Tower of Heaven, Part Five

At the top of the Tower of Heaven, Jellal sat on a throne-like chair, his fingers lightly tapping the armrests, his gaze fixed on the magical monitor in front of him.

In the surveillance footage, Riyao and Mirajane were wreaking havoc at the bottom of the tower. Black flames and purple energy waves bombarded the tower alternately, and the minions fell like wheat being harvested. The entire hall at the bottom of the tower was riddled with holes.

Jellal watched this scene and couldn't help but sneer, his lips curving upwards and his eyes filled with contempt.

"You think you can destroy the R-System like this? How naive."

His fingers stopped tapping, he leaned forward slightly, and his tone was somewhat playful.

"This tower took eight years to build, using special magic stones that can absorb magic power. The attacks from just two demons were merely recharging it."

Erza, who was running around inside the tower, also sensed the familiar magical fluctuations and paused slightly.

That dark, destructive magic is Mirajane's Satan Soul.

Another, more ancient and dangerous form of magic is the Demon Form of the Riyao.

She gritted her teeth and kept running, but a slight sense of relief washed over her. They were coming.

Happy was kept in the cat room, which was furnished with soft cushions and provided with cat food and dried fish—she was being treated quite well.

But Happy wasn't worried at all. He crouched in the corner, feeling the tower trembling in waves, and thought Natsu had come to rescue him, muttering to himself.

"Natsu, come save me!"

Riyao and Mirajane didn't intend to destroy the tower; they simply wanted to lure the enemy over to avoid the trouble of fighting along the way.

After clearing the bottom of the tower, the two flew up. Their demonic wings darted through the tower's corridors at a speed many times faster than climbing the stairs, and they quickly caught up with Natsu and the others.

Mirajane landed in the corridor, put away the Satan Soul, and pouted unhappily, looking like she hadn't had enough.

"Oh no, that's it? We haven't had our fill yet!"

Riyao also retracted his Demon Form, let out a long sigh, stretched his neck, and wore a satisfied smile.

"I haven't had this much fun mowing in ages. The last time I had this much fun was on Galuna Island."

Lucy stared wide-eyed at the two people who had fallen from the sky, her face filled with disbelief.

"You've caught up with us so quickly, fighting as you went! We've been running all this way!"

Natsu, standing nearby, said sourly, "So what if you can fly?"

Riyao patted Natsu's head. "Hey, you're right, that's amazing."

Natsu was so angry he wanted to bite him, but his stomach suddenly growled, and his anger vanished instantly.

Just then, the group noticed a room next to the corridor with the door ajar, inside which was a table laden with a sumptuous feast.

Grilled meat, bread, fruit, desserts, and drinks—everything was available, steaming hot and emitting enticing aromas.

Riyao and Mirajane exchanged a glance, then went inside simultaneously, pulled out chairs, sat down, picked up their utensils, and began to eat.

Natsu and Gray followed closely behind, and the four of them sat around the table, enjoying their meal.

Only Lucy and Juvia hadn't eaten; the two stood at the door, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Lucy looked at the four people who seemed completely oblivious to the danger and couldn't help but complain.

"No, how could you eat it? What if it's poisonous?"

Riyao put down his chopsticks and looked at Lucy speechlessly, while Mirajane chuckled and wiped his mouth with a tissue.

"Have you forgotten that there's a healing mage here?"

Lucy paused for a moment, then scratched her head and chuckled awkwardly.

"Sorry, sorry, I was so impressed by your fighting strength that I forgot about this function of Riyao."

Riyao criticized harshly, pointing his chopsticks at Lucy.

"Don't just focus on complaining and forget about the setting!"

╮(╯_╰)╭

Lucy shrank back, quickly pulled Juvia down to sit, and picked up a piece of bread as well.

Juvia ate in small bites, occasionally stealing glances at Gray as he ate, her face as red as a ripe apple.

Gray ate his meat with gusto, completely oblivious to Juvia's gaze.

Just as everyone was enjoying their meal, hurried footsteps and the clanging of metal echoed down the corridor.

Erza charged in fully armed, her armor still bearing the marks of battle, her breathing slightly rapid, but her aura remained fierce.

When everyone saw Erza, they all looked up and greeted her.

"Hey, Erza." Riyao waved his chopsticks.

"Eru-chan, want a piece?" Mirajane held up a piece of grilled meat.

"Erza, are you alright?" Natsu's mouth was stuffed with meat.

They had absolutely no sense of crisis.

Erza watched the group of people leisurely eating their meal in the enemy's stronghold. Her lips twitched slightly, but she quickly regained her serious expression.

▼_▼

She took a deep breath and spoke.

"Go back, this is none of your business, it's my fate."

The air fell silent for a moment.

Mirajane put down the roasted meat in his hand, slowly stood up, and the smile on his face disappeared, replaced by obvious dissatisfaction.

"What do you mean it's none of our business? Stop being so self-righteous!"

Erza, unusually, didn't argue with Mirajane. She lowered her head, remained silent, and gripped the hilt of her sword with both hands until her knuckles turned white.

Mirajane frowned, stepped forward, and reached out to lift Erza's chin, making her raise her head.

What came into view was Erza's reddened eyes, tears welling up in them, her lips trembling slightly, looking as if she was about to cry.

The Titania, revealing her vulnerable side in front of everyone for the first time, is truly pitiful.

Mirajane's expression changed slightly, from dissatisfaction to heartache, but she still didn't hold back her words.

"Just cry if you want to! Is it so embarrassing to rely on us once? You're usually so capable, why are you acting all dramatic now?"

When people are vulnerable, the more they are comforted, the more likely they are to cry.

Mirajane's words were harsh, but every word carried warmth, as if they had pried open Erza's last line of defense.

Erza pursed her lips, her eyes brimming with tears, her lips trembling more and more violently, until finally, she could no longer hold back.

She suddenly buried her face in front of Mirajane, grabbed Mirajane sleeves with both hands, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed softly.

It was the release of eight years' worth of grievances, guilt, and fear.

Mirajane sighed, reached out and expertly stroked Erza's head, her movements gentle, as if comforting a wounded little animal.

She didn't say anything more, just stood there silently, letting Erza lean against her.

Riyao sat at the table, viciously biting a bone, making a cracking sound. His bite force was terrifying; the bone shattered in his mouth like a crisp biscuit.

ㅍ_ㅍ

Lucy and Juvia quietly moved away from Riyao, afraid of being bitten.

Lucy silently thought to herself, "Does she even have to be jealous of Erza?! Can't she be serious for once?!"

Natsu finished eating, let out a loud burp, then put one foot on the chair and clenched his fist.

"Since this place makes Erza unhappy, then let's tear it down!!"

Gray leaned back in his chair coolly, crossed his arms, and nodded.

"It's rare to hear such a good explanation from that silly Fire Dragon."

Juvia looked at Gray's profile, her heart racing, her face flushing, her hands clutching her chest, her mind already wandering.

What should she and Lord Gray name their children? How many should they have? Boys or girls? Where will they live when they get old? Where will they be buried after they die?

She has already planned out their entire lives.

Riyao bit the bone in his hand, and fragments fell from the corner of his mouth. He licked his teeth, but his mind was on something else entirely.

Jellal.

I'm definitely going to beat that bastard up later to vent my anger.

He'd already let Mira comfort Erza, but to make Erza cry like this was unforgivable; he'd remember that.

Lucy looked at the broken bone in Riyao's hand, then at the imposing aura surrounding Riyao, and silently took two steps back.

Σ( ° △ °|||)

She felt that the current Riyao was more terrifying than an unknown enemy.