"Oh? Will you give up?" Jellal asked, raising an eyebrow.
Finn, his sword pointed at Jellal, replied coldly, "Of course not."
"Ryūjin Jakka: Taimatsu!" A flaming slash shot towards Jellal.
"Meteor." Jellal waved his hand; a golden magic circle appeared beneath his feet. He moved with meteoric speed, dodging the attack.
"Boom——" The fiery slash slammed into the building behind him, causing a massive explosion.
Hearing the explosion and sensing the powerful magical aura emanating from Finn, Jellal smirked, thinking, "Just as the rumors say. He's strong enough to rival the Ten Wizard Saints…no…perhaps even stronger."
"Such a powerful mage would be perfect for Zeref's vessel." A hint of glee flickered in his gaze.
At that moment, immense magical energy gathered in the sky above. A giant magic circle appeared, complex runes swirling within.
Both Finn and Jellal noticed it.
"It seems time is running out. This game is nearing its end," Jellal said, spreading his hands.
"Etherion?" Finn murmured, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
Jellal looked puzzled. "Aren't you afraid?" Even as he spoke, the battle continued. Jellal unleashed a golden energy blast towards Finn's head.
Finn calmly dispersed the energy with a single punch. "I've been investigating the Tower of Heaven since I learned about Erza's past."
Jellal narrowed his eyes, unsure of what Finn was implying.
"To activate such a massive spell requires 2.7 billion units of magic power. That kind of magical energy is something you absolutely couldn't have accumulated," Finn said, closing in on Jellal, his flaming blade dancing.
The attacks were so swift and dense that even Jellal struggled to completely dodge them. Finn's blade sliced across Jellal's arm, spraying blood.
Jellal took advantage of the opening to retreat, putting a significant distance between himself and Finn.
Clutching his injured arm, he frowned at Finn. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Finn chuckled. "You knew this place was going to be struck by Etherion, so why didn't you run?"
With that, Finn swiftly severed a nearby pillar with his blade, revealing the magic crystal hidden within.
"Because you intend to use these magic crystals to absorb all the Etherion's magical energy, solving your biggest problem—the lack of sufficient magical power—right?"
Jellal was genuinely surprised. "How did you figure that out?"
"The moment you mentioned the impending Etherion attack, I began to analyze and observe this tower. The truth is, your plan had far too many flaws; a careful examination would reveal them all."
"For eight whole years, the Tower of Heaven remained undiscovered, yet it suddenly appeared the moment its construction was completed, immediately attracting the attention of the Magic Council. That was all part of your calculations, wasn't it?"
Jellal clapped his hands together, a pleased smile on his face. "Even if you've figured it out, what difference does it make? Can you really stop me?"
Jellal pointed towards the sky. "The Etherion will fall within minutes. Can you defeat me before that happens?"
"Try me," Finn challenged.
"Rumbling~~" Even more intense flames erupted from Finn's body.
The approach of the Etherion was not only visible from the top floor but also noticeable to the Fairy Tail members battling within the Tower of Heaven.
Lucy and Juvia, both severely wounded, lay on the ground. Lucy felt the immense magical energy descending from the sky, her heart filled with despair.
Across from them, a heavily made-up man lay unconscious on the ground—Vidaldus. Earlier, while accompanying Erza in her search for Jellal, they had encountered Vidaldus.
Due to the urgency of the situation, Lucy and Juvia had bravely volunteered to intercept Vidaldus, allowing Erza to proceed without delay. After a fierce battle, Lucy and Juvia had successfully defeated their opponent.
However, their own magical energy was almost completely depleted, leaving them lying powerless and gasping for breath on the ground.
"Tap, tap, tap…" The sound of approaching footsteps suddenly broke the silence, instantly putting Lucy on high alert.
She turned her head to look at Juvia, who was still unconscious, her heart filled with anxiety. If it was the enemy, they were truly sitting ducks.
Soon, a figure dashed into the room. Upon seeing who it was, Lucy's tense shoulders relaxed.
"Shô? It's you," Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. Shô was, after all, on their side.
Shô, panting heavily, urgently spoke, "We need to leave this tower immediately. The Etherion is about to fall."
Lucy struggled to her feet. "Weren't you with Erza? How is she doing?"
Before Shô could answer, another set of footsteps echoed, this time a larger group.
"Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Simon!" Lucy exclaimed joyfully upon seeing who had arrived.
The newcomers were indeed Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Simon, the latter having just returned from rescuing Natsu.
"Are you alright?" Lucy knew about Natsu's capture by Fukuro, and she was relieved to see that both Natsu and Happy appeared unharmed thanks to Gray's timely intervention.
Gray, arms crossed, said smugly, "If it weren't for me, Natsu might have been completely digested."
Natsu turned his head away, muttering, "Even though I really don't want to admit it, that's actually true."
With most of their team now reunited, Simon spoke, "Wally and Millianna have prepared the boat. We need to leave this tower immediately."
"Wait a second, but Erza and Finn aren't here," Natsu said, looking around anxiously.
Shô hung his head, his voice low and somber. "Nee-san told us to leave…She's gone to confront Jellal and settle things."
Shô was filled with self-reproach. He'd been completely unable to assist his sister during her battle with Ikaruga, and now he felt the humiliation of having to retreat without her.
Simon placed a comforting hand on Shô's shoulder, understanding Erza's motivations perfectly.
Erza, deep down, believed that Jellal's current state was her fault. If she hadn't been the one to cause the incident, Jellal might never have ended up in the punishment room, and perhaps he wouldn't have become the way he is now.
Therefore, Erza was determined to rectify her perceived mistake, to confront Jellal and attempt to bring about a true resolution.
Gray vehemently disagreed. "Are you kidding me? There's no way we're abandoning our comrades and escaping on our own!"
"Fire-Breath Idiot, let's go get Finn and Erza back!" Gray immediately tried to convince Natsu to join him in returning to the upper levels.
However, Simon stepped in to halt their impulsive action.
"Finn's up there too, isn't he? What you should be doing right now is having faith in Finn. He'll definitely bring Erza back. Staying here would only hinder them. We have no choice but to leave first."
Simon's gaze locked onto Natsu and Gray, his expression unwavering.
Gray slammed his fist onto the ground in frustration, his voice laced with self-loathing. "Damn it…" He was consumed by a deep sense of regret, a painful awareness of his own weakness, and his inability to fight alongside his comrades in their final stand.
...
Time back ten minutes.
In an observation room, a place for recreation, a vast lake stretched beneath their feet. A long wooden walkway extended from the room, leading to a giant cherry blossom tree planted indoors at its far end.
Petals from the cherry blossom tree drifted aimlessly in the space, moving without a breath of wind.
"You should understand now," Ikaruga's voice, slightly ethereal, drifted through the air, "no matter what armor you wear, you can't win against my sword. Just give up."
"Those lost in doubt, even in the strongest armor, will be cut down."
Behind Ikaruga, fragments of shattered black armor lay scattered on the ground. Erza, her body covered in wounds, struggled to her feet.
From the remaining pieces of armor clinging to her body, one could vaguely make out that it was Erza's currently strongest armor, the Purgatory Armor.
"She can't win…Nee-san can't win…" Shô and Simon, who had just been knocked to the ground, watched this scene in despair.
This woman was too strong. No matter what armor Erza wore, she couldn't escape being shattered.
Erza lowered her head, a light spreading across her body. The armor had vanished, replaced by two wicked blades in her hands. Her crimson hair was pulled back high.
"What's going on? That armor…no, that outfit…" Sweat trickled down Shô's face, born of fear and despair.
Ikaruga held her sword, surprised by Erza's current appearance. "What do you mean? That outfit is just ordinary cloth. I can't believe you'd underestimate me like this."
"Nee-san, what's wrong?" Shô called out anxiously.
"Don't you have many more strong armors? Nee-san should be able to fight stronger!!"
Ignoring Shô's cries, Erza kept her head down, her expression unreadable.
"I'm not…I'm not strong at all," Erza's voice trembled.
Memories of the past flooded Erza's mind: the many comrades who had died before her eyes, her inability to protect the people she loved.
"I've been crying all along. To appear strong, I used armor to seal my heart," Erza's tone grew firmer and more resolute.
"Because I was weak, that's why I always wore armor, always afraid to take it off. I always believed armor could protect me, but those who truly protected me were my family! My comrades! Finn!" Erza's voice rose from a soft whisper to a loud shout.
"The armor I clung to was actually blocking the exchange of hearts between people! Fairy Tail taught me that people can be this close…" Images flooded Erza's mind: everyone in the guild happily arguing, communicating, laughing together.
"This warm…" The final image was of Finn, stroking her hair, always standing behind her.
Ikaruga unsheathed her sword and charged. "Even if my opponent wears nothing, I'll swing my sword."
"I'm no longer lost. I'll use everything to defeat you!!" Erza abandoned all defense, focusing solely on an attack of extreme ferocity.
She charged as well.
The two figures clashed, their movements a blur of speed. There was no grand display of power, only the ultimate speed of two combatants, a brief exchange that seemed to last only an instant.
Then, they stood apart where they had started.
"Crack…" Cracks spiderwebbed across Ikaruga's sword before it shattered completely, and blood spurted from multiple wounds on her body.
"A beautiful strike…" Ikaruga collapsed, defeated.
"Are you all right?" Erza rushed to Shô and the others, helping them to their feet.
"Heh. I never thought I'd lose. This is my first defeat since joining the guild," Ikaruga said self-deprecatingly.
"But you, and Master Jellal, will lose as well."
"What do you mean?" Erza asked.
Ikaruga reached out, as if trying to grasp something intangible. "The light of justice will descend, and it will kill everyone…"
"She means the Etherion," Erza realized.
Turning to Shô and the others, she said, "Shô, use your magic to get Simon and the others, and everyone from Fairy Tail, out of this tower as quickly as possible. The Etherion is about to fall."
"But…" Simon tried to protest.
Erza shook her head, her gaze serious and unwavering. "You should be willing to listen to me now."
Faced with such a direct and urgent plea, Shô found himself unable to refuse.
"What about you, Nee-san?" Shô asked, his voice filled with worry.
Erza turned and walked towards the front of the observation room, her resolve unshaken. "I have a score to settle. And Finn is still up there; he needs me."
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