Fairy Tail: The Fraud Mage

"Jehfrit," Lucy gave him a skeptical look. "You're not... into watching creepy stuff like this, right?"

She was watching as Zoldeo approached her illusionary self—though she knew it wasn't real, just Jehfrit manipulating perception, she still didn't want to see herself violated by such a vile creature.

"I'm not a creep. Can't speak for Capricorn, though," Jehfrit replied.

"What?" Lucy blinked, confused.

SWHUMP! Suddenly, the real Capricorn—who had been lying motionless after being released from possession—shot up and delivered a powerful punch to Leo's back.

"What?!" Zoldeo's eyes widened.

A surge of magical force exploded, violently ejecting him from Leo's body.

"You bastard!" Zoldeo crashed to the ground.

"Forgive me, Lord Leo," Capricorn said. "That was rather... forceful."

"It's fine. We needed that to force him out," Leo said, grimacing through the pain but not blaming Capricorn.

"What did you... Why are you still standing?!" Zoldeo gaped, stunned.

"Because Lord Leo lent me the power of Regulus," Capricorn answered coolly. "And now... it ends here."

"Ends?" Zoldeo snarled. "Don't think you've beaten me just like that!"

"No," Capricorn replied calmly.

"You break rules, you cross taboos—you pay the price," Leo said with a sharp smile.

"You... you!" Zoldeo was about to retort, but he suddenly noticed something horrifying—his body was falling apart.

"No, no! Help me!" he screamed, reaching out desperately. "Capricorn! Please—!"

"You did this to yourself," Capricorn said coldly.

Zoldeo's eyes went wide as realization hit. "So this... is the price of breaking taboo…"

His screams echoed as his body dissolved into nothingness.

"That's number three," Jehfrit muttered.

"Huh? Number three?" Lucy turned away from the scene, not particularly emotional, but she caught Jehfrit's whisper.

"Their guild—Grimoire Heart—I'm thinking of renaming them the Boomerang Guild," Jehfrit said. "He's the third one taken out by his own words coming back to hit him in the face."

"Breaking taboo, huh…" Lucy reflected. Just minutes ago, Zoldeo had been bragging about breaking rules to gain power. Now he was dust. That boomerang really flew back fast.

She looked down, aware that a giant toad demon was still hiding beneath the ground.

"Jehfrit," she said hesitantly. "Studying demons is taboo too. Are you sure you're... okay?"

In Fairy Tail, opinions varied on Jehfrit's taboo research. Makarov, Laxus, Gildarts, Natsu, and Gray didn't care—power wasn't the problem; people were.

As long as Jehfrit kept his heart in the right place, even demon power could be used for good. Mirajane used it to protect everyone, after all.

The demon behind Jehfrit had saved the day more than once—like during the fight in Edolas. And his research had led to the creation of Azazel, who was incredibly useful. The giant toad was even a life-saving failsafe. Who wouldn't want a contract with that?

Still, people like Mirajane, Lisanna, Lucy, and Cana worried—not about Jehfrit turning evil, but about the consequences from the Magic Council. But today, Lucy's concerns had shifted. Now she feared the *taboo* itself.

"Any action taken to the extreme has a cost," Jehfrit said quietly. "It's just a matter of when."

"Someone who overtrains may grow strong fast, but their body will break."

"Someone who overworks might earn more, but they'll collapse before they spend it."

"Even love—if it becomes obsession—it suffocates."

He turned to her and smiled. "I want to stop before I push that door open."

'And see what lies beyond—'

He didn't say the last part.

"I hope…" Lucy sighed. "I know you. With your strength and magic, almost no one can hurt you. You're lazy by nature, but the reason you keep moving forward... is us."

"I shouldn't lecture you."

"But if that day comes—we'll face it *with* you."

SMACK.

Jehfrit's hand landed squarely on Lucy's head, hard enough to make her stumble forward, clutching her scalp and glaring at him.

"You jerk!"

"Stop overthinking. It's a waste of energy," he said, gazing skyward. "Honestly, spiraling like that is more exhausting than demon alchemy. So just… don't."

"This one time—I'll talk you down."

"But next time, you're on your own. You spiral? You deal with it."

With that, he vanished.

"…That guy," Lucy murmured, smiling slightly, oddly reassured and touched.

"Fairy Tail is... pretty special, huh?" Leo said, smiling.

"Yeah," Lucy nodded.

That was Fairy Tail. No matter how weird someone was, they found a place here.

Even someone like Jehfrit—someone who might've been a world-ending villain in another story—shone with a rare light in Fairy Tail.

Whenever the girls had a tea party, this topic came up: "If Jehfrit were an enemy, he'd be the scariest one ever. Genius-level mastermind, scary-powerful, way too cunning."

They even made games out of it—pretending Jehfrit was a final boss, figuring out strategies to beat him.

Turning him into a big bad dragon and imagining their clever victory—it gave them such a sense of satisfaction.

And afterward, they'd picture him repenting, begging forgiveness. It felt so real—they got too into it.

"Lucy?" Leo asked.

"Huh?" She blinked out of her thoughts.

"This is Capricorn," Leo said. "He once served your mother as her Celestial Spirit."

"What?!" Lucy gasped.

"Miss Lucy." The goat butler bowed politely. "Please allow me to become your Spirit. I will serve you with all I have."

"That's amazing!" Lucy cheered.

Meanwhile, at the grave of the First Master—

Jehfrit's real body caught a disturbing scene through Aza's surveillance.

"This girl really has no fear."

He watched as a curvy, mature woman walked toward Zeref himself.

Her actions were so bold, Jehfrit couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"So long... this road to Zeref..." Ultear murmured as she walked. "It's been too long."

"But today—my dream will come true."

Her expression was... unsettling. Red-faced with devotion, she whispered, "If I can have Zeref—I'll be redeemed."

Jehfrit: "She's bolder than me. I wouldn't go near Zeref."

"I can protect you if you want to go," said Miko.

"No thanks. Best not to mess with that guy," Jehfrit muttered. "But someone like that—when they find out I'm studying demons—Zeref's definitely gonna come knocking."

To Jehfrit, Zeref was an arrogant, overbearing type. Once he heard someone was walking his old path—researching demons, breaking taboos—he'd show up eventually. Maybe out of guilt. Maybe to prevent another tragedy.

But would Jehfrit stop?

No.

If Zeref was so powerful, he could go slay Acnologia and retire. Jehfrit would gladly laze around, flirt with Mirajane, and bother Ikuto.

"Master," Aza said. "We need to evacuate. Zeref is here."

"Switch to aerial mode," Jehfrit replied. Risky or not, he wanted to see what Ultear would do.

"Yes." Aza nodded.

"You were looking for me?" Zeref stepped out from behind a tree, glancing skyward. He saw nothing—but felt a strange disturbance.

"You're... Zeref!" Ultear's eyes went wide.

"So you started this chaos." Zeref frowned and walked toward her.

"Zeref..." Ultear's eyes filled with tears. A dream realized.

"You people… doing such pitiful things..." Zeref said, tone cold. "Are you after my power?"

Ultear dropped to one knee. "You—are everything to us, Lord Zeref!"

Zeref's expression was blank. "I don't want to touch this era. I don't want to see war or death."

He looked down at Ultear, annoyed. "Leave this island. Immediately."

"???" Ultear looked up, confused.

Zeref didn't want conflict? That didn't sound like the Zeref she'd imagined.

[Aza: "She looks so confused. How much do they really know about Zeref?" Jehfrit: "They want their idea of Zeref—not the real one."]

Ultear frowned. Maybe he wasn't fully awake?

Relieved by the idea, she smiled. If he was still sleeping... maybe she had a chance.

"Sorry, Lord Zeref. But to win you—I'll have to be a little forceful."

As she prepared to strike—

Zeref, angered by her look, hurled a black orb.

BOOM. Ultear barely dodged. Behind her—*annihilation*. The ground was *gone*.

If it had hit her…

"You underestimate me. I'm one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory!" Ultear attacked.

Zeref was about to respond, but the curse surged—overwhelming him.

Ultear saw her chance, casting Arc of Time to block the sinister energy.

"You..." Zeref began, still unwilling to fight.

"Radiance of the Pantheon!" Ultear yelled.

BOOM! Zeref was knocked down.

"Even Zeref," she smirked, "in a dormant state, isn't invincible."

She approached, soothingly. "Don't worry. We have the key to awaken you, Lord Zeref."

"Don't do something so stupid," Zeref muttered, exasperated. Why do people keep throwing themselves into ruin?

"I did it!" Ultear cried joyfully, completely losing composure. "I got Zeref!"

CLICK CLICK.

Jehfrit was snapping pictures.

"..." Miko stared at him, deadpan. "You really teleported here just to take *that* shot?"

He'd just said he didn't want to get near Zeref—but the moment Ultear made that face, he couldn't resist.

"You don't get it," Jehfrit said, holding the photo like treasure. "This stuff... is priceless."

He stared at the photo—Ultear's completely unhinged face.

"Hehehe…" Jehfrit chuckled darkly. "Gray's teacher... Ur's daughter... What will she do when Gray gives her the moral smackdown?"

"Hehehe…"

His grin was downright evil.

Miko: "In that case... even if someone did something indecent to her, it'd be fine, right?"

"You've turned rotten, Miko," Jehfrit said with a raised brow.

"Isn't that what you were thinking?" Miko replied.

"I get the feeling…" Jehfrit looked at her. "You're jealous."

"Hmph." Miko turned away. "I don't care about stuff like that!"