"How is this possible?!"
Erza's eyes widened in disbelief that Marco had actually located it.
That place was quite far from the Fiore Kingdom, somewhere out in the vast ocean.
How could Marco have found the target so quickly?
"Near the coastal waters of the Kingdom of Caelum, it was indeed difficult to locate. However, as long as it wasn't completely isolated, it was bound to reveal flaws. With careful searching, finding it was only a matter of time."
Marco smiled as he revealed the location.
He had indeed pinpointed the exact position of the Tower of Heaven and was certain the enemy hadn't detected him.
While searching the area, Marco controlled the crows, ensuring the larger ones didn't recklessly approach the island. Instead, he sent a few smaller crows to casually fly near it.
Once they got close, Marco recalled the crows because the island was shrouded in an intensely dark aura that ordinary animals couldn't approach.
Even so, Marco gathered plenty of information.
The magic energy emanating from the island and the towering, peculiar spire confirmed he had found the right place.
The Kingdom of Caelum was a southern neighbor of the Fiore Kingdom, separated by sea.
Caelum could be considered an island nation, though it was very close to the mainland of Ishgar, separated only by a narrow strait.
It was slightly farther from Fiore, with a considerable stretch of sea between them.
The Tower of Heaven was located in these waters, near Caelum's coast.
If it hadn't been for this, Marco would have had a much harder time finding the target so quickly.
"..."
Erza fell silent because Marco was right.
The Tower of Heaven was indeed near the coast of Caelum.
She couldn't recall the exact location clearly, but she was certain the island was in Caelum's coastal waters!
"Erza, don't overthink it. What we need to do now is completely eradicate this Tower of Heaven and eliminate this threat before it grows!"
Seeing Erza's silence, Marco stepped closer, firmly grasping her shoulders as he encouraged her.
"Don't run away. The more you avoid it, the tighter it will grip you! Only by facing it and overcoming it can you truly be free!"
Marco's voice was resolute, piercing straight into Erza's heart and making her tremble uncontrollably.
Yet, Jellal's words still haunted her like a nightmare, making her reluctant to confront it all.
"Of course, even if you don't want to come along, I will definitely go. However, I won't hold back when the time comes."
Seeing Erza still hesitating, Marco changed his approach. He released her shoulders, took a step back, and his expression turned serious.
"You know me, Erza. Evil must be eradicated completely. By then, whether anyone on that island survives is uncertain."
Marco's words turned cold and merciless, jolting Erza awake.
She abruptly lifted her head to look at him.In Erza's eyes, there was hesitation, fear, and shock.
Her gaze toward Marco was complex with mixed emotions, but it was clear that she truly cared about someone in the Tower of Heaven—someone she didn't want to die there.
"I'm going to tell Gramps about this now. You still have time to think it over, Erza. Do you believe that by doing nothing, the people you care about will survive? Think carefully."
As he spoke, Marco turned and walked away decisively, leaving Erza behind.
Seeing her so pitiful, hesitant, and frightened pained and saddened him, but he knew this issue had to be resolved—for Erza's sake and for Earth Land.
"..."
Watching Marco depart, tears streamed from Erza's uninjured eye.
Yet, she began to ponder: Would simply obeying Jellal's threats and continuing to ignore the situation really ensure the survival of the companions she cared about?
Meanwhile, Marco found Makarov in the guild hall.
The old man was sitting at the bar, "drinking alone in solitude," his face flushed red, looking nothing like a guild master.
"Marco? Hic~ What's up?"
After taking a sip of his drink, Makarov looked at Marco standing before him.
Even seated at the bar, he couldn't meet Marco's eyes at the same level—the boy had always been tall since he was a child.
"Gramps, do you know about the Tower of Heaven?"
Seeing Makarov seemingly already drunk, Marco paid it no mind and continued with a serious expression, getting straight to the point.
"Tower of Heaven? The R System? Why bring that up all of a sudden?"
Hearing Marco's words, Makarov was taken aback for a moment, then asked curiously. He clearly had considerable knowledge about it.
"I've discovered a place where they're building the Tower of Heaven, and it looks nearly completed—at least in the final stages."
Marco shared his assessment.
During this time, he had researched extensively, rummaging through the library, and finally understood what this "Tower of Heaven" truly was.
The "Tower of Heaven" was the original name of the "R System," short for "Revive System"—a resurrection system.
It was a forbidden magic, a spell that could revive the dead using living people as sacrifices, classified under "soul-returning" type magic.
Due to its violation of humanitarian principles, the "Tower of Heaven" was explicitly banned from construction by the Magic Council.
In comparison, the "Iced Shell," which sacrifices one's own life, though also a "forbidden magic," seemed almost trivial—the cost of the "Tower of Heaven" was far too great.
"There's still an R System under construction?!"
Upon hearing Marco's information, Makarov sobered up instantly.
His expression was one of sheer astonishment, clearly not expecting Marco to bring such news.
"Still?" Marco was momentarily stunned, also surprised.
It seemed there was more to the story—Makarov had encountered the "Tower of Heaven" before, and not just once.
"This thing should have been wiped out ten years ago! How can there still be one being built now? What are the Magic Council people doing? That operation actually left behind remnants!" Makarov spoke, his expression showing clear dissatisfaction.
A decade ago, the Magic Council had already discovered an Evil Cult secretly constructing the Tower of Heaven.
They immediately launched a heavy-handed crackdown, destroying seven Towers of Heaven in succession and severely crippling that Evil Cult.
Over the years, there had been no further news about the Tower of Heaven, leading them to believe they had completely eradicated the Evil Cult.
But it turned out they had merely used this opportunity to go into hiding, continuing to build the Tower of Heaven in places beyond the Magic Council's sight.