"Alright! Time to throw down and have some fun!" Natsu's body erupted in flames, his fighting spirit blazing.
"I'm all fired up!!"
"Hold it!" Gray stared at the hotheaded idiot, exasperated. "Can you at least figure out what's going on first?"
Lucy opened her mouth to explain, but then, remembering past experiences, she decided to give it a shot. Mimicking Mira's tone and demeanor, she tentatively said, "Like this, like that?"
Natsu immediately shot her a look like she was the idiot. "Lucy, what the heck are you talking about?"
"Ugh, figures it wouldn't work," Lucy muttered, her shoulders slumping.
Mira giggled nearby, raising a hand. "Lucy, you're doing it wrong~ It's more like—" She cleared her throat and repeated in the same vague way, "Like this, like that~"
Natsu slammed his fist into his palm, his face lighting up with realization. "Oh! Got it! We're gonna take down the jerk building that evil tower and save Kagura's brother and his friends, right?"
Lucy's jaw dropped, practically hitting the floor as her mind screamed, What?! How is that any different from what I said?! Why does he get it when SHE says it?!
Mira, noticing Lucy's near-breakdown expression, covered her mouth and chuckled. "Lucy, you've still got a lot to learn~"
The group followed Simon onto the small boat he'd arrived in, sailing across the vast ocean under his guidance. The boat rocked gently on the dark sea, with only moonlight scattering silver across the water and the soft sound of waves lapping against the hull.
About two hours later, the boat slowed. Simon stood, facing the seemingly empty sea ahead, his hands swiftly forming intricate seals. Suddenly, faint ripples spread across the calm water, and a soft white glow appeared out of nowhere, shimmering like waves in the night.
Seeing the light, Simon let out a relieved breath, lowered his hands, and steered the boat slowly into the glowing aura.
The group felt as if they'd passed through a cool, flexible membrane. Their vision blurred briefly, and when they opened their eyes again, a grim island loomed ahead. Jagged reefs surrounded it, and at its center stood an enormous black tower!
The tower was wrapped in thick, twisted black metal vines, narrowing as they climbed toward a pointed top that pierced the sky like a massive lightning rod, radiating an ominous aura.
"Is this a giant illusion spell?" Gray asked, gripping the boat's railing, his voice low with shock. "It's covering the entire island?!"
"It's not just hiding it from sight," Roger said, a faint white glint flashing in his eyes as he studied the nearly invisible magical barrier behind them. "It's got warning, attack, and disorientation effects too."
Simon's eyes widened slightly. "Exactly. That's why we couldn't escape easily. Remir knows the moment anyone enters or leaves. If you don't disable it properly, touching it traps you in an illusion, and the array's magic attacks kill you."
"That's insane!" Lucy gasped, turning to look back at the seemingly normal sea and sky. "I can't see anything—not even a hint of magic. If I didn't know it was there, I'd never sense it!"
Feeling her own weakness hit hard, Lucy clenched her fists, resolving to train harder and take on more jobs after this. She had to master the powerful celestial magic Roger had shown her!
Roger raised his right hand, snapping his fingers with a crisp sound. A purple magic circle spun to life beneath his feet, and as its light flowed, everyone except Simon faded, becoming completely invisible.
At the same time, three teens around eighteen appeared silently on the deck. Lucy glanced at her arm—her eyes saw nothing, but her fingers could feel the fabric of her clothes. The sea breeze brushed her skin, cool and real, yet a strange sense of disconnection welled up inside her.
"So weird," she mumbled. "I can't see myself, like I don't exist, but I can feel every movement, even my fingers curling."
Happy shivered at her feet, whispering, "That's Roger's illusion magic for ya. You're invisible, but you can still feel and sense magic—ow!" He yelped as Lucy accidentally stepped on his tail, wincing but keeping quiet, rolling over to Natsu's feet in a sulky huff.
The boat reached the shore, and Simon jumped off first, subtly nodding to the empty air behind him. The invisible group stepped onto the sand, leaving no footprints.
A few young people waited on the beach. A red-haired guy grinned, striding up and playfully punching Simon's chest. "Yo, Simon! What took you so long? You're the last of the three who went out to get back." He flashed a toothy grin, showing off his canines. "Don't tell me you ran into trouble?"
"Sorry," Simon said with a smile, stepping aside to reveal the illusion of three unconscious "sacrifices" on the boat. "It took a bit to find these three. They're A-class mages, and knocking them out to bring them here was a hassle."
"Whoa!" A purple-haired guy leaned in, inspecting them. "A-class? Three at once? Nice work, Simon!" He elbowed Simon's side, winking. "You're usually all about praising Lord Zeref, but you're really stepping up for this! Can't wait to see Lord Zeref revived, bringing us freedom and joy, huh?"
"Of course," Simon said, nodding with a smile.
The red-haired guy shook his head, chuckling. "Still a man of few words! When Lord Zeref's back, you'll need to speak up to win his favor!" He waved to the others, who quickly carried the illusory "sacrifices" off the boat.
"That's it! All the sacrifices are ready!" the red-haired guy said, his voice trembling with excitement. "Lord Zeref will rise soon!" His eyes burned with fervor as he led the group toward the towering structure at the island's center.
Simon sighed almost inaudibly, then followed them toward the tower.
Inside the Tower of Heaven, the corridors and stairways were filled with young men and women, their faces glowing with eerie, radiant smiles. They greeted Simon warmly:
"Simon's back! Great job! Lord Zeref will surely grant you freedom!"
"Good evening! May Lord Zeref's glory guide you!"
"Heard you brought three strong sacrifices? Amazing! Lord Zeref's revival is so close!"
Their cheerful talk of "sacrifices" and "revival" sent a chill down Lucy's spine. It wasn't an evil black mage or human sacrifices they were celebrating—it was like they were awaiting a sacred festival and the coming of a savior.
They climbed the spiraling staircase, with Simon receiving at least twenty "Zeref's blessings" before reaching a door adorned with a cute white bow hairpin painted in the center. The suppressed heaviness in his eyes surfaced briefly, his smile fading.
Simon pushed the door open, waited a few seconds, then closed it gently. As he started to speak, an invisible force seemed to clamp his mouth shut, but it quickly faded. Roger and the others slowly became visible again.
"There's a surveillance device," Roger said, scanning the ceiling's corners.
"Again?" Simon frowned. "They put it up because I just got back, to make sure I'm not up to something."
"Again?" Happy tilted his head. "They've done this before?"
"Yeah," Simon nodded. "A few years ago, I found one by chance. It only captures visuals, no sound. It disappeared after about a year."
A few years ago? Roger's eyes flickered. He recalled Master Yajima mentioning that Laxus joined the Magic Council around that time. Maybe it was a precaution back then?
Erza crossed her arms, standing by the window and gazing at the crashing waves below, her expression grim. "I didn't expect the brainwashing to be this intense. They're practically worshipping Zeref like a god."
"Um…" Lucy raised a shaky hand. "If we defeat Remir, what'll happen to these people?"
Mira sighed softly. "The Magic Council's usual approach is to detain fanatics like these en masse."
"What?!" Lucy blurted, horrified. "But they didn't choose this! They're brainwashed!"
"No choice," Gray said, shaking his head with a resigned calm. "Even if it's not their fault, the moment they casually talk about 'sacrifices,' letting them go would only cause more chaos."
Lucy bit her lip, her eyes filled with sympathy. These young people, who should've had bright futures, were trapped in this tower, turned into fervent puppets for Zeref.
Knock, knock, knock!
A cheerful knock interrupted, followed by an energetic female voice with a strange lilt. "Simon, you back, meow?"
"It's Millianna," Simon said, moving to open the door, but Gray grabbed his arm.
"Wait!" Gray hissed. "With brainwashing this severe, are you sure your friends aren't loyal to Zeref?"
"I'm sure," Simon said firmly. "Millianna and Wally see me as a brother ever since I helped them escape punishment early on. After getting to know them, I explained the truth about Zeref. They're only pretending to believe, but they want to escape this island and live their own lives."
"Alright," Gray said, stepping back.
Two voices came from outside. "Weird, meow. They said Simon was back!"
"Maybe he's not in his room yet? Let's check elsewhere."
Simon opened the door, revealing a girl with orange hair styled with cat-ear accessories and red whisker-like marks painted on her cheeks. Beside her stood a square-jawed man with sharp features, wearing sunglasses and a low-brimmed hat.
"Simon!" Millianna's eyes lit up as she pounced, hugging him. "Welcome back, meow!"
Wally adjusted his hat, his tone steadier. "Trip go okay?"
"Yeah, smoothly," Simon said, ruffling Millianna's hair before stepping aside. "Come in. I've got some 'interesting' news."
The two entered without suspicion, but the moment the door closed, Wally froze, spotting the strangers. Millianna, however, zeroed in on Happy, her eyes sparkling. In a flash, she scooped him up, rubbing her cheek against his furry face.
"Wow! A kitty! So cute, meow!!" she squealed, practically squeezing the life out of him. "Is this a gift from you, Simon, meow?!"
"What's going on?! My face is gonna go bald!" Happy flailed, trying to escape her enthusiastic embrace.
Lucy's mouth twitched. "Another weird one…"
Wally took a cautious step back, his gaze sweeping the room before landing on Simon. "Who are these people?"
Simon stepped forward. "This is Roger and Erza, plus some of their guildmates."
"Roger and Erza?" Millianna tilted her head. "The childhood friends you always talked about, meow?"
"Yeah," Simon nodded. "They're here to help us take down Remir and destroy this tower."
"Really, meow?!" Millianna's eyes sparkled. "Does that mean we'll get to see the outside world soon?"
"Uh, can you let me go first?!" Happy wheezed, poking his head out from her arms.
"Oh! It talks! So adorable, meow!" Millianna squealed, rubbing him even harder. "Are all cats outside like this, meow?!"
Lucy waved her hands frantically. "No, no! So far, I've only seen this talking cat. Normal cats don't talk."
"How rude! Are you saying I'm not normal?!" Happy pouted. "What's abnormal about me?!"
"A talking, flying, sarcastic cat. You tell me if that's normal," Lucy deadpanned.
"Pfft—!"
A blaring alarm cut through the room, and a cold, urgent voice echoed from a ceiling speaker: "Attention! Intruders detected in the Tower of Heaven! Begin immediate capture! For Lord Zeref's revival, everyone move out!"
"For Zeref—" Millianna and Wally blurted reflexively, then clapped their hands over their mouths, faces paling.
"It wasn't us!" they stammered. "We're just so used to it, our bodies reacted!"
"It's not you," Roger said, closing his eyes briefly before opening them with a peculiar expression. "One of the 'sacrifices' brought back… is a Magic Council member."
"What?! The Council?!" Lucy's voice shot up an octave. "Someone brought a Council member here, not caring about their teammates?!"
"No," Roger said, rubbing his temple. "The guy who grabbed him thought he had strong magic and would make a 'good sacrifice.' They needed one last person, so they spiked his drink and dragged him here." He paused, adding, "Right now, that Council guy just woke up and is running for his life while trying to contact the outside."
Lucy's mouth twitched. "Talk about bad luck…"
"But if he's from the Council, he can contact them right away, right? Backup should come soon!" she said hopefully.
"Not so simple," Erza said, shaking her head. "The Council has long-range communication devices, but their direct forces aren't that strong. For big issues like this, they usually delegate to capable guilds."
Lucy froze. "But… what about the Rune Knights? They could—"
Roger smirked, a playful glint in his eye. "Lucy, when it comes to this tower, the Council won't just fail to help—they'll probably get in our way and make things worse. Wanna bet?"