Tower of Heaven, Part Four

The small boat pushed through the waves, and the black tower was reflected on the sea.

A small fishing boat slowly moves forward on the vast sea, with several people crammed on board, creating a highly incongruous scene.

Riyao sat at the bow of the boat, legs crossed, cracking sunflower seeds, while Mirajane leaned on his shoulder, eyes closed, resting.

Gray leaned against the ship's railing with his arms crossed, Juvia sat next to Gray looking happy, Lucy looked around with binoculars in hand.

The star-studded lineup for this raid on the Tower of Heaven: Riyao, Mirajane, Gray, Juvia, Lucy, and Natsu.

Riyao couldn't help but laugh out loud at the thought of this lineup, his shoulders shaking so much he almost spilled his sunflower seeds.

Mirajane opened her eyes, leaned on Riyao's shoulder, tilted her head to look at his profile, and spoke with a hint of mockery.

"What are you laughing at? Tell me so I can have a laugh too."

Riyao fabricated stories without batting an eye, his face completely serious.

"I can't help but laugh at the thought of Erza being kidnapped. A dignified S-Class Mage being taken away by a bunch of kids, it's hilarious."

Mirajane reached out and pinched his cheek.

You're kidding me.

Riyao chuckled, offering no denial.

Lucy put down her binoculars, looked at the vast, boundless sea, frowned, and turned to look at Natsu was lying on the stern of the boat.

"Natsu, are you sure this is the right direction?"

When everyone turned around, they saw that Natsu was seasick.

He lay sprawled on the edge of the boat, his face deathly pale, groaning in pain. The sea breeze made him vomit.

Natsu has developed resistance to the Riyao's anti-drowsiness transportation magic; Natsu can only rely on his willpower to resist it.

However, it was clear that Natsu couldn't resist.

He lay on the edge of the boat, weakly raising one hand and pointing ahead.

"Over there... I smell Erza's scent."

_(´ཀ`" ∠)__

Then he lay down and dry heaved a few times.

Gray, displeased with Natsu's appearance, kicked Natsu's butt.

"We came here because we trusted your nose! You better pull it together!"

Juvia immediately chimed in, hands on hips, looking indignant.

"To think that I would betray Lord Gray's trust is truly unbelievable."

Natsu didn't even have the energy to argue; all he could do was roll his eyes.

Just then, Riyao sensed something amiss in the distance, stood up, and dropped the sunflower seeds in his hand.

He squinted at the southeast direction and clicked his tongue twice.

"Oh ho, the wreckage of ships belonging to the Kingdom of Fiore's army."

The others followed Riyao's gaze and saw broken planks, charred canvas, and an overturned ship floating on the sea.

The wreckage was scattered across the sea within a radius of several hundred meters, some of it still emitting black smoke.

Lucy gasped and covered her mouth.

"Oh my god, what's going on?"

Mirajane pondered for a moment, then her expression turned serious.

"It seems the Tower of Heaven is backed by a considerable organization; even the kingdom's regular army has come to suppress it."

Natsu also sensed the danger. He forced himself to stay awake and climbed up from the edge of the ship. Although his face was still pale, his fists were clenched tightly.

As the boat continued its journey, the group could now see the Tower of Heaven.

It was a gigantic, black, tower-like structure, standing on the sea like a black nail piercing the sky, exuding an unsettling aura.

Juvia stood up, pushed forward with both hands, and manipulated the water flow to form a hemispherical shape that covered the small boat, the water curtain reflecting the sunlight.

The entire ship was concealed behind a shimmering curtain of water, appearing from the outside as just an ordinary expanse of waves.

Riyao gave a thumbs-up, his face full of admiration.

"Hey, not bad! Here's a picture of Gray emerging from the bath as a reward."

Juvia's eyes lit up instantly, like two glowing light bulbs, and he clenched his fists in front of his chest, his face full of anticipation.

Enraged, Gray's face flushed red, and he grabbed Riyao by the collar.

"Hey! When did you take this picture?!"

As he spoke, he lunged forward to snatch the things from Riyao's body.

Riyao reached out and pressed down on Gray's head, while Gray's arms flailed wildly in the air.

But he just couldn't reach the Riyao; the height difference between the two caused Gray's attacks to miss completely.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I don't have the photo on me. I'll show you the original when we get back."

ㄟ(▔,▔)ㄏ

Gray's face turned even redder, whether from anger or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

The small boat approached the safe zone that Riyao sensed. Riyao stood at the bow of the boat, and the magic power within his body began to surge.

[Life Mimicry - Demon]

Black magic erupted from Riyao's body, demonic wings unfurled behind him, and sharp horns sprouted from both sides of his forehead.

In his Demon Form, Riyao lifted the entire small boat, flapped his demon wings, and carried the boat across the last stretch of water, landing steadily on the shore.

Mirajane jumped off the boat, looked around, and asked doubtfully, "Is it alright for us to just swagger in like this?"

Although she was puzzled, she still received the Satan Soul, and demonic wings unfolded.

The two stood together, looking like they were wearing matching outfits, except Mirajane's main color was purple, while Riyao's was black. One purple and one black, exuding a menacing aura.

Riyao gestured, his tone relaxed.

"I just sensed that there's no place on the entire island where enemies are not present, and I can vaguely feel someone watching us. There's no point in sneaking around; we might as well just charge in."

Natsu circled around the Riyao, tilting his head to look at it from left to right.

"Why is your form different from the last time you attacked me? Your form last time was even scarier. I can smell my scent on you again."

Gray spoke up, arms crossed, looking at him with an expression that said, "You're an idiot."

"Idiot, if someone dressed like Mira, it would be obvious what's going on."

Riyao patted Natsu's head.

"Never mind that. You take Lucy and the others to find Erza and Happy. Mira and I will go on a rampage at the bottom of the tower."

Natsu nodded. Although he was still a little dizzy, the thought of Erza and Happy being kidnapped made his anger outweigh his discomfort.

"Walk!"

Natsu, along with Gray, Juvia, and Lucy, rushed into the tower and ran up the stairs.

Riyao and Mirajane remained in the main hall at the bottom of the tower.

The hall was packed with soldiers, at least a hundred of them, all dressed in uniform black and armed. When they saw the two demons enter, they all nervously raised their weapons.

Riyao glanced at it, grinned, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth.

"Heh heh, lots of grunts."

Mirajane also revealed a wicked smile, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, and the little tuft of hair on his forehead swaying gently.

"Let's begin."

The two demons charged into the crowd like wolves among sheep.

Riyao gathered jet-black flames in each of his hands, the black flames dancing in his palms and radiating scorching heat.

He pushed his hands forward, unleashing a series of terrifying energy waves. Each wave carried destructive power, and wherever it passed, the soldiers fell like wheat being harvested.

"Ink Flame Heaven-Burning Kill..."

ヾ^_^♪

The pitch-black flames spread through the hall, engulfing everything. The soldiers screamed and scattered in all directions, but they couldn't outrun the speed of the energy waves.

Mirajane stood with the Riyao behind him, his demonic wings unfurled, and he gathered purple dark magic in his hands, unleashing waves of energy that hit their targets precisely with every strike.

"Demon Blast!"

Purple energy waves and black flames intertwined, forming a destructive storm in the hall.

The number of minions decreased at a visible rate, the entire Tower of Heaven shook violently from the explosion, and rubble rained down from the ceiling.

The two demons moved through the crowd, their movements perfectly synchronized, like one person.

Riyao was responsible for the frontal breakthrough, while Mirajane was responsible for sweeping the flanks. The two stood back to back, like two ruthless harvesters, leaving nothing but devastation in their wake.

In less than five minutes, the thugs in the hall were cleared out.

Riyao dusted off his hands, looked around, and saw fallen soldiers everywhere, charred marks on the walls, and the smell of burning filling the air.

"Warm-up complete."

Mirajane, a devilish smile still playing on his lips, asked, "The next level?"

Riyao took Mirajane's hand and led her towards the stairs. "Next floor."

Meanwhile, Lucy, on the upper floor, glimpsed the battle between Riyao and Mirajane at the bottom of the tower through a gap in the stairwell. She was so shocked that her jaw nearly dropped.

"Wow, this pair is just too destructive! I won't dare say anything bad about Riyao next time."

╭(°A°`)╮

Juvia also spoke up, her tone full of admiration.

"Both of you are very strong, much stronger than Juvia."

Natsu urged them on from the front.

"Stop looking! Let's go! Erza is still up there!"

The group quickly went upstairs, following Natsu's nose to find Erza and Happy.