User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Chapter 487: The Third Seal, Review./@comment-130.105.215.179-20160531081845/@comment-7418318-20160601164139

Also all his impressive feats are things we only learn about from "ancient history".

What did Zeref really do on screen in the current time of the story? For the most part just getting beaten up, crying and talking. Sure he occasionally fires off unintentional death waves and once tried (and failed) to kill Makarov, but that's his direct contribution to the story so far in a nutshell.

Sure he sparked the war off, but except for that short scuffle with Natsu, in which he mostly just stood around and waited if Natsu could kill him, the war has only been fought by others, while he lounged around on his throne.