Meanwhile, inside the Tower of Heaven.
A hooded man sat upon the throne in the topmost chamber.
A man in a white robe, with long hair and a refined air, approached the throne and bowed slightly.
"Master Jellal, we have successfully captured Erza, and she is currently en route back here."
The long-haired man expressed his confusion regarding Jellal's decision. "But why bring that traitor back? With your immense magical power, you could eliminate her at any time."
Jellal chuckled lightly. "Ho ho, but where would be the fun in that? The world would be far too dull."
He shifted his posture and continued, "However…now that the Tower of Heaven is complete, I can no longer allow her to live. For the sake of achieving my dream, you will serve as a sacrifice, Erza…"
"That's the Tower of Heaven? What a strange shape," Finn remarked from the bow of the ship, gazing at the towering structure across the water.
Simon joined him. "That's it. We don't know why it's so oddly shaped. It was built according to their specifications."
Finn shrugged unconcernedly. "Whatever. Doesn't matter what shape it is; we'll just charge in as soon as we get there."
A bead of sweat trickled down Simon's forehead. "As expected, the way powerful mages think is completely different from ours."
Finn turned to look at Erza. As they drew closer to the island, Erza's expression grew increasingly grave.
He sighed inwardly. "It seems I'll have to burn away this shadow until there's not even an ash left."
Soon, their ship reached the shore.
The tower, piercing the clouds, stood tall on the island, surrounded by numerous patrolling soldiers, their faces concealed by masks.
Erza remained silent, gazing at the tower. "I'm back…at the place where the nightmare began."
Finn gently stroked Erza's hair. "Let's go. This nightmare ends today."
"Yes, let's go," Erza nodded slightly, and the group disembarked.
A pair of soldiers spotted them and approached quickly. "Are you here to escort the prisoner?" the soldier leader asked Simon.
Before Simon could respond, Natsu, his fists already engulfed in flames, charged forward. "Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!" His fiery fist slammed into the face of the leading soldier, marking the beginning of the battle.
Shouts of "Intruder! Intruder! Eliminate them!" echoed as the patrolling soldiers converged on them.
Finn drew his sword. "Looks like we're in for a big fight."
Chapter 120: Ultimate Space-Time Destruction Magic
Within the Magic Council chambers.
An emergency meeting was underway.
The Council members had received news concerning the Tower of Heaven. The use of forbidden magic sparked heated debate among the councilors.
Some advocated for dispatching the Knights to destroy the tower, but Makarov argued that only one method could resolve this crisis: the deployment of Ultimate Space-Time Destruction Magic.
This magic, known as "Etherion", represented the Council's ultimate recourse, a power of such immense destructive potential that even a slight miscalculation could obliterate a small nation in an instant. It was a power that would never be unleashed except in the direst of circumstances.
The activation of this magic required the affirmative vote of more than half of the Council members.
The debate raged: a forbidden magic requiring countless human sacrifices to resurrect a single individual versus a magic that, once unleashed, would inflict catastrophic and unpredictable destruction.
After considerable discussion, most councilors opposed using the Etherion, believing that other, more peaceful resolutions could be found.
This situation, however, shifted dramatically following a statement made by Makarov.
"The negative energy emanating from it…the being he seeks to awaken…how terrifying is it? Do you truly understand the magnitude of the threat?"
Makarov's impassioned words sent a wave of apprehension through the chamber.
A councilor couldn't help but ask, "Makarov, who is it?"
Makarov's voice was charged with emotion. "I hesitated to reveal it earlier, fearing that the news, once spread, would incite widespread panic."
"The dark mage, Zeref!" Makarov uttered the name, his face contorted with horror.
For this name was synonymous with darkness, with despair itself.
The councilors, their earlier hopes for a peaceful resolution vanished, exchanged uneasy glances. Everyone present understood the implications of this name; should this individual truly be resurrected, the resulting devastation would far surpass anything the Etherion could inflict.
Draculos Hyberion, the Second Seat, visibly broke out in a cold sweat. "Are you certain of this?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Makarov's tone was unwavering and serious. "It is true. I know my brother very well; after all…he is my twin brother."
Upon receiving this unequivocal confirmation, the councilors exchanged apprehensive glances before ultimately deciding to hold another vote.
The vote was eight in favor and one against. The Council decided to unleash the Etherion upon the Tower of Heaven.
The entire Council immediately sprang into action, their efforts focused on the impending deployment of the ultimate magic.
Makarov sat in his office, gazing out at the setting sun, a subtle, almost imperceptible smile playing upon his lips.
Yajima, the sole dissenting vote, entered Makarov's office. "Makarov, are you certain this is the right course of action?"
Yajima approached the expansive floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the fiery hues of the sunset. "If you think about it carefully, there must be other ways to resolve this situation."
Makarov responded calmly, "You may not approve of this method, but we absolutely cannot allow Zeref to be resurrected. You should understand that perfectly well."
Yajima sighed deeply. "I don't care what happens. But if there are any unforeseen consequences, you will be held fully accountable."
Makarov remained unfazed by Yajima's pointed question. "Naturally, I will bear full responsibility…"
Yajima whirled around, his usually half-closed eyes now wide open, his face contorted with anger, the veins in his forehead bulging. "I'm talking about the responsibility for human lives!" he roared.
"You will carry the weight of those sacrifices on your conscience for the rest of your life, Makarov!"
Yajima's furious outburst echoed in Makarov's ears, but he remained impassive, his expression unchanged.
"I am willing to bear that burden," Makarov said quietly, "along with Jellal's life…"
…
Fire, ice, and sword clashed at the base of the Tower of Heaven.
A soldier, his neck gripped by Natsu's hand, cried out in terror, "Who are you?!"
Natsu slammed the soldier to the ground with a powerful punch, then roared at the ever-growing throng of enemies emerging from the Tower of Heaven. "Bring it on, you bastards!"
Natsu charged into the fray like a raging tiger, instantly felling several soldiers with his overwhelming strength.
The sounds of panicked soldiers echoed around them. "What the hell is that thing?!" "That ice mage over there is incredibly strong too! And that armored one…they're all monsters!"
"There's a girl over there who looks weak…get her!" one soldier pointed towards the seemingly frail Lucy.
"Open, the gate of Virgo! Virgo!" A magic circle shimmered into existence beneath Lucy's feet, and the earth trembled violently.
To the astonishment of the surrounding soldiers, the ground heaved and Virgo, clad in her distinctive maid outfit, burst forth from beneath the earth.
Virgo curtsied gracefully, one hand resting on her shoulder. "Princess, please tell me your commands."
Lucy pointed towards the enemy soldiers. In that moment, Lucy seemed to transform into a queen, although the true queen stood beside her.
Virgo's eyes instantly blazed with a crimson light, and she charged into the heart of the enemy ranks, kicking up clouds of dust and sending soldiers flying through the air like ragdolls.
"Damn it! Everyone, be careful! Swords won't work against that woman!" A group of soldiers surrounded Juvia, their voices filled with alarm.
"How about this then?" The soldiers in the front ranks retreated, revealing a line of soldiers armed with magic guns who opened fire relentlessly.
But the magic bullets passed harmlessly through Juvia's body.
"Useless," Juvia said, her expression as impassive as ever, her fighting style reminiscent of her time with Phantom Lord. "My body is made of water." With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed a devastating attack.
"Water Stream Slash!" A magic circle flared to life, and a torrent of water, swift and merciless, surged forth, engulfing the throng of soldiers before her, leaving a trail of bloody gashes in its wake.
In the midst of the intense battle, Finn's voice cut through the air. "Natsu, you guys are too slow! Get out of the way!"
Gray, catching a glimpse of Finn raising his Ryūjin Jakka, his eyes widened in alarm, and he quickly dodged to the side.
Finn brought his sword down with immense force, the flames swirling around the blade erupting in a spectacular display of power. In an instant, the area was transformed into a fiery inferno.
Screams of agony pierced the air.
"What kind of flames are these?! They won't go out?!" One soldier, his body engulfed in flames, desperately leaped into the nearby ocean in a desperate attempt to extinguish the fire. However, the flames showed no signs of abating, continuing to burn with relentless intensity, as if determined to reduce him to ashes.
Simon, Wally, Millianna, and Shô watched the fiery scene from the shore, the intense heat radiating towards them. Simon wiped the sweat from his brow. "It seems that we might actually have a chance of defeating Jellal this time."
Gray clapped his hands together, surveying the scene of fallen soldiers scattered across the battlefield. "As expected of Finn, he's taken care of almost all of them."
Lucy furrowed her brow in concern. "We've caused quite a commotion. They're bound to notice us soon."
Virgo stood with her arms folded across her chest, her expression impassive. "Shall I mete out punishment?"
Finn responded nonchalantly, "What's there to be afraid of? Just charge in and deal with them."
At that very moment, a staircase extended from within the Tower of Heaven.
Natsu looked at the staircase with utter bewilderment. "What the heck is that?"
Gray offered a tentative guess. "Could it be that they want us to go up?"
Meanwhile, somewhere within the Tower of Heaven, the long-haired, refined man gazed intently at the magic crystal, which displayed Finn and his companions. He turned to Jellal, his voice laced with a question. "Master Jellal, why are you allowing the intruders to enter?"
Jellal, propping his chin up with his hand, responded with a subtle smile. "Didn't I tell you? This is a game. They've already cleared the first stage. It's that simple."
Jellal watched the figures within the magic crystal and placed several pieces on the chessboard before him. "Things are becoming ever more interesting."
The man in white expressed his lingering concerns. "But there's that man in the magic crystal, the one they call the Sun God. He's the one who directly defeated the Ten Wizard Saints. Are you sure it's alright to let him in?"
Jellal chuckled lightly. "Vidaldus, isn't that just perfect? King versus king, soldier versus soldier. That man is my prey."
Lucy sighed inwardly, feeling like the only sane person in the entire group. After all, who in their right mind would willingly consume food offered by their enemies?
Virgo emerged from the shadows, her voice polite and inquisitive. "Princess, this appears to be a restaurant. Would you care to join me for a meal?"
A bead of sweat trickled down Lucy's forehead. "You guys…"
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