章 14: Chapter 14: Thank You, Teacher
Chapter Twelve
Damnit! Gray thought as he ran through the ruins. Damnit! Gray mentally yelled when he finally found the stairs to head down. There's only one thing to do now... Gray thought as he ran, his eyes filled with cold determination.
Natsu
"DAMNIT!" Natsu roared in frustration as he struggled to his feet, shaking off the effects of Deliora's roar on his enhanced hearing. "I can't afford to play around any- GAH!" Natsu started to yell before getting slammed in the face with jade orb. The jade orb quickly turned back around for another attack on Natsu. "Grrr... BRING IT ON!" Natsu roared as fire surrounded his fist before punching the jade orb, shattering it. Natsu grinned fiercely before the pieces flew back together to reform the orb. "It fixed itself! ?" Natsu yelled in surprise before he got hit on the left side of his head.
"Ho ho ho ho." Zarti chuckled again as he brought the jade orb around again. "I can manipulate the crystal's "time"." He said and Natsu gritted his teeth as he landed on the ground before dropping to one knee. "In other words, I merely turned back its "time" to a point where it wasn't broken." Zarti said and Natsu's eyes went wide.
"That magic…" Natsu said as he stood back up. "So you can turn back the flow of time just like Link?" He asked and Zarti's face showed no small amount of surprise. "SHIT!" Natsu yelled as he realized what he just said. "Damnit, Link hates it when his magic is talked about to people outside of Fairy Tail!" Natsu yelled as a small amount of panic appeared in his eyes before he snapped his fingers. "Hey, I'm gonna have to beat you up even worse so you can't tell anyone what I just said, that way Link won't find out!" He said before charging forward.
"Hoo… so there's someone else that has the Arc of Time…?" Zarti asked as Natsu launched up at him. "But I don't just have things flow back…" He said as his smirk returned. "How about I show you what happens when I fast forward the crystal's "time" to the future?" He asked before the jade orb shot out in a green blur.
"Eh?" Natsu said in surprise when the orb zoomed past him before coming back to him in the back. "UGAAH!" Natsu yelled as the orb slammed into him continuously from different angles before lashing out with flaming fist, shattering it.
"Useless." Zarti said as the pieces all came back together before the orb him on top of the head.
"DAMNIT!" Natsu roared in frustration as he turned to deliver flame-empowered punch when the orb stopped just out of reach. "It stopped! He said in surprise before glaring at it closely in irritation.
"Indeed, I can even stop its time." Zarti said with a wide smile before bringing the orb back to him.
If this magic is like Link's then… Natsu mused before looking up at Zarti. "This doesn't work on humans… right?" Natsu asked as the ice around Deliora continued to melt.
"My, my… aren't you observant?" Zarti asked with his smile still in place. "Actually, it doesn't work on any creature; which is why I cannot undo the ice around Deliora, which is in fact Ur." He said while Deliora continued to struggle against the ice.
"You know, I just don't get you." Natsu suddenly said as he pointed at Zarti, making him look at Natsu in surprise. "You want to revive Deliora so you can beat it… it makes sense for Lyon since it's his idea, but what about his comrades?" Natsu asked and Zarti slowly lowered his arm.
"No clue, I only recently joined." Zarti said and Natsu's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So what about you?" Natsu asked as he wiped some blood from his face. "What is your true goal with all this?" He asked and Zarti was quiet for several seconds.
"Ho ho ho… it seems I'm no match for you." Zarti said before looking up at Deliora. "Reitei-sama… that ignorant brat, he is no match for Deliora. There's no way he could possibly defeat it." He announced as Deliora growled and struggled before finally breaking its arms free from the ice.
"SO WHAT, ARE YOU GONNA BEAT IT THEN! ?" Natsu demanded but Zarti only chuckled.
"Of course not." Zarti said before smiling widely. "I just want to make it mine." He said and Natsu looked at him in shock. "It may be an immortal monster, but there's bound to be ways to manipulate it." Zarti said as his smile went sinister. "To have such a creature under my command, now wouldn't that be incredible?" He asked fervently.
"Meh… how boring." Natsu said with a disappointed look on his face and Zarti looked at him in surprise. "Can't believe I wasted my time asking." He said and Zarti looked at him coolly. "I thought that, just maybe, you had a burning passion to accomplish something!" Natsu said excitedly.
"Ho ho ho… you just don't understand yet." Zarti laughed in amusement as he shook his head. "But there are times… when you'll need "power"…" He said and Natsu's face tightened.
"When that time comes…" Natsu said as he resummoned the flames around his hands. "I'll trust in my own power and the power of my nakama." He said before the flames around his hands blazed higher. "The power of Fairy Tail mages."
"Vanity will ruin your body." Zarti said before raising one hand up over his head. "Ceiling, accelerate your time and crumble." He said and the ceiling immediately started to shake and fall apart.
"Each of you, vandalizing this island for the stupidest reasons…" Natsu growled out before launching forward. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"
Link, Erza, Lucy, and Happy
"Link!" Erza yelled as she shook the shell-shocked Link, hoping to get a response from him. "Link, are you okay! ?" She yelled and Link blinked before slowly looking at her. "Thank goodness… you're okay…" She said before freezing when she noticed the confused look on Link's face.
What? Link thought in a daze as he saw Erza's lips moving. Why can't I hear her? He wondered before noticing something warm and sticky coming from his ears and slowly brought one gloved hand up to wipe it and look to see what it was. Blood? He asked himself in surprise. Why are my ears bleeding? Link wondered before his eyes widened slightly as he remembered what had happened. That's right… a roar… He thought before looking back at Erza, who was still mouthing words he couldn't hear.
"Damnit, hopefully his eardrums weren't shattered." Erza said as Lucy slowly walked up.
"Is Link-san okay?" Lucy asked before Link suddenly started to stand and almost immediately stumbled.
"Link!" Erza said in surprise as she quickly caught him.
As I thought… my sense of balance was destroyed because of the sound. Link thought as he tried to think past the dull buzz that dominated his hearing. "Erza… stop the demon." Link said weakly as he looked at her and Erza looked at him before shaking her head.
"It'll be okay, Gray and Natsu are in there." Erza said before wincing as Link's grip, still enhanced by the Golden Gauntlets, tightened slightly.
"Students learn from their Masters." Link said almost desperately, knowing what Erza had said by reading her lips. "What did Gray learn from his about how to stop Deliora?" He asked and Erza's eyes went wide as Lucy took a small step back in shock.
"You don't think…?" Erza asked but all Link could do was look at her uncertainly, for in all honesty his brain was still partially scrambled from the roar. "Tch… Lucy, look after Link." Erza said and Lucy nodded her head before quickly walking up to support Link while he Ex-Equipped his Golden Gauntlets and Requipped his normal leather gloves. "Happy, lead me to Deliora." She said and Happy immediately saluted.
"Aye, sir!" Happy said before flying off into the ruins, Erza hot on his trail.
As they left, Lucy looked at Link to see him watching Erza run off before he looked over at Toby and narrowed his eyes.
Lucy's eyes immediately went wide as she gulped before steeling herself. "Link, you shouldn't do anything right now." She said but to no avail as a green aura appeared around the both of them. The two of them disappeared then reappeared a foot in front of a surprised Toby, and Lucy looked around in surprise at the sudden movement.
"Why are you trying to revive that demon?" Link asked as he looked down at Toby. Toby seemed to wilt under Link's glare and looked to the side before he took a deep breath.
Natsu
"This is your last chance!" Natsu yelled as he flew up at Zarti before the flames around his right fist grew exponentially. "LEAVE THIS ISLAND RIGHT NOW!"Natsu roared before he punched out at the confident looking Zarti.
"I just need to- !" Zarti started to say before he was forced to jump back to avoid the wave of flames that erupted from Natsu's fist. Those just aren't regular flames! He thought in surprise as the dust created from the destroyed rock blew past him. In some sense, they're actually alive! Zarti realized as he prepared for Natsu's next attack.
"Oh yeah, I just remembered something." Natsu suddenly said and Zarti looked around in surprise before looking up to see Natsu landing on a rock on the ceiling. "I can manipulate the future too." He said with a feral grin as he clenched his right fist.
"HUH! ?" Zarti yelled in shock before Natsu leapt at him, his grin turning to a savage fury as flames engulfed his fist.
"IN ONE SECOND, YOU'RE GONNA GO FLYING!" Natsu declared as he reared his fist back. "KARYUU NO TEKKEN!" Natsu roared as he punched Zarti hard in the mask, sending him flying to the ground.
"Well done… Salamander-kun…" Zarti said weakly before grinning widely. "But too far too little, far too late." He said before the rest of the ice around Deliora shattered into water as Gray ran in.
Gray stopped and looked up at Deliora in shock. Damnit… Gray thought before he looked down as he noticed he was standing in knee deep water. Ur… Gray realized sadly as he reached down to scoop some of the water up.
"Gray, there you are!" Natsu yelled when he spotted Gray and quickly ran over to him.
"Natsu." Gray said in a distracted tone, still shaken by the failure to prevent Deliora's revival.
"Deliora's fully revived, now we've got no choice!" Natsu said as pointed behind him at Deliora. "LET'S TAKE IT DOWN!" He yelled with fiery determination.
"Haa… haa… no…" A weak voice behind Gray said and he turned around in surprise to see Lyon crawling toward them. "Let me… haa… do it… haa… to surpass… Ur…" Lyon said weakly yet with a crazed smile on his face.
"HELL NO!" Natsu yelled as he pointed at Lyon. "This is impossible for you, just stay back!" Natsu declared but Lyon ignored him as he looked up at Deliora as it started to walk forward.
"We finally… meet… Deliora…" Lyon said as his smile widened in delight.
"The strongest mage?" A middle aged man with curly, blonde hair said before looking up contemplatively. "Around here, that'd have to be Ur." He said before looking down at a young Lyon.
"Ur, huh…" Lyon said with a wide smile on his face. "I wonder if she'll let me be her pupil…" He said speculatively before he gave a small bow of appreciation.
"The only moster… Ur couldn't defeat…" Lyon said as he slowly forced himself up to one knee. "I will… defeat it… here and now…" He said before he gritted his teeth and slowly started to stand. "Ur…" He said as images of his teacher and ultimate goal flashed through his mind. "I will… surpass… you…" Lyon said when he was finally able to get to his feet.
"Lyon…" Gray said before hitting him in the back of his neck, sending Lyon crashing to the ground as Natsu looked at Gray in surprise. "That's enough." He said before walking towards Deliora with icy determination in his eyes. "Leave it to me." He said when he stopped walking and squared his stance while bringing his arms up. "I'll seal Deliora!" Gray said as he crossed his arms and strong magical power immediately exploded out from him once he crossed his arms.
"ICED SHELL!" Lyon yelled as he struggled to get up once more. "STOP IT! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK TO MELT THAT ICE!" Lyon demanded but Gray paid him no heed as focused on Deliora. "I'LL JUST MELT THE ICE ONCE MORE TO CHALLENGE IT AGAIN!" Lyon yelled in desperation.
"This is the only way…" Gray said as he prepared to unleash the spell before Natsu landed in the water in front of him. "Natsu! You're in the way!" Gray yelled and Natsu glanced back at him.
"I stopped you earlier because I didn't want you to die." Natsu said in a calm tone. "Didn't my voice reach you?" He asked and Gray's eyes widened slightly as Natsu looked back at Deliora. "Go ahead and use the spell if you want." He said right as Happy flew into the room.
"Natsu..." Gray said when Deliora suddenly roared and brought one arm up.
"Gray, Natsu, get down!" Erza screamed as she came running in and they both looked back in surprise to see her charging in. She started to Ex-Equip before stopping as they all looked up at Deliora in confusion when it suddenly stopped moving.
After several seconds Deliora's arm suddenly exploded at the elbow, making all their eyes go wide in surprise. "EH! ?" Lyon yelled before cracks started to appear all over Deliora's body.
"Wha..." Gray said as he stepped back in shock. "What's going on?" He asked before Deliora literally fell apart in frozen pieces.
"No..." Lyon said as his hands curled into fists. "It can't be..." He said before he slammed his forehead against the ground as pieces of Deliora fell around them all. "Deliora... was long dead." He said as tears came to his eyes. "For ten years... it was subverted by Ur's ice..." Ur said as Natsu looked up with wide eyes. "I'm no match..." Lyon said, for the first time all malice and coldness leaving his face. "I can't surpass Ur."
"Your teacher is amazing!" Natsu said with an awestruck look as Gray continued to look up where Deliora used to be.
"A truly powerful and kind-hearted mage." Erza said with a kind smile as she looked at Gray and his eyes widened slightly.
"I'll seal your darkness." Ur said as she looked back at Gray with a kind smile.
Tears slowly started to fall down Gray's eyes as the full impact of Ur's words finally came to him. "Thank you..." Gray said as he brought one hand to cover his eyes as tears continued to fall. "Teacher..." He said as his body shook with his sobs.
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.
Till next time.
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