On the vast sea, a small boat cut through the waves as it moved forward.
"By the way, where is this place?" Gray looked into the distance, his expression sowhat worried. "Are we really not off course?"
"Ugh..." Natsu clung to the side of the boat, struggling to raise a trembling hand. "No... we're... not..."
"Hey, pull yourself together, man."
Gray looked at Natsu, whose body was half-hanging off the side, with a helpless expression. "We're relying on your nose right now!"
"Don't worry, I left a mark on Erza."
Ron, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them, a sharp glint flashing through them.
"The direction is correct!"
"Say, Ron, you must know sothing, right?"
Lucy looked at Ron, unable to stop herself from speaking despite her hesitation.
"What's the deal with those guys who call themselves Erza's comrades?"
"I thought you'd hold back from asking."
Ron gave a light chuckle, adjusted his sitting position, and leaned against the boat's edge.
"They really are Erza's comrades from before she ca to Fairy Tail, and they aren't the enemies this ti."
"Then why..." Lucy was puzzled.
Ron gazed at the horizon where the sea t the sky, his tone carrying a hint of sighs.
"This is a story that is a tragedy from beginning to end."
Hearing this, everyone sat up straight.
Ron set aside the complex emotional entanglents between Jellal, Erza, and Simon, and like a bard, began to tell the story of the past.
The story begins on an island where several children, who should have been enjoying their childhood, were kidnapped from various places by a cult that worshiped black magic. For a vague and ethereal goal, they were forced to live a dark, hopeless life, driven like livestock.
As he spoke, that classic scene couldn't help but surface in Ron's mind.
When young Erza was feeling down because she didn't have a last na, the blue-haired boy stroked her hair, 'Such beautiful scarlet hair. Let's call you Erza Scarlet.'
'Scarlet, the color of your hair. That way, I'll never forget!'
'Tsk tsk, I have to say, Jellal really knows what he's doing!'
Ron sighed inwardly.
'Just one line about her red hair being beautiful successfully stole a pure girl's heart. Even after he turned dark, that "white moonlight" filter in Erza's heart hasn't completely shattered.'
Pulling back his wandering thoughts, Ron continued the story of the boys and girls resisting oppression and seeking freedom.
"Finally, when the dust settled, Erza was driven off the island. Jellal used the lives of Simon and the others as a threat to stop her from coming back."
"After that, because of Rob, Erza ca to Fairy Tail and started a new life!"
The story ended.
Everyone fell into silence, with only the sound of waves hitting the hull.
But regardless of who it was, one could clearly feel the anger radiating from Natsu and Gray. Juvia and Lucy were filled with pity and resentnt at the sa ti.
"Thud!"
Gray swung his fist and slamd it heavily against the boat's edge.
"Is this Erza's past?"
He thought of the girl who used to sit by the river, hugging her knees and weeping silently.
Only now did he finally understand what kind of pain Erza had been carrying back then.
"That place is the Tower of Heaven they ntioned?"
Lucy wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, keenly catching the key point of the story. "Since Erza was driven away back then, why do they want to take her back now?"
"Judging by what those people said, they seem to hate Erza and even said she betrayed them... what's that all about?"
"Because of misunderstandings and lies," Ron said in a deep voice.
"Because Jellal's personality changed drastically, he decided to continue building the Tower of Heaven. Thus, after driving Erza away, he fabricated the lie that Erza had abandoned everyone, tricking Simon and the others into staying and working."
"What?!"
Lucy was trembling with rage. "That's so despicable!"
"In these eight years, Jellal taught them magic and instilled false beliefs in them. Watered by mistakes and lies, the Tower of Heaven was completed bit by bit by the hands of the forr rebels."
"As for why they brought Erza back..."
Ron paused, his fingertips lightly tapping the boat's edge.
"It's to make her a sacrifice... a sacrifice to resurrect Zeref!"
"Zeref?!"
Lucy and Gray were struck like lightning, their pupils shaking violently.
First Lullaby, then Deliora... why is Zeref involved again now?
He just won't stay away, will he!
Natsu, who was suffering on the boat's edge, twitched his ears and stood up with an angry face.
"Not only did they take Erza and Happy, but they also want to make her a sacrifice. I won't let them get away with this, ugh..."
A wave hit, and the boat swayed.
"Blegh—"
Natsu leaned back over the edge and struggled to lift his head to ask.
"By the way, who is Zeref?"
He's your older brother, Natsu!
"What's the deal with the sacrifice and resurrection?"
Gray's expression was solemn, his eyes carrying an unreadable look. "Can people who have died... really be resurrected?"
"The so-called Tower of Heaven is just a tower-shaped building constructed with a massive amount of labor and funds by a magic cult that worships black magic."
Ron gave Gray a aningful look and gave the group a quick lesson.
"In essence, it's a forbidden magic system designed by Zeref that can bring the dead back to life, known as the R-System."
"Eight years ago, the Council successfully wiped out this magic cult and destroyed the batch of life-profaning Towers of Paradise, but so escaped through the net."
Ron gestured forward with his chin. "Look, we're almost at our destination."
"That's... the Tower of Heaven?!" Lucy muttered to herself.
A massive, cloud-piercing tower with a bizarre shape and an ominous aura suddenly ca into view.
"Sothing's not right..."
Natsu's nose twitched, and his expression beca serious.
"What's going on, this dangerous feeling..."
Birds were falling from the sky, and countless dead fish with white bellies floated densely on the sea's surface.
"These are..."
Looking at the floating wreckage in the sea, Gray said, "Are those ships from the Fiore army?"
"It seems the situation is even worse than we imagined!"
Looking ahead, there were many people moving back and forth on the island. These people were clad in heavy armor and held long spears, clearly a patrol team.
Seeing this, Juvia prepared to cast magic to envelop everyone in water and sneak in.
"No need, Juvia!"
Ron stopped her. "We're here to make a scene anyway, there's no need to be sneaky."
"Um..."
Lucy looked at the dense crowd of guards and weakly raised her hand. "There seem to be a lot of people. Are we really going to fight our way in directly?"
"Of course, we are Fairy Tail!"
Ron stood up and looked at everyone.
"The battle plan is simple: charge in from the front, blow everyone away, and after Erza settles her grudge, we take her ho."
"Operation Codena: Assault!!!"
As he spoke, Natsu and Gray both nodded, instantly filled with fighting spirit.
Lucy looked at the imposing group of violent maniacs, wanting to cry but having no tears.
'Hey, hey, hey, this is too reckless. Is it really going to be this hasty?'
"Now..."
Ron stood at the bow, suddenly channeling his inner drama king, pointing at the tower ahead with a wild and arrogant smirk.
"Bring the ship alongside!!!"
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