In the interrogation room, the only light source came from the torches stuck into the walls.
The flames danced uneasily, casting twisted shadows on the mottled stone walls, as if invisible things were writhing in the darkness.
The air was thick with the smell of rust and a sickly-sweet rot, like old blood mixed with moldy straw.
Jellal's wrists were bound by rough hemp rope, suspending him from the torture rack.
The ropes dug deep into his flesh, leaving purple-red bruises on his wrists. His head hung low, sweat-soaked blue hair plastered to his forehead, trembling slightly with his rapid, unsteady breathing.
"...Angry? Resentful? You fought for them, yet they abandoned you here..."
A voice resonated directly in the depths of his mind, viscous and full of seduction. "Look at you now, like a leashed dog... Those people high above, those who trampled on your dignity, they are the root of all suffering..."
Jellal lifted his head with difficulty. His eyes were exhausted, but a trace of clarity remained.
"No..." His voice was hoarse. "We... are about to win... Shane and the others..."
If it were the old him, the one who couldn't see a future, perhaps he would have wavered. But now, freedom was right before his eyes. Jellal would absolutely not allow himself to waver.
Someone who hid their head and tail, afraid to even show their face... in his eyes, they were no different from the bastards of the Tower of Heaven.
"Win?" The voice in the darkness let out a low laugh, a sound that twisted one's nerves. "How naive. Power comes from hatred. Only profound hatred can grant you the power to destroy everything and rebuild order...
"Accept me. You don't need to offer sacrifices like those fools... You are special. As long as you are willing to believe in me, I can grant you everything you desire."
Even so, Jellal remained unmoved.
Thus, the whispering suddenly intensified, like countless cold needles piercing fiercely into his consciousness.
More negative emotions were forcibly dredged up and amplified.
The humiliation of enslavement, the pain of the lash, the numbness day after day... dark emotions surged up like a tide, threatening to drown his remaining reason.
"Ugh—AHHH!" Jellal let out a pained roar, feeling as if his skull were about to split open. His consciousness swayed back and forth on the edge of persistence and surrender, like a candle in the wind, flickering uncertainly.
"Sacrifices... Could it be? Who exactly are you?"
His body convulsed violently. He only had time to spit out this question before he could support himself no longer, his head dropping weakly.
Before his consciousness fell completely into darkness, he vaguely heard that malicious voice slowly speak:
"My name is... Zeref."
---
---
At the exact moment Jellal fell unconscious, Shane, who was sprinting through the passageway, felt inexplicably heart palpitations.
An indescribable chill, almost tangible, drifted faintly from the direction of the interrogation room.
"Such strong Magic Power..." Shane frowned deeply. Magic Power of this level was palpable even to a half-baked Mage like him.
"Shane! You're finally here! Jellal, he..." Sho, having just broken away from the skirmish, ran toward him. Before he could finish, Shane raised a hand to interrupt him.
"Millianna already told me the situation." Shane spoke quickly and calmly. "Take the others immediately, find Erza and Simon, and proceed to the coast as planned to seize the supply ship."
"But..." Sho was choked by his words. He wanted to save Jellal with Shane.
"That battle isn't something you can intervene in." Shane turned sideways to pass him. "That is a contest between Mages."
He didn't know what magic the enemy in the interrogation room possessed. Sho following him wouldn't help; instead, Shane would have to spare effort to look after him.
Sho gritted his teeth, finally stomped his foot heavily, and waved to Wally to take the others and rush toward the exit.
Shane didn't linger. He sprinted to the area where the interrogation room was located.
From a distance, he saw two guards standing outside the iron door as if facing a formidable enemy.
Their faces wore expressions of lingering shock, clearly sensing the ominous aura leaking from inside the door.
"Halt!" One of them gathered his courage and drew the weapon at his waist.
Shane wasted no words. He summoned his longbow with a backhand motion and fired an arrow.
The man fell to the ground instantly.
He quickly nocked a second arrow but paused momentarily when he saw the other guard's face.
"Tall and skinny?" Shane recognized this face. It was his "good brother" who had taken "extra care" of him on the construction site.
On any other day, he might have had a nice "reunion," but time was tight now.
He grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him close. Seeing Shane's face, the man trembled violently in fear, and the smell of urine instantly filled the air. Clearly, he recognized Shane too.
"D-Don't kill me..."
"I don't have time to settle old scores with you," Shane spoke extremely fast. "If you want to live, go immediately to the shore and find a red-haired girl. Lead her to move all the valuables, food, and weapons on the island onto the supply ship."
Saying this, he tightened his grip on the collar, pulling him an inch closer, and warned, "Don't think about running. All the ships on this island are now under our control."
"I-I understand! I understand! I'm going right now!" The overseer nodded frantically and scrambled into the darkness.
Shane watched the fleeing figure and rubbed his brow.
This decision was made on the fly. Having saved so many people, he couldn't just let them fend for themselves once they were out. Even if he couldn't settle everyone, he had to find a way to get them some travel expenses to get home.
That guy had been at the Tower of Heaven for a long time; with him leading the way, they could scrape up a bit more loot.
"Sigh, truly the life of a nanny." He sighed. It really wasn't in his nature to do such troublesome things.
But thinking that this might increase the trial evaluation...
After comforting himself like this, his mood improved a bit.
Then, Shane turned around, his gaze fixing on the iron door emitting the ominous aura. Without hesitation, he yanked it open.
Inside, the scene was unexpected.
There were no enemies as anticipated, only Jellal tied to the rack, head hanging, unconscious.
But the moment Shane stepped in, the chilling sensation didn't dissipate; instead, it became clearer.
"Something's wrong..." Shane's sharp gaze swept across the empty room. There was definitely more than just Jellal present here a moment ago.
He deliberately relaxed his posture, retracted the longbow, and walked toward Jellal pretending to be unguarded. Just as he reached out to untie the ropes...
The malice all around suddenly expanded, almost solidifying, attacking from behind.
"Get out here!" Shane released his True Name without hesitation. The familiar heat surged from within him again! Spiritual garments woven from Magic Power covered his body like flowing fire, gentle yet firm.
With his body light and sharp under the Heroic Spirit enhancement, he sidestepped, easily holding Jellal while avoiding the ambush from the dark.
He gently set Jellal aside, his eyes scanning the surroundings sharply. The whole world became incredibly clear in his perception, every detail revealed.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, his gaze burned like a torch, shooting straight into the darkest corner of the interrogation room.
Right where his gaze landed, the space began to warp slightly.
A blurred silhouette, like a camera lens slowly coming into focus, gradually emerged from the void, condensing and becoming clear.