[World's No. 1 Princess: "I heard someone speaking ill of me, @Kumoko. You're not leveling up properly, but secretly peeking at the screen."]
[Kumoko: "Ah, I didn't say anything! I'm going to level up right now."]
Oh no, my subconscious thought appeared on the screen, and I was caught red-handed.
Before she could even panic and collect herself, another message popped up on the Chat Group's public screen.
[World's No. 1 Princess: "You're right, Kumoko."]
[Kumoko: "Huh?"]
Kumoko was completely confused. What was the Group Leader doing, actually admitting it?
[World's No. 1 Princess: "Many people can guess the purpose of me sending Dragon Balls into the group; more than half of the people in the group already know the reason."]
[Kumoko: "Eh, really? How come I don't know? Am I just stupid? No, I absolutely refuse to admit that."]
[World's No. 1 Princess: "..."]
How am I supposed to respond to that?
[Lumine: "It's the laws. If I'm not mistaken, the Group Leader is observing the laws of various worlds through the Chat Group's points exchange method. The appearance of the Dragon Balls probably has a similar reason."]
Lumine hesitated for a long time before sending that message.
Actually, the idea had already occurred to her when she purchased the magic book written by Zeref.
Let's put it this way: where do the items uploaded to the Chat Group go?
The answer is, they must go to the Group Leader.
So, based on that inference, the use of the Dragon Balls is self-evident.
After all, where do those massive points come from?
They must be exchanged! Each use would drain the group members' savings.
Whether it's for exchanging Dragon Balls or items from other worlds, points are hard currency.
Even if they're being fleeced, most group members would be willing.
[Asakura Hao: "So that's how it is. Thinking about it carefully, it's quite profound."]
[Uchiha Madara: "As expected of the Group Leader, truly... hmm, she looks kind."]
After holding it in for several seconds, Uchiha Madara, who wasn't highly educated, finally squeezed out those words.
[World's No. 1 Princess: "..."]
These villainous bigwigs really get it at a glance.
Except for Kumoko.
Oh, and there's Aizen Sōsuke too, but never mind, it'd be strange if he didn't figure it out!
[Zeref: "When doing things, don't look at what she thinks, but what she does. Being able to exchange for the right to use the Dragon Balls can make up for our past regrets. On this point, I support the Group Leader."]
Worried that the Group Leader might be angry and take back the Dragon Balls before he could make his wish, he had to flatter her wholeheartedly.
[World's No. 1 Princess: "There's no need to sugarcoat it. I'm just here to fleece you all, and you're all willing. Isn't that a win-win situation?"]
[Zeref: "Yes, the Group Leader is right, the Group Leader is brilliant, the Group Leader's words are reasonable."]
[World's No. 1 Princess: "..."]
Each of you is throwing away your integrity. Are you still worried I won't grant your wish?
Fairy Tail world.
Zeref arranged the Dragon Balls.
He clasped his hands together and bowed to the Dragon Balls.
"Respect, I must maintain respect, even if it's not necessary," Zeref thought to himself.
Then, Zeref opened his eyes.
"Come forth, Shenron!"
The resonance of the Dragon Balls accelerated, and light flickered continuously.
Immediately after, the sky darkened, and the entire Tenrou Island was shrouded by thick black clouds.
The scope of the dark clouds wasn't large; it didn't spread across the entire world.
According to Beryl, isn't it just making a wish?
Why make it seem like the end of the world? What's the point?
Just a sense of ceremony is enough.
So the cloud coverage was only slightly larger than the area of Tenrou Island.
The Dragon Balls on the ground emitted golden electric light, instantly piercing through the clouds.
A moment later, a winding, coiling red dragon tail appeared in the dense dark clouds.
Immediately after, a massive dragon head broke through the clouds and swooped down.
Accompanied by thunder and lightning in the sky, the giant dragon slowly descended below the clouds.
Its red scales shimmered under the dim sky.
With a dragon's roar, the majestic giant dragon arrived before Zeref and spoke in a resonant voice:
"Collector of the Dragon Balls, state your wish. Whatever your wish, I can grant it."
[Kumoko: "Is that Shenron? It looks so majestic. I wonder if it tastes good."]
[World's No. 1 Princess: "Can't you think of anything else besides eating?"]
I'm tired. What's wrong with Kumoko's thought process? You're a spider, not a pig. All you think about is eating all day, aren't you afraid of bursting one day?
[Fifth Division Captain: "The Dragon Balls that can grant any wish, it's quite miraculous."]
In the Fifth Division barracks, Aizen played with the Hōgyoku in his hand, the lenses of his glasses glinting with white light.
"I wonder if it can make the Hōgyoku perfectly evolve."
[Uchiha Madara: "@World's No. 1 Princess, if I'm in another world, can I use someone else's Dragon Balls?"]
[World's No. 1 Princess: "@Uchiha Madara, I know what you want to ask. Let me tell you clearly, that's impossible. Don't try to cut corners. The Dragon Balls for a world are only effective for the natives in that world."]
[World's No. 1 Princess: "For example, if you want to make a deal with Haibara Ai to have her use the Dragon Balls to revive you, that won't work. The Dragon Balls in Haibara Ai's world are only effective for people in her world. Even if you could travel to her world, the Dragon Balls wouldn't be able to revive you."]
Someone was bound to think of cutting corners, so Beryl set the rules beforehand.
Otherwise, the wish-granting system of the Dragon Balls would be chaotic. Who knows, one day group members might be able to travel to other worlds, and some powerful group members might run to ordinary world and ask the group member there to "voluntarily" help make a wish.
[Uchiha Madara: "As expected of the Group Leader, her work is meticulous. Truly admirable."]
[World's No. 1 Princess: "Just watch the live stream. I'm not Senju Hashirama."]
[Uchiha Madara: "..."]
What does that have to do with whether you're Senju Hashirama?
Zeref gazed at the blood-red Shenron, floating high in the sky, coiling and winding.
He even felt his own curse spreading towards it, but even the power of the curse seemed to have no effect whatsoever on Shenron.
This greatly shocked Zeref.
The Shenron created by Group Leader Beryl, in its application of laws, far surpassed the god who cursed him?
"State your wish. If you have no wish, then I shall take my leave."
"Wait."
Seeing Shenron about to leave, Zeref quickly called out.
"I have a wish. Can you revive my brother?"
"Your brother?"
Shenron's body slowly moved, and a red light from its blood-red eyes shone on Zeref.
A moment later, the red light receded back into Shenron's eyes. He spoke: "Your brother's incomplete soul has merged with a created being named Etherious Natsu Dragneel."
"To revive your brother, two wishes are needed. The first wish is to completely separate the part of your brother's soul from Natsu and then repair it."
"The second wish is to fully revive him."
"Therefore, to revive your brother, one wish is not enough. You will need to collect the Dragon Balls a second time."
Shenron spoke slowly, but Zeref frowned deeply as he listened, looking at the exchange value of the Dragon Balls in the Chat Group, lost in thought.
It was 5000 points before, now it's 10000 exchange points.
Heaven knows if he can gather that much in this world.
"Is there no other way?" Zeref pressed.
"Yes, after making the first wish, you can replace this world's controller of life and death, becoming..."
Shenron's words were not yet finished when,
"Those who profane life and death shall be cursed!"
A deep, resonant voice echoed throughout Tenrou Island.
A black halo, carrying immense pressure, descended from the sky.
"This is..."
Zeref's pupils suddenly contracted. Even after four hundred years, he couldn't forget that voice.
"Scram!"
Shenron's entire body erupted in a scarlet aura, its power tearing through the clouds and shooting straight into the sky.
"Ah!"
From somewhere high in the sky, a miserable shriek could be heard.
"Tch, you don't even know your own strength and you dare to curse me, your great Dragon Lord? You're courting death."
Zeref: "..."