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Zeref had always enjoyed writing. Even as a young child, before everything he loved had been ripped away, he delighted in copying down the letters his mother showed him. He had always tried to get Natsu to practice with him, but his little brother never entertained the suggestions. He claimed it was boring.
Zeref had no idea how Natsu found it boring. Writing was… Writing was creation.
That became all the more apparent with his schooling, and all his advanced learning. During his time at school, he became especially interested in script magic. Solid script was the easiest to learn. Unfortunately… he couldn’t accomplish what he wanted to with solid script magic. It could do some amazing things, but couldn’t write new laws for the universe.
His teachers, advisors, mentors, everyone who knew him, warned him not to delve any further into his studies than he already had, warned of the consequences that would come with such actions.
He didn’t listen. Why should he? It wasn’t like they understood. Understood what it felt like to watch your little brother die in your arms, watch him smile one last time, worried over Zeref being alone.
They got more insistent, more urgent. They told him that everyone had someone they wanted back, he wasn’t special.
But that wasn’t it. Zeref knew he wasn’t special. Natsu was.
He didn’t give up on his studies, delving deeper and deeper into script magic, moulding it to his needs and whims. He knew it could give him what he wanted, if only he pushed it hard enough.
But the others were right. He’d pushed too hard. And the universe said no.
Stop now, that entity had whispered to him. Stop now and you may be spared.
Zeref hadn’t cared enough to listen.
Maybe he should have.
If he had listened, maybe he wouldn’t have written those monsters into existence, cursing the world with their presence.
“Did you hear about the disaster that happened with the Locksers and the Fullbusters?”
“Please, I’m the one who had to deal with all the damn paperwork.”
“We had to do paperwork? It was right on the border, though.”
“Yeah, technically they were Fiorans, so we got the brunt of it.”
“Is it as bad as they say?”
“Over three thousand dead.”
“Gods.”
Anna stopped in her tracks, before forcing herself to rush forward and tap one of the magic council members on the shoulder. “Excuse me,” she began.
“Ah, Miss Heartfilia,” the council member greeted. “Are you here about the Eclipse Gate again? I assure you, it’s still on schedule to be done in another two years.”
She shook her head. “No. Well, I mean, yes, that is why I’m here, but that wasn’t what I was going to ask you about.” She cleared her throat, deciding to start over. “What were you just talking about? It didn’t have anything to do with Acnologia, did it?” He hadn’t been sighted in Fiore just yet. She knew it was only a matter of time, considering the few remaining dragons lived here, but she was hoping the relative peace would last until at least the Eclipse Gate was finished being built.
“Oh.” The council member shook his head. “No, it has nothing to do with Acnologia. This is a whole different disastrous freak show.”
Anna frowned. If the Magic Council was involved, it didn’t necessarily have anything to do with war. Had a magic user gone rogue? Or were the guilds that were beginning to form already causing troubles? “If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly did happen?”
The council member sighed, and motioned for the other to go on without him. “Considering who you are and who you associate with, I assume you know about the Etherious?”
Anna’s blood ran cold. Of course she knew what the Etherious were. Though, she supposed they technically weren’t common knowledge, and she wouldn’t blame the government if they were trying to keep them under wraps. “Yeah…”
The council member nodded. “Turns out they can have children with humans, and last week, one of the families with demon blood went completely feral, butchered over three thousand people before they finally got put down.”
Anna gasped, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. “That’s… That’s awful. Is… Could something like that happen again?”
The council member shrugged. “Sure, probably. Though this time was a lot worse thanks to the damn Lockser clan’s meddling.”
“Huh?” Anna had never heard of the Locksers. Were they a family of wizards? If so, they must be pretty young, nowhere near the strength of the Heartfilias yet.
“The Locksers. They fancy themselves demon hunters.” The council member leaned against the wall. “I suppose they’re normally pretty good at their job, considering we haven’t actually had to deal with the Etherious, even though they first appeared about eighty years ago. They’ve been killing any weaker Etherious they get their hands on, and keeping demon hybrids in check, before killing them when they started causing issues.” He groaned. “Well, then this happened. Way I understand it, they tried some spell to keep the hybrids from turning into full fledged demons eventually, and it backfired, made the hybrids worse somehow, and all those villages in the countryside were the price for that mistake.”
Anna tried to ignore the lump in her throat. That was horrible. And Zeref was the root cause of all of this, all because of his attempts to resurrect Natsu.
Natsu, who was the same as the things that had caused all that death and destruction.
“Was that all you needed, Miss Heartfilia?” the council member asked.
Anna shook her head, trying to dispel her darkening thoughts. “Y-Yeah. Sorry, I overheard you, and got a little curious. I’ll let you get back to work.”
“This is certainly interesting,” Seilah said. “I knew they would turn on each other, but I didn’t expect it so soon.”
Kyoka scoffed and kicked at a severed leg. “This wouldn’t have happened if you knew how to keep it in your pants,” she said as she glared at Jackal.
Jackal rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t the one who fucked a Fullbuster.”
“You’ve fucked humans, though,” Kyoka said, still kicking at corpses and body parts.
“Please stop disturbing them,” Seilah said as she held her hand up to cover her nose and mouth. “The stench is awful.” She didn’t understand why Mard Geer had sent Kyoka and Jackal with her to investigate this. Just one of them was a handful on these types of missions.
Jackal bounded down from the roof he lounged on to press against Kyoka. “Come on. You’re really going to tell me you’ve never taken a human home for the night? I know none of us are fucking you.”
Kyoka snarled and shoved him away. “Get off me, asshole.”
Seilah sighed and shook her head. “Stop flirting with each other, and I suggest everyone stop having fun with humans in this way. It’s going to expose us to the general population, and that could be an issue.”
“Well…” Kyoka grinned and turned her attention to the village’s entrance. “We let those Locksers continue, we won’t have to worry about it.”
Seilah followed her gaze, to the pikes sticking out of the ground, with the heads of the Fullbusters decorating them. Dried gore decorated the metal, and the crows and ravens had already picked their eyes out, and were already working on the rest of the corpses strewn about the village. “They could be an issue as well, though,” she said.
Jackal threw his head back and cackled. “Seilah, you can’t be serious! I mean, yeah, sure, maybe a group of humans could handle one of the lower tiered Etherious, but one of us? Someone that actually matters? Hell no!”
“You would be wise not to underestimate them,” Seilah warned. Overconfidence was one of the deadliest things in the world. She knew she was difficult to kill, but she also knew it wasn’t impossible.
“For once, Jackal is right,” Kyoka said. “You are giving these pathetic things far too much credit.” For good measure, she kicked a decapitated head so hard it went flying.
“Kyoka,” Seilah growled.
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”
“At least this is the last goddamn village we have to dig through,” Jackal said. “I mean, this is the one where they finally bit it, so they couldn’t massacre anyone else.”
Seilah hummed in agreement. While she found the concept of human/Etherious hybrids fascinating, actually dealing with them was a nightmare. She understood why Mard Geer sent them to do this, to cover up the evidence before anyone other than the Locksers and Fiore’s government learned what was going on, but it was still an annoyance. “Jackal, start burning.”
Hundreds of years later, the Locksers were still dropping Fullbuster corpses left and right. They never burned the bodies. Most often they were left out to rot, but occasionally, the more compassionate Locksers might give them a proper burial.
Not that that stopped Seilah and the rest of the Etherious from digging up their corpses to experiment with.
Because the thing about the Fullbusters…. They should have been eradicated hundreds of years ago. But here they were, still stubbornly clinging to life, even after the Locksers had wiped out every other family line that carried Etherious blood in their veins.
It was mostly a hobby for Seilah. She liked seeing how the Etherious and human blood melded together, but there were a couple of Etherious morbidly curious about the Fullbusters as well. In fact, quite recently, Keyes requested that if they ever find a freshly dead one, they should give it to him.
Seilah’s current theory for why the Fullbusters were so much better at surviving and more powerful than other hybrids had been, was because of their strong connection to magic. They could all be exceptional wizards if they really wanted to be, but the vast majority of the family never did anything with their latent ability, that was sure to only be amplified by their Etherious heritage.
“Oh…” Seilah mused. “That’s very interesting.”
“What?” Kyoka got up, and leaned over Seilah’s shoulder. “What is it?”
Seilah rolled her shoulder, dislodging her, before shifting her scalpel to her other hand, so she could grab a pair of tweezers to better prod at the Fullbuster woman’s heart that she was currently dissecting. “This feels… similar to slayer magic.”
Kyoka narrowed her eyes. “Slayer magic?”
Seilah nodded. “Yes, though it’s been a while since I’ve experienced it myself. Jackal!” she called. “Come here! You like to go out and bother those god slayers that were created not that long ago. Does this feel like slayer magic to you?”
Jackal grumbled, but got up from his spot and walked over to the table the body was sprawled across. He leaned down to sniff at the exposed heart, then grabbed one of the lungs to shred it open with his claws.
“Hey!” Seilah protested.
“Easiest way to tell if someone’s a slayer is to go for the lungs. Those breath attacks do weird things to ‘em,” he said.
“How the hell do you even know that?” Kyoka asked, still giving Seilah a pouty look for pushing her away.
Jackal picked away chunks of the lungs. “You think I just kill those god slayers? It’s more fun to completely tear them apart, babe.”
Kyoka picked up a chunk of muscle that had been cut away and chucked it at Jackal’s head. “Don’t call me babe.”
He hissed as it smacked against his cheek. “Fuck off, babe.” Then he held out the demolished lung. “Look. There’s little flecks of metal in there. She use metal magic?”
Seilah shrugged. “It’s possible. Her blood smells far more metallic than usual.”
Jackal nodded and set the shredded organ back on the table. “There ya go. She’s a slayer then.”
Seilah frowned. “Now how is that possible…?”
It took the dissection of several more Fullbusters for her to come up with a hypothesis as to why they were suddenly learning slayer magic.
And it was that they weren’t learning slayer magic.
Over time, their Etherious blood was becoming more and more diluted. It still held the Fullbusters in a strong grip, as tainted blood could never be completely done away with, but they were now significantly less Etherious than they were hundreds of years ago, obviously.
Seilah had looked into slayer magic. Specifically, dragon slayer magic, since god slayer magic was a newer thing, a human created magic, she had learned after some study, which wasn't what she was interested in. Dragon slayer magic changed the body, altered it, made it more and more into the thing that it was meant to destroy.
It was ironic, in a way that Seilah absolutely loved.
Anyways, even though Irene Belserion had been hailed as the creator of dragon slayer magic, Seilah had the feeling that that wasn’t quite true. Oh, Irene may have discovered how to spread it more easily, teach it to others, but based on what was happening to the Fullbusters now, Seilah believed that slayer magic had always existed.
It existed to create monsters, meant to wipe out their own kind. A type of self destruct sequence for different creatures.
Perhaps that was the real reason dragon slayer magic had arrived as quickly as it had, before dying out right alongside the dragons.
Because the Fullbusters were evolving into slayers on their own, and because of their Etherious side, they were evolving into Etherious slayers.
Had their Etherious blood started the change into slayers? Or had they started becoming slayers on their own, but made, specifically, into Etherious slayers because of their blood, rather than some other type of slayer?
Seilah wasn’t sure if she would ever have the answer to that question, but she did know that the Fullbusters were turning into a whole different breed of monster than what they had once been.
They may end up becoming a bigger issue than she and the rest of Tartaros had originally believed, unless the Locksers finished the job.
“Seilah, you need to get out of this stuffy lab,” Kyoka urged, before wrapping her arms around Seilah’s waist. “Jackal is going to come looking for us soon.”
Seilah set down her dissection tools, and leaned back into Kyoka. “I know. I got busy.”
“The Fullbusters aren’t going anywhere,” she said.
Seilah sighed, not sure if that was completely true. There were only two more Fullbusters left. A man, who was bound to begin his descent into madness any day now, and his very young son. They might very well be the last ones, especially with the Locksers still on their trail. But she didn’t say that to Kyoka, because she wouldn’t understand. She would say it was a good thing if they died out, then they wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore.
But without them, Seilah wouldn’t have her favorite mystery anymore. What would she do without being able to look forward to her next Fullbuster dissection? Seeing just how they had changed between generations this time?
“Come on,” Kyoka urged again. “Bed.”
Seilah nodded. “I’m coming.”
“Silver, honey, are you okay?” Mika asked as she laid a hand on his shoulder.
Silver stiffened, but raised his head to offer his wife what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’ll be okay, Mika.”
She didn’t look convinced, and sat down next to him. “The black markings on your hand are getting worse.”
He glanced down at it, wishing it wasn’t true, but she was right. The marking covered nearly his entire hand now, and was even beginning to creep up his wrist.
“I think you should go to a healer,” Mika urged.
Silver shook his head, before wincing. Damn, he hadn’t expected even a little gesture like that to make his pounding headache worse. “There isn’t a healer alive that will be able to help with this.”
“You’re not cursed,” she said, voice soft. “I don’t believe that.”
“Heh… I didn’t believe it either.” Why should he believe his father? The stories he’d told about their family didn’t make a damn bit of sense. Demons weren’t real, there wasn’t a family of hunters after them. But now…
Now, it was starting to make a type of sense that set him on edge. His father had been brutally murdered when Silver was teenager, and his sister had died in a similar way just a few years ago. Now this black marking had appeared, and showed no signs of stopping. Never mind the shards of ice he’d started to cough up.
All he could hope was that he hadn’t passed whatever this was onto Gray.
Ur and Sarah Lockser sprinted through the mountains, hot on the trail of Deliora. The demon seemed to have set his sights on another mountain village, not unlike Ur’s old home.
“Do you think we’ll get there in time?” Ur asked.
Sarah grimaced. “I don’t know. We got a late start, he’s at least a full day ahead of us. Damn, I should have found someone to take care of Juvia so Jason could come with us. I don’t like the idea of just the two of us taking on Deliora and a Fullbuster at the same time.”
Ur laughed. “I’m sure we can handle it!” She’d been hunting demons with the Locksers for two years now, ever since the death of Ultear at a demon’s hand. “We’ve never had an issue before.”
“Gray, baby, you have to run!” Mika told her son. “You have to get out of here!”
Gray shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I-I-I don’t—I can’t leave you! Mama, I don’t wanna leave you!”
Mika choked back a sob and cry of pain as she shifted. Her hand pressed against her abdomen was the only thing keeping her organs inside her. “Please!” she pleaded. She held out her shaking, blood covered hand. “You have to. You can still survive!”
Gray sniffled and grabbed her hand. He turned his head, to look towards Silver’s corpse, but Mika shook her head. “Look at me, Gray. Look at me." He shouldn’t see that. He shouldn’t have to see any of this.
He turned his attention back to her, the tears cutting lines in the gore splattered across his face. His lip wobbled, but he steeled himself. “I won’t leave you,” he said.
Mika shook her head. “I’m telling you too, Gray. Understand me? I’m not asking, I’m telling.”
“But what about you!?” he wailed, his composure breaking.
The demon roared, more screams echoed. Gray needed to get out of here while it was still distracted with the others in the village. “I will die,” she said.
Gray jerked his hand away. “No! No! I’ll get you out of here! I promise!”
Mika let out a wobbly sigh. She wouldn’t cry. Not in front of him, not in her final moments like this. “Gray… It’s too late for me.” She removed her hand, and it took everything in her not to gag as she watched her insides tumble from the gaping hole in her stomach. She couldn’t even feel the pain anymore, which only told her how close the end really was. “Please. You don’t have to die with us. You can survive.”
“Mama!” Gray jumped forward, and wrapped his arms around her chest, burying his face in the crook of her neck.
With the last of her strength, Mika reached up to pet his hair. “I’m sorry…” The demon’s roars faded to static in her head. “I’m so sorry, baby…”
The world faded, and Mika could only hope that Gray listened to her and ran away.
Break the curse, Gray. Break your family’s curse.
“I’ll live, Mama,” Gray said. “I promise, I’ll listen to you.”
Mika’s hand fell.
One survivor.
One little boy, born of the Fullbuster bloodline. Not even Sarah had survived Deliora’s attack.
Ur swallowed the lump in her throat. She had to be strong for the boy. She would not break down while she carried him away from the wreckage that had once been his home.
She would have to tell Jason about the death of his wife. Gods, Juvia was going to grow up without a mother… She was only eleven…
The boy curled against her chest, his tears soaking into her shirt, mixing with the blood.
Ur grit her teeth as she hiked through the snow, swearing to herself that this boy wouldn’t suffer the same fate as every other member of his family. A sad, short life, followed by a brutal death. Not if she could help it.
She was never going to let another child die on her watch again.
She hadn’t been able to save her little Ultear, but she could save this boy.
“You’ll be okay,” she promised. “Everything will all be okay.”
“Well, well, well, looks like Keyes is going to get his wish,” Jackal said as he shoved aside the rubble.
“What?” Seilah asked. “What did you find?”
Jackal prodded at the corpse with his foot. “That’s a Fullbuster, ain’t it? Body’s still intact, and he’s only been dead for a few hours.”
Seilah grinned. Not only would Keyes be pleased, but now she could speak to a Fullbuster in person, ask him questions. She couldn’t help the squeal that escaped her.
“I’m telling Kyoka I made you make that sound,” Jackal said with a smirk.
Seilah glared at him. “Whatever, you prick. You’re lucky we keep you around at all.”
Jackal leaned down to pick up the corpse, slinging it over his shoulder. “You wouldn’t break up with me. If you did, who would carry corpses around for you?”
“You know, I can carry my own corpses,” she reminded him.
“Perfect!” Jackal shifted it around and dumped it in her arms. “Have fun with your corpse.”
Seilah grumbled as she shifted to get a better hold on the corpse, but couldn’t deny she walked right into that one.
“Things are finally coming together,” she said as they left the ruins of the village. It was almost time, just a few more years.
It was almost time for Lord Zeref to return.
“Mom is dead?” Juvia asked, her wide eyes so, so empty.
Her father nodded, his own eyes brimming with tears.
Rain descended on the village.
And it did not stop.