Well, I swear this began to be written on the same day that the previous one ended, precisely at 6:50 PM, while the loke saga was finished ... between 6-7 AM, to later be uploaded a couple of hours since I left school
Neither dragon ball nor fairy tail belong to me, they are the property of their respective authors, or rather their publishers. But it wouldn't be if only I could have kidnapped them
Chapter 16: Sky mission I
A vacation ... quiet?
The scare had passed, and the little adventure too, now the whole team was just resting and relaxing on a beach, a well-deserved break. Apparently the spa yesterday wasn't enough.
They used the tickets that loke gave them to get to the best hotel complex in all of fiore, connected to a gigantic amusement park and a beautiful beach with free access. At least with the tickets they had, which aren't really the cheapest plan.
From them burying Gray in the sand and giving him a somewhat… curvy shape, swimming calmly in the inflatable while Natsu almost died. At one point, a crab even took off Gray's pants leaving him totally naked. Erza covered beat's eyes, while the ice mage covered himself with happy
And so I spend the day, creating giant sand castles, playing volleyball, surfing, among other things typical of a montage for days at the beach.
Meanwhile, beat ventured into the depths, but he was better off lying on the inflatable after being forced to spray a dolphin… let's not talk about it
And so they spent the whole day, just having fun in something that should be simple and fun, but it wasn't meant to last.
At sunset they decided to go in, natsu and gray changed to go to the casino, while lucy rested first. And Erza stayed on the balcony of the room watching the sunset. As Beat lay on the bed, his fight with the Heavenly Spirit King dragged on longer than expected. At least in his dimension, there were days, maybe weeks in which he pushed his body to the limit, and even after transforming into a ssj god for a moment, he did not regain any vitality, although at least he was cured
-but today was a fun day, I wish we could have more like this, at least it's not that long until the festival- I was totally relaxed, nothing I contemplate should be able to ruin it, nothing I contemplate
She was a little tired after all day, so in that quiet place she had no problem falling asleep. Something that a common nightmare took advantage of to appear, almost like a premonition of what they were about to face: a gloomy island with soldiers patrolling every corner of it, some accompanied by monstrous-looking dogs created from nothing. Lots of slaves working, some to death, others being tortured by 500 watt electrical currents, a young erza falling when her legs gave out while being tormented by one of those beasts, an old man dying in front of a gigantic light, and vast destruction alongside when she returned to dry land and was completely disoriented
These painful memories made her wake up panting, she felt like her heart had a thousand beats per minute, she immediately looked at her hands, confirming that she didn't have any wife -that same silly nightmare as always...when did I fall asleep?-
She entered the large room that they had requested for the four of them, there was only her and Beat sleeping exhausted in bed, at least she would be spared the questions. He went to the entrance to go out and look for the rest in search of something to do, on the way to the door they visualize each other out of the corner of their eyes, realizing that he was still in his swimsuit, immediately in a flash, his classic armor took on its place
-I really feel much more comfortable with the armor
"Erza! Don't you want to come have some fun? Natsu and Gray are already at the casino, they want to win some games," Lucy said, suddenly entering her room.
-right!, they have a place like that. In that case- his body glowed again, and the armor he was wearing was exchanged for another garment from his pocket dimension. A beautiful red ball gown with white gloves. Even her hairstyle was rearranged -do I look good?-
Lucy could only stay with a blank face in front of that locker room -it's…something ostentatious and maybe exaggerated, but it's okay. Let's go!-Lucy said leaving, leaving the door open, she would wait for her outside the room
-(I think, I should have a day every now and then to pamper myself)- she thought as she looked at herself in the mirror. Sometimes it should be done, maybe take vacations more often
They both went to a section of the amusement park. The casino, a gigantic place with various games, from mechanical horses, roulette wheels, craps tables, and even a part of the roller coaster that passed through the casino
There was Natsu in what looked like a giant gumball machine. He slammed a button with the number 17 written on it.
A multitude of numbers appeared on the machine, constantly changing at high speed, until, to Natsu's expectation, it stopped at 17... to change to 16 a second later
-AAAAAAAAAAAA!- both shouted completely surprised, in a negative way
-You have to be kidding me!- Natsu already had tears falling in gallons from his eyes. As he bangs on the panel of the machine trying to correct that
-sir, please refrain from hitting the machine…- one of the employees approached when he saw that tantrum, because if it got worse it could break the machine
-It's just that the stupid game stopped at 17! I saw it!- the cries of the pink-haired man were already wetting the floor
"Crying won't fix it" she said trying to stop him.
-COME BACK 17!- said the magician and the cat simultaneously
Meanwhile, not far from them I was playing cards, or a game that includes them, at least - they're too immature. They shouldn't let Natsu in if she has the mental age of happy- Gray mocked, if it wasn't for all the noise in the place, the dragon slayer would have heard him. And they would already be fighting
-Gray-sama- a familiar voice was heard just a couple of meters away. Gray got a shiver down her spine when she heard it, her body immediately tensed, but seeing how she approached, it didn't last long; she, well, she was juvia, with a gold necklace in the shape of the fairy tail emblem
Parallel to this meeting, natsu kept hitting the glass of the game, but a couple of meters away there was a strange guy staring at them -kids, casinos are supposed to be a place for men...for dandies, so tell me why, why are you here?-
The pink-haired man was aware of his tantrum, but he was really upset so he knew they were targeting him, but his appearance was something he wouldn't have expected in any way-blocks!?- his anger was replaced by shock when he saw his form It looked like something one would create with magic cube toys.
-look, a self-respecting man can only walk two paths on the path of life- in an instant the cubes of his lower half teleport in front of natsu and structures were formed around his arms, managing to use him against the machine
Natsu didn't understand what was happening, that guy didn't seem like anything to him, it doesn't even sound like someone he's heard of once while drinking at the bar
-that of a dandy…or fail and meet your end- the cube man said threateningly, creating a large cannon that replaced his right arm, which pointed a laser at natsu's forehead
Natsu seeing this realized that the situation was more serious than he had thought. She immediately began to think as fast as she could, wondering if it would be a good idea to expel so much heat as to vaporize the cuffs. But he was discarded seeing all the terrified people around
Meanwhile with gray, he was already talking to juvia, it really hadn't taken that long to become a fairly calm chat, for the black-haired man it wasn't so bad to have a simple talk from time to time, between the events so moved that they usually live, and that he himself enjoys. After meeting they decided to go to a point away from natsu's tantrums, or good gray decided
"Well, by the way... how have you been since phantom lord broke up?" he asked once they sat down again, realizing that he hadn't said anything about it since they met.
-Pretty good, Juvia is now a free mage. And I still keep in touch with some ex-colleagues with whom she has a good relationship... but nothing serious !-she was in charge of emphasizing the latter, wanting to avoid misinterpretations
-Well, I'm glad you're not upset, days ago we met two members of your guild who went to a play performed by us, they were nice, I suppose that despite all the image we had during the conflict, no The group would last for so many years if its members didn't like each other. Which by the way, are you planning to join fairy tail-
-...is it so obvious?..., yes, I thought it could be the best option- gray sweated a little, knowing how obvious it was, because anyone who saw her with that necklace would think she was a member, big fan , or known to a member-
-after what happened…don't get me wrong, it doesn't bother me, after all it wasn't your fault, but that will be the teacher's decision- that raised a question for himself, about whether she would be accepted, since his own Experiences with members requesting to join were always affirmative, whether it was Natsu and Lucy who entered the first one, or even Beat who arrived in the least curious conditions -to be honest, I think the teacher's decision goes beyond force. Maybe even who he likes or dislikes-
"What do you mean?" This raised some concerns, it seemed like something very important.
Just as gray was about to say a possible explanation, they heard heavy footsteps behind him.
"Gray fullbuster?" Asked a fairly robust guy with a metal jaw. Once the dark-haired man turned, the subject confirmed it, and without making a single gesture, created a magic circle in front of him, creating a small warning explosion for the people around, strong enough to barely destroy the bar, reducing it to mere dust
This rumbled throughout the facility, gently shaking the entire complex -what was that?- Erza clearly worried a bit, something like that sounded like something very strong
-the parade must have started outside- a guy dressed as a cat reassured the people, sometimes very strong fireworks were used. That is why the complex was quite far from the city and pets are not allowed
Meanwhile with Gray, he was in front of that guy, already with a serious face, knowing that it could be dangerous -(that was just a warning shot...what does this guy want?)-
And almost as if reading his mind - where is erza scarlet? - he just went straight to the point, raising a large question mark on the wizard's head
On the other side of the gigantic building, Erza was sitting next to Lucy. The redhead was on a very good streak, so much so that the casino owners were already thinking of throwing her out, since she had won 10 games in a row -I'm sure that no matter what she has in front of her, nothing in this great world could make her lose the game
Lucy was quite impressed at the luck she was having. But it was still satisfying to see her win so many games in a row -indeed-
Faced with this streak, he changed his delivery man. And while in another he was scolded, another guy walked up to the counter, a guy with somewhat dark skin and blonde hair. -All this is impressive, but, what do you think if we play a special game? - He just changed the casino cards for another deck
-I don't see why n….- the redhead stopped short once she read the message spelled out by the cards, "death"
-a fun game where you bet your life, erza nee-san- that guy smiled as titania looked up, practically being able to see the point where her face lost its relaxation
"You...you're sho, right?" The strongest female mage in the guild began to sweat. Lucy even thought she saw how her hands trembled slightly.
"Nee-san!?" Lucy exclaimed, genuinely surprised.
Again with gray, he was in front of that guy who had caused the explosion
-I will repeat it again, where is erza?- that guy was slowly approaching
Gray was sure he was up to no good, he wouldn't tell him his location for nothing. And he was ready to put his hands together to reach a defensive position that would complement a creation; the water that the stranger had dispersed, he returned to join in a single point, forming juvia again -I will not let you touch gray-sama, juvia will be your opponent-
The black-haired man was somewhat surprised at this position, he was definitely determined to join. -Juvia…-
-gray, the danger hangs over erza-san, he is not an ordinary magician from a second class dark guild, he is someone strong, and I doubt he is the only one, and the most powerful-she might not be able to feel his exact power, but I could perceive the pressure that that subject emanated, a sense of danger and insecurity in the air that every living being can perceive for their own survival
-true, then for that reason I can't let you fight alone, if she really is that dangerous, let's work together to prevent erza when before-
Juvia nodded without saying anything.
-Like, have you found Erza yet? Well, let them clean up here- he saw how his two opponents had already put themselves in a combat position, and immediately invoked a spell without even moving -dark moment!- upon pronouncing these words, all visible light in the compound went out, except for his own accomplices. This apparently immediately disoriented Juvia and Gray, second he took the opportunity to get behind them both, creating a large magic circle above them.
Going back to Natsu, he was still trapped and cornered in the machine, with a large gun pointed at his forehead. When to make matters worse, everything went dark, he couldn't even see the light that was pointed at him anymore -time to die kid- the polygonal guy said to shoot in an instant
- DON'T FUCK ME! - yelled natsu annoyed, accidentally raising his head more than he expected
-Natsu!- Shouted happy when he saw how they shot him
Now with Erza, she was fully alert since the lights went out, until she heard that loud noise -a shot!?- Erza was scared, afraid of what her friends were now capable of, not because of their abilities, but how far they were willing to go
-Sho!- Erza looked for him alarmed all over the place, once the light came back, there was no one there
-here, nee-san- when they turned to see him, he dropped dozens of cards, maybe hundreds
-Those are the people!- Lucy said horrified to see how all the innocent people were locked in those letters, trying to get out
"Intrigued?" Sho said, ignoring the multiple pleas of the trapped people.
"Magic…" Erza narrowed her eyes, it was something she wouldn't have expected, but definitely not something impossible.
A small meow was heard very close, and a dense rope was tied around Lucy's body, restricting any movement that could be a threat -if I'm not strong?- said the woman responsible for this, with an appearance that clearly alludes To a cat
-miliana, you too?, let lucy go, she's my friend, she has nothing to do here- if this didn't stop, she would have to summon armor sets, it doesn't matter if she has to knock out the
-oh, but we were also his friends- he reminded sho
"Were they friends?" Lucy said surprised, this was unlike any story ever told by Erza, and from how the situation looked. It didn't seem like something anyone would want to talk about.
The guy who shot Natsu appeared out of nowhere, grabbing the blonde's shoulder -come on sho, don't abuse Erza so much. A man who is a dandy must keep his emotions in check.
-(Square head!)- Lucy thought impressed, sometimes she forgot the type of mutations that caused a rare amount of magic, as requirements to be able to use it properly
-You have grown more beautiful than I could have thought, wow, time has passed- said the subject with a more geometric shape -it is not surprising that you do not recognize me at first glance, at that time I was known as "wally mad dog ". Since then I became… a little more polygonal-
"Is it like this all the time?" Lucy asked, sweating at that demonstration of eccentricity, if it weren't for the current situation, she could pass for a fellow member of her guild.
-yes, it's rare but it is appreciated- miliana whispered in lucy's ear, unfortunately with enough volume for wally to hear him and be a little embarrassed
-You can also use magic, I shouldn't even be surprised... they're just missing- he said turning with a serious look at the exact moment when the one who attacked gray and juvia appeared -simon-
-really, once you figure out the trick, anyone can use magic- he mentioned after appearing from a black mist
Erza stepped back a little at the sound of that voice. He took a couple of steps back and turned around to see the one who attacked gray and juvia -simon…-
-erza!, who are all these and why do they call you their sister? - he asked with a quite high tone, because those ropes kept pressing strongly against his body. He could eventually kill her
Erza looked down at the memories of what happened so many years ago, even before meeting the teacher -they are not my brothers, but it was as if we had been, a long time ago- she took a look at those 4, seeing everything that had changed in that time, and apparently not for the better
This visibly confused Lucy, as it clashed with the little information she had about Erza's past -haven't you been in Fairy Tail all your life?-
"It was before I even joined the guild… now, what are you doing here?" The redhead couldn't be more tense. She had always wondered what would happen if they met again, something uncomfortable was expected, but this exceeded her worst expectations -release Lucy-
-What if we better go home? - suggested sho, a small key sentence that they had discussed before arriving
-Otherwise, she will have to pay the consequences- Wally threatened, turning his arm into a cannon, with which he aimed directly at Lucy's head. A shot that could mush a sperm whale with just a graze
-Stop!- Erza stood between them, she was ready to defend herself if necessary, the next move would be to summon an armor and a sword, cut Lucy's ropes and retreat due to the disadvantageous situation
And as they had planned, surprisingly the cannon disappeared and instantly it was floating a millimeter from his back. The S-class mage couldn't even react to that, so the shot hit her square in the back. She instantly fell to the ground
- Erza! - Lucy shouted when she saw this, she could see how a dart had been stuck in her back. That she actually possessed 10 milliliters of a powerful poison, one capable of causing instant death to 1000 blue whales with just 1 ml. Specifically measured to work as a sedative on her
Simon took the redhead without saying anything, she was totally unconscious
-Did you do it the way we discussed? - asked sho, because otherwise she could remain conscious, and if they fight with her things could go wrong by taking too long
-Of course, use the tranquilizer bullet they provided me, if I use a normal one like the other one, our mission fails-
-Where are you taking Erza!? Leave her alone, if they didn't use dirty tricks, Erza would have beaten them. When Natsu and Gray arrive...! - Lucy shouted trying to get up, something almost impossible due to the strength of the ropes, which only increased
I don't want to be the one to tell you. I am sorry to tell you that your friends have been the ones who were beaten; in my opinion they are overestimated, the rumors must be just exaggerations- wally informed him, because currently they should be unconscious, or in the case of natsu dead
Lucy couldn't believe it, erza and the others had been defeated so easily this must be a nightmare
They just left, congratulating each other on the successful job they had done. Lucy only heard how they murmured a couple of things, she even saw how they carried happy, and they disappeared in an instant
-I have to get this off or I'll die!- She turned around violently, trying to break them but it didn't work, they looked almost like rubber. She even tried to use the keys on her, but it didn't work-(must be because of the strings themselves...maybe they nullify the magic somehow!)-she suddenly felt a small sting on her arm-ow !, what happens now?-
She moved a bit to see what was downstairs, and found the guy in the dungarees -sorry, it was me. She was trying to get away with this cake knife- she apologized seeing how this hurt
-Wait! Then the force exerted from the inside out can be felt on the outside. Do you think you can try to cut the rope? - Lucy said with some hope, because it could be her only way out, since apparently they had locked up to all the people in the casino
He turned around, putting his back to cut the ropes -please hurry up!-
-I beg you not to rush me, I do it as fast as I can, the cut is still as small as it looks on the letter... at least it seems that these ropes are too easy to cut with sharp objects- he said explaining how complicated it was for him cut it due to its size, if it was in normal conditions it would surely have gotten rid of them in a matter of two seconds. And so, in a minute the rope was snapped in half and just disappeared, and lucy was relieved to be able to move again, without danger of being snapped in half -finally!, thank you-
the employee of the place was satisfied -well, now it's your turn…-
Lucy just gave him a quick kiss so he would stop asking and not delay her in something that could be more important -sorry! I have to save erza, I'll come back for you!- she yelled at all the people in the cards. Which frankly were a bit upset.
She ran through the corridors in search of her companions -(natsu, gray!, they must be fine...right?)- lucy wondered worriedly, hoping they hadn't been seriously injured, or worse.
After several minutes of searching the building completely empty and intact. She had a sight in front of her that also gave her a great shiver down her spine -gray, hold on!- she went over to try to help him, but when she touched him, her heart almost stopped -it's cold!...it can't be , it's too cold for a corpse, wake up! - He shook him gently, being careful not to hurt him, because he looked quite injured
But it only cracked and collapsed into a lot of pieces of ice, which fell to the ground -AAAAAA!- lucy shouted when she saw this -sorry!- she tried to fix it, but she was only left with a statue of the black-haired man with the legs and arms changed places. Which just got smashed again
"Calm down," a voice called out to Lucy. Sounds that came from a mass of water that rose from the ground, that mass of water took the form of juvia
-wait a minute!, you're juvia from element 4!- lucy was on guard preparing to summon virgo
-stop lucy!- under her it was revealed that gray was also hiding under her -she is on our side- the ice mage tried to reassure her, not wanting to waste time in a possible fight
-It is right. Juvia was in charge of protecting gray-sama, while you were found who knows where- said the blue-haired girl while she helped the dark-haired man to stand up
Standing up, he decided to explain what had happened before -a guy with a metal jaw came to attack us, we had fought but everything went dark. We didn't want to risk it, so I made a clone to avoid the fight, Juvia hid me inside her so they wouldn't discover us, but because of her she escaped- she said as she took off almost all her clothes almost unconsciously, although this time I was wet
With this Lucy already had an idea of how everything had happened, and honestly it was better than any option she had imagined. They weren't that far from killing her after all.
"That's right, inside Juvia, not you!" the water mage bragged, just confusing Lucy a little.
-(what?, anyway, how could he have Gray inside?)- he didn't think about it anymore and decided better to move on to what really mattered, look for natsu and start the search for erza
-by the way, where are the others?, they were looking for erza- he asked with some concern in his voice
-they….erza and happy were kidnapped by these guys who claim to know erza even before joining fairy tail-
This shocked Gray in every way possible, in a negative way. It meant that now they will have to go looking for her: this situation was not going well at all
A torrent of flames shot up across the room. The three of them ran and soon found the pink-haired man, who was lying on the ground, coughing heavily. After several attempts it managed to spit out a small titanium bullet, along with some magma. Or at least it seemed, maybe it was his gastric juices at gigantic temperatures
-What happened? - Gray asked, seeing how everything was destroyed here, surely there was a small confrontation
-a guy with a square head came!, DO YOU THINK IT'S NORMAL TO SHOOT PEOPLE IN THE MOUTH LIKE THIS!?, someone could get hurt!- natsu yelled, and ran at full speed, following the smell that had left the square head
-(but, if that shot would have killed any other living being)- sudo lucy seeing natsu's complaints, as if choking was the worst thing that could have happened to him when he was shot
The three followed him, knowing that he was the only one of them capable of finding her, due to his acute senses, greater than any animal.
Already in the tower of the sky, a gigantic building, so big as to surpass the mountains, with hundreds of guards outside and thousands inside, accompanied by dogs that seem to have their skin inverted
At its tip a subject in a white coat appeared, thanks to a magic circle created by the one in front of him, Jellal. Who sat on his great throne
-jellal, i have come to inform you that they have already captured erza and are on their way here. But I must ask, why does she let that traitor live? With her current power she can do without it-
-It's simple, it will serve as a human sacrifice. Although his presence may seem like a danger, it will be nothing more than another way to collect energy, especially with this ancient mechanism that he manages to integrate- the blue-haired man smiled, seeing a small circular platform in the center of the tower
On the ship where they were taking Erza, they were all at their posts watching over the ship. With special care that an official ship does not follow them
And inside, the redhead managed to gain enough consciousness to speak - where am I? - she asked more to herself than anyone
There, sho appeared from a dark corner in the room. Well, his task now was to watch Erza -we are on a ship, on the way to the tower of the sky-
-oh, so that's it. Will you untie me? I don't plan to resist- Erza said with her head down. She wasn't lying, she herself would end it all right now
-we both know that I can't do it, I believe that, but you will cause problems in one way or another, after all it is better to have you here, with the miliana strings that nullify your magic- assured Sho. After all they had already taken the trouble to investigate them
-I know….but could you at least let me put on an armor?…I'm afraid to return to that place…I feel safer with armor- titania trembled with fear at the memories of that tower
-But you look good in that dress nee-san- the blonde knelt down, staying at her height to hug her -I didn't want to do this, I really missed you…because you had to betray us!- the blonde shouted, while the tears came out of his eyes
The ship came closer and closer to the tower, while the weather around them calmed down in their sector to let them pass. Well, she was surrounded by a gigantic storm capable of sinking any ship at convenience
We return to a different scenario, same place, different time. A group of children in clothes worn by forced labor were gathered in a dark corner of the tower.
"Everything is ready, we can go out," a younger sho warned the group, moving a box to reveal a tunnel that had taken them months to dig.
-SHHH!, don't talk so loud- an unknown guy shouted at him, sounding louder than him...wait, is that wally?, he looked very low polygonal
-You end up sounding louder than him- Miliana rebuked him. To which wally just rubbed his head with some pity
-erza, we must hurry or they will discover us- Simon rushed. Not wanting something like this to happen, because surely they would not have an opportunity like this again in a long time. surely never
-I know, but the thing is…what if they discover us? They know what they do to those they catch trying to escape- Erza trembled with fear, remembering testimonies of those who were taken to that punishment and were marked for life. At least those who survived
They heard a couple of footsteps, and almost had a heart attack at that sound. But they calmed down when they saw that it was not a threat, only Jellal, who returned from his surveillance -do not worry, we will manage to escape We will see the world again together, and we will recover our dreams, our aspirations- this speech was able to inspire us all. Enough to make Erza stop shaking and shake her hand, ready for everyone to leave.
Currently, across the country, in era. An important meeting of the magic council was taking place, all its members were gathered
"Does it still exist!? Impossible…" shouted one of the members surprised by this. They had been discussing the investigations about the sky tower
-The system-R is a forbidden magic system created about 10 years ago. I thought we had personally destroyed all the towers, seeing it like this, can it be finished? - expressed belno, who already feared the worst that could come from that, the very concentration of magical power to perform such a feat, it was a dangerous act
-our investigation team sent those images seconds before being discovered and presumably dying; They are finishing it, I suppose- indicated a woman with black hair, one of those who had taken the most trouble to investigate this topic. Maybe not for the right reasons
"Why the R-system?" asked an old man with a cat-shaped hairstyle. He would probably like miliana
One of the guys who had been there in the corner decided to speak up. Clarifying an important issue, after all he had started this investigation himself - tower of paradise ... that's what they call it -
- Who cares about his name? It's forbidden magic. So dangerous that the simple fact that this information comes to light could cause a tremendous stir- I say a strict-looking old man, called org
Belno was clear, they had to avoid this problem before it escalated. The concentration of magic would already be a problem, but if this was replicated by other cults, it could lead to a multitude of future problems -definitely, we should send all available military power, send the best naval squads and try to contact the holy magicians who possible," he said firmly. Something that could be a good option
-we should, if it weren't for the fact that we are against it. The incident at the akane resort a couple of hours ago, the testimonies indicate that it is not the same cult. But from someone named jellal-leigi, he affirmed, for physically he had just received reports from his own soldiers who went to investigate the disaster there and were reversing the sealing spell.
"Jellal!? Your twin brother or not, Sieglein?" Org was surprised. This explained why Sieglein had taken over most of the research; he wanted to reprimand him for keeping these secrets, but it was not the time, then he would discuss it with crawford and he
"Yes, I am more than aware of it," he said, indirectly confirming to the others that he already knew about this.
Already at sea, Lucy, Natsu, Gray and Juvia sailed in search of Erza, trying to be guided by Natsu's sense of smell.
"Hey, will people be okay? I feel a little guilty for leaving them there" said Lucy remembering how she just ran away
-should. After we had Natsu create an SOS message with fire, in the sky, and the size of a city. They should have arrived by now, and I'm sure he'll be able to reverse it, from the way you describe them, those things don't seem so difficult to annul with fairly useful spells for it- Gray explained. Well, I'm sure they'll be free before breakfast time. I even doubted if its effect doesn't wear off on its own
-but by the way, where are we? - the infinite blue sea that stretched around them had already bored lucy, it was so calm that it almost seemed that they had left their boat on a floor painted blue, in the open air -are you sure what is around here?, natsu?-
When they flew off, Natsu was throwing up outside the ship. He couldn't utter a word even if he wanted to
"Hey, we're counting on your nose to find her, hold on!" Gray yelled, waiting for the pink-haired man to react, but he didn't even move. He was still dying
-I don't allow you to betray gray-sama's trust-
-fuck, to think that Erza and Hapoy were kidnapped in such a short time. How pathetic is that!? - Gray was somewhat embarrassed. Well, they defeated them as if they were mere rookies
Juvia was a little insecure, because her enemies must have been very strong-but how was it that a magic as powerful as Erza was defeated?- Juvia said, knowing that she should be at a level equal to Gajeel. At least when she passed the phantom lord thing
This annoyed Gray a bit. But Lucy was able to clear everything up before he scolded her -erza was taken by surprise. And she attacked him from behind with a darlo, before she put on her armor-
Juvia understands, if they already had a method and a strategy prepared, in addition to the element of surprise. Anyone could be beaten that way
-they said they were old friends of erza. Before I met anyone in the guild. I don't think even we know anything about Erza…- Lucy reflected on that. Well not even natsu and gray seemed aware of what was happening
Just as he said that, Natsu got up worried, staggering due to the unbearable dizziness that plagued his body -something feels dangerous in the air, danger- he said that when he noticed the large and dense cloud that rose in front of them.
The three watched carefully, as a lot of birds followed their course and entered that cloud. Only to die once they passed
-Those birds!, this is not normal- said lucy badly impressed by all this. Just to notice a small detail. There was a lot of wreckage around her, of what was once a fleet of ships.
-Wait, what is that!?- Natsu's jaw dropped, making the rest turn around. Looking at the tower that stretched up to the sky, completely breaking through the clouds
-The tower of the sky!- Lucy confirmed the suspicions of the rest. They were in the place they needed
Juvia raised her arm, and immediately a bubble of water formed around everyone. Which sank them a couple of meters in water and reflected the light in such a way that they were practically invisible from the outside -water dome, this will allow us to camouflage and go unnoticed
Several kilometers from the bubble, there were her and Erza's friends, who had arrived not long ago -it's finished….- Erza narrowed her eyes when she saw such an immense abomination in front of her
-8 years have passed, we had a lot of time for it- simon clarified, because in that time an innumerable amount of things happened
-and they have changed too much- erza said in a tone of complete seriousness
Several minutes later, Erza was imprisoned in a cage with her hands tied, which kept her dangling. Besides having several guards watching outside -ceremony?
-It's a shame, but it was your fault for betraying us. Jellal is upset, but it must be an honor for you-
Simon was outside listening to everything that was going on inside. Hearing these statements he was slightly irritated and left
-Maybe I won't see you again nee-san, but everything is to reach the paradise that was promised to us... are you trembling? Is it because you become a sacrifice or because you are in this place? mental to erza, from eight years ago
Eight years ago. They were discovered just before escaping, being cornered by those dogs with exposed muscle and a sense of smell greater than that of an ordinary canine.
-You seriously thought you could escape brats?, and just when we are about to finish this magnificent tower. So normally we would send all of you to that room, but we will be generous; say who invented the plan and we'll just take it to him- one of the cult leaders demands who is responsible. His offer will not last long, or maybe he makes them confess by forcing them -we are quite generous people, if they were in the other towers, they would have been killed already-
-Answer, who was the mastermind- said the other leader more firmly to the children. If asked, he would say that this was a waste of time and it would be better to leave the punishment to any guard.
Jellal didn't want sho found out. So steeling himself, he got up and took all the blame for this attempted escape - it was me, I planned it all!
One of those guys wasn't too convinced. So he made the decision to choose one at random -it wasn't you!-It was that girl!-
His partner used his magic staff to lock the young herd inside a purple bubble. And without problems they took her away, while Jellal and Simon openly claimed them. Only to be bombarded for a second, by a 500 watt discharge
-erza!- yelled jellal desperately, trying to stop them. Well, he was arrested without problems and could not do anything
"Don't worry Jellal, it's like you said, I'm not afraid!" Erza said trying to reassure him, despite knowing what awaited him, a bedroom with a multitude of torture tools for those who committed a serious offense
As they left, the short, chubby guy laughed in his face and stuck out his tongue at him.
Back in the present, we're still in erza's cage -I'm really sorry about that time nee-san, I know it should have been me who should have received the punishment, but I just didn't have the courage to take responsibility, and it wasn't just-
-That doesn't matter anymore, I don't hold a grudge against you, that's why I was never upset about that specific thing, in the least. But, do you really understand the real danger of activating the R-system? - said the redhead, who investigated the possible functions of the tower based on what she knew. And a bit of information that she managed to get from the teacher, thanks to the guild's ally in the council
-oh, you know what the R-system is for, I'm frankly impressed- sho says remembering how something like that is classified information from the magic council. And it's not like they were told while they were slaves
-the resurrection system, or resurrection system. It is a mechanism that takes advantage of the energy extracted through human sacrifices. To create a dimensional gap between earth and the afterlife, which would extract a specific person - and now that dangerous system. Esga completed, with a giant teardrop-shaped tip -it's an inhuman magic, and that's exactly why it was banned-
-Sister, magic has always been at odds with humanity. She corrupts all humanity of whoever wears it and is affected by it. After all, what do you think those who kidnapped us and brought us to hell were looking for? They were just a group of ambitious people who were looking for a powerful magic, do you think that all the evil magicians with whom you are used to fighting, would come to as much if weren't for this resource?, do you think that his insignificant battles with phantom lord would have arisen if it weren't for the discord created through magic?-
-It is a sophism of black magic! You are not so different from those you deny. Magic doesn't make people bad, it just shows how they really are, once they feel that there is nothing to stop them if magic didn't exist those people would be just as bad. Using white or gunpowder weapons, the method doesn't matter- she argued. Who thought there was some hypocrisy in those words
-those brainless idiots plan to use it as a simple system to revive people. But jellal is different, he will take us to paradise! - she turned her back, starting to monologue while erza began to mobilize to escape
"Paradise?" Erza asked doubtfully, because the more information she has, the more chances she will have of stopping them.
-When Jellal resurrects that person, the world will be reborn. The world will be in our hands, we will ensure that no scenario like the one that happened to us, or the ones we have mentioned, will be repeated-
-That sounds like fascism with a few extra steps...- When sho turned around, he only found a blur near him, which in an instant managed to hit his chin with such force that it left him unconscious
Erza, already standing up, managed to cut the ropes with her teeth, they really were too easy to cut -sho...I can't believe that people change so much. What I really regret the most is not having had the courage to come back, maybe it's my fault that you've become one of the idiots that we're used to stopping...maybe it's not too late- the redhead said determinedly. Instantly switching to her default armor. Ready to go to the top of the tower
In a large colorful room, located about halfway up the tower. Happy suddenly woke up
"Where am I!? Where is Natsu?" The last thing the cat remembered was that everything was dark, and then totally black.
Miliana came out of the sofa surprisingly. Bristling the hairs of the blue cat; Well, she didn't look very normal either -a cat woman!-
-Are you comfortable?-
-I guess…-
-Great, a talking cat! - Miliana shouted happily, to hug him tightly. Suffocating poor happy
-milliana…why don't you try to be a little more dandy?- the same polygonal guy was standing at the door of the room, apparently he had waited for happy to regain consciousness
-It's him!- Happy tensed in the presence of that subject
And wally just ignored him, I consider it a natural reaction to that situation -he's not a talking cat, he's a cat because he talks, do you understand?-
-I see-
-I don't get it at all- that didn't make sense for the most marketable character in the franchise -I don't get it!, where is natsu!?-
-Hey! Happy, right? That boy is probably ten feet under the ground right now.
-(there is no way that Natsu would have lost like that!)- the smallest member of fairy tail was convinced of it. He had survived worse things: the training of a dragon, the leader of an assassins guild, "killed" an immortal demon, fought against one of the most powerful beings in the universe, helped stop a cult that summoned a dangerous deity , beat gajeel. This is nothing
A group of soldiers opened the door in surprise (after all it was ajar) -erza scarlet has escaped!-
-Well, that was to be expected. Anyway there is no escape from this island- wally had already imagined that something like this would happen, one way or another
"Oh, just like old times!" Miliana didn't seem worried either. In fact she seemed somewhat calm with that, knowing what wally said
The guards rushed both of them, and left him locked inside the room, with a key -(so Erza is here too...then the others shouldn't be far away)-
Simultaneous to this, Jellal was laughing on the top floor of the tower. This after being informed how erza was only imprisoned for like five minutes, not counting the trip- he knew that erza would be an interesting person to deal with. I wonder who will win, her or me, life or death: a paradise game that connects our past with the future of fiore, maybe the world-
-We must gather all the information!-
-Let's deploy all the militia!-
-We already managed to contact a holy magician, he's on his way!-
They were random shouts said by different members of the council, in their current emergency meeting, a real mess
Sieglein took a deep breath, in order to raise his voice enough to make himself heard - pacifists with bleeding hearts!
-what did you say!?-
-¡Siege miserable!-
A couple responded, outraged
-Send the militia?, idiots!. It is too risky and dangerous. They're surrounded by a storm that none of our ships can get through
"Then what do you propose?" org exclaimed, looking for a different suggestion that could be useful to them. Really at this moment nothing seemed worse
-There is only one way to destroy the sky tower without risking the stability of the country. Etherion- gave them a moment to assimilate such a request. Everyone except Ultear was surprised.
"What did you say!?" when they thought that no suggestion was bad in their current situation. They were wrong, under no circumstances did they expect that assumption
-You already know its destructive power, right? If used in the wrong way, it could completely destroy fiore. It is our last weapon, it is more dangerous than the R-system itself- belno reasoned. Transdimensional destruction magic was something that was only used as a last resort.
-if we fix it with the square satellite. The explosion would not have the necessary range to reach the coast. And we already took care of changing the sea routes so that nothing passes near there - this made it more reasonable. In any case, there would only be everything that is in the tower
-I agree!- Raise your hand. without any objection
-ultear!, you too?- org already feared the worst. Now things had a low chance of getting even worse if they activated the R-system
-We are 9, so if 3 more people vote. We'll shoot it! We don't have time for stupid processes or organizing holy magicians. Every second that passes we are closer to a crisis- Sieglein yelled at them. Knowing that eventually, as the situation looked worse; everyone would be in favor of him, and things will turn out as he expects -we can't let him activate the R-system!-
-Are you fully aware that this will exterminate your brother, along with hundreds or thousands of people who are there? - org raised an eyebrow, hoping that such a decision will lead to a little more doubt, especially in the case of his only relative in life
-Sure. But if he is causing this brutality, there is no way to stop him, I know that this decision will remain in my memory for the rest of my existence; but I understand that it will be the best for Fiore, the best for the world- Sieglein confessed. Well, this situation was critical enough to force him to do it. Regardless of which way you look
While Erza was in the middle of the tower interrogating a soldier. The team was just landing on the island
-it seems that there are many guards- says gray seeing dozens of these, accompanied by strange canine-like creatures
The pink haired man poked his head out of the rock behind which they were hiding -they don't look very strong on their own, do we burst in head on?-
He thought about it for a second until he decided to deny it, because if possible the best thing was to save energy to fight with those who were really strong -No. It wouldn't be worth it
-They also have Erza and Happy hostage. They could do something else to them when they see our interference- Lucy reasoned
They heard a small noise behind them, and turning their heads they saw Juvia. Who had reviewed below, at the request of gray
-juvia managed to find a small and ancient entrance. It will be a 10 minute swim-the path she found had probably belonged to some slave who had tried to escape back in the day.
-Way to go!/Incredible!- they praised their new partner, that probably would have saved them hours. For a process which will surely need to take a big breath
"That's impossible!" and he was right, any ordinary person would choke at that. But they are not ordinary, and they have a water magician to help
She raised her hand and with the water around her, she created three bubbles with the neutral chemical compound -you're right. But just put this on, they will act as oxygen containers that will serve you at least twice as much as you need.
They got into the water and approached the entrance, guided by Juvia. They didn't take long to arrive, and in an instant they were inside the tower, on the lowest floor.
-Well, we are at the base of the tower- Gray analyzed when he saw the gigantic support structures to keep the tower standing
-Now let's find a place to upload. Those bridges should work- natsu noted those structures located dozens of meters above them
-These things are very useful. Although they can be somewhat sticky- Lucy said thinking about saving it in case one day it is needed again
-Of course, they are also reusable, because once they return to the surface, the carbon dioxide inside is released and absorbs the oxygen from the surroundings. although I did yours a little- he laughed a little, it was a lie but at least it will serve to annoy his "rival"
Unfortunately a gigantic roar was heard in the distance. It was one of those creatures but with wings, ridden by a soldier. His stealthy entrance in the end was of no use, as there were already hundreds of guards with spears heading in his direction.
"Who are these intruders?" asked one of the soldiers, not recognizing his figure at all.
The four of them had barely finished putting their clothes back on after Natsu dried them.
-Wonder who we are!? Your allies attacked us from behind and they don't have the decency to recognize us! -With his hand he created a slight explosion, which lit up the whole place and filled it with smoke
- WE ARE FAIRY TAIL! - they all shouted as he pounced on the several hundred soldiers
In just one minute they managed to knock out all 300 soldiers. Moments where there were tsunamis, earthquakes, pillars of fire as powerful as the eruption of a volcano, and snow storms
-We're done here- Virgo confirmed, once he checked that everyone was unconscious. Several ended up with a missing tooth
But now there was only one of them conscious. To which natsu raised annoyed, with the intention of questioning him where to go up
-Where is the race? AND THAT CUBE FACE!-
The soldier couldn't tell much anymore after Virgo beat him into unconsciousness. Before being taken by the other pink-haired one seeing that he was the last one aware
A noise invaded the room suddenly, like dozens of gears moving, when they turned to see it, it was a gigantic staircase that would take them to the next floor
"Mr. Jellal, why do you let them in so easily?" asked his assistant. That could lead to problems later
-Didn't I tell you already? This is just a game. I'm interested in knowing how far this convoluted plot goes, besides, it's not as if they weren't useful to me- Jellal said evading his questions, while he looked away to see how the tear in the middle shone slightly, practically imperceptibly
–but, the council boats. It means that they already know about this and…-
-Vildanus, are you really still worried? Come on, I've got everything covered, whether it's the actions of the council, Erza's six companions. And even a possible meddling by the magic saints- ensured that he would succeed regardless of what happened. Well, he had taken the task of investigating the possible threats, be it beat and the rest of the natsu team, or even the council
-I agree- raised his hand one of the members of the council, trembling, fearing the consequences that this decision may entail. But not for him.
-Major Leigi!- Michello exclaimed surprised, especially for being Leigi, who usually worries about the possible human losses in these cases
-Perfect! Now only two are missing. Hurry up if you don't want Fiore to fall apart- she reminded them what was at stake before activating that magic, especially if something went wrong in the process
"Buckethead!" Natsu yelled from the rooftops, still looking for a rematch against Wally.
"Hush!" Juvia tried to shut him up, not wanting to attract unwanted attention.
-We already made a fuss down there, I don't think it matters so much if they listen to us- Gray said devouring a chicken leg. Well, the three of them were eating placidly at a table full of food: they had not eaten
"What are you doing!" Lucy yelled in surprise as she returned from changing into clothes from the celestial spirit world. Well, his had been a little damaged with the previous battle
-Because we didn't eat anything, take a little and regain strength before we have to fight seriously- Gray recommended, otherwise I would be tired and starving -Going back to the important thing, that door was completely opened by magic remotely-
-Yes, our presence here is completely known, they plan something- Natsu said with some seriousness. And it would have sounded like that if it weren't for the fact that he couldn't understand a thing for devouring a dozen loaves of bread at the same time
"Here are our intruders!" shouted a group of dozens of soldiers entering the room.
Natsu and Juvia were already prepared to hide, but in a flash they were already on the ground. Everyone was happy to see that the one that beat them in a blink was the same herd
-erza!, she's safe- they all said happily, this was timely, now they would just have to look for happy and that's it
Hearing their voices she turned around, she was genuinely scared by their presence in the place. She hoped that they would not follow her here, even though she knew that it is impossible thanks to the presence of beat
-Why are you here? COME BACK!- the redhead scolded them, knowing the danger they were in -they shouldn't have come to this place!-
-Do not say that!, if we retire with the tail between the legs. You would embarrass fairy tail- said natsu convinced, because leaving would be like running away from a battle for nothing -I won't leave without hitting that cube face in the face-
-but happy has been kidnapped!- the pink-haired man claimed
-That's right, we can't abandon him- I support him, Lucy
-Happy!, Molina couldn't have…- the redhead knew that they wouldn't hurt the blue cat, less if she was in the group. She, well, she had always loved cats, and that apparently was one of the things that never changed
-Then I'm going for him!- he shouted to run at full speed in search of his partner, following his scent
-natsu… idiot- gray knew that separating from the group could be a bad idea
-We're going too!- Lucy said ready to enter the fight
-Never!, I'll take care of bringing them both, miliana loves the gagos above all, she would never do anything to happy. By the way… and beat?-She wondered when she noticed how the youngest of the group was missing
-...I knew something was missing! We were in such a hurry that we forgot! - Gray said when he realized how they had left his trump card at home -it's still early and he looked very tired, he probably said sleeping-
-It is the best. Go away and make sure that under no circumstances does he come near this place, if necessary squeeze his tail with an ice structure- she started to walk away to continue with this
"But we'll go with you!" Lucy demands, grabbing her shoulder.
-erza, we are already more than involved with this, you saw natsu. I know they used to be your old friends, you don't have to tell us anything if you don't want to, but now we're your friends, we won't leave you alone in this- Gray told him firmly. This time she wasn't going to take no for an answer, no matter if it's Erza.
"Come back!" She didn't want to turn around for anything. She did not want to let them accompany her on this very personal mission, about something that she tried to run away from her for almost all her life.
-come on, let us help you, not even you can do it all alone. Please, the day before yesterday I was about to lose a friend, I really don't want it to happen now- Lucy slightly tightened her grip, it probably won't really help to stop her, but it implied her position
turning around they found a sight that froze them, he was crying. Even Juvia could understand that if such a powerful magician was in a calm moment, things were ugly.
-I'm sorry, win or lose, my end will most likely be this one- she had already thought about what would happen. Whether sacrificing himself in a hand-to-hand battle with jellal
"What do you mean!?" Every word the redhead said made him more nervous in his gut.
-It is a destiny that I cannot oppose, but I will not count as long as I am alive. This place is known as the tower of the sky, or also r-system, two years ago it was created by a black magic cult to bring someone from the afterlife, it requires a large number of human sacrifices. In addition to the slave labor - the memories of thousands of people working, building and breaking stone -
-I was kidnapped as one of the slaves, to eventually be used as a sacrifice, those who tried to escape or revealed themselves, just disappeared and showed us their remains the next day, to show us what would happen. There was no peace of mind, only fear: even there I was able to make good friends, one of the ones I met, was jellal
8 years in the past, Erza was tied to a tower pillar next to the main lacrima, after being mistreated for 12 hours straight.
"Erza!" a young jellal called out to her, entering mo as fast as he could, after having successfully slipped away.
He quickly untied it and carefully set it on the ground, but as he turned it over and placed it on his lap, he came across an image that almost made him vomit. And furthermore, there was nothing he had seen that would make him more upset than that.
-Your eye!, what have they done to you?, what did we do to deserve this!?, DAMN!- he said between tears, he himself felt that nobody deserved that suffering, an environment worse than the same death
-jellal- erza said slowly recovering consciousness thanks to the cry that the blue-haired man hit
-erza!, that's great, I've come to save you- he said as he helped her to get up carefully, after all it was already a miracle that she regained consciousness
A few moments later, they both passed silently down the hall, past the guard Jellal knocked out with his pickaxe, as a silent alarm went off behind them.
And when they were both arguing about a method to get to the cell and try to escape. Four magic circles opened around him; from which came reanimated skeletons of former slaves, wearing the old clothes of their respective executioner soldiers
-oh no!, the magical troops!- the blue-haired man would know that he couldn't win against that security system, he couldn't even flee with strength in that state
Back in the middle of the tower, all of Erza's friends were worried, as they ate their piece of stale bread for breakfast.
-I hope Erza is fine- Sho was worried, because it had been a long time since he left. Even by the standards of that punishment
-rob ji-san, you came back alive, completely sane and with morals intact, right? - Simon asked, seeing the old man next to them, who had a large fairy tail symbol on his back
-What is that place supposed to be? - Wally asked, because those who had returned to date, could not even give unambiguous descriptions of the place
-Yes, I think Erza will be fine. As long as he has a strong heart, they won't be able to steal his soul-he knew based on his experiences, as long as they clung to his hope. I'll get out of there rope
-... and what does that mean? - asked wally without understanding anything of this sentence
The doors opened, and turning around, there were some guards leaving Erza on the ground. Which already had an eye patch
-nee-sa!...where is jellal?- sho's joy disappeared when he realized how his friend wasn't even there
-You don't waste time!, and better get to work!- one of the guards claimed, leaving the tools. For everyone except erza: they weren't stupid, in his current state he would be a mere hindrance
-Leave her, just be thankful that she's fine at a time like this, they should have taken a replacement- she stopped the others before the situation worsened
-No more...I can't take this anymore!- Sho broke down in tears, his older sister was tortured for a whole night and now she didn't have an eye. Now jellal received that same punishment
-Silence!- One of the guards tried to silence him by launching a great whiplash
Fortunately rob managed to get it out in time, in a way that was enough for them not to continue attacking, because it wouldn't be worth it -calm down sho-
"Okay…I'm here with you" the old man tried to comfort him. He as he did whenever he could, doing the best he could
All of this made Erza desperate enough. Until without thinking, she managed to hold the spear of the clueless guard, and with a rough and strong movement. The strongest and most satisfying in his entire life thus far, he managed to throw them both and knock one out.
-They are revealing themselves!- the last soldier shouted before falling into unconsciousness from another blow
The redhead left already fed up with this, in view of all the people in the surroundings who saw this expectantly
-erza…- simon said trying to process everything that happened in this fraction of a second
-Take out your weapons! If we flee or obey, we will never be free!- -FIGHT!, WE WILL GET UP AND STAND UP!, FOR OUR FREEDOM! take their weapons one by one, using their mining tools, and when they could, steal from the soldiers
Already in the present, Erza kept telling this to her companions, who only listened shocked that she had to go through that -to save Jellal, we stood up and encouraged everyone to do it at the same time. All in order to save jellal, he was our leader with a strong ideal of justice, we admire him, but... just at that moment he became a different person. If I am allowed to call an evil person, then that is what I should call him.
Hello, I'm beat, I had a good floor, I slept more than twelve hours and… how was the casino destroyed? Where are the others?
Well, this is ready, I finish chapter ¼, I hope to be able to do the next 3 before the end of the year.
Goodnight.
1:13 PM