The Spade Amongst Clovers

Chapter 157 The Instinct Called Fear

"What are the terms of the contract?"

Echidna was shocked by Kyoya's answer. The boy didn't even look like he was going to reject her. However, he wasn't going to foolishly accept a deal like this. The magic knight in front of her was anything but dumb. With a smile forming on her face, Echidna let a chuckle escape from her lips as she looked at the boy.

"The terms of the contract, I will start with how it will benefit you. First, the limbs that were irreparable due to the casting of Zeref's spell will be returned to their original state. By tapping into the Book of Wisdom, I will apply the memory of your body in full health onto your real body since it has been recorded in the memories of the world. Secondly, you will be given access to the castle of dreams without need of my interference. This way you enter and exit whenever you please. Finally, you will be able to utilize the spells of Zeref himself from within the tome you possess without having to pay as hefty of a price as you did against Lucifero. This will be done by implanting the soul of Zeref residing in his book into your own soul which resonates with your ancestor."

This was too good to be true. He was benefitting too much from this deal to his liking. Just having his body back to normal would be a miracle on its own, but to also get access to that power that helped him defeat Lucifero as well? That was way too much of a bonus. He knew there had to be a price.

"And what will you get in return should I agree, Echidna?"

"That's simple. The flow of time within the Castle of Dreams is different from the outside world. Though the effect on the outside world is sparse. So, in return for your benefits, you will give me permission to bring your physical body into the Castle of Dreams once I repair it. Next, you'll spend a year's worth of time in here to fully master not only your own magic, but as well as the Dragon Slayer Magic within you along side Zeref's power. Finally, you will assist in defeating Lucius Zogratis and Acnologia."

"Tell me everything you know about this Lucius Zogratis first. After that, I will decide on forming the contract with you."

It was obvious this Lucius person has something to do with the Dark Triad. However, Kyoya refuses to go in blindly or let his emotions blind his judgement. Right now, he needs information more than anything. After hearing his response, Echidna happily obliged.

"Lucius Zogratis is the eldest of the Zogratis siblings and the host of the devil Astaroth. He was born with two souls within his body. The other soul being the Wizard King that you know as Julius Novachrono. He hid himself within the Clover Kingdom and allowed Julius to possess his body, all for the sake of his plan."

"Wait. Are you saying that all this time, the Wizard King was the enemy?"

"Yes and no. While it is true that Lucius and Julius both possess the same body, doesn't mean that they share the same mindset and views on the world. Both souls in the body are real, Julius and Lucius are both "real one" so to speak. It's more accurate to say that the enemy merely used Julius as a means of hiding."

"Okay, but why has he suddenly starting moving and what exactly is his plan?"

"A year and three months have passed after you killed the part of Lucifero that manifested in our world. During this time, Lucius travelled to the lowest parts of the underworld to defeat the remaining half of Lucifero and consumed his heart. Not only that, he took control of the remaining devils in the underworld as well as retrieving all of his siblings along with the mage known as Moris. As for his plan.....it's to kill and recreate humanity, ruling over it as the Final Wizard King."

Kyoya couldn't believe what he heard. This all sounded like some twisted way to rule over the world. He couldn't allow this to happen. No matter what, he needs to make sure Lucius' plan never succeeds. As he looked at the witch in front of him, Kyoya sighed as he had no better choice.

"Fine then, i'll do it. I'll make sure Lucius and Acnologia are no longer an issue."

"With that, our contract is sealed. We'll spend a year and three months in this space. By the time this is over, you'll be a walking force of nature."

"Alright then, train me so I can protect everyone, Echidna."

"Very well, Kyoya Fullbuster. I'll make you into a magic knight capable of making even Acnologia tremble."

~Meanwhile~
"I still find it hard to believe that Kyoya couldn't be healed."

As they were on their way back from a mission, both Ultear and Mukuro were seen heading back to the Clover Kingdom. Juvia would've been with them, but she had to attend a ceremony. As of now, Juvia was the vice captain of the Blue Rose Knights. Meanwhile, Ultear let a sigh escape from her lips.

"What's the matter, Ultear?"

"You know the reason, Mukuro. Once again, we couldn't find any leads on helping Kyoya recover. It feels like we keep reaching nothing but dead ends."

Truth be told, ever since Kyoya came back from the Spade Kingdom and they saw his condition, Mukuro and Ultear tried their hardest to search for a way to heal the ice mage. However, no matter where they looked, they simply couldn't find a way to help Kyoya.

"Well then, let's at least report back to the kingdom before we go on another search, Ultear."

"Yes, that's probably the best course of act-"

"I can smell them. The scent of Zeref and a fellow Dragon King."

Mukuro and Ultear stopped moving as if their bodies refused to move any further. Right now, they felt a magic power so vast, it made the Wizard King look like an ant in comparison when he had his original body. As their eyes darted around the area to find the source of this feeling, they suddenly saw a man standing right before them. Just the mere presence of this man made them question commiting suicide just to escape from this man's path.

"Did you know? Fear isn't a mere feeling. It's an instinct, one that activates when one's life is threatened and they desperately look for a way to survive."

"....who is this man? How did he appear in front of our faces so quickly? No, more importantly.........can we even fight this guy?!"

"So then, as someone who has never felt fear, do you know the reason why I am liberated from such an instinct? It's because nothing on this planet could make me fear for my life. My name is Acnologia. The end has come."

The Dragon King has finally started to move.