Beating Up Jellal

Lucy and Wendy were both at a loss.

The sudden activation of Nirvana left the two frozen in place, staring blankly at the colossal structure that rose from the ground, their mouths agape, wide enough to fit an egg.

Riyao wasn't too surprised; the seal of Nirvana wouldn't last long anyway.

It was only thanks to the guild leader of the Cait Shelter's patchwork that they managed to hold on for a little longer.

Even without the Oración Seis and Jellal to break the seal, it will eventually break when he disappears.

Riyao led a group of people to Nirvana. A huge mobile fortress was in front of them, and they could climb up its six thick legs.

At that moment, Hibiki connected with everyone through Telepathy Magic.

An invisible magical bond was established among all members of the Allied Forces, and a clear voice resounded in everyone's consciousness, as if speaking right next to their ear.

Riyao happened to share the distribution map of both friendly and enemy forces that it had sensed.

His Life Magic allowed him to sense the presence and location of all living beings within a radius of several kilometers. This information was transmitted to everyone through Xiang's Telepathy Magic, and a clear battlefield map appeared in everyone's mind.

Riyao's voice traveled through Telepathy Magic into everyone's minds, his tone as casual as if he were calling roll before a battle.

"There's no need to worry about the remaining loose scraps. As for the remaining big bosses, Lucy and Hibiki will take care of Angel."

Happy's voice trembled with excitement.

"Aye! Natsu and I are dealing with that Cobra!"

Gray's weak voice rang out.

"Lyon, Sherry, and I took care of that speedster."

Jura's tone carried a hint of disbelief and confusion, as if he had seen a fish suddenly decide to come ashore for a walk.

"Uh... something's strange on my end... Hoteye has suddenly become kind and wants to join us in stopping Nirvana."

Riyao raised an eyebrow. The power of Nirvana had already begun to leak out, so it wasn't surprising that Hoteye was affected.

I won't be able to use my Demon Form anymore.

The sound rang out again, tinged with uncertainty.

"Yes, Jura, I have found information about Nirvana. Nirvana's legs are absorbing the earth's magic power. Once enough magic power is available, it will activate. It will require the simultaneous destruction of six cores to stop it."

Riyao scratched his head, realizing he couldn't understand this problem while watching anime.

His tone was filled with undisguised disdain, as if he were criticizing a poorly designed game instance.

"Where did this intelligence come from, and is the method of stopping it so hasty?"

The sound carried a hint of bewilderment.

"I don't know either. There are just a sudden increase in related records about Archive Magic. As for the method to stop it, it seems that it's so simple because Nirvana has been neglected for many years."

Riyao thought about it and guessed that it was the guild leader of the Cait Shelter who was exerting his influence, after all, he was the designer of Nirvana.

Upon reaching Nirvana, atop the massive mobile fortress lies a dilapidated city, revealing its former prosperity.

Riyao led the group toward the meeting point, where they began to meet up along the way.

Gray, Lyon, and Sherry emerged from the woods, Jura appeared at the other end of the fortress with Hoteye kind smile on her face.

Riyao discovers that there are patients who need him, so he sends Lucy, Wendy, and Carla to the hospital.

He turned a corner and headed towards Erza and Jellal.

From afar, he saw Erza and Jellal sitting face to face.

The two stood on the edge of Nirvana, a scene as beautiful as an oil painting.

Riyao's lips curled up; he couldn't suppress the wicked thoughts lurking in his mind.

"I do not agree to this marriage!"

His voice carried far on the night wind, carrying the force of a parent trying to separate a loving couple, so loud that the entire Nirvana could hear it.

Erza and Jellal were both startled, their bodies tensing as they turned their heads in unison.

Erza's hand was already on the hilt of her sword, and Jellal instinctively assumed a defensive stance, but upon seeing that the newcomer was Riyao, their expressions simultaneously became complicated.

Erza her grip on the sword hilt, her tone tinged with the embarrassment of being caught red-handed by her parents.

"Riyao, what brings you here?"

Jellal blinked, his dazed brain still struggling to process the information.

"Elder brother?"

Erza's voice instantly rose eight octaves, her eyes widened, and her expression changed from shock to confusion.

"When did Riyao become your older brother?!"

Riyao waved his hand and walked up to Jellal with an indifferent expression.

"Don't worry about these trivial matters. Let me see if Jellal's brain is all right."

His fists glowed green, and a soft, emerald-green healing magic condensed on them, forming a gentle film that looked incredibly kind.

He raised his head and revealed a gentle smile, a smile as bright as the spring sunshine, so warm that it made people let down their guard.

Then he mounted Jellal and began unleashing a barrage of punches.

"Ora ora ora..."

Each punch landed precisely on Jellal's head, the emerald green healing magic flowing into his brain the instant the fists made contact.

Like an invisible scalpel, it precisely cuts through the neural circuits corrupted by demons, while simultaneously repairing the damaged fragments of memory.

The sound of the fist landing was dull and rhythmic, like the beating of a drum, which, combined with the "Ora Ora" chants from Riyao's mouth, created a strange healing symphony.

Jellal was pinned to the ground, his hands weakly raised in an attempt to resist, but each struggle was met with a punch from Riyao.

His head swayed from side to side under Riyao's fist, his eyes gradually clearing from a dazed state.

It felt like being doused with a bucket of cold water from head to toe; his muddled consciousness gradually cleared under the impact of the fist.

Erza reached out to stop her, but her hand was halfway out before she pulled it back, then she reached it out again before pulling it back again.

"That Riyao, he should be fine now, so we probably don't need to."

Riyao glanced at Erza, his gaze calm yet sharp, like a knife that saw through everything.

Erza shrank back, like a primary school student being called on by the teacher, and subconsciously took half a step back.

Riyao ignored her and continued attacking.

"Erza, you can never go back to the beginning."

Riyao's voice came from between the punches, his tone no longer playful, but carrying an unusual seriousness.

"Don't tell me you'll share the blame or anything like that. You can't help him; being around him will only constantly remind him of the mistakes he's made."

His words were like a sharp knife, precisely cutting through the thin layer of pretense in Erza's heart.

Erza fell silent upon hearing this.

Her hand slid off the hilt of the sword and hung at her side, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Her knuckles were white as she gripped the sword hilt, a testament to the immense effort she exerted to control her emotions.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, her Adam's apple bobbed as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing.

Jellal initially wanted to put up a fight, but as Riyao's fists rained down, a surge of emerald-green healing magic flooded his brain like a tidal wave.

The chaotic consciousness gradually cleared, and past memories gradually came together, like a shattered mirror being pieced back together.

Those sealed, distorted, and demonically altered memories gradually regained their original form under the cleansing magic.

He thought of the Tower of Heaven, of those he had manipulated, and of the crimes he had committed.

He realized how cruel and unforgivable his past behavior was, even if it wasn't his intention.

Although the demon controlled his body, the crimes were real, the people's suffering was real, and their tears were real.

Whether he did it voluntarily or not, he must take responsibility for it.

Jellal's eyes were slightly red, his expression pained, as he was repeatedly washed over by those sinful memories.

He simply lay quietly on the ground, letting Riyao's fists fall on his head again and again. Each impact made him more conscious and heavier in his heart.

To prevent them from getting stuck on a single point, Riyao thought for a moment and then spoke up.

"Jellal, now that you're awake, it's time to pay the price for what you've done. Remember Ultear? She needs help."

Jellal's voice was hoarse and low, incomprehensible.

"Her? She's the one who controlled me."

"My situation is similar to yours. We'll get more details when she contacts you. Brain is the mastermind."

Riyao spoke calmly, as if stating a fact.

"Also, the Magic Council's Rune Knights are around the Worth Woodsea. If you don't want to be caught and taken back, you'd better leave now."

Jellal was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

He sat up from the ground, his gaze shifting back and forth between Riyao and Erza. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something to Erza, but in the end he said nothing.

He stood up and walked towards the edge of Nirvana, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.

After finishing his attack, Riyao pulled Erza away, even giving her a light tap on the head.

"How old were you back then? Were you so precocious?"

His tone was sarcastic, but his eyes held a brotherly helplessness.

Erza covered her head, pursed her lips, and her face flushed.

Her ears turned red, her gaze darted away, avoiding Riyao's eyes, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes, radiating an embarrassment as if her secret had been exposed.

"I... I... I'll go back and tell Mira you bullied me."

Her voice was muffled, as if she were saying something in anger, or as if she was looking for a way to back down.

Riyao rolled his eyes. Mira would only praise me for doing a great job.

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