Chapter 80: Tower of Heaven!

"Little miss, you're not following the rules!"

"Rules? What rules?" the girl asked, her expression innocent.

"It's the rules of gambling."

"What are you saying? I don't understand."

"Then let me go!" the man exclaimed, seizing Millianna.

-The rope slipped from Millianna's grasp and struck the man in the face.

"Ugh!" The man cried out, collapsing to the ground.

"Wow, ah, ah!"

Upon witnessing the scene, everyone screamed and scattered, leaving only Kyros and the girl, who resembled a lost kitten.

"Meow~! You're Kyros, right? Where's Erza?"

"Little Ailu? Are you here to find Erza?" Kyros inquired calmly, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes!"

"What business do you have with Erza?"

"We're bringing Erza back."

"Back? Where are you taking her?"

"Back to the Tower of Heaven... Are you interrogating me, or am I interrogating you, meow? Why so many questions, meow?"

Kyros's demeanor shifted upon hearing the mention of the Tower of Heaven, emitting a chilling aura.

The Tower of Heaven—a name etched deeply in Kyros's memory, a place of sorrow that inflicted immense pain upon Erza.

Although Kyros had once scoured maps of the Kingdom of Fiore, he never found it, but that was to be expected. Traveling extensively, whether in this world or the previous one, proved challenging. Even reaching a specific city posed a formidable task, let alone an entire country.

He hadn't anticipated encountering news of the Tower of Heaven in this place.

Millianna was bewildered by Kyros's sudden display of power. What was happening? This man appeared utterly formidable.

"Snap!"

Kyros exerted a slight force, causing the rope binding him to tear apart.

"What? Meow?!"

Millianna's eyes widened in disbelief. Her rope was supposed to immobilize the magician, preventing him from using magic. Why did it break?

"Tell me, where is the Tower of Heaven?"

Poker Stud Arena

Erza revealed the final card, completing a royal flush with 10 of spades, Jack of spades, Queen of spades, King of spades, and Ace of spades.

"Yah–! That's incredible, Erza!!" Lucy exclaimed with excitement, embracing Erza's shoulder as she witnessed the hand, while the onlookers were equally astonished. Such a hand was more than just luck.

"Hehe, luck seems to be on my side today," Erza replied with a calm smile.

"It's time for a change of cards." A young man with yellow hair intervened, nudging the hesitant dealer aside.

"Ah... wait a moment..."

"No matter who the opponent is now, they can't defeat me." Erza exuded strength, even in games.

"That's right!" Lucy had become Erza's devoted fan. What started with a small pile of chips had grown into a substantial stack. If cashed in, it would amount to a considerable sum.

"So, how about a more unconventional game this time? No chips involved."

The young man shuffled the cards in his hand before swiftly dealing five cards in front of Erza.

Each card bore a letter, spelling out 'death' when combined.

"How about a wager with your life, Sister Erza?" the young man challenged Erza.

Erza looked up at him, her expression freezing as her body trembled uncontrollably. "Hugh..."

"Long time no see, sister."

"Huh? Huh?" Lucy interjected, bewildered.

"You... you're alright. You're safe?"

"Ah... not..."

Suddenly, darkness enveloped the entire casino.

"Why is it so dark!"

"What's happening!"

After a brief moment, the lights returned, but the crowd surrounding Erza and Lucy had vanished, leaving the once bustling casino eerily empty.

"What's going on?!"

"I'm right here, sister."

The young man tossed down numerous cards, each containing a trapped person. He frantically slapped the faces of the cards, as if trying to break free from his imprisonment.

"Everyone's trapped in cards?! What's happening?!" Lucy exclaimed, taken aback by the scene before her.

"Incredible, isn't it? I've mastered magic now too." Shô flicked his hand, and a card soared towards Lucy.

"Lucy!" The figure vanished, leaving a card floating on the ground, containing Lucy trapped within.

"Send? What kind of magic is this?! I can't break free!" Lucy struggled within the confines of the card.

Erza's expression darkened, and she shouted in distress, "What are you doing?! Lucy is my comrade!"

"Were we not comrades once? Sister, before she betrayed us," Shô retorted coldly.

"Comrades? Betrayal?" Lucy was perplexed by the accusation.

Erza winced at Shô's words, her body trembling involuntarily.

A voice interjected, "Stop tormenting Erza like that, Shô. A mature man must learn to control his emotions, understand?"

Suddenly, numerous mosaic tiles assembled into the shape of a person, forming a square figure.

"Is that voice Wally?"

"You still can't recognize me? I've polished up quite a bit since my days as Wally the rabid dog."

"This is polished?" Lucy couldn't help but complain even from within her confinement.

"You can use magic too?"

A magic circle illuminated the ground, summoning a burly man who spoke, "It's no surprise. Once you grasp it, anyone can wield magic, right, Erza?"

"Simon?!"

"Erza, who are these people?! And what's with this 'sister' business?" Lucy demanded.

"They're not blood-related siblings, but former comrades," Erza explained wearily.

"Comrades? How's that possible? Hasn't Erza been at Fairy Tail since childhood?" Lucy questioned, confused.

"It was before that. Shô, let Lucy go."

"We're taking you back, sister, to the Tower of Heaven!" Shô declared.

Erza was taken aback at the mention of the Tower of Heaven. "You want to go to the Tower of Heaven? You?" The place held painful memories she could never forget.

"Yes, now that the Tower of Heaven is no more, we've come to bring you back."

Suddenly, a voice interrupted, "You're not going anywhere."