High amidst the clouds, a magical airship soared through the sky. This was the mobile base of the dark guild, Grimoire Heart.
"Master Hades, you may have already heard," Ultear Milkovich said as she stepped into the chamber.
"What is it, Ultear?" Hades asked calmly.
"The Allied Forces have defeated the Oración Seis and destroyed Nirvana."
"To be expected," Hades replied. "But what of our goal?"
"We are still searching for the key to unsealing Zeref Dragneel. Nirvana's disappearance is a trivial matter that doesn't affect us much. However... I have concerns."
"And what would those be?"
"I wonder if even Zeref Dragneel would be a match for that man," Ultear said, her voice tinged with worry.
"Hmph... Are you actually afraid?" Hades' mustache twitched slightly as he let out a soft snort.
"I hate to admit it, but yes, I am. I heard that he destroyed Nirvana with a single kick. Nirvana was gargantuan, yet he didn't seem to break a sweat. I can't see through him at all. Who exactly is he?" Ultear admitted her thoughts directly, making no effort to hide her apprehension.
"He's just a brat," Hades said. "Powerful as he may be, there will always be an opportunity to deal with him."
Hades didn't claim absolute certainty this time. Every action Chen Fan took brought a greater shock to the world. Not knowing what other secrets Chen Fan might be hiding, Hades knew he had to be cautious. After all, he was a man who had once led a great guild himself.
Ultear remained noncommittal. Though she rarely saw Hades fight these days, she doubted even he was a match for Chen Fan. Chen Fan, just who are you?
On a calm sea, a large ship sailed under the gentle sunlight. The warmth was incredibly refreshing, and Chen Fan and the others were sprawled out on the deck, soaking it in.
"Ah... this feels so good," Lucy Heartfilia said, stretching lazily.
"Yeah. After such a heavy job, this is definitely the best way to relax."
"There is one thing I'm quite concerned about, though," Erza Scarlet said, her voice dropping into a serious tone.
Seeing her expression, Lucy became curious. "What is it?"
"Do you remember what Master Roubaul said?"
"The Master of Cait Shelter? What did he say?"
"He said that excessively powerful strength inevitably gives birth to an opposing force. Is Nirvana powerful? Yes, it is. It's a magic that can flip the scales between light and dark. And yet, before Chen Fan, it was as fragile as glass. If Chen Fan is a power even greater than Nirvana, what kind of opposing force will that birth?" Erza mused.
Lucy fell into a deep silence. They had only focused on Chen Fan's strength, but if such a theory were true, what would they do when the counter-force appeared?
As they pondered, their gazes drifted toward Chen Fan. He was currently fast asleep, enjoying a rare moment of peace. He was even drooling a bit, looking as though he were in the middle of a wonderful dream, his lips puckering occasionally as if he were kissing something.
"Uh... seeing him like this actually makes me feel pretty safe," Lucy deadpanned.
"Yeah! Perhaps my worries were unnecessary," Erza agreed.
"By the way, Master Roubaul said there were two boys, right? One was Chen Fan, but who was the other?" Lucy suddenly remembered.
Erza froze. The itch of curiosity was too much to bear. She quickly gestured to Wendy Marvell, who was standing nearby.
"Wendy! Come here for a second." Lucy waved her over.
Wendy ran over. "What's wrong?"
"In your memory, who was the other person who brought you to Cait Shelter? We're really curious!"
Erza nodded alongside Lucy.
"He said his name was 'Jellal,'" Wendy answered.
"Jellal!"
"Jellal?!" Erza stood up abruptly, while Lucy gasped and covered her mouth in shock.
Their voices were loud enough for everyone on the ship to hear.
"What's wrong with Jellal?" Wendy asked.
"Does that mean Chen Fan knew Jellal from a long time ago?" Lucy wondered.
Erza had already marched over to Chen Fan. Thud! With one kick, she sent him flying straight into the ocean.
"Why?!" Lucy cried out, face-palming.
"Big Brother Chen Fan!" Wendy was terrified. She rushed to the railing and looked down, only to see Chen Fan floating on the surface of the water. Not a single drop had touched his clothes. She sighed in relief, but Chen Fan still had his eyes closed.
"I know you aren't actually asleep! Get up right now, or don't blame me for being rude!" Erza shouted at him.
Realizing he couldn't fake it any longer, Chen Fan opened his eyes and stretched. "That was a good nap. I accidentally rolled off into the sea."
"Sigh... deadpanning at yourself," Lucy muttered.
"Don't play dumb with me. You know exactly what I want to ask," Erza said to him.
"Ah... looks like you've figured it out."
"Big Brother Chen Fan, what happened to Brother Jellal? Why did Lucy and Sister Erza react so strongly when I mentioned his name?" Wendy asked worriedly.
"Jellal!" Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster had also overheard the conversation.
"Where is Jellal? I'm gonna take him down!" Natsu shouted, flames spitting from his mouth.
"Shut up, you fire-breathing idiot! Your spit is scalding me!" Gray punched Natsu.
"What! You bastard, you actually hit me? I'll kill you!" The two immediately began brawling on the deck.
"Both of you, shut up!" Erza roared. The two jumped in fright and immediately stood at attention.
Suddenly, Natsu felt a wave of dizziness. He turned pale and collapsed on the deck, his eyes spinning.
"Natsu! What's wrong?" Happy asked.
"Ugh... I'm gonna puke..."
"The magic's duration has run out!" Wendy explained.
"What's wrong, Wendy? Did something happen?" Carla flew over.
"Wendy said that the people who sent her to Cait Shelter weren't just one personit was two. One was Chen Fan, and the other was Jellal!"
Everyone was stunned. "What? Jellal? That means Chen Fan and Jellal have known each other since seven years ago?" Gray asked.
"Is that true, Chen Fan? Have you known Jellal that long?" Happy flew near Chen Fan's shoulder.
"Big Brother Chen Fan, did Brother Jellal do something bad? What happened to him?" Wendy asked.
Chen Fan patted Wendy's head. "It's nothing. The Jellal they are talking about isn't the same person we met."
"Not the same person? Are they twins? Ah, that's it, they're twins!" Happy nodded, convinced he had solved the mystery.
"Shut up, you stupid cat. Listen to Chen Fan," Carla snapped.
"What exactly is going on?"
"You all know that person. Calling him Jellal isn't exactly wrong, but they are indeed two different people."
"We know him too?" Everyone looked confused.
"You'll find out when the time comes. Don't you believe my words?"
"Your words are the least believable of all!" everyone chorused.
"If you don't believe me, then why did you ask!" Chen Fan grumbled. "Just don't worry about it for now."
"How could we not worry?!" they shouted again.
Chen Fan waved his hand. "I promised that person I wouldn't say anything. But I think it won't be long before you hear the truth about his origins from his own mouth."
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