Chapter 395: The Battle Begins
Chapter 395: The Battle Begins
The enemy's ship might have been equipped with some magical devices, as they had been chasing it for most of the night without catching up.
When they set off, the sun had already set, and by now, the distant sky was beginning to brighten.
In the distance, the group could make out the silhouettes of mountains and a towering shadow that pierced the clouds.
Simon gazed at the massive shadow, "That's Paradise Tower over there."
Lucy exclaimed, "It's so tall!"
"Of course," Simon replied, "Because it's a thousand meters high."
A thousand meters in height was equivalent to several hundred stories, approximately the height of two Oriental Pearl Towers.
The construction of such a building in eight years was already impressive, not to mention the additional time required to set up magic arrays and install magic crystals to create the R System during the construction process.
It was no wonder that Jelf's fanatical followers were so dedicated.
Rod calculated the distance and direction they had traveled that night and felt like he had crossed borders again.
Rod recalled the maps he had seen, "Is Paradise Tower built near the coast of the Car Elrum Kingdom?"
The Car Elrum Kingdom was a large island with a thriving maritime industry, and it was said to have a formidable navy. It often had friction with the Minara Kingdom to its northeast.
However, since the Fiore Kingdom was a neutral country, it had trade relations with both nations.
But because this area was frequented by pirates, and with no exceptional scenery or specialties, and as it was not on the regular trade route between the three kingdoms, few merchant ships passed through. Rare were the travelers who ventured there.
Furthermore, with mountains blocking the shore, the area was desolate for hundreds of miles, so the Dark Magic Guild's choice to build the R System here must have been a well-considered decision.
Regarding the geographical location, Simon couldn't provide an answer, "I don't know which country this is either, as I've never left since I was captured as a child."
Simon and his companions had lived in Paradise Tower, working, sleeping, and occasionally studying magic, but they had little concept of the outside world.
The information about Erza, on the other hand, was likely intentionally leaked by Gerald to fuel their hatred.
If they were released into society, their survival skills would probably only be slightly better than Rod's when he first arrived.
"It doesn't matter if we don't know the location. How many people are in the tower, where does Gerald live, and where will the ritual take place? These are things we should know."
"Oh, yes. Aside from Voli and Milanna, there were originally laborers and hundreds of guards in the tower."
"Originally?"
"Yes, just a few days ago, the laborers were temporarily sent away. Gerald said that having too many people present would interfere with the ritual."
"The ceremony should officially begin at noon tomorrow, and at that time, the guards will be asked to wait below the tower for Jelf's arrival."
That saved a lot of trouble. Rod asked, "Are there surveillance magic crystals in the tower?"
"Yes, and plenty of them," Simon replied, "Everything that happens in the tower is under Gerald's watch."
"Good." Rod inquired, "How are everyone's magic power and physical strength?"
Mira: "We've recovered."
Gray: "No problem!"
Natsu: "We're ready for a fight anytime!"
Juvia: "Juvia will definitely help."
Lucy: "I... I'll do my best."
As they approached Paradise Tower, Gray created a large ice platform, and Rod summoned the Void Larva.
When in doubt, summon soldiers.
Juvia used her magic to create a one-way transparent water membrane to conceal their tracks.
The plan for this operation was straightforward: Natsu would lead the charge at Paradise Tower's main entrance, causing as much distraction as possible.
That was their specialty.
Simon would serve as a hostage, testing if they could exchange him for Happy—Erza was someone the enemy would never hand over, so they could only hope for Happy's return.
As long as Simon can help turn Happy, it doesn't matter if he can help turn his companions.
Anyway, there are worms to supplement the military.
Rod and Mira are responsible for flying into the air, infiltrating from the top or side of the tower, finding Elusa, and leaving. The task of dismantling the tower is left to the worms and the vanguard.
The worst-case scenario is expected to be encountering Gerald before rescuing Elusa.
Although Simon says that person is very strong, he doesn't seem to have any concept of how strong it is.
Rod has no choice. Elusa is in constant danger, and they have to go even if the enemy is strong.
Even if it's a Saint Ten, he and Mira wouldn't be completely defenseless.
As Paradise Tower gets closer, Rod reaches out a hand.
Mila places her hand on his wrist, followed by Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and (heart-eyed) Juvia.
"Fairy Tail..."
"Victory!"
Simon wobbled his tied hands. He wanted to join them, but he couldn't bring himself to ask, and no one was helping him untie.
"Action." Rod summoned a magic statue, added the Insight Crown to himself and Mira, then received the Shadow Wolf. Next, he would rely on his sense of smell to find Elusa.
Mira hugged Rod's waist from behind, receiving the Soul of Satan, and with a flap of her wings, they flew upwards.
The princess carry might have been to give Rod some face in front of his companions.
Juvia added a layer of water membrane to the two, striving to cover them for a while, hoping that after reaching the tower, people would mistake them for strange birds.
"Charge!" Natsu tugged at the Crab Ship's tentacles, urging them to swim to the shore quickly.
The water membrane disappeared, and the group directly boarded the island.
From a distance, Paradise Tower looked like a strange tree covered in vines.
But as they approached, they could see that each 'vine' was made of pipes thicker than a person, made of unknown materials.
The entire island was its 'root system', a network of various pipes, some intertwining and tangled, chaotic and disorderly.
Such a massive structure, yet its exterior resembled a chaotic mechanical style, though it had a wasteland aesthetic.
Although the sky was still dark, as soon as the boat docked, the island's lights shone towards them, and the guards immediately spotted them, shouting, "Who goes there!"
The guard was both questioning the strangers' identities and alerting his companions.
Natsu jumped ashore, shouting, "Bring back Elusa and Happy!"
"Intruders! Intruders!"
The guard shouted, rallying his companions.
The group didn't rush to attack but allowed these guards to gather.
Gray lagged behind his companions, placed his hand on the water's surface, and created an ice road leading directly to the ice platform where the Void Larvae were located.
In less than ten minutes, the worms had already given birth to over five hundred larvae. They hopped around on the increasingly crowded platform, unable to run amok due to the mother worm's orders.
As soon as the ice road connected to the platform, the three mother worms roared, and the blue-purple worms hopped onto the ice road, rushing towards the tower that looked both large and appetizing.
"I can't hold it in anymore!" Natsu looked at the approaching guards, clenching his fists and puffing out his cheeks, "Dragon Roar!"
The firelight illuminated the island, signaling the start of this battle.
The more I think about it, the more uncomfortable I feel... A tower over 800 meters tall, for eight years... Surely the Car Elrum Kingdom would have noticed...
The Council of Magic would also discuss the legal issues of attacking there, explaining that it's not a small country to be toyed with...
So weird... (╥﹏╥)o
(End of Chapter)
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