Hey hope yall enjoy this chapter. sorry if it feels like I rushed it but lets be honest jellal can't contend with varion and dragging it out would just feel wrong. Also I'm excited to push into what I have planned next. I really think yall will enjoy it. Anywho please leave a comment if you find any errors or think something can be done better. I'm open to constructive criticism.
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P.S.
Also leave a comment of tensura girls yall wanna see my limit is 5 just like before I have 1 locked in and ideas for 2 others. The rest are up in the air so go wild. I'll make a poll chapter soon.
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Chapter 34
Varion led the group back inside the guild hall just long enough to find the kids still playing in the backyard. He waved them over for a quick moment. "Hey, I've got another mission with the girls. We'll be back in a few days. Be good and stay out of trouble."
The kids barely slowed down. Natsu grinned and shouted, "Kick butt!" while Wendy waved and called, "Stay safe!" Meredy gave a shy little wave before they all turned and ran right back to their game, laughter echoing behind them.
Satisfied, Varion turned to the others. "That's it. Let's go."
They headed straight home, packed their bags in minutes, and made their way to the train station. Once aboard and settled in a private compartment, ready for the long journey.
Hours later, the train pulled into the quiet coastal station. The group stepped off into the salty sea air, Varion adjusted his bag and looked at each of them.
"Alright, lets get to the docks quickly:
The group made their way from the train station straight to the docks, the salty sea breeze whipping through their hair as they navigated the bustling pier. Makarov had come through and used contacts to get them a boat; it was a sturdy, mid-sized vessel waiting at the end of the dock. It was larger than a fishing boat but sleek enough for speed, with reinforced hulls, wide decks, and space below for at least thirty people plus supplies. The captain, a grizzled ex-mage, gave them a respectful nod as they boarded.
"Master Makarov said you'd need her fast and reliable," he grunted. "She's ready. Just point the way."
Ultear stepped forward hesitantly, pointing toward the open sea. "The Tower is due east-southeast—about two hours at full speed. Follow the current line; the illusions hide it until you're close."
Varion clapped the captain on the shoulder. "Let's move."
The crew started moving quickly, getting ready for the voyage, the magic engine hummed to life, and the boat cut through the waves with surprising speed. Once they were clear of the harbor, the group gathered on the main deck, the wind tugging at their clothes as the coastline shrank behind them.
Varion spread the rough map again on a crate, weighing it down with a few stones. "Quick recap. We hit the Tower hard and fast. Mira, Lucy, Brandish, you three take the lower levels, with the majority of the weaker guards and the slaves. Mira leads on crowd control and guard suppression. Lucy summons spirits for crowd management and rescue support. Brandish shrinks threats or traps to make extraction easier. Priority: get every slave out alive and onto this boat."
Mira cracked her knuckles, a faint demonic glow flickering along her arm. "Got it. We'll clear the way and keep them calm."
Lucy nodded firmly, her keys jingling at her hip. "My spirits can handle the numbers. We'll make sure no one gets left behind."
Brandish gave a lazy thumbs-up. "Easy enough."
Varion turned to the others. "Erza, Ultear, and I will go for the upper levels. Ultear knows the layout and can disable any traps. Erza and I will handle any heavy resistance, find Jellal, and subdue him if he's still under influence. We fix him, deprogram, talk him down, whatever it takes. No killing unless there's no other choice."
Erza's expression was steel, her hand resting on her sword hilt. "Jellal… if there's anything left of him, we'll bring it back."
Ultear swallowed hard but met their eyes. "I'll help undo what I did. I swear it."
Varion folded the map. "Alright lets do this?"
Right then, the horizon shifted. A dark spire appeared, the Tower of Heaven, looming like a jagged scar against the sky. The illusions parted just enough for them to see it clearly now.
Varion straightened, the wind whipping his crimson hair. "There it is."
-skip to arrival-
Varion stood at the bow, wind whipping his crimson hair. "This is it. Stay sharp."
The moment the hull scraped against the hidden dock, the group exploded into motion. Mira, Lucy, and Brandish leaped onto the lower platform first, already engaging the cluster of brainwashed guards rushing out to meet them.
Mira's Satan Soul form flared, demonic wings snapping open as she slammed into the front line. "You're not getting past us!"
Lucy spun her keys, summoning Taurus and Virgo in a swirl of golden light.
Brandish flicked her wrist; entire groups of guards shrank to the size of dolls mid-charge, tumbling harmlessly into her waiting pouch. "Next."
Varion, Erza, and Ultear didn't slow down. They blasted straight through the outer ring of defenders, Varion's Star Dragon Claw scattering soldiers like leaves, Erza's sword flashing in precise arcs, Ultear aging the stone beneath their feet to create unstable footing. Together they pushed upward, leaving the lower-level chaos to the others.
They climbed the spiraling staircases, the air growing heavier with magic the higher they went. Halfway to the central chamber, three figures stepped out from a side corridor, blocking the way.
Miliana—still in her cat-eared outfit, tail swishing, eyes wide and feline-sharp—pointed a trembling finger. "Erza… it really is you. Nya… how could you come back after everything you did?"
Sho stood calm and collected beside her, shuffling a deck of glowing cards between his fingers, his voice steady but laced with betrayal and anger. " You left us here to rot while you ran off to play hero in some guild after what you did to us."
Wally, hot-headed as ever, already had twin guns drawn, barrels smoking faintly. "You Abandoned us, betrayed Jellal, betrayed all of us! We waited for you, and you just… destroyed the boats and ran off!"
Erza froze mid-step, her sword lowering slightly. "Miliana… Sho… Wally… listen to me. I didn't betray you. Jellal was manipulated,they twisted his mind with lies about Zeref. Please… this isn't what you think."
The three didn't waver. Miliana's ears flattened, claws extending. "Liar! You're the one who went crazy with magic and left us to die!"
Sho flipped a card, a magic circle blooming beneath his feet. "We can't trust you anymore."
Wally's guns clicked. "Time to settle this the old way!"
They attacked without another word—Miliana leaping forward in a whirlwind of claws and agility, Sho's explosive cards raining down, Wally's rapid gunfire echoing through the stone halls.
Erza raised her sword to block, voice desperate. "Wait—!"
Before she could finish, Varion stepped in front of her, scales rippling faintly along his arms. He moved like a blur—gentle but unstoppable. A precise palm strike to Miliana's side sent her tumbling unconscious into a wall. Sho's cards met a wall of intense magic that disintegrated them and exploded knocking him out cold. Wally's barrage was caught in a Varion's open hand then he closed the distance and gave a light chip to the back of his neck, dropping him gently to the floor.
Varion stood over the three unconscious figures, breathing steady. "We can fix whatever issues they have later. First we need to get everything under control, then we can convince them properly when we have plenty of time."
Erza stared at her old friends, eyes glistening, but she nodded once, grip tightening on her sword. "Thank you… Let's keep moving."
Ultear watched silently from the side, guilt flickering across her face, but she said nothing as the three of them pressed onward toward the heart of the Tower.
Varion, Erza, and Ultear pushed higher through the twisting corridors of the Tower, the air growing thick with stale magic and the faint echo of distant fighting below. Mira, Lucy, and Brandish were handling the lower levels perfectly—shouts and the flash of celestial light told them the slaves were being freed and the guards subdued without lethal force. The three of them moved in tight formation, Varion at the front, Erza's sword drawn, Ultear guiding them with quiet, reluctant directions.
They rounded a final bend and nearly collided with a tall, muscular figure stepping out from a shadowed alcove. Simon. His dark skin was marked with old scars, his expression calm and steady, but his eyes widened the moment he saw Erza.
"Erza…" Simon's voice was low, filled with quiet disbelief. "You came back."
Erza stopped short, sword lowering slightly. "Simon… you're still here."
He nodded once, glancing at Varion and Ultear before looking straight at her. "I never believed Jellal's words. Not for a second. But I couldn't abandon the others. I stayed and plotted—quiet ways to help them escape, to break the chains. I thought I'd have to do it alone." His gaze softened as it settled on Erza again. "But you came back for us. And you brought help."
Erza's grip tightened on her sword, emotion flickering across her face, but she kept her voice steady. "We're ending this today. Where is he?"
Simon pointed up the last flight of stairs. "The central chamber. He's on the throne, waiting. Be careful—he's stronger than before."
With Simon falling in behind them, they climbed the final stairs and pushed open the heavy doors.
Jellal sat on a raised throne of dark stone, blue hair framing a face that looked both older and emptier than Erza remembered. He looked up slowly, a faint, surprised smile touching his lips.
"Erza… I honestly didn't expect you to come back here so soon—"
He never finished the sentence.
Varion exploded forward in a blur of silver-blue scales and starlight. His fist connected with Jellal's chest like a comet, the impact launching the blue-haired mage straight through the ceiling in a shower of stone and dust. The throne cracked and toppled behind him.
The others stared, stunned.
Varion landed lightly, breathing steady, and turned to the group. "There's no need to let him monologue. We're here to end this quickly. We don't know if he has any tricks up his sleeves, so we're not taking any chances. From here on out, we rush him all at once."
Erza's eyes flashed with understanding. "Agreed."
Ultear nodded tightly. "No holding back."
Simon cracked his knuckles, a determined glint in his eye. "Let's finish it."
Jellal crashed back down through the broken ceiling, Heavenly Body Magic already flaring around him—golden light gathering in his palms as he prepared to unleash a devastating Meteor spell. "You dare—!"
He never got the chance.
The four of them hit him like a storm.
Varion met the incoming celestial energy head-on with a Star Dragon's Claw, shattering the light before it could form. Erza requipped her strongest armor and drove forward with fast, overwhelming strikes. Simon followed up with powerful punches, each one driving Jellal back. Ultear thrust her hands forward, aging the floor beneath Jellal's feet into crumbling dust and the ceiling above him to disrupt his footing and throw him off balance.
There was no way Jellal could fight all four of them at once, let alone Varion himself.
In less than two minutes it was over. Jellal hit the floor hard, breathing ragged, Heavenly Body Magic flickering out as Varion pinned him firmly to the ground with a hand on his chest and a glowing rope, a magic item used to block off a person's access to magic and built to withstand enhanced strength, binding his wrists.
"No more," Varion said quietly. "It's done."
Erza stood over them both, chest heaving. For the first time in years, the weight she had carried since childhood finally lifted. She breathed a deep sigh of relief, the Tower and everything it stood for finally over.
Varion stood and pulled her into a light hug. She hugged him back tightly, burying her face in his chest for a long moment before they broke apart.
"There's still work to do," she said, voice steady once more. "Let's get everyone out of here."
The Tower was falling silent around them—the lower levels already clear, the last guards subdued. The mission was almost finished.