A sharp shink sounded as Chen Fan shimmered into existence before Ikaruga. Looking at her lying on the ground, he felt an indescribable stir of pity, sorrow, and desolation.
He had always had a deep impression of Ikaruga; her final expression was proof that she was a woman with a story of her own. Assassination? Chen Fan didn't care. He had killed more people than he could count; the sins on his soul far outweighed hers.
He had intended to save her life this time, but it was already too late. Erza Scarlet had already severed Ikaruga's spark of life, and even he was powerless to reverse it. He reached out and closed her eyes. Perhaps for her, this was the best possible end.
He stomped his foot, and a large pit opened in the ground beneath him. He placed her body inside and stomped again, raising a grave in its place. It might vanish soon enough, but that was a concern for the future; for now, Chen Fan simply wanted to show his respect.
With that finished, Chen Fan continued forward. He knew Erza was still ahead. He ducked behind a massive boulder, watching the duel between Jellal Fernandes and Erza. As he watched Erza prepare to perish alongside Jellal, Chen Fan felt an ache in his heart. Did he still not rank as high as Jellal in her heart?
Suddenly, the winds shifted and the clouds roiled as a massive pillar of light descended. The true image of the Tower of Heaven finally revealed itself to everyone.
"It's still standing," Erza said, her voice laced with shock.
"Hahaha!" Jellal laughed toward the sky. "Jellal, you? What is going on?"
"The moment... the moment is finally here! This is the true form of the Tower of Heavena gargantuan Lacrima! By successfully absorbing the massive magic power from the Magic Council's Etherion, the R-System is complete!" Jellal shouted, sounding utterly deranged.
Meanwhile, the Magic Council was in total chaos. "A massive Lacrima has appeared!"
"The target is still there!"
"The Lacrima absorbed the power of Etherion!"
"What did you say?!" Michello shouted.
"Sieg, what is the meaning of this?" Yajima demanded, his eyes fixed on Siegrain.
But Siegrain began to fade, bit by bit, until he reappeared directly in front of Erza. She stared at him in shock. "Siegrain? Why are you here?"
"Why wouldn't I be here, Erza?" Siegrain asked, looking at her intently.
"But... shouldn't you be at the Magic Council?"
"The Council? The Council is likely a mess of ruins by now." At that moment, Ultear Milkovich had already utilized the Lost Magic, Arc of Time, to decay the Council's buildings into nothingness. It was exactly as Siegrain said.
"I'm quite grateful to that woman; she helped me achieve this wish. Do you remember our first meeting? Was it when you came with Makarov Dreyar to the Council to submit a reflection letter? You mistook me for Jellal and attacked. Since our faces are identical, I suppose it couldn't be helped. You finally accepted the lie that we were twins, but that didn't erase your hostility."
"Of course not. Even if you were the older brother, you stood by and allowed Jellal to do as he pleased. No, more than thatyou were monitoring me," Erza said.
"Correct. That was my mistake. I should have told you then that I would find Jellal and stop him no matter what. But after working so hard to infiltrate the Magic Council, meeting you was my greatest blunder. Nothing is more painful than having to scramble for an excuse on the spot," Siegrain continued.
Hearing this, Erza's eyes narrowed. "So you were colluding after all."
"Colluding? No, it's not like that."
"That's not quite right, Erza," Jellal interjected from the side.
Suddenly, both of them spoke in perfect unison: "We have been a single person from the very beginning." As they finished, the two figures merged into one.
Erza finally understood. She swung her sword at Jellal, but she was too late. A string of magic ribbons lashed out, binding her tightly. "What is this?!"
"Bind Snake," Jellal explained.
Suddenly, a Lacrima rose from the ground. Jellal shoved Erza inside.
Seeing this, Chen Fan could no longer restrain himself and charged out. With a shink, he appeared beside the crystal. He touched the Lacrima with his right hand, and the crystal shattered instantly.
Chen Fan caught Erza, setting her down gently. He brushed her hair away from her face and spoke in a tender voice, "Didn't I tell you? If you're afraid, you should call my name. Look at you nowwhere is the Queen of Fairy Tail in this state? I waited for so long. Why didn't you call my name?"
"Chen Fan... watch out!" Erza turned her head with difficulty, looking behind him. Jellal was launching a vicious sneak attack, his face contorted with rage.
Boom!!
Jellal was sent flying backward, slamming into a Lacrima with a thunderous roar. Chen Fan hadn't even bothered to turn his head.
He continued speaking to Erza, "I told you long ago, I could destroy this tower in an instant. Why didn't you believe me? Tell me! Why didn't you believe me?! Say it! Say it!!" Chen Fan's suppressed resentment finally erupted.
Erza was stunned. She had never seen Chen Fan shout at her like this. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Chen Fan's expression suddenly reverted to its usual calm. He looked at Erza and said, "But you are my Little Sha, so I'll forgive you."
Suddenly, he turned around, his eyes glowing a blood-red. "But I haven't forgiven you!"
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