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"We met a few people, including Wuli, at that time. We relied on each other, found joy in our suffering, and barely managed to survive."
"But there was no end in sight to such a life. We didn't know when we would die, so someone suggested escaping. Everyone agreed, but before we could even start, we were discovered by the Black Magic Cult. To force out the mastermind, I was captured, and Jellal, to save me, was also captured."
"For freedom, and to save Jellal, we chose to take up arms and resist. All the imprisoned slaves had also had enough of that life and fought alongside us against the Magic Cult. In the end, we defeated the Magic Cult."
"When I went to save Jellal, he had completely changed, becoming someone I didn't recognize. Not only could he use magic, but he also didn't plan to leave with us. He intended to continue building the r system to revive Zeref."
"Of course, I disagreed, but he defeated me with magic. I don't know if he still had some kindness left, but he chose not to kill me. Instead, he let me go, but he forbade me from telling anyone about this or approaching him again. Otherwise, to eliminate evidence, he would kill everyone in the Tower of Paradise, including Wuli and my former companions."
At this moment, Wuli swayed and stood up: "What was all that about? Are you trying to use those lies to gain your companions' sympathy?! Don't be ridiculous! The truth isn't like that at all!"
"Eight years ago, you planted a bomb on our ship and then escaped alone, didn't you?! If Jellal hadn't noticed your betrayal, we would have all been blown up on the spot!"
"Jellal told us that this is the fate of those who learn magic the wrong way. You were so deeply immersed in the power of magic that you wanted to abandon everything and all memories related to your past and to us."
"Isn't that right, Wuli? Millianna? Simon?"
Wuli and Millianna were a bit confused at this point; they didn't know who to believe. As for Simon, he showed no confusion at all.
"Speak up!"
Wuli shouted when he saw that no one was speaking.
Gray looked calmly at Wuli: "Jellal told you that?"
Lucy also said: "Is the Erza you know someone who would do something like that?"
Although she had been in Fairy Tail for the shortest time, she knew that Erza was definitely not that kind of person.
Wuli started sweating from the interrogation. Of course, he knew Erza wasn't that kind of person, but then what did his eight years of persistence mean?
"You know nothing about our affairs! It was Jellal's words that kept me alive until today! We spent eight years building the Tower of Paradise, all for Jellal!"
"And now you're saying it's all a lie? What a joke! Are you trying to say that Erza is right and Jellal is wrong? Is that it?!"
"That's right!"
A voice rang out.
"Simon?!"
Several people looked at the speaker; it was Simon, who had come with Wuli and the others to capture Erza.
"You bastard!"
Gray was immediately annoyed when he saw this guy. This was the guy who had attacked them earlier.
"Wait, Lord Gray, he just used Dark Arts. He must have seen the ice clone Lord Gray used, but he still attacked."
"As expected of the legendary Four Elements. I didn't intend to kill anyone. To deceive Wuli and the others, after I discovered it was an ice clone, I attacked without hesitation to make the effect more realistic."
"To... to deceive us?!"
Wuli didn't quite understand what Simon meant.
"Wuli, Wuli, Millianna, you've all been deceived by Jellal. Actually, it's easy to tell who's right and who's wrong. If Erza had really betrayed us, she wouldn't have stopped Qi Yan just now, and how could we be standing here perfectly fine? Qi Yan is a super powerful Mage who can even defeat the Ten Wizard Saints. You all personally experienced his strength just now."
"..."
The three fell silent upon hearing this. Just now, they had fought Qi Yan—no, it couldn't even be called a fight. It was a one-sided crushing. Their magic had no effect on Qi Yan. If he wanted to kill them, it probably wouldn't even take a second.
If Erza hadn't stopped him, they might have all been killed.
"Damn it all!"
"What is real?! Who should I believe?!"
If he believed Jellal's words, many things didn't make sense upon closer thought.
But if he believed Erza, what did all their years of effort amount to?
Erza knelt down and looked at the three, saying: "It must be very difficult for you to accept all of this right now, but I want to tell you that I have never forgotten you in these past eight years. I couldn't do anything for you; I was too weak. I'm sorry."
Simon said: "But it's different now. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, waiting for powerful Mages to gather and fight Jellal, and then defeat Jellal."
"Jellal... Right! Jellal! I must kill him!"
Upon hearing Jellal's name, Wuli's expression also became ferocious. For eight whole years, that scoundrel had played them for fools, making them build the Tower of Paradise for him. He absolutely had to kill that scoundrel.
"That's right! It's all his fault!"
"He deceived us for so long; we absolutely cannot let him go!"
Millianna and Wuli also understood now that Jellal was the one who had deceived them.
"Good! For Simon and the others, and for this world, Zeref must not be revived! We must defeat that guy!"
Erza no longer hesitated. Wuli and the others had been deceived for years, and she had endured years of pain because of it. All of this needed to be repaid by Jellal.
"Jellal, huh..."
A pitiful person who was also deceived, a prime example of how a pitiful person must have something detestable about him. Later, he had a sudden realization and transformed back into a kind and upright person.
At that time, he was quite fond of the Erza and Jellal pairing.
This is sometimes the downside of shonen manga; there are rarely purely evil villains. Many villains end up being whitewashed, which makes Qi Yan's fights less satisfying.
But dissatisfaction aside, he would not show mercy because of it.
After all, from the moment the battle began, they were enemies. If you show mercy, the other side won't. Kindness to an enemy is cruelty to oneself.
If he should be killed, then kill him.