Fairy Tail: Threads of Infinity

The tower groaned.

Inside, the chamber radiated raw, unfiltered magic. A massive lacrima core hovered above a dark sigil etched into the floor, pulsing with energy. And standing beneath it… was Jellal.

His messy blue hair and golden armor shimmered with an unnatural light. He turned slowly, a calm smile on his lips.

"Erza. Simon," Jellal said, voice like silk dipped in venom. "I was expecting your visit."

Erza stepped forward, voice trembling with fury. "This ends now, Jellal. Whatever madness you've succumbed to, I won't let you go through with it."

Jellal chuckled. "Madness? I've never been more lucid. With this tower complete, I shall return Zeref to this world. The era of false peace will finally end."

Simon scowled. "You're using our memories, our pain, our childhood to fuel your delusions. The Jellal I knew would never—"

"Then you never knew me," Jellal interrupted coldly.

A bolt of dark energy flashed toward them—Simon grabbed Erza and leapt to the side as the blast carved a molten scar into the floor.

"I suppose you won't be walking away peacefully," Jellal mused.

Erza growled. "We'll stop you. Right here and now."

Without another word, they charged.

---

Simon struck first, lashing out with his dark magic. Tendrils of shadow arced through the air like snakes, converging on Jellal. The blue-haired mage lifted his hand, and a circular glyph spun into existence—dispersing the shadows like mist under sunlight.

Jellal's form blurred—he reappeared above them, casting *Heavenly Body Magic: Grand Chariot*. Seven beams of light rained down, exploding on contact.

Erza and Simon split. She shifted instantly into her *Flight Armor*, wings of light propelling her through the air as she slashed upward with twin blades.

Jellal parried with casual grace, deflecting her strikes with his armored gauntlets, before retaliating with a close-range energy blast that sent Erza crashing into the wall.

Simon roared, casting *Dark Spiral Lance* from beneath the ground. The attack pierced upward—but Jellal blinked out of range in a shimmer of blue light.

He reappeared behind Simon.

"Still too slow."

Jellal blasted Simon point-blank, hurling him across the chamber.

"Simon!" Erza shouted, coughing from the smoke as she got back to her feet.

Simon struggled to rise, blood dripping down his forehead. "Erza… stay focused… We can't let him activate the tower."

Erza stood between Jellal and the lacrima core. Her armor shimmered—changing into Adamantine Armor. "You'll have to go through me."

"I will gladly, my lady." Jellal said.

They clashed again. Erza's strength and armor gave her the edge in defense, but Jellal's speed and magic were overwhelming. He floated freely, firing off spells from every angle. *Altairis*, *Meteor*, *Sema*. Each one carved through the room with surgical precision.

Simon managed to restrain Jellal momentarily with dark bindings, giving Erza a window to strike with her *Heaven's Wheel Armor*. Dozens of blades rained down—but Jellal broke the seal with a surge of magic and redirected the swords mid-air, turning them against her.

A dozen slashes tore into Erza's shoulder and thigh. She fell to her knees.

"Still standing?" Jellal raised his hand, forming a sphere of destructive energy.

Simon charged again, desperate, casting *Black Lotus Barrage*. The twin spells collided mid-air, exploding in a brilliant flash. Smoke covered the chamber.

---

As the dust cleared, Simon stood slumped, breath ragged. Erza lay behind him, battered and unconscious. Blood matted her scarlet hair.

"You… bastard," Simon rasped, stumbling forward. "I won't… let you…"

Jellal narrowed his eyes, then wordlessly struck.

A lance of blue magic punched through Simon's stomach. He collapsed with a gasp.

Jellal turned toward Erza.

"Your sacrifice will fuel the final sequence," he said, approaching her still form. "Zeref will awaken. And the world will change."

But just as he raised his hand to finish Simon off—

A deep tremor shook the chamber.

Jellal turned.

From the shattered balcony above, a figure dropped down amidst the haze.

Clad in a white coat with a blindfold fluttering in the windless air. His presence made the entire room feel… lighter. Like gravity itself recoiled from him.

"Yo."

Shinra landed on the ground without a sound.

But just then his eyes landed on Erza and the temperature of the hall dropped instantly.

Jellal's eyes narrowed. "How did—"

" You are...dead", Shinra's cold voice interrupted.

" Huh, What do you—!?

The wall behind Jellal exploded before he could finish the question.

Shinra was already there—his hand extended in a palm strike that sent Jellal flying into the wall with a *boom* that echoed throughout the tower.

"I told you," Shinra said again, his voice cool as frost. "You are fu*cking, dead."

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