The capture of the Three Crows, combined with Siegrain's sudden disappearance, made Ultear realize immediately that something had happened at the Tower of Heaven.
"This is all my fault... letting things develop to this point..."
Looking at the tragic battlefield, Ultear's voice was filled with self-blame.
After reuniting with her mother and realizing how terribly wrong she had been, her initial thought had been to try her best to persuade Jellal to turn back — to stop making mistakes.
Using force to suppress was a last resort, something to be used only when there were no other options.
She had never expected Jellal to be so crazy as to send the Three Crows to assassinate Chase!
This had dragged Chase her benefactor and Fairy Tail into a problem that should have been solved by her, the "root cause."
Thankfully, things hadn't developed toward the worst outcome. Otherwise, she would have added yet another unforgivable sin to her conscience.
"Miss Ultear... this doesn't really have anything to do with you, does it?" Lucy was a bit confused.
From her perspective, Ultear and Jellal were both Magic Council councilors, sure.
But that was it. Why take all the blame upon herself?
"Exactly! Miss Pitch-Black you're a good person!" Natsu's neck was still being held by Gray, but his head popped out from between them.
"...It's Ultear, Natsu!" Lucy covered her face in embarrassment.
"Even though it annoys me to agree with this fireball idiot, he's not wrong. Don't be too hard on yourself," Gray chimed in.
With Ur as their connection, he naturally felt a brotherly closeness to Ultear, like a younger brother to an older sister.
As he spoke, he kept pressing his sandal against Natsu's face while also tightening his hold.
On the distant shore, water rippled.
Juvia's head, filled with killing intent, surfaced from the water. She stared at Ultear with a hostile expression. "Romantic rival!!"
Wait — why is she here too?
A perverted stalker? Oh, never mind then...
Seeing the members of Fairy Tail trust her so much, Ultear's body couldn't help but tremble. She buried her head deep in her chest. Her sense of guilt grew even heavier.
"Actually... the one who used Zeref's remnant soul to brainwash Jellal back then — the one who caused all the subsequent tragedies of the Tower of Heaven —"
After a few seconds of hesitation, her eyes dim and devoid of light, she resolved to face the sins she had committed. She looked up at Erza. "Was me."
Erza, who had just released her emotions and regained her composure, instantly widened her eyes. "What did you say?!"
Simon and the others also showed barely concealed anger.
Shō, with his hot temper, completely exploded. He shouted in anger, "Are you saying that we were locked up here for eight years, that Erza-nee had to carry such heavy pain all of that was your doing?!"
"Wait, Miss Ultear... why would you do something like that?" Lucy covered her mouth in horror.
"Impossible! There must be some misunderstanding here!"
Gray instantly lost interest in continuing fighting with Natsu. He pointed at Jellal lying on the ground. "The mastermind of the Tower of Heaven is clearly this guy!"
"There's no misunderstanding. I was the one who secretly guided Jellal to do all that."
Ultear gently shook her head. Her gaze was determined and resolute. She revealed the whole truth to the victims present without any concealment.
Before she even finished speaking, Shō could no longer restrain himself. Murderous, he charged at her, wanting to tear his enemy into a thousand pieces.
Gray felt the killing intent and quickly stepped forward to block Shō, protecting Ultear behind him.
Having learned the whole story, he truly couldn't understand why Ultear had done such harmful things.
But one thing was certain: Ultear was now completely in a state of wanting to atone with death.
Even though he had no reason to stop Shō, Gray simply couldn't bear to stand by and watch the daughter his master Ur had finally found — beaten to death before his eyes!
"Get out of my way!"
Shō roared in anger, restrained the urge to fight.
After all, the other person was from Fairy Tail — a comrade of Erza-nee and Mr. Chase, who had freed them...
Simon, Wally, and Millianna gritted their teeth, their fists clenched tightly.
Although they weren't as impulsive as Shō, the rage blazing in their eyes was clearly visible. They were at their breaking point.
"That's enough, Gray! This is Erza and the others' own business. We have no right to get involved!"
Just as the situation seemed about to become uncontrollable, Chase who had been silent the whole time spoke up.
The sudden outbreak of terror magic power suppressed the entire scene, calming both sides considerably.
Gray was stunned. After standing in place for a few seconds, he reluctantly stepped aside.
His dark hair covered his lowered face. It was impossible to tell what expression he was making.
Lucy's lips moved. She clearly wanted to say something, but whenever the words reached her mouth, she couldn't form a coherent sentence.
Chase was right. In this matter, they — the "outsiders" — had no grounds to intervene...
With no one blocking him, Shō stepped forward, constantly approaching Ultear.
But then — another figure moved first, coming before Ultear.
Erza's face, still marked with residual tear stains, was filled with rage. Her gaze was terrifyingly dark.
The long sword gripped tightly in her hand flashed with cold, piercing light.
"Do it."
Ultear showed no intention of resisting. She closed her eyes and calmly accepted her impending death.
She knew this wouldn't wash away the many sins she had committed. Nor was she trying to escape.
It was simply that — facing the people she had hurt — she couldn't bring herself to say, "Please let me live and atone properly."
For Merudy and the other victims... she would have to repay them in her next life.
The moment tears fell from her tightly shut eyes — a cold gleam flashed, drawing a sharp, straight line through the air.
Complete silence.
A few strands of hair slowly drifted down, landing on the magic crystals beneath, then carried away by the sea breeze to the distant horizon.
Not having met her death, Ultear's eyes flew open. "Wh-Why—"
"This is enough."
Erza's expression remained cold. The long sword in her hand dissolved into specks of light.
She could clearly feel the pain and remorse Ultear was showing.
That awareness of wanting to one with death could not be faked.
The Fairy Queen — who had never once killed an enemy — how could she take the life of someone genuinely repenting, just because of hatred?
Even though it would be quite suffering in the short term, Erza firmly believed that only by doing this would she not regret it later.
As Mira had said earlier — no one knew the value of life better than the gentle Erza.
Ultear touched her severed bangs, standing there stunned, not knowing what to do.
"Wait! Erza-nee!"
The immature Shō was about to speak when Erza gently pulled him into her embrace. "Stop here, Shō."
THUD.
The crisp sound of a head hitting hard armor rang out.
Shō finally calmed down — from a physical perspective.
"Ah ha, ahaha..."
Lucy clutched her chest and sighed heavily in relief.
Natsu, Gray, and Happy's tense nerves also relaxed.
Mira smiled and leaned close to Chase, whispering, "How cunning, Chase. You already knew it would turn out like this — so you deliberately called out Erza, didn't you?"
"Who knows?" Chase spread his hands and played dumb.
***
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