Chapter 44: FTRJ: Chapter 44

“Finn’s Sudden Collapse”

Finn quickly led Gray to a tent.

“Hey Finn, who’s waiting for me?” Gray whispered, his curiosity piqued.

“You’ll see,” Finn replied, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

Gray felt a knot of unease in his stomach at Finn’s cryptic expression.

“It wouldn’t be Erza, would it?” he muttered, a wave of apprehension washing over him. With a mixture of trepidation and anticipation, he cautiously pushed aside the tent flap and peered inside.

The sight that greeted him was both surprising and unsettling. Lucy and Happy were bound tightly, resembling mummies, while Erza sat calmly in a chair, serenely sipping tea.

“Gray,” Erza said impassively, placing her teacup on the table, “I’ve been waiting for quite some time.”

“Erza!!” Gray’s face drained of color, leaving him looking ashen.

“I’ve already heard the general account of events from Lucy,” Erza stated, rising to her feet, her gaze intense and unwavering as she fixed her eyes on Gray. “Your original mission was to stop Natsu and Lucy, wasn’t it?”

Erza shook her head, her disappointment palpable. “I’m extremely disappointed in your performance, Gray.”

Gray, acutely aware of his failure to fulfill his responsibilities, hung his head in shame.

“Where’s Natsu?” Erza pressed, her voice unwavering.

“I don’t know,” Gray admitted, his voice barely a whisper.

Erza sighed deeply. “Let’s focus on retrieving Natsu first,” she said, her tone softening slightly.

“But what about the mission here?” Gray protested, his voice rising in urgency.

Finn placed a reassuring hand on Gray’s shoulder. “Lucy’s already filled us in,” he said calmly. “The demon here is Deliora, correct?”

At the mention of the name, Gray’s body trembled slightly, the chilling memory of the demon’s power causing a fresh wave of anxiety to wash over him. He nodded silently in confirmation.

“Well, this is rather unfortunate,” Finn said, stretching languidly. “Since you’ve already accepted the mission, and to avoid bringing dishonor upon Fairy Tail, I’ve decided that Erza and I will take over from here. Consider yourselves support staff.”

“Huh?” Gray raised his head, utterly taken aback by Finn’s unexpected announcement. He had assumed that Finn and Erza were here to reprimand him and drag him back to the guild. He had already mentally prepared himself to defy guild regulations and continue his pursuit of Lyon, even if it meant facing expulsion.

Observing Gray’s stunned expression, Finn chuckled. “Don’t thank me,” he said, a playful glint in his eyes. “Thank Erza. She may have a sharp tongue, but she’s got a soft heart underneath it all.”

Erza, standing beside Finn, rolled her eyes at Finn’s comment. “Who’s got a sharp tongue?” she muttered under her breath.

Turning her attention back to Gray, Erza’s expression hardened once more. “Despite this unexpected intervention,” she stated firmly, “your punishment for disobeying guild orders will remain unchanged.” Her gaze then shifted to Lucy and Happy, who were still bound.

With a swift, almost imperceptible movement of her sword, Erza severed the ropes binding Lucy and Happy.

“Oh, thank you, Erza!” Lucy exclaimed, quickly rising to her feet and stretching her limbs, which had grown stiff from being bound for so long.

“Aye! Erza’s the best!” Happy chimed in, his voice filled with unrestrained enthusiasm, clearly delighted at his newfound freedom.

Finn shook his head, a wry smile playing on his lips. “Seriously,” he murmured under his breath.

…

Within the ruins of the Moon Temple…

Lyon stood with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed upon a creature below that bore an uncanny resemblance to a dog.

“How utterly pathetic,” he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “Are you the only one left, Toby?”

Toby remained silent, unable to formulate a response. He couldn’t very well explain that he had been utterly outmatched by his opponent’s superior intellect.

Lyon settled back into his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Fairy Tail,” he murmured, “they truly are a force to be reckoned with.”

Just then, a short, masked man entered the chamber. “With this development,” he stated, his voice low and ominous, “the revival of Deliora will likely be significantly hampered.”

“His gaze falling upon the masked man. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Tonight, the moon’s power will be fully channeled into Deliora, bringing about its revival,” Zalty explained, his voice devoid of emotion. “However, if the Moon Drip ritual is once again disrupted, Deliora will remain eternally sealed within its icy prison.”

“And let us not forget,” Zalty continued, “the Fairy Queen and the man known as the Sun God have already arrived on this island.”

Lyon let out a low chuckle. “Your information gathering skills remain as sharp as ever,” he complimented, a hint of admiration in his tone. As he spoke, a chilling aura of cold air began to emanate from his hands. “However,” he added confidently, “they stand no chance against me. I have surpassed Ultear.”

“You are indeed fortunate,” Zalty replied smoothly, his voice laced with a subtle undercurrent of sarcasm.

Lyon, however, failed to notice the subtle upturn of Zalty’s lips, the faint hint of mockery that played across his features.

With a swift, almost imperceptible movement, Zalty placed his right hand upon his left shoulder, executing a formal bow. “Then,” he declared, his voice low and resonant, “I shall grace this battlefield with my presence once more.”

…

“This is where Deliora is?” Finn asked, gazing at the ancient ruins before them.

“Yes, beneath these ruins,” Gray confirmed, pointing towards the entrance of the temple.

Finn nodded, his expression serious. “Let’s go take a look at Deliora,” he said, his voice firm. “I have a particular interest in this demon.”

“Very well,” Erza declared, striding confidently towards the entrance of the temple.

“This way,” Gray said, leading the group towards a concealed pit. “There’s a hidden passage here that leads directly to the area beneath the ruins where Deliora is imprisoned.”

With a powerful leap, Gray plunged into the darkness of the pit.

Finn and the others followed suit, descending into the depths of the ruins. Upon reaching the bottom, they found themselves confronted by a colossal block of ice.

“This…is Deliora?” Finn murmured, gazing up at the immense block of ice that entombed the fearsome demon.

Gray nodded in confirmation, his expression somber. Noticing the palpable sadness that weighed heavily upon Gray, Finn placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Many things didn’t require words; sometimes, a simple gesture of support was all that was needed.

As Finn approached Deliora’s icy prison, a wave of intense cold washed over him. This was remarkable, considering that Finn possessed the power to withstand even the most extreme arctic conditions without feeling the slightest chill.

“Truly remarkable magic,” Finn remarked, his voice filled with awe. “Even after all this time, the sheer power emanating from this ice is palpable.” He paused, then added, “If Ur were still alive, she would undoubtedly have secured a place among the Ten Wizard Saints.”

This wasn’t a mere conjecture; it was a statement of undeniable fact.

“With Deliora encased in ice of this magnitude,” Finn mused, recalling Gray’s earlier explanation of Ur’s Absolute Zero technique, “the likelihood of it still being alive is exceedingly slim. Ur’s magic was designed to ensure that Deliora would remain eternally sealed within its icy prison.”

Despite his initial assessment, after carefully examining the scene, Finn found it difficult to believe that Deliora could have possibly survived within such an intensely frigid environment. The extreme cold wasn’t the only factor at play; Ur’s potent magic was also infused within the ice, acting as a powerful preservative.

“To be honest,” Gray admitted, shaking his head, “I’m not entirely certain. Information concerning Ur’s Absolute Zero technique is extremely scarce, and all those who have ever utilized this technique have perished.”

Finn stepped forward, extending his hand to touch the surface of the ice, attempting to sense whether any signs of life remained within.

Gray watched Finn’s actions with a palpable sense of unease. After all, Finn was a fire mage, renowned for his mastery of incredibly high-temperature flames.

While Gray didn’t believe that Finn possessed the ability to melt the ice, a wave of apprehension still washed over him.

Finn, however, did not employ any form of magic; he simply channeled his own magical energy into the ice, attempting to sense Deliora’s presence.

“Hmm? No heartbeat?” Finn murmured, his brows furrowed in concentration. Sensing the complete absence of any life signs, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place in Finn’s mind.

The Absolute Zero technique, a spell that demanded the ultimate sacrifice of the caster’s life force, was clearly not merely a simple sealing technique.

Having reached this conclusion, Finn prepared to withdraw his hand.

But at that very moment, a wave of intense drowsiness washed over Finn, causing his eyes to widen in surprise.

“What in the…” he muttered, his voice laced with confusion. A profound sense of sleepiness overcame him. “Sleep magic?” he thought, his mind struggling to comprehend the sudden onset of this overwhelming fatigue.

“But what kind of incredibly powerful sleep magic could possibly be capable of inducing such a profound state of unconsciousness in me?” With this question lingering in his mind, Finn collapsed to the ground, his body slumping limply.

“Finn?” Erza’s voice rang out, her tone laced with alarm. She immediately rushed to Finn’s side, cradling him gently in her arms.

“What happened?” Lucy and Gray hurried to their side, their faces etched with concern as they gazed down at Finn.

“He was perfectly fine just moments ago,” Gray exclaimed, his voice filled with bewilderment. “Why would he suddenly collapse like this?”

Erza, after a brief examination, offered a tentative explanation. “This doesn’t seem like a simple fainting spell,” she said thoughtfully. “It’s more like…he’s fallen asleep?”

Upon hearing Erza’s assessment, Lucy’s eyes widened in astonishment. “That’s impossible! How could he possibly just fall asleep like that?”

At that very moment, the entire temple began to tremble violently.

“What’s going on now?” Lucy cried, her face pale with fear as she looked around wildly. “The temple’s tilting!!” The ancient structure began to list precariously to one side.

“That magical energy…it’s Natsu,” Gray announced, his voice laced with urgency. “He’s inside the ruins as well.”

“And it’s not just Natsu,” Gray continued, his gaze fixed intently on Erza, his eyes seeking confirmation. “There are other magical signatures present. Natsu’s engaged in combat.”

“You two should go and assist Natsu,” Erza instructed, her voice firm and resolute. “I’ll take Finn to a safe location and then rejoin you.” With that, Erza carefully lifted Finn into her arms and began to carry him out of the ruins.

Gray nodded in agreement, setting off in the direction of the battle. Upon witnessing this, Lucy clenched the keys at her waist, her determination hardening. “As a mage of Fairy Tail,” she declared, her voice filled with newfound resolve, “I can fight too! Happy, let’s go!” With that, Lucy beckoned Happy to follow her as she set off in pursuit of Gray.

“Where…where am I?” Finn murmured, his eyes scanning his surroundings with a mixture of confusion and bewilderment. The environment was both strangely familiar and utterly alien.

The scene before him bore a striking resemblance to his past life; towering skyscrapers pierced the sky, yet not a single human being was visible. Furthermore, the very concept of up and down seemed to have lost all meaning.

Finn was unable to discern which direction constituted ’up’ and which ’down’; skyscrapers stretched endlessly in every direction, some appearing to hang upside down.

Finn found himself suspended in mid-air, seemingly floating between these impossible planes of existence.

A train hurtled past overhead, its windows revealing an eerily empty interior.

Yet, this train, like some spectral entity, continued to move relentlessly.

Upon closer inspection, Finn noticed that the skyscrapers themselves were also in motion, albeit at a glacial pace. They were moving, however imperceptibly.

“What in the world is this place? And how did I even get here?” Finn’s mind raced, attempting to make sense of the utterly illogical environment that surrounded him. This place defied all known laws of physics and reality.

“This, my dear Finn, is none other than your dreamscape,” a voice suddenly announced, its tone both enigmatic and unsettling.

The voice, however, was not of human origin; it was more akin to the distorted soundscapes of his past life, a cacophony of electronic noises that seemed to resonate throughout the impossible landscape, yet its source remained utterly elusive.

“Who’s there?” Finn demanded, his voice echoing through the surreal environment. He desperately needed someone to explain this bizarre situation.

“I’m right here!” This time, Finn clearly identified the source of the voice—it was emanating from the train that had just passed overhead.

Finn quickly turned his gaze towards the train, and perched precariously atop the vehicle, he spotted a figure.

The figure executed a powerful leap, utilizing the recoil to propel itself high into the air, mirroring Finn’s own uncanny ability to defy gravity. Then, with a graceful movement, the figure began to descend towards Finn.

As the figure drew closer, Finn finally managed to discern its features.

“This…this is…me?!” Finn exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief. The figure before him possessed an identical face, an identical build, and an identical height to his own.

“You could say that’s correct,” the electronic voice echoed, its tone laced with amusement. “I am you, after all. Haha.”

Finn’s expression hardened, his gaze fixed intently upon his apparent doppelganger. “You’re responsible for my presence here, aren’t you?” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous. “And you claim to be me? I demand an explanation. What is the meaning of this?”

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