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[X784, Tower of Heaven]
— Jellal Fernandez —
Jellal smiled as he eyed the four different projections in front of him. One of them depicted Dannis Martell and his companions as they cut a swath through the entrance of the tower. All the dark mages and cultists he had in his employ were no match for them, which isn't all too surprising.
Another screen depicted Salamander's team, the Fairy Tail mages who followed Erza here. They had reached the entrance and were pushing forward with purpose.
Erza's projection blinked for a moment, before returning. She had broken her chains, defeated Sho, and was now making her way deeper into the tower. She looked furious and—was that grief in her expression?—Jellal's smile grew faintly wider.
From the looks of it, it seems the three groups would rendezvous soon. A reunion was imminent.
The final screen brought a low chuckle from Jellal's throat. Above the clouds, flying high and watching from the mist were Laxus Dreyar and the Thunder God Tribe.
"So the prodigal grandson has come," Jellal said with amusement. "And with him, thunder follows. How exciting. It seems like everything is falling into place."
Ivan turned away from the projections, arms crossed. "Then I suppose it's time I get to work. What do you need me to do?"
Near the edge of the room, the three hired assassins of Trinity Raven stirred. They had been waiting patiently, now they looked up with a certain eagerness.
Beside Jellal's throne, Orion stood unmoving with his arms folded behind his back.
Jellal lowered his hands and gestured elegantly. "I need Erza Scarlet or Dannis Martell alive. They are the keys to the ritual. Ensure at least one of them reaches this chamber intact."
He tilted his head slightly. "However… there are a few others I'd prefer you keep occupied. Laxus Dreyar. Natsu Dragneel. The rest? Distractions. Dispose of them if you wish."
"Hoot!" Fukuro, who is a heavily muscular man with the body of an owl and a jetpack strapped to his back, saluted. "Target acquired! Elimination mode: ON!"
"Hahaaaa!" Vidaldus threw his head back in a maniacal cackle. He had the look of an actual punk rocker, with long greasy black hair and makeup. "Time to turn this tower into a headbangin' graveyard!"
"Trinity Raven shall do as you command, Lord Jellal." The leader of Trinity Raven, Ikaruga, a rose-haired swordswoman, idly commented. "But Dannis Martell shall be my opponent. I will not allow any interference until our duel is complete. Whatever plans you have for him may wait until after I cross swords with him."
Orion's brow furrowed. "How dare you presume to request anything from Lord Jellal! I'll—"
"It's fine, Orion." Jellal lifted a hand gently, his smile tinged with amusement. "Let her indulge. A duel with the Dark Swordsman may reveal things I did not know through reputation alone. So long as he remains alive afterward, she may have her fight."
Ikaruga gave a graceful bow. "Much appreciated."
Jellal studied her for a moment. Ikaruga was cold and ruthless and fashioned herself to be one of the greatest swordmasters alive. Finding another master in such close proximity must have excited her.
Jellal knew little of the art of swordsmanship, so he truly did not know if her claim was true. Dannis Martell was known all throughout Fiore for his magic and skill with a sword. If anything, it'll be an intriguing fight.
With all the pieces in play, the one thing he needed now was time. Time for his other half to convince the council to activate Etherion. Letting her play with Dannis Martell only serves his purpose.
Behind her, Ivan rolled his eyes in visible irritation. Jellal caught the gesture, and it amused him even more. The excommunicated Fairy Tail mage was proud and impatient, but he still played his part well. For now.
"I trust you all know your roles," Jellal said, rising from his throne slowly. "Now go."
Fukuro, Vidaldus, and Ikaruga all bowed or saluted before turning toward the exit. Ivan followed with a dismissive grunt, his cloak sweeping behind him.
As he watched them all leave the throne room, sans Orion who remained standing by the side of his throne. Jellal looked back towards his chessboard with all of the participants now properly placed on the board.
Originally, his plan had centered around Erza. Her strength, her memories, and her spiritual connection to him made her the ideal sacrifice. But Dannis Martell made a much more intriguing candidate. Not only was he more powerful than Erza, he also has traces of Zeref's magic within him.
He carries within him something ancient, something that Jellal did not yet recognize.
"What are you, exactly…?" Jellal wondered aloud, gaze fixed on Dannis' projection. "A relic of the past… or the key to the future?"
He smiled, and the scrying windows shimmered with distorted magic.
It was time.
"Let the games begin."
…
— Dannis Martell —
Dannis narrowed his eyes as they moved through the corridors of the tower. His senses felt muted here, the amount of lingering ethernano in the air was dense enough to mask any magical signature that was in the air.
He could even feel it, a prickling sensation curling under his skin like an invisible fog.
Gajeel and Levy were right on his heels as a trail of defeated cultists were left behind in their wake.
"With the amount of cultists we've had to beat down just to get this far," Levy chimed in from behind, panting slightly, "I wouldn't be surprised if we were walking right into a hive. But seriously, what kind of lunatics set up shop like this? There has to be hundreds of them…"
Dannis gave a short grunt of agreement. "Speaking of cultists…"
Without looking, his right arm lashed out and seized something midair. A ripple of magic shimmered as his fingers closed around what appeared to be empty space—until it wasn't. The glamour dissolved, revealing a cultist in dark robes, dagger drawn, eyes wide in shock.
"Agh! Fucking…light mages!" His victim squirmed as Dannis easily lifted him into the air with one hand. He flailed against Dannis' grip, but it was like trying to move a mountain.
"Invisibility, eh? Not a bad magic to have." Dannis said. "I need information. And you look like someone who'd be very helpful."
"I'm not telling you shit!" the cultist spat.
"Oh, I wasn't asking," Dannis replied evenly, then glanced at Levy. "If you would?"
Levy gave a quick nod, her fingers already dancing in the air. "Solid Script: Truth."
Golden letters formed in a swirl and dove into the squirming cultist. The man gasped, seizing for a moment, his eyes wide with resistance that quickly crumbled into submission.
Seeing the spell take effect, Dannis leaned in. "Tell us your purpose here. And who leads this cult."
"This…is the Tower of Heaven." The man struggled out the words, his face scowling as his mouth spoke without his control. "We are here…to revive the mighty Zeref, with the R-System…"
Levy's eyes widened in horror. Gajeel's scowl deepened.
"Zeref?" Levy whispered. "That's… that's impossible. The R-System was banned over a decade ago."
"I've heard of it. Seven towers built along the coasts of Fiore, but they were all torn down when news reached the Council. They made sure to bury every trace," Dannis muttered. "And yet here it is, up and running like nothing happened."
He turned back to the cultist. "Who's leading this madness?"
"A man… we call, Lord Jellal. Most of us… have never seen him. But we follow the words of Orion… his right hand man. Jellal's magic… it binds the Tower. Powers it."
He shot a quick glance to Levy and Gajeel, who both shook their heads, not recognizing the name either. 'An unknown dark mage who managed to procure hundreds of cultists in his employ without the Light Guilds noticing. He must be quite dangerous.'
"And how did this place remain hidden for this long?" he asked. "This much dark magic should be like a beacon to the Council."
"I don't know," the cultist said weakly. "None of us do. The tower hides itself… when not active. Protected by Jellal's wards and… other things. The runes… are old."
Dannis studied the man's face for a moment, judging the truth behind the spell-enhanced confession. Then, satisfied, he delivered a swift chop to the side of the cultist's neck. The man slumped unconscious in his hand.
"Well," Dannis said, letting the body drop with a thud, "that answers that."
Levy shook her head, clearly disturbed. "They want to revive Zeref? This is so far beyond reckless. It's… apocalyptic."
"That beggars the question, then," Gajeel grunted, cracking his knuckles. "Why did they lure you here, specifically? The only thing I can think of is—"
"They wanna use you as the sacrifice." Levy completed his train of thought, her eyes wide.
Gajeel didn't share Levy's horror as he merely chuckled, amused at the thought. "Gihihi, good luck to them."
"Gotta say it's pretty bold of them." Dannis said dryly, "But if they went this far to get me here, they've got some kind of plan. We'll need to be ready for anything."
He glanced at both of them, then reached for his blade, drawing it in one fluid motion. The sound of steel whispered in the air.
"Stay sharp. We're in the belly of the beast now."
Levy and Gajeel both nodded. Together, they moved deeper into the Tower of Heaven.
…
— Erza Scarlet —
The walls of the Tower of Heaven felt like they were closing in.
It had been years since she was here. Years since she served cruel men as slaves. Years since the death of Uncle Rob.
Erza stormed through the hallways, uncaring of the injured or dead bodies of cultists she's leaving behind. There was only one thing on her mind, the person that had set up this entire thing.
A surge of magical pressure flared ahead, and instinct took hold. With a yell, she brought her sword down in a blinding arc.
To her surprise, a hand encased in black armor caught the blade mid-swing without even flinching. She was about to do a follow up attack when she realized who it was.
"Dannis!" Erza's eyes widened in shock. "Levy and… Gajeel. What are you doing here?"
"It's a long story," Dannis replied, releasing her sword without effort. "What about you?"
Erza looked away for a moment, ashamed. "I was… kidnapped."
"You got kidnapped?!" Levy said, clearly stunned. "They must be seriously strong."
"No… it wasn't that," Erza muttered. Her grip on her sword tightened. "I just…let my guard down around familiar faces. It won't happen again."
Gajeel crossed his arms, shooting Dannis a glance. "This could work in our favor. With Titania and Salamander here, I doubt anyone in this hellhole can stop us."
"Wait…Natsu is—"
"ERZA!" Natsu's voice called out through the hall.
All four of them turned to see another group of four approaching them. Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Juvia turned the corner and met with them.
Erza's eyes widened even more at seeing them. "What are you doing here?!"
"We followed you," Gray said, folding his arms. "Obviously." He turned to the trio with Dannis. "But why are you three here?"
Natsu did a double take, pointing. "Gajeel?! You metal bastard—what the hell?!"
"Gihihi." Gajeel grinned. "Good to see you too, Salamander."
Levy wasted no time in explaining how they ended up here, while Lucy quickly filled in their half of the story—mentioning the attack, the casino, and most importantly, Happy's capture.
"Happy got captured?!" Levy claimed in surprise. "So we've got a rescue mission on top of a possible doomsday cult. Wonderful."
Gray looked at Dannis. "They lured you here? Could these guys be from Alvarez? Those bastards were looking for you, weren't they?"
But Dannis didn't answer. His eyes were instead fixed on Erza, who hadn't spoken since the others arrived.
She hadn't moved. She couldn't. Her hands trembled. Her chest felt too tight to breathe.
It wasn't until Gajeel's voice snapped through the air that she blinked again. "As fun as this is, we should keep moving."
"Gajeel-kun is right." Juvia agreed. "Juvia believes that no matter what forces this Jellal has, we can crush anyone with this kind of team."
"No!" Erza stepped forward suddenly, lifting her blade and blocking their path. "All of you need to leave! This is my fight—not yours!"
"What is this about, Erza?" Lucy asked softly. "Those guys at the casino, they called you their sister…Levy said they're Zeref worshippers."
"I–" Erza's voice cracked as her sword hand shook.
And then, to everyone's shock, a tear slipped from her good eye. Just one.
"Is this about Uncle Rob?" Dannis, who had remained quiet this entire time, finally spoke up.
Her whole body flinched. "H–How did you…?"
"You told me once, remember?" he said quietly. "Back during your S-Class trials. I asked why you fight… and you told me his name."
Gray eyes widened as his head whipped around them both.
Erza felt her armor crack—not the steel that covered her body, but the one that guarded her soul. For the first time in years, she lowered her walls.
So she spoke.
She told them everything.
She told them about her childhood. About the Tower. About the cruelty, the chains, the stolen years. About Jellal—the sweet boy who gave her the name Scarlet, who promised to protect her. About Uncle Rob, the gentle old man who shielded her from a magical blast and died with a smile.
She told them about her escape. The guilt. The fear. The abandonment.
By the time she finished, her voice was steady again. Her tears had dried.
"So please," she whispered, "this is my fight. I don't want any of you to hurt yourselves for me. I need to finish this alone."
"No." Dannis' words caught everyone off guard.
Erza stared at him, stunned. "W–What?"
"I understand this must all be personal to you, and I am sympathetic." Dannis said. "But going at this alone might just be the stupidest thing you could ask us to do."
His eyes never left Erza's. "Just so all of you understand, the stakes of what's going on here are equivalent to that of an SS-Rank mission, which none of you are prepared for. We're talking about the potential revival of Zeref, which is apocalyptic in nature. So forgive me Erza, but this has grown beyond you."
Erza looked down as her fists clenched. Erza's lips trembled, wanting to retort, but no words came. Her sword lowered just slightly.
"I agree with him," came a new voice, one she was innately familiar with.
A tall man stepped forward from the shadows. His face was older, rougher. An eyepatch covered his left eye, a steel plate over his lower jaw.
"Simon," Erza breathed.
"My name is Simon, I'm Erza's…friend." He said, addressing the others after giving her a small smile. "I apologize for the fiasco back at the casino, but it was my plan to lure Erza here in hopes of her bringing her powerful friends here to help us stop Jellal—but even I didn't expect the Dark Swordsman himself to show up."
His gaze locked with Dannis. "With you here, we might actually win."
"Everything was a lie?!"
Another voice had them all looking towards a shadowed corner. A boy with blond hair and tanned skin stumbled forward. He fell to his knees.
"Sho…" Erza whispered.
"B–B–But….!" His gaze was erratic, not knowing who to believe. Erza's heart clenched at the sight. "I… I believed him! I condemned my own sister! Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Sorry, Sho," Simon said, guilt weighing his words. "It had to be this way."
A beat of silence emanated before it was broken.
"With that out of the way, everyone listen up." Dannis took charge. "Natsu, go find Happy and rescue him. I trust you can handle that yourself?"
"Hell yeah!" Natsu shouted, already blazing down the hall. "I'm coming, Happy!"
Dannis then took out a communication lacrima from his pocket, activating it with a flick of magic. However, the only thing that came from the other side was static.
"Figures." Dannis grimaced. "Jellal must've disrupted any communications from going out. Looks like we can't reach the master like this. The rest of you, we should—"
BOOOOM.
A thunderous rumble shook the tower like an earthquake. Dannis' words were interrupted as a massive flash of light was visible from the windows as a spear of golden lightning struck the tower from above.
…
AN: And here we are. Man this arc is gonna be super long. There's gonna be plenty of POV shifts ahead as I try my best to balance and showcase everything that's happening.
Sorry for the late chapter again. It's been a pretty busy week. I'll try my best to keep to the schedule of posting every other day.
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.
Cheers!