Chapter 46: FTRJ: Chapter 46

“This is your last chance.”

Lyon scoffed, “Threatening me? How boring.”

Gray’s expression remained unchanged. “I’m serious.” Magic surged; the temperature plummeted.

“Ice-Make…Oof!” Before Gray could finish his spell, a powerful fist connected with his face, interrupting the incantation.

Clutching his jaw, Gray grabbed Natsu’s scarf in anger. “Natsu, I have to settle this with him. I’m ready to die.”

Natsu seized Gray’s arm, veins bulging on his hand, his eyes blazing. “Death settles everything? Don’t run away, you idiot!”

They glared at each other. Then the ruins shook violently.

Natsu was thrown off balance and landed hard on the ground.

Gray stared, wide-eyed, as the shattered stones around them rapidly repaired themselves. The damage wasn’t limited to the stones; the previously tilted Moon Temple was also miraculously restoring itself.

“Hey, what the heck? I just wrecked this place! Why’s it fixing itself?” Natsu asked from the ground, utterly bewildered.

“Zalty,” Lyon said, understanding the source of the sudden restoration.

Outside the ruins, Erza swiftly dispatched a magic soldier with a single, precise strike of her sword. Lucy’s cry of alarm cut through the air.

“Erza! The ruins are repairing!” Lucy frantically pointed ahead, her voice filled with astonishment.

“Watch out, Lucy!” Erza swiftly threw her sword, its target the magic soldiers lurking behind Lucy.

“Eek!” Lucy gasped, staring in disbelief at the fallen soldier behind her. The sword had narrowly missed her ear.

Having dealt with the immediate threat, Erza turned her attention to the rapidly self-repairing ruins, her gaze fixed on Lucy. “Lucy, you need to leave immediately,” she instructed urgently. “Someone is attempting to perform the Moon Drip ritual again; we have to stop them!”

Erza started towards the ruins, but stopped abruptly as rows upon rows of magic soldiers materialized before her.

Erza’s frustration was evident in her voice. “Just how many are there?!” she exclaimed, her tone laced with exasperation.

Suddenly, a torrent of flames erupted, moving with incredible speed, passing Erza and engulfing the dense throng of magic soldiers. “Boom!” A deafening explosion reverberated through the area, sending searing flames and a powerful shockwave ripping through the ranks of the soldiers, scattering them in every direction.

In an instant, the area was cleared of the magic soldiers.

The flames subsided, revealing a figure standing amidst the chaos.

“Finn? You’re awake!” Erza exclaimed, a mixture of surprise and relief evident in her voice. She had initially been uncertain about the identity of the figure emerging from the flames, but upon closer inspection, her relief was palpable.

Observing the magic soldiers slowly struggling to their feet, Finn addressed Erza calmly. “Erza, I’ll handle the situation inside the ruins,” he said, gesturing towards the temple. “You take care of the soldiers outside.”

Erza nodded in agreement. “Leave it to me,” she replied confidently.

Through the now fully restored ruins, the group could clearly see the ominous purple moon hanging in the sky.

This meant the moonlight could once again reach Deliora, a grim realization that settled heavily upon Gray.

Several magic circles materialized in the air, drawing in the purple moonlight, which coalesced into a powerful beam of light. This beam pierced through the ruins, directly illuminating Deliora’s icy prison.

“Is someone actually performing the Moon Drip ritual again?” Gray exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief.

“Damn it! I spent ages tilting those ruins, and they’re just fixing themselves?!” Natsu yelled, his frustration evident in his voice.

Gray turned to Natsu, his face displaying an unusual plea. “Natsu,” he said, his voice filled with urgency, “please, go stop the Moon Drip ritual.”

Natsu was taken aback by Gray’s uncharacteristic tone. After a moment of stunned silence, Natsu bowed his head, then turned and ran towards the exit. “I’ll go stop the Moon Drip,” he declared, “Leave this to you.”

Reaching the exit, Natsu paused, a determined glint in his eyes. “Losing would be incredibly embarrassing,” he muttered under his breath, before finally disappearing from view.

Gray nodded in response. “Yes, I understand,” he said, his voice firm and resolute. “Don’t worry.”

“I’m not talking about you, I’m talking about Fairy Tail’s honor!”

“I know,” Gray replied, his left hand forming a palm, his right hand clenched into a fist, which he placed upon his left hand. “Ice-Make—Lance!”

A brilliant magic circle flared into existence, and from it emerged a volley of ice spears, crafted from pure ice crystals, hurtling towards Lyon.

The battle between master and student had begun.

…

Meanwhile, deep within the subterranean depths of the ruins, at the very location where Deliora was imprisoned, the ominous purple moonlight continued to pour down from the sky above, relentlessly striking the colossal ice crystal.

A short, masked man stood before the frozen form of Deliora, his expression inscrutable, his face betraying no hint of emotion.

“Hey,” Finn’s voice echoed through the cavernous space, cutting through the silence. “You’re the one behind the Moon Drip, aren’t you?”

Zalty turned to face Finn, a slight smile playing on his lips. “Respected Master Finn,” he said, his voice smooth and deceptively cordial. “Are you here to stop me?”

Finn ignored the question, stating his own observation. “You remind me of someone.”

Finn steadily approached Zalty.

He paused, bringing his face close to Zalty’s, and sniffed subtly. A look of dawning realization flickered across his features.

Zalty appeared momentarily taken aback before responding, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. “Well, well, well,” he said, “it seems I’ve been granted the unexpected honor of being mistaken for someone by the esteemed Master Finn himself. Haha.”

“Ultear,” Finn murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Upon hearing the name, a look of sheer terror flashed across Zalty’s face, though he quickly masked it. “Master Finn must be mistaken,” he said, his voice strained. “I am not Ultear, and I have no acquaintance with anyone bearing that name.”

Finn shook his head, his expression unwavering. “There’s no need for denials,” he said calmly. “Your magic speaks volumes. I doubt many people in this world possess the ability to wield the lost magic of Time’s Arc.”

Zalty’s lips twitched involuntarily. “You yourself stated that few possess this ability, Master Finn,” he retorted, attempting to deflect Finn’s accusation. “Does that not imply that there could be others besides Ultear who might possess this rare magic?”

Finn raised a single finger, his expression unyielding. “And there’s one more detail that I find rather compelling,” he continued, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. “For a man, you possess a rather…feminine scent. A scent that happens to be remarkably similar to Ultear’s signature perfume. Are you attempting to deceive me, my friend?”

Just then, Natsu’s voice echoed through the cavernous space, interrupting the tense exchange. “Oh? Finn, you’re here too,” he exclaimed, his voice laced with surprise.

“Natsu? What are you doing here?” Finn asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“I’m here to stop the Moon Drip ritual, of course,” Natsu replied, his tone matter-of-fact.

“Then shouldn’t you be upstairs, stopping those who are actually performing the ritual?” Finn asked, gesturing towards the upper levels of the ruins, where faint signs of activity could be discerned.

Natsu looked upwards, then slapped his forehead in self-reproach. “You’re absolutely right!” he exclaimed. “I’ll head up there right away. You think you can handle this guy?” he asked, gesturing towards Zalty.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Finn replied confidently, offering a reassuring nod.

Seeing that Natsu was about to depart, Zalty made an attempt to prevent him, but Finn swiftly intervened, intercepting his movement.

“Do you honestly believe that you can pass me to interfere with Natsu?” Finn said, his gaze unwavering as he fixed his eyes upon Zalty’s masked face.

Faced with Finn’s resolute stance, Zalty reluctantly abandoned his attempt to stop Natsu. “Even if he does manage to reach the upper levels,” he conceded, “it won’t change the outcome. Lyon’s three subordinates are already up there.”

Finn shook his head, his expression unreadable. “It doesn’t matter,” he said calmly. “I have faith in Natsu’s abilities.” There was one crucial piece of information that Finn chose not to reveal. Even if Natsu failed to prevent the ritual and the ice sealing Deliora were to melt, it was highly unlikely that Deliora would pose a significant threat.

Finn had personally investigated the situation; of course, there was always the possibility that the demon possessed some unique ability to enter a state of suspended animation or feign death, so preventing the ritual was still the preferred course of action. However, if it came down to it, a direct confrontation wouldn’t be out of the question.

As Natsu reached the exit, he paused, turning back to address Finn. “Finn,” he called out, his voice laced with a hint of concern. “Be careful. This guy gives me a really weird feeling…like I’ve met him before somewhere…” With that, Natsu disappeared from view.

Finn shrugged his shoulders, a wry smile playing on his lips. “Well, look at that,” he remarked, his voice laced with amusement. “Even Natsu, with his remarkably simple mind, can sense that something is amiss. And yet, you still insist on denying your true identity, Ultear?”

Zalty let out a weary chuckle. “I must confess, I’m quite curious, Master Finn,” he said, his voice laced with a hint of intrigue. “Why are you so determined to uncover my true identity? It doesn’t seem directly relevant to the situation at hand.”

“Aren’t you here to prevent Deliora’s revival?” Zalty inquired, his voice laced with genuine curiosity.

Finn found a suitable rock to sit upon, his gaze fixed on Zalty. “The matter of Deliora,” he began, his voice calm and measured, “is in the capable hands of my comrades. My reason for engaging you in this protracted conversation is far more personal. I am acting on behalf of a mother who has endured immense suffering.”

After all, it was Ur’s lingering will that had awakened Finn #2, and it was Finn #2 who had relayed that will to him. In a way, this made his current actions entirely justified, Finn mused to himself.

But Zalty’s expression shifted dramatically; a look of intense hostility replaced the earlier air of nonchalance.

“What did you say?” Zalty hissed, her voice sharp and filled with undisguised anger. The words were spoken without any attempt at vocal disguise; it was clearly a woman’s voice.

Upon hearing her own words slip out unintentionally, Zalty swiftly covered her mouth, her eyes wide with alarm.

“Oh dear,” she muttered under her breath.

“Looks like the cat’s out of the bag,” Finn said, a smirk playing on his lips.

With her true identity now exposed, Zalty ceased her attempts at deception. Her small frame was enveloped in a brilliant flash of light, and in its place stood a tall, striking woman, her features bearing a striking resemblance to the woman in the video.

She ran a hand through her long, straight black hair, a sigh of relief escaping her lips as she finally shed the burden of her disguise.

Turning her gaze towards Finn, she spoke, her voice laced with a mixture of defiance and weariness. “Yes, that’s right,” she declared. “I am Ultear. And so what? Are you going to report me to the Council?”

Finn shook his head, his expression calm and unwavering. “I have no interest in such petty matters,” he replied. “As long as you haven’t caused harm to my family, we can discuss this rationally.”

“And as I stated before,” Finn continued, his gaze shifting towards the colossal block of ice that contained Deliora, “I am acting at the behest of a grieving mother.”

“Ur…is your mother?” Finn asked softly.

“She is not my mother!!!” Ultear shrieked, her voice filled with rage. A crystal ball materialized in her hand and shot towards Finn with incredible speed.

Finn effortlessly dodged the projectile, and the crystal ball slammed into the rear wall with a deafening boom.

Finn turned his attention back to Ultear, but the burning hatred in her eyes was unmistakable.

Without giving Finn the slightest opportunity to react, Ultear unleashed her considerable strength, launching herself towards him with a powerful kick.

Finn raised his right arm to protect his head, successfully deflecting the blow. However, Ultear’s strength was undeniable; even Finn was forced to take a couple of steps backward.

“Future Sight!” Ultear hissed, her voice filled with barely controlled fury. The crystal ball that had previously been embedded in the wall now shot forward, its surface radiating a brilliant light. Countless crystal balls materialized in the air, hurtling towards Finn.

“Seriously, such an over-the-top reaction?” Finn muttered, a wry smile playing on his lips. His body ignited with flames, which began to expand outwards, creating a protective barrier of fire.

The countless crystal balls, upon making contact with Finn’s fiery barrier, burst into flames, their magical energy being rapidly consumed and dissipated. In the blink of an eye, they were completely annihilated.

“What kind of flames are those?” Ultear exclaimed, her voice laced with astonishment as she watched the crystal balls being consumed by the intense heat. “Such incredibly high temperatures!” Her eyes narrowed, her expression now one of serious concern.

“It seems your emotions are running rather high,” Finn murmured, a glint of amusement in his eyes. “In that case, I suppose we’ll have to resort to more…direct methods of persuasion.”

“What?” Ultear’s words were cut short as Finn appeared before her in a blur of motion, leaving behind a gaping crater where he had previously stood.

“So fast!” Ultear gasped, a sharp pain shooting through her abdomen as Finn’s attack connected, leaving her doubled over in agony. A wave of nausea washed over her.

With a swift thought, Ultear unleashed the crystal balls that were still at her disposal, launching them towards the back of Finn’s head.

Finn, without even glancing back, effortlessly caught the oncoming crystal balls with his left hand. With a powerful squeeze, he crushed the crystal balls, causing them to shatter into countless fragments.

Seizing the opportunity while Finn’s attention was momentarily diverted towards the shattered crystal balls, Ultear seized his right hand, swiftly turning her body and executing a perfectly timed over-the-shoulder throw. Finn was sent sprawling, and Ultear immediately created distance between them, her eyes filled with a chilling intensity.

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