"At that time... I saved Jellal, but he had already become a completely different person..."
Erza began speaking slowly, recounting everything that had happened and revealing the truth to her four companions.
Simon also explained Jellal's lies.
That bastard Jellal had burned all the ships and pinned the blame on Erza, claiming she hadn't undergone proper magic training and had suddenly awakened to magic, abusing it until she was controlled by magic and lost her mind.
"..."
Marco and the others fell into silence upon hearing this. Frankly, this excuse was pathetically fabricated.
But considering Jellal and these four people before them—along with the other slaves—were not professional Mages, and the only professional, Rob, had died protecting Erza at the time, it wasn't surprising such a flimsy excuse had worked.
Moreover, these people had been confined to the island for the following eight years, with everything they knew essentially implanted by Jellal.
Thus, this misunderstanding had persisted.
Simon never believed it from the start.
Using limited opportunities, he gathered intelligence everywhere, becoming increasingly certain Jellal was problematic.
"There's never been a case where awakening magic completely changes a person's character. Among those before you now, more than one have experienced this. They awakened magic without training, yet that didn't stop them from remaining kind."
Marco shook his head, exposing Jellal's clumsy lie.
It seemed Jellal wasn't particularly skilled at fabricating lies.
These people believed him firstly because they were just children at the time, and secondly because they genuinely knew nothing about these matters.
Of course, most importantly, with all the ships destroyed and nearly perishing at sea, they needed someone to blame in their despair—a scapegoat—and Erza happened to fit perfectly.
"How could... how could it be like this..."
Upon learning the truth, Shou, Milliana, and Wally were utterly stunned.
If it were only Erza's account, they might have doubted it, but with Simon also turning against Jellal, they naturally leaned toward believing it all.
"..."
Natsu scratched his head, listening to everyone's conversation from the side.
He found it all rather confusing, but he didn't particularly care about these issues anyway.
The only reason he came was entirely for Erza—driven by loyalty, where any companion's problem was his problem.
Natsu is stubborn, simple-minded, and someone who really dislikes change.
He believes Erza should always be brave, fearless, strong, and fierce.
These people from the "Tower of Heaven" have made Erza weak and hesitant, which naturally irritates Natsu greatly.
He came along to solve the problem and make Erza return to her former self—his goal is quite straightforward.
As for matters like the "Tower of Heaven" or the "R-System," those aren't his concerns, and he can't be bothered to understand them.
Marco will take care of all that and Marco will handle everything.
"So, are we fighting or not? Do we still need to rescue anyone?" Natsu interrupted, growing impatient.
Wasn't the plan to come here and fight? Why does it seem like they're about to become friends with the enemy?
"Shut up! This is none of your business!"
Shou's expression turned ferocious as he abruptly waved his hand, flinging out a card that instantly enveloped Natsu and trapped him inside it.
"Damn it! Let me out! You bastard!"
On the card's surface, Natsu was momentarily stunned before transforming into a roaring dragon, pounding furiously against the walls of the card space while shouting incessantly.
He was completely sealed inside the card.
Caught off guard and never expecting Shou to attack so suddenly, Natsu fell for the trick.
Furious and unwilling to accept it, he kept cursing, "Coward! Sneak attack!"
Happy was equally frantic.
The blue cat picked up the card and flew onto Marco's shoulder.
"Marco! Hurry and save Natsu!"
Happy's first instinct was to seek help from the invincible Marco.
In Happy's eyes, there was nothing Marco couldn't solve.
Though Happy and Natsu are inseparable and closest, even he has to admit Marco's overwhelming strength.
"It's useless. My card space magic isn't something just anyone can break."
Shou wore a cold expression, radiating confidence in his magic.
However, Shou's confidence lasted only two seconds because Marco, after taking the card, immediately equipped the [Gemini Gold Cloth].
Snap.
Marco rubbed his fingers over the card, and Natsu was instantly released.
The card essentially functioned as another dimension, and Marco could easily tear open a rift in that space.
"How is that possible?!" Shou was utterly shocked.
His card magic could seal people inside the cards, each card acting as an independent space.
The card itself was incredibly durable, nearly impossible to break from inside or out—unless one possessed the ability to tear through space or he himself dispelled the magic.
"Using spatial magic like this in front of me is like showing off in front of an expert. Still, your magic is quite intriguing."
Marco held the card, genuinely interested.
He could also utilize this card—by using [Another Dimension Space] to banish enemies into the card's dimensional space.
"You bastard! I'm gonna beat you down!"
The moment he was freed, Natsu burst into flames and charged straight at Shou, throwing a fierce punch aimed at his face.
"Kitty Restraint Tube!"
However, just as Natsu was halfway there, he was immediately bound by an orange rope.
Though not thick, once wrapped by the rope, Natsu instantly weakened and he could no longer use his magic!
"What is this thing?!" Natsu was greatly alarmed.
Tripped, he lay on the ground squirming and wriggling.
"This guy is so embarrassing!"
Gray covered his face and openly mocked Natsu.
Of course, they remained vigilant.
The magic of Erza's companions was rather peculiar, and being able to easily capture even Natsu was no small feat.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
Natsu struggled and shouted, writhing on the ground like a fiery red maggot.
Putting on a show and creating some entertainment value was something Natsu excelled at.
"This farce should end now!"
Before Milliana could say anything, an angry voice came from behind her, causing her to tremble involuntarily.
A figure emerged from the "Tower of Heaven," stepping slowly out of the darkness.
He wore a deep blue coat with a hood, yet his sky-blue short hair was still visible.
The face beneath the hood was indeed identical to Mystogan's.
"Erza! How dare you actually return!"
Jellal stepped forward, his expression grim.
His gaze swept over Marco, Makarov, and the other Mages of "Fairy Tail," his eyes concealing deep apprehension.
"Jellal..."
Erza's expression turned complicated at the sight of the newcomer.
He was someone who had profoundly influenced her, almost a childhood nightmare.
Of course, he no longer haunted her dreams frequently, because someone was protecting her, giving her the confidence to face anything.
"Wait a minute... Why does this guy look so much like that Siegrain?!"
After seeing Jellal, Makarov finally couldn't hold back his words, because he realized this Jellal looked exactly like a new member of the Magic Council!