Ultear sighed helplessly as she watched the screen.
"The ritual... so they really are activating the R-System."
"All that talk about domination and freedom... it's such a typical villain speech..." Lucy frowned as she watched Vidaldus's furious roars and maniacal laughter echo through the projection.
As Vidaldus departed the cell, Erza murmured with a furrowed brow.
"What kind of power could drive someone to become like this...?"
"Kagura, Erza, are you both alright?"
Inside the cell, Kagura looked at Simon with deep concern.
"We're fine," Kagura replied. "Are you hurt?"
Simon let out a weary sigh and replied in a low voice, "The difference in strength was too vast... We couldn't even react in time. Aside from being unable to use our Magical Power right now due to these shackles, we're otherwise unharmed."
...
Magic Council Branch (ERA)
After obtaining the confirmed intelligence regarding the R-System, the Council members reconvened for another emergency meeting.
"We need to find a solution quickly."
"We should gather more information first."
"We must deploy all military forces immediately!"
Several council members spoke up almost simultaneously, panic filling the chamber.
"Y'all are a bunch of cooing pigeons!" Siegrain sneered, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.
"What did you say?!"
"You, Siegrain!"
Ignoring their accusations, Siegrain continued coldly, "Thinking of sending troops to suppress them—isn't that just the typical dove faction's approach? It's dangerous. Far too dangerous. The enemy has powerful mages."
Org snorted coldly. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"You people understand nothing. If we want to destroy the Tower of Heaven immediately, there's only one way: deploy the Etherion through the satellite magic circle!"
Belno, Org, and several other council members immediately paled at the suggestion.
"What did you say?!"
"The ultra-dimensional destructive magic!"
"Have you gone mad?!"
Belno stared at Siegrain as if he were insane. "Can you predict the extent of the damage? If the power isn't controlled precisely, it could easily annihilate an entire nation!"
One council member voiced his opposition loudly, arguing that Etherion should not be used lightly outside of wartime.
Belno did not support this method either.
"Etherion is one of our ultimate weapons—a magic even more dangerous than the R-System itself!"
Siegrain straightened his posture and spoke solemnly, manipulating the room. "But... by using the satellite magic circle, we can lock onto all targets within that area. There are nine of us here. If more than half agree to this course of action, we can activate the Etherion."
"There's no time left! No matter what, we absolutely cannot allow them to activate the R-System!"
Org narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Siegrain's expression. "Even if this method ultimately costs your brother his life, you would still proceed?"
...
"It's time for us to move."
Raizel stood up and looked at everyone in the room.
"Before we go, set up some decoys. Gray, use Ice Make to create some figures."
Raizel first glanced at Gray, then turned his gaze to the Exceed. "Happy, did you get the recording?"
"Aye! It's all right here." Happy nodded, holding up a recording Magic Lacrima in both hands.
Raizel pointed to the bathroom and said, "Just leave it by the bathroom door and play it directly."
As Happy pressed the recording Magic Lacrima, the looped sounds of Natsu and Gray arguing once again filled the room, creating the illusion of presence.
Raizel waved his hand and whispered, "Alright, let's go. Everyone gather close to me."
The group lightened their footsteps and gathered tightly around Raizel.
With a flash of red light, their figures vanished from the room and reappeared instantly at the harbor.
Raizel gazed toward the direction of the nameless island on the horizon and said, "That place is affected by the R-System's own Magical Power interference, making it impossible to pinpoint coordinates. We can't teleport directly there. We'll have to follow the path Erza and the others took earlier."
Raizel had originally intended to teleport directly onto the island, but when the attempt failed due to the barrier, he had no choice but to give up and take the physical route.
...
At Sea
Raizel rented a larger boat at the harbor and set sail toward the nameless island.
They maintained full speed ahead until the island housing the R-System came into view, at which point Raizel slowed the boat down to avoid detection.
Lucy rubbed the goosebumps on her arm and said, "I have a really disgusting feeling about this place."
Ultear nodded in agreement. "It certainly gives off a very uncomfortable vibe."
Even through the remote visual earlier, it felt unsettling, and the closer they got, the more uncomfortable the dark aura became.
As they spoke, the Tower of Heaven was already right before their eyes.
"Water Nebula!"
With Juvia using her magic to conceal the ship within a dome of water, the boat carrying everyone docked safely in a blind spot, and they landed on the island.
The island was heavily guarded, with patrols accompanied by flying Magic Beasts, and guards stationed at all visible entrances and exits.
"There are too many guards," Gray whispered.
"Let's just charge in!" Natsu, as usual, resorted to brute force when unsure what to do.
Lucy grabbed Natsu to stop him and said, "No! Erza and Kagura have been captured. If we act recklessly, we could put them in danger."
"It seems sneaking in quietly will be very difficult," Raizel and Ultear observed the surroundings and concluded.
Gray nodded and said, "The situation is very unfavorable for us."
"I've already found a passage that leads underground," Juvia suddenly said, emerging from the sea water.
"Really? You're amazing," Gray excited praised Juvia.
"I was praised! But you're not—it was me, Juvia!" Juvia looked proudly at Lucy, treating her as a love rival even in this situation.
"Yeah... yeah..." Lucy responded with a slightly helpless expression, sweatdropping at Juvia's logic.
Juvia hesitated and said, "But... we'll have to travel underwater for about ten minutes."
"What's so difficult about that? It's a piece of cake," Natsu said.
"Exactly," Gray agreed.
Natsu and Gray responded with indifferent expressions, as if it were nothing.
Lucy broke out in a cold sweat and shouted, "How is that even possible? Think about it! We'll drown!"
Juvia condensed a water bubble with her magic. "Then, everyone, please wear this. I've sealed oxygen inside, so you'll be able to breathe even underwater."
Natsu looked surprised as he put on the bubble and exclaimed, "You're really something! By the way, who are you?"
'She was in the room the whole time, you know...' Raizel shook his head helplessly at Natsu's memory.
...
The group made their way through the underwater passage and arrived at a cavernous underground space beneath the tower.
"Is this the underground part of the tower?" Gray looked around the damp cave.
Natsu didn't care about the architecture and instead asked, "Where exactly are Erza and Kagura being held?"
"ROAR!!!"
"Intruders!!!"
A guard riding a flying Magic Beast spotted the group's figures emerging from the water.
With the guard's warning, several patrol teams instantly arrived underground to intercept them.
"Who are you?" the guards shouted.
Raizel hadn't expected to be discovered so quickly.
Looking at everyone, he sighed and said, "Since it's come to this, we have no choice but to fight."
"You're actually asking who we are? You're picking a fight without even knowing who your opponents are!"
Natsu stepped forward, wrapping his right fist in intense flames and slamming it heavily on the ground, stirring up clouds of dust and illuminating the dark cave.
"We are Fairy Tail, you bastards!"