Once he recovered, Jellal forced the wooden hands apart and took out a Communication Device. As it activated, an image was projected before him.
Inside a dim ship's cabin, a scarlet-haired girl in work clothes was bound to the wall by a special rope with cat-paw-shaped ends.
It looked as though she had only recently been captured and was still being transported.
Blanc stared at the image, freezing for a moment. Then his brows drew together, his expression grave.
"It seems you care a great deal about this childhood friend of mine." Jellal watched Blanc's expression with satisfaction. "She's in my people's hands now. If you don't want anything to happen to her, you'd better not make any rash moves."
Blanc let out a long inward sigh, both worried and exasperated. This situation was unexpected, yet it made sense.
It was unexpected because Erza should have been at the guild right now. That she could be captured in her own home base was simply baffling.
Besides, Blanc wasn't particularly worried about Erza's strength. In the original story, if her overflowing sympathy hadn't left her open to a surprise attack, she could have taken down the Tower of Heaven herself.
But expecting her not to let her sympathy get the better of her was hardly realistic. The fact that she had been captured without a sound this time was surely because she had let her guard down around her childhood companions.
He was the one left suffering for it. Now he couldn't enjoy the fight. He had to find a way to rescue Erza first.
Jellal took Blanc's silence for wavering and said with a smile:
"Now it's your turn to choose, Blanc."
"Surrender and come with me. Trade yourself for Erza."
"Or abandon her."
He spread his hands, his tone