142 Zeref's tower

As Zeref started walking away from the battlefield followed by Damian who kept his guard up against the black haired mage in front of him.

"It's been a while since we met." said Zeref.

"Hmm...yeah, last time was when you got hit by my spell and got buried in the ground with your butt poking out of the ground." said Damian.

"Yes, though I wouldn't mind if you could not mention some of the stuff you just said." said Zeref.

"Where are we going anyway?" asked Damian.

"My current base." said Zeref.

"What for?"

"Both of us have quite a lot of questions that we want to be answered, right?" said Zeref.

"Yeah, and? What does it have to do with going to your base?" asked Damian.

"Hmm...the discussion might take a bit long and there might he a few things that I think that interest you back at my base." said Zeref.

"Aren't you getting creepier and creepier by each time we talk." said Damian.

"Haha. You don't hold back, now do you." said Zeref as he finally stopped as both of them stood in front of the boundary of a dangerous looking forest.

"Don't tell me that the place we are heading to in inside the forest." said Damian.

"It is in there. Why? Any issues?"

"...I don't like the fact that our preferences of building a base inside a forest matches." said Damian and looked at Zeref with a frown.

"...I am starting to feel a bit hurt and it's been a long time since I felt that." said Zeref with a slightly dejected tone.

"Whatever, let's just carry on." said Damian as both of them headed inside the forest.

After walking for a few minutes in silence Damian who was looking around for a while muttered, "There are no animals or any signs of life to be detected nearby....even the plants and trees are dead."

"...It was not like this before..." said Zeref in a saddened tone.

"...That killing magic....curse of yours?" asked Damian to which Zeref just nodded his head.

"Seems like your curse is a real pain in the ass."

"It's a curse, what else can you expect from it."

"Who cursed you though? Is there such a dangerous existence out there who can curse others like that?"

"There are quite a lot of people like that, though I don't think one could meet those people on their own. Even I haven't personally met the person who cursed me." said Zeref.

"You are telling me a lot for quite some time now. I didn't take you to be the type to trust others so easily." said Damian.

"I told you, right? You've picked up my interest so trying to shorten the gap between the two of us will help me get the answers out of you. Besides I don't think you can get much from the things I told you just now." replied Zeref as he looked at Damian.

Damian glanced back at him as he narrowed his eyes seeing which Zeref sighed and said, "We have arrived." and stopped walking seeing which Damian stopped as well and looked forward only to see a bunch of dead trees in front of him.

Zeref then made some signs with his hands and then used his magic after which a small ripple appeared in front of the two mages and the scenery changed from a bunch of dead trees to a tall tower beside a lake.

"Welcome to my humble abode. Though don't expect much, I am not used to attending to guests." said Zeref as he welcomed Damian.

Damian just gave a nod and then moved forward and entered the tower along with Zeref.

"Zeref do you know about a term called cleaning..." said Damian bluntly, hearing which Zeref gave a helpless laugh.

"I don't get much time to indulge in that....besides no one other than me comes here." said Zeref.

"You are a loner, huh. Well that explains why no one called you a creep before me." said Damian as he gave a pat on Zeref's back.

"Can't help it, I don't know when my curse will activate and kill that person. It's better to isolate myself from the others."

"If you put it like that, then I have to say that it really is for the best if you stay alone....but don't let it be the only possiblity. Search for a way to cure this curse or try to control it." said Damian as he tried to comfort Zeref.

"I know that. I am trying to find a way to deal with this curse. But the progress is close to nothing." said Zeref and then looked towards Damian with a smile and said, "Thankfully I finally met someone who is not affected by it. It's just like fa-"

But before he could finish Damian casted a silencing enchantment around Zeref and took moved a few steps away from him.

Noticing the enchantment around him Zeref stopped talking and looked at the enchantment carefully. After he recognised what it was Zeref chuckled and then looked towards Damian who was looking back at him with a grossed out expression on his face.

After showing an apologising gesture for a while Zeref was finally released from the silencing enchantment.

"You really make me feel a bit hurt." said Zeref.

"That smile on your face is saying otherwise though. Don't tell me that you are a masochisht?" said Damian

"A what?" asked Zeref.

"A masochisht....a person who takes pleasure on being hurt."

"No I am not like that. I am just.....glad." said Zeref with a small smile, but immediately after that his eyes widened a bit and glowed red.

Zeref immediately kneeled down and clutched his head while groaning in pain.

"No...No....No!!! Not fight now!!! Don't come out!!!" said Zeref in a pained and angry tone as black magic started to come out of his body.

Seeing the black magic Damian got prepared to face the death spell and said, "Try to hold it back Zeref!"

"Damian!! It's impossible!!! Get away!!" warned Zeref as he tried to restrain the death curse but in the end was unable to do so and the black magic burst out of his body and started spreading around.

Seeing the incoming curse Damian prepared a barrier but knowing that he didn't have enough time he gritted his teeth prepared to take on the spell.

But just like before as the curse reached his body it started to move away from him.

'...It's as if it's trying to avoid me...' thought Damian as he saw the curse and moved his hand trying to touch the curse near him only to see it move away as well.

Moving his hand around for a while and seeing the curse running away from him Damian smirked but soon looked towards Zeref who was still releasing the black magic.

Damian sighed and then moved towards Zeref and the patted his shoulder making the curse user look at Damian with surprise seeing which Damian smiled and then with his enhanced strength slapped Zeref, sending him flying into a nearby wall.

"Oh, looks like that worked. You alive Zeref!?" said Damian as he saw the curse dissipating and then looked towards Zeref who made a hole through the hall and got stuck in it with his butt facing Damian which twitched a bit in response to Damian's question.

'...Looks like he is alive....' thought Damian.