Chapter 48: FTRJ: Chapter 48

Ultear looked away, lying on the ground.

Finn smiled subtly and continued, “I saw Ur’s memories. Most of them were of you.”

“Ha, ridiculous. That woman wouldn’t miss me. She was lost in the happiness her two students created. Why would she care about me?” Ultear scoffed.

“No, in Ur’s memories, you were already dead. The Magic Development Bureau director told your mother. I still remember her hysterical reaction,” Finn said softly.

This struck Ultear like lightning.

“What?” Ignoring the pain, Ultear sat up, staring at Finn, disbelief and a flicker of hope in her eyes.

Finn nodded firmly. “You might not believe me, but if you investigate, you’ll find something.”

“I don’t know what happened between you two, but I’m sure there’s a misunderstanding. In Ur’s memories, you were always a kind girl.”

Finn glanced at the demon heart mark visible on Ultear’s exposed skin due to her torn clothes.

Ultear understood. Her hands instinctively moved to cover the mark.

“I believe you’re not inherently bad. Turn away from the darkness. Dark guilds don’t have happy endings,” Finn said softly.

“Strictly speaking, you’re still Gray’s senior sister, heh.”

Ultear struggled to her feet and walked towards the exit. Finn watched her silently.

At the entrance, Ultear paused, her back to Finn. “I’ll investigate my mother. But my descent into darkness…that was my choice.”

She paused. “I used the dark guild to achieve my goals. I never intended to hurt anyone.”

Finn smiled. If Ultear wanted to investigate, their mother-daughter issues could be resolved.

Ultear’s explanation for joining the dark guild indicated a specific purpose, unrelated to personal gain. She didn’t owe Finn this explanation, yet she gave it. That was enough.

“Deliora’s revival is unstoppable. Even if you stop the Moon Drip, he’s absorbed enough moonlight. I won’t deal with Deliora; you can handle it, Finn.”

Ultear turned, a hint of trust in her eyes.

“Heh, no problem. My job is to take him down,” Finn said confidently. He wasn’t afraid of Deliora, even at his strongest. The destruction might be immense, though.

Ultear nodded, then looked down, seeming conflicted.

Finn looked at her questioningly.

She gritted her teeth. “Thank you. If what you said is true, I owe you a favor. Anything, even hellfire, I’ll do it.”

“Haha, alright. If it’s true, then join Fairy Tail!”

Ultear was stunned. “I’m in a dark guild. Why invite me to a light guild?”

“You said you didn’t join to hurt others. I think the Master would help a child in darkness with a good heart,” Finn said, smiling brightly.

“Mm!”

Ultear left. Finn looked at Deliora; the ice was melting.

“It’s coming,” Finn thought, placing Ryūjin Jakka in the ground, waiting for Deliora.

The surrounding battles had stopped. The Moon Drip magic had been destroyed two minutes prior.

But Deliora, as Ultear said, had absorbed enough moonlight. Stopping the Moon Drip was too late.

On the second floor, Gray and Lyon were battered. Finn’s intense heat had temporarily disabled their magic, but its effect was short-lived.

After the heat subsided, they resumed their magical duel. The outcome surprised Lyon; his one-handed spells lacked stability. His summoned Snow Tiger couldn’t even breach Gray’s ice prison, ultimately exhausting his magic.

“It’s all your fault, Gray!” Lyon raged, unleashing a flurry of punches on Gray’s face. “If you hadn’t recklessly challenged Deliora, Ur wouldn’t have died! You shattered my dream!”

“I surpassed Ur! The only way to prove it is by defeating Deliora! Only then can I prove myself!” Lyon’s face contorted with rage and desperation.

“Snap!” Gray caught Lyon’s fist. “You’re completely lost in a fantasy of being the strongest. Let me wake you up.”

“Bang!” A powerful punch landed squarely on Lyon’s face, sending him flying backward. He attempted to rise, but the pain was too intense, his body wracked with agony.

Lyon remained unconscious.

Gray sat against the wall, the victor of this brutal battle.

After a brief rest, a violent tremor shook the entire temple, and indeed, the entire island.

ROOOOOAAAAARRRRR!

A deafening roar echoed through the air, a sound that Gray would never forget—the terrifying sound of the creature that had stolen his happiness.

A primal fear welled up within him.

“Deliora…” Gray whispered, his voice barely audible above the tremor.

Gray scrambled to his feet, rushing towards the lower levels of the ruins.

At the summit of the ruins, Natsu, having finally defeated Toby, the last of Lyon’s subordinates, had successfully disrupted the Moon Drip ritual.

Just then, Erza, Lucy, and Happy arrived on the scene.

Natsu pointed towards the numerous masked figures lying unconscious on the ground.

“These are the ones who were performing the ritual,” he declared triumphantly. “I’ve taken care of them all, and the Moon Drip magic has been completely dispelled.”

“Amazing!” Lucy exclaimed, her voice filled with awe.

“Truly impressive, Natsu,” Happy added, his voice filled with admiration.

Erza, ever direct, simply clapped Natsu on the back with a resounding slap, the force of the blow almost sending Natsu sprawling to the ground. “Excellent work,” she said, her voice filled with approval.

“Heh, it’s useless. The ritual is already complete. Deliora is about to revive,” Toby said, his voice laced with a chilling calmness.

“What? You mean to say that even though I destroyed the Moon Drip, Deliora is still going to revive?” Natsu exclaimed, grabbing Toby by the scruff of his neck, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“The Moon Drip’s power is cumulative,” Toby explained, his voice devoid of emotion. “Deliora has already absorbed sufficient moonlight to complete its transformation.

Therefore, your destruction of the ritual is inconsequential. In a short while, Deliora will be resurrected, and then Lyon will finally defeat him.” Toby’s voice held a note of unwavering faith.

“You bastards!” Natsu roared, his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles white with rage. He raised his fist, ready to unleash his fury upon Toby.

Erza swiftly intervened, grabbing Natsu’s fist to prevent him from striking Toby. “Those are the people whose homes were destroyed by Deliora,” she said calmly, her gaze fixed intently on Toby.

Toby nodded solemnly. “We all harbor an undying hatred for Deliora,” he said, his voice filled with a deep sense of pain and resentment.

“Only when Deliora is utterly destroyed will we finally be free from this burden of hatred. Otherwise, we shall remain forever trapped in this cycle of vengeance.”

With a resounding thud, Natsu slammed his fiery fist into the ground, his anger and self-reproach palpable.

“I failed Finn’s trust,” he muttered, his voice filled with remorse. “I wasn’t able to prevent the Moon Drip ritual from reaching its completion.”

“But Finn is still down there with Deliora,” Natsu declared, turning his gaze towards Erza. “We have to go help him!”

“Of course,” Erza replied, her voice firm and resolute.

Deep within the ruins, the ice encasing Deliora was rapidly melting, its upper body already freed from its icy prison. Deliora unleashed a deafening roar, its fury palpable.

“ROOOOOAAAAARRRRR!”

Lucy, having reached the lower levels of the ruins, frantically covered her ears, her eyes wide with terror and despair. “How…how is this possible?” she whispered, her voice laced with disbelief.

“There’s no way we can possibly defeat something like this,” she thought, her gaze fixed upon Deliora’s colossal form, the deafening roar, and the terrifying magical aura that permeated the entire ruins.

“If we allow this creature to fully revive,” Erza declared grimly, her eyes fixed on Deliora, “then we must stop it, no matter the cost!”

Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the ruins.

The group turned to see Gray approaching, his body bearing the scars of a fierce battle.

“Gray, are you alright?” Erza asked, her gaze falling upon the numerous wounds that marred his body.

Gray shook his head, indicating that he was fine, his determination unwavering.

Ignoring the others, Gray moved towards Deliora, his mind flooded with memories of the apocalyptic scene he had witnessed years ago.

The city had been utterly destroyed, reduced to nothing more than a wasteland of rubble and debris. Everywhere he looked, there were bodies, and the cries of the survivors pierced his ears. This was Deliora’s handiwork.

Gray had only survived by sheer luck, but he had lost his entire family to Deliora’s wrath. The memory of his helplessness and grief still haunted him to this day.

Finn stood defiantly before Deliora, his gaze unwavering. Gray approached him, the melted water from the ice already reaching his calves.

Gray bent down, cupping a handful of the melted water in his hands, letting it trickle through his fingers. The sensation was oddly comforting, almost as if Ur were still by his side.

“Finn,” he said, his voice filled with a quiet determination. “Let me handle this. Deliora is unbeatable. But Ur once sealed the darkness within me.”

“Now,” Gray continued, his voice firm despite the tremor in his pupils, “it is my turn to seal it away.”

Finn turned to face Gray, shaking his head, about to speak,

when a light chuckle cut through the air.

“Heh, you two don’t stand a chance,” Lyon said, his body wracked with pain as he dragged himself across the ground.

“That creature…I’ll handle it,” Lyon declared, his voice filled with a desperate determination. “For the sake of…surpassing Ur…I will defeat it myself! Haha!” Even standing up proved to be a monumental effort for Lyon.

“Lyon…” Gray whispered, his heart filled with a mixture of sorrow and guilt at the sight of his former comrade in such a weakened state.

“ROOOOOAAAAARRRRR!” The ice encasing Deliora’s lower half finally melted away, freeing the monstrous creature entirely. Deliora unleashed another earth-shattering roar, its fury echoing through the ruins.

“I’ve finally found you…Deliora,” Lyon whispered, a twisted smile spreading across his face. His long-held ambition was finally within his grasp.

Lyon, his body trembling with exertion, struggled to his feet, his knees buckling under the strain. “Just you wait,” he declared, his voice filled with a desperate intensity.

“That incredibly powerful Ur, the only one who could not defeat that monster…I will be the one to finally vanquish it! With my own two hands!” He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles white with determination.

“I will surpass you!” Lyon roared, his voice echoing through the ruins.

“Oof?!” A sharp pain shot through Lyon’s neck, sending him crashing to the ground. Gray stood silently behind him, his head bowed, his hand still positioned in the hand-knife stance.

“Enough, Lyon,” Gray said, his voice low and grave.

Gray stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Deliora. “I’ll take it from here,” he declared, his voice filled with unwavering resolve.

He crouched slightly, extending both arms before crossing them in front of his chest, preparing to unleash the forbidden technique. “I will seal Deliora away.”

“Ice-Make: Iced Shell!” Gray declared, and a wave of intense cold erupted from his body, spreading outwards in a chilling aura.

“Gray! You can’t use that magic!” Natsu shouted from behind, his voice filled with alarm.

“That’s Iced Shell?” Lucy gasped, recalling Gray’s earlier explanation of the technique. “Could it be…that Gray intends to sacrifice his own life to seal away Deliora?”

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