Chapter 49: The Paradise Game – The Beginning of the Counterattack (3)
Inside one of the Tower of Heaven's chambers—Millianna's room.
Natsu had defeated Millianna and Wally, finally rescuing Happy.
But just as Wally staggered back to his feet to continue the fight, Jellal's voice rang out.
The announcement made Wally realize they had been nothing more than pawns. His fighting spirit crumbled.
"Wh-what… Jellal… Etherion? If something like that hits, everyone dies…! We… we only ever wanted true freedom…"
They hadn't wanted endless battles or bloodshed.
All they had wished for was freedom—to walk the vast earth under a clear blue sky, to go anywhere they desired, to live however they wanted.
But it had all been Jellal's sweet deception.
They'd been used from the very beginning.
Wally trembled in despair, rage boiling in his chest.
But Natsu only gave him his trademark fiery grin.
"I don't know what kind of 'freedom' you're chasing,
but Fairy Tail's way is plenty free—and a whole lot of fun!"
"...."
"Anyway, it doesn't matter. If beating Jellal ends this fight, then that's all I need to know. Let's go, Happy—time to fire it up!!"
"Of course the guy's at the top, huh?"
"Happy! Every game's got a shortcut, right?"
"Aye, sir!!"
Natsu couldn't fully understand what "freedom" meant to Wally.
But he wanted to show him his own kind of freedom—laughing, traveling, working, fighting, and chasing dreams together.
That was Fairy Tail.
And with that, Natsu invited him.
Then, without hesitation, Natsu and Happy launched themselves out the window, soaring toward the tower's peak.
"...Salamander…"
Watching him vanish into the sky, Wally realized—
his enemy had spared him, and even tried to welcome him as a comrade.
That… was the hardboiled spirit he had always admired.
Collapsed from accumulated injuries, Wally lost consciousness.
But for the first time, his heart felt free.
"Straight to the top in one go!!"
"Aye!!"
But as Natsu and Happy rocketed upward, they suddenly sensed something rushing toward them.
A glint of metal—coming fast.
"Something's coming at us!"
"What the—?!"
"Buhoooo! Buhoooo!"
"Wha—?! Whoa!!"
In an instant, the incoming figure slammed into them at full force, sending both Natsu and Happy crashing back into the tower.
On that same floor, Simon had been running through the corridors when he saw them tumble inside from the window.
"Salamander?! Are you alright?!"
"Who the hell are you? And what is that thing?!"
Turning toward the intruder, Simon's eyes widened.
A man wearing an owl mask, with feathers strapped to his elbows and a massive rocket pack on his back.
The bizarrely dressed figure pointed a finger at Natsu and boomed:
"Rule-breakers shall not be forgiven! Behold the warrior of justice—Fukuro! Buhooo!"
"A talking bird spouting off about justice?!"
"Tch… this guy…?!"
....
Meanwhile, on the upper floor—
"Natsu!!"
"Natsu-san!!"
Following Gray's instructions, Lucy and Juvia were still scouring the corridors for Natsu.
『I can't shake my worries about Erza. I'll chase after Shou and that big guy. I'm leaving finding Natsu to you two.』
Though Juvia had wanted to follow Gray, she obeyed his words and stuck with Lucy, calling out Natsu's name as they searched.
"Didn't they say his hearing is sharp enough to pick things up even from far away?"
"Just like Gajeel-kun… in that case, his sense of smell must be sharp too."
"Gajeel… kun?"
And just then—
Inside one of the Tower of Heaven's corridors—
Suddenly, a deafening noise shook Lucy and Juvia's ears.
Moments later, the source revealed itself: a long-haired man in a wild rocker outfit, dragging his heavy black locks across the floor as he headbanged with abandon.
Both girls tensed up immediately.
"Hey! Yo—!! Funky girls!!"
"...."
"This is a live show straight from hell! DESTROY ROCK!!"
"W-wow, his hair is really long…"
"Is he… one of the three warriors Jellal mentioned?"
The man looked like a skeleton made flesh, his face painted in macabre patterns, clutching a guitar shaped like a devil itself.
It was Vidaldus—his earlier calm demeanor before Jellal had completely vanished, replaced with manic excitement. He stuck out his tongue like a man drunk on madness.
"From the Assassination Guild—Grimoire Shochu! Call me the Skull!! Ain't it badass?! I'm one of Trinity Raven—Vidaldus Taka himself!!"
With his introduction out of the way, Vidaldus suddenly whipped his hair forward.
Charged with magic, the strands lashed like whips, slamming into the walls and floor with devastating force.
Lucy screamed and ducked, but Juvia countered, instantly sealing him inside a Water Lock.
"Big mouth, little substance."
"As expected of a former Element 4!"
But the prison didn't hold for long.
His hair spread inside the watery sphere—absorbing every drop until the spell itself collapsed.
"What—?! Juvia's Water Lock… vanished?!"
"When your hair's a mess, you wash it out with water.
But morning shampoo? That'll ruin your hair."
"You… how did you—?!"
"My hair absorbs liquids. Well—except oil or alcohol. That stuff's no good for the scalp."
"Water magic… doesn't work on him?!"
The realization made Juvia sweat, and Lucy's eyes widened in horror.
If even Juvia's power couldn't touch him, what chance did she have?
She reached for her keys—
"Kyah!!"
"Lucy-san!!"
"I heard all about you from Jellal. A half-baked Celestial Spirit Wizard is useless without her keys.
And that gloomy water-girl can't even land a hit on me!"
"Damn you…!"
"Now then—Blue-haired girl! Tonight, you're the succubus!!"
"...Succubus?"
"ROCK OF SUCCUBUS!! Heeeyahhh!!"
Vidaldus strummed his demonic guitar, spewing nonsense as distorted sound waves filled the corridor.
To Lucy it was just obnoxious noise—but beside her, Juvia clutched her ears, writhing in agony.
"Juvia?! What's wrong?!"
"No…! Stop!! Don't come inside me!!"
"Juvia!!"
Juvia's body flashed with a strange light.
And before Lucy's stunned eyes, a new figure appeared—a "funky," rock-styled Juvia now standing at Vidaldus's side.
....
"Uaaaahh!! What the hell is happening?!"
I tried desperately to dodge Juvia's violent water attacks, but the sheer force of the torrent was overwhelming.
Dragged into the flood, I was swallowed whole—on the verge of drowning—before being slammed into the wall.
The shock rattled my body so badly, I couldn't even scream.
"Kyah!!"
"Water Cane!!"
"W-wait! That really hurts!!"
"Perverted masochist! Break apart inside Juvia and scatter!!"
Another massive wave crashed down, sweeping me away completely.
My lungs burned. I couldn't breathe. I was suffocating.
I didn't know what trick Vidaldus had pulled, but Juvia
was clearly being controlled by him.
There was no way I could beat her head-on like this.
How was I supposed to survive?
....
"Lucy-san."
A voice echoed inside me—not through my ears, but directly in my heart.
It was Juvia's voice.
Not spoken aloud, but carried through the water that engulfed me, seeping straight into my mind.
"Kyahahaha!! Feel it! Feel it all!!"
"This isn't Juvia!"
Of course… this was inside Juvia. Here, her real heart could still reach me.
"Juvia doesn't want to hurt her comrades..
Comrades… it feels embarrassing to say it out loud, but it's true. Even though you're my rival in love… Juvia truly loves Fairy Tail. I love my guildmates. It's fun… it's warm… Even when it rains, inside the guild it feels like sunshine."
I felt ashamed of myself—for doubting her even for a second.
Juvia genuinely wanted to be part of Fairy Tail.
Not just because of Gray.
She longed for comrades who would accept her for who she was.
"I thought… maybe I was finally starting to grow close to everyone… But in the end, Juvia really is a woman who brings only misfortune."
I could feel her crying—her tears soaking through the water.
The next moment, I was spat out, thrown violently onto the floor, coughing and gasping for breath.
"Ughhh!!"
"Juvia! Now crush her for good!!"
Still trembling, I forced myself to speak—words I hadn't managed to say when I was trapped underwater.
"A person who can cry for her comrades… Fairy Tail would never reject someone like that! Juvia, you're already one of us! You're no woman of misfortune!"
I staggered to my feet, glaring at Vidaldus.
"Stand proud, with your chest out!"
"Don't make me laugh! A Spirit Wizard without keys is useless trash! Juvia, finish her off!!"
Again, Juvia's attacks surged forward.
My belt of keys had been knocked loose and scattered near Vidaldus's feet. I couldn't summon a single Spirit right now.
But I refused to give up.
If I couldn't land a single blow on that skull-faced bastard controlling Juvia, then I wasn't worthy of calling myself a Fairy Tail wizard!
Vidaldus's grin widened—until his eyes caught something else.
"What's this…?! Another key?!"
From deep within my chest, I drew out the black Celestial Spirit key I had hidden away.
It looked similar to the keys of the Zodiac, but its color—and the intricate, eerie detailing—were completely different.
It had been given to me with one warning: use it only in the moment of greatest peril.
And right now, with Juvia under control and my comrades in danger, there was no greater peril than this.
Raising the key high, I called the name that echoed in my mind.
"Open! Gate of the Hound of Hades— Cerberus!!"
The key radiated a dark light, deflecting Juvia's attacks.
But at the same time, my magic drained rapidly, siphoned away into the black key.
"What… what is this…?"
Before me, no Spirit emerged.
Instead—a door.
A massive, jet-black door, with three-headed hound statues biting down on chains that served as its handles.
A suffocating aura of dread poured out from it. This wasn't the familiar starlight essence of a Celestial Spirit.
This was something else.
The statues roared, pulling the chains taut, and slowly, the gate began to open.
No one moved.
We couldn't. The pressure from beyond that door was so overwhelming it felt like our bodies were being crushed.
"What the hell is happening…?"
"This fear—what is this?! Hey, woman! What the hell did you summon?!"
"I-I don't know! This is my first time using it!!"
Smoke seeped from the widening crack of the door.
Then came the sound of footsteps—calm, deliberate, drawing nearer.
A chill swept through the air. Sweat beaded on all our foreheads.
And then, from beyond the gate—
"No way…"
"Ku…fufufu… Lucy, it's been a while. I knew you would call for me."
Dark teal hair tied with a golden hairpin, crimson eyes gleaming like starlight, a long black coat embroidered with lotus in gold, and a white shirt beneath.
He smiled—calm, composed—as he stepped out.
My face froze.
That wasn't a Spirit emerging from the gate.
It was—
"Ciel…?!"
The man I thought had vanished into the afterlife only a short while ago—Ciel himself—stood before me, summoned through the key.
He glanced at Juvia and Vidaldus once, then conjured a gleaming spear into his hand, leveling it at them.
"Thanks to you… I've returned. From beyond the cycle of reincarnation."
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