Magic Council: ERA Headquarters
Bang!
"What do you mean?! The R-System is still standing? How is that possible?!"
Org slammed his fist onto the conference table, the heavy wood groaning under the force of his shock. He had been summoned for an emergency session, but he never expected a crisis of this magnitude.
"Eight years ago, a cult obsessed with black magic invested a fortune into rebuilding the R-System," another council member reported, his face grim.
"The seven towers... weren't they all confirmed destroyed by our forces? They should be gone!"
"There was an eighth," a voice interjected. "Located right off the coast of Caelum."
"You can't be serious... It's already finished, isn't it?" Org asked, a cold sweat forming on his brow. Eight years was more than enough time for a dedicated cult to complete such a project.
"Unfortunately, the field investigation team doesn't joke about these things," Ultear said, her tone smooth and unreadable. "It is fully operational."
Org felt a massive headache brewing. Fairy Tail's constant property damage was one thing, but the resurrection of the R-System was a nightmare of a different caliber.
At that moment, Siegrain spoke up. "It's not the R-System. It's the Tower of Heaven."
"Shut up, Siegrain! I don't care what they're calling it!" Org snapped. "It's a threat to international security and a catalyst for chaos! We must dispatch the Rune Knights immediately! Suppress them before they can act!"
"But we don't know the extent of Jellal's power," a member cautioned. "If we send the army in blindly, we risk another massacre. Remember the last time we tried to raid a high-level dark organization? The casualties were staggering."
"The R-System is an abomination that spits in the face of life and death! It's a breeding ground for forbidden ideology! Whoever holds it is an enemy of the world! Dispatch the army!"
The room erupted into a cacophony of arguments.
"Incompetent fools," Siegrain muttered, his voice quiet but sharp enough to cut through the noise.
"What did you say?!"
"You brat... Watch your tongue!" Several members glared at him. Siegrain was the youngest among them, and his arrogance was often hard to stomach.
"Sending the army is a half-measure for the weak-minded," Siegrain said, looking at them with thinly veiled contempt. "That tower is dangerous—far more than you realize. You still haven't grasped the gravity of the situation. There is only one way to ensure that tower is wiped from the map: we must authorize the Satellite Square. We must fire Etherion."
The room went deathly silent. Every council member stared at Siegrain in disbelief.
"You want to use the Ultimate Destruction Magic?! Are you insane?!"
"The fallout of Etherion is unpredictable! We could wipe an entire nation off the map if the calculations are even slightly off!"
"That is our final trump card! It's a magic more dangerous than the R-System itself!"
The proposal was met with immediate, near-unanimous rejection. But Siegrain didn't flinch. "And yet, it is the only thing capable of shattering a structure of that size."
"I... express my approval," Ultear said, raising her hand calmly.
"Ultear! Not you too...!"
"There are nine of us," Siegrain reminded them. "If three more vote in favor, Etherion will be fired. There is no time to dawdle. We cannot allow the R-System to be activated. Not now, not ever."
The Tower of Heaven"Lord Jellal, we've received word. The capture of Erza Scarlet was successful. They are currently en route."
A man with hair so long it dragged across the floor bowed deeply before Jellal. "However, if I may... with your immense power, wouldn't it have been easier to simply eliminate her? Why go through the trouble of bringing that traitor back?"
"Hahahaha..." Jellal's laughter was hollow, echoing through the cold stone of the throne room. "That wouldn't do at all. This world is far too boring as it is."
"I... see," the long-haired man replied, though he looked unsettled. To him, it seemed his master was descending further into madness with every passing hour.
"The Tower is complete. The stars have aligned," Jellal said, his eyes glowing with an eerie light. "As for Erza? She is more than a traitor. She is the bait... the perfect sacrifice to bring Zeref back into this world."
En Route to the Tower
While the Council debated their destruction, Kael and the others were already cutting through the waves on a small boat. Mira, feeling that this was a personal battle for Erza and wanting to stay out of the direct crossfire of Erza's past, had stayed behind at the hotel to wait for their return.
"Er-chan... I'm so sorry," Millianna whispered, looking down at her feet.
"We were fools, Erza. Please, forgive us," Wally added. They had lived for years under Jellal's lies, and the guilt of their misunderstanding was heavy.
Erza offered a small, bittersweet smile, patting Millianna's head. "It doesn't matter anymore. Knowing that you're all safe and that we're together again... that's all I ever wanted."
"Ugh... Blergh... Kill me now..."
Natsu was draped over the side of the boat, his face a sickly shade of green as he fought the swaying of the ocean.
Gray looked at him with pure disgust. "Stay over there, you pyro-puke! If you're going to be this pathetic, you should've just stayed at the hotel with Mira."
Gray then turned his attention to the blue-haired girl sitting across from them. "But seriously, why is one of the 'Element 4' tagging along for this ride?"
Lucy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Juvia-san, right? This doesn't really involve you... and how did you even find us at the resort?"
"Juvia is no longer with Phantom Lord," Gray explained for her. "The guild disbanded, remember? She's a freelance mage now, and she... well, she wants to join Fairy Tail."
"Join us?!" Lucy and Erza exchanged surprised glances. Kael, however, remained unfazed. He knew exactly where Juvia's journey was headed.
"Yes! Juvia wishes to join the Fairy Tail guild!" she said, her hands clasped together as she stole a shy glance at Gray.
Erza considered this for a moment. "I see. While our guilds were once at odds, we have no personal quarrel with you, Juvia. Now that you're unattached, it's not unusual for a mage of your caliber to seek a new home. I will speak to the Master on your behalf."
Having one of Phantom Lord's Element 4 join their ranks was undeniably a win for the guild.
"Truly?! Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!" Juvia beamed. With a recommendation from Titania herself, her chances were looking bright.
"Ah! I see it! There's a tower up ahead!" Happy shouted from his perch at the bow.
Everyone rushed to look. Emerging from the horizon was a structure so massive it seemed to swallow the island it sat upon. It was a monolith of cold stone and dark magic, reaching toward the clouds.
"It's huge..." Lucy whispered, intimidated by its sheer scale.
"So... they really did it..." Erza stared at the place that had been her prison, her voice flat.
"We did," Sho said, his jaw tight as he stared at the fruits of his eight-year labor. "We built that nightmare with our own hands."
Simon looked at the group, his expression serious. "We've already sent word to Jellal that we've captured Erza. Here's the plan: everyone hide inside Sho's magic cards. We'll carry you inside, bypass the outer guard, and take you directly to Jellal's throne room. Then, we strike together."
Before Simon could outline the specifics, Kael interrupted him.
"No thanks," Kael said, standing up and stretching his arms. A confident, predatory smirk played on his lips. "Sneaking around isn't really my style. We're going to do this the fun way."
He looked at the towering fortress and cracked his knuckles.
"We're just going to smash through."
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