Chapter 658 - 658: Father-Son Alchemy Fusion

The situation had unfolded like this.

As usual, after asking whether anyone in the guild could create a Philosopher's Stone and receiving another negative answer, Mira began thinking aloud as they left the Iron Eagle guild hall.

"Could it be that because we're Mages... they're deliberately hiding alchemical secrets from us?"

Ultear nodded thoughtfully. "That's certainly possible."

Mira raised one finger. "Think about it the other way around. If an alchemist suddenly walked into a Mage guild and asked them to reveal what the strongest Magic in the world was and where to find it, even if they knew the answer, they probably wouldn't tell a complete stranger."

"No, I would tell them!" Erza declared, clenching a fist with complete conviction.

Kagura looked at her expressionlessly. "Speaking of which... what is the strongest Magic?"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

Erza answered with absolute confidence and at full volume.

"..."

Kagura's silence was deafening.

Mira struggled to suppress the smile tugging at her lips. "In that case, why don't we test the theory?"

Erza tilted her head in confusion. "How?"

Mira narrowed her eyes with a pleasant smile. "Simple. We use force to make them talk."

"..."

Erza leaned toward Ultear and whispered, "Strange. Mira is smiling, but somehow that smile looks incredibly sinister..."

"I can hear you."

Ultear shoved Erza away with her shoulder, exasperated. "You're whispering way too loudly!"

"For a bunch of young ladies, you certainly are a dangerous group."

A deep, resonant voice suddenly came from above the Iron Eagle guild hall.

Erza and Kagura immediately went on guard.

The speaker was not particularly far away, yet neither of them had sensed him until he spoke.

"There's no need to be nervous. I'm Salam, master of Iron Eagle. I heard everything you were just saying."

An elderly man with long white hair and a flowing beard appeared above them.

His kindly features and almost sage-like bearing immediately made him look like someone important.

"Why does it suddenly feel like some incredible master just appeared...?"

"Could it be...?"

Salam narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

"No. Let me make this clear first—I can't create a Philosopher's Stone either."

Erza immediately commented, "So only your appearance is impressive."

Salam did not seem bothered in the slightest.

"However... I do know someone who might be capable of it. If anyone can succeed, it would be that man—the genius alchemist Iruha."

Salam also told them where Iruha could be found.

Even so, Ultear and the others continued visiting the remaining alchemist guilds before returning.

...

Once both teams regrouped at Magia Dragon, they exchanged everything they had learned.

Some guilds called the Philosopher's Stone the absolute pinnacle of alchemy, while others dismissed it as nothing more than an urban legend.

Opinions varied wildly, but all of them ultimately amounted to the same thing: modern alchemists hardly even discussed the Philosopher's Stone anymore.

If Raizel and Ultear's groups had not started asking about it, many of them probably would not have thought about it at all.

The moment Raizel heard about Iruha, however, he made his decision.

They would go and meet the legendary genius alchemist for themselves.

Iruha lived deep within the Zalrum Forest.

"Look over there!" Lucy suddenly called, pointing toward a small pond.

Following her finger, everyone spotted what looked like a stone altar partially submerged in the water, with a large crystal mounted at its center.

Only part of the structure rose above the surface, and a series of stone steps led directly down toward it.

Raizel raised an eyebrow. "Well, this place certainly looks the part."

Ultear nodded in agreement. "It really does look like somewhere a mysterious alchemist capable of creating a Philosopher's Stone would choose to live."

"!!"

A sudden rustling reached Wendy and Natsu's ears.

When they turned, they saw vines moving behind Lucy.

Kagura immediately drew Archenemy and sliced them apart, but even more vines surged from the surrounding forest.

Erza instantly Requipped the Heaven's Wheel Armor and summoned dozens of magical swords, cutting through the next wave before it could reach them.

Another mass of vines began moving in—then abruptly stopped.

Instead of attacking, they slowly withdrew into the forest.

"Those are guardian plants transmuted by this old man. They protect my plants from intruders, tchi."

An elderly figure suddenly appeared atop an archway formed from intertwined vegetation.

"!!! You're Salam?" Erza exclaimed, staring in surprise.

Kagura shook her head after taking a closer look. "No. Look carefully. His hair and beard are on the opposite sides."

Both men had only half a beard, while their long hair covered opposite eyes.

"I am Iruha. Salam is my—"

"YOUR TWIN BROTHER?!" Natsu shouted excitedly.

"My son, tchi."

Lucy's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"DON'T LIE!!!"

Raizel stepped forward before the conversation could derail any further.

"Whatever your relationship is, you're Iruha, correct?"

Iruha nodded. "Indeed, tchi."

"We came here because Salam told us you might be capable of creating a Philosopher's Stone. We'd like to ask you to make one for us."

Iruha narrowed his eyes.

"And what do you intend to do with a Philosopher's Stone?"

Raizel considered how much to reveal, then decided there was little point in lying.

"We need it to give physical form to a dragon who currently has no body."

He paused.

"And then we're going to defeat him."

Iruha's eyes immediately lit up.

"Now that sounds interesting, tchi!!!"

Lucy quickly leaned forward. "Then can you make one?"

Iruha's brows drew together, and his voice became hesitant.

"That would be... difficult."

Ultear stepped forward. "Are you missing materials, or is there some sort of payment you require? We can negotiate the compensation."

Iruha shook his head.

"It isn't a matter of payment. The Philosopher's Stone is the greatest secret art of alchemy. There is no alchemist in this world capable of successfully transmuting one, tchi."

"How could that be...?"

Lucy could not hide her disappointment. After visiting so many guilds, Iruha had been their only real lead.

"But Salam said that if it was you, you might be able to do it."

Iruha nodded.

"That is true. I have attempted to create one before, but... it was simply beyond what I could control."

Raizel's eyes sharpened slightly.

'He didn't say he failed. He said it was something he couldn't control.'

That distinction mattered.

It sounded as though Iruha genuinely knew how to create a Philosopher's Stone.

The problem was that he could not manage the process alone.

"What if there were two of you?"

Another familiar voice suddenly came from behind them.

Salam had appeared as well.

"!!! Salam!"

"Dad!"

The two elderly men immediately rushed toward each other with speed that had absolutely no business belonging to people their age.

"EH?! YOU REALLY ARE FATHER AND SON?!" Natsu shouted, still unable to accept it.

"A father and son who look almost identical... That could actually make pretty good material for a story!"

Lucy immediately pulled out her notebook and began writing furiously.

Happy stared at her and could not even decide where to begin with his commentary.

"If the two of us work together, we might actually manage it."

"Oooh! My son! Then let us try, tchi!!"

Iruha raised his left hand while Salam raised his right. The index and middle fingers of their respective hands pressed together.

Raizel stared at them.

'Are you two seriously about to fuse or something...?'

"FATHER-SON ALCHEMY FUSION!"

'YOU ACTUALLY ARE!!!'

Raizel could practically feel ten thousand alpacas stampeding through his mind.