Kael moved toward Lucy. With a casual flick of his fingers, he snapped the magical ropes binding her, freeing her instantly.
Nearby, Simon carefully set Erza down before raising both hands in a gesture of surrender and backing away. Mira rushed to Erza's side, supporting her shoulders with a worried look. "Erza, are you okay? Talk to me."
Erza shook her head slowly, clearing the cobwebs. It had only been a sleeping bullet—designed to knock her out, not to kill—but the mental toll of seeing her past face-to-face was far heavier than the physical impact.
"You block-headed bastard!!"
A roar echoed from the adjacent room as Natsu came charging out like a literal fireball. Seeing Wally slumped against the wreckage, Natsu lunged forward and grabbed the man by his lapels.
"You geometric freak! Give Happy back right now!!"
Gray followed closely behind, with Juvia trailing in his wake. As soon as Gray's eyes landed on Simon, his expression darkened into a scowl. "You again!" He dropped into a combat stance, ready to mold his ice.
"Natsu, Gray—hold on a second!"
Only then did the two realize that Mira, Erza, and Lucy were already there. Their eyes then shifted to a tall, white-haired man they didn't recognize. He stood out immediately.
"Who the hell is this guy?!" Natsu demanded.
"It's me," Kael said, exhaling as he deactivated his Take Over. In a shimmer of light, the Gojo form vanished, and Kael returned to his usual self.
"Kael?!!"
"You unlocked another one?" Gray muttered, half-impressed and half-annoyed. "What the hell is going on here?"
"They tried to kidnap Erza," Kael explained, dusting off his sleeves. "So I had to teach them some manners."
Erza stood up, leaning slightly on Mira. "Natsu, Gray... bring them over here. I have questions that need answers."
The two dragged Wally and Sho into the center of the hall. Both men were battered and bruised from Kael's brief but brutal intervention.
"Wally," Erza said, her voice stern. "Return Happy to Natsu. Now."
Wally hesitated, but one look at Kael—who was watching him with a bored yet predatory gaze—convinced him that resistance was a death sentence. He dispelled his Polygon Magic and released the blue Exceed.
"Happy!"
Natsu lunged forward, catching Happy in a tight embrace. Happy was more than a pet or a partner; he was family. To Natsu, the cat was as close as a biological brother.
Gray turned back to Erza, his brow furrowed. "Erza, what is this about? That big guy was hunting for you specifically."
"They are... my former companions," Erza whispered.
"Companions?" Gray's frown deepened. He had watched Erza join the guild years ago; she had always been a solitary figure. "From when?"
"From before I joined Fairy Tail," Erza clarified. She turned to the group of intruders. "Why are you here? Why now?"
Sho turned his head away, scowling. "Hmph!"
"It was Jellal," Simon answered, his voice heavy with regret. "Jellal ordered us to bring you back to the Tower of Heaven."
Erza's entire body went rigid. "The Tower of Heaven? You mean... it was actually completed?"
"That's right!" Sho interjected, his voice rising with fanatical pride. "The Tower is finished! It took us eight long years of blood and sweat to build it!"
"The Tower of Heaven?" Lucy asked, looking confused. "What is that?"
"It is also known as the R-System," Erza explained, her voice trembling. "It's a forbidden magic that uses a living human sacrifice to resurrect the dead. It is an abomination that violates every law of humanity."
"What?!" Lucy and the others gasped. The idea of trading a life for a soul was beyond their comprehension of magic.
Sho let out a derisive laugh. "Humanity? Magic has no room for such sentimentality! Real power obliterates those weak concepts."
Erza's face twisted in disgust. "That is the philosophy of black magic. What happened to you? How are you any different from the monsters who enslaved us?"
"We are completely different!" Sho shouted, his eyes wide and manic. "Those fools treated the R-System as a simple tool for necromancy. But Jellal is a visionary! He will lead us to a true paradise!"
"Paradise?"
"Yes!" Sho's expression turned truly crazed. "Jellal will resurrect that lord. The world will be reborn, and we will be its masters! We will show the Magic Council, the cowards who live in ignorance, and the 'companions' who betrayed our sister what true fear looks like!"
He spread his arms wide, laughing like a madman. "We will strip the freedom from this world and rule over its ashes! We are the masters of the new age, hahahahaha—!"
THWACK!
Erza grabbed Sho by the hair with both hands and delivered a devastating, bone-crunching headbutt.
"Guh...!"
Sho's eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed into a heap, out cold.
"Ehhhh?!" Lucy and Natsu recoiled, startled by Erza's sudden violence.
Erza's expression was one of pure, raw grief. "To see a good soul become so twisted... Jellal, is this what you've done to them?"
Lucy stepped forward gently. "Erza, please tell us. What is the Tower of Heaven? And who is this Jellal?"
"...This is my burden to bear," Erza said, her voice cracking. "My private matter. You don't need to be involved in this darkness."
Gray stepped up, looking Erza dead in the eye. "Erza, if you don't want to talk about it, fine. Don't give us that "we don't need to get involved" crap. You're our friend. You're part of this family. Do you really think we're just going to sit back and watch while you're in pain?"
"He's right!" Lucy nodded firmly.
Natsu slammed his fists together, flames licking at his knuckles. "Did this Jellal guy bully you? Just point him out, and I'll kick his ass into next week!"
Mira took Erza's hand, squeezing it tight. "We're with you, Erza. Always."
Kael leaned against a nearby pillar, giving her a small, encouraging smirk. "This 'lone wolf' act doesn't suit you, Miss Erza. Just give us the usual 'Stop whining and follow me' command. We've got your back."
Erza looked at them—at Kael, Mira, Lucy, Natsu, and Gray. The absolute, unconditional trust in their eyes broke the dam she had built around her heart. Tears began to stream down her face. For the first time, they saw the "Titania" look fragile.
Finally, she found the courage to speak.
"Alright... I'll tell you everything. It began more than ten years ago. A cult of black magic worshippers sought to build the R-System to resurrect their master. They kidnapped people from all over the continent to use as slaves. I was one of those children."
"What...?"
Except for Kael, who already knew the grim history, the group was stunned into silence. To think that Erza—the strongest woman they knew—had been a child slave.
"Making children work like that..." Natsu growled, his magic power flaring in a heatwave of pure rage. "Those bastards don't deserve to live."
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There are 50 advanced chapters on Patreon, which I'm currently rewriting and polishing for a better reading experience. Thank you for your support and patience.
https://www.patreon.com/c/LEYI396