"The game has only just begun."
(Oh, how original. I swear if I had a coin for every megalomaniac who has said that line to me, I could buy this continent and turn it into a cat sanctuary.)
Jellal's words echoed in the crystalline air as familiar footsteps joined the scene. Blue hair, an identical face, an immaculate Magic Council robe. Siegrain.
I blinked. I looked at the gothic Jellal. I looked at the political Siegrain. I looked at Jellal again. And the absurdity of the situation hit me.
I started to laugh. A genuine, fearless laugh.
"Oh, this is absolutely marvellous," I said, wiping away an imaginary tear. "Two of you. Because, clearly, one arrogant Jellal wasn't enough for the universe."
"An admirable spectacle, don't you think?" Siegrain said, with the same smug voice. "The Council has just signed its own death sentence. Ironic, isn't it?"
"Pathetic would be the word I'd use," I retorted, "but to each their own vocabulary." Beside me, I saw comprehension cross Erza's face.
"So that's how," she said, her voice trembling with contained anger. "Councillor and builder. Politician and criminal. How you could be in two places at once…"
[It is a Thought Projection. Seitai Shaei,] Eos informed in my mind.
(Years operating with half his power to maintain this farce. Such dedication for something so monumentally stupid.)
"Seitai Shaei," I said aloud, stealing Jellal's moment. "Thought Projection. You've split your soul in two." The surprise on their identical faces was almost comical. "And yet, neither half has developed any common sense. Impressive."
Their smiles faltered.
With a disturbing synchronicity, the two began to walk towards each other.
"With the Etherion absorbed," Jellal said, reverently.
"There is no longer any need for division," Siegrain completed, his form beginning to glow.
"…it is time for me to become whole again."
The fusion was a vortex of golden and dark light. The crystal tower resonated with the growing power. I felt Erza stiffen beside me, but she did not retreat. Good girl.
When the light dissipated, there was only one. Jellal Fernandes, complete. A golden and dark aura crackled around him.
"Ah," he sighed, satisfied. "I had forgotten what it was like. All my power."
[Full analysis. Estimated magical power: slightly superior to Erza's. For you, Azra'il, even with your seals, he represents a… manageable threat.]
(I know, Eos. But the show isn't for me.)
"One hundred per cent of Heavenly Body Magic," Jellal announced, the predatory smile back. "You have no idea what you are facing."
(Oh, my little, deluded Jellal. If only you knew…)
"Fascinating," I said, with a poorly disguised yawn. "All that power recovered and you still haven't managed to get a decent haircut. What a waste."
"Your sharp tongue will not save you," he snarled.
"It doesn't need to save me. It only needs to irritate you enough for you to make a stupid mistake. And honestly, it doesn't look like that will be very difficult."
It was then that he ignored me, focusing his gaze entirely on Erza. And the way he looked at her… it made my blood boil. It was the look of a collector. Of someone who saw not a person, but an object. A trophy.
(If he keeps looking at her like that, I'm going to gouge those eyes out of his face.)
"Erza," her name in his mouth sounded like a profanity. "You were always special. Perfect."
"Perfect for your disgusting ritual?" her voice was cold steel.
"Ah, but you do not understand the honour…"
"Oh, we understand," I cut in, with a venomous sweetness. "You want to use her body as a vessel for a 'dead' mage. It's quite cliché, if we're being honest."
He shot me a glare before turning back to Erza.
"Your body will be fused with this Lacrima. Your consciousness dissolved to make way for something greater. Zeref will be reborn. And I will be the one who brought the god back to life."
"You bastard!" Erza snarled.
"Wow," I clapped slowly. "The pose, the open arms… did you rehearse that in the mirror? Because if not, you have a natural talent for cheap melodrama."
"You dare—"
"I dare a lot," I cut in, my voice losing its humour. "But let's be frank. You've spent years planning this to sacrifice the woman you 'loved'? How romantic." The acidity dripped from every word. "Roses are red, violets are blue, I'll use your body to resurrect a dark god because I love you."
"She will become part of something eternal!" he shouted, fanaticism shining in his eyes.
"Ah, the 'something greater' argument. The refuge of every megalomaniac without a decent justification." I sighed heavily. "Do you know what that tells me about you, Jellal?"
He snarled, the mask beginning to crack.
"That you never loved her. Love does not turn the beloved into a tool. You didn't see her as perfect for who she was. You saw her as perfect for your plans."
"Shut up!"
"Touched a nerve?" my smile was devoid of any warmth. "The truth hurts, doesn't it? Especially when you've convinced yourself for a decade that you were the hero of your own tragic story."
I took a step forward, my hand finally going to my Jian.
"You were just a tool, Jellal. A puppet who dances thinking it pulls its own strings. And the most pathetic part? You don't even know who your master is."
It was then that I turned to Erza. She was standing there, her body a statue of tension, her eyes fixed on Jellal. The moment of truth.
I let all my façade fall.
"Erza."
She met my gaze, and I let her see everything. The concern. The affection. The protective anger I felt for her.
"You are not the blame they tried to impose on you," I said, my voice softer than I intended. "You are not the sin they wanted to dress you in. And you are, definitely, not the broken girl he wants you to believe you are."
A silent sob escaped her lips.
"You are Erza Scarlet. The strongest, most stubborn, and most irritatingly noble woman I have ever met in this life of mine." A genuine smile, something I saved only for her, crossed my lips. "And I will not let anyone, not him, not Zeref, not the entire universe, take you from me."
With a whisper, I drew my Jian. The ancient wood shone with a soft blue light. Petals of energy, as sharp as razors, began to float around me. A glimpse of my power.
I turned to Jellal.
"She is not a sacrifice," my voice was ice. "She is not a vessel. And she is not a piece on your pathetic chessboard."
The blue light pulsed, the petals spinning in a promise of violence.
"She is the reason I still bother to let worms like you live long enough to learn to be afraid."
And, for the first time, I saw a glint of real fear in Jellal's eyes. Good.
But before the fight could begin, Erza's voice interrupted me.
"Azra'il… you're an idiot, you know that?"
I blinked, turning to her, surprised. That was not the reaction I had expected.
She took a step forward, and there was a newly lit fire in her eyes. "You always do this. You always put yourself in front of me. You always act as if I'm something fragile that needs to be protected."
Another step. She was beside me now. Not behind. Beside me. As an equal.
"I am not fragile. And I am not a damsel waiting to be saved." With a flash of golden light, a shining sword, with scarlet details that matched her hair, appeared in her hand. "And I am most certainly not going to stand by and watch while you face my demons for me."
Her eyes met mine, and there was something there that made my ancestral heart skip a beat. "You were there in every nightmare. In every night. You made me believe I could be more than the scars he left. So now," her voice was firm, unshakeable, "it is my turn. I will fight by your side. Not behind you. Not protected by you. By your side. As it always should have been."
(Oh.)
[Azra'il, your heart rate has increased by 47%. Should I infer that—]
(Eos, for the love of all that is holy, shut up.)
Erza turned to me, and the entire world seemed to disappear for an instant.
"You said you won't let anyone take me from you." A small, almost shy, smile touched her lips. "Good. Because I don't intend to go anywhere. You're stuck with me, Azra'il Weiss. Whether you like it or not."
And then, she turned to Jellal.
"What I feel for you now is not love," her voice was cold steel. "The boy I once admired died in that tower. And the monster that was left in his place… doesn't even deserve my anger anymore. He only deserves to be defeated."
I felt a genuine smile form on my lips. The kind I rarely allowed.
(That's my girl.)
I positioned myself beside Erza, our swords raised. Two against one.
"Seems fair," I said, my sarcasm returning. "Considering that, until five minutes ago, there were two of you."
"You cannot defeat me!" Jellal snarled, the golden aura exploding around him. "I am a god in this place!"
"Oh, darling, you're following the cliché villain's handbook page by page," I sighed theatrically. "Frankly, it's almost offensive how predictable it is."
"Then come," he shouted. "Come and die trying!"
Erza looked at me. And despite everything, the danger, the furious megalomaniac before us, I saw the corner of her lips curve into a battle smile.
"Together?" she asked, her sword shining scarlet.
And I smiled back. Not the sharp smile I used as a weapon. A true smile. The kind I saved just for her.
"Always."
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💬 Author's Note
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Okay… maybe I put too much romance in the middle of a confrontation against a megalomaniacal mage trying to resurrect a dark god? Maybe. BUT IN MY DEFENSE… the emotional tension was practically begging for it ❤️🫣.
Honestly, I was REALLY looking forward to writing this conversation between Azra'il, Erza, and Jellal. Mainly because I wanted to address something that always bothered me a little in the Tower of Paradise arc: how much guilt and trauma Erza carried while Jellal basically manipulated it the whole time.
So I wanted Azra'il to completely destroy that narrative.
Because in the end, this chapter isn't about "who is stronger." It's about Erza finally ceasing to see herself as broken.
And one VERY important thing for me: I didn't want to turn Erza into a "damsel in distress protected by the protagonist." Azra'il is super protective of those she loves, but Erza is also too proud to accept being seen as her own boss while she handles everything alone.
That's why the phrase: "By your side. As it always should have been."
That was basically the essence of the chapter.
And yes… Eos continues to be Azra'il's biggest privacy enemy. This AI sees an increase in heart rate and immediately starts a real-time romantic report 😂.
I REALLY want to know what you thought of Azra'il's dynamic with Erza here. Did you like how I handled Jellal in this moment? And especially… did you like Erza making the decision to fight ALONGSIDE Azra'il instead of being protected?
Your comments really motivate me to keep writing, so comment with theories, rants, opinions, anything, 🫰.