Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail
Sitting calmly at the top of the Tower of Heaven, Jellal smiled brightly. Everything was falling perfectly into place for his plans. The witch hunt for Fairy Tail had interfered for a moment, delaying things, but now everything was back on track. His thought projection was doing well at convincing the Council to attack the tower, and his followers had finally brought back his sacrifice. Soon, he would finally bring back the legendary Zeref and find the path to heaven he had always dreamed of as a child.
It had been odd, Jellal thought. Somehow, the entire Magic Council had been fooled into thinking Zeref was actually alive. As the only person able to see and hear his voice, Jellal knew from the start that the man they had arrested was an impostor. The Zeref he knew would never do something so foolish to get himself arrested, nor would he struggle in any way with escaping. Zeref was all-powerful, a god in his own right, and Jellal was going to bring his true self back once and for all.
The room he sat in was dark, with no light entering through the walls surrounding the circular place. It seemed like all the rooms in this tower were circular like this one, but it was unavoidable with the structure required to create it. Zeref's voice had whispered to him exactly what was required for its construction, and he followed those instructions perfectly. As a result, he allowed for few alterations for personal comfort. A single chair sat in the room, hard and made of stone but shaped almost like a throne for him. In front of it was his own form of entertainment, a way to amuse himself with his own imaginings. A chess board with various playing pieces rested before him, and on occasion, he would play a game with one of those foolish children incapable of having any true vision for their future. They were nothing but pawns, only useful for the creation of the tower and nothing more. They couldn't even challenge him in a remedial mental task such as chess, and as such, he grew bored of them rather quickly when they spoke.
It was during one of those chess games that he got the idea, actually. Simon had been playing against him, losing like always. Watching had been Sho and Millianna, cheering on Jellal with irritating voices. "A game like this takes patience, a virtue that I have mastered over the time we've spent constructing this tower." Simon had argued.
"Yeah, but Jellal is the best! No one is better than him, after all, he's the one who realized that this tower would finally allow us to be free." Sho sounded eager, grinning at the two of them as they had played their little game.
By Sho's side, Millianna giggled. "Of course! No one can beat Jellal, you should know that by now, Simon."
Cheering was not exactly conductive to his thoughts, but Jellal let it pass for now. "Actually…there was one person who I believe could combat Jellal, in both mind and strength." Simon smirked at Jellal, who only frowned at his hinting tone. He disliked anyone believing they were superior to him. Only he had enlightenment, the ability to see God and bring them to his side.
The twitch of his mouth had been interrupted by Sho's outburst. "Don't mention her! Sister betrayed us, you remember what Jellal told us." By his side, Millianna frowned and rubbed his back gently in comfort.
That term made Jellal pause, his hand on his bishop stopping before he made a move. "Erza…ah, now I see. Do you still have some lingering fondness for her, Simon?" The question was a test, to see just how loyal his followers truly were. He did not accept betrayal, and his punishments were always harsh and unforgiving.
The man frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not at all, I was simply stating a matter of fact. It was her plan that brought us closest to freedom back in the day, even though she abandoned us all in the end."
Jellal's eyes had narrowed, but he let it pass and took his turn. His piece slid across the board, landing on a spot before he leaned back and let his hand rest on his cheek. "Check." Focusing once more on their conversation, he gazed off towards the wall of the room. "Perhaps you do have a point, Simon. The tower is nearly complete…and we have been searching for the final piece to our little puzzle. I wonder…" Jellal trailed off, considering just what move to make.
His servant made his move, safely hiding his king for the time being. It didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, however, when Jellal could already see his path to victory. "A sacrifice is necessary to open the path to heaven…someone fitting to be a new body for Lord Zeref. If what you say is true…then there is only one person fitting to become the God of the new world. Find me Erza Scarlet, and bring her here. Her body shall become one with the Tower of Heaven, and with her death, a new era will be ushered in, one in which freedom can become a reality for us all."
That game had changed everything, and put their most recent plan in motion. Jellal had kept tabs on Erza for a long time, using Walley and Millianna as spies throughout cities in Magnolia. Between the two of them, he had come to learn that his former friend had joined some wizard's guild. The guild itself was an intriguing mystery, however. Even Jellal had not been able to determine just who lead them. Later on, when he realized that he needed to have some measure of influence over the Council, he discovered that the issue went even deeper than he thought. Fairy Tail was a mystery even to the government of Fiore, and it gave Jellal something to contemplate in his free time when he wasn't focused on returning Zeref to life.
For a brief moment, when he heard that Zeref was the leader of Fairy Tail, Jellal had felt like something shattered in him. Some haze had vanished, and he had seen with horror that all of his sacrifices had been for nothing. The first meeting of the Council to decide on Zeref's fate had occurred without his presence, since he was reeling over what he had learned. Hidden away in his office within Era, Jellal had thrown all of his books across the floor. Papers were sent flying off of his desk as books slammed into them, and clattering was heard all the way down the hall. Jellal had gripped his hair tightly, breathing hard before leaning over his desk with wide eyes.
Everything he had been through, all of his patience and suffering, for a moment he had thought it was pointless. If Zeref was already alive, why was he building the Tower of Heaven? Why had he not been freed? It would have meant his god betrayed him, and if he was betrayed, Jellal didn't know what to do. He felt dizzy, and his eyes had closed as he stumbled back. Once again, he felt a moment of haziness, that he actually confused with clarity at the time. Maybe he had been wrong. Zeref was not someone who should be walking the earth, and he had mistakenly seen the wizard as a god.
At that moment, however, Ultear had walked into his office with a dark smile. "The Council is being so foolish right now, don't you think?" Her words had made him take a deep breath, scowling harshly towards the woman. "After all, we both know the truth. Zeref died centuries ago, he couldn't possible be alive today. No force on Earth can contain him…but don't let them deter you. Together, we will still realize your dream, Jellal." She had walked closer, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and whispering into his ear. The more she spoke, the more he realized she was correct about everything. Zeref was dead, this man was simply an impostor that needed to be punished. "Zeref will be ours…and we will bring you your freedom."
In the Tower of Heaven, Jellal was shaking his head. He tried to clear away the visions of his past. Much had happened since his journey began years ago, and he was not about to back down now. Gazing up towards the wall, just next to the exit of the room, he spotted a pleasant sight. Chained before him was an old friend, one who bore the future face of Lord Zeref. "My dear Erza…welcome back." The scarlet haired woman stirred, her head lifting weakly towards him. She was dressed in a long purple gown, likely used to infiltrate that casino she had been in when she was captured. Sending Sho to trick her had been easy, and he knew that she would never distrust an old friend. So long as it wasn't his face she saw, Erza would hesitate, and that hesitation was enough to bring her back.
"You're a monster…why haven't you set them free yet?" Erza was pleading for her friends, rather than herself. It was so…like her. The thought brought a smile to Jellal's face, as he chuckled slightly.
Leaning against the armrest of his chair, Jellal observed her in silence. "Because they are still awaiting their reward. I am a man of my word, Erza. I promised them that I'd show them heaven…and the day has finally come for it to be our reality." Jellal couldn't help but smirk triumphantly at the thought. Based on the countdown he could see from his thought projection's eyes, Etherion would be blasting away in just thirty more minutes.
Erza clenched her teeth together, her head hanging as she strained against the restraints chaining her arms behind her. Her hair hung forward over her shoulders, a beautiful sight that Jellal had always thought was one of her most striking qualities. "I understand why you hate me…I couldn't save you, and you were punished for my own actions….I was weak back then. That doesn't mean you have the right to torment the others! They've done nothing wrong. Punish me if you want, but don't drag them into your twisted dreams, Jellal!"
Instead of replying, Jellal toyed around with one of his chess pieces. The black knight danced around in between his index finger and thumb, twisting and turning in the dark room. "I have not forced them to work, Erza. Take a moment and see things from my perspective. While it may have taken longer, I was enlightened. I saw a path that required no death to create the Tower of Heaven…and I made sure every child was well-fed and cared for during the construction of this place. It is our miracle, and we all long for the finished product. Now, only one piece is missing…the knight to valiantly stand atop the tower and protect those within from any danger. The knight willing to sacrifice herself in order for the king to rise…the knight who stands before me right now."
Glaring at him, Erza tried to lunge forward. The clanging of chains echoed around them, as she began to shout at him in response. "Never! I will not help you with your plans. You claim to be a man of your word, don't you? Then do as you agreed so long ago. Let me live my life, free from this place so long as I remain silent!"
Rising to his feet, Jellal crossed his arms behind his back with a frown. "That agreement did have a clause, did it not?" Erza stopped resisting, staring at him with wide eyes. Approaching her, Jellal knelt before her face and cupped her chin carefully. He held her gaze level to his own, giving her a dark smile as she inhaled sharply. "Should you ever return, I promised I'd kill you where you stood."
Releasing her, Jellal spun around and returned for his chess table. Glancing at the time, he saw that he still had a few more minutes to waste. "I didn't…I didn't choose to return…" Erza tried to reason with him, but Jellal had a different idea in mind. He was bored, and he wanted to play a game. After all, games on his own weren't very fun. You needed two sides to successfully have an enjoyable game, and for it to truly become interesting, the stakes had to be high.
There was a screeching noise as Jellal dragged the table across the room, placing it between himself and his prisoner. Pulling a knife out from his coat, Jellal cut off a single one of Erza's restraints. She held her wrist close to her chest, eyeing him warily with a frown. "What are you playing at, Jellal? This isn't…a chess board has nothing to do with this tower."
Smiling, Jellal took a seat across from her. "Correct, however, I find that I've become rather fond of games as of late. Unfortunately, no one has been able to challenge me…but now, I see why they haven't been able to do so. They didn't have anything invested into the game, there was no purpose or reason to win. A wolf doesn't hunt simply for pleasure, after all, it hunts to satisfy its hunger." Erza seemed to gaze at him steadily, calming down now that she was at least partially free. "So, I have a proposal for you, my dear Erza."
"I told you before, I want nothing to do with your twisted schemes, Jellal."
Slowly, Jellal began to set up the pieces on the board with a smile. "Yes, and that is where things get interesting. You wish for freedom…to be separated from my plans entirely and to leave for Fairy Tail once more." Erza's eyes widened in surprise at his knowledge of her whereabouts. He simply smirked at her shock, continuing on. "However, I wish for you to play a rather important role in my plans…I need you, Erza, to become my sacrifice. There is no one else deserving of the honor…no one who could possible be more suited to brining about my goals and freeing us all through death."
A chill seemed to enter the air, but it only made Jellal's smile widen even further. He reached over, brushing back a strand of Erza's hair on a whim. The scarlet haired wizard stiffened, leaning back slightly at his touch. She truly had grown to hate him, he noted. That would make this game all the better. "I…I may wish to free you, but this isn't the way, Jellal. If you'd just listen to me, I could help you. Let me show you what things can be like, what it feels like to finally be freed from this tower. Fairy Tail would—"
"I'm not interested in your offer." Jellal cut her off with a frown. "Lord Zeref has shown me the truth…no one, not even the ones behind the original construction of this place, could sense his presence, but I could." Erza seemed to bite her lip at the mention of Zeref, but Jellal continued on. "They were trying to bring their god to life, but they couldn't even hear his voice! Zeref told me what to do, about how there was no freedom in this world! Only by bringing him back can we find it…and that is exactly what I intend on doing. However…I will give you one chance to stop me."
Gesturing to the board before them, Jellal leaned forward towards her. Erza gazed at the pieces as well, looking more focused as she saw what he was hinting at. "I see…you wish to play a game of chess, to decide the fate of my friends?" There was a hint of anger in her voice, but the surprise had faded away.
Nodding, Jellal once again began to spin the knight around on his side of the board. "Oh, it will decide much more than that, my dear Erza. You see, this game of ours will be timed. In about twenty minutes, the Council will launch an Etherion Blast at this tower in an attempt to destroy it." She gasped, attempting to rise to her feet before her chains pulled her back down. "If you win before then, I shall free you and you are free to take your friends and leave. If I win, you will become my sacrifice and our dreams will become a reality. However, if time runs out before our game reaches completion, then we will all be annihilated together, game over, no one wins. A high-stakes game of chess, my dear Erza, and you only have one chance to save your own life. So tell me, just what will it be? Shall we begin, or would you prefer to waste more of our already limited time?"
With a shaky nod, Erza leaned forward and picked up one of her white pawns. Moving it forward, the game began, and so did the timer on the end of their lives. Feeling a rush of adrenaline enter his veins, Jellal couldn't help but finally feel alive for the first time in years. This was the game he had been waiting for, the final game that would lead to freedom and the realization of all of his dreams once and for all. Failure was not an option, and with that in mind, Jellal made his own first play in kind. Let the game begin, and may the best player win.
Seeing the tower up close, Zeref could not deny what it was. Based on the height and structure before him, someone truly had finished constructing some form of the R-System. The tower stood on top of a jaggedly shaped island, where rocks jutted out and dangerous spots on the shore. Finding a safe place to dock their boat was a challenge, especially with guards watching from the safe spots along the shore. However, Irene handled them with ease. Enchanting one of the rocks, she gave it some form of life as a weapon. Willing it with her power, she knocked out all of the guards on one side of the tower, giving them room to depart onto the island.
Closing his eyes, Zeref attempted to sense the power within the tower. It should have been obvious, if someone was close to activating its power. However, there was nothing. Right now, it was simply a dormant shell. Ethernano from the air was slowly being drawn towards it, but it wasn't nearly enough to empower the spell. At the current rate of absorption, it would take nearly two centuries for it to be capable of raising the dead. Making a mental note of that, Zeref realized that this person truly was willing to risk their lives for this task. Even he did not know if the R-System had a structure capable of dispersing the magical power of Etherion. In theory, it was possible, but the aftermath would likely kill those within.
Observing the tower more closely, Zeref tried to find defensive layers within the building. Maybe that had been their decision with creating this place. If it had been designed for that kind of impact, perhaps the creator had a way to disperse the excess magic to the surrounding area. With the way the tower fanned out in places, and the placement on an island with many jagged rocks jutting out towards the water, he could see the potential for disbursement at multiple places throughout. If the damage was centralized to the exterior of the tower, those within would likely only feel as if an earthquake were happening, though that was if the tower itself could withstand the damage or absorb it.
Behind him, the others were watching in silence. They seemed to be following his lead on this mission now, since it had been his plan to use the tower. "It is not active, not yet. I cannot sense any magic gathered for the spell, so we should have more time." With that, he began walking closer to the tower, searching for an entrance. Based on his original designs, there should be one nearby to enter the hollow structure. The design had been planned so the user could enter and inscribe the necessary magic circles and runes along the walls inside of the tower, after completing the construction of the R-System.
"I could have told you that much. For a spell as powerful as you described, I'm not really sensing much magic." Loke frowned as he followed after Zeref. The black wizard paused for a moment at the base of the tower, circling it slightly before finding the entrance just slightly more to the right of where he had originally thought it was. The circular design really made it difficult to pinpoint where they were within the tower. Most of it was meant to be symmetrical, though a few markings could be used to pinpoint location from the outside if one knew what to look for.
Stepping inside, Zeref gazed around calmly at their new surroundings. It was dimly lit, with little light provided on the interior. The walls were dark brown, a murky color that seemed to keep the ominous feeling of the room. It was circular in shape, with a rock floor and no furniture beyond a simple staircase. The stairs were on the wall across from them, rising up to a door that was shut, and likely locked for safety. On that door, Zeref finally managed to sense some form of magic, though it wasn't for the tower. It was meant to block intruders, though it was a simple enough spell to reverse.
Pressing a hand to the wall, Zeref observed it carefully to determine just how far this individual had gotten with the construction. From a distance, the color of the wall and the lack of light hid what was truly present around them. However, close up, Zeref could see the engraved symbols lining the room. Magical runes circled the entire area, patterns complex and difficult to understand for those that did not grasp magic's base components. As the creator of this very spell, despite how long it had been since designing it, he could still determine if it was done properly. Reading and interpreting the purpose of magic circles was something he excelled in, after using them to design countless spells in the past.
Following the design around the room, Zeref's brow furrowed as he studied each rune in depth. His hand would drift to markings on occasion, feeling the cold rough surface of the wall and letting his finger trail along the indentation created with the symbols. Complex magic like this always left him feeling somewhat awed by what he had accomplished, despite how dark this magic was. Being capable of defying the laws of nature was a remarkable feat for anyone, and in a strange way, he was proud despite how much he hated the results of his actions.
"Um…I don't mean to interrupt, but is it really necessary to study the walls?" Wendy hesitantly spoke up from behind him, interrupting Zeref just as he reached the staircase in his observations. "You said there was a friend whose life was on the line…we should probably hurry and try to find her."
Sighing, Zeref let his hand fall from the wall. "Erza is a capable wizard…I do not think she would go down so easily, regardless of her enemy. Even if that were not the case, this tower is still lacking its source of power, and is useless until twenty seven million magic spheres of energy are gathered within." Seeing the blank looks on their faces, Zeref realized that few wizards even grew to understand such concepts lately, with most spells already designed for them. "To give you an idea of what I am saying, the average lacrima can contain approximately one magic sphere for later use. The average spell utilizes one tenth of the magic contained within a lacrima…though there are a few exceptions to this. The only spell that comes even close to utilizing this amount of power is Etherion, and that is a weapon that was developed years ago. It requires an entire team of wizards to activate, and that is after the weapon has rested for years, gathering energy and amplifying it utilizing a special lacrima designed to exponentially grow the power stored within. Wizards add to this power on a daily basis, so in emergencies, the weapon can be fired at will."
He seemed to be losing Wendy with the explanation, but Loke was frowning. He placed his hand on his chin, inclining his head slightly as he fisted the hand it was on. "I see. Essentially, the only thing strong enough to empower this tower…would be Etherion itself."
By his side, Irene shook her head. "Not quite. If Emperor Spriggan decided it was time, we could use Fairy Heart to cast this spell. In fact, Fairy Heart could allow for this to be repeated as many times as he desired."
Glaring over at her, Zeref began moving up the stairs. "I've told you before, I am not fit to be in possession of that power. Abusing it, even for a task such as this, is not something I will allow." He didn't know if it would be painful for Mavis to extract that power either. For now, he wanted to let her rest in peace, until she returned to life. Despite how much simpler Fairy Heart would make this, he had to resist the urge to abuse the power within his grasp. Essentially, abusing that power would be abusing Mavis' body, and so long as he kept that in mind, the thought left him thoroughly repulsed enough to avoid it.
At the door, Zeref pressed his palm to the surface, focusing on the spell keeping it locked. It didn't take him long to unravel the magic within, letting the enchantment dissipate into the air around them. As it did so, Zeref made a mental note of the way the energy seemed to be dragged towards the walls of the tower. While he couldn't detect such a minimal amount dispersed over such a large structure, he was certain that the tower had absorbed the power of the spell that had once been in place here.
Turning the handle, Zeref walked into the next room of the tower. This one was much taller than the base, which was something he expected. Spiraling around the walls around him was a massive staircase, designed to bring you to another level at the middle of the tower. Thus far, it was seeming far too easy to get through this place. People seemed to be scarce, and there was no noise to make him feel like another presence was here.
Frowning, Zeref paused and glanced towards Wendy. "Do you…smell anyone else here? Or perhaps hear them?"
Blinking, Wendy stepped forward and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. Her hands rested by her sides as she did so, calmly breathing in and out for a moment. Slowly, she began to shake her head afterwords. "No…it smells like they're all gone. Did something happen to them?" She sounded just as confused as Zeref was. However, that was when he stopped, pausing to consider just why the tower would be evacuated of guards.
"Wait…no one is in this tower?" Loke looked concerned as well. "That would mean Erza is gone as well…and that this entire venture was pointless."
Placing a hand on her hip, Irene snorted. "I'd say that's a good thing. I didn't want to see that brat again anyway."
Studying the wall by his side once more, Zeref slowly shook his head. "The tower is nearly complete…after putting in so much effort, the creator should be tense now, expecting someone to interrupt their plans. Previous attempts at utilizing the R-System have shown that the Council will attack and destroy them…why is this one different?" He already had his theory that it was meant to absorb Etherion, but that did not explain a lack of guards.
Reading the circles around him, Zeref frowned and tried to see if he had interpreted something wrong. Did this person alter the R-System already? "Maybe this person didn't want those people to get hurt…I mean, it would be dangerous protecting a place the Council wants to destroy," Wendy suggested.
The writing on the walls was identical to his original plan. At least, Zeref thought it was. Every rune spoke of enchantment, of seeking out the spiritual energy of the dead and binding a person's personality to another. In essence, the R-System worked a lot like Irene's enchantment. He had helped her develop it, after all, so it made sense that there were similarities of this nature. The R-System, however, required far more power because of how broad the search had to be. To target a dead soul…even Zeref didn't quite know where to locate one, so the runes were meant to spread that range out across all of Earthland. Then, it was meant to remove the soul of the sacrifice, leaving an empty body imbued within the heart of the tower. After the body was left empty, the new soul would be implanted, and any damages healed.
That left him pausing, thinking about Wendy's suggestion. There were dangers involved if people were involved, but not the ones she was considering. People often tried to claim power like this for themselves, to bring back loved ones from long ago. Making them leave…Zeref froze, dropping his hand and turning towards the others. "Run. We must get to the top…before it activates."
With that, Zeref picked up his pace, no longer even glancing at the construction of the runes within the tower. It didn't matter if they were done properly or not, if his theory was correct. Behind him, he could hear the footsteps of the others chasing after him up the stairs. "I thought you said there wasn't enough energy!" Loke sounded a bit irritated, and slightly out of breath.
Without even glancing back, Zeref replied. "There is not…but this tower would not have been evacuated if it was not on the verge of completion. The creator is worried about theft…at least, that is my assumption. Therefore, when he knew the final pieces were about to fall into place…he either eliminated those that were here, or he sent them away. Regardless, the effect is the same."
"Wait, then that means…" Wendy trailed off, her eyes wide as she shook slightly. "An Etherion blast is about to strike all of us? Why are we going deeper into the tower?"
Smiling darkly, Zeref glanced upward to see their progress. "When it strikes, the blast will be absorbed into the walls around us. This entire tower…I noticed it earlier, when I broke the enchantment on the lock. I am fairly certain that someone has had an ingenious idea…to create the R-System out of the same material as a lacrima."
Irene gasped, glancing towards him with wide eyes. "That's unheard of…even Lumen Histoire isn't this size." Zeref nodded in response.
"That is exactly why this plan just may work. A lacrima of this size…it would be the only thing capable of containing so much raw magical power, but even then…" He trailed off, trying to calculate just what a lacrima like this could store. The size would increase its capacity, but he still did not know if it was enough. "It will be unstable. I imagine quick work is needed…thus, he obtained his sacrifice before he gained the energy required."
"I find myself agreeing with Wendy at this point…." Loke sighed and pushed his sunglasses further up his face. "I may understand your mindset, but I find that I'm rather enjoying life at the moment. So, why are we rushing into an unstable lacrima about to be struck by Etherion?"
"Etherion will not harm us, and so long as we utilize the stored energy quick enough, there will be no repercussions from the instability of the energy." Zeref glanced back at Loke, smiling confidently. "The rush is in ensuring that this tower is used for our purposes…so that it is used to finally free Mavis from her death-like state."
Frowning, Wendy glanced over at Zeref. "Um…didn't you say that this person would be cursed like you already if this was going to work? I'm sorry…but it just doesn't make much sense to me…" She trailed off, uncertain about what was going to happen.
That was a mystery as well, based on what he had seen. The tower was perfectly constructed, with the floors placed at just the right spaces for the gaps between the layered magic circles. Arriving on the middle level, Zeref quickly scanned the room for another staircase. Only two more levels should exist before reaching the top. "At this point…my assumption is that they are attempting to resurrect someone who is already alive. If that occurs…" Zeref paused, thinking about what the R-System would do as a result. The massive structure and amount of magic…it would not even put a dent in the amount stored within. The spell was designed to activate in segments, and by using it on someone alive, many aspects of it would not even meet the conditions necessary to be activated. As a result, it would still be powered enough to use for its true purpose.
Glancing towards the others over his shoulder, Zeref continued towards the next set of stairs. "It will function like Irene's body switching enchantment. The sacrifice's soul will be transported into the body of the targeted individual…while the one being resurrected will find themselves inside the body of the sacrifice. Irene, do you have enough magic to perform that enchantment multiple times?" He turned towards the enchantress, who smirked and nodded, holding her staff confidently.
"Of course, do you take me for a weakling?" Chuckling, Zeref shook his head and returned his focus to their progress. "I'll make sure everyone gets out of this in their proper bodies, your majesty. If it is your request, it is my duty to grant it for you."
A bright white light filled the room at that moment, making Zeref whiled his eyes and squint at the glare. His ears began to ring as a massive crashing was heard, rumbling around and flooding his senses with far too much noise. The entire structure around them began to shake, making Wendy stumble forward and fall onto his back. Zeref stiffened, his back arching slightly as he attempted to pull away without making her fall entirely. The girl clung to him, however, afraid of the motion. Seeing what was happening, Loke grabbed Wendy and pulled her towards the wall while the blast settled down.
Slowly, the shaking stopped as the light faded away. Zeref had been forced to pause and wait for the others, but now he turned back to see them staring with wide eyes at the transformed structure. The black wizard could sense the energy around him, the sheer power of the R-System brought to life. Crystalized, the interior of the tower was now a magnificent sky blue, shining brilliantly around them. Every wall, every floor, and every staircase was frozen in this form as energy swirled restlessly within. It felt alive and the sensation of being around it made Zeref's skin tingle. He could not remember the last time he had been so close to witnessing the discovery of a new spell. While this one was of his own design, he felt excited and nervous to see the theory proven correct after all of this time.
The power of Etherion seemed to be slightly amplified, as well. Based on his senses, Zeref felt like there was more energy than necessary stored within the walls, but his prediction was appearing to be accurate. It was leaking out in places, seeking an escape into the outside air. Focusing on it for a moment, he paused and closed his eyes. Afterwords, he nodded a single time and continued on. "Fifteen minutes."
The others blinked at him, frowning in confusion. "Until what?" Irene seemed just as lost, even though her senses were honed much better than the others.
"Until this tower will be incapable of containing this amount of power. We should arrive at the top in approximately three more minutes…and that leaves us with twelve to ensure that we are the ones activating—" Zeref's words were cut off as he stumbled forward, feeling something churn within him. In his chest, it felt like someone was tugging on his heart. At first, he thought he could ignore the sensation and continue on. Then, the tug became stronger, more forceful as he frowned. It cut off his words, blocking his vocal chords from obeying his commands. A vice grip had wrapped around his chest, and if he didn't know any better, he would have guessed that someone had developed a method of actually killing him. The process wasn't painful at first, but now it felt like someone was tearing his heart from his chest, breaking every bone in his ribcage throughout the process.
Hunching over, Zeref gasped and groaned. Another sharp tug came, though Zeref tried to resist. He felt Wendy touch his arm, and he glanced towards her concerned brown eyes. Both of her hands were hovering by him, and he saw her mouth moving as she tried to say something. Likely, she was trying to heal him, and he smiled slightly at the sight. How amusing, that he would be the one to need healing on this mission. If he had control, he would have laughed, but it only took one more yank for everything to grow dark. The tower faded away from his sight, and his body collapsed completely on the ground, with Irene, Loke, and Wendy all surrounding him in desperation and worry.
I found it quite entertaining to try and write Jellal's perspective while under Ultear's control. It is a bit darker, but still interesting to try and get inside of his head to imagine what he is thinking. For anyone wondering about why Erza didn't use her magic to escape, I probably should have described them better as Milliana's magic...either way, her power is blocked while she is trapped here. Plus, we've got more going on with Zeref arriving at the tower. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!
