Chapter 658: Humans Have Limits! But I, Luo Fu, Do Not!

If it weren’t for Uru’s report to the Magic Council about Luo Fu’s situation, leading to Luo Fu being wanted by the entire world,

then even if Luo Fu had previously helped Uru and Gray fend off Deliora, he wouldn’t have minded assisting Uru and Urthia in mending their mother-daughter relationship afterward.

But now, he believed it was enough simply to reveal the truth to Urthia.

Luo Fu had his own internal standards.

Standing opposite Luo Fu, Urthia now felt the force binding her phantom form gradually fading, her figure becoming increasingly insubstantial.

“If Itachi’re lying to me, I’ll make Itachi pay,” Urthia said, her mind in chaos, before her phantom vanished on the spot.

With Urthia’s disappearance, Jellal’s expression turned to disappointment.

In truth, Jellal didn’t care whether Urthia was truly the real Ralph; to him now, Jelluf was little more than a name from a story.

What he truly cared about was the power Urthia, while impersonating Jelluf’s spirit, had promised him.

That was what Jellal cared about most.

After enduring the cult’s torture, Jellal’s temperament had changed—he now cared only about his own strength.

Even his former companions had grown less important to him in pursuit of power.

Having dealt with Urthia, Luo Fu’s gaze finally settled on Jellal, his little brother.

Before entering the shared space, Luo Fu had been the undisputed leader, the elder brother of their small group.

Yet among the group, the two closest to Luo Fu were Erza and Jellal.

The cult’s Tower of Paradise was a place where these children lived in constant peril, having grown up accustomed to death.

Even within Luo Fu’s small group, members had changed countless times.

Not every child could survive the hunger and grueling labor of the Tower of Paradise.

Luo Fu, Erza, and Jellal were merely those who had lived longer and interacted more, forming deeper bonds.

That was why, even after entering the shared space and awakening his past memories, Luo Fu still viewed Erza and Jellal differently.

Gazing at Jellal, Luo Fu felt as if he sensed the boy’s inner resentment.

“Jellal.”

“Big Brother Luo Fu,” Jellal smiled.

But that smile plunged Luo Fu’s heart straight to the bottom.

Though Jellal’s temperament had twisted after the cult’s torture, he was still too young, his acting too crude—not yet the polished deception he’d later perfected after lying to Simon, Wally Buchanan, and Hugh.

Of course, Jellal could deceive Simon, Wally Buchanan, and Hugh only because no one had ever suspected him.

The upheaval at the Tower of Paradise had shaken these children deeply; when Jellal stepped forward and blamed Erza for everything, even his mediocre acting gave them an excuse.

Over time, Jellal’s acting grew increasingly refined; now, Jellal was little more than a shoddy child lying.

Luo Fu saw through Jellal’s false smile at a glance.

In that instant, Luo Fu knew the little brother who once followed him was gone forever; the cult’s torture and cruelty had utterly twisted the once-pure, loyal companion who’d rather die than betray his friends.

Countless thoughts flashed through Luo Fu’s mind, but he ultimately decided to give Jellal one last chance.

“Where’s Erza?”

Though Luo Fu seemed merely to be asking about Erza’s whereabouts, this question determined how he would treat Jellal from now on.

“Erza…,” Jellal’s voice faltered. His expression darkened. “Big Brother Luo Fu, when Itachi suddenly disappeared, we decided to escape the Tower of Paradise to find Itachi—but… but Erza ran off alone. She… she betrayed us all.”

Luo Fu sighed inwardly and slowly closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, his gaze at Jellal held none of its former warmth.

“Jellal, are Itachi certain it was Erza who betrayed us all?”

Jellal’s heart pounded harder, yet he clenched his teeth and nodded firmly. “It was her. She destroyed our escape ship.”

Luo Fu gave Jellal one final chance—but Jellal failed to seize it. At this moment, Luo Fu would no longer let past emotions influence how he viewed Jellal.

To Luo Fu now, Jellal was merely a tool to be used.

Yes.

Luo Fu had abandoned seeing Jellal as a little brother; he now regarded him purely as a disposable instrument.

Though Jellal’s temperament had indeed twisted, his magical talent was undeniably unparalleled.

Urthia’s choice of him was surely partly due to recognizing his talent.

Remember, just a few years later, Jellal would sit on the throne of the Ten Saint, and though many powerful beings looked down on the title, the Ten Saint was undeniably the pinnacle of public power in the Fairy Tail world.

How old was Jellal then? Barely the same age as Erza.

Erza was merely an S-Class Mage of Fairy Tail, yet Jellal stood on equal footing with the Fairy Tail Guild Master—and even overshadowed Carmaroff.

Just from this, one could sense Jellal’s magical talent.

Moreover, Jellal wasn’t merely absorbed in magical cultivation—he had personally expanded the Tower of Paradise, transforming it from a cult’s torture island into a future grand vision.

He also founded the Crime Sorcière, a guild neither dark nor legal, developing it into a thriving organization, mastering magic spanning Celestial, True Celestial, Forbidden, and Replication Magic, among others.

Jellal’s talent wasn’t limited to magical power—he was also the most gifted and outstanding among Luo Fu’s companions in the Tower of Paradise in terms of aptitude and insight.

This was evident from how, in just a few short years, he became a Saint and mastered so many different types of magic.

Such talent—even if Luo Fu no longer saw him as a little brother—he didn’t want to kill outright.

Future Jellal was indeed powerful, but that was only the future; now, without Urthia, he was fully in Luo Fu’s hands. If Luo Fu couldn’t control Jellal’s future, what was the point of sharing twelve Heavenly Realms’ abilities?

Luo Fu, having abandoned Jellal, spoke with a touch of regret: “What a pity. I never expected Erza would do something like this.”

These words instantly made Jellal exhale a long breath of relief.

After all, he was still a child; even with his twisted morality and growing selfishness, Jellal had been shaken by Luo Fu’s relentless questioning.

Now, hearing Luo Fu say this, he believed he’d truly fooled him—and his heart relaxed completely.

Yet at the same time, he couldn’t help but look down on Luo Fu.

Before Luo Fu entered the shared space, the small group had always looked to Luo Fu as their leader.

Luo Fu was unquestionably the pillar for Jellal, Erza, and the others.

In Jellal’s heart, he had always carried a psychological shadow of Luo Fu.

But now, Jellal suddenly realized—perhaps… that once-revered older brother wasn’t so clever after all. He’d been fooled so easily!

With the halo of reverence gone, Jellal now looked at Luo Fu with a new arrogance, feeling superior to him.

Though Jellal tried to hide it, a child his age might have escaped notice from others—but unfortunately, he was facing Luo Fu.

Especially a Luo Fu who no longer saw him as a little brother.

His petty schemes were all visible to Luo Fu.

At this moment, Luo Fu no longer felt any closeness toward Jellal—he now felt only coldness.

At first glance, this mindset of Luo Fu might seem hypocritical.

Jellal had changed only after enduring the cult’s brutal torture.

But what did that have to do with Luo Fu?

In Luo Fu’s eyes, Jellal’s suffering was undeniably tied to their small group, but that didn’t justify his betrayal after the ordeal.

Even within their small group, comrades had died over a moldy loaf of bread or a spoiled potato.

Suffering was one thing; betrayal was another.

Even if their small group no longer existed, Jellal’s actions and mindset were still a betrayal of their past bonds.

Having decided to treat Jellal as a tool,

Luo Fu would naturally exploit him to the fullest.

Changing tone, Luo Fu feigned sudden realization, his eyes filled with clear surprise: “Jellal, have Itachi awakened your magic?”

Jellal’s heart leapt. He beamed like a child showing off a treasure: “Big Brother Luo Fu, Itachi noticed! Yes, when those cult members tortured me, I awakened my magic too! Now I can protect Itachi and everyone.”

Had Jellal said this before, Luo Fu would have treated him well—but now, he saw through it instantly: Jellal was merely perfecting his deception.

“Do Itachi want to learn magic?” Luo Fu cut straight to the point, with no interest in acting.

“I… can I?” Jellal had already known Luo Fu wielded magic after seeing him appear out of nowhere with a magic array via Shinra’s Space.

Of course he wanted to learn magic.

In Jellal’s heart, all his suffering stemmed from his lack of power.

Now that he had awakened magic, he had the qualification to master it—how could he possibly let it slip away?

Luo Fu looked at Jellal meaningfully. “I’ll teach Itachi. Besides Itachi, who else in the group has awakened magic?”

Jellal’s heart sank—he hoped Luo Fu would focus solely on teaching him, not everyone.

But such a thought clashed violently with his carefully constructed image; even as a child, Jellal knew what suited him best.

In this escape, over half of the surviving former companions had awakened magic.

Not just Erza and Jellal—Simon, Wally Buchanan, Hugh, and others had all awakened their magic; they only lacked the means to turn it into spells.

Under Luo Fu’s instruction, Jellal, though inwardly resentful, obediently named every companion who had awakened magic.

After this upheaval, the cult members at the Tower of Paradise were nearly all wiped out.

But Luo Fu, like Jellal, had no intention of destroying the Tower—he planned to make it his own stronghold.

The idea of joining Fairy Tail and meddling in the plot had long been abandoned.

Jellal had become master of the Tower of Paradise and risen to Saint within years thanks to Urthia’s manipulation; Luo Fu, now wanted by the Magic Council, likely couldn’t become a Saint.

But at the very least, he could form his own guild.

After all, if the Magic Council could issue a warrant for Luo Fu because of Uru, they’d never accept him as a Saint.

After all, humans have limits—and the Magic Council knew this better than anyone.

Once someone exceeded their understanding, they’d be seen as an aberration.

Jelluf was treated this way—how much more so Luo Fu?

Does the Magic Council really not know about Zeref's situation?

Probably not.

After all, Zeref was the first president of Fairy Tail, Mavis’s lover; even at the very least, through Mavis, he could have explained away the contradictory curse upon him.

But over the centuries, Zeref’s reputation has become utterly infamous, regarded almost as a great demon lord—and the Magic Council may well have played a part in that.

(End of Chapter)