"Boom!"
A colossal fist descended from the sky. Light Magic entwined with Giant Magic exploded on impact, leveling the earth in a radius of several hundred meters beneath Makarov's devastating strike.
Despite the magnitude of the blow, Makarov showed no signs of concern for Zed. Having witnessed Zed's might from across hundreds of kilometers, he knew full well—his own strength was insignificant in comparison.
So he didn't hold back.
As the dust settled, Makarov's body shrank back to normal, his gaze locked onto the crater below, where thick smoke churned like a restless beast.
Then—
A gust of wind swept out from beneath the rubble. With one casual breath, Zed emerged, blowing the smoke away like scattered mist. Everyone held their breath.
Zed stood unharmed. No protective barrier, no magic armor—just his bare body enduring that monstrous strike. Unscathed.
"You didn't defend?" Makarov asked, stunned.
Zed smiled. "Nope. Seems like our bodies now have absurdly high resistance to magic."
The others looked at each other in amazement. Magic, known for its limitless diversity and unpredictability, now held little threat. Zed's magic resistance had reached peak levels, echoing the invincibility of dragons in Fairy Tail—beings even the most elite wizards struggled to harm.
"You're practically a natural disaster for mages," Makarov muttered. "Even my strongest attack couldn't leave a scratch. At this rate, only the Four Gods of Ishgar might stand a chance of cracking your defense."
Though even that, he admitted inwardly, was doubtful.
And he was right to be skeptical. While the Four Heavenly Kings were formidable in Earthland, Zed was on a different tier entirely. Even Serena, the "God of Cold," would likely fall before him.
Fairy Tail's world was mysterious—manipulating time, reversing death, creating life. These aspects once concerned Zed. But now, with his enhanced resistance, he feared little. In terms of raw destructive power, he rivaled even Acnologia.
"Still," Zed said with a smirk, "I think this resistance is a blessing, don't you?"
Makarov nodded slowly. "Definitely. As long as you're on our side."
Zed chuckled, and the group made their way back to the Fairy Tail Guild.
Soon after, a thick vine stretched from the horizon and thudded into the ground. A humanoid figure, resembling a walking tree, stepped out before the guild.
"I haven't returned here in years. Wonder what's got Makarov so urgent?"
The tree-like figure was Warrod Sequen, one of the Four Gods of Ishgar.
His sudden appearance caused quite the stir.
"Who the hell is that?" Macao muttered, staring at the second floor. "He's… a tree?"
"Are you blind?" Kana snapped. "Didn't you see the crest on his cloak?"
Now that she mentioned it, Macao recognized the symbol.
"That's the mark of the Ten Wizard Saints!" Wakaba barked. "You've gone senile already?"
"But he's not one of the current Ten," Macao said, puzzled.
"Idiot," Loke cut in, arms folded. "He's one of the Four Gods of Ishgar."
The guild gasped in unison.
The Four Heavenly Kings were legendary figures—rarely seen, rumored to hold power rivaling nations. Their appearance was no casual event.
Inside the guild, on the second floor, Makarov met with Warrod in private. Despite his unusual appearance, Warrod was one of the founding members of Fairy Tail—an elder who had never once betrayed the guild.
Makarov briefed him on everything.
"Another world, huh? Fascinating…" Warrod mused. "But don't let this leak. Too dangerous."
"Relax," Makarov replied. "Only Mirajane, Elfman, Lisanna, and now you know. Others doesn't know the full story."
"Good. Now, what was so urgent?"
"We've begun awakening magic in our new allies. But they need help refining it. I hoped you could guide them."
"That's no problem," Warrod replied with a mischievous glint. "But I do charge a fee."
Then he broke into a grin. "Just kidding. I'd like to see this other world of yours."
Zed coughed awkwardly. He had heard of Warrod's infamous cold humor.
"Still as cringe-worthy as ever," Makarov muttered.
Zed, however, nodded. "Sure. You're welcome to come with us. You'll fit right in—even with that tree look."
Given the bizarre characters of the Gourmet World and the even stranger outcomes of Gourmet Cell awakenings, Warrod's appearance wouldn't raise eyebrows.
"There's one catch," Zed added. "There's no magic there. You can still use your spells, but they'll replenish painfully slowly."
Warrod understood and agreed without hesitation.
And so, the teaching began.
Warrod, despite his comedic demeanor, was a masterful mage. Having once studied under Zeref himself, his grasp of magical theory ran deep. His mentorship elevated the group's magic mastery rapidly.
But what shocked him most was Zed.
Everything Warrod explained, Zed absorbed instantly. Not only did he remember—he understood. And once he understood, he could replicate, refine, and evolve. All in an instant.
"Incredible… In over a century, I've never seen anyone grasp magic like you," Warrod admitted. "Not even Mavis or Precht. Only Zeref might have surpassed you."
Indeed, Zed's unparalleled control stemmed from his training in Food Honor and the unified Gourmet Cell technique, giving him a level of internal harmony and precision beyond any Earthland mage.
After mastering Warrod's teachings, Zed posed a bold question:
"I've been thinking... My current space magic is just short-range teleportation. But what if I refined it further—created a teleportation array, maybe even opened portals to other worlds?"
Warrod froze.
"That's… an extraordinary idea. If successful, it would revolutionize the entire continent."
Very few wizards had ever mastered spatial magic. Long-distance travel still relied on mundane means. Zed's idea—installing magical teleportation circles between cities—would dramatically improve mobility, commerce, and safety.
"I'll help," Warrod vowed. "And I'll ask some old friends to help too."
By "friends," he meant the other Four Heavenly Kings—excluding God Serena. Despite her power, Serena was all instinct and battle prowess, not intellect.
They needed knowledge, not brute force.
After reaching out, two more Ishgar Kings arrived at Fairy Tail. They were scholars, not warriors—ideal collaborators for Zed's vision.
The sudden convergence of these legends didn't go unnoticed.
Meanwhile, inside the Magic Council headquarters, panic erupted.
"All three of the Ishgar Four Heavenly Kings… gathered at Fairy Tail?!"
"What the hell's happening over there?!"
They convened an emergency session. For the Council, even one Ishgar King was a political earthquake. But three, united, in one place?
Something massive was unfolding.
And the Council had no clue what.