"I have always believed in Erza. I have never doubted her."
"So if there is anything I can do later, please let me help as well. Jellal is my comrade too."
With that, Simon said nothing more. He turned around and started leading the three of them upward.
Kabe and Ultear followed at once, deliberately leaving space behind them for Sho, Wally, Erza and Millianna to walk side by side.
...
"Sis… I really do not know who I am supposed to believe anymore."
Sho's legs gave out and he sank weakly to the floor, clutching his head in pain.
Erza gently released Millianna and went over to him, holding his shoulders to steady him.
"You do not need to decide who to believe. All you need to do is come with us, and leave the Tower of Heaven together with Jellal. That is enough."
As she spoke, she helped Sho to his feet, then turned to Wally and Millianna and held out her hand.
"Let us do it again. This time, not a single one of us will be left behind. We all escape together."
"Erza…"
"Little Erza…"
"Big sis…"
The three of them were visibly moved. One by one, they reached out and clasped Erza's hand tightly.
...
High above, on the top floor, Jellal watched calmly as Sho and the others were so easily swayed by Erza and "betrayed" him.
His expression showed no anger, only a faint hint of contempt.
"Heh… what a ridiculous excuse, saying I am controlled by someone else."
"How could lowly mortals like you possibly understand the greatness of Zeref?"
When he mentioned Zeref, a fanatical light flashed in his eyes.
Then he rose from his throne, rolling his shoulders and loosening his muscles.
"Erza, Ultear, and that so called Destroyer… looks like this time I will have to show a bit of my real strength."
...
At the same time, far away in the Magic Council's academy, the "Siegrain" who had been lurking there moved as if receiving a signal. Avoiding everyone's line of sight, his figure slowly faded from the corridor.
On the stairs of the Tower of Heaven, Kabe felt the aura at the very top of the tower suddenly swell stronger. He immediately guessed that Jellal had withdrawn his thought projection from the Council.
Even so, he felt little pressure. He did not urge Simon to hurry, simply continued climbing at an unhurried pace.
Behind him, Erza came up with Millianna and the others in tow.
When she finally reached Kabe's side, Erza hesitated for a moment, then still spoke up with a request.
"Leave Jellal to me. This is my battle. I have to end things with him myself."
"The best ending would be you mentioning his name less often in front of me. That way I might forget about him and maybe hit him a little less hard."
"Kabe… I am serious."
Erza's cheeks flushed slightly, but her eyes remained determined.
"I am serious too. I do not want to see you get hurt, and I do not want your old comrades thinking I am some useless loser who cannot even protect his own woman."
He raised a hand and ruffled her hair, his expression just as earnest as his words.
Hearing that, Erza could not bring herself to argue anymore. She bit her lip, a little embarrassed, and gave a small, soft nod in response.
Up ahead, Simon listened to the conversation behind him. A faint sourness rose in his chest, but at the same time he found himself approving of Kabe's open, protective attitude toward Erza.
Sho, Wally, and Millianna also snuck curious glances at Kabe.
For this boyfriend Erza had found in the outside world, their impression of him had been only "ridiculously strong" at first. Now, after hearing this exchange, that image began to change.
...
The group stopped talking and followed the spiraling corridors around the tower, heading ever upward until they finally reached the end of the path.
In the pitch black chamber at the top, the final boss of this Tower of Heaven "dungeon," Jellal, was already waiting.
Blue haired, a mysterious red marking etched over his right eye, Jellal watched as they came in through the doorway.
He slowly took off his long black coat and the light colored shirt underneath, revealing a tight, dark sleeveless high collared shirt that clung to his frame.
He rolled his arms, stretching as he walked around the pale blue magic crystal floating in the center of the room, then stopped five or six meters in front of the group.
His gaze lingered on Kabe and Erza for a moment, then finally settled on Ultear.
"I still cannot understand what in the world happened to you that you would change so much, dare to betray me, and even make up such a laughable lie."
"Jellal, the magic I placed on you has long since been undone."
"The so called spirit of Zeref should have disappeared a long time ago. So why are you still obsessed with completing the R System and reviving Zeref?"
Ultear could not comprehend why Jellal continued to cling to this path. She tried one last time to reach whatever reason still remained in him with words.