"Of course, it's to stop you from escaping—and, well, to cut off your connection to that 'thought projection' of yours," Roger said, raising an eyebrow. "After all, we're gonna need to borrow that precious Saint-level body of yours, Mr. Laxus."
The moment his words landed—Buzz!
A terrifying pressure crashed down from above! The entire Tower of Heaven shook violently, dust and debris raining from the ceiling.
Erza snapped her head toward the tower's peak, her face turning deadly serious, her red hair fluttering without wind. "There's an enormous amount of magic power gathering up there! If it hits, it could wipe us all out in an instant!"
"What?!" Lucy, already unsteady from the tremors, went weak in the knees and collapsed with a thud, her face pale. "This shaking's because of that? What do we do?!"
Roger snapped his fingers with a sharp crack.
Whoosh!
Countless gentle yet sturdy cyan whirlwinds enveloped everyone, lifting them like arrows shot from a bow. They rocketed out through a hole in the tower, landing hundreds of meters away at a safe distance.
"Even though the records say Etherion gets absorbed by the R-System, reality's unpredictable. Better play it safe and get out first," Roger said.
Hovering in the air, the group stared in horror at the sky. The clouds had been torn apart by an invisible giant hand, forming a massive circular gap. At its center, a terrifying blue energy pulsed like it was boiling, and an enormous, intricate golden square magic circle spun into view, radiating suffocating majesty.
Happy's jaw dropped, his cat eyes wide as he gaped at the apocalyptic scene. "Tch—this can't be one person's magic, right? This power… it's scarier than everyone I've ever met combined!"
Roger stared at the source of the destruction, his voice calm. "This is a strategic-level spell requiring multiple elemental mages to cast together—'Etherion,' also known as the 'Ultimate Space-Time Destruction Magic.' Its power can erase an entire country from the map in an instant, leaving the land barren for decades."
"What?!" Lucy's scream cracked, her voice breaking. "Why's a weapon that insane aimed at us?!"
"It's because of Zeref," Mira said, her blue eyes reflecting the ominous blue glow in the sky. "Zeref's the most powerful and evil black mage in history. Nearly every demon causing chaos was created by him. If he's revived, the world could fall into chaos—something the Magic Council absolutely can't allow."
She paused, her expression turning thoughtful. "But what's curious is, if Remir could disguise himself as 'Laxus' and infiltrate the Council as a member, was his goal to stop Etherion's launch? How did he know the Council would use it? Or…" Mira trailed off, her face darkening. "Was getting the Council to fire Etherion his real plan all along?"
"What?" Lucy jolted, her brain struggling to keep up. "That weapon can destroy a country in a second! Why would he—"
BOOM!
Her words were cut off by an even louder tremor and roar! The sea below churned violently, whipping up massive waves. A blinding white light erupted, turning the night sky as bright as day.
Around the massive golden magic circle, four smaller arrays—red, purple, blue, and white—flared to life. Countless layered golden runes lit up, and a colossal beam of pure destructive energy, like divine judgment, shot through the arrays, slamming toward the Tower of Heaven below!
Buzz!
A deafening silence hit, followed by an ear-splitting roar that tore through their eardrums. Natsu and Happy, with their sharp hearing, clutched their ears in pain.
Under the impact of that blinding white light, the tower's massive black structure melted like snow in the sun, disintegrating and vanishing. The shockwave sent wild waves crashing.
When the blinding light finally faded, the group slowly opened their eyes. The towering black structure was gone, replaced by a massive crystalline structure glowing with deep blue light.
"Is that… a lacrima?!" Happy's jaw dropped, his tail stiff with shock.
"Exactly," Roger nodded, confirming his guess. "The forbidden magic capable of 'resurrection'—the R-System. From what I've read in ancient texts, the Tower of Heaven, or rather the R-System, is now in its complete form. It requires an unimaginable amount of magic power, far beyond the combined power of every mage on the continent."
Mira's lips curled, her earlier doubts clicking into place. "So that's why he infiltrated the Council! He used his position as a member and the threat of 'Zeref's revival' to push the Council into firing Etherion—the only thing that could provide the energy needed to activate the R-System!"
Her tone carried a hint of mockery. "Only a threat like 'Zeref's revival' would make the Council fire Etherion without hesitation."
Lucy groaned, feeling utterly speechless. "They got totally played…"
She couldn't even find words. The Magic Council, the highest authority overseeing the continent's magical order, had not only been infiltrated by an enemy who rose to its ranks but had been manipulated into helping complete the forbidden magic to revive Zeref!
Helping the enemy?
Lucy froze as her earlier bet with Roger flashed in her mind. Wait! We came here to stop Zeref's revival and destroy the tower. The Council's actions are totally screwing us over!
A chill shot from her feet to her head. At that moment, a sweet, almost syrupy whisper brushed her ear. "Oh my~ Looks like you lost the bet, Lucy~"
Lucy stiffly turned her head to find Mira beside her, her beautiful face wearing a gentle smile. But those blue eyes gleamed with a chilling, "intrigued" spark that made Lucy's scalp tingle. That smile merged with memories of Mira's "delinquent" side during her spars with Erza, sending shivers down Lucy's spine.
Terrifying!
Mira draped an arm around Lucy's shoulders, leaning close to whisper, "Special training's about to start~ I'm really looking forward to it~ You're not gonna back out, right? After all, you're the celestial mage who values 'contracts' the most~ Right, my adorable celestial mage~?"
That devilish whisper left Lucy with one thought: Regret. Deep regret.
(QAQ) I got screwed by my own words again! This is the second time! If I'd known, I wouldn't have said anything!
(T_T) Why did I even bet with Roger?! 500,000 jewels wasn't that important!
She wanted to bolt, but she was floating in midair, held up by Roger's magic. She couldn't fly, and if she moved and his spell faltered, she'd plummet into the sea! Lucy was on the verge of tears, feeling like a fish on a cutting board.
Just then, her body moved forward, carried by the wind, as Roger's voice cut in. "The Council's surveillance system is completely down. Their lacrima can't see us now. Let's move in and shut down the R-System for good."
Lucy blinked, confused. "How do you know the Council's system is down? And Roger, it's like you knew Etherion was coming from the start!"
Roger raised an eyebrow, flipping his left hand to reveal a card with a chibi Yajima portrait. The card glowed briefly, and Yajima's furious roar echoed from it: "Tia! What the hell are you doing?! Are you trying to destroy the Council?!"
The glow faded.
"Didn't I mention?" Roger said, waving the card. "I made these communication cards for the guild master, Yajima, and Porlyusica. They're not just for talking—they can block a full-power Saint-level attack. Oh, and I added a little… extra feature."
Lucy's eyes widened, her mouth forming an 'O.' "You… you put a listening function on it?!"
"Don't make it sound so shady," Roger said with a shrug, looking entirely unapologetic. "It's a 'remote elderly health and safety monitoring system.' This way, I can know the moment they're in danger and rush to help."
(0_0) So shameless! He makes spying sound so wholesome! And… why does it kinda make sense? Wait, no! Something's off!
Lucy snapped out of it, pointing at him in disbelief. "So you knew from the start the Council would mess things up?!"
Roger grinned, his eight white teeth practically sparkling. "Who bets without being 100% sure they'll win? Right, Lu~cy~?"
He tapped his temple lightly. "Sometimes, a '50-50 chance' can become 100% with the right info and a little… strategy."
Lucy clutched her chest, feeling like she'd been stabbed. So dirty! I was completely set up!
Now that she thought about it, Mira's sudden push to take down Remir was probably part of their plan! That time at the casino—did they lure her into betting on purpose? They knew Roger's luck at cards was awful, and Mira still dragged him to the table! Was it to make her think he was bad at gambling and lower her guard? I was played from the start?!
(;A;) Damn it! How could I ever win against someone this sneaky?!
While Lucy spiraled, the group reached the top of the giant lacrima. There, Remir stood rigid, waves of immense magic power surging as he tried and failed to break free.
Seeing them approach, his bloodshot eyes bulged with rage, and he roared, "You damned brats! What did you do to me?!"
A massive, intricate purple magic circle unfurled before Roger. "To keep the tower from being destroyed, let's wrap this up quick."
[Illusion Magic: Five Senses Manipulation]
A vivid purple light flooded Remir's vision. The fury and madness on his face vanished like it was erased, replaced by a blank expression. His body went limp, collapsing with a thud onto the cold crystal floor, completely unconscious.
Lucy gaped. "One hit?!"
"Nice!" Happy raised a paw. "That's Roger for ya!"
[Ding! Gained 2.1 million magic points. Obtained Mindless Blade Experience Card (one-time use)] (Roger only)
[Mindless Blade: A strike from another world's thunder god, imbued with partial law power]
[Note: Usage is accompanied by intense lightning. If not immune to lightning, use with caution.]
Whoa, a drop! Mindless Blade? Like Raiden Shogun's move? Roger tucked the rewards away for now and stepped forward, looking down at the unconscious Remir. He raised his right hand.
[Enhancement Magic: Separation Attachment]
A scarlet magic circle appeared above Remir's head. Countless tiny white light particles drifted out of his body, gathering into an apple-sized white orb in Roger's hand.
As the particles left, Remir's face twisted in pain, even in his unconscious state, letting out soft groans. Soon, the magic circle faded, and the orb stabilized.
Roger glanced at Remir, now foaming at the mouth, and thought, This guy wasn't even manipulated. Ultear just mentioned a few things, and he was ready to revive Zeref for power and world domination. Pathetic.
Shaking his head, he turned to Simon. "Simon—if you had the chance to become a Magic Council member, would you take it?"
"The Council?" Simon frowned. "Didn't you say it's basically destroyed? Even if they rebuild, I'm not the type to be a member. I don't have the power or the accomplishments."
"That's not an issue," Roger said, shaking his head. "What matters is your character. You're resilient, staying clear-headed in a place like this for years. You're calm, able to judge situations and find trustworthy allies instead of rushing in blindly. And you're patient, biding your time and seizing the moment to find help to stop the R-System."
He cut to the chase. "All you need to tell me is: are you willing to take on that responsibility? I'll handle the rest."
"I'm in!" Simon said without hesitation, grinning. "I mean, a Council member's a big deal, right? Who'd say no to being someone important?"
"Great," Roger said, smiling back. He held up the white orb. "This contains all of 'Laxus's' memories and experience from his time in the Council. With it, you'll master the job in no time."
Next, he pulled a writhing, ominous black energy orb from his system inventory—the dark magic source stripped from Jose. "And this will boost you to Saint-level magic power. But," he added seriously, "once you absorb it, your magic growth will likely stall at the Saint level forever. And the process? It's gonna hurt—like rebuilding your magic source from scratch. Last chance: you sure you want to be a Council member?"
Simon eyed the powerful orb, giving a wry smile. "I know my limits. On my own, I'd never even touch the Saint threshold. This isn't a sacrifice—it's a once-in-a-lifetime shot. Power, memories, influence—who could say no?"
"Alright," Roger said, tossing the white orb lightly. "Get ready to receive the memories first."
Simon took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "I'm ready!"
The orb floated above his head, a scarlet magic circle spinning slowly.
[Enhancement Magic: Memory Infusion]
The orb dissolved into countless soft light particles, flowing into Simon's forehead like spring rain. He grunted, his brows furrowing as sweat beaded on his face, his mind grappling with the flood of information.
After a while, the particles vanished, and his expression eased. His eyes now held a depth and steadiness that weren't there before.
"That's incredible," Simon murmured, awestruck. "My mind's filled with memories, experiences, and know-how about the Council's work…"
Roger held up the black magic source. "Next is the magic fusion. Brace yourself—this'll hurt ten times worse. If it's too much, shout."
The black orb floated, radiating a daunting pressure. It drifted to Simon's abdomen, merging slowly like a shadowy phantom.
[Enhancement Magic: Magic Source Fusion]
"Arghhh!" The moment the dark source touched him, Simon let out an agonized roar. Veins bulged on his forehead and neck, pulsing as if they might burst. His muscles tensed to their limit.
The power rampaged inside him, his abdomen burning like it was seared by a red-hot iron or smashed by a hammer. Pain surged like relentless waves, spreading from his core to every limb, as if ants were gnawing his bones or a thousand scalding needles stabbed him.
His magic source felt torn apart, then painfully rebuilt under the foreign power's assault. Time stretched endlessly.
After about ten minutes, the black orb fully merged. Simon collapsed, soaked in sweat, utterly drained, unable to move a finger, gasping heavily.
But a newfound, immense magic power surged from deep within him, unfamiliar yet overwhelming, filling him with indescribable emotion.
I finally have the power to protect Kagura. No more running in fear from stronger enemies.
A Council member, huh? To repay Roger, I'll climb as high as I can, gain enough influence… maybe even become someone who can truly change things.