Clear Heart Clothing

Happy was safe, and thankfully unharmed.

Rhodes gently instructed him, "Go. Find Natsu and let him know you're alright."

He knew he had to reassure Natsu quickly. Otherwise, Natsu might rush into the tower alone out of panic—and if that happened, they'd need another rescue just to stop him from tearing down the entire place by himself.

Once Happy zipped off through the air, Rhodes turned to Mira. He re applied the blue buff effect on both of them, then Rhodes narrowed his eyes at the rubble.

He crouched near the bricks and fragments knocked loose during his crash landing.

Simon had mentioned that the Tower of Heaven had been constructed using large amounts of lacrima—magic crystals—to stockpile the energy needed for the R-System.

But the shattered lacrima embedded in these walls didn't seem right.

He reached out and tapped one. Nothing.

"There's no magic power in them."

"Mira," Rhodes said, straightening up. "Let's knock down a few more walls. I want to be sure."

"Right!" Mira answered, already drawing energy into her hands.

The two set to work, smashing holes in all four walls of Milliana's room, along with the floor and ceiling.

But every lacrima they uncovered was the same: inert, empty of magic.

No stored energy. Not even a trace.

Rhodes frowned deeply. If the lacrima aren't charged, then how does Jellal plan to activate the R-System? Capturing Erza as a "living sacrifice" would mean nothing without the necessary power to fuel the spell.

"Could it be…" Rhodes murmured, thinking aloud, "that they're using Erza as bait—not to activate the system, but to lure us in? Maybe they plan to capture all of Fairy Tail in one swoop and drain our magic into the tower?"

Mira paused, thoughtful. "That's possible. But... that plan sounds a little far-fetched."

Before they could dwell on the theory, Mira raised her palm, a dark sphere of demonic energy crackling within it. She fired it into the wall.

Boom! The blast blew apart another section. Dust and rubble scattered everywhere, but as the smoke cleared, the lacrima inside the wall stood untouched. It had absorbed the magical energy completely.

Mira pressed her fingers against its surface, then drew back, looking uneasy.

"Even if I emptied all the magic power I have, I wouldn't be able to fully charge even a single lacrima like this. These things are built to absorb massive amounts of energy. Even if we gathered all the magic power from our entire guild, it wouldn't be enough for this whole tower."

Rhodes inhaled sharply, realization dawning. "Then there's only one explanation…"

Mira's eyes widened in horror. "You mean… Etherion?!"

Rhodes nodded grimly. "Yeah. It fits. From what we've seen, Jellal's planning to let the Council launch the Etherion blast... then use these special lacrima embedded across the entire tower to absorb its energy."

He clenched his fists. "And at the same time, use Erza to trigger the R-System. He's going to convert the power of a weapon that can vaporize an island into fuel for a forbidden resurrection spell."

"That's insane!" Mira gasped. "He's planning to stay inside the tower when the Etherion hits?! If even one lacrima is misaligned or undercharged—he'll be obliterated!"

"Exactly," Rhodes said. "And even if his calculations are perfect, all that condensed magic. It could detonate if he loses control for even a second."

"Unless he absorbs all of Etherion's energy and channels it correctly into the R-System without a single mistake."

This was nothing short of a death wish.

If Jellal wanted to gamble with his own life, that was his choice—but Rhodes had no intention of joining him in that madness. He had to get Erza out of the tower now and destroy the entire structure before the Etherion blast could strike.

Without hesitation, Rhodes and Mira burst out through the hole they'd made in the outer wall, wings flaring wide as they shot upward at top speed.

...

Inside the upper levels of the Tower of Heaven—specifically, the great spherical chamber beneath the spire.

The massive hall stretched wide, lined with glowing etchings of ancient magic runes carved deep into the stone walls. At the very center, enormous clusters of lacrima pulsed with a faint, eerie glow. An altar stood at the heart of the chamber, raised and encircled by ritual markings.

This was the core of the resurrection ceremony.

If everything went according to Jellal's twisted plan, then here—at 1,000 meters above the ground—Zeref would be revived, reborn in darkness, and hailed by fanatics as the harbinger of their so-called "freedom."

Jellal had dreamed of this moment for years.

There were two absolute requirements to activate the R-System: first, 2.7 billion Idia's worth of magical power; and second, a living sacrifice with power equivalent to one of the Ten Wizard Saints.

In the eight years since the Tower of Heaven's construction began, Jellal had focused all his energy on fulfilling those conditions.

Now, Etherion was moments from striking. Soon, he would have the magic power he needed.

And as for the living sacrifice…

Jellal's eyes fell on the bloodied and battered figure of Erza Scarlet standing before him.

He smiled.

"Taste it, Erza. The bitter flavor of false freedom. Why did you charge straight toward me instead of running away?"

Erza's breath came in hard gasps. Her body was covered in bruises and cuts. The Sky Wheel Armor had already shattered. Her Black Wing Armor had been torn apart. Even her Flight Armor couldn't endure another hit.

But her will—her will was still unshaken.

"I came here to save my friends," she said through gritted teeth, "and to finish what we started… you and I."

Dark energy pulsed in the air—Jellal had been using forbidden magic from the beginning. It had worn her down, pushed her to her limits.

But Erza wasn't finished yet.

"Requip—Purgatory Armor!"

A new flash of light burst around her. When it cleared, she stood tall in pitch-black armor heavy with divine pressure. Thick plates covered her body, and in her hand appeared a jagged, massive broadsword that required both arms to wield.

The tip of the sword dragged across the floor as she stepped forward, sparking against the stone and sending chips of rock flying in her wake.

Jellal narrowed his eyes.

"Purgatory Armor? Hah… Doesn't really suit a place called the 'Tower of Heaven,' don't you think?"

He raised his left hand, fingers spread wide. "Dark Rapture—Serpent Bind!"

From his palm, five serpentine streams of black energy slithered through the air like living shadows, each one hissing as it flew toward Erza.

Her crimson eyes flashed.

"What Heaven? This place is nothing but true hell!"

She swung her great blade in a sweeping arc, cleaving through all five serpents in one powerful motion. Then, without losing momentum, she pivoted her grip and brought the broadsword down with full force—straight at Jellal's neck.

Jellal swiftly leapt backward, pulling his left fist close before thrusting his right index finger forward.

A sudden burst of dark energy shot through the air and struck Erza hard on the shoulder, detonating on impact. The blow staggered her, halting her forward momentum.

Without missing a beat, Jellal lunged forward. His left hand curled into a claw, and five black, serpentine shadows slithered forth from his palm. They twisted through the air, bypassing Erza's heavy broadsword, and coiled around her wrist. The snakes slinked up her shoulder and locked down her arm.

She gritted her teeth, trying to resist—but it wasn't over yet.

Another five serpents burst from Jellal's right hand, binding her waist and coiling up around her throat.

"Ghh—!" Erza gasped as the pressure tightened. The jagged sword slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor.

She struggled desperately, but the constriction was too strong. Her limbs were pinned, and she couldn't even reach up to pry the shadowy coils from her neck.

"You can't win, Erza," Jellal said, stepping forward, his voice low and smug. "I acknowledge your strength—but right now, you're far too weak."

He stood before her now, staring into her pained eyes.

"Come," he continued, spreading his arms wide. "Become Zeref's sacrifice. That is your fate… your honor! Everything has been predestined. With your offering, we'll usher in a new era. Even if you won't live to see it—you'll become eternal in another form."

He spoke as if reciting prophecy, but Erza's thoughts narrowed in on a single line.

"Yes… I'm too weak."

Because she was weak, she always wore armor.

Because she was weak, she clung to the safety and warmth of the guild.

Because she was weak, she constantly worried she wouldn't be able to protect the ones she loved.

The armor she always wore had shielded her—not just from enemy attacks, but from her own fears and anxieties. Yet, even so, the warmth of the guild had always found a way to seep through the cracks in her defenses. Her friends had shown her what true connection meant. They gave her strength even when she doubted herself.

That's why—

Erza's black armor vanished in a shimmer of light.

In its place was her iconic Clear Heart Clothing: a simple crimson hakama with golden flame designs and a white chest wrap. It was her most vulnerable form, and her most resolute.

The instant the armor faded, she twisted her body with newfound freedom.

Twin katanas flashed into her hands with a burst of requip magic.

With a single fluid movement, she cleaved through the dark serpents binding her. One by one, the snakes dissolved into mist and vanished.

Barefoot, standing tall with her crimson ponytail swaying behind her, the Titania of Fairy Tail locked eyes with her foe—no longer clouded by fear or hesitation.

"I'm done wavering."

Her voice rang out like steel.

"For the sake of my comrades, for the ones who came here to save me. I'll transform all my strength, all my heart—into power to defeat you!"