Worried that Brain or Ultear might be near Jellal, Shane didn't go to meet him rashly. Instead, he decided to infiltrate the tower first to observe the situation.
Gray, beside him, looked up at the giant tower almost piercing the night sky and couldn't help but gasp in a low voice, "A building of this scale—you guys really built it?"
A trace of surprise also flashed in Shane's eyes. "I clearly burned it down to just a frame before leaving. It's actually still standing; it's sturdier than I imagined." His tone was ambiguous, unsure if it was praise or regret.
Soon, he withdrew his gaze and beckoned to Erza and Gray. "Follow me, move lightly."
With his current perception, he easily led the two to infiltrate the tower silently.
However, the internal structure of the tower seemed to differ from his memory.
He walked toward the supervision area based on past impressions but stopped when passing the location that should have been the prison area, confusion rising in his eyes.
"Strange, the original prison area—seems to be gone?"
At the end of the corridor was an unfamiliar wall, the layout completely different.
Could it be completely rebuilt? Shane scratched his head a little. If all areas had changed, finding someone would be troublesome.
Rushing around the tower like a headless fly was too risky and could easily alert the enemy.
"Can't we find someone to ask?" Gray suggested from the side.
Shane pondered. Although this method was direct, it was indeed useful.
He nodded. "That's the only way. Find a lone supervisor and 'invite' him to tell us."
So, the three hid in the shadows around a corner of a corridor, holding their breath and concentrating, waiting for prey to take the bait.
Not long after, unhurried footsteps approached from far to near.
Shane raised his hand and signaled behind him to prepare for action. Erza and Gray lowered their bodies simultaneously, ready to strike.
The moment the person turned the corner, Shane attacked suddenly like a cheetah! One hand swiftly covered the other's mouth, the other hand firmly locking the other's body, stifling all movement into silence.
"W-Wait, Shane!" Erza suddenly spoke up, simultaneously stopping Gray who was about to use Ice-Make Magic.
"What?" Shane looked back. The person under his restraint struggled violently upon hearing his name, making vague whimpering sounds in their throat.
"Behave yourself!" Shane glared back fiercely, adding a bit more force to his grip.
It was also at this time that, with the dim light in the corridor, he saw the other person's side profile clearly, as well as that particularly familiar chestnut hair.
"—? Sho?" Shane called out uncertainly.
Hearing this voice, Sho, who was restrained by him, stiffened violently, then struggled even more intensely.
A trace of awkwardness flashed on Shane's face, and he hurriedly let go.
"Bastard Shane!" As soon as he gained freedom, Sho roared angrily in a low voice, "Haven't seen you for so long, and this is how you greet me?!"
"Didn't expect such a coincidence," Shane was really a bit embarrassed and explained. "Originally planned to tie up a supervisor to ask about the situation here."
Sho glared at him grumpily, complained a few words in a low voice, and then barely calmed down, asking, "Why did you come back? And Erza? Could it be you couldn't make it outside?"
"How is that possible," Shane scolded with a laugh. "Of course there's serious business."
He turned sideways and introduced Sho to Gray. "This is Sho, a friend Erza and I had in the Tower of Heaven. This is Gray, our comrade from Fairy Tail."
Gray nodded to Sho as a greeting.
Sho rubbed his still somewhat numb face. His gaze swept over the three of them, the excitement of reunion quickly replaced by calm. "Since there's serious business, let's go to my room to talk first. It's not safe here."
His steadiness in switching emotions so quickly made Shane look sideways slightly, sighing in his heart that Sho had indeed matured a lot after not seeing him for so long.
Sho's room was located in a relatively quiet corner on the middle floor of the tower. The room wasn't big but clean and tidy, with an independent bed and simple table and chairs.
"Living quite well, huh? Even a single room." Shane looked around, his voice carrying emotion. "Much better than when we squeezed on the floor before."
"After all, Jellal is managing it now." Sho responded casually, then became serious. "Just say what it is. You probably didn't come back specifically to see us."
Shane nodded, no longer beating around the bush. "Where is that man who taught Jellal magic? We found out that the controller behind the Tower of Heaven is very likely him."
Hearing this, the residual smile on Sho's face from seeing old friends instantly retracted, the corners of his mouth tightening into a straight line. "Are you sure?"
Shane nodded solemnly.
Sho stood up, paced two steps in the room, his brows furrowed tightly. "Wally and I only know a man suddenly appeared and took Jellal as a disciple. But he is very mysterious, never showing his face. We don't even know what he looks like."
"Seems he's indeed very cautious—no wonder he could evade the Council's pursuit." Shane thought silently.
He continued to ask, "Second question. I don't want Ultear to know I want to see Jellal. Can I go see him directly now?"
Sho pondered for a moment and shook his head. "Ultear is indeed not near Jellal right now. However, there might be her surveillance. That woman is very shrewd."
Beside them, upon hearing the name "Ultear," Gray's ears twitched imperceptibly. He immediately looked at Shane, his eyes carrying inquiry.
But seeing Shane signaling him to stay calm, he took a deep breath, enduring the urge to interrupt.
"Then is there a way to contact Jellal safely? Or, can you notify us when that man appears?"
"Yes." Sho nodded after thinking. "Wally and I are usually not taken seriously by Ultear, so our movements are relatively free. We can find a way to pass a message for you."
After speaking, he seemed to suddenly remember something, his expression grave. "By the way, what do you plan to do after finding that Brain?"
Shane smiled lightly and patted Sho's shoulder. "What else can we do? Kill him, of course."
Sho was stunned for a moment, then a look of trust appeared on his face. Since Shane led their successful resistance last time, he trusted whatever Shane said immensely.
"Really fits your style," he sighed with emotion, his tone carrying a trace of relief.
That night, the group made do in Sho's room.
The room wasn't big. Gray dozed against the wall, while Erza and Shane talked in low voices with Sho, exchanging some experiences after parting.
When the sky just turned bright, Sho hurried out. It could be seen that he was emotionally agitated and basically didn't sleep much. Shane took this time to walk to the window and look down through the glass.
Figures were already moving at the construction site below the tower, starting a new day's construction work.
He observed carefully and found that these workers were very different from his memory.
They wore thick winter clothes, had ruddy complexions, and moved with strength, completely lacking the haggardness slaves of the Tower of Heaven should have.
Did Jellal carry out drastic reforms?
"Shane, did you notice?" Erza came to the window at some point, her gaze sharp. "There are no children in the crowd; all are adults."
Shane scanned again, confirming her discovery. Not only that, but there were no fierce supervisors on site. People working could freely stop to drink water and talk, and some even leaned on building materials for a short rest.
Standing by the window, a sense of gratification that "hard work was not in vain" inexplicably arose in Shane's heart.
"These aren't slaves; they are clearly here to work," Gray rubbed his sleepy eyes and came over, unable to help roasting.
Just then, the door hinge made a slight turning sound.
It was Sho coming back.