Tower of Heaven, Part One

Akane, a famous seaside resort in the Kingdom of Fiore, is a holiday paradise.

Next to the vast amusement park is a five-star resort hotel, its white buildings gleaming in the sunlight, like a palace standing by the sea.

There are also enchanting beaches that you won't be able to resist once you've visited them, with soft white sand stretching for dozens of meters.

And the beautiful sea that stretches to the horizon, its azure waters shimmering in the sunlight.

The sea breeze carries the salty, damp scent of sea air and the coconut aroma of sunscreen, creating a perfect vacation atmosphere.

A fierce beach volleyball match is underway on the beach.

Erza, Gray, and Lucy form a team.

Mirajane, Riyao, and Natsu are on the same team.

Happy stood on the referee's platform, which was actually just a beach chair with a stick stuck in it and a small flag tied to the stick. Happy squatted on it, looking like a serious referee.

The two sides faced off across the net, the air thick with tension; this was no vacation, it was a battlefield.

Bang!!

Natsu unleashed a powerful and fiery smash, the volleyball whistling past as it was enveloped in flames.

Lucy had no time to react; she was hit by the volleyball and sent flying like a cannonball.

She plunged headfirst into the sand dune, leaving only her legs sticking out as she kicked wildly, sand slipping away from her feet.

Happy raised the flag, his voice booming.

"Mirajane's team scores a point!"

Lucy struggled to climb out of the sand pile, her head, face, and mouth all covered in sand. She covered her face and screamed.

"Is this a game of basketball or murder, Natsu?!"

ヽ('⌒´メ)ノ

Natsu stood in front of the net, hands on his hips, laughing heartily and revealing a set of white teeth.

"I'm so sorry."

There was no trace of apology on his face; instead, he looked smug.

A blue head popped out from behind the parasol of a beach chair in the distance, biting a handkerchief, cupping its hands to its heart, and staring at Gray on the court with a flushed face.

"Lord Gray looks so cool when he plays basketball."

(´つヮ⊂︎)

Juvia lay sprawled on the beach chair, her body twisted into a pretzel, her handkerchief nearly torn to shreds from her chewing.

The match was quite intense, with the volleyball flying back and forth between the two sides.

Each shot was imbued with magical light and astonishing power, attracting many tourists to watch.

The crowd grew larger and larger; some held up drinks, some wore sunglasses, and some simply stood on beach chairs to watch.

Gray jumped up to serve, his hands gathering icy blue magic.

"Ice-Make - Ice Hockey!"

The volleyball was encased in ice in his hands, transforming into a chilling ice ball that whistled through the net.

Ice crystals drifted through the air, leaving tiny ice pellets on the beach.

Riyao caught the puck with both hands together, his body was knocked backward, and his feet plowed two deep furrows in the sand, sending sand flying.

He withstood the impact and passed the ball to Mirajane. Mirajane set it back, and Riyao leaped high and slammed it down.

"Enchantment Magic - Power, Golden Whirlwind!"

Riyao's entire arm was bulging with veins as he slammed his palm onto the volleyball. The volleyball flew out with terrifying spin, its trajectory almost invisible.

Fortunately, the volleyballs were reinforced with Riyao Chemical from the beginning; otherwise, with this kind of treatment, ordinary volleyballs would have exploded eight hundred times over.

The ball slammed towards Erza, Erza instantly switched to her Giant Armor, crossed her arms, and caught the volleyball. The immense impact forced her back two steps, but she caught it steadily.

The spinning volleyball bounced towards Lucy. In her haste, Lucy stretched out her hands but failed to catch it, and unconsciously kicked the volleyball into the air.

Gray gathered magic in his hands, creating a giant fly swatter, and swatted the volleyball back into the air.

Natsu leaped up and kicked the volleyball back with a bicycle kick, flames bursting from his toes.

"The Fire Dragon's Upside-Down Kick!"

Gray caught the ball with both hands and bounced it into the air.

Erza leaped up, stepping on Lucy's shoulder. Lucy screamed in pain as Erza took to the air, switching into her Purgatory Armor mid-air.

"Hellfire Smash!"

The volleyball, igniting flames from friction with the air, hurtled towards us.

Riyao lunged forward, glided past, reached out and lifted the ball, passing it over Mirajane.

Mirajane received the Satan Soul, his demonic wings unfurled, and he soared into the air, swinging his arm fiercely at the highest point.

"Demon Slayer Ball!"

The volleyball, imbued with dark magic, hurtled towards the other side, sending a cloud of sand billowing up from the beach.

As the ball was struck from both sides, the surrounding tourists erupted in gasps of surprise, creating an atmosphere even more enthusiastic than at a concert.

"That's amazing! That Fire Dragon guy is so cool!"

"Isn't that cold-faced guy cheating by doing that?"

"This must be what magicians' volleyball is like, how exciting!"

"That white-haired girl is so cool! And those demon wings are so awesome!"

"The red-haired girl is pretty too, and she looks great in her Requip!"

"Go for it, blondie! I believe in you!"

"Was that blonde woman running around with her head in her hands a tourist who accidentally wandered in?"

Lucy ran around the court, dodging the volleyballs that flew at her most of the time, and almost cried when she heard the tourists' comments.

Don't you guys think that little blue cat is adorable?

A child was pointing at Happy.

Happy waved the flag triumphantly.

"Hey-hey."

(´つヮ⊂︎)

Just as the game was getting intense, Juvia seized the opportunity and rushed in, shoving Lucy out of the way.

Lucy stumbled a few steps after being pushed, and before she could react, Juvia was already standing in her place, her hands clenched into fists in front of her chest, looking at Gray with a flushed face.

"Lord Gray! Let me join you!"

Gray was stunned for a moment, and before he could say anything, Riyao hit a smash ball right at him.

The volleyball, spinning golden, hurtled towards them, and Juvia confidently stretched out his hands to receive it.

She's a water mage; her body can transform into water. What's a mere volleyball compared to that?

The volleyball hit Juvia, passed right through her body, and landed on the beach. The volleyball was still spinning violently, circling the sand several times before coming to a stop.

Juvia's body transformed from solid to flowing water, and the volleyball passed through without any obstruction.

The surrounding tourists quieted down; everyone had witnessed the volleyball passing through a person's body.

Then a gasp erupted.

"Ahhh! Murder!"

"That girl got shot through!"

"Call a doctor immediately!"

"The mages are fighting!"

The crowd began to stir; some screamed, some backed away, and some pulled out their communicators to call the police.

Staff members quickly arrived, carrying first-aid kits and looking very nervous.

Erza quickly apologized, changed back into casual clothes, and bowed to the staff.

"I'm very sorry, this is a misunderstanding. She is not injured; she just has a special physical condition."

Juvia crouched on the ground, covering her face with her hands, peeking out one eye from between her fingers to peek at Gray.

"I'm sorry, Lord Gray, I didn't do a good job."

Gray scratched his head, looking helpless, unsure of what to say.

He glanced at Juvia crouching on the ground, then at the terrified staff, then at the still-spinning volleyball, and finally could only sigh.

Riyao stood on the other side of the net, cracking sunflower seeds with a look of anticipation, while Mirajane laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight.

Natsu tilted his head, looking at Juvia's water-transformed body, and muttered something under his breath.

"How did she turn into water? That's so strange."

Happy raised the flag and solemnly announced.

"Juvia fails to receive the ball, Mirajane's team scores another point!"

Lucy climbed out of the sand pile, looked at the chaotic scene, and sighed helplessly.

"I just want to have a nice vacation."

The sea breeze remained gentle, and the waves remained soft, but the chaos on the beach would clearly take some time to subside.