This is just my head cannon, but I don't think Mavis died during their first kiss. I think she died after they were intimate. They made sure to show both Mavis and Zeref react to Larcade's pleasure spell, and that only worked on people who had done the deed. While Zeref may have been with others in his 400 years, Mavis sure the hell wasn't. They just used the kiss to signify their union, because, well...Mavis looks like a little kid. Precht even clarified in the episode that she may have looked like a child, but she was a fully grown woman.
Also, with August, I think he wanted to desperately tell Zeref he was his child, but knew he couldn't because of the curse. If Zeref had known, and felt love for him, it may have gotten him killed by mistake. I also think that's part of the reason why he stopped his spell. He finally came to terms with the fact that the reason he was never loved by his father was because he never told him. Add that to finally seeing his mother, and that was enough.
I agree with Rax btw...these episodes coming up are just fantastic. Enjoy the ride.
Emmy Hetrick
2022-06-07 17:50:00 +0000 UTC
You'll lose it when the anime gets the to stuff after this one.