Chapter 243 - Return To Ishgar {21} An unexpected Encounter

Four days had passed since Amell visited Tenrou Island. He stayed with Zeref for three days, talking and discussing the past and the future of this world. They became great friends during his stay, especially since Amell was the only one who could be around him without being hurt by his black magic. Usually, their talks consisted of Amell teasing Zeref for anything and everything. He also dug into Zeref's history and told him a little about his brother and the state of the world.

He had since then moved on and started another search around Ishgar. What was he searching for? Talented wizards, children with great potential for magic. He didn't want to take control of this world, he wanted to preserve it, so that was why he was searching around for talented people he could recruit. He didn't set a deadline for himself on this either. He didn't care if it would take twenty years to complete his group, he was enjoying just travelling around the world.

Amell was travelling through a chain of mountains on the west side of Ishgar. The clock had just struck noon and the sky was clear and gave way for the sun to illuminate the world. As he was walking on the shabby and thin mountain pass, his eyes spotted a girl in the distance coming towards him. She was staring down on the ground but was walking with steady and confident steps. When the distance between them shortened a little more she looked up at him. Amell saw strange markings on her face, her eyes looked both dead and alive at the same time. She stopped walking, and so did Amell. She tilted her head to the side. "You have a lot of magic power." A monotone voice sounded out from her.

"Quite the understatement, but sure, you're right." Amell didn't just have "a lot" of magic power. To put things into perspective, he didn't need to release half his magic power to split this world in two. His magic power was quite literally, world-destroying.

"I need to take that!" She raised her finger and pointed at him. As soon as she did, he felt the same thing he felt when Zeref used his black magic. Amell shook his head and chuckled, "So, you're the White wizard." After seeing his casual attitude and noticing her magic wasn't working she grew angry and lost her apathetic approach.

"Why isn't it working on you?" She lowered her finger. She wasn't insane so when her White magic wasn't working she stopped trying to use it.

"Simple. White magic is the same as black magic, and well, all magic in this world. To put this as simply as possible for you, my control of magic is better than yours, and I control a more fundamental force than you. And also, my soul is thousands if not millions of times stronger than yours so there is just no way magic from this weak world can affect me."

"Who are you?" The White wizard took a small step back.

"Portgas D Amell. But I'm sure you know me. From what I've heard, your little cult has been searching for me since its creation." Amell stood with his hand behind his back with a gentle smile.

"Indeed. Though you proved to be a lot more trouble than I thought it won't stop me from wiping out your entire existence!" The White wizard was very powerful and possessed incredible magic power, but compared to someone as strong as Amell, she could steal magic power from everyone on this planet and not even be close to him.

"I have another option, would you like to just sit down and listen for a minute or two?" Amell created a chair out of rock behind her and one behind him. "Sit down, please," He sat down on his chair and waited for her to do the same.

"You have two minutes." She sat down as he asked.

"Here is the truth. You will never defeat me, nor take my magic power. It can not be done, it is the definition of impossible. So, instead of dying needlessly to me, join me instead. Joining me is the only way you survive because I can kill you anytime from anywhere on this earth."

"Are you going to kill me if I refuse?"

"Yes, I could. I could kill you right here on this mountain and end the reign of the White wizard. Then I would steal every memory you have, find the location of your cult and slaughter them all with no exception. Or, I could seal away your soul forever and free that poor girl you have taken over" Amell spoke cruel words, but his visible red aura was scarier than anything the White wizard had ever seen. She knew he had lived for a very long time, and the longer you live, the less second chances you give out. She finally nodded to him, "I accept, I will join you."

"Good choice, you might just stay alive long enough to see the end of this era and the start of the next one."

"Answer me this. What is your goal? I joined you, so I won't hunt you down anymore, but I will still turn this world into white nothingness." Her tone was very cold and her expression stoic.

"That you will not do! I am gathering talent from all over the world for no other reason than to preserve the peace we have now. You are now a part of that, and that means you take orders from me and only me." His magic power spiked and the whole mountain started shaking from the sudden release of his magic.

"Your choice will be whether you want to be a good girl and follow orders, or refuse to and die because of it. You need to understand that you have no free will anymore. You said yes to joining me, and until I can trust you, you will have no free will of any kind. Now go to sleep and let the girl out." Amell snapped his fingers and the White wizard "fell asleep". Again, she woke up, but this time as a timid little girl.

"Did you hear all that was said?" He asked her. She didn't respond with words, only a timid nod. This girl was the unwilling host to the White wizard, her alternate personality, and whenever it came out, she went to "sleep", but could still perceive voices and some images of what the White wizard said and saw.

"What is your name?"

"Touka," The girl said in an innocent voice. She displayed a genuine fear of Amell. She had unconsciously leaned back against the chair to try and create some extra distance between them.

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