While Fairy Tail Guild Master Makarov and Mirajane were finally managing to persuade a certain troublesome little girl to hurry off and rescue the others, they had no idea that, near the coast of Kairūm, inside the tower that had risen once more from the sea—the R-System once built by a magic cult that worshipped black magic, and recently rebuilt as the Tower of Heaven—Erza, Lucy, Natsu, and Gray were actually perfectly fine.
In fact, Erza and the others didn't need rescuing at all. She had already escaped safely, and was now planning to defeat someone and destroy the Tower of Heaven, in order to stop an evil ritual that could begin at any moment.
"!!"
"So..."
"Erza, you mean your friend wants to... resurrect that evil black mage called Zeref?"
"The same conspiracy Eisenwald came up with against the Guild Masters—the one we barely managed to foil? The monster inside that flute was created by him?"
As they walked and listened to Erza's account, Gray finally understood why, after escaping, she hadn't hurried to leave with them, but instead wanted to defeat someone here first.
"Not just that monster!"
"The demon Deliora, whom we destroyed on Demon Island, was the same. It must have been one of the demons in Zeref's dark grimoire, too!"
"So, everyone, we have to stop Jellal, no matter what!"
"Otherwise..."
"If Zeref is resurrected, this world will be in danger!"
"And according to what Hugh, the man who held me captive, said, the resurrection ritual should begin soon. Zeref may be resurrected at dawn!"
"We don't have much time left..."
After steadying herself, Erza clenched the sword in her hand and strode forward resolutely.
This was where she and her companions had once resisted and won their freedom. Now she had returned once more,