Fairy Tail: You call this Celestial Magic?!

Chapter 291 Things Have Changed (Please Subscribe!)

Juvia's oxygen balls were indeed very effective. Everyone was able to dive into the sea without any problems, as there was a sufficient supply of oxygen, and they didn't have to surface for air every now and then.

Led by Moen, the group swam to the edge of the island. The island was well-guarded, with guards patrolling everywhere. Judging from their clothes, they had a distinctly cult-like feel, at least in terms of uniformity.

"Go ashore first."

Moen led everyone onto the island. Everyone was soaked, so naturally, the first thing they needed to do was find a way to dry their clothes.

Erza and Juvia didn't need to worry about this. Erza simply used a "change of clothes" spell and was already wearing new armor. Juvia, on the other hand, was naturally impervious to rain. When water fell on her, it dripped onto the ground very smoothly, as if she herself was part of the water.

"It's all wet, Natsu, let me grill it up."

Gray had already taken off his clothes, leaving him only in a pair of shorts. He approached Natsu, intending to use Natsu as a stove.

"What are you grilling in just your underwear?!"

Seeing Gray approaching, Natsu said with disdain. He didn't mind being a human furnace, constantly burning himself to warm everyone up, but Gray was almost naked and still getting close to him, which he found hilarious. This guy took off his clothes too fast!

"Huh?! When?"

Gray looked surprised. There was nothing he could do; his clothes were too wet to wear. This excuse was so convincing that he automatically took off his clothes as soon as he got ashore, and naturally, no one complained about him.

"You guys start grilling, I'll go check on things."

Moen stopped joking and got into work mode. Natsu and the others are known for their big hearts; they can laugh in any situation and still have the energy to tease and joke with each other. This is a very good quality, and they are capable of handling big situations.

"I'll go with you."

Erza immediately said that she didn't need to be dried.

"I am coming too!"

Juvia also quickly volunteered.

"No, I just want to see what the next step should be."

Moen waved his hand, declining the two girls' offer to come along.

If they wanted to get close to the "Tower of Paradise" and enter the "Tower of Paradise" which was not yet fully completed, they could certainly just charge in, but their goal was not only to charge in or destroy the "Tower of Paradise".

Moen glanced at Erza. One of their purposes for coming here was to help Erza rescue her companions and help her resolve her inner conflicts. Otherwise, there would be no need to go to such lengths.

"Jubia listens to Moengo."

Although Juvia was a little disappointed by Moen's refusal, she obediently nodded and stayed as Moen requested.

"Be very careful."

Erza bit her lip and ultimately chose to follow Moen's arrangements.

"Don't worry, they're the ones who should be worried."

Moen smiled and then jumped onto the cliff next to him.

The place where they landed was under a cliff, quite secluded. It wasn't a suitable place to land, so there were no guards around, and the "evil cult" didn't have enough people to monitor the entire island.

Once Moen reached the top of the cliff, he felt his view broaden, and naturally, he became very conspicuous in the eyes of others.

A patrol of guards was patrolling back and forth not far from the cliff when Moen suddenly darted out, naturally attracting the guards' attention.

"Hoohoho!"

The leading guard was leading a strange monster, which looked like a variant of a dog, but it was extremely creepy, with a gaping, blood-red mouth that almost took up its entire head.

The monster hound was the first to realize that someone was there. In fact, even if Moen hadn't come out, if the patrol team had gotten any closer, the monster hound they were leading would have smelled the presence of outsiders and discovered Moen and his group sooner or later.

"who?!"

The patrol team immediately surrounded Moen. The team consisted of eight people, plus two monster hounds. Seeing Moen alone on the cliff, they were naturally not intimidated. Ten against one, the advantage was in their hands!
Moen didn't move, letting them all surround him. His body shimmered with golden light, and he had already changed into the [Gemini Gold Cloth].

"It's a mage! A transformation spell!"

Upon seeing the suddenly appearing, shimmering golden armor on Moen's body, the guards immediately realized what kind of magic it was.

"It seems that you guards have also been trapped on this isolated island."

After seeing the guards' reactions to him, Moen immediately concluded that they clearly did not recognize him.

Even in the Kingdom of Ka-Aimru, his fame is very high. Anyone who has contact with the outside world would know him, so these guards must have always lived on the island.

That makes sense, since it's a shameful affair. To avoid exposure and maintain secrecy, these guards would certainly be restricted. The only ones who could actually enter and leave this isolated island were probably the most loyal ones, or those who had been caught red-handed.

In a sense, Erza also belongs to the category of "having something to hide".

However, upon closer reflection, it is still quite unbelievable that Erza was able to escape, especially since Jellal knew about it. Unless Jellal was also helpless against Erza at that time, it would be quite absurd to let her go like that.

"Enough with the nonsense, take him back first!"

These guards genuinely didn't know who Moen was. They brandished their spears and were about to seize Moen and take him away.

"Whoo~"

Moen took a breath, and magic surged through him. The symbol of "Gemini" appeared, and the star chart vibrated in response.

"Fantasy Demon Emperor Fist!"

Faced with these guards, Moen unleashed his "Mind Control Fist".

The "Illusory Demon Emperor Fist" is a true "mind control fist." A powerful mental force envelops everyone, directly impacting their brains and beginning to affect their brain nerves.

After struggling for a while, all eight people calmed down, and even the two "vicious dogs" gradually quieted down.

They weren't being "mind-controlled," but rather they sensed Moen's power. Even though they weren't Moen's targets, the two "vicious dogs" were overwhelmed by his aura.

"Moen! Are you alright?!"

Moen had just managed to subdue the guards when more guards came up the cliff behind them. There was no way around it; the guards coming up made quite a racket, and they could hear them from below. Erza immediately leaped up the cliff to help.

"Don't worry, it's safe now. I've already won them over." Moen said with a smile, pointing to the patrolling soldiers who stood like soldiers, and gave Erza a brief introduction.

"Folding clothes?"

Erza was clearly taken aback and spoke in disbelief.

"Is this really possible?"

After looking closely, Erza didn't see anyone she recognized among the guards. She didn't quite believe that these "evil cult" members would reform. How could they be "convinced" by Moen?
"It's just a little trick."

Moen stopped teasing Erza and instead demonstrated the effect directly. Under his command, the patrolling guards were completely obedient, as if they had been hypnotized.

"When did you acquire this power?"

Seeing the patrolling guards obeying Moen's every command, Erza's mouth dropped open; she had no idea Moen had such a trick up his sleeve.

"This is the power of Gemini Celestial Magic. I actually mastered it a long time ago, but I just never had the chance to use it before."

Moen began to explain, no longer teasing Erza. He looked at Erza seriously and offered a suggestion.

"Erza, you can ask whatever you want now. Maybe these people can provide some useful information."

Moent's suggestion was quite useful. Erza knew a little about the Tower of Paradise, but not much, and not much at all. However, this knowledge was enough to serve as a starting point.

"Okay, I'll ask them, but will they really answer?"

Erza's eyes lit up, and she immediately agreed to ask for information, but she was also a little worried. What if these people gave her false information?

"Don't worry about that, they're incapable of lying right now."

Moen shook his head, making an absolute guarantee that these few small fry were not enough to render his [Illusory Demon Emperor Fist] ineffective. The fact that they could struggle even slightly showed their resilience.

"it is good."

Erza nodded seriously, then thought for a moment and began to prepare her questions.

How long until the Tower of Paradise is completed?

Erza first asked a rather important, and also rather official, question, without rushing to ask what she was truly concerned about.

The eight patrolling guards didn't react at all, as if they hadn't heard anything and had no intention of paying any attention to Erza.

"Forehead"

Erza looked at Moen, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Ahem, don't rush, let me ask."

Moen coughed twice and asked again on behalf of Erza. This time, all eight patrolling guards seemed to come alive.

"do not know."

"almost."

The eight people gave conflicting answers, but all of them were ambiguous, clearly indicating that they were unaware of the matter.

"Let's ask about something else."

Moen shrugged, there was nothing he could do about it. If you don't know something, you can't get an answer no matter how much you ask. These guys are being manipulated right now, so if they don't know, they really don't know.

"Are Xiu, Simon, and Miliana still alive?"

Erza gritted her teeth and finally asked the question that had been on her mind for so long: she really wanted to know how her companions were doing and whether they were still alive.

"Of course! They are all highly valued and are important subordinates of Lord Gerald!"

"They are our superiors, high-ranking members of the Tower of Paradise, and all very powerful mages!"

The eight patrolling guards started talking all at once, and from their answers, it was easy to discern the truth, though it was one that Erza found hard to believe.

"how come."

Erza opened her mouth, wanting to question their answers, but she trusted Moen, who said they wouldn't lie.
"It seems things have changed. The person we were supposed to rescue has suddenly become the enemy, but this has actually made things simpler."

Moen spoke up, admitting he was a little surprised, but so many years had passed. If you think about it, eight years had gone by since Erza escaped. In eight years, it wouldn't be surprising if anything happened.

But in Moen's heart, he actually felt that the current situation was easier to handle. After all, the reason they were acting so cautiously was because they were afraid that Gerald would really "kill the hostage" at the slightest disagreement, just like he had told Erza.

If something truly unspeakable were to happen, it would be a huge blow to Erza. As her guildmates, they would naturally do everything in their power to prevent such a thing from occurring.

But now? Everything is different.

Since those Erza cared about have all become "cadres" and right-hand men under Jellal, they no longer need to care about this matter. Jellal can't possibly kill all his right-hand men first, can he?
“Why is this happening?”

Erza was still standing there, looking completely bewildered. She couldn't understand why, when everyone had been harmed by the Tower of Paradise and everyone knew how dangerous and evil it was, they would still help the evildoer.
"Erza, stop thinking about it. Since we don't understand, let's just go and ask them. Now we can finally get started."

Moen walked over and ruffled Erza's hair. He thought this was perfect. They should just go all out and fight those people. They could deal with everything else after the fight. They should knock them down first and then ask them what they were really thinking.

"Okay! Let's finish the game first!"

Erza was stunned for a moment, then immediately agreed with Moen's words. If you can't figure it out, it's better to just take action!

"It's a pity about the infiltration operation plan I had in mind."

Moen smiled and spoke with a hint of regret in his tone. He had already planned how to use these guys controlled by the [Illusory Demon Emperor Fist] to infiltrate. With these "traitors" leading the way, it would be an incredibly easy task for them to sneak in.

“However, we might not necessarily be able to do without these people now. Although the people you care about, Erza, are safe for the time being, there are definitely still quite a few slaves locked up here. When things get chaotic later, we can have these people protect those slaves and help them hide.”

Moen thought for a moment and assigned tasks to these people. He wanted these "traitors" to be responsible for protecting the safety of the slaves.

Logically, if chaos breaks out, the slaves would likely rise up in rebellion, but that would inevitably lead to suppression and potentially many sacrifices. This is avoidable, as long as they don't take advantage of the situation to cause trouble, this "evil cult" won't prioritize dealing with them.

Moen's idea was naturally to make them wait patiently until they dealt with this "evil cult" before rescuing them.

(End of this chapter)