Fairy Tail: The Eternal Key

CH 21: THE TOWER OF HEAVEN

In the Magic Council Meeting Hall in Era.

"It still exists?! Impossible!"

The shocked and fearful shouts of one of the Council members resounded inside the room. Though, no matter how loud he was, his voice could not drift outside due to the spells that covered the dark hall.

The gigantic, azure magic circle that covered the whole room and nine smaller magic circles underneath each Council Member were the only source of light.

"The R-system that a dark magic cult plotted to construct around ten years ago..." said one of the members, unable to finish, and so another followed, "I thought we had destroyed the seven towers ourselves..."

Belno, an older woman with blonde hair that was held up in a short and spiky ponytail, made a sphere appear in the center of the room. On the gray sphere, a twisted and strangely shaped tower that stood on a rocky island with nothing around but the sea became visible. "There was an eight tower. In the Ka Elm Sea."

"Looking at it... Could it be complete?" asked the Second Seat, Org.

"The investigation team went missing right after they sent these pictures." What Belno meant was that there was no way to confirm it, but it did appear to be completed and there should also be people guarding it.

Ultear stared at the floating image, her expression unreadable, "They're finishing it, I guess..."

The other Council members frowned. There was no way this was good.

"Why would the R-system show up now?" That's what they all wanted to know.

And at such a moment full of tension, Siegrain spoke, "The Tower of Heaven. Not the R-system, but the Tower of Heaven... right?"

"Who cares what we call it?! That's forbidden magic! If even its existence were known, it would cause a huge uproar!" Org couldn't even stand to look at it. That was a tower that required countless sacrifices to be built and its purpose, to revive the Black Wizard Zeref.

Such a terrifying existence like Zeref couldn't be allowed to rummage the world again.

Belno agreed, "We must mobilize the military immediately and suppress them!"

"But we're up against..." Leiji held his chin, not so sure about a direct confrontation between their sides. He was even less sure about finishing that sentence. "The incident that occurred on Akane beach last night... According to reports from witnesses vacationing there, it seems the people occupying the R-system now are not that magic cult."

"So, wait! Who in the world is it?!"

Leiji glanced toward Siegrain, "It sounds like that person is going by the name of Jellal..."

"Jellal?"

"Your twin brother, right, Siegrain?"

Maybe he expected it but Siegrain didn't react. His face was still as calm as ever as he stood straight with his arms crossed. Only that, when he opened his eyes, they locked on the ground. "Aa, I am aware of that."

Meanwhile, in the middle of the sea without anything to be seen for miles, a lonely boat rowed and rowed, trying to move forward, yet not appearing to get anywhere.

At this pace, they would never catch up.

Drifting aimlessly and with nothing to do, Lucy tried to bring up the first topic that came to mind, "Do you think the people trapped in the cards were saved?"

"We alerted the army, so they're probably fine by now." Gray and the others might have been in a rush but since Natsu's nose said they had to go through the ocean, they were able to find the time to remember the people inside the resort and call the army before finding a boat.