Chapter 76: Tower of Heaven (3)
"We're already here…"
Erza's body trembled as she stepped out onto the deck, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon. Rising from a small island stood a massive tower that seemed to pierce the very clouds themselves. This was where her childhood nightmare had begun—the place she'd once hoped would mark the end of her suffering. She never imagined she'd return like this.
Just as Dino was about to follow her outside, Simon grabbed his arm and whispered urgently, "Dino-san, please… for Erza's sake, you have to kill Jellal."
Dino stared at the tower, his fists clenching until his knuckles turned white. "I want to smash that entire tower to rubble."
The contrast was jarring—the island itself wasn't particularly large, yet this monstrous tower dominated the landscape completely. Knowing it was the source of Erza's torment made Dino's blood boil. He could feel the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit surging within him, begging to be unleashed.
"No!" Erza spun around, her expression desperate. "There are innocent people trapped inside that tower!"
Dino exhaled slowly, forcing himself to relax. "Fine. Then I'll let it stand… for now."
With Simon and his group leading the way, they managed to slip inside the tower without incident.
SLAM!
The moment they all crossed the threshold, the massive entrance doors slammed shut behind them with an ominous finality.
"Eh?!" Lucy jumped, clutching Happy closer.
Suddenly, dozens of giant mouth-shaped speakers materialized across the ceiling and walls of the entrance hall, creating a grotesque display.
"Welcome! Welcome!" a sickeningly cheerful voice echoed through the chamber. "The newest member of the Ten Wizard Saints—the 'Walking Disaster' himself, Dino Maxim! And the lovely members of Fairy Tail! Welcome to my Tower of Heaven!"
"Damn it! He knows we're here!" Simon's face went pale. He'd planned this infiltration so carefully, yet Jellal had seen right through them from the start. If he knew they were coming, he'd definitely prepared countermeasures.
"Jellal…!" Erza's voice was tight with barely suppressed rage.
Dino crossed his arms, his tone casual despite the situation. "You wanted to lure me here all along, didn't you?"
While Dino wasn't particularly fond of overthinking things—after all, when you possessed overwhelming power, most problems could be solved with a good punch—he wasn't stupid either. He'd been the one to proctor Mystogan's S-Class trial. The moment he'd seen Jellal's face during that Magic Council trial, identical to Mystogan's, the memories had clicked into place.
That's why Dino hadn't held back even slightly when demolishing the Council building. He'd wanted to send Jellal a clear message: back off.
After all, Dino had made his position crystal clear to everyone in the magical world—anyone foolish enough to target Fairy Tail should be prepared for devastating retaliation. The attack on Erza, combined with this obvious trap, made Jellal's intentions painfully obvious.
"Eh?! What do you mean?" Lucy looked between Dino and the speakers, confused. The others wore similarly bewildered expressions—after all, what connection could Dino possibly have to this place?
"Hahaha! Excellent! As expected of the great Dino Maxim!" Jellal's laughter rang out from the speakers. "You figured it out faster than I anticipated. I'm quite curious—how did you piece it together? Won't you share?"
"Nope." Dino's response was flat and immediate.
A theatrical sigh echoed through the hall. "How disappointing! But I suppose I should lay down some ground rules, just to keep things… interesting. You see, there are many innocent people throughout this tower."
"The slaves who once worked alongside Erza, who helped overthrow the cult that built this place. Former prisoners who fought for their freedom. If you decide to go on a rampage and destroy things indiscriminately… well, their deaths would be on your conscience."
Erza's hands clenched into fists, her whole body shaking with fury. "Jellal! How dare you use them as hostages?!"
Jellal's tone remained infuriatingly casual. "Well, my opponent is the 'Calamity' Dino Maxim, one of the Ten Wizard Saints. This Tower of Heaven represents eight years of my hard work, and someone of your caliber could probably reduce it to dust in eight seconds. That would make those eight years rather pointless, wouldn't it?"
"So to make things more entertaining, I've prepared various challenges throughout the tower! Please take your time working your way up, level by level. I'll be waiting for you at the top. Do enjoy yourselves!"
With that final mocking statement, all the mouth-speakers vanished, leaving the hall in eerie silence.
"What should we do?" Lucy asked, looking to the others nervously.
Natsu cracked his knuckles, fire sparking between his fingers. "Ain't it obvious? We find that bastard Jellal and I pound his face in!"
"We need to be strategic about this," Gray interjected, already analyzing the situation. "Jellal's clearly using the prisoners as leverage. We should prioritize getting the innocent people out first."
Erza nodded firmly. "We'll split up. Simon, you and your team know this tower's layout—take Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Happy with you to evacuate the prisoners. Jellal will definitely have traps and guards stationed throughout. Stay alert."
Sho looked at Erza with concern. "What about you, Erza-nee?"
"I'm going to settle things with Jellal once and for all." Erza's voice was steel. "And before anyone worries—I'm not planning to die here. Dino will come with me."
Dino held up a hand, his expression darkening. "Hold on a second. That bastard deliberately manipulated me into coming here, played his little games to get me dancing to his tune. That pisses me off."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Several confused voices overlapped. Those who knew Dino better, however, felt a chill run down their spines as they recognized that particular tone.
They didn't have to wait long to understand.
Dino planted his feet in a wide stance, bending his knees slightly for stability. He raised both hands in front of him, fingers splayed as if gripping something invisible in the air. Then, with a sharp twisting motion, he pulled.
The space itself seemed to crack like broken glass.
"Wh-what the—?!"
Suddenly, the entire world tilted violently. Everyone's sense of balance went haywire as the tower lurched at a forty-five-degree angle. Screams erupted throughout the structure as people tumbled and slid across floors that had suddenly become steep inclines.
"GYAAAAH!"
"W-we're falling!"
"The tower's collapsing!"
"No, wait—the whole island is tipping over!"
At the top of the tower, Jellal was thrown from his throne, his body slamming hard against the floor before tumbling several times. He desperately grabbed onto a support pillar, clinging to it as the world continued to tilt at an impossible angle.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, everything snapped back to normal. The tower returned to its upright position with a jarring thud.
One of Jellal's subordinates, still sprawled on the floor, gasped out, "J-Jellal-sama! What in the world was that?!"
Jellal slowly pulled himself to his feet, his face twisted in fury. "That… was that damned monster, Dino Maxim!"
For a terrifying moment, he'd genuinely believed Dino was about to destroy the entire Tower of Heaven without a second thought for the hostages. His carefully laid plans, his leverage, his eight years of work—all potentially reduced to nothing in an instant. But no… the bastard had just been scaring him. Sending a message.
The subordinate's face had gone completely white. "Dino Maxim?! He can do something that terrifying?! Jellal-sama, with all due respect… that man is considered taboo even in the dark guilds! Everyone knows you don't provoke him! Why would you deliberately draw his attention?!"