Tower of Heaven's Entrance
After carving their way through yet another wave of guards and leaving the dock behind in splintered ruins that bobbed in the sea, the rescue party finally reached the Tower of Heaven's main gates.
The entrance loomed over them: two massive iron doors set into stone, engraved with faint scars. Everyone slowed instinctively as they reached the gates.
"...So this is it," Lucy whispered, clutching her key as she looked around for more attackers.
Gray's eyes narrowed, frost still clinging to his fingers. "Hopefully Erza is behind these doors."
Tamamo's gaze sharpened, ears twitching as she thought about their current circumstance. Her expression tightened by a fraction. "With all this commotion we caused, They most likely already know we're here."
"How do you think we should get in?" Yashima asked as she looked at the heavy doors, wondering if she should use her hammer.
But Issei and Natsu have already stepped up at the same time, both rolling their shoulders like they were about to break down those doors for daring to exist in their way.
Natsu cracked his knuckles, flames flickering back to life along his forearms. "I'm done waiting."
Issei exhaled, eyes cold, as he got ready. "Same."
They were a second away from smashing through, when the iron doors opened by themselves. Revealing a long, dark corridor stretched beyond the threshold, swallowing the daylight. The air that drifted out was stale and old.
As the doors opened, the group froze. Every fighter's instincts screamed at the same time, that this was clearly a trap.
Uzume's veil twitched, Yuuka's revolvers lifted half an inch, Akitsu's posture shifted, calm but ready, Yashima's grip tightened on her hammer and even Ruby's fur bristled as she hovered near Issei's shoulder, eyes narrowed as they waited for something to great them.
"They're inviting us in," Gray muttered as he looked through the corridor but spotted nothing.
Lucy swallowed. "That's… never a good sign."
Tamamo's smile was thin. "Of course it isn't."
For a breath, the group hovered on the edge of the unknown, staring into the open mouth of the tower.
Then Natsu snorted, not caring of the dangers that would come, like the concept of caution wasn't even something he believed existed. "Trap or not, I don't care."
"Natsu—!" Lucy reached out, but he was already moving.
He charged straight through the threshold, with his sandals striking stone as he ran through. "Happy! Erza! I'm coming!"
Lucy's shoulders sag down as she watches Natsu sprint into danger with all the thoughtfulness of a cannonball. "…He really can't help himself," she muttered.
Issei agreed as he expected nothing less from his fellow dragon slayer, he then glanced at the others with a firm expression. "We can't stay here thinking of 'what ifs' while our friends are in danger." His eyes flicked toward the dark hallway. "Whatever's waiting, we deal with it when we see it."
Akitsu nodded once. "Agreed."
Uzume's grin returned, sharp and eager. "Finally."
Yuuka spun one revolver and clicked it back into her grip. "I hope they brought something fun."
Gray exhaled slowly, then stepped forward. "Stay close. We shouldn't split up yet."
Lucy hesitated only a heartbeat longer then swallowed her fear and ran after them.
Ruby fluttered up beside Issei, voice small but steady. "Let's bring them back."
Issei nodded. "Yeah," he said quietly, then louder as he crossed the threshold. "No one gets left behind."
And together, the rescue party plunged into the Tower of Heaven.
—-------------------------------------------
Millianna's Room, Tower of Heaven
As Happy's eyes snapped open with a startled expression and for a split second, his brain refused to accept what he was seeing.
Because the room wasn't just a simple room and looked more like a cat shrine. As it was covered Cat-pattern wallpaper in looping pawprints. Plush cats sat in every corner, some smiling, some staring blankly, pillows shaped like cat faces were stacked on a cat themed bed. Finally a shelf was filled with little ceramic cats, cat figurines, cat teacups, cat bells… even the curtains had embroidered whiskers.
As he took in the scene, Happy simply blinked. Then blinked again. "…Did I die?" He whispered. "Is this… Cat Heaven?"
Then his memory returned and hit him like a slap as he remembered spending time at the casino with Natsu, until they were confronted with a rectangular dandy man, who took out a gun. Then the darkness and gunshot.
Happy jolted upright so fast the plushies bounced. "NATSU!!" He cried, heart hammering. His eyes darted around like his best friend might be hiding behind the mountain of stuffed cats. "Where am I?! Where's Natsu?!"
And then a shadow fell over him. A girl stood in front of him, brown hair, bright eyes, and cat-like features that included red whiskers. She then leaned in with a grin,as she looked at Happy with great curiosity.
"Are you pumped up?" She asked cheerfully.
Happy froze. "Huh? A, I pumped up?" He repeated, voice squeaky, because he had no idea what that was supposed to mean. Was it a threat? A greeting? A ritual phrase?
The girl's eyes widened like she'd just found the greatest treasure in the world and then she squealed. "MYAAAH! IT TALKS!" She giggled, bouncing in place. "A talking kitty! A REAL talking kitty!!"
Happy scooted back, ears flattening. "I'm not a— I mean—I am—but—Wait! Lady! Listen!" Before he could finish, the door creaked and a tall figure leaned casually into the room.
A familiar man in a suit, whose body was so squared and rectangular it looked like someone had built him out of blocks and forgot to round the edges. He rested one elbow against the frame, cigarette between his fingers, expression calm in that unnerving way that made Happy's fur bristle.
Happy's eyes widened as he remembered, the one who shoved Natsu down and put his gun down his throat.
The rectangular man spoke with smooth confidence, like he was about to deliver life-changing wisdom. "Millianna," he said, "you have to think more like a dandy."
Millianna stopped mid-squeal, instantly attentive at her friend's wisdom.
"It isn't just a talking cat," The man continued. "It is a cat… because it can talk."
Millianna's face lit up with sudden understanding. "Ohhh… that makes sense!"
Happy's jaw dropped. "…NO IT DOESN'T!!" He shrieked, throwing his paws up. "That makes ZERO sense! That's the opposite of sense!"
The rectangular man, Wally, only smirked, like Happy's outrage was a mild breeze he found entertaining.
Happy's fear snapped into focus. He pointed at them with a shaking paw. "Who are you people?! Where's Natsu?! What did you do to him?!"
Wally exhaled smoke. "That boy?" He said lazily. "Most likely he's sleeping with the fishes."
Happy's breath hitched, for a second, cold panic clawed at his chest before his trust kicked the fear right in the face. He shook his head hard. "No! Natsu's too tough! A dumb gunshot wouldn't be enough to kill him"
Before Wally could respond, heavy footsteps approached. A tall man entered, his hair wrapped in a white turban, one eye covered by a patch, and his jaw covered by iron. Simon's gaze swept the room. "Wally. Millianna."
Wally straightened slightly with Millianna perking up, suddenly less giggly.
Simon's voice was blunt. "Erza has escaped."
Happy's ears shot up. "…Erza?" He repeated, heart racing again. "You have Erza too?! Where is she?!"
Wally and Millianna exchanged a look, then both smiled as they remembering something from long ago.
"She did the same thing back then," Millianna said softly, almost admiring. "Always fighting. Always trying to be free."
Wally chuckled. "Escaping is impossible," He said, as if the tower itself had rules that couldn't be broken.
Simon didn't look amused. "Impossible or not, she isn't going to run aimlessly." His visible eye narrowed. "She'll probably be heading for Jellal."
Millianna's smile widened. "Then we know where she's going."
Wally pushed off the doorway. "Come on," He said, turning as casually as if they were going to check on laundry. "Let's go fetch our runaway."
Simon nodded once, already moving.
The three of them left—boots fading down the corridor, their voices becoming echoes swallowed by stone.
And just like that… Happy was alone again. Surrounded by plush cats and pawprint wallpaper.
"What…" He whispered, voice small in the overly cute room "What the hell is going on…?"
—----------------------------------------------------
Ishgar Magic Council, Era, Ishgar
Era was a city built to feel untouchable. Its streets were spotless, its buildings were immaculate and its canals reflected the sky so cleanly it looked like no crime is ever committed here. And at the very heart of it all sat the building of the Ishgar Magic Council, the ruling body of the continent's magical order, formed from a tense blend of politicians and mages. Men and women, who controlled guilds, regulated magic, and decided what truths the world was allowed to know.
Inside the main chamber, those same people sat on a round table beneath towering pillars of white stone and gold trim.
Normally the meetings are more controlled but that morning, control cracked.
A messenger, breathless and pale, had just delivered a sealed report with shaking hands. A member at the central dais stood, unrolled the document, and read aloud, only to stop halfway through as if the words had sliced their throat.
"…No," Someone whispered from the semicircle of seats.
Another councilman snapped up from his chair. "Read it again, that can't be correct."
The reader swallowed and forced their voice to work. "Another tower of the… R-System has been found and has been confirmed active."
The silence that followed was tense. Before the chamber erupted in shouts.
"That's impossible!"
"We destroyed it!"
"We burned every trace of that cult!"
"Eight years ago, the cult was wiped out, every tower dismantled, every foundation collapsed, there wasn't even rubble left to mourn!"
A woman slammed her palm against her desk, eyes wide with fury and disbelief. "We personally oversaw the eradication of the Seven towers!"
Another member, older, with a voice like stone, leaned forward. "And yet this report claims there is an eighth."
The first woman stiffened. "Eighth…?"
A different councilman rose, holding a second sheet, investigator notes, stamped with multiple authorizations. "The field teams found evidence we missed a construction site. A tower hidden beyond the coast of the Caelum Kingdom. It was not in the original list of the seven."
A ripple of cold unease moved through the chamber.
Someone muttered, "How was this hidden for eight years…?"
The reader's hands tightened on the paper. "The investigators believe it is near completion."
That landed harder than the announcement itself.
One council member stood so abruptly his chair scraped the floor. "Then we must mobilize immediately. We should hurry and organize the army. We'll send elite squads, and quickly suppress them."
"You shouldn't send the army without more information." Another voice cut in sharply. The speaker was Michello, a cat-like old man, his expression controlled but tense. He tapped the report with two fingers. "We have no reliable account of their forces. No accurate map of defenses. No confirmation of who the cult's leadership is. If we charge in blind, we may lose people and we alert them to our fear."
The chamber buzzed again, split between urgency and caution.
But then a calm voice spoke from the center row. A blue haired man, Siegrain leaned forward, his hands folded neatly. "From what I read, there is an answer to your missing information," Siegrain said.
Michello's eyes narrowed. "And what would that be?"
Siegrain's gaze lifted, and for a moment the chamber felt colder, though no wind touched the walls. "If the report is correct," Siegrain said, "then the eighth tower has a name."
A councilwoman frowned. "A name?"
"Yes. From the papers it has the name of the Tower of Heaven." Siegrain says with seriousness.
The reader glanced down at the report again and nodded, voice tight. "Confirmed. The source identifies it as the Tower of Heaven."
A younger councilman slammed his fist down. "Who cares what it's called! We must strike immediately!"
Michello snapped, "We still don't know—"
Siegrain cut through the argument with quiet precision. "From what I was able to find, the cult leader is a man by the name of Jellal."
Michello's brow furrowed. "Jellal?" he repeated, suspicious. "And you're certain?"
"That's not a name we have heard before." A female council member says.
"Who cares what his name is! The R-System cannot be allowed to be used!"
"We have to mobilize the Rune Knights, no, deploy our entire army!"
"You want to send our people blind?"
"Better blind than to do nothing!"
At the center dais, the presiding members tried to hammer order into the noise, but the debate kept swelling. The R-System wasn't a normal crisis. It was a catastrophe waiting to happen.
Then, cutting through the shouting Siegrain rose as his expression looked strained, worry carved carefully into his face. "The Tower of Heaven is not something we can afford to treat like a normal threat," Siegrain said, voice controlled but urgent. "If it is near completion, then every hour we waste is another step closer to an outcome we cannot reverse."
A councilman snapped, "We agree it's dangerous! That's why we're debating the best approach—"
Siegrain's eyes hardened. "No. You're debating the safest approach for us."
Hearing his tone some shifted uncomfortably, while others bristled.
"The tower is way too dangerous to let it stand," he said. "I recommend we use Satellite Square: Etherion."
For a heartbeat, the entire council chamber went quiet. Then—
"What?!"
"Absolutely not!"
"That weapon is our last resort!"
"Etherion is a national-scale annihilation spell! Do you understand the amount of damage it could cause to the innocent."
"You want to fire it on incomplete information?!"
The room erupted like a shaken hive.
But then a woman stood, face pale with anger. "Etherion is the Council's ultimate weapon. It's more powerful than the R-System itself. If we use it carelessly, we could wipe out a kingdom."
A man with a scarred jaw snarled, "Once it falls, it doesn't stop until it destroys everything in its path. And let not forget where this tower could be, Siegrain? In the sea? Near trade routes? Near islands? What about civilians? Fishing settlements? You would sentence innocents based on a report?"
Siegrain's jaw tightened. The worry on his face deepened, as if he could already see the consequences marching toward them. "This isn't just 'a report,'" He insisted. "It's confirmation of the R-System's activation. Near completion." His eyes swept the chamber. "Do you understand what that means?"
A councilwoman hissed, "It means we must move fast, but that doesn't mean we should throw caution to the wind."
"We may not have time!" Siegrain snapped, just enough heat bleeding through to make the room flinch. He inhaled, then steadied himself, voice lowering again as he leaned into persuasion. "If we deploy our forces, we will have to waste so much time getting ready and while we do that, the ritual continues. If the R-System completes before we reach the summit… then the world changes forever."
A tense silence follows as the council thinks about the worst-case scenario.
Michello's eyes narrowed. "And your solution is to erase the entire structure with Etherion."
"Yes," Siegrain said, voice steady. "Because it is the fastest option. The only option that guarantees the tower will not finish."
Another member slammed a hand down. "Guarantees?! Etherion guarantees nothing except destruction! You would make us monsters to stop monsters!"
Siegrain met the accusation without blinking. "We are already responsible for what happens if we hesitate."
The air thickened.
People looked away. People stared harder. The weight of command pressed down on every shoulder in the room.
And then, from a seat slightly apart, quiet until now, Ultear Milkovich spoke. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried, cold and clean as a bell struck in winter. "I vote we use it."
Heads turned. A few members stiffened as if they'd misheard.
Michello stared. "Ultear—?"
Ultear's expression didn't change. "If the R-System is truly near completion, then a conventional assault is a gamble with unacceptable odds," She said, tone clinical. "Etherion is the only move that ends this quickly."
A ripple moved through the chamber, full of shock, discomfort, reluctant interest.
Someone muttered, "So even Ultear agrees…"
Siegrain seized that opening like a drowning man grabbing rope. "Thank you," he said quickly, urgency sharpened. "That's one vote." He turned to the chamber, eyes bright with intensity. "I need three more votes. That's all. Three more, and we authorize Etherion. We end the tower before the ritual can advance."
A councilman barked, "You're asking us to press a button that could erase life off the map!"
Siegrain's voice softened, dangerously and persuasive. "I'm asking you to press a button that prevents the dead from being bought back with blood," he said. "Because if the R-System succeeds, the world won't just mourn a few casualties." His gaze swept them all, pinning each member like a needle. "It will become a world where everyone starts thinking resurrection is worth any price."
—--------------------
Inside the Tower of Heaven, the moment the group crossed through the open gates, the world changed as the sunlight behind them was swallowed whole, replaced by dim, sickly illumination that clung to the stone walls like old grime. The air inside wasn't just stale, it was heavy, saturated with a dense, oppressive magic that pressed against the lungs.
Lucy's voice came out quieter than she meant. "This place feels… horrible."
Tamamo's eyes narrowed, her expression tight with disgust. "It's soaked in misery. The sounds of the tortured saturate its very halls."
Issei didn't answer. He simply kept running, eyes scanning ahead, Ruby clinging to his head, the little red cat's ears were pinned back, tail stiff. "I don't like this," Ruby muttered. "Everything smells icky."
Natsu, still burning with the rage of losing Happy, ran like a wildfire. Gray kept pace beside him, jaw clenched. Akistu's calm presence was a steady anchor amid the tension, while Uzume and Yuuka moved with that familiar thrill of battle lurking behind their smiles.
They charged up the corridor, stone narrowing, then opening into a wide interior hall, where an ambush waited for them.
"THERE!" A guardsman says with a sword.
"STOP THEM!" Another shouts loading his guns.
Guards poured in from side passages and upper ledges, weapons raised, spell-circles flaring. The group skidded into formation without even needing to speak, bodies moving from instinct and trust.
Yuuka's revolvers came up with a click.
"Get lost." she said, and fired. Two guards dropped before they even finished raising their weapons.
Gray slammed his palm forward. "Ice-Make!" A broad sweep of ice surged across the floor like a wave, forcing the front line of guards to lose footing. Some went down hard. Others tried to leap but Yashima met them as her war hammer swung in a clean arc, gravity magic swelling around the head like an invisible mountain.
BOOM.
Several guards flew backward as if they'd been hit by a cannon.
"Stay together," Akitsu said calmly, and her hands traced a quick pattern and frost snapped around the legs of three attackers, locking them in place mid-sprint. Their faces twisted in panic as the cold climbed.
Juvia stepped past Gray, water spiraling around her arms. "Water Bullet!" She cried, and fired pressurized water bullets that struck, painful, precise, disrupting spell-casting hands and knocking weapons askew. A blade swung at her but Juvia's body liquefied instantly. The blade passed through as if through a waterfall. She then reformed behind him and struck again, water slicing the air.
Uzume's veil snapped outward like a hungry serpent. It wrapped around two guards' throats at once—tight, ruthless. Their eyes bulged as Uzume pulled, dragging them backward and slamming them into others. "They should've just left us alone." She sang, then twisted her veil again, turning it into a constricting coil that squeezed until the guards dropped, gasping.
Lucy's hands clenched around her key. "Taurus!" Light flared and a magic circle shined. Taurus materialized with a roar, axe raised high. "LUCY! I'LL PROTECT YOUR BOOBS AND CRUSH THEM WITH MY MANLY—!"
"JUST HIT THEM!" Lucy shouted, red-faced.
Taurus charged, bulldozing through the line with a brute swing that sent guards tumbling like bowling pins.
Tamamo stood just behind the frontline, her mirror floating at her side. Shots and spells struck it and rebounded harmlessly, while she flicked talismans with sharp precision.
"Curse of Slumber." One mage's eyes rolled back as he collapsed mid-cast.
"Curse of Misfortune." A guard tripped on nothing, crashed into his ally, and both tumbled into Gray's ice.
"Curse of Silence." A spell-caster's mouth moved but no sound came out. His panic was immediate.
And in the middle of it all—
Issei and Natsu tore through opponents with raw, almost cheerful brutality. Natsu's fists burned, sending men flying with scorching blows. Issei meanwhile sent a kick to the ribs. A punch to the jaw. A palm strike that dropped someone like a sack of bricks.
Ruby clung tight, chanting over the chaos.
"Enchant—Strength!" Yashima's next hammer swing cracked stone.
"Enchant—Speed!" Yuuka dodged a spell by a hair and fired point-blank.
Issei grinned despite himself. "Good girl."
Within moments, bodies littered the floor, groaning, unconscious, pinned to ice, tangled in veils, or flattened by Yashima and Taurus's hammer.
Issei exhaled. "Alright, let's move on!"
But the guards weren't done as more footsteps thundered down the halls.
More guards flooded in from the side corridors, climbing over their own fallen.
Lucy's eyes widened. "There's so many—!"
Natsu's flames surged. "Bring it—!"
But before they could reach them, steel flashed. Two swords carved through the incoming line in a blur, clean and merciless. Guards dropped before their brains caught up to what happened as bodies hit the floor one after another like falling dominoes.
A red-haired woman stepped through the gap she created, her posture rigid with fury, twin blades gleaming. "Where is Jellal?" She demanded, her voice sharp like a blade itself.
This caused the entire group to freeze as they met one of their captured friends.
"…Erza?" Lucy whispered, stunned.
Gray's eyes widened. "You're—"
Natsu's face lit up for half a second, full of relief, shock, and anger all twisting together. "Erza!!"
Erza turned, and for a moment she looked like she might not recognize them, like her mind had been locked in a different place, a different time. Then her eyes sharpened. "You…?" Her breath hitched. "What are you doing here?!"
Issei stepped forward. "We're here to rescue you. And Happy."
Erza's expression tightened instantly, something painful flickering behind her eyes before she forced it down. "Go back," She said harshly. "Now."
Lucy stared in disbelief as tears were shown. "What? Erza, we—"
"This is dangerous," Erza snapped, voice rising, twin swords still held at the ready as if she expected more enemies to attack again. "You shouldn't be here."
Natsu bristled immediately. "Hell, no! They kidnapped Happy!" He pointed deeper into the tower. "I'm getting him back! Plus that squared bastard humiliated me! And I'm getting my payback." And without thinking, because it was Natsu, he started to run.
But Issei caught him by the shoulder in an instant, yanking him back with a firm grip. "Natsu," Issei said, voice low but iron. "Stop. We need information."
Natsu glared like a caged dragon. "Let go—!"
"I'm not letting you charge into a maze like an idiot," Issei shot back. "Not when we finally found someone who knows what the hell is going on."
Lucy stepped forward, tears still faintly dried on her cheeks from earlier. Her voice trembled with frustration and hurt. "Erza… what is this?" She demanded. "Who are these people? Why did they take you? Why did they take Happy?" Her fingers tightened around her key. "You can't just tell us to leave and pretend we're not involved. We're your friends!"
Erza's jaw clenched but she looked away as she couldn't look at her friends.
"Erza," Lucy said, softer now but no less firm, "don't shut us out."
Gray crossed his arms, expression tight. "Yeah. You're not acting like yourself."
Erza flinched at his words.
Gray's voice lowered. "We're offering to help you. So let us."
For a moment, it looked like Erza would snap again, like she would double down on stubbornness. Then she turned and the sight hit everyone like a blow.
Erza's eyes were shining as tears clung to her lashes, not falling yet but threatening to. Her expression was torn full of sadness and relief, pain and gratitude all fighting for space.
Lucy's breath caught. "Erza…"
Erza swallowed hard. "You… shouldn't have come," she whispered.
Natsu's anger faltered. Gray's sternness softened. Even Issei's grip on Natsu eased just slightly.
Erza's voice shook. "I'm happy, you're all here for me." She admitted, the words coming out like they cost her something. "But I'm… terrified." She closed her eyes, and when she spoke again, it was barely above a whisper. "Because… I will have to say goodbye."
The corridor went silent except for distant echoes and the faint hum of the tower's magic.
Erza inhaled, steadying herself. She opened her eyes, determination returning, but softer now. Less alone. "…I can't persuade you to leave," she said. "I know that."
Lucy shook her head. "No. You can't."
Natsu grinned fiercely. "Not happening."
Yuuka nodded once. "So talk."
Erza's shoulders trembled once, then she straightened, blades lowering as she made a decision. "Fine," she said, voice steadier now. "If you're going to stay… then you deserve to know everything." She drew in a slow breath. Her eyes flicked briefly over her friends, Lucy's anxious face, Natsu's clenched jaw, Gray's narrowed gaze, then landed on Issei and his group, the unfamiliar allies who had still come anyway.
"…This tower," Erza began, voice tight, "is called the Tower of Heaven."
Tamamo's ears twitched. "Really? This place doesn't look heavenly."
Erza didn't smile. "Most people don't know it exists. And if they do… they don't know the truth." Her fingers tightened around her swords until the metal creaked faintly. "A cult once tried to build a tower, and with its completion activates the R-system." She continued, "A magic capable of resurrecting a man feared across history. A dark mage so infamous that even speaking his name invites dread."
Lucy swallowed. "The R-System…"
Erza nodded once. "Yes. The R-System is the tower. It's a resurrection device." Her gaze darkened. "And it was built with slaves."
The word echoed through the stone hall.
Erza's voice then lowered in shame. "And I was one of those slaves."
Silence slammed down.
Issei's posture shifted subtly. Ruby's tail bristled as she clung to his hair. Uzume's grin vanished. Yuuka's eyes sharpened.
Erza continued, each name sounding like an old scar being reopened. "Wally. Shô. Millianna. Simon… Jellal."
"And those people are?" Uzume asks with an eyebrow raised.
"The people who kidnapped me," Erza confirmed. "They were my… friends. Before everything became twisted." Her throat worked as if swallowing glass. "We were captured as children," she said, voice rough. "Chained, forced to work, beaten when we slowed and starved when we resisted." Her eyes unfocused for a moment, staring past them into a memory that lived in her mind. "We planned to escape." Her hands trembled. "But it failed."
Lucy's breath hitched. "Erza…"
Erza's jaw tightened. "They dragged me into the dungeons. They—" Her voice broke for half a second, and she then forced it back into place like snapping a blade straight. "They tortured me. They did it so severely…" Erza whispered, her voice hollow, "…that I lost my right eye."
Natsu made a sound between a growl and a gasp. Gray's eyes widened, and Yuuka for once he didn't have a snarky comment. Lucy's face drained. Issei's fists clenched slowly at his sides. He didn't speak, because there was nothing he could say that wouldn't feel too small.
Erza continued anyway. "Jellal came to me," she said. "He was… kind. Back then." Her lips quivered, the memory painful in a way that wasn't just fear. "He found me in the dungeon, and he told me we had to fight to survive. That we couldn't keep waiting for someone else to save us." A faint, bitter laugh escaped her. "He said it like he believed it." Her gaze then dropped. "But he was caught," she added quietly. "He tried to protect me, and a guard found him. They beat him." Her voice tightened. "And they sent me back to my cell." She inhaled and then her eyes hardened. "And that was when I stopped being afraid."
Natsu blinked. Gray leaned in slightly, listening. Lucy stared at her like she was seeing the truth behind Erza's strength for the first time.
"I attacked the guards," Erza said. "And I started a revolution."
Uzume murmured under her breath, impressed despite herself. "Damn That's Erza."
Erza didn't acknowledge it. Her eyes were far away again. "At first it worked," she said. "We fought like animals backed into a corner. We tore our chains off with our bare hands. We took weapons. We freed people. We believed… we believed we could win." Her grip tightened. "We wanted freedom," she whispered. "And we wanted to save Jellal. But when I reached him…" Erza's voice went cold, and her eyes snapped back to the present. "He was different."
A chill ran through Lucy.
"The boy I admired was gone," Erza said. "And in his place was… something else."
Gray's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Erza's jaw flexed. "I mean that the moment I got there, he attacked me."
Natsu's flames flared hotter. "What?!"
"I don't know what changed but he said he would complete the R-System," Erza continued, voice shaking with contained fury. "That he would resurrect Zeref to find his 'true freedom.'" Erza's eyes darkened. "He killed the guards who were torturing him as if they were nothing." Her voice rose, raw now. "Even when I tried to stop him, he didn't hesitate, he used darkness magic on me."
Lucy's eyes widened. "Jellal used—?"
Erza nodded. "He had power. Real power. And he wasn't afraid of hurting me or anyone." Her shoulders trembled. For a second it looked like her composure might finally crack. "He told me…" Erza whispered, voice thin, "that if I told anyone about the tower… he would kill everyone."
Natsu's expression twisted. Gray's teeth clenched. Lucy looked sick.
Erza's voice turned distant. "The next thing I remember… I woke up on another island." She swallowed hard. "I was crying," she admitted, voice barely audible. "I couldn't stop feeling powerless."
A silence followed, thick and brutal.
Erza blinked hard, then wiped at her eyes, angry at herself for letting tears show, angry at the tower for still having the power to pull them out of her. When she looked up again, her expression had hardened into familiar steel. "That's why," she said firmly, "I will be the one to face Jellal."
Natsu stepped forward instantly. "No."
Erza's eyes snapped to him. "Natsu—"
"You're not doing this alone," he growled.
Gray nodded once, backing him. "Yeah not happening."
Lucy's voice trembled but didn't falter. "We're your friends."
Issei exhaled slowly, gaze steady. "Yeah. That's kind of what friends do. They ignore the 'go away' speech and help you."
Uzume muttered, "Especially when it's stupid."
Erza flinched, then looked away again, lips pressed thin, like she hated how much she needed them.
Issei's eyes narrowed slightly. "So. The guy he's trying to resurrect."
Erza's gaze lifted. "Zeref."
Issei frowned. "Who is he?"
Erza's voice lowered as if saying his name out loud was a curse. "Zeref is the cruelest and most powerful dark mage in history."
Issei's group exchanged quick looks, concern rising, because Fairy Tail's reactions were not normal fear.
"He created Lullaby," Erza continued.
Natsu and Lucy's face twisted as they remembered the monster that came out of the flute.
"And he likely created Deliora as well," Erza finished.
This causes Gray's eyes to widen as he remembers the monster that destroyed his life.
Issei didn't know those names, but he didn't need to. The way his friends reacted made the meaning clear enough. "…Okay," Issei said quietly. "Yeah. That's bad."
Ruby's ears flattened. "That's 'end-of-the-world' bad, Issei." She corrected him.
Lucy swallowed hard. "Pretty much." Then Lucy's eyes narrowed as another piece clicked into place. "Erza…" she said carefully, "why do they call you a traitor? Why would Shô and the others… hate you like that?"
Erza's expression tightened, bitterness flashing through her gaze. "Because Jellal needed them to hate me, probably a way to convince them to finish building the tower." she said bluntly. "He probably told them a lie." Her hands clenched around her swords. "That I abandoned them. That I betrayed them. Anything that would keep them loyal to him."
Gray scoffed, anger simmering. "So he twisted the truth to them."
Erza's voice went softer and pained. "Yes."
Natsu's fists shook. "I'm gonna burn him."
Lucy stepped closer to Erza, eyes shining again. "Then we stop him. Together."
Issei and his harem nodded along in agreement with the rest.
Erza stared at them, at all of them, like she was trying to memorize their faces. Because part of her still believed she didn't deserve this.
Just as she was about to say something, a voice behind her cut through the silence.
"Is that true?".
Everyone turned at once.
From a shadowed passageway stepped Shô. His blond hair fell in jagged spikes around his face, eyes wide and burning, his expression twisted between fury, betrayal, and something far more fragile, fear of realizing he'd been a fool. His gaze locked onto Erza like she'd stabbed him simply by existing.
Natsu's flames flickered up, instinctive. Gray shifted his stance, ready. Yuuka's revolver lifted half an inch. Uzume's veil twitched as if it wanted to lash out.
Erza held up a hand—small, firm. "Stop," She said quietly to her friends.
Shô's voice cracked with emotion, spitting words like they were poison he couldn't swallow. "Are you telling them the truth?" he demanded. "About Jellal? About the tower?" His eyes darted around the group like he couldn't believe she had people behind her. "You're saying he—he's been lying?!"
Erza's gaze softened, just a fraction. "Shô…"
But Shô didn't let her speak. He surged forward a step, fists clenched, trembling. "He told us—!" Shô shouted, voice breaking. "He told us you betrayed us!" His breathing was harsh now. "He said you planted bombs in our ships," Shô snarled, rage spilling out. "That you were going to kill us all! That if Jellal hadn't noticed, if he hadn't stopped it, then we'd all be dead!"
Lucy's eyes widened. "Bombs…?"
Erza flinched like the accusation physically hurt.
Shô continued, words tumbling out, desperate and furious. "And then he made us go back to work," Shô said, voice shaking. "He said it was a sign. That the tower had to keep being built. That this was proof the R-System was righteous!" His eyes glistened, and for a second the rage slipped—showing the hurt underneath. "He made us believe it…"
The corridor seemed to tighten around them.
Tamamo watched Shô with a hard expression, not because she hated him, but because she recognized the look. The look of someone realizing too late that their loyalty had been weaponized.
Erza stepped forward slowly, careful like she was approaching a wounded animal that might bolt or bite. "Shô," she said, voice steady. "I would never do that."
Shô's lips parted. His eyes flicked across her face, searching for cracks, for deceit, because that was what he'd been trained to expect. "…But he said—"
"I know what he said," Erza replied softly. "And I know why you believed it." Her gaze lowered for a moment, shame passing across her features. "I left you. I escaped. But all of you were trapped here with him. I… understand why you thought I abandoned you."
Shô's fists tightened.
Erza lifted her eyes again, and this time there was steel in them, steel forged from regret. "But I didn't betray you," she said, voice firm. "Jellal did."
Shô's expression twisted, confusion battling fury. He looked like his world was trying to rearrange itself and failing.
And then the sound of heavy footsteps was heard and a calm, solid presence entered the corridor like a wall stepping into place. A tall man in a turban moved into the light, his iron jaw catching it, his single visible eye steady. He didn't look surprised to see Shô. If anything, he looked… tired. "Shô," Simon said, voice low.
Shô whipped his head. "Simon—?! You knew she was here?!"
Simon didn't flinch. "I heard everything."
Shô's breath came sharp. "Then tell me!" he demanded. "Is she lying?! Is Jellal—"
Simon's voice cut through him. "Jellal has been lying from the beginning."
The words were blunt and final, causing Shô to freeze.
Simon stepped closer, gaze never leaving Shô. "I knew," Simon continued. "I saw it, the exact moment he attacked Erza. The way he made us work. The way he fed our anger and called it purpose." His eye narrowed. "And I knew he twisted our feelings for Erza into a weapon."
Shô's face trembled. "…Then why didn't you stop him?" Shô whispered.
Simon's jaw tightened. "Because I couldn't." The admission came out like it tasted bitter. "Not alone. Not with everyone believing him." He looked at Erza then—just briefly. "And because I never stopped trusting her."
Erza's breath hitched. For a second, the fierce woman with twin swords looked like a girl again, one who had been alone in a dungeon, who had carried guilt for years like an anchor.
Simon's voice softened, barely. "Erza never would have planted bombs to kill us," he said. "She was the only one who fought for us."
Shô's eyes shook.
Erza stepped closer and gently hugged Shô. He didn't pull away. Her touch was steady, warm and real. "I was too weak back then," Erza said quietly. "I couldn't save you. I couldn't stop him." Her voice tightened. "But I'm stronger now."
Shô swallowed hard, eyes burning. "Erza…"
Lucy's heart clenched at the sight—at how much pain had been hiding behind the names Erza had spoken.
Natsu clenched his fists, anger returning sharper. "So Jellal played you all like puppets," he growled.
Gray's voice was cold. "And now we cut the strings."
Issei stepped forward, gaze locking onto Shô and Simon. "You two want to stop him?"
Shô's expression wavered… then hardened. "Yes," he said, voice shaking with renewed fury. "I do."
Simon nodded once, firm. "We end this."
Erza exhaled slowly, then looked at her friends. "Are you coming with me," she said, voice tight with emotion. "Even after everything."
Lucy stepped closer, smiling through wet eyes. "Of course we will."
Natsu grinned fiercely. "That's what we do."
Issei cracked his neck, eyes narrowing toward the upper levels of the tower. "Alright," he said, tone turning serious. "Then we've got a cult, a tower, a resurrection ritual, and a guy named Jellal at the top."
Uzume's grin returned—sharp and eager. "Sounds like a party."
Yuuka twirled her revolver. "A very fun one."
Tamamo's smile was small and dangerous. "Let's ruin his ceremony."
Erza's eyes turned upward—toward the summit, toward the shadow waiting there. Then she nodded. "Then let's do this together," she said. Shô and Simon stepped in beside them.