Chapter 305: Etherion
Alright, it's our turn!
Ultear glanced at Gray, who immediately understood her intent.
Ice-Make: Lance! x2
Both unleashed their Ice-Make magic simultaneously. From the magic circles appearing before them, countless ice lances shot toward the cult members.
Aaaah!
Numerous cultists were sent flying, wailing in pain as they hit the ground.
Let's join in too! Lucy said to Yukino-kun, who also used Celestial Spirit Magic.
Okay, Lucy-nee! Yukino-kun replied without hesitation.
Both pulled out their keys at the same time—Lucy a gold one, Yukino-kun a silver one.
Open, Gate of the Giant Crab!
Open, Gate of the Little Bear!
They swung their keys in unison, summoning their spirits. Cancer and a giant pink mechanical bear emerged from the magic circles. Without a word, both spirits charged directly at the cult members.
Whoa!
A large number of cultists were knocked down by the two spirits, groaning on the floor.
Meredy-kun, let's do it too.
Seeing the teamwork of the other three pairs, Noah felt eager to join in. He turned to Meredy-kun, who was learning his Light-Make magic.
Yes, Noah-kun! Meredy-kun nodded immediately.
Light-Make: Light Lances!
Noah and Meredy-kun clapped their hands together simultaneously. Golden magic circles unfolded before them, and countless solid light spears erupted from the circles, flying toward the cult members.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The light spears didn't just knock the cultists back; they exploded upon impact with the ground and walls, blasting nearby enemies away.
Meredy-kun's magic is really powerful! Lucy exclaimed, watching Meredy-kun's attack. Seeing the explosive force of the light spears, she was incredibly impressed, especially considering Meredy-kun's age.
That's because Noah-kun is a good teacher. Meredy-kun blushed at the praise and replied shyly.
Meredy-kun works hard herself, Noah added, praising his student. Not everyone could achieve such strength at her age.
The cult members on this floor seem to be defeated. Let's keep going up, Sorano said after Erza and the others finished off the remaining stragglers.
As soon as she spoke, the sound of machinery whirred again. In the distance, another door opened, revealing a staircase behind it.
Another door and staircase appeared. The enemy is inviting us up, Ultear said calmly, looking at the stairs.
They've been monitoring us, so they know the outcome of our fights. Noah, do you know where the enemy is? Can you block their surveillance? Erza asked.
The person with the strongest magic power in the tower is at the very top. He must be the one watching us. I'll block it slightly—just enough to blur their vision so they know we're defeating their men but can't see the specifics.
Noah waved his hand upward, casting a spell. A magical light swept over everyone and then vanished.
That should do it.
Then let's keep going!
Natsu excitedly charged up the stairs first, with everyone following closely behind.
Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!
BOOM!
As soon as they reached the next floor, they heard Natsu's shout followed by an explosion. He was already fighting the cult members. Everyone rushed to help, and within moments, the floor was cleared. The stairs to the next level appeared.
Just as Noah was about to follow everyone up, he received a call.
Gramps, what's wrong?
The Council is voting on whether to fire the Etherion cannon via the satellite array to destroy the Tower of Heaven! Get out of there immediately! Makarov's frantic voice came through the Communication Lacrima.
After informing the Council about the eighth Tower of Heaven and sending Noah's photos, the situation escalated. Yajima, being a council member, knew Noah and the others were inside. When the proposal to use Etherion was raised, he immediately alerted Makarov, who then contacted Noah.
Everyone stopped when they saw Noah taking a call. Hearing Makarov's voice and the grim news, Ultear and the other S-Class mages' expressions darkened significantly.
Etherion? Lucy asked, seeing the serious looks on the S-Class mages' faces while Natsu, Gray, and others looked confused.
Etherion, also known as the Super-Dimensional Destruction Magic, is one of the Council's ultimate weapons. Fired from a satellite array, it can target anything in the world. Its power is enough to wipe an entire country off the map. It is far more dangerous than the Tower of Heaven we are currently in. Using it to destroy a massive structure like this tower would indeed be effective, Noah explained for those who didn't know.
What do we do? Do we need to evacuate right now? Lucy panicked. Magic capable of destroying a country was terrifying beyond imagination.
I didn't think anyone in the Council would actually propose using Etherion to destroy the tower. Are they insane? Ultear said angrily.
Maybe they panicked seeing the tower is complete. This magic can resurrect the dead, violating the laws of life and death. It's an unforgivable magic born from dangerous ideology. Without knowing the full situation inside, some council members probably think destroying it immediately with Etherion is the best option, Mirajane reasoned.
Also, the R-System is a taboo magic erased from history, so their fear is understandable. An Etherion strike would reduce everything to nothingness, erasing the tower completely. Whatever effects the tower has, that kind of attack would solve it, Noah added.
But what about the people here? Besides the cult members, aren't there many civilians who were captured? What about them? Erza demanded angrily. There were people here—were they just going to be abandoned?
They probably intend to sacrifice them. In their minds, it's a necessary sacrifice to protect the order of the magical world, Sorano said unhappily.
Damn it! Erza cursed.
Natsu and the others looked grim. If Etherion was fired, they might escape, but the people trapped here wouldn't.
Noah, do you have a plan? Ultear asked, looking at him expectantly.
Erza and the others also turned to Noah. He was the strongest and knew the most magic. He always had solutions for difficult problems. They hoped this time would be no different.
Noah didn't disappoint them. Yes. I can teleport everyone in the tower to a nearby island to avoid the Etherion blast. However, it would be best if they were unconscious or incapacitated. That makes it easier for me to lock onto them and transfer them. It hasn't been decided yet whether they will fire, and even if they vote yes, it will take tens of minutes to charge and fire. We can use that time to knock everyone out, then I'll send them all away.
Everyone thought for a moment, then Ultear and the others nodded seriously.
Since Noah has a plan, let's do it, Erza said firmly. No one objected. If they had the ability to prevent a mass sacrifice, they wouldn't stand by and let it happen.
If that's what you want to do, then go for it! But you must prioritize your own safety. Cherish your lives, do you understand? Makarov said through the lacrima, having heard their discussion. He wouldn't stop them from doing what was right, but he had to remind them not to throw their lives away. That was the Fairy Tail way.
Understood, Gramps. I will watch over everyone's safety. I promise to bring everyone back in one piece, Noah replied seriously.
Good. Continue your mission. If there's any news from the Council, I'll let you know immediately. Makarov ended the call and contacted Yajima to get real-time updates on the Council's decision. As a council member, Yajima was his best source of information.
"So that's what Noah and the others are planning... I understand. I'll let you know as soon as there's news, Maru," Yajima agreed.
Alright, there's only one thing left for us to do.
Natsu slammed his fists together, flames igniting around them.
We take down everyone here!
Exactly. Let's move fast. The sooner we defeat the enemies, the better, Gray added.
Since we need speed, let me apply support enchantments to everyone. Noah-kun needs to save his magic for the mass teleportation, Wendy-kun offered.
~~~
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