Chapter 48: The Paradise Game – The Beginning of the Counterattack (2)
At last, my story was finished.
I had told them everything—what this tower was, how I had met Jellal, and why Shou and the others had dragged me back here.
The rebellion we started was for Jellal, and for freedom.
We fought with all we had.
But in the end… the one who paid the ultimate price was Rob, the old man who had taught us of the world beyond these walls. He threw himself into the flames so that I could live.
That sacrifice awakened my own magic. I forced the others out of the tower and went back in to save Jellal.
I managed to reach him… barely.
But something had changed.
Jellal had already been touched by Zeref's shadow.
"Erza… there's no such thing as freedom in this world."
"What are you saying…?"
"I've realized the truth. What we need isn't fleeting freedom. It's true freedom—the world of Zeref."
Freed from his chains, Jellal showed no hesitation as he executed the cultists who had enslaved us.
He slaughtered them all—even those who begged for their lives.
I couldn't bring myself to do it. No matter how much I hated them, I was still just a child. Killing was beyond me.
"Ahahaha!"
"Jellal, snap out of it! You've just been tortured—"
"I'm fine, Erza. Instead… let's finish the R-System. No—let's complete the Tower, and revive Zeref."
"Don't be ridiculous! We're leaving this island together!"
But the Jellal I knew—the boy full of justice and fire—was already gone.
All that remained was a child possessed by Zeref's madness.
I wasn't strong enough to stop him.
Overwhelmed by Jellal's newfound magic, I was forced out of the tower—alone.
"I don't need you anymore. But I won't kill you… consider your life a reward for removing those who got in my way. Go, and enjoy your fleeting freedom."
"Jellal…"
"But understand this: if word of the Tower of Heaven reaches the outside world, I will erase all trace of it. I'll destroy the tower, and everyone inside it. If anyone sees you near this place, I'll take a life immediately. Yes… I'll start with Shou and the others."
"Jellal…"
"That's your freedom! Live burdened with the lives of your friends, Erza! AHAHAHAHA!"
....
When my tale ended, silence fell.
Natsu, Gray, and Lucy could only stare.
The strong, unshakable girl they knew—the dependable leader, the stern protector—was nowhere to be seen.
Before them was only a single girl, trembling with fear and regret, tears flowing down her face.
Gray flinched when he heard the name Zeref in Erza's story, immediately pressing her for answers.
"I'll fight Jellal."
"Wait, Erza… Did you just say Zeref? You mean—"
"Yes," Erza said gravely. "The most infamous, most wicked dark wizard in all of magical history."
Her heavy words made Lucy recall something.
"Now that you mention it… that monster from the Lullaby incident was one of Zeref's demons, wasn't it?"
"And not just that," Erza added. "Deliora was likely one of Zeref's creations as well."
At the name Deliora, Gray's eyes widened. The weight of it all sank into him—Lullaby, Deliora, both born from the same man. If Jellal really intended to revive that Zeref, it could mean nothing short of the end of the world.
As if reading his thoughts, Erza continued in a hushed, heavy tone.
"Zeref possessed enough power to create monsters like those with ease. His magic is beyond measure."
Lucy swallowed. "So… Jellal's really trying to bring someone like that back?"
"I don't know the reason," Erza admitted. "But Shou… one of my old friends… said that if Zeref is revived, he would become the ruler of 'Paradise.'"
Lucy shook her head. "But that makes no sense. Shou and the others keep calling you a traitor, but isn't the real traitor Jellal? He's the one who abandoned all of you!"
Erza lowered her gaze, her face shadowed with guilt.
"Maybe… but after I was cast out of the Tower, I left them behind. Eight years… I abandoned them. Whatever excuse I give, I still lived freely while they were trapped here. To them, that's betrayal enough."
"Erza… what are you saying?"
The sudden sound of footsteps cut her off. Everyone turned.
Shou stood there, frozen, his face pale.
"Trying to win sympathy with such pitiful lies? Don't make me laugh! That's not the truth!" he shouted, his voice shaking.
"Shou…" Erza whispered.
"The truth is that eight years ago, you planted bombs on our ship and ran away alone! If Jellal hadn't noticed your betrayal, we all would've been blown to pieces!"
"…"
"Jellal told us everything! He said this is the fate of someone who never truly learned magic! That you were drunk on your power and tried to erase our past—erase us!"
"Jellal told you that…?" Gray asked sharply, narrowing his eyes.
Lucy joined in, glaring at Shou. "Think about it. Do you really believe that's something Erza would do? Is that the Erza you knew?"
Shou faltered, his anger flickering into doubt.
Erza would never… he knew that. Deep down, he knew it.
But for eight long years, Jellal's words had been his only truth, the only salvation he could cling to. To admit now that it had all been lies—that everything they had suffered, built, and believed in was just manipulation—was more terrifying than he could bear.
"You… you don't know anything!" Shou cried, his voice breaking. "You don't know what we went through! Jellal's words were the only salvation we had! That's why—why we spent eight years building this tower! For Jellal! For Paradise! And now you're telling me… that was all lies?! That you were right, and Jellal was wrong?!"
Silence hung in the air.
The young boy's trembling words, full of rage and confusion, left Erza, Gray, Lucy, and Juvia unable to answer.
While everyone stood at a loss, a calm voice came from the corridor.
"That's right."
"Simon?!"
"You bastard…!"
"Wait, Gray-sama!" Juvia quickly stepped forward. "That man… back then, he knew your body was only an ice clone, and yet he still attacked."
"What?!"
"No dark sorcerer could have failed to realize it. The truth is… Juvia came here partly to confirm that suspicion."
Simon gave a faint nod at Juvia's words, then admitted everything.
"I never intended to kill anyone. My only goal was to fool Shou and the others—to make them believe I had. Using ice was the best way to stage a convincing corpse."
"You… you tricked us?!"
"Yes. You, Wally, Millianna… all of you were deceived by Jellal. I had to pretend as well, until the time was right."
"Simon… you…"
"I never doubted Erza. Not once. For all of these eight long years."
Though his appearance had changed, Simon's faith in Erza had not wavered. His own investigation had uncovered the truth: Jellal had lied. Erza had not abandoned them—she had been abandoned. Used as leverage. They had been taken hostage.
But Shou, Wally, and Millianna still clung to Jellal's lies. So Simon had waited, biding his time.
Tears welled in Erza's eyes as she stepped forward and threw her arms around him. Simon embraced her in return, their friendship reaffirmed after eight long years apart.
"It's good to see you again, Erza. Truly."
"Simon…"
Hearing the truth, Shou collapsed to his knees, striking the ground in anguish.
"How… how could you all trust her so completely…? Why couldn't I…? Why didn't I believe in her?! Damn it! Damn it all!!"
All this time, he had taken Jellal's words at face value. He had never tried to confirm the truth with his own eyes. Deep down, he had always known—Erza would never abandon them. She was the girl who endured torture to protect them.
And yet, he hadn't believed. He hadn't trusted.
Consumed with regret and self-loathing, Shou buried his face in the ground and wept. Erza knelt beside him, pulling the boy gently into her arms.
"It won't be easy to accept right away. But listen to me, Shou."
"Uwaaaaahhh!!"
"Not once in these eight years did I ever forget you. Not once. But I was powerless… I was too weak. I'm sorry…"
Held in Erza's embrace, Shou cried harder—tears that washed away eight years of grief.
At last, with the misunderstanding cleared, Simon turned to the group and revealed his true purpose.
"Now… it's time. I've been waiting for this moment. The moment when powerful wizards would gather here together…"
"Powerful wizards?"
"We'll fight Jellal. All of us together. But first, we have to stop Salamander and Wally from clashing. To defeat Jellal… that man's strength is absolutely essential—Natsu Dragneel, the Salamander."
Simon had been waiting for this very moment.
The chance to put an end to Jellal's madness and ambition.
The chance to save his friends.
The chance for the nightmare of eight long, bitter years to finally come to a close.
When Erza and the others nodded in firm resolve, ready for battle, it was then—
Countless mouths appeared on the outer walls of the tower.
A voice resounded through the structure, echoing everywhere at once.
[Welcome, everyone.]
"Wh–what the hell?! These mouths… they're talking?!"
"It's Jellal. He's projecting his voice through the entire tower." "All these mouths across the walls…"
[I am Jellal, master of this tower. Both sides' chess pieces are now in place. So let the game begin—
the Paradise Game.]
He had said it outright: Paradise Game.
From the start, Jellal had already anticipated Simon's betrayal.
Fairy Tail's intrusion, Erza's attempted escape, Simon's rebellion—all of it had been within his calculations.
And he let it happen.
For the sake of entertainment.
In this dull, suffocating world, he sought only amusement.
[The rules are simple. I intend to use Erza as the sacrifice to resurrect Zeref.]
"Tch… what a sick joke."
[If the Gate of Paradise is opened, I win. If you stop it, then you win. Simple enough, isn't it? But just that would be boring. So, I've stationed three warriors of my own. Defeat them, or you won't reach me. In short—a three-versus-seven battle royale.]
Erza and her companions stiffened, their anger rising at his twisted declaration.
And then, Jellal added one more rule—a rule that made them all pale.
[One last thing. There's a possibility the Magic Council may launch an attack on this place… using the ultimate satellite spell—Etherion. The spell of absolute destruction. Time left: unknown. But should Etherion strike, it means death for all. A game over without winners.]
"No… no way… what the hell is he thinking?! Jellal, you madman—doesn't he realize he could be killed too?!"
"Etherion…? From the Council? N-no, that can't be… because—"
Before Erza could finish, trembling in fury, a card flashed.
Shou's magic had sealed her away.
"Shou, what are you doing?!"
"Erza!!"
"No one will lay a hand on my sister! I'll be the one to defeat Jellal!"
Clutching Erza's card, Shou bolted down the corridor, ignoring everyone's protests.
Simon immediately gave chase, with Gray following after him.
Lucy and Juvia, in turn, decided to go in search of Natsu.
They had no choice but to split up.
High above, Jellal chuckled, observing the board like a game of chess.
"Now then… let's enjoy this game of life and death."
On the magical chessboard before him, he moved the pieces resembling Erza's party and his own Trinity Raven.
With a cruel smile, he placed Vidaldus's piece directly in the path of Lucy and Juvia.
"Element 4 and a pair of rookies… versus Vidaldus.
Yes… this will be quite the spectacle. Fufufufu…"
Jellal's wicked grin widened as he watched Lucy and Juvia appear on the screen.
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