On the other side, Sho's body was still trembling non-stop. He dared not look up, dared not look at Erza, and even less dared to look at the frozen scene.
Traitors...
It turned out that in Jellal's eyes, they were merely pawns that could be discarded at any time, from beginning to end.
"Why..."
The suppressed sob turned into a low growl.
Sho's fist smashed onto the cold ground, and blood seeped out from between his fingers, yet he felt no pain whatsoever.
"Why! Jellal!"
Regret, rage, and unwillingness—all these emotions intertwined, nearly consuming his sanity.
"Don't you think it's too late to ask why now?" Ryoma's voice was cold as ice.
He walked in front of Sho and looked down at him.
"The moment you chose to trust him and chose to abandon Erza, you should have expected this day would come."
"I..."
Sho opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word.
Millianna and Wally also looked ashen. Jellal's declaration of 'purging' had completely shattered their final illusions.
"Enough, Ryoma," Erza said, her voice carrying a hint of exhaustion. "They were merely... deceived."
As she looked at the distraught Sho, her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
"Stand up, Sho." Erza's voice was soft, yet it carried undeniable power.
"If you still want to know the answer, if you still want to demand an explanation for your foolishness, then stand up on your own feet and go to the top of the Tower of Heaven to ask him yourself."
Sho's body trembled violently. He slowly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes meeting Erza's determined gaze.
That's right. What good was running away? What good was pain?
He needed to get a clear answer. To ask the leader they had once trusted so deeply why he had treated them this way.
A strength mingled with regret and fury surged from the depths of his heart.
Sho braced himself against the ground and shakily stood up. His eyes changed, no longer showing confusion and pain, but resolution and determination.
"Erza-nee... I'm sorry." He said hoarsely. "And... thank you."
Wally and Millianna silently stood behind Sho, their faces likewise filled with resolve.
"We... need to fight too." Wally gripped his elongated block arm tightly and said in a deep voice.
"To get revenge on that scumbag Jellal!" Millianna wiped the tears from her eyes, her gaze turning fierce.
Simon looked at the three of them, and his tense expression finally eased somewhat.
"We are more familiar with the structure of this tower than you are." Sho volunteered, his gaze sweeping over the complex network of surrounding passages.
"Leave the remaining low-level soldiers and any potential traps to us."
He paused, his tone growing firmer. "We will disrupt the operation of the R-System from the inside as much as possible. We will buy you time."
Erza was slightly worried. "But..."
"Don't worry, Erza." Simon patted her shoulder. "We're not children anymore, and this is the path we chose ourselves."
Ryoma nodded. "Fine. Splitting up will be more efficient."
He looked at Sho and added, "Don't die."
Those simple words warmed Sho's heart. He nodded heavily.
"You guys be careful too."
After speaking, Sho, Simon, Wally, and Millianna turned and rushed into another fork in the path without hesitation, their figures quickly disappearing into the depths of the dark corridor.
Silence returned to the main hall.
"Are they... really going to be okay?" Gray asked, looking in the direction they left, feeling uneasy.
"Let's trust them." Erza said softly.
"Alright, enough reflection for now." Ryoma's voice pulled everyone's thoughts back. "It's time for us to leave too."
He took a step and walked toward the stairs leading to the upper levels.
"Our target: the top of the tower."
"Oh!" Natsu instantly fired up and charged ahead.
"Hey! Don't run ahead, you idiot!" Gray followed close behind, unwilling to be outdone.
Erza and Ryoma walked side-by-side behind them, and the atmosphere grew silent for a moment.
"Thank you, Ryoma." Erza suddenly said.
"Thank me for what?"
"Thank you for... not striking them down directly." Erza's voice was soft. "And thank you for waking Sho up."
Ryoma did not stop walking, merely saying indifferently, "I just hate wasting time. Besides, I promised you I would bring them back."
Hearing this, the corners of Erza's lips involuntarily curled up slightly.
At the same time, atop the stone throne at the top of the Tower of Heaven, Jellal was coldly observing everything happening inside the tower through a lacrima.
He showed no emotion regarding the total annihilation of the low-level soldiers, acting as if only a swarm of ants had died.
"Simon and the others chose to betray me after all? How foolish." He muttered to himself, a cold curve appearing at the corners of his lips.
"However, it doesn't matter. Pawns are meant to be discarded anyway."
He tapped his finger lightly on the armrest.
"Since the low-level soldiers can't buy me time, it's time to introduce some more substantial characters."
"It's time for the Trinity Raven to make their move."
...
Ryoma and his group ascended at an extremely fast pace.
Although the passages inside the tower were complex, for them, it was enough to choose one path and then destroy everything that blocked their way.
Walls, mechanisms, traps...
Under Natsu's Iron Fist, Gray's Ice Lance, and Erza's sword, nothing could stop them for more than three seconds.
Sometimes, the talent for destruction was incredibly practical.
Boom!
Another thick stone wall was smashed by Natsu's punch, and they arrived at a much wider platform.
However, the moment they stepped onto the platform, three powerful surges of magic power came from the front without warning.
"Hm?" Ryoma raised an eyebrow and stopped.
Natsu and Gray instantly adopted combat stances.
Erza immediately used Requip to don a set of light battle armor, staring gravely ahead.
Three figures slowly emerged from the shadows of the platform.
On the left was a tall, long-haired man dressed in rock-style clothing, carrying a giant guitar. He occasionally stuck out his long tongue and let out a bizarre cackle.
"Go to hell! Go to hell! Let us show you the best, and deepest, hell."
On the right was a muscular eccentric with an owl-like head, wearing a flight suit. He made "Ooh ooh woo" sounds, his eyes flickering with an eerie light in the darkness.
"Prey... found! Ooh ooh woo!"
In the center was a cherry-blossom haired woman, dressed in a plain white kimono, wearing wooden clogs, and holding a red longsword. Her demeanor was cool, and her eyes were sharp as knives. Just by simply standing there, she gave off an extreme sense of danger.
"Assassination Guild Death's Head Caucus' Special Guerrilla Squad, Trinity Raven, are all present." The leading woman, Ikaruga, stated coldly.