The Tower of Heaven: Unveiling Fairy Tail's Epic Saga

Highlights

The Tower of Heaven is a forbidden magic item created by Zeref and constructed by a cult of dark mages through cruel means.

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The ability to bring back the deceased is granted, however, it necessitates a sacrifice of a human and a substantial amount of magical energy to initiate.

The Tower of Heaven draws inspiration from the tale of the Tower of Babel, replicating its construction and the catastrophic outcomes it entails.

Fairy Tail's storyline is filled with dark and supernatural elements, many of which revolve around the main characters and their pasts. The Tower of Heaven plays a significant role in the series, setting a more serious tone for what follows. Intertwined with the histories of numerous characters, the Tower of Heaven is a forbidden magical artifact capable of unimaginable powers. While it was created by Zeref, his followers took on the responsibility of completing it.

The Tower of Heaven possesses the ability to manipulate the very laws of nature, making it a sinister device intended to bring back the deceased. Its construction was a long and distressing process, leaving a lasting impact on everyone involved.

What Is the Tower of Heaven?

The Tower of Heaven, known by various names, is the result of extensive research conducted by the dark wizard Zeref. Although the concept originated from Zeref, it was his loyal followers who executed his invention. A cult of dark mages was responsible for constructing the tower, employing despicable and horrifying methods. This cult abducted numerous adults and children from towns across the Kingdom of Fiore, forcing them into slave labor.

The workings of the tower are as malevolent as its construction, with the primary purpose of the R-System being the resurrection of a deceased individual. However, utilizing the R-System requires a solemn prerequisite – a human sacrifice. Through the absorption of the sacrifice into an Ether Lacrima, the Tower of Heaven alters their body and transforms them into the desired deceased person.

The Tower of Heaven also requires an incredible amount of magic power to activate the R-System, equivalent to almost 2.7 Billion Edeas. Generating such a massive power supply is deemed impossible, even for a whole army of mages. Instead, to energize the R-System, a clever ploy was employed to deceive the Magic Council into unleashing the Etherion Cannon upon the tower's precise location, thus fulfilling the final requirement to set the system in motion.

Who Constructed the Tower of Heaven?

The 8th tower, known as the Tower of Heaven, was finally revealed to the public, despite its dark history. This tower had a treacherous past, with the Magic Council shutting down seven previous attempts due to their nefarious intentions. Located on a remote island south of Fiore, the tower remained hidden from the Council's prying eyes, allowing a cultist group to ensure its completion. Following a revolt by enslaved individuals, Erza Scarlet emerged as a leader, ultimately appointing Jellal Fernandes as the new overseer of the Tower of Heaven. Jellal, who himself had once been a slave in the tower, was unfortunately manipulated by Ultear's mind control, leading him to believe he had encountered Zeref's spirit.

What Is the Purpose of the R-System?

After years of hard work, Jellal finally completed the construction of the Tower of Heaven. There was only one last requirement remaining - a sacrifice. Unfortunately, Erza was chosen as the sacrificial offering, leading to her abduction and confinement in the Tower. Fortunately, her guildmates intervened just in time and managed to rescue her from Jellal's clutches. As a result, the Tower of Heaven was permanently shut down, putting an end to its dark operations.

While the R-System was used by the dark cult and Jellal to resurrect Zeref, its original intention was completely different. Zeref first conceived the idea for this device during his time at the Mildian Magic Academy, with the sole purpose of bringing back his deceased brother, Natsu Dragneel. Despite the academy's prohibition on such forbidden magic, Zeref managed to document this knowledge in the sinister scripture known as the Books of Zeref.

Through these books, the dark cult managed to obtain information on the construction of this item, although their intentions diverged significantly from its original purpose. Nevertheless, Ultear, who was once a member of the dark guild Grimoire Heart, was the true mastermind behind the tower's development. At that time, their primary objective in building the Tower of Heaven was to divert the attention of the Magic Council from their actual plans.

Mythological Influence

The Tower of Heaven appears to draw direct inspiration from the Tower of Babel, a legendary tale recounting the creation of a towering structure intended to reach the celestial realms. Yet, its construction incurred the wrath of God, leading to divine retribution upon those involved in its erection.

The Tower of Heaven and this myth share a similar shape and structure, but their meanings are completely different. However, the Magic Council's prohibition of its construction and the deployment of the Etherion Cannon can be likened to God's punishment that befell the people of Babylon, which makes them similar in other aspects.

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