Chapter 5: The Black Magician Zeref!
**The Black Magician Zeref**
[Beneath the Hammer of Fate]
Swish!
Slash!
The air around me hummed with the rhythm of my strikes—each swing of my white katana cutting through the air with a deadly precision. I had been at it for days, uninterrupted, not once feeling fatigue. My body, still immature and underdeveloped, moved as if powered by infinite energy, a quiet hum of focused determination fueling each movement.
*My ear is itchy... Someone must be speaking ill of me.*
I paused mid-swing, bringing the katana to a rest, and absentmindedly rubbed my ear. *It's definitely Gildarts. It feels like I haven't punished him enough yet.*
Though I had no real proof, I instinctively placed the blame on him. After all, who else could hold a grudge against me?
Lost in thought about what I might do to him next, an ominous presence suddenly made itself known—an overwhelming, suffocating dark energy.
*This feeling...? It should be him.* A smirk crept beneath my mask, unknowingly. *I never imagined I'd run into Zeref here. I chose this isolated place to train in peace, but it seems the universe has other plans.*
I wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from my forehead and sheathed my katana, setting off toward the epicenter of the ominous death energy. It wasn't far from where I was training.
**Meanwhile, in the Heart of the Forest**
"Stop! Don't get closer to me…"
A man, probably in his twenties, dressed in white robes, black hair disheveled, turned sharply to face me. His warning echoed in the heavy silence of the forest.
But I ignored him, walking forward as if I hadn't heard a word.
"Hey, stop!" The man shouted again, voice rising in urgency, before he quickly distanced himself. But it was already too late.
The **Curse of Contradiction** was in motion.
"Ahh... no! It's coming!" he cried out in a panic, recognizing the power he had unleashed.
*The Ankhseram Black Magic…* I thought to myself. *A cursed art designed to kill anything it touches—a miasma of death, a black fog capable of erasing life.*
I was already confident in my theory, but I had to confirm it. This was a test—a simple test of my understanding.
The black miasma began to reach me, swirling around my body like a poisonous fog, but I felt no pain, no shift in my reality. Nothing.
*It worked.*
Zeref, the Black Magician, looked on in horror as the realization struck him. "Oh no! I killed someone again…" His voice faltered, but then, his eyes widened in shock. He looked at me in disbelief. "You... How is it possible?"
*So it's true,* I thought to myself. *Under the Curse of Contradiction, life is consumed by death. But I… I'm not alive. I'm a consciousness without a physical body, like a ghost. Something akin to Mavis... existing in the real world, but not truly living.*
It's ironic, really. The curse, which could slay the most powerful of beings, had no effect on me. But a simple knife would do the trick. My avatar, this body of mine, is like a machine—a soulless doll that I control. And while it's invulnerable to the Curse of Contradiction, once my magical energy is depleted, this avatar will cease to exist.
Though I can regrow limbs, like a lizard's tail, I'm not invincible. And the curse had no power over me because I'm not a living being—I'm just an avatar. Yet, I can still be killed.
I didn't feel the need to explain myself, so I quickly activated my hypnosis.
"My name is Kyoka Suigetsu..." I murmured, my voice laced with a chilling calm. "We'll meet again soon, Black Magician Zeref Dragneel, the emperor of the Alvarez Empire, and brother of END."
With a swift motion, I imitated the technique of Obito Uchiha, summoning a vortex on my right eye. The swirling rift began to pull at my body, and within moments, I was gone—absorbed into the time-space dimension.
Zeref stood frozen, gazing around in stunned disbelief, still unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"Why is he unaffected?" he whispered to himself, his mind racing. "More importantly… he knows Natsu... Kyoka Suigetsu... Who are you…?"
Zeref's voice trailed off as he stood alone in the forest, still grappling with the inexplicable encounter. A sense of unease settled over him. The person who had just left, the one who was immune to his most powerful curse, had to be someone far beyond his understanding.
And his words… *We'll meet again soon.* The weight of those words lingered in the air as Zeref stood lost in thought, the forest surrounding him eerily quiet.
I didn't go too far, though. In Zeref's perception, I vanished into a vortex, transported into another dimension. But the reality was far simpler—I simply walked away from him. There was no need to get involved further.
Meanwhile, Gildarts had begun his search for Kyoka Suigetsu.
I had already left him a trail, small breadcrumbs scattered across the land, knowing he'd be compelled to follow. It was amusing, really, how predictable he was. Despite spending most of my time honing my swordsmanship, I needed to prepare for what lay ahead. My journey had begun. The legend of the **Black Calamity** was starting to take form.
As for how I knew Gildarts would come after me? Simple. I owed him a debt. Regardless of his motives, I planned to leave just enough of a trace to guide him here. The dark guilds might even come to me themselves. That would save me the trouble of hunting them down.
If Zeref was known as the Black Magician, then I would call myself the **Black Calamity**.
Why?
Because my purpose is to strike fear into the hearts of the dark guilds. Sure, I could have named myself Dark Calamity, but *Black Calamity* has a much more ominous ring to it. The reason I leave a few survivors behind is simple—so they can spread the tale.
I am no hero, no savior. I declare that I will hunt down the dark guilds, and I do so with one goal in mind: entertainment. Some people might mistake me for some kind of justice-bringer, but the truth is far simpler. I kill because it's fun—because it sharpens my magic, my swordsmanship, and because I want to carve my own legend.
It's a game to me.
Along the way, I've plundered and eradicated countless dark guilds, most of them small-time organizations barely worth noting. I haven't come across anyone truly notable yet—no Oración Seis, no Grimoire Heart, no Tartarus. I guess that's because I'm only skirting the edges of the real action, walking on the borders, dipping my toes in the shallow end.
Besides, isn't Oración Seis still in its infancy? Balam Alliance didn't rise until X784, and right now it's still X772. A long way to go before any of the big players rise to prominence.
But I'm aware of the experiments going on, the puppet strings that are already being pulled. Brain, with his mysterious plans, is already testing the waters. Uru, for instance, has already fallen under his genjutsu.
But that's not my problem. I'm not here to save her. I'm not a simp for MILFs, I'd rather fight one MILF (terrorist group) than protect one. If she's stuck in Deliora's clutches, that's her issue to deal with.
And besides, could I even defeat Deliora? That beast was powerful enough to take Uru a decade to defeat after casting absolute freeze. I'm not a fool. I know my limits.
I'm not like Gray, who, after obtaining a small amount of power, suddenly believes he's invincible.
Even if I wanted to help, what could I really do? Deliora has already fallen prey to my genjutsu, trapped in an illusion that holds him in place. It's all a trick. While I could slash him, I don't have the demon-slaying magic, super-magic, or lost magic required to truly defeat him.
Sure, it'd be great to turn him into a mouse or something equally absurd, but realistically? That's not going to happen.
The thing is, if you're truly set on helping others, you've got to help yourself first. There's no point in getting caught up in others' problems if you're not strong enough to face your own. So, I've pushed aside those unnecessary thoughts and refocused on what matters—growing stronger.
Developing new magic is no easy task. But thankfully, my accumulated knowledge—gathered from watching countless anime and learning from the obscure—gives me several ideas to work with. I've been testing some out in private, refining my craft.
For now, I continue to practice my swordsmanship, hunting down dark guilds wherever I find traces of them. Every time I eliminate one, I get a little bit closer to my goal. I also take time to meditate and increase my magic power, searching for new techniques and refining my abilities in silence.
It's a long process, but the path is clear. There's no rush.
**Three years have passed, and now I stand at the age of nine.**
Gildarts, despite his reputation, still hadn't managed to track me down. The best he could do was hear whispers of the "Black Calamity"—a name that sent chills down the spines of small-time dark guilds and provided a sense of relief to those beyond the reach of jurisdiction. He could have easily found me by now, but instead, he seemed preoccupied with his own missions, or more likely, the distractions of women. I couldn't help but feel the urge to teach him another lesson—perhaps the next time our paths crossed, he'd remember who he was truly dealing with.
Little did I know, my story was beginning to take shape beyond my own understanding. I had become a figure—a man dressed entirely in black, save for a scarf that veiled my face, and a gleaming white katana at my side. I hunted dark guilds and monsters, a thankless task, and yet, my presence left ripples wherever I went.
Others, aside from Gildarts, began to take notice. The council, for one. Though what I did could be deemed as good, they didn't care about the righteousness of my actions. They simply sought to benefit from me, to seize control and turn me into their hunting dog. But they were naive to think they could manipulate me. I was always one step ahead, cloaked in the invisibility of my Kyoka Suigetsu.
Their plans, their desires—they were meaningless. They were nothing more than pawns in a game they didn't even understand.
Three years of relentless training. My power had now ascended to 6 stars. Yet, I wore the same tattered clothes I had worn back then—clothes that had been with me through the struggles and the growth. I had learned a magic that allowed me to repair and clean them automatically, simply for the convenience of it. It wasn't flashy, but it kept me from having to bother with mundane tasks.
I chuckled to myself, standing on the edge of the precipice of my next decision. *Should I head to the west continent and see what trouble I could stir up?* It wasn't a plan driven by any specific goal, but rather the desire to stretch my wings, to push forward into the unknown and see what challenges awaited me. There were rumors of the Alvarez Empire that I couldn't shake—perhaps I could pay them a visit and land a punch on someone just to see what would happen. It wasn't out of deep hatred, but more out of some strange sense of fate. Something I *must* do.
For now, I let the thought settle in my mind, knowing that whatever happened next, I would be ready.
I'd certainly considered heading to the Alvarez Empire, just to punch someone and leave. No deep-seated vendetta, just a gut feeling that it was something I needed to do, something I must accomplish. Why? I couldn't explain it exactly. It was like a strange calling, a compulsion to do something that felt both trivial and monumental at the same time.
As I reflected on that goal, I was reminded of the peculiarities of my powers, specifically my illusion magic. It had grown sharper over the years, and I was confident that it would work on anyone I targeted—except for one: Acnologia. *The Dragon Slayer.* My earlier cockiness nearly cost me dearly. There was a brief, terrifying moment when I thought I might lose my Avatar to him, but thankfully, to him, I wasn't anything worth killing. At least, not yet.
I'd run into him by accident. He was normally hanging around the northern continent, but for some odd reason, fate decided we should meet while I was practicing my swordsmanship. It was an opportunity I couldn't let slip by, so I immediately activated Kyoka Suigetsu to hypnotize him, summoning billions of dragons to the illusion.
But of course, nothing happened.
I wasn't exactly expecting a miraculous result, but still, the failure stung. Acnologia noticed—there was no hiding it—but he didn't make a move. He didn't need to. In his eyes, I was just a magic weapon with a personality, hardly worth his attention. Probably because of Zeref, I reasoned. That man's name was enough to pull even the likes of Acnologia into this twisted web of fate.
Despite the failure, I wasn't without my unexpected gains.
I now knew for certain that there were only a handful who could resist the pull of my Kyoka Suigetsu. Gods, aside, the most prominent among them was Acnologia himself. It was frustrating, yes, but there was something oddly reassuring in knowing that even the fiercest opponents weren't beyond the reach of my powers—unless, of course, they were like him.
Secondly, those wielding magic powers of five stars and above are exempt from the effects of my passive, which instills a deep and unsettling fear in its target. Third, individuals possessing little to no magical power at all—though this is more a matter of my passive's influence—are likewise outside the reach of its full potency.
Fourth, anyone who dares to physically touch me directly finds themselves shielded from its effects. This is only natural, as when I merge with Kyoka Suigetsu, we become an inseparable whole. Anyone who comes into contact with me while my abilities are activated is thus immune to its effects.
Lastly, those who are blind are, unfortunately, largely unaffected by Kyoka Suigetsu's power. The crux of its might lies in the need for my adversary to behold me, not simply in passing but with an intense, unwavering focus. Although I've devised alternative methods of hypnosis, these still demand that they gaze upon me, regardless of my form, their attention fixated.
Beyond these exceptions, the most straightforward method of overcoming me is to strike me down in a single blow. Death holds no fear for me; I can always send forth another vessel. Yet, once I fall, Kyoka Suigetsu shatters—its once formidable power reduced to that of a mere broken blade, its edge dulled, its purpose lost.
I wasn't ready to part with Kyoka Suigetsu just yet; after all, it stands as my ultimate weapon. Though I am capable of releasing sword ki, my heart remains devoted to the art of illusion—its subtle, deceptive nature calls to me in ways no raw power can.
As I brooded on my next move, a voice broke the silence, sharp and laden with intent.
"I finally found you... Kyoka Suigetsu."
I turned slowly, feeling the weight of the words in the air before even seeing the speaker. Standing before me was none other than Gildarts. For nearly a year, I had made my home in a quiet town near the kingdom of Fiore, ever since my fateful encounter with the black dragon. Since that time, I had remained still—patient, deliberate—waiting for the right moment to strike.
"Gildarts, huh…" I muttered, almost to myself, as his presence settled into my awareness.
Without hesitation, I activated Kyoka Suigetsu, prepared to strike swiftly, to punish him for daring to seek me out. But what occurred next was completely unexpected.
"You cast the illusion again, didn't you?"
From his perspective, nothing had changed; to all outward appearances, I hadn't moved a muscle. Yet somehow, Gildarts saw through the veil of my illusion with an eerie precision, as though he could feel its pull.
"Impressive. You actually realized it?" I couldn't help but offer a begrudging compliment. It was rare to find someone who could detect the subtle workings of my craft—but in the end, his awareness changed nothing. The outcome would remain the same, regardless of his insight.
Gildarts clenched his jaw, his voice thick with frustration. "You bastard! I didn't endure that illusion for nothing!" Ah, it seemed I had left more than just a fleeting mark on him—there was a lingering trauma in his tone.
"More importantly, it's not just an illusion. It's hypnosis—a complete control of all five senses, right?" His calm words cut through the air, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of understanding in his eyes.
"Yes, but knowing that won't save you," I declared boldly, unsheathing my sword with a fluid, almost careless motion. "After all, you're still going to die here."
To my surprise, Gildarts only smirked, as if my words held no weight. "That won't happen. If you truly wanted to kill me, you would have done so long ago. Besides, I don't feel any killing intent from you."
Without a hint of hesitation, he simply sat down at the table I had been using, not even bothering with the smallest apology for his intrusion. As if claiming ownership of the space, he continued, "How about it? Would you consider joining Fairy Tail?"
I had expected this, of course—an invitation from the famed guild. "You chased me all the way here just to ask me to join your guild?" I asked, arching a brow, my curiosity piqued.
"Hahaha, well, while I did want to invite you, our meeting here is purely coincidental," he said, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin that couldn't quite mask the mischief in his eyes.
"You're too obvious…" I chuckled lightly, though there was admiration in my gaze. His approach was clumsy, yet effective—much like the guild itself, I assumed.
I didn't know much about the specifics of the plot, but I recognized that aligning with Fairy Tail would accelerate my path to notoriety. Many of the events and individuals I wished to encounter would inevitably be intertwined with their fate.
With a resigned sigh, I dispelled the illusion, allowing Kyoka Suigetsu to fade, and met his gaze with newfound sincerity. "Sure, I'll join. However, there's one condition. Fulfill it, and I'll gladly become a part of your guild."
His smile widened, an expression of genuine pleasure. "What is it?" he asked without hesitation. When I revealed my condition, he responded with a surprising ease.
"I thought it would be something more… elaborate, but this? Well, no matter. It's good to have you with us. In Fairy Tail, regardless of your rank, we are all family."
*'I already know that…'* The thought flickered through my mind, but I kept my expression neutral, allowing no emotion to color my words.
I nodded simply, my gaze unwavering. "Let's go then. Lead the way, and I'll follow."