Here's the next chapter :)

danielsnow - I see your point, but you have to remember that the core belief of the Fairy Tail guild is to not kill people. Night Terror is extremely against the idea of killing anybody which sets him apart from Faceless One.

On another note, I'm glad you are looking forward to the time skip. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Sorry it took so long.

NinjaFang1331 - No problem, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

MDM11 - Thank you so much. Unfortunately, it has been a while since I updated this story. Recently, I've been kept busy with my other stories and, of course, life in general. Thank you so much for the suggestions, I'll be sure to keep them in mind for the future.

ikusatsunagi - No problem, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Lelouch of Zero - That's good to hear. Flare is a strong mage and uses powerful magic and so has the potential to win a fight, but she is still a child and inexperienced in combat and so would still need help to grow and improve.

That's great to hear about the reveal. I'm sorry I've been keeping everybody waiting for so long. Thanks for reading.

Djinn - Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hope you like the next chapter just as well.

Guest - Thanks so much, you're too kind. I'm so happy that you hold my work in such high regard. I do hope you continue reading.

Ramses the Great - That's so great to hear. Thank you so much. I hope you enjoyed the next chapter.

GodsReader15 - Haha! Alright, I'm going.

Skull Flame - Since the other members of Fairy Tail had their own enemy to defeat, I decided to create my own. Maestro will return, no doubt, and will another murderous symphony.

We also got to a little bit of Murieall's past and we will explore more of it the future. Thanks o much for reading.

Seeker of Immortality - That's awfully kind of you; I do like put a lot of effort in my writing. Tell you what, in the future, if you happened to read a book about an island of people known as the Phobos then you know that I've moved on from Fanfiction.

Guest - That's certainly a possibility. The Edolas Arc is a good opportunity to explore the more darker parts of Night Terror's mind. Thank you for the suggestions.

Thank you all for reviewing, hope you enjoyed the chapter :)

Chapter 24: Cause And Effect

Magic Council, Era

While the Fairy Tail mages were at the Tower of Heaven, the Magic Council, having caught wind of what was going on, held an emergency meeting on how to stop Jellal. After much bickering and argument, Siegrain suggested to use the most powerful and most devastating weapon in their arsenal: the Etherion; a beam of cross-dimensional destruction magic that wipes out any sort of matter in the area.

This is both a controversial and an insane idea and most of the council members immediately rejected it. Siegrain and Ultear, argued for its use since it was an emergency and they so they put it to the vote. The other members were, at first, adamant to not using in, but as time ticked by and the threat of the R System began to loom over them, some members started to vote for its use.

Siegrain pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Don't you see we have no choice," he argued, "the Etherion is the only way we can take down this Jellal and the dark guild."

"The R System is a forbidden magic of which all records must be obliterated from history," Ultear calmly chimed in, "I'm sure you all know what that means."

A council member with a long beard and pointed ears shook his head, "Everything that falls under the Etherion's attack is rendered null! That includes any humans in the area! Every living being within that tower will be wiped out!"

"This is to protect the entire magic world! It is a price we must pay!" Siegrain countered.

"It is exactly as Sieg says," sighed an hooded council member with bushy hair and wore round spectacles, "we live now only because others have previously sacrificed their lives. The history of magic proves that over and over."

"Elder Leiji!" a council member with a short beard and a hooked nose cried in disbelief, "If we make an unannounced attack on Ka-Elm national soil, history will record our names on the list of mass murders."

An another member a woman with light brown spiky hair and sharp eyes hummed, "In a manner of speaking, we ourselves will be one of those sacrifices."

"Elder Beino!" gasped the hooked nosed elder.

"The dead cannot be brought back to life!" she responded, "We must say that to the children when we teach them of the sanctity of life! I see no alternative! I agree to use the Etherion."

Her vote caused an uproar within the meeting hall as the elders began to bicker and argue among themselves. Siegrain and Ultear watched on as their fellow council members chattered among themselves, trying not to show how pleased they were. Siegrain leaned back in his chair and smirked inwardly.

'One more vote to go,' he thought to himself.

Ultear felt one of her communication lacrima shake in the pocket of her dress and subtly took it out. Since she was the only council member who had access to one of these lacrima whilst in a serious meeting, the elders had designated her as the messenger in case anything important that needed urgent attention turns up. She studied the lacrima and smiled expectantly as she saw it had came from their prison camp in the east. It read:

'Mayday! Mayday! Camp attacked by unknown soldiers. Powerful enemy destroying our defences. Send reinforcements immediately.'

Without hesitation, she put the lacrima back into her pocket and gave a small smile.

"Was that an SOS?" Yajima asked from the seat beside her, his thick eyebrows raised questioningly.

Ultear shook her head, "False alarm. The matter at hand is much more important."

Jellal's Throne Room

At the top of the tower, a hooded Jellal sat on his dark throne and looked over a chessboard set out in front of him. Upon the board were several pieces; each carved into a distinctive shape. There was one shaped like an electric guitar, another one with an owl's head, one shaped like shrine maiden with short pink hair and wearing a yukata. He placed the electric guitar piece next to two other pieces; one shaped like a star and another shaped like a tear drop. He then placed the owl piece next to another two chess pieces; one shaped like a flame and another one shaped like a block of ice. He picked up the sword maiden piece and was about to place it next to a chess piece shaped like a sword when he stopped and hummed thoughtfully.

"Hmm, actually, I think I save you, Ikaruga, for later," he told himself before he picked up that sword piece and set it next to a chess piece shaped like a human skull, "this would be a more interesting fight."

Soldier Barracks, Tower Of Heaven

"Miss Erza, why did you not tell me about this?" Night Terror demanded as the red haired mage looked on sadly.

She shook her head morbidly, "Flare…was supposed to lead you away," she murmured.

"Miss Erza," the Phobos warned seriously.

"Some things are better left hidden; especially if they are for the benefit of others," she responded with a glare, "If it wasn't for Jellal and the others turning up you would never have know and your mind will be a peace."

"My mind has not been at peace since my people died. You allowed me to become ignorant of everything that has happened here."

"I was protecting you."

"I am not a child, Miss Erza. You should have told me."

"If if it meant helping my fellow guild member then why should I?"

"BECAUSE I HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!" Night Terror roared, making Erza step back in shock and fear.

The Phobos rarely raises his voice in anger especially to anyone he deems a friend; it was such a surprise that she almost lost her composure. However, she quickly regained it and glowered back at him.

"This is exactly why I didn't tell you. You would blame yourself for something you had no control over."

Night Terror gave a frustrated sigh and looked away, "I do blame myself."

"You can't blame the Phobos Clan; they were gone long before I was taken here."

"I am not blaming my people; I am blaming myself. Just me," he explained.

Erza's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean? You would have been no older than me at the time."

Night Terror stared guiltily at the floor; he didn't reply for a few seconds and Erza was getting impatient.

"Night Terror!"

"I did something; something terrible that effected the lives of hundreds of people," the Phobos replied, "because of my stupidity the town of Elend was burnt to ground."

Erza raised her eyebrows at that, stunned by what he said. However she quickly shook it off, "That's…that's unfortunate. I'm sorry, but that doesn't-"

"That event was a catalyst," he interrupted, "a catalyst for the downfall of the Phobos which has led to all those who had depended on us to fall and allowed the construction of this hell we are in. This is a fate that I have been burdened with way before I was born. I bring nothing but misery and destruction no matter what I do."

"Your wrong!" Erza barked, "Night Terror, I don't believe in any 'Chosen One' stereotype, but if they do exist then you are not a Chosen One who brings misery and destruction. You're a Phobos; the last ray of hope in defeating evil. What happened was a tragedy, but it didn't begin with you. It was just a bunch of accidents happening one after another that happened to involve you and me. You are not to blame for this."

"I could have prevented it."

"You don't that."

Night Terror was about to retort when suddenly mouths began to pop out of the walls and the ceiling. The two took a step back in surprise, not expecting the rather creepy looking mouths to move and show a row of white teeth.

"I like to welcome you all the Tower of Heaven," the mouths spoke, "I am Jellal. The keeper of this tower..."

Lower Floors

In another part of the tower, Lucy, Grey, Juvia looked around and grimaced at the mouths that appeared around them.

"Gross. What are these things," Lucy uttered in disgust.

"Juvia believes this is how the master of the tower speaks to us from the safety of his hideout."

Lucy shivered, "Can't he just use a tannoy or something next time?"

"Something tells me that they're won't be a next time," Grey mumbled.

"...I see we have all our game pieces now, so I'd say it's time to start. Let us begin Heaven's game! The rules are simple. I intend to sacrifice somebody in order to revive Zeref. In other words, if the gates of Heaven open, then I win. But if you people manages to stop me...then you win..."

"A game?" Lucy muttered quizzingly.

Somewhere In The Tower

Flare stopped in the middle of the hallway, trying to keep away from the mouths around her.

"...Still...if it were that simple, it wouldn't be fun! So I have provided myself with four knights. You cannot reach me without going through them. In other words, this is a four versus eight battle royals! Finally, allow me to explain one extra special rule..."

"I need to find the others and fast," she muttered to herself urgently.

Millianna's Room

In a brightly lit room filled with a number of cute cat-related ornaments, pillows and furniture, Natsu and newly freed Happy were in the middle of battle against Wally and Millianna when the mouths appeared all over the walls and ceilings. They had stopped mid-fight to listen to what Jellal had to say.

"...There is a very real chance that the Council will attack this tower with a satellite square. That would be their extremely effective wide-area destruction magic, Etherion. There's no telling how much time we have left, but the moment Etherion comes down...everyone will die. That means the game ends without a winner...

"Huh? Etherion? What's that?" Natsu muttered in confusion.

"It sounds scary," Happy commented, his ears pressed against his head in fear.

Wally and Millianna were shocked when they heard Jellal's announcement, their eyes widened in surprise and horror.

"Wait, what?" Millianna uttered, "What does he mean we're all going to die. He never told us about that."

Wally clenched his teeth in anger, "Jellal! You traitorous son of a gun! That ain't dandy of you!"

Natsu looked at them in surprise, "You didn't know about this. I thought he was your boss."

"We only wanted revenge on the Phobos. We ain't got a clue on this Etherion thing."

Millianna placed a hand over her mouth as she began to tremor, "Jellal, how could you do this to us?"

Soldier's Barracks

Back with Erza and Night Terror, the two powerful mages stared at the mouths in utter disbelief.

"Etherion!" Erza cried out, "He can't be serious."

Night Terror frowned beneath his mask, "I do not believe he would make such a threat if he was not able to. The only question is how he manipulated the Council to carry out such an outrageous decision."

His mind instantly flashed to the first time he met Siegrain and Ultear and remembered the odd, malignant feeling he got from them. However, he quickly shook the feeling off and concentrated on the present.

"...Now let's enjoy our little game!"

Suddenly, the mouths winked out of existence as if they were never there in the first place; leaving the two mages all by themselves once again. Ezra scowled in frustration before she noticed Night Terror putting away the two books into his shadows and head towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Stopping Mr Jellal," he answered sharply, "If the only way of doing it is by playing his game then so be it."

"You cannot be serious," she snapped stepping in front of him before he could leave, "this isn't your fight. Go find the others and get off this island while I find him."

"After everything that has been revealed, you are still getting in my way."

"I am trying to stop you from getting killed."

"And who is there to protect you!?" he countered.

Ezra gave a sad sigh, "I...don't put need protecting. Fairy Tail...needs to Night Terror, Flare needs you, you're the last Phobos and many people depend on you. Natsu, Lucy, Grey Happy and the others don't need to get involved in my past. They don't need me...I have nothing.

Night Terror took a step back in shock, "We do need you, Miss Erza," he told her, causing her to look down solemnly, "We all need you. I need you. Do you really think so little of yourself."

"That's...irrelevant."

Night Terror was devastated to hear this. He had no idea that she thought this way and he had done nothing. Is he so incapable that he doesn't recognise when one of his comrades is in distress. The Phobos' sadness morphed into anger and then into determination.

He was not letting her continue to think this way.

"Miss Erza," he said in a low serious voice, "Allow me to proceed."

She turned to look up at him; her eyes filled with burning fortitude. She didn't move from her production, standing defiantly in front of the door.

"I shall give you one...more...warning," he growled, "Move out of the way."

Erza responded by slowly reaching for the hilt of her sword and drawing it out of its sheath. She held it out before her and got into a battle stance. Her face was dark and there was a dangerous glint in her eyes. Night Terror looked from the sword to her face before he stretched out his clawed hand from his cloak and also got into a battle stance.

"You are aware that I am the stronger mage," he darkly said.

"In terms of magic, perhaps," she said as she tensed her muscles, "but I have the upper hand in combat."

Suddenly, as quick as a whip, she shot forwards and swung the blunt side of her sword at Night Terror's head. He had managed to duck down before she could hit him, however he didn't have time to stop as she used the momentum of her failed hit to swing around and strike at his side. He parried it with the back of his claw; he swung his other claw at her head, but she managed to fuck under it and leap back.

Using her few requip magic, she conjured another equally as sharp sword in her other hand and charged once again.

At blinding speeds, Erza and Night Terror attacked each other.

Erza delivered strike after strike at his head and torso whilst deflecting his metal claws. While Night Terror swung at her shoulders and arms whilst parrying her vicious swords strokes. The sound of metal clanging and smashing together filled the room as the two became a blur of hits, stabs, punches and swings.

The red haired mage gave a cried, pulled away, jumped and swung both of her swords over her head to strike a blow at the top of his head, but Night Terror caught the blades in both claws and pushed against her with all his strength.

"I'm trying to help you," Erza spat.

"You have a peculiar way of showing it," he growled in reply before he conjured a shadow tendril to hit her in the stomach.

With the force of the hit, she flew across the room, out of the door and crashed into the wall, making a large crater in the hallway where she impacted it. Having had worst hits in the past, she shook off her attack almost instantly and got into a battle stance. However, her eyes widened when she saw he was no longer in the room. Her eyes scoured the entire area, looking for any movement in any corner. Her eyes caught sight of her own shadow flicker slightly and she instinctively swung the hilt of her right sword back, aiming at where she knew his head was.

Night Terror was caught off guard by the hit and took the brunt of the attack, causing him to stumble to the left. However, he leapt backwards in time before Erza could swipe her two swords at him. He crouched down and scratched his claws into the stone floor, making it look like he was going for another attack.

Erza fell for it and got into a stance before she felt something very strong and and cold wrap around her wrists and ankles and began pulling them apart. She looked to the side and glowered when she saw the familiar shadowy tendrils holding her captive and forcing her two swords out of her grip.

"There," Night Terror said in a serious tone, "now allow me to continue."

"I will not," Erza hissed before she yelled, "Requip! Sunshine Armour!"

Suddenly, her entire body began to glow brightly as her armour began to change before his eyes. Once the magic had passed, Night Terror was astounded that light increased in intensity at least ten fold, causing him to stagger back and hold his arm over his face. He could feel the shadow tendrils released their grip on Erza and banished back to where they came from. It was painful for Night Terror; it felt like hundreds of needles were digging into his brain. He peeked at Erza behind his claw and found she was wearing a gold-coloured armour and helmet that shield her eyes. It radiated a light so bright that all the darkness in the corridor seemed to disappear entirely.

"What is this?" he hissed.

"I remember, back in our childhood, how you avoided direct sunlight," Erza said gravely, "I reckoned that you were not capable of standing bright light in your youth and so I had this armour made. It produces a light five times brighter then natural light and should keep your shadow magic at bay. This is an amour made especially to fight you…just in case," she explained hesitantly.

"You were hoping for this."

"Of course I wasn't!" she yelled in anger, "I never wanted it to come to this! All I want is to help you and stop you from killing yourself! Now back off!"

"Never!" Night Terror roared as he focused on his Fear magic, "no matter what it is; everything contains magic even light! There is magic then I can use manipulate!"

He tried to reach out his claw hand and use his magic, but the shimmering brightness of the armour was making it hard for to concentrate. Every second he kept it up was absolute torture for him. Eventually, he collapsed to his knees and wrapped his arms around his face, the light was getting to much for him to handle.

From within the light, Erza shook her head sadly, "My armour can hurt even myself if I where it for too long…I can't imagine the excruciating pain a Night Terror like you is in. I will only Requip out of it as soon as you surrender."

"I...will...not," he replied through gritted teeth.

"Your only hurting yourself! Stop it! I don't want to do this!" she yelled at him, a single tear rolling down her cheek, "I don't want to hurt you!"

'I cannot see her, but I know Miss Erza is upset,' Night Terror thought, 'All this pain she went through because of me and now she thinks of herself expendable. I cannot let her keep thinking that way.'

Night Terror clamped his teeth together, tensed his muscles and fought through the pain; shakily rising onto his feet, "I...will...not...let...you...SACRIFICE YOURSELF!" he bellowed before he launched himself at her, one claw raised above his head.

Erza's eyes widened in shock, but she didn't have time to register what was going on before she had to leap backwards to avoid Night Terror's claw. She had to leap back again to avoid his next attack. The sharp silvery talons hit the wall beside her, making four vicious claw marks in the stone. The red haired mage got back to a safe distance and raised her sword above her head to attack, but the Phobos was already prepared. He crouched down low to the floor, his hands outstretched at his sides and his claws were tensed in preparation.

"FEAR MAGIC!" he roared before he launched at her whilst twisting in the air, making his clawed hands swipe in circles aimed straight for her, "BAOGHALACH SPÒGAN!"

Forced to take a defensive stance, Erza lowered her sword and pushed back against the attack with all her might; she had to press her feet into the floor so prevent herself from being knocked back. She gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes, concentrating on repelling Night Terror, but she was starting to slip; her muscles were getting sore and arms and hands were beginning to ache. When suddenly...

...the attack stopped.

Erza's eyes widened, once again, as she felt herself begin to lose balance and fall forwards. Out of corner of her eye, she spotted Night Terror above her with his claw raised above his head, ready to deliver a blow to her back.

'He must have jumped back while I was distracted,' Erza thought, feeling as she and the Phobos were in slow motion; her falling forwards and he about to hit her, 'Should have know. He is proficient in sneak attacks...but I'm not giving up now.'

At the last possible second, Erza used what remaining strength to jump and roll forwards before the claw came down on her. Night Terror narrowly missed his target and...

CRASH!

...the floor gave way beneath them as Night Terror slammed his clawed hand on it, sending shards of stone, debris and dust into the air. The impact opened the floor up, causing the two mages to fall through the gaping hole and into the room below it. Both of them landed in a kneeling position on the next level down and slowly got to their feet. Erza requiped back into her original armour and launched an attack on Night Terror. The Phobos caught her sword in both claws and pushed her back, locking them into a power struggle; not letting the either get the upper hand.

"After so many years of resolving mistakes and renouncing my sins, why would you not allow me to correct the most important one," he growled as he pushed her.

"I told you this isn't your fault!" Erza yelled up at him as she pushed him back, "Go back to Fairy Tail! They need you there!"

"I am not letting you face Mr Jellal! You do not need to relive old nightmares!"

"What makes you think I want you to experience the same nightmares in my place!"

"STOP BEING SO STUBBORN!"

"STOP TAKING ALL THE BLAME!"

"Big sis?"

Surprised, the two looked around to see Sho standing at the door of the room they were in; his eyes widened in horror at what was happening. They took a step back from one another; Erza turning to Sho with her sword pointing to the ground.

"Sho, what are you doing here?"

"I woke up and heard Jellal's message," he told them as tears formed in his eyes, "How can he do this to us! I thought it was the Phobos who was our enemy...I...I..." he placed both hands on the sides of his head and began to shake violently, "...I...I'm so confused. Who are we fighting against!? I don't know what's happening anymore!"

"Calm down," Erza said in a low, but urgent voice, "What you need to do is find the others and get out. Etherion is going to fire and..."

"NOT WITHOUT YOU!" the tanned man yelled, before pointing aggressively at Night Terror, "I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE YOU WITH THAT...WITH THAT THING!"

"Sho, I told you. He's not the enemy here."

"THEN WHY WERE YOU FIGHTING HIM!"

"It is because Miss Erza leaned about my secret," the Phobos interrupted, making Sho look at him in confusion and Erza turn to him in shock.

Sho blinked and asked, "W-what do you mean?"

The Phobos glanced at Erza, 'I am sorry about this Miss Erza,' he thought before confidently declaring, "I am the one who order the Etherion to be fired, Mr Sho. You see I have a few...friends in the Magic Council that love to do favours for me."

Erza gaped in shock as soon as he realised what he was doing, "Don't you dare! NIGHT TERROR DON'T YOU DAR-"

But before she could speak, Night Terror moved the shadows and made them wrap around Erza's body and mouth, preventing her from doing anything else.

Somewhere In The Tower

Flare ran down corridor after corridor; twisting and turning left and right and receiving little success in finding a way out of this maze. Ever so often, she would encounter more guards; if they were on their own she would use her hair to grab them and throw them at the wall to knock them out, but if they were multiple guards she would have to hide until they left.

She made her way down a spiral staircase as quickly as she can as the sound of shoes hitting stone echoed in the tight space.

Her brow knit together in concern, 'Come on. How do I get out of here? I should have payed more attention to when they carried me in,' she thought grumpily.

However, she stopped in her tracks suddenly when she heard an explosion of magical power that hooked up the stairwell and almost making her lose balance. It sounded like the roar of a tidal wave crashing against somebody with screams of pain mixed into it. Once it had passed, Flare took a few moments to consider her options before she continued to descend.

Whatever that was, it was better than running blindly for the next hour or so.

As soon as she jumped off the last step, she heard a small splash and looked down to find she was standing a water about an inch deep. She briefly pondered whether there was a leak somewhere before she head voices coming down the corridor. Cautiously, she made he way down and stepped into a large, spacious hall that was covered in a thin layer of water. She gave a small sigh of relief when she saw, in the middle of the hall, Lucy and Juvia looking down at an unconscious man lying in a pool of water. He was a tall man with pale skin, a completely bald head and a hooked nose. Who was dressed as a heavy metal rocker with thick black make-up around his eyes and mouth, spiky epaulets, purple trousers held up with suspenders and had the word 'Skeletoy' written in red across his bare chest. At the sound of footsteps, Lucy and Juvia looked up to see the young girl; Lucy gasped in joy and rushed over to her.

"Flare!" she cried as she gave her a brief hug, "are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

She shook her head, "I was about to be attacked by this weird mage, but Night Terror saved me and we defeated him together. Otherwise, I'm fine."

"Well, I'm glad your safe now," she said with a positive smile, "I was really worried about you."

Flare raised an eyebrow and looked down at the clothes she was wearing, "So worried that you needed an entire wardrobe change?"

Lucy sweat dropped, "Ha...my other clothes got...wet," she replied lamely.

The young girl hummed before she looked over her shoulder at the other mage, "Huh? You're Juvia, right? The person spying on us at the beach."

"Oh, you remember Juvia. Juvia is happy about that."

"I mean it's pretty hard to forget when you say your name all the time," she commented, "Where are the others?"

Lucy placed a hand on her shoulder, "We got split up a while ago. Natsu ran off ahead and we lost Grey before running into that freak," she said nodding at the bald man, "Is Night Terror not with you?"

"He decided to investigate something and sent me down to find you guys."

Juvia rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "Perhaps he is investigating the drumming that he mentioned. Juvia wishes he didn't have to go on his own."

Lucy frowned in concern, "I guess, but I believe in him. What about Erza?" Flare responded with a shake of her head, "right, I hate to say this but we need to get out of here. Etherion can fire at any moment."

"But what about the others?" Juvia asked in worry.

"No, I don't want to leave Night behind," Flare fiercely denied.

However, Lucy stood firm, "There are a lot of people on this island and not enough boats to get us off this island. We be of more help preparing the boat ready for our friends to get here. We're not leaving them behind; we are just insuring that everybody gets off this island safely, okay?"

Flare, obviously, was still displeased with the decision, but she sighed in defeat when she couldn't think of a counter point, "Fine."

Lucy gave her a comforting smile, "He's going to be alright, you know?"

"Yeah," she said with a small pout, "I know."

"Um excuse me," Juvia cut in as she pointed at the man, "Are we taking him as well. Juvia knows he is an assassin, but Juvia would feel bad leaving him here."

"We'll take him," Lucy sighed wearily, "We just need to find some rope to bind him...and probably take away his guitar."

Flare raised an eyebrow as she studied the bald man, "How did you defeat this guy, anyway? Is this why everything is covered in water."

Lucy gave a sheepish smile, "It was mainly my Celestial Spirt's handiwork, but Juvia and helped as well."

"Indeed," Juvia agreed as she looked down at the man, "He used a form of Hair magic which allowed him to sop up water like a sponge."

"Hair magic?"

"Oh yes, he had very long black hair when we met him. However, his hair seemed to soak up too much water and it fell out. Juvia supposes this is the price you pay for using Hair magic. A user could easily go bald if they don't..."

Juvia trailed off when she noticed Lucy frantically waving at her, making a hand gesture to say that she should stop talking. The water mage frowned in confusion before she noticed how pale Flare had become; her eyes becoming hollow and she shook slightly in fear.

"Hair...fall...out..." she uttered in terror, "...I didn't...know it...could...do that..."

Juvia took one look at her long hair before her eyes widened in realisation and shook her hands out in front of her, "Oh no, no, no. Juvia is sure it won't happen to you. Just make sure you take care of it."

Flare, however, seemed to be too much in a stupor to hear what she was saying, "...I don't want to be bald...I don't want to use Hair magic anymore..."

"Juvia," Lucy sighed.

"Juvia's sorry," she squeaked.

"...my...hair..."

Somewhere Else In The Tower

In a large spacious hall designed to look like a Japanese zen garden, Sho grimaced as he kneeled on the floor and held his bloody injury. When he was still escaping with Erza still trapped in the card, he had run into another foe. She was a beautiful woman in her early twenties with long pink hair tied up into two large intricate buns, fair skin and sharp, cruel green eyes. She wore an loosely fitted white kimono which had large sleeves and Death Head's Caucus insignia stitched onto the end of the kimono. Balanced in her hands was a sheathed katana, an obvious indicator of her weapon of choice.

She was Ikaruga; another dark guild assassin under the command of Jellal.

So he could continue their escape, Sho was the first to attack; throwing playing cards at the assassin. However, much to his astonishment, Ikaruga cut through the cards faster then he could comprehend. She was so fast and her katana so sharp that she had warded off his attack like it was nothing. Before, Sho could do anything else, the swordswoman sliced him from his left hip to his right shoulder and injured him in a blink of an eye. He was lucky that the cut didn't go deeper otherwise he would have died.

As kneeled on the floor, he saw the card that contained Erza drifting down to the ground; it must have come out of its grasp when she cut him.

"Big sis," Sho gasped.

"Oh my," Ikaruga hummed, watching the card and Erza with a dangerous look, "Is that where you were hiding?"

Erza pounded on the card face with both fists, "Sho get me out of here now! There's no way you can beat her!"

Sho gave a small smiled despite the pain he was in, "Don't worry...that card will protect you...nothing from the outside can hurt you..."

"Is that so," hummed Ikaruga as she took a fighting stance.

Erza pounded on the card face once again, "Sho let me go now. Her sword is not normal."

However, Sho merely gave a delusional smile, "Don't worry big sis. You'll be-"

Ikaruga swung her sword in a wide arc at the card before he could finish his sentence. At its impact, the card flew back up into the air and flutter innocently downwards, seemingly undamaged. Sho smiled proudly to himself before he realised that Erza had drawn her sword from within the card; her teeth gritted in agony and her body was shaking as if she just narrowly defended herself. At the sight, Sho's face fell in horror.

"Inside the card," he gasped in disbelief, "She cut through the special confinement."

Ikaruga smirked dangerously before she released another volley of attacks, striking the card with her katana with such precision and expertise that Sho couldn't believe what he was seeing. Erza managed to defend herself from most of the attacks, but it was clear that the close quarters of her prison were hindering her.

That was until the card shone brightly and Erza appeared from where her prison was, landing on the floor with her sword drawn.

"You broke through the spatial confinement," she growled as she glared up at the pink haired swords woman, "and broke me out of the card. Now get out of my way," she warned darkly as she got into a fighting stance, "I don't have time to mess around with petty assassins."

Ikaruga merely giggled, "Now this is much more interesting."

Night Terror stepped out of the shadows and into one of the dark hallways in the higher levels of the tower. It had taken him a long time to get here; shadow travelling wasn't an exact science and even then there are too many dark areas to go to in such an unfamiliar place. So far, he had encountered Natsu, Happy and Grey battling an owl-headed muscular man; another member of the dark guild Maestro had been part of, as well as Lucy, Juvia and Flare heading to the docks underneath the island. He didn't alert their attention to his presence and let them carry on without them knowing he was watching. He had also ran into Wally and Millianna who he had immediately transported via his shadows to where Lucy and the others were before they could attack him.

It had been a difficult journey, however, he was almost certain that he was heading in the right direction; the amount of magic he was sensing was getting stronger and stronger by the second.

Night Terror made his way down the hallway, urgently walking towards where the magical power was getting stronger.

That was until he noticed something hidden in the shadows.

As quick as flash, Night Terror reached into the shadows, grabbed onto the person in them and threw them out so they hit the opposite wall. Simon was stunned by the sudden action and him hitting the wall that he didn't have enough time before the Phobos grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up; he could feel a few shadow tendrils wrap his wrists together.

"Mr Simon, we meet again," Night Terror said in a low voice, using a shadow to take his anti-fear ring off and throwing it away, "if you value your life, I would recommend getting out of here before I order Etherion to fire this instant."

"I know everything," Simon choked out, "Jellal is the treacherous one, not you. You can drop the act."

The Phobos growled and threw against the opposite wall, making Simon grunt in pain at the impact before he slid down to the floor.

"Oh, now you know. Kind of you to finally realise."

"I always had my doubts about Jellal," Simon muttered.

Night Terror wrapped his shadows around him again and pulled him so they were face to mask, "And yet you kidnapped Miss Flare to get to me. Putting her life in danger."

"We weren't going to hurt her."

"I had to stop a Dark Guild Assassin from killing her."

"That was all Jellal. Wally, Sho, Millianna and I would never do that," he firmly told him, "I knew Jellal was corrupt from the beginning; he needed a loyal army to help reconstruct the tower and restore the R System. But in order to do that, he needed to give them motivation or, more accurately a scapegoat…and the Phobos were perfect. Hell, even I was convinced for a while! Why wouldn't a freed slave want revenge on the people that allowed them to be enslaved in the first place!? However, as time went by and Jellal's dark power became stronger and stronger, I began to doubt everything…even the story Jellal fed to us about the Phobos. The others like Sho and Wally want you dead, Millianna just wants revenge, but I wanted to get some answers. That's why I confronted you, so you can just admit to what your people did…but I didn't realise…that your people were truly gone. Long before we were captured."

Night Terror glared at the man, trying to find deceit on his solemn face. When he couldn't find any, he sighed and released him.

"I…see," he hesitantly said.

Simon nodded, "I'm won't ask for an apology, because I know you don't want one from me. Let's move past this and focus on what's going on now."

"I wholeheartedly agree, but I cannot help but feel you are oversimplifying matters," the Phobos mused, "now if you would excuse me."

He began to walk away but Simon suddenly got in front of him, "Don't please!"

The Phobos raised an sceptical eyebrow, "You care for Miss Erza, don't you?"

Simon eye widened in surprise and blushed lightly, "How...how did you know?"

Night Terror shook his head in disappointment, "Mr Simon, just because I have devoted myself to the magic of fear and horror does not mean I am incapable of understanding such concepts such as love."

"Love!?" Simon sputtered in embarrassment.

"Of course," he said, smiling confidently, "Familial love. Just like with Mr Sho, Mr Wally and Miss Millianna," he explained whilst he raised a single claw in the air as if he was beginning a lecture, "Your shared experiences and lives during your childhoods brought you all together to form something akin to a family. That is exactly why Mr Sho calls Miss Erza his 'big sis', is is not?"

Simon sweat dropped, 'He really had me going there,' he dryly thought, 'Are all Phobos this clueless?'

"Anyway," Night Terror continued, his tone dropping to a more serious one, "If you care so much for Miss Erza and know of my purpose then why are you hindering my path?"

"You can't go. Not before I tell you something."

"And why should I not? Is it about Mr Jellal?" he questioned before he noticed the uneasy expression on the man's face. He cocked his head slightly to the side, "Mr Simon...who is the Jellal? What is your connection to him? And why is he doing all of this?"

Simon gave a deep sigh, "Jellal...was just like us. Another slave working to build the original tower, but something happened to him. He was taken and beaten by some guards and when he returned...he was different. As if some dark entity took over him and replaced everything that he usually been. Erza is the only one who truly knows and that's what I'm afraid of."

"What do you mean?"

"This game Jellal has created is not what you think it is. He's not setting up a competition between him and his assassins versus you and your guild members. He's trying to get you and Erza turn on each other."

Night Terror stepped back in shock, "What?"

"In his message he mentioned four knights indicating the assassins. However, to my knowledge, there are only four assassins: Maestro, Vidaldus, Ikaruga and Fukuro. You already knocked Maestro out before the game even started so why would he mention that there were four knights left. Vidaldus went to fight Lucy and Juvia, Fukuro went to fight Natsu and Grey and Ikaruga went to fight Erza; so who fought against you?"

Night Terror felt a sense of dread fall on him as soon as he realised, "Miss Erza," he uttered, "Miss Erza is the last knight."

"Exactly."

"But why set up such an elaborate plan?"

"It's because he can't win if you are working together," Simon explained, "I know Erza...very well...and I know the lengths she willing to take. Even sacrificing herself to save everybody. I reckon she's going to distract Jellal long enough so he can take him down with Etherion. However, if you make it to Jellal first then he can use your guilty conscience against you. Don't you see! He was planning this the whole time! That's why he allowed you into tower so easily, why he ordered us to take Flare away and why he decided to give his speech when you two met up. He's been playing this game for a very long time."

Night Terror griped his fists together as anger boiled inside him, 'He is right. It all makes sense now. All our actions and interactions have been carefully planned ever since we arrived at the casino. But how does he know about our strained relationship so well that he managed to manipulate us? Are we being spied on?'

Simon took a step back and grimace at the amount of Fear magic radiating off of Night Terror; it was becoming unbearable just being in the same room as him. Eventually the Phobos raised his head and he flinched at the dark, ire-filled look in the eyeholes of his skull mask.

"I need to find Miss Erza now," he growled menacingly.

Simon gulped nervously before steeled his nerves and nodded, "Yes let's-

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Night Terror and Simon were almost knocked off their feet as an enormous explosion boomed from outside the tower. Pieces of stone and rocky crumbled off the ceiling and cracks began to show in the walls. Night Terror was the first to get back onto his feet and he darted over to a window and looked upwards.

"What was that? Simon questioned before he looked towards the Phobos and see him tense up "Don't tell me..."

"We are too late," Night Terror muttered, "It is Etherion."

Open Sea

A few miles away on a boat, Lucy, Juvia, Flare, Millianna, Happy, Wally, Grey and a recently escaped Sho watched in horror as the night sky above the tower seem to part away to reveal a magical seal. It was gigantic; large enough to disrupt the weather and make the seas rough the sky turn cloudy and dark. Above the seal, a giant ball of magic began to form getting bigger and bigger with every passing second until it was the larger then the tower and the island it was on. The mages could feel the magic radiation of the Etherion sphere as it increased its power; a mere hint to the destrcution it was about to unleash upon the tower and the surrounding area. Evern being a few miles away from it was not enough to get out of the zone.

"LET ME GO! HE'S STILL IN THERE!" Flare yelled as she tried to pull herself free from Lucy's and Millianna's grasp.

"Are you crazy? Meow! Etherion is going to fire at any moment!" the cat girl said as she tied her wrists up with her rope, preventing her from using her Hair magic.

"Flare you need to calm down and trust Night Terror!" Lucy persuaded but the red haired girl was not listening to her.

"HE PROMISED ME HE WILL BE ALRIGHT!" Flare cried as she fought against her captors, "I HAVE TO GET HIM OUT OF THERE!"

While Lucy and Millianna held her back, Sho held his head in his hands and began muttering to himself over and over.

"I should have been there. I left big sis all by herself. If only I wasn't so weak and stupid" he rapidly muttered to himself before Wally gave him a irritated look.

"Will ya shut up already! Erza can protect herself, ya hear? That's why she sent you down here. Not only that but Simon is still in there."

Grey merely shook his head, "So is Natsu and Night Terror. Damn it! They need to get out of there now!"

"Juvia fears that it may be too late," she sighed sadly.

"Don't say that! You don't know them!" Grey yelled at her.

"Juvia is sorry," Juvia uttered, "But Juvia cannot see a way for them to escape now."

Suddenly, the Etherion began to crackle with explosive power catching their attention once again. They gulped nervously as they watched and feeling completely useless.

"It's about to fire," Lucy uttered as tears formed in her eyes, no longer holding Flare back as the young girl began to scream, "Natsu...Erza...Night Terror..."

With one final mighty crackle, the bottom of the Etherion orb opened up and released a might beam of Destruction magic upon the tower, completely submerging the building in light.

Jellal's Throne Room

A few minutes earlier and after defeating Ikaruga and making it to the top of the tower, Erza met and battled Jellal and won. A few of her armours were destroyed by the swordswoman, but now she was wearing her Clear Heart Clothing consisting of a pair of red hakama trousers and a white sarashi aorund her chest. She had him pinned to the ground with her sword poised at his throat. Jellal didn't seem to pay attention to the sharp katana at his neck and gave a proud smile despite the danger he was in, catching Erza off guard.

"You win," he said, "Kill me. That's why you came here, isn't it? So you can get here before the Phobos can."

Erza frowned at his words and briefly remembered the last time she saw him. He was just a child back then wearing rags; his skin blackened with soot and his the various cuts all over his body.

'It could have been so different,' she thought to herself, "I don't have to do anything. You hear that noise. The Etherion has been deployed and targeting the tower. It's all over," she said tossing the sword to the side and allowing him to breath, "For you...and for me too."

Jellal gave a small sigh, "And what of the Phobos?"

Erza gave a guilty look, "I could only hope that he saw sense and got of this island...I hope so anyway," she got off of him, allowing him to sit up, "You're just another of Zeref's victims?

Jellal looked down at the ground in disappointment, "It's my own fault. I was defeated by my weakness. There was such a huge divide between my dream and reality, my heart couldn't face it."

Despite the situation, Erza gave a small smile, "The only ones who can save your own weaknesses and insufficiencies...are the ones you call your friends."

"Erza..." Jellal uttered in surprise.

"Now, I'll pay for the crime of not being able to save you," she mournfully said.

Jellal, in response, reached out and hugged Erza tightly, "I have...been saved," he told her as she hugged him back.

At that moment, a bright light bathed the area as the Etherion shot down straight on them. Blinding them both to what was going on.

Erza didn't see anything, but the power of the Destruction magic swallow her up...

...not even Jellal's maniacal grin.

Somewhere In The Tower

Meanwhile, Natsu charged up the stone staircase towards the top of the tower as fast as he could. Grey had helped him defeat Fukuro, the owl-headed assassin, and was now longing for Jellal.

"Almost there," he muttered to himself, "Don't worry Erza, I'm com-" he stopped short when he looked outside a passing window and saw the night sky replaced with a brilliant white light, "What the hell is th-"

Meanwhile, Night Terror, seeing the bright light of the Etherion began to surround the tower grabbed onto Simon and covered him as best he could with his shadows.

"What are you doing!?" Simon shouted over the roar of the Etherion.

"My Fear magic can repel is much of Etherion as possible," he yelled back, "but you need to stay close to-"

He stopped suddenly when he noticed that the ceiling gave way and pieces of stone began to fall on them. Night Terror swatted some of them away with his claw, but he had managed to catch one in the process. He was about to chuck it away when he felt something emit from the stone.

Everything on the planet has some sort of magic flowing through it and the Phobos, using his Fear magic, was able to sense that. However, there was something else with in the stone; something hidden or disguised that was embedded in the material that he not noticed before. It was a different magic, but it felt like an empty vessel akin to a jug without water or a battery without electricity, waiting to be filled up.

'What is this magic...it feels the same as a lacrima crystal, but that's impossible," he thought to himself, 'I have been for ages, so why am I only realising this now of all times,' that's when he suddenly realised something as he began to look around his surroundings, 'If this single stone contains this magic...then does that mean-'

His question to why he only realised this now is the same to why an ant, sitting on a leaf, cannot see an entire forest...it was simply too big to see.

Night Terror's eyes widened in shock as the Etherion swallowed him and Simon up, "Oh no-"

A few minutes later, Simon woke up with a start and found that he was resting on something cold and hard. He looked down and was surprised to see the floor had been replaced by a bright blue, brittle material that shone and glittered prettily beneath him. Frowning in confusion, he looked around and saw that the entire corridor was gone leaving him out in the open and surrounded by the same blue material that jutted off into blunt points in random places. It took him a few seconds to realised what it was.

"Crystal," he muttered to himself.

"Indeed," a dark voice made him jump and turn around to see Night Terror alive and looking over the edge of the crystal floor towards the open sea, "a lacrima crystal to be precise."

"Night Terror," Simon gasped as he stumbled up to his feet, "We're alive...and what happened here. Where did the...lacrima crystal get here."

The Phobos sighed, not bothering to turn around, "It had always been here...waiting for it to be charged up. The R-system...how much power do you think it would need to work properly?"

"I don't know."

"270 million edea of magical power," he answered before he turned to look back at him, "Do you know how I know that?" Simon shook his head, "because that is exactly how much power the Etherion has," he explained, pointing over the edge of the crystal floor.

Simon frowned, got closer to the edge and peered down; once he saw it he gasped in shock.

The Tower of Heaven was no longer there. Not only had the corridor been turned into a lacrima crystal but the entire building had as well; it protruded out of the island in one large column and had branches that jutted out to the side. Hundreds of meters high and glowing with the power of the Etherion, this was the largest lacrima that Earthland has every witnessed before.

This was the R-System that everybody had feared.

"It would seem that Jellal has fooled everybody," Night Terror said in a low voice, "the council, his subordinates and me. He had planned this from the start...and we all walked into his trap."

Hello everybody!

Thank you for reading the first chapter I published in 2023; I hope you all enjoyed it...and sorry it took so long. Not to worry, however, because I'm going to do another update of this story straight after before moving on to 'The Disappearing Hero'.

Thank you all for reading and I happy new year :)