Darwin agreed to help Zeref find release, though he chose to set the time for one day later. This was because they first needed to complete one task: working together to rewrite the Book of END.
On the second day of Weston and Zeref's visit, in the drawing room of Darwin's home. The group of three sat in the same positions once again, in the same postures.
"I'm curious about one thing. Zeref, didn't you create the Book of END? Why don't you rewrite it yourself instead of asking my old man for help?"
"It is precisely because I created it that I cannot be the one to do it!"
Zeref explained, "What you call the 'Books of Demons' actually store all the information regarding that demon. Their appearance, voice, abilities, personality, strength... all data is written using my magic and recorded in the book."
"I am their creator, so their lives are closely linked to my existence. Once I die, they die with me."
"This is the underlying logic of 'Life Creation Magic'!"
"So even if I were to write 'the demon will not disappear upon the creator's death,' it would be invalid because that act itself contradicts the logic of the magic."
Zeref made his point very clear. Severing the connection between the two was equivalent to renouncing his status as the creator; however, once he renounced that status, the rewritten content would become invalid. The two things had become a sort of deadlock.
"There is only one way to liberate the demons from my 'life-hostage' situation: use someone else's magic power to rewrite the close connection between me and the demon, or more accurately, to delete my status as the 'Creator'."
"Of course, this isn't something that can be done easily!"
Zeref said, tapping the Book of END on the table: "The data for a demon is immense. The person acting needs to find the key points within the contents of such a book to rewrite them. This places significant demands on the rewriter's store of magical knowledge and their eyesight."
"During this process, the magic within the book will continuously erode the rewriter's body, assimilating them into a demon. Therefore, the rewriter must also possess powerful magic to resist this erosion."
"If an ordinary person were to attempt this, there would be only one outcome: the content wouldn't be changed, and they themselves would be turned into a demon."
Darwin nodded silently. If that were truly the case, his old father was indeed the best candidate for the job! Weston's strength was great, and his magical knowledge was profound enough; he could certainly find the locations and succeed in the rewriting before being eroded by the magic.
"Old man, you can do it, right?"
Darwin looked at Weston. It wasn't that he doubted his father's strength, but this was Zeref's final wish before leaving, and he wanted to help fulfill it as much as possible.
"Are you talking nonsense?!"
"Do you think my Super Archive magic is the same thing used by that trash in your Council?"
The "trash" Weston referred to was Crawford, the former guild master who had defected to Tartaros in the original work. In this world, he had also been a student at the Fairy Academy and a classmate of Darwin's. Because he used a very specific magic (the same Super Archive as Weston), Crawford successfully joined the Council after graduating from the Fairy Academy. Although his advancement speed couldn't match Darwin's rocket-like ascent, by staying the course until now, he had become the second-in-command of the Council.
"Even if I did this alone, it could be resolved perfectly!"
"Besides, the creator of the Book of END is right here on the scene. With the two of us joining forces, is it possible we couldn't rewrite a single Book of a Demon?"
True... with Zeref explaining where the key locations were and how they needed to be changed, a vast amount of time could indeed be saved. Darwin nodded and stepped aside, saying no more.
Once everything was ready, Weston adjusted his state and slowly opened the Book of END.
With a "shla" sound, a massive amount of magical script rushed out from the Book of END, whipping up a strong wind in the room that caused the furniture to rattle and move. The three people present were all masters; they did not lose their composure because of this, but instead remained calm and collected, patiently waiting for the commotion to settle.
Over a minute later, the strong wind finally stopped. By now, the magical script from the book filled the entire room, turning into rings of varying angles that floated quietly in the air.
"Right here!"
Zeref's gaze swept around, and he immediately discovered the sections that needed rewriting. He raised a finger and pointed out seven or eight locations: "Change the **** here to ****, then change the * to ****, and here, here, and here..."
Weston looked over and found that the positions Zeref pointed out were indeed all related to the connection between the demon's existence and the creator's life. After confirming that the altered content would not cause trouble for humans or Natsu, he slowly lifted his pen and began rewriting the rings of magical script in the air with great care.
Sh-sh-sh—
Time flowed silently. One by one, the magical characters were successfully modified under Weston's pen. Darwin stood beside Weston with a serious face, watching with full concentration, fearing his old father's hand might suddenly shake while writing. Zeref also watched with extreme focus, cold sweat of tension appearing on his forehead; after all, this matter concerned Natsu's life, and he desired an error-free outcome more than anyone.
Ten minutes later.
"Finished!"
Weston concluded the rewriting of the final magical character and put down his pen. In the next moment, the rings of magical script floating in the air suddenly emitted a bright light. Then, these characters, like soldiers receiving orders, flew back into the book in their respective order. The entire room became so quiet that only the "huala" sound of pages turning remained.
Finally.
With a "pu" sound, the book closed again, as if nothing had ever happened.
Darwin asked with a dry throat: "Does this mean it was a success??"
"Yes!"
"With this, even if I die, Natsu will not disappear."
"Thank you, Weston!"
Zeref looked incredibly relaxed, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, and his gaze toward Weston was filled with gratitude.
"You're welcome!"
Weston waved his hand and sat back down on the sofa.
Darwin hurriedly stepped forward with concern: "Old man, are you alright??"
He knew very well that even though his father was powerful and could ensure his body wasn't eroded by demonic power, he had never learned Devil Slayer Magic; the consumption involved was anything but small. For a ninety-year-old man, this was definitely a heavy burden.
"Don't worry, how could I be that fragile?!"
Weston waved him off, his gaze first moving to Darwin, then landing on Zeref.
"Next, it is your time!"