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The Starved King's eye consumed the horizon, its void-like gaze leaching color from the world. Weiss's corrupted arm trembled, the Shard's starlight flickering as the Dragonbone Seal pulsed in sync with the entity's heartbeat.
"Anomaly…" The Starved King's voice reverberated through the air, not as sound but as a suffocating pressure. "You are a splinter in fate's design. I shall carve you out."
Lucy's keys glowed faintly, her celestial magic sputtering under the oppressive aura. "We need a plan—now!"
Nami clutched her clima-tact, storm clouds struggling to form. "The currents here—they're alive. They're feeding him!"
System Alert
Ding!
Corruption Instability: 65% (Shard Efficacy Fading)
Harem Sync Efficiency: 20% (Adapting to Void Environment)
Weiss ignited his claws, the obsidian scales now creeping toward his heart. "Stick to the Sync. We hit him together."
First Strike: Shattered Illusions
The trio lunged. Lucy summoned Sagittarius, arrows of starlight arcing toward the Starved King's eye. Nami's storm merged with Weiss's dragonfire, a spiraling inferno aimed at the throne of bones.
The attacks dissolved inches from their target.
"Foolish." The Starved King raised a skeletal hand. The black waters surged, forming tendrils that lashed at the ship.
Weiss parried, his claws shattering on impact. "He's redirecting our magic! Nami, disrupt the currents!"
"On it!" Nami leapt to the mast, clima-tact spinning. "Cyclone Tempo—Reverse Polarity!"
The waters churned, creating a whirlpool that destabilized the tendrils. Lucy seized the opening. "Gate of the Lion—Loke! Shine where it's darkest!"
Loke materialized, his light piercing the void. For a heartbeat, the Starved King recoiled—its eye flickering.
"NOW!" Weiss channeled every shred of Dragon Overlord into his claws.
The strike connected.
The Vision: Im's Fall
The world fractured. Weiss stood in a starless realm, watching a younger Im—a mortal king—kneel before an ancient dragon carcass.
"Power…" Im whispered, plunging a dagger into the dragon's heart. "I will etch my name into eternity."
The corpse dissolved into black mist, seeping into Im's veins. His scream echoed through centuries as his humanity unraveled, replaced by ravenous void.
Zeref's voice whispered through the vision: "He became what he sought to conquer. Now, he consumes all to fill his hunger."
Corruption's Edge
Weiss jolted back to reality, his corruption spiking to 70%. The Starved King's throne cracked, its bones splintering under Lucy's celestial chains.
"ENOUGH!" The Starved King's roar shattered the Sync. Weiss collapsed, his arm fully encased in dragonbone.
Nami caught him, her storm magic fizzling. "Weiss—look at me! Don't let it take you!"
Lucy slammed her keys into the deck, blood dripping from her palms. "Gate of the Celestial King—OPEN!"
The Celestial Spirit King materialized, his sword cleaving the void. "You trespass where even stars fear to linger."
The Starved King hissed, retreating into the depths. "This is not over, Anomaly."
Aftermath: The Cost
The guild ship limped into calmer waters, the Shard's light nearly extinguished. Weiss's corruption had stabilized at 75%, his right arm a twisted amalgam of flesh and dragonbone.
Lucy bandaged her hands, her keys cracked but still glowing. "We hurt him. That's something."
Nami traced the edge of the Starved King's Shard, now dull and brittle. "We need a permanent fix. Fast."
Makarov approached, his face grave. "Laugh Tale's shores are close. The answers—and the end—lie there."
Cliffhanger: Zeref's Return
As night fell, Zeref's spectral form materialized beside Weiss. "You see now, don't you? Im's throne is a prison. Free me… and I will free you."
He extended a hand, a dark lacrima pulsating with cursed energy.
System Alert
Ding!
Quest Update: Zeref's Pact
Accept: Void Dragon Form (Corruption Reset to 50%)
Decline: Corruption Accelerates (85% in 24 Hours)
Before Weiss could respond, Nami's clima-tact shattered the lacrima.
"Nice try, creep," she spat.
But the damage was done. The Starved King's roar shook the seas anew.
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