Chapter 276

【However, the string of failures also caused Erza to begin reflecting on herself.】

【For all these years, what exactly has armor been to her?】

【A reliance for protection?】

【No! Armor is merely something that blocks the communication between people's hearts.】

【From beginning to end, armor has never been able to truly protect her.】

【Having attained this realization, Erza also devised a method to defeat the enemy.】

[He directly discarded the armor's defense, and at the same time summoned the demon blade Crimson Cherry.]

【This was an absolute attack that abandoned all defense.】

【It was also, up to this point, Erza's strongest attack!】

【The two clashed once more, sword light flickering between them.】

【Ikaruga fell to her knees, while Erza remained standing.】

【The outcome was decided!】

【However, Ikaruga did not seem distressed by her defeat.】

【Instead, she wore a wild smile, like a complete lunatic.】

【She told Erza that in ten minutes, the Magic Council would fire the super-dimensional destruction magic, Etherion, at this island.】

【At that time, no matter who it was, everyone would perish.】

【Upon learning this news, Erza immediately made a decision, telling Sho to inform Natsu and the others so they could leave the island at once.】

【When asked about herself.】

【Erza only left behind her back.】

【From the moment she arrived at this tower, she had never intended to return alive.】

【She had to put an end to all the sins.】

【Just like that, Erza carried her sword to the top floor to find Jellal.】

【And Sho also set off immediately, heading to the Tower of Heaven to gather the members of Fairy Tail and leave the island together.】

【Except for Natsu!】

【Entrusted by Simon, and also by his own heart, Natsu was going to bring Erza back safe and sound.】

【On the top floor, Erza found Jellal, and the battle was on the verge of breaking out.】

【Unexpectedly, this time, Erza won, and she won very easily.】

【She even used her sword to carve a massive wound into Jellal's abdomen.】

【The next second, the blade was pointed at Jellal's neck.】

【The battle was declared over.】

【But Jellal laughed, claiming that this was his moment of liberation.】

【He portrayed himself as someone bound by the spirits of Zeref, unable to attain freedom.】

【Building the Tower of Heaven was merely an action taken under the guidance of the spirits; he could not escape, like a puppet manipulated by Zeref's spirits.】

Outside the Sky Screen.

The corners of Zeref's mouth twitched wildly.

Although he had occasionally heard over these past few hundred years that he was the most evil Black Mage in four hundred years.

The most cruel Black Mage.

Et cetera, et cetera...

Zeref had never cared, or rather, he had no interest in paying attention to those remarks.

He couldn't even avoid those people, so how could he have the heart to care about what they said?

Only today did he finally understand.

Why he was called the most evil and brutal Black Mage.

Good grief, you people are really good at making things up, one after another.

One moment it's spirits, the next it's manipulating this person or that, one moment it's a symbol of freedom, the next it's the mastermind binding freedom...

Next step, are you going to say I eat children??

Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't live up to the stories you've fabricated. ===== CHAPTER 579 =====

【Erza seemed truly taken in.】

【In that brief moment of distraction, the holy light descended!】

【Far away, within the Magic Council on the continent of Ishgar.】

【Countless people stood solemnly in front of a massive lacrima.】

【One council member after another closed their eyes and began to pray to the holy light.】

【Yes, Etherion had been activated.】

【A beam of light shot straight into the clouds.】

【It merged into the massive satellite magic array in outer space.】

【The next moment, the satellite magic array locked its target onto the Tower of Heaven in the vast ocean.】

【A massive sphere of light descended abruptly.】

【BOOM!!!】

【The heavens changed color, and the sea churned.】

【The entire island was enveloped by the holy light.】

【Everyone could only hear a loud bang as the Tower of Heaven crumbled directly within the holy light.】

【Lucy, Gray, and the others, who had already escaped the island, watched this in horror.】

【When the light dissipated completely.】

【A massive lacrima, towering into the clouds and emitting a blue glow, appeared before Lucy and the others.】

【On the top floor of the Tower of Heaven, Jellal watched all of this and finally revealed his true colors.】

【Everything he had said just moments ago was to stall for time until Etherion arrived.】

【Everything he did was for this very moment.】

【For the terrifying magic power contained within Etherion, exceeding 2.7 billion units.】

【Only by successfully absorbing the massive magic power of Etherion could the system be truly completed.】

【Just as Erza was shocked, Siegrain from the Council also suddenly appeared here.】

【After some conversation, Erza finally understood Jellal's conspiracy.】

【It turned out that Siegrain and Jellal were not twins at all.】

【They were the same person!】

【Merely a Thought Projection separated from the original.】

【Jellal, having absorbed the Thought Projection, fully recovered his strength at this moment.】

【He became a complete Wizard Saint!】

【Erza was completely enraged and unleashed magic, attacking Jellal.】

【But she was restrained by the full-power Jellal using Bind Snake.】

【Jellal did not intend to kill Erza; his goal was Erza herself.】

【The body of a Black Mage closest to the Wizard Saint level.】

【This was the most important sacrifice for Zeref's resurrection.】

【Jellal pushed Erza into the crystal.】

【Just as Erza was about to be swallowed by the crystal.】

【Natsu suddenly appeared and forcibly pulled Erza out.】

【With that, the battle between Natsu and Jellal was on the verge of breaking out!】

【Without a moment's hesitation, Natsu launched his attack.】

【Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, Wing Attack, Roar, and a series of other moves rained down on Jellal.】

【But the gap in their strength was simply too great.】

【Those raging flames merely burned away Jellal's coat.】 ===== CHAPTER 580 =====