A New Life in Fairy Tail

Sorano-san is right. We need to check if there are any innocents here. When we destroyed the other Towers of Heaven back then, we rescued many people who had been kidnapped and forced into slavery, Noah said, confirming Sorano-san’s point.

I remember Noah-kun being invisible next to Jose and filming him without being noticed. Can you make all of us invisible like that? Lucy asked. As someone who had recently experienced those events, the details were still fresh in her mind. Seeing a similar situation, she naturally thought of Noah-kun’s previous methods.

I can. Let us start preparing now, Noah replied.

He began casting his magic. A magic circle appeared beneath everyone’s feet, followed by a flash of light. The group was surprised to find that, in their own eyes, their companions now looked somewhat blurry.

Now you can see everyone’s figure is blurred. This is proof that the magic is active. If your vision of them becomes clear again, it means the effect has worn off, Noah explained.

The group curiously inspected their current state.

This is amazing, Noah-kun! Carla, look, my hands are so blurry! Wendy-kun said, lifting her hands for Carla to see.

They are indeed hard to see clearly. But is this true invisibility? Won’t the enemy see this same blurry figure? Carla asked.

Of course not. Looking blurry to each other is just a way for us to confirm the spell is working on our allies. This is what the enemy sees, Noah said. With a wave of his hand, he manifested a mirror made of water.

Everyone walked up to the mirror, but they saw no reflection at all.

Incredible, Happy! There is no reflection of me in the mirror! Natsu shouted, dancing in front of the mirror, yet it remained empty. Although he had experienced this magic once before with Noah-kun, he hadn’t understood the specific mechanics as clearly as he did now.

It’s true, Natsu! We aren’t in the mirror! Happy chirped, flying back and forth in front of it.

Alright, stop playing. Let’s get ready to head inside, Ultear said to the group, who were still occupied with their invisible forms.

Are we just going to walk right past the guards using this magic? Mirajane asked.

Noah took a few photos of the surroundings with his magic camera and sent them back to the guild for Makarov to forward to the Council. Then he addressed the team: No, we are going underground first. Based on my experience destroying the previous towers, most innocents are kept in the lower levels. They are only brought out when it is time to work. If we want to find prisoners, starting from the bottom is the most effective way.

But how do we get down there? Those guards are clearly watching the paths leading up. I don’t see any entrances to the basement from here, Erza said, scanning the nearby structures and shaking her head.

I will use Teleportation to take everyone directly to the lowest level. We will start the search from there, Noah answered.

Will the magical fluctuations from the teleportation be detected? Sorano-san asked.

No. The magic currently on you will suppress any fluctuations you produce. However, suppressing those fluctuations will drain the spell’s duration faster. I can refresh the spell on myself, but for the rest of you, it is best to avoid using magic unless you are in immediate danger. Any other questions?

Everyone thought for a moment and shook their heads.

Very well. I will map out the structure of the tower first, then I will take you in.

Ultear and the others went to hide the speedboats while Noah released his magic to sense the layout of the entire Tower of Heaven. After scanning the tower several times to ensure he hadn’t missed anything, he recorded the data into his Archive.

Alright, I am taking everyone to the lowest floor now.

Finally, it’s starting! Natsu said excitedly.

We aren’t here to fight yet, so stay focused, Gray said irritably.

I know, I know! Natsu dismissed him with a wave.

Seeing everyone was ready, Noah raised his hand and activated Teleportation. The group vanished.

When they reappeared, they were in a location that resembled a sea cavern. Patches of water were visible, indicating this area connected to the ocean outside. Intersecting wooden bridges spanned the space, and the ceiling was far above, making the area feel cavernous and empty.

Is this the basement of the tower? Sorano-san asked, her voice tinged with emotion. After she had been captured years ago, she had narrowly avoided being sent to a place like this to endure a life of endless labor. Noah gently patted her back to comfort her.

There are guards everywhere, but they can’t see us! Noah-kun’s magic is really effective! Lucy noted. Many guards in uniform were walking along the wooden bridges, accompanied by magic beasts.

Of course. I put a lot of effort into developing this specific effect. Now, everyone scatter. Search the area for any innocents and then regroup here. Remember not to touch anything, as physical contact cannot be hidden—especially not the guards. Natsu, I am talking to you! Noah’s voice echoed in their minds via Telepathy.

Everyone looked toward Natsu. He had already run up to the guards and was jumping around in front of them, even reaching out to try and touch them. Hearing Noah-kun’s warning, he reluctantly pulled his hand back but continued to wave his arms in their faces. The guards noticed nothing and continued their patrol.

Seeing Natsu’s antics confirmed that the magic was indeed perfect. The group split up to search. Wendy-kun, Meredy-kun, and Carla formed one team; Sorano-san, worried about her sister, followed them. The others searched individually.

Noah chose a direction and began walking. He saw plenty of guards along the way but no one in different clothing. This was the base level, filled with construction machinery but no living quarters. Soon, everyone reached the end of their respective paths. Communicating through Telepathy, they confirmed that no one had found any residential rooms or even prison cells.

If they aren’t here, they must be on the levels above. Let’s regroup, Ultear said.

They returned to the starting point. Once everyone was together, Noah raised his hand again and teleported them to the floor above. Without needing to be told, everyone split up again.

This floor was different. Here, there were many prison cells. Noah saw rows of cages, many of which contained dried bloodstains, iron chains, and even scattered bones. Strangely, the cells were empty. Every cage Noah passed was vacant. Only guards patrolled the halls.

When they regrouped, Wendy-kun, Yukino-kun, and Meredy-kun looked pale and frightened. Ultear and Mirajane were gently patting their backs to comfort them. It was clear the sight of the cells had shaken them.

Lucy also looked grim. While she knew such things existed, she had rarely seen evidence of them so closely.

Was my sister almost caught in a place like this? Yukino-kun asked, hugging Sorano-san.

No. I wasn’t sent here. I was bought by someone else to be a test subject. But that was just as bad. Whether being sent here or being used for experiments, both were terrible fates, Sorano-san said, shaking her head.

She had later learned from Noah-kun that after her capture, she wasn’t intended for the Tower of Heaven. Instead, Brain, the former head of the Magic Development Bureau, had purchased her from the cult to use in his experiments. She had only been saved because Noah intercepted the transfer.

As one of Brain’s former victims, Ultear had spent years moving past her own trauma. She had shared some of her horrific experiences with Sorano-san, who was grateful that Noah-kun had intervened before she had to experience such suffering.

Natsu and the others also looked furious. Erza, in particular, was trembling. The thought that she had almost been dragged into this hell fueled a burning rage in her eyes. Her fists clenched so hard they made a cracking sound, startling Natsu and Gray.

Noah placed a hand on Erza’s shoulder to calm her. After they had a moment to collect themselves, Noah raised his hand once more to take them to the next level.

~~~

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