Chapter 123: The End of Time |
The events on the Alakitasia Continent were merely a minor episode in Yeruashi's life.
Wendy was quite strong in her own right, and under his guidance, she didn't worry much about the mission. Before long, the case was solved, and the stolen goods were returned to their rightful owners.
Afterward, Yeruashi chose to take Wendy on a tour of the Alakitasia Continent rather than returning immediately to the Ishgar Continent. It was a reward of sorts for successfully completing the task. They only returned a month later, once Wendy had satisfied her desire to travel through unfamiliar lands.
Deep in her heart, however, she wished the journey would last forever. No matter what they were doing, the young mage would never tire of it as long as Yeruashi was by her side.
Upon their return to Magnolia, the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial for the Fairy Tail guild began!
Many had been looking forward to its start.
Natsu and Gray, for instance, had been actively completing all sorts of missions in hopes of qualifying as S-Class mages.
The First Master, Mavis Vermillion, was also among those interested.
The mage classification system had undergone significant changes since Fairy Tail's founding, making it a point of fascination for her.
During a meeting with Makarov, the location for the annual exam was decided...
The Holy Ground of Fairy Tail, Tenrou Island!
Initially, the current Guild Master suggested three trials, but the First Master canceled one and added three of her own.
In the end, the exam consisted of five trials designed to test every quality a powerful wizard must possess, from raw strength and wisdom to heart and spirit.
Meanwhile, Makarov Dreyar could only sigh helplessly and complain about the difficulty of the exam.
It was no exaggeration to say they were facing the most difficult S-Class Mage Promotion Trial in the history of the Fairy Tail guild!
Yet, it couldn't be called impossible, especially considering the astonishing progress the younger mages had made.
Wendy's magic power, in particular, instilled a genuine sense of dread in even Makarov after her return from the mission with Yeruashi.
The Master was struck by a firm feeling that the young mage was now no weaker than the guild's eldest member—one of the Four Gods of Ishgar, Warrod Sequen.
Thus, she had more than enough strength to spare.
But.
Power alone was not enough.
S-Class mages of Fairy Tail were characterized not only by their incredible power but also by their wisdom and pure hearts.
After all, many missions required a wizard to possess far more than just brute force; they demanded a sharp wit.
Yeruashi was reading a book, sitting cross-legged at a low table in a very cozy, clean room.
Lying beside him, Mavis swung her legs playfully as she held the papers detailing the upcoming exam before her eyes, scribbling notes on a sheet with her free hand.
"Should I add anything?" she asked.
"Well, do as you see fit. In my opinion, you shouldn't take the exam too seriously," Yeruashi replied with a carefree smile.
She raised her hands and enthusiastically clenched her small fists in front of her chest. "How could I not? This is the first exam under my direction! I've developed comprehensive trials based on the qualities of the candidates!"
"Good girl," Yeruashi nodded softly in response to his student's energetic declaration.
He then turned his head, casting a thoughtful gaze out the window.
Seeing his pensive expression, a spark flickered in Mavis's eyes as they remained fixed on her teacher. "You... aren't going to leave, are you?"
"What makes you think that?" Yeruashi asked, looking back at her.
She stuck out her tongue playfully. "I can't read minds, of course, but a woman's intuition is never wrong... So, where are you headed? Are you leaving home for a long time?"
After a moment of thought, he replied, "No, not for long. And I won't exactly be gone. You only need to think of me, and I will hear you."
Yeruashi was indeed preparing to leave the world of Fairy Tail.
The goals he had set for himself here had already been achieved.
While the story of Natsu and the other Dragon Slayers was far from over, and the Black Dragon still soared in the skies, none of that particularly interested Yeruashi anymore.
Since he now possessed the ability to travel freely through the flow of time, his departure might go completely unnoticed by the inhabitants of the Fairy Tail world.
No matter how long his upcoming journey lasted, he could simply return to the exact moment of his departure.
Mavis and the others wouldn't even realize he had been gone.
Therefore, the word "departure" was only accurate for Yeruashi himself, not for those around him.
Sooner or later, he would return—he definitely would. It might be in the blink of an eye or after an eternity. It didn't matter; from the perspective of Mavis and the others, he would always be there.
Lately, he had been reflecting more often on the limits of his ability to control time.
Based on his current path of development, once he reached the peak of his powers, he would be able to exist everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. He would experience endless hours, months, and years, traveling across the vast reaches of the universe.
Perhaps that was what it meant to be a true God.
In many worlds, a God was defined simply as a more perfect, powerful, and evolved form of life.
But to become an entirely different life form—a true God in every sense of the word—one would have to transcend the boundaries of time entirely and reach the true end of time.
Life, as humans understood it, was incapable of even imagining the power of such a being.
Even for the current Yeruashi, it was difficult to fully grasp the concept of such an existence.
But.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he was following that very path.
'Hmph, wouldn't that mean that what I call "now" is also just a part of what I am experiencing in the future, having become a different form of life beyond the concept of time... but then, what happens to memory within such an existence?' The thought sent a slight shiver through him.
Yeruashi did not know if he would still experience joy and other human emotions once he transitioned into that other form of existence.
Would he even be able to consider himself part of the human race?
But he had no intention of stopping.
Even if he wanted to, he couldn't.
The systematic awakening of new time control abilities was forcibly pushing him toward new heights.
He was powerless to stop the growth of his own strength!
He had no choice but to keep moving forward toward the end of time, striving not to lose his way or himself along the journey.
"It's time..."
"First, I will return to the Bleach world and connect it with the Fairy Tail world within a parallel space-time. That way, I won't have to keep flitting from place to place..."
After thinking for a moment, he secretly decided to unify the worlds that were important to him.
Of course, the worlds of Bleach and Fairy Tail would not merge directly but would simply exist alongside one another.
He also intended to look into the past and attempt to retrieve several other worlds from different points in space and time to add them to the cluster containing the Bleach and Fairy Tail worlds.