them would believe a word of it. However, Zeref also was bluntly honest about even the darkest of truths. Natsu would die with him, if Zeref succeeded.

"Yeah, I really think you should listen to Erza, Gray." Happy was chiming in, not understanding Gray's motives.

Shaking his head, Gray scowled and repeated his spell, blocking off another exit as Zeref began walking towards it. Stepping closer, Gray got a bit more daring in his actions. "And don't even think about just teleporting to the top of the tower. I'll come with you, damn the consequences to me, just like I did when you dragged me to Galuna Island."

"Even knowing the risks…?" Zeref trailed off, his eyes wide. "Well, at least I can confidently say you've kept one promise. Clearly, your knowledge has not hindered your opinion on that…particular subject."

"Shut up!" Gray began calling on his magic again. "Ice Make: Geyser!" True, attacks were pointless, but Zeref had been pissing him off from the moment this weird puppeteering spell was cast. Maybe Gray was getting used to it, but now, he was starting to truly comprehend that any plan the man made to kill himself was also a plan that would kill innocent people. "I'm going to stop you, damn it! I will do it…"

"Again, I ask you how?" Zeref smiled, easily recovering from Gray's spell just as expected. The man dusted himself off and was looking around the room. "Ice is a fragile thing, easily destroyed. Breaking through to walk to a higher floor wouldn't be difficult. Altering my traps to contain you would also be a simple matter. Overall…between the two of us, it would be easy to say who the victor would be. However, despite that knowledge and all that you know of me, you still act as if you will succeed. My curiosity…that is the one thing, I suppose, that has me lingering for a moment. After all, I do have some level of patience after living for so long."

How? That was the question. Gray could go all out in a fight against Zeref, but nothing would come of it. "Gray, he is quite valid in his points." Lyon reached out, pressing a hand to his shoulder. "Whatever your reasons may be, stand down and let him go, before you truly get hurt in this battle."

Gray wasn't going to lose anyone else, damn it! Why didn't they see how dangerous it was to just let the man go? There was no telling who he'd try to resurrect to begin with and if it succeeded—Gray's gaze flickered towards Natsu. Even the hot-headed dragon slayer was standing down, frowning but not moving to interfere. "Good people will die, if we let him go through with this." He couldn't reveal anything about Natsu, but there was another group that came to mind. "Think about Galuna Island. I'm not denying that there are destructive demons out there…but can you guys really live with yourselves, knowing that you just let an entire island of peaceful people die because it just seemed like too much of a challenge to stop him?"

"Oh, this truly is entertaining." Jellal spoke before others could interrupt. "Tell you what…if you are that invested in stopping him, I can give you the key to success, wizard of Fairy Tail. I'll explain to you how to become my servant and resurrect Zeref…and then it'll be a race between the two of you, to see who will manage to select the sacrifice of their choosing."

"Jellal…this isn't like you! We don't need to—"

"Tell me." Gray spoke, looking towards Jellal calmly. Yet, keeping a calm expression was becoming more difficult every second. Activating the tower himself would mean becoming like Zeref. He'd only lived for a few moments like that, surrounded by that curse. It had been horrible and Gray had lost track of almost everything except his own pain. To do this now, he'd have to choose a sacrifice as well. He wouldn't be able to sacrifice his team either, not for some stupid plan like this. Yet, maybe…maybe he'd be able to give Zeref his answer anyway, with his choice. "I'll activate the tower for you to resurrect Zeref, no problem. And I'll make sure Black isn't the one to sacrifice himself for this idiotic suicide plan of his."

Even Zeref looked stunned, meeting his gaze with wide eyes. "You—why? You know what will happen. You know the costs."

"Because you won't stop until you have your answer." Gray crossed his arms over his chest, meeting Zeref's gaze. "My options are limited and this seems like the best—" Gray broke off, realizing something. He was planning on sacrificing himself anyway, so maybe there was another solution after all. Glancing towards Lyon, Gray frowned. He was the only one who'd even know what Gray was doing, out of this group. No one else would recognize the starting stance for iced shell, so now, the problem with that plan only became getting Lyon out of the way.

"You fight with him all the time…argue with him, insult him, claim he is inferior…" Zeref trailed off, his brow furrowing. "I see signs of friendship, but what pushes you to such lengths? It will gain you nothing! I have the key I need to accomplish this goal myself, if need be. Stopping me now will only be temporary…you won't—"

"Oh, I hate to interrupt, but with his agreement, my plan is being pushed into motion." Jellal cackled, glancing around at them all. "In fact, it began the moment you first arrived here, when I thought I'd have my chance for success. There is no stopping it now. Twenty minutes…that's the time we have left to live. Succeed or fail in that time, I care not…for after twenty minutes have completed, we'll all be bathed in the burning white heat of the heavens."

"How would you…" Zeref trailed off, before blinking. "You've infiltrated the magic council. That's why the tower was never located and demolished beforehand…" He paused, as if lost in thought. "Which member, however? The newest members…who would be distrusted? Siegrain or Ultear? My inclination leans towards Ultear from past experiences, yet…is she truly connected to you? That seems unlikely…" Zeref seemed to be contemplating the situation way too much.

Either way, Zeref was distracted and they would be racing to reach the top at this point. Knowing which enchantments were broken for now, Gray walked around Jellal and towards the first exit he'd blocked off. Quickly, he shattered his own creation, moving to head higher up in the tower. Zeref saw him moving, shaking his head to free his thoughts before chasing after him. The rest of the team joined, looking confused and lost as to what was pushing Gray so hard.

"Gray…look, can't we just talk about this? I get that you want to protect those islanders, but there's gotta be another way!" Lucy was shouting towards him, but Gray ignored her. They needed to get away from the rest of the team, but Gray didn't know the tower well enough to lose their trail. Still, he did his best to keep an eye on Zeref and make sure he didn't turn off in his own direction. They were pretty much side by side in their race as a result, though Zeref got ahead by taking a different turn behind Gray, forcing the ice wizard to turn around and follow him instead.

Eventually, the sound of footsteps behind them grew quieter, indicating that they'd at least gotten far enough ahead for the rest of the team to lose track of their path. "Zeref." Gray called out towards him, breathing heavily and stopping. For a moment, the man hesitated, before stopping as well and turning to face him. "I'm not letting Natsu die. But, I've also realized something. No matter what I do next, I'm still sacrificing myself anyway, so I might as well make it count, if I really want to keep my friend safe."

"So far, for Natsu's sake. I still cannot imagine why you'd go to such lengths…" Zeref frowned, staring at Gray. "Wait, multiple options? You claimed you'd be…" Gray did his best to focus solely on the tower. If he took that path, he'd either be dead or cursed, depending on Zeref's own theory about how sacrificing oneself would work. Given the knowledge Zeref had, there was probably an even chance of either path happening, since the man wouldn't be so determined if it didn't at least have some chance of actually killing him. "Gray, there's no need for anyone else to be harmed with this. I told you before, this is my issue to resolve, not yours. Involving you originally…that, perhaps, was a mistake. A kind-hearted and determined man such as yourself deserves the chance to pull free from your dark history and not have a constant reminder of it nearby such as myself. Let me do this…and it will free both of us from this torment."

"You still don't get it, do you?" Gray stepped forward, spreading his legs in a wider stance as he prepared himself. "I've lost everything I cared about in my past. My family, my mentor, and even my closest friend who was raised like a brother to me. Finally, finally I've gotten myself to a point of getting back on track and you're talking about taking more away, yet again. The entire reason I became a wizard was to become stronger, to make sure no one around me had to die again. If you dying will kill Natsu, then I'm going to make sure you never accomplish that wish of yours. Not just because Natsu would die, either." Gray met Zeref's gaze, narrowing his eyes as he crouched slightly, taking another deep breath. "I said before that you were an ally and you keep saying you're an enemy. Really, you should be right. Yet, something about the thought of you dying just keeps nagging me, Zeref. I can't explain why, but I really don't want you dead."

Zeref was watching him, looking confused and standing still at Gray's speech. "Are you…are you claiming we are…friends?"

Snorting, Gray shrugged. "I'd be an idiot to say something like that, wouldn't I?" Letting out a sigh, Gray turned away. "But yeah, I guess I kinda am. So, that means that this is my answer, Zeref. Neither of you are dying and I know a way to make sure that stays true for all of eternity if I have to." Gray pushed his arms out, crossing them in front of his body and lowering his crouch. Magic pushed outward and Gray inhaled slowly. "This is the closest I'll let you get to that fate, Zeref, and I doubt even you can stop this if you wanted to."

"Stop…" Zeref's eyes went wide, finally seeing what Gray was doing. "Iced shell…you are using it now?" His gaze flashed, looking around. "You said you refused to use it…fought to find another answer…why? Why give in now, of all times?"

"Because I'm sacrificing myself for you either way, Zeref. This way, I can be certain you won't follow me into the grave."

Gray inhaled again, closing his eyes. His friends would understand and Lyon would explain what he'd done. Well, he hoped they would at least. They'd probably be confused as hell, considering the whole secret about Natsu's demonic side. Yet, this felt right. He was protecting them all, right up until the end. He was even protecting Zeref in a way, as strange as it sounded with what he was doing. Someone might actually find a way to unravel the spell again, like Zeref had done. Or maybe they'd just melt Gray away, like Lyon had tried with Ur. Either way, Natsu would live on, at least for a little while longer.

Just as Gray was about to finish the spell and release it, he felt a blast of wind lift him into the air, breaking his stance and cutting off the spell. "No." Zeref's hand was raised in front of him and he was watching Gray with wide eyes. "You will not meet that fate, Gray. I will not allow it."

"Oh yeah? What makes you think you can stop me?" Gray smirked, throwing back Zeref's own words. "You plan to die either way right now. What's stopping me from using this spell after you're dead anyway? Maybe I'll blame myself for all of the deaths around me, and rather than getting up to fight like I did as a child, I'll just give up like you have. Nothing says you have to be the only one who gives up on living, Zeref."

"I said I will not allow it." Zeref's gaze was hard and Gray stepped forward. It was dangerously close for Gray, given Zeref's curse, but he wasn't focused on that right now. "If you were not yourself…you'd be incapable of casting iced shell."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Gray raised his eyebrows. "Oh? So, you're gonna cast Changeling again on us? Because that's definitely gonna let you kill yourself without harming me."

Zeref's brow furrowed and the man touched his head. "Right." He was quiet again, taking a step back. Gray felt a slight headache growing in Zeref, which made the ice wizard frown. Zeref usually only got that headache when thinking about Natsu; thus far, Gray hadn't even paid a bit of attention to the man's thoughts. Gray had been too focused on hiding his own plans, which now seemed to be up in the air as Zeref refused to follow through on what had originally been his plan in the first place. "Get away!" Zeref's shout startled Gray, but it was enough to make the ice wizard stumble backwards a few steps.

He stayed there, watching as black magic erupted around Zeref. He'd seen this before, albeit on a lesser scale, on Galuna Island. Now, the man was hunched over and Gray could feel his scattered thoughts. Think about something else…anything else. You are not friends, he is meant to be a means to an end. Your plan…why are you stopping your plan? The thoughts were rambling and chaotic, flipping back and forth between how he viewed Gray. It was strange to listen to and Gray almost felt like he didn't belong in the man's mind right now. Something was too personal about it, almost like spying on someone by reading their diary.

"There you are!" Lucy appeared behind him, breathing heavily before turning her head back. "Guys! He's over here!" Her voice became a shout, before she turned back to the room and froze. "What…that looks like the spell from Tenrou Island." She stared at it with wide eyes while Gray glanced towards her, taking a slow breath in.

"It is." He paused, watching it slowly. It should have dissipated by now, yet it was still running strong. "Don't know if we need to give him more space or not, but it'd probably be a good idea to take a few steps back to be safe."

Lucy stared at the black haze for a moment. "I mean, I realized you two had switched, but it just seemed like it was so much stronger on Tenrou Island."

"I never really had a reason to learn how to control it before then, unlike him." He hadn't even been given the chance to find a mindset that would stop any sort of outburst from the curse. Zeref didn't have Fairy Tail's morals or their mindset about friends and family. The man was alone and in a way, it made it almost worse to hear his constant attempts to shove aside the notion Gray had proposed about them being friends.

The others were likely searching separately, so they hadn't quite arrived yet. However, Zeref's thoughts were still a haze, pulling Gray's focus away from his surroundings with ease. Think of him like your generals. A pawn…just a pawn, a tool and nothing more. He can say we are friends as much as he desires…yes, it means nothing, right? Nothing, yet…yet it does not feel like nothing. Why? Why now? Mavis…have you not learned your lesson from her? Death meets all you value. Do not value another…do not let yourself care…

Gray pressed his hands into his hair, inhaling slowly. "You know…thinking like that might actually make this worse." He didn't know if Zeref heard him or not. "You're only fighting against it so hard because you don't want to harm me. So, in a way, you're only valuing things more, as far as I can tell."

He's right. Then how? How do I stop? It has been so long…since I've lost control like this. Perhaps I haven't lost my grasp on valuing life after all. Was it always so painful to remember? I don't know…Gray sighed, loosening his grip and turning away.

Lucy was watching him, frowning as she sat down next to him. "Is he trying to regain control?" Gray nodded. "It must feel strange, being connected to him when he's like this. I can't even imagine what thoughts you must've heard from him thus far. I mean, he's the black wizard. That just can't be a pleasant mind to be in."

"He's not that bad, actually." Gray leaned back, sitting on the ground and leaning against a nearby wall. "The few memories of his that I have seen…it sorta makes sense, why he's done what he's done. Even if I don't necessarily agree with it, I can see the logic he has behind his choices."

"Even making demons?"

Slowly, Gray nodded. "Yeah…even that, I guess." He never would have imagined being so calm about demons existing. Yet, Zeref needed some form of an answer. Watching him now, Gray almost wondered if it would have been better, if he'd just moved faster and avoided giving a heartfelt speech about what he was doing. Yet, Fairy Tail had grown on him, it seemed. People gave speeches about friendship almost daily at the guild. Gray just never imagined he'd be giving such a speech to the black wizard, of all people.

No. It would not have been better, Gray. Zeref's thoughts came through, having lost their desperate edge. He'd calmed, but that didn't mean his magic had done the same. I thought I approached Lyon for iced shell out of a dislike for him…but perhaps that was a lie I told myself. Perhaps it was because I'd started to see something worth keeping around in you.

So, you admit we're friends now? Gray smirked, staring into the darkness. Kinda hard to deny it, when this magic reacts to you caring about life, Zeref.

Perhaps. There was a brief hint of amusement in the tone of his thoughts. Please, Gray. Don't…don't attempt to use iced shell again. I have not passed along the knowledge of how to reverse it properly and if you'd succeeded…that knowledge would have been trapped from your companions in a void created by magic.

Gray snorted, shaking his head. Upset because no one would be able to reverse it? That's not quite what I expected. Then again, Zeref wasn't like a normal person who would be upset over the actual threat of the spell.

The magic was gradually ebbing away, though Gray didn't quite know how or why. You know quite well that I wish to die. That side of the spell wouldn't bother me in the slightest. No…I simply feel as if you should not suffer that fate by my side. The man paused. Much like what you and your friends said before, I suppose, about preventing my death as well.

"So, where does that leave us?" Gray spoke out loud, startling Lucy after he'd been silent for a while. The blond blinked at him, before frowning into the magic that had shrunk down and was now only spiraling close to Zeref's body.

"I believe it leaves us attempting to prevent an Etherion Blast." Zeref tilted his head, sighing. "A shame. I didn't quite know what purpose I'd use him for next, but I had hoped to keep his true connections hidden for a little while longer. Though, otherwise, this tower would become quite unstable if unused."

"Wait, is that what Jellal was warning about before?" Lucy's eyes were wide. "You just let us wander around this tower, knowing we were all going to be killed by the Council's most powerful weapon?"

"Oh, it wouldn't harm us at all. The tower is designed to dissipate and absorb that energy…he truly did get creative with his plans, I'll admit." Zeref smiled, glancing up. "Give me a moment to contact him. I should have a way of stopping the blast…or at the very least, delaying it with a distraction."

"Who is he contacting?" Erza asked. Lucy and Gray both turned, looking behind themselves to see the scarlet haired mage watching with a frown. "I thought he was attempting to activate the tower, not intervene with something else."

"I think Gray talked him out of that…somehow." Lucy glanced over at the ice wizard, but Gray remained silent, staring at Zeref. There was no reason to share what he'd done, not with them. His team just wouldn't understand his desperation and Zeref likely wouldn't be comfortable sharing that info with them either.

"Then who is he contacting?"

Even Gray didn't quite believe the name he had heard in Zeref's mind. True, the guy would have a lot of influence, but it just seemed absurd to think that he was like one of those cultists or dark wizards that worshipped Zeref. Oh, he isn't like that. He's more like…my general, in a way. Like a military leader? That made even less sense. Have you not realized it by now? I actually am a powerful and influential leader. Just…not here.

That wasn't any more calming to know about. Still, his friends needed an answer. "From what I can gather…he's contacting God Serena." God Serena was legendary, known to be the most powerful wizard in all of Fiore. No one knew exactly what sort of magic the man used, but he'd definitely have some sort of pull with the council. Zeref's thoughts were faint, connected to another mind now with murmurs about Grimoire Heart, Ultear, and other names flashing around.

"The top wizard in the country?" Lucy stared at Gray, her eyes wide. "How does Zeref even know him?"

"Not a clue." It wasn't a question to ask about right now. So, Gray remained quiet, acknowledging the rest of his team as they gradually joined them. By the time they were all together, Zeref's outburst had faded completely and it looked like nothing had happened at all.

After a moment, Zeref nodded and looked towards the others. "Someone will be working on interfering with the Etherion Blast. The vote has already passed, so there isn't much he can do legally for interference…at least not through official channels. However, he should be capable of stealing away the energy charging the blast."

"That shouldn't be possible. Ignoring the concept of how difficult it is to absorb magic energy from an unknown source, there is also the fact that Etherion is charged using all elements combined into one. Its source is multiple elemental lacrimas, being used in sync to empower its blast." Erza frowned at him, and Zeref nodded.

"It is." He smiled, glancing over at Natsu. "For the absorption, I suppose you could say my contact is a dragon slayer. That makes it rather simple for him to…consume the energy."

"Wait, no way!" Natsu grinned. "That means I have the same magic as the strongest wizard in Fiore. Ha, take that Gray! One day, I'm gonna surpass you with my power because I'm gonna become at least as strong as God Serena."

"Only if you manage to learn each and every element possible." Zeref smiled, seeing Natsu blink in surprise. "God Serena is unique, in that sense." He paused. "He isn't a traditional dragon slayer, but his power manages to mimic one almost perfectly."

"So, possessing the ability to use every element allows him to absorb Etherion." Lyon nodded, looking away. "Seems like you know some powerful people, if you can manage to stop such a weapon."

"Oh, Etherion is the least of our concerns when it comes to Fiore's magical weapons." Zeref waved it away. "Now, if you want a dangerous magical weapon, Face would likely be the one I'd hold concern with. Quite deadly and self-destructive in nature, given what it would cause. I cannot even fathom who decided it was a brilliant idea to construct it, considering the outcome it would have."

"I cannot say I've heard of this weapon." Erza frowned, while Happy flew down and landed on Natsu's shoulder.

"Aye. Is it literally someone's face? That name just sounds weird…"

"I'd rather not get into the details of it, as a precautionary measure." Zeref stood up, walking towards them slowly. He stopped, staying quite a ways away as his gaze flickered towards Gray. "For now, I think it would be best if we resume our initial plans. I'm growing tired of this tower and my interest has faded. Let Jellal curse himself if he wishes…we have our own goals to complete that may render it pointless anyway."

"Sounds like you're finally getting into the spirit of destroying your curse, Zeref." Lucy smiled at him, while Zeref only frowned.

"Hardly. I simply wish to…" Zeref trailed off, pausing. "I suppose it does not matter." Gray felt the slight throb echo in his mind from Zeref's. That was far too soon, after the outburst the man just had. Frowning, Gray turned towards the man. Yet, Zeref said nothing, waiting for them to move before taking any step closer to them. "My mindset is changing. For now, it would be best to keep your distance from me. With the change in mindset will come a lessened level of control."

No one questioned it, coming from Zeref. It wasn't the sort of threat to take idly, after all. "Well, that's what we're here to handle, Zeref. That curse of yours will be taken care of in no time!" Natsu grinned, pounding his fist into his palm. "I'll burn it away myself if I have to, especially now that you seem to be actually wanting to find a way to come out of this mess alive." Was he? Gray wasn't certain. Zeref didn't argue with Natsu's assumption, though, and they turned back to start returning to the ship.