Simultaneous travel: invincible from the beginning of the anime!

Chapter 696 Is Gerald the real traitor?
Simon had always loved Erza, so unlike Woolley and the others who had unwavering faith in Jellal, he investigated what had happened back then.

Over the years, Simon had considered thwarting Gerald's plot.

Unfortunately, Simon himself knew very well that they were no match for Gerald.

His own safety was secondary, but if he acted rashly and failed to stop Gerald, he would also endanger the safety of his companions, such as Miriam.

The reason Simon was willing to take such a gamble was ultimately because Geralt was preparing to take action against Erza.

As the object of his childhood affections, Simon would naturally not allow Geralt to harm the goddess Erza.

They might not be able to fight Gerald on their own, but Seiya has that ability.

Because of Erza's involvement in "Fairy Tail," Simon has been gathering a lot of information about this guild over the years.

So he had naturally heard about the recent events involving "Fairy Tail" and "Phantom Lord".

Simon was both surprised and delighted that Seiya had single-handedly defeated most of the high-ranking members of the Phantom Lords and even earned the title of one of the Ten Wizard Saints.

Simon had no idea how strong Jellal was now, but the title of "Ten Wizard Saints" was a title that only the strongest wizard on the continent could obtain.

If Seiya possessed such power, perhaps he could restore Jellal to his original form and also save Erza from her current predicament.

Simon personally tested Seiya's strength to confirm whether it was overrated.

If Seiya hadn't demonstrated the power that made him feel he could defeat Jellal, Simon would probably have chosen to let Erza go and let Seiya take her away.

The reason is quite simple: Seiya was also one of his former comrades. If Seiya cannot match Jellal, then going to the Tower of Paradise would be a pointless death.

Rather than dragging Seiya and Erza into this, it's better for them to bear the brunt of everything.

"Simon, what exactly is going on! From what you're saying, are you saying that the one who lied to us was actually Gerald!"

As for my sister and Seiya, they've never betrayed us, have they?

Simon's words and Erza's strange attitude finally made Hugh and Miriam realize that Simon and Erza had been hiding a lot from them.

"I'm equally curious about this. What exactly happened to you at the 'Tower of Paradise' after I left?"

Simon and his group had barely landed their ship when Seiza and his men, acting as pursuers, arrived in quick succession.

In fact, they could have caught up with Simon and his group much earlier, but Seiya only followed behind because he wanted Simon and his group to lead the way.

After all, Simon and his group traveled by boat, while Seiya and his group flew in the sky riding dragons; their speeds were simply incomparable.

Simon's confidence soared when he saw Seiya leaping down from the sky and the golden dragon he summoned.

As for Natsu and Lucy, who also experienced being dragon riders, they still seemed to want more when they got off the Golden Dragon.

Lucy envied Seiya for having such a powerful and obedient summon, unlike her Celestial Spirits, who were either temperamental or completely disobedient.

Natsu is the same; as everyone knows, he gets motion sickness, so he always has a hard time when he goes on long trips.

Although Happy could carry him, the little cat's stamina was limited and he couldn't last long. Moreover, his speed was nowhere near that of Kang Jinlong. Kang Jinlong was incredibly fast and incredibly handsome. On the way, Natsu and Lucy were secretly discussing whether they could find a way to recruit Seiya into their team.

That way, when I go out to complete quests, I can get free dragon rides.

Compared to the magic-powered vehicle, which consumes magic and wastes money, Kang Jinlong is definitely the best choice for transportation!

"Erza, when we first met in Fairy Tail, you told me that Jellal was melted into the magic crystal to save you."

As for Miliana and the others, they ultimately did not escape their fate and all perished in the "Tower of Paradise".

But now Geralt isn't dead, and Miliana sees us as traitors. What really happened back then? Are you still planning to keep it a secret?

Faced with Seiya's questioning, Erza, who was always strong, looked up again with tears in her eyes and told him the whole story.

After Jellal rescued Erza, he was captured by a cult and imprisoned and tortured.

And it was at this moment when Jellal's will was at its weakest that his mind was brainwashed and manipulated by Ultear, the leader of the Seven Kin of Purgatory from the strongest dark guild in the Balam League, "Devil's Heart".

When Erza found Jellal, his personality had changed drastically, and he easily killed all the high-ranking members of the cult and took their place.

Erza was no match for Jellal at the time, but Jellal did not kill her; instead, he let her leave the Tower of Paradise alone.

And she must not tell anyone about what happened here, or go near the island, otherwise Jellal will kill Erza's beloved Miriam and the others.

Jellal let Erza go for a simple reason: he needed enough manpower to continue building the "R System".

If everyone else on the island ran off with Erza, his plan would be impossible to complete.

So he sent Erza away alone and destroyed all the ships, leaving everyone else behind.

During the rebellion, Erza, as the leader, gained immense popularity and prestige. In order to make those who remained obedient and follow his orders, he had to label Erza a "traitor."

As for Seiya, Jellal hadn't expected that Seiya would be able to escape the Tower of Paradise on his own and reunite with Erza.

However, to prevent Miliana and the others from harboring any lingering feelings for Seiya, Jellal later portrayed Seiya as an accomplice who colluded with Erza.

Erza, who met Seiya in "Fairy Tail," did not tell Seiya the truth.

On one hand, she was worried that breaking her promise to Gerald would lead to Miriam and the others being killed by Gerald.

On the other hand, Erza was also worried that Seiya would go to the "Tower of Paradise" and eventually be killed by Jellal.

After all, Seiya back then was nowhere near as strong as he is now.

After revealing the truth she had kept hidden for many years, Erza showed a determined expression and prepared to go to Jellal to settle everything.

As for Hugh and Miriam, after a brief moment of disbelief, they were equally furious. They had never imagined that the one who had truly betrayed them was Gerald, who had trapped them on the island for so many years.

(End of this chapter)