บท 13: Chapter 13: Deliora Revived
Chapter Eleven
Link ducked under a slash from one of the masked fighters before retaliating with a kick to his stomach, sending the man plowing back into several of his companions. "Link, this is odd." Erza said from the other side of the group, moving in a tan blur, and Link nodded his head once before blocking another slash from a different masked fighter.
"I don't think any of these guys are mages at all!" Lucy exclaimed as moved her whip quickly to keep a group of them back long enough for a man with crab legs coming from his back to blur through them, his pair of scissors snapping at a furious pace. "Thanks, Cancer!" She said and Cancer quickly turned and used his legs to deflect a pair of fighters' attacks.
"I don't think I can fight seriously like this." Happy said with a small sigh as he stood beside Lucy, making her look down at him incredulously.
"Happy, get Lucy far back." Link suddenly said, making Lucy and Happy look at him in surprise before Happy suddenly launched up and grabbed Lucy.
"Aye, sir!" Happy yelled as he flew back quickly, taking Lucy by surprise at the sudden motion.
Cancer looked back as he snipped furiously before blocking another attack when Erza suddenly appeared beside him and grabbed his left arm, now only holding one short sword. "Let's go." She said before taking off.
"Ebiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Cancer yelled in surprise as he was hauled by Erza while Link gave one last slash before disappearing in a green flash to reappear in front of Happy and Lucy, Erza and Cancer showing up a second later.
"GET THEM!" Several of the still conscious masked fighters yelled at the same time and the whole group, now down to a little over three dozen charged at them when Link suddenly pointed his palm at them. An instant later a blue crystal pyramid formed over the masked fighters, making them look around in shock. "Wha… what the hell! ?" One of them yelled before he noticed Link already walking towards the ruins. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY!" The man roared before charging at the crystal and slashing down as hard as he could.
The blade merely bounced off and the man's mask slammed into the crystal, stunning him as he staggered back.
"Th-this is Link's Nayru's Embrace!" Lucy said in surprise, her eyes wide as she looked at the large pyramid.
"To be precise, Link combined it with his crystals to minimize the damage we would have to deal to them and keep them out of the way." Erza said as she Ex-Equipped her Flight Armor and Re-Quipped her normal armor before she walked after Link.
So all those times he would disappear and reappear… along with her constantly moving about… it was just to keep us in one place long enough for him to find good places to put crystals down? One of them realized in surprise before taking off his mask and charging to the edge. "NO, YOU CAN'T STOP US NOW!" He yelled as slammed his hands against the crystal. "NOT WHEN WE'RE THIS CLOSE!" He all but begged, making Link and Erza look back before their eyes widened slightly.
Those beads… Link thought as he took in the young man's dark skin and hair interwoven with blue beads.
"These people are from Brago." Erza said and Lucy between them in surprise.
"Y-you mean the people from the village in Gray's story?" Lucy asked and Erza nodded her head before she looked at Link, who looked slightly troubled before he started to walk forward when the ground started to shake.
Gray and Natsu
Gray's face showed nothing but icy determination as magical power radiated from him, his legs spaced out for balance and his crossed out in front of him at full extension forming an X as they crossed each other. Link… Erza… and you too, Natsu. Gray thought as he prepared to unleash his spell, cracks forming all over his body.
"ICED SHELL!" Gray yelled as he started to move his arms across each other in a fast, swiping motion. Before he could complete the motion however, Natsu suddenly punched him hard in the face; sending him flying a few feet where he landed roughly on the ground. "Natsu, what the hell are you doing! ?" Gray demanded as he glared at Natsu.
"I was about to ask you the same thing!" Natsu yelled as he glared back at Gray. "You don't just barge into the middle of a fight and talk about taking responsibility and all that." He declared before he gestured at himself with his thumb. "This is my show!"
Gray just looked at Natsu in surprise for a few seconds. "S-show?" He was finally able to ask and Natsu's hand became a fist.
"I'll take care of him!" Natsu declared firmly, no compromise in his gaze.
"Wha… didn't I ask you to let me take care of him! ?" Gray demanded as he got to his feet.
"Did I ever say, "Sure, go ahead."?" Natsu asked mockingly and Gray's face tightened as he grabbed Natsu's scarf.
"I HAVE TO END THIS WITH LEON!" Gray roared at Natsu. "EVEN IF I HAVE TO DIE FOR IT, I'M GOING TO END IT!" Gray roared and Natsu's face suddenly tightened in anger as he grabbed Gray's arm.
"So you're gonna end this by dying?" Natsu demanded angrily as his grip on Gray's arm tightened. "Stop running away like a coward." He said and Gray looked at him in surprise when the ground suddenly started to shake, making them both look around in surprise.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!" Natsu roared as the room slowly tilted before it was set straight again. "ALL MY HARD WORK!" He complained as he slammed his foot against the ground.
"The moonlight can once again hit Deliora…" Gray said as he looked around somewhat nervously but mostly angrily.
"Sorry to disturb you." Zarti said as he calmly walked into the room through the same hole Gray had made. Zarti looked around before quickly running up to Leon. "The sun has just set, so I decided it would be best to get the ruins back to normal." He said and Leon looked down at him in surprise.
"So it was you." Leon said and Zarti nodded his head, his wide smile on his face.
"Who, or what, is he?" Gray asked but Natsu's focus was set completely on the man who had just ruined all his hard work.
"After all that time I spent to tilt them…" Natsu complained before suddenly stomping the ground. "HOW DID YOU DO THAT!" Natsu demanded angrily and Zarti looked over at him.
"Ho ho ho." Zarti laughed in amusement at Natsu's expression.
"I SAID HOW DID YOU DO THAT!" Natsu roared with all his might.
"Well then…" Zarti said before turning around and running off to where he entered. "I'll go and start the Moon Drip ritual." He said with an amused smirk.
Ig… ignored? Natsu thought in shock before his eyebrow started to twitch. "THAT'S IT!" Natsu roared, flames shooting from his mouth. "I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!" He roared as he chased after Zarti.
"Natsu!" Gray yelled in surprise and Natsu looked back, rage still in his eyes.
"I'M GONNA GIVE THIS MASK WEARING BASTARD THE ASS WHOOPING OF A DOZEN LIFETIMES!" Natsu roared angrily. "YOU TAKE CARE OF LEON!" He declared and Gray looked at him before his expression calmed and he nodded his head. "Don't you dare shame the name any further, got it!" Natsu said as he turned back around. "And I'm not talking about yours." He said and Gray nodded his head.
"I know." Gray said as he turned to face Leon.
"Fairy Tail's!" They both said firmly at the same time.
Leon, who had watched all this with his cold expression, gave a small sigh when things had been settled. "What a noisy bunch." Leon said with a small shake of his head.
"Leon," Gray said and Leon looked at him almost curiously. "Earlier… did you expect Natsu was going to stop me from using Iced Shell on you?" Gray asked and Leon smirked slightly.
"Hardly, I never even thought that he could even get close to that much magical power." Leon said before bringing one hand up to indicate the ruins. "But I knew I would be rescued even if you used it, so that's why I said to go ahead." He said and Gray looked down.
"That's right… Iced Shell is useless here after all." Gray said with a small sigh. "I was too rash in using that spell." He said, already his mind going through the implications if Natsu hadn't stopped him.
"So, do you still intend to fight me?" Leon asked; his smirk widening as he crossed his arms. "You know you can't possibly defeat-"
"Leon, let's stop." Gray suddenly said as he locked eyes with Leon.
"What!" Leon asked in surprise as he looked at Gray, his smirk melting into a shocked expression.
"Give up on Deliora." Gray said and Leon's expression slowly recovered from his shock.
"What's this…" Leon said as his smirk came back. "First a threat, and now a persuasion. Does your Guild have a first rate dentist that managed to pull your fangs out?" He asked condescendingly.
"Leon... Ur is alive." Gray said and Leon's eyes went wide again in shock. "Iced Shell is a spell that transforms the caster's body into ice." He said before looking to the side. "The ice that sealed Deliora back then… the ice you're trying to melt now… IT'S UR!" Gray yelled and Leon slowly walked towards Gray, his face still full of shock. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner… but I promised Ur." Gray said as he looked down.
"If he were to learn I'd become the ice, I bet he'd spend his entire life trying to undo the spell." Gray heard Ur tell him even as her body began to disappear.
"Gray…" Leon said as he stopped a couple of feet away from Gray.
"So please…" Gray said as he looked back at Leon. "Let's just sto- urg!" Gray started to say before he suddenly coughed up blood.
"I already know all that." Leon said as he smirked manically, holding his ice sword after impaling Gray through the stomach. "You're wasting your breath." He said as the sword disappeared into cold air. "That isn't Ur, just some useless scraps of ice." He said even as Gray collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily as he held his wounded stomach.
"You… you knew…" Gray asked as he blood leaked from his stomach and back on the frozen ground.
"Don't tell me actually believed Ur is still alive as that ice." Leon said coldly before laughing maniacally. "Grow up! All that's around Deliora, around my destiny, is nothing but some worthless scraps of ice!" Leon yelled and Gray's eyes burned.
"You… you knew…" Gray said through clenched teeth as he slowly forced himself up, blood oozing from his mouth due to his internal injuries. "Yet you still… did all this!" Gray demanded before coughing up more blood.
"What of it?" Leon asked with his smirk still in place and Gray's face tightened further with rage.
"You… BASTARD!" Gray roared as he suddenly launched up to punch Leon in the face.
"WHAT!" Leon yelled in surprise as he barely landed on his feet, still skidding back from the impact. "How can you still move with that injury!" Leon demanded as he stood shakily, trying to recover.
"That was it…" Gray said coldly as he glared at Leon. "I truly wanted to save you, Leon… but you just shattered that desire." Gray said and Leon looked at him in confusion. In an instant Gray created an ice bow with three arrows that he quickly fired at Leon that impacted with bone shattering force.
"GAH!" Leon cried out in pain as he was sent flying back before spinning on the ground to regain his balance. The second he was up again, Gray's foot slammed into his face without mercy, sending him further back to land on his side. Without hesitating Gray kicked Leon in the stomach hard enough to send him up into the air only to be hit with a right cross and then a staggering head butt that had him sliding all the way to the wall.
Leon slowly stood, blood leaking from a broken nose and from his mouth, his face the picture of shock. "I can't be… bleeding…" Leon said before his face tightened with rage. "BECAUSE OF GRAY!" He roared before turning towards Gray and putting his palm up towards. "ICE MAKE: SNOW DRAGON!" Leon yelled and a large dragon of ice instantly formed before flying to snatch Gray up in its jaws.
"GWAAAAHHHH!" Gray yelled in pain before looking at the snow dragon and slamming his elbow hard into its snout, shattering the head and allowing him to roll on the ground to get distance from the large ice shards.
"I don't want to waste my magic power on you…" Leon said with a maniacal gleam in his eyes. "After this, I've gotta be ready for my battle with Deliora." Leon said and Gray slowly picked himself up.
"Haa… Haa… I won't… let you…" Gray said, panting with the effort, and Leon laughed as he threw away his cape.
"Stop struggling already, no one can stop it now." Leon said but Gray continued to force his body up.
"Haa… Haa…You're… wrong…" Gray said as he slowly stood up. "I will… stop you…" Gray said as he rocked on his feet before looking at Leon with a wide smile. "And Natsu… will stop… Zarti." He said before his face hardened as he charged in at Leon again.
Natsu
"WAIT UP YOU MASKED BASTARD!" Natsu roared as he chased after Zarti. "HOW DID YOU DO THAT!" He demanded when Zarti just kept running.
"Ho ho ho." Zarti laughed in amusement before suddenly turning his upper body slightly and raised his right hand to the ceiling. Almost immediately a portion of it started to crumble and then collapse on Natsu.
Natsu quickly looked up at the rubble in surprise before his expression tightened. "This…" He declared before he jumped up. "Won't hurt me!" He declared as he kicked the rubble away with a flame-empowered kick, shattering the larger chunks that would've crushed him.
As Natsu landed lightly, Zarti stopped and turned around completely as he moved right palm in a semicircle towards his body and upwards before stopping near his face. Almost instantly the rubble flew back up into the air to reform back into the ceiling as if it had never been broken, making Natsu's eyes go wide in shock. "W-what?" Natsu asked in surprise as he looked at the ceiling.
"As you can see, I repaired the ruins like this." Zarti said as Natsu continued to look up at the ceiling in awe.
"Wh-what magic is this?" Natsu asked, needing to know what to call a magic he had never even heard of before.
"It a type of the "Lost Magic"." Zarti explained with a wide smile. "A magic obliterated from history due to its immense power grave side effects." He said and Natsu asked and Zarti chuckled. "Like your Dragon Slayer…" Zarti trailed off and Natsu looked down to see Zarti gone.
Natsu blinked a couple of times before his eyes bulged in his sockets. "HE DISAPPEARED!" Natsu yelled in surprise before looking around hurriedly. "Damnit, where did that bastard go!" Natsu yelled in confusion before taking off further into the ruins.
Deep in the ground, far under the ruins in a large cavern, the mighty demon called Deliora stood. The only thing stopping it from tearing apart all that stood before it, behind it, and around it, was the block of ice that had once been Gray's and Leon's teacher encasing it in its icy grip.
Zarti smiled widely as he looked up at the monstrous thing, slowly walking up to the block of ice. "It is time…" He said confidently. "Gotcha." Zarti suddenly heard and one could imagine his eyes going wide in surprise even under his mask.
"BURN!" Natsu roared as he rocketed down at Zart, his whole body engulfed in flames. "JUST BURN!" He roared before he slammed into the ground as Zarti narrowly jumped away in time.
"Ho ho ho!" Zarti laughed in amusement before he landed on a rock higher up from the ground. "What a wonderful thing to say." He declared before his expression, what could be seen, showed his curiosity. "Tell me, how did you find me here?" He asked and Natsu glared up at him.
"My sense of smell is excellent." Natsu said before scratching his nose. "By the way, you smell like a woman's perfume." He said and Zarti looked at him in surprise before grabbing his sides.
"Ho ho ho ho ho!" Zarti laughed in amusement before quickly settling back to his customary smirk. "Would you mind leaving me be?" He asked before gesturing to Deliora. "You see… I really have to revive Deliora."
"Don't bother, it's already too late." Natsu said confidently and Zarti looked at him in amusement.
"Oh my; and why would that be?" Zarti asked condescendingly and Natsu smirked.
"Simple, Gray will take care of Leon." Natsu declared as he pointed at Zarti. "And I'll take care of you, enough to last a dozen lifetimes." Natsu said simply, as if it should have been obvious.
"Is that so?" Zarti asked before chuckling. "Then tell me… who's left to take care of that?" He asked before a purple light flooded the room.
Natsu's eyes went wide as he slowly looked back to see a thin beam hitting the ice. "N… NO WAY!" Natsu yelled in shock as he turned around. "IS SOMEONE HOLDING THE RITUAL UP THERE!" Natsu roared in confusion.
Indeed, up at the top of the ruins, knelt Toby. "Ooohn…" He said each time he bowed, calling upon the power of the Moon Drip.
"Moon Drip's effect is weak with only one worshiper, but to tell the truth…" Zarti trailed off as his smirk grew. "We've already collected enough moonlight." He said before a faint hissing sound was heard. "See… it's already started." He said as the ice began to rapidly melt.
"DAMNIT!" Natsu yelled before turning away from Zarti. "I MESSED UP BIG TIME NOW; I GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT GUY!" He roared as he started to take off. Suddenly the ground underneath him became a deep pit, making him look down in shock as he fell in. "SHIIIIIIT!" Natsu roared as he fell.
"What's this… running away?" Zarti asked and Natsu glared up at him from inside the pit. "I won't let you though." He said and Natsu quickly climbed back out. "It was a costly mistake to come after me, Salamander-kun." Zarti said with a wide smirk as the ice continued to melt.
"Damnit…" Natsu said through gritted teeth as he looked between the two. Come on Lucy, Happy; hurry and do something about that guy. Natsu thought before turning to glare at Zarti. "FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!" Natsu roared as he launched at Zarti, flames surrounding his fist.
"Woah!" Zarti said as he narrowly avoided the punch before jumping up to avoid a flame empowered kick. "Are you sure you want to use your flames this close to the ice?" He asked as he landed lightly far away from Natsu. "You'll only accelerate its melting." He said before flinching as he narrowly avoided a downward spin kick from Natsu, rocks pelting his mask.
"That's funny." Natsu said with no humor in his voice. "I'd think you want the ice to melt faster." He said as he glared at Zarti. "Besides, I've got two more nakama here that will make sure that guy is stopped, so all I have to do is finish on taking you out." Natsu declared and Zarti grinned as he looked at Natsu.
"Ho ho hooo…" Zarti chuckled softly as the dust from the impact cleared, Deliora's head still frozen but his upper arms now free. "Your quick resolve, ability to adapt, and faith in your friends surprise me." Zarti said before raising his hands up. "But your friends are being held back by my men, they can't stop this in time." He said right before the Moon Drip winked out.
Gray
Gray and Leon both glared at each other, both barely able to stand but neither willing to back down from a grudge that had been building for the last ten years, when suddenly the ruins started shaking.
"The ruins are shaking again…" Gray said as he looked around in surprise.
"Heh… the Moon Drip ceremony has started; Deliora's ice is melting even as we speak." Leon said and Gray looked at him with wide eyes.
Ur… Gray thought as Leon turned around.
"Looks like I win, you couldn't stop me after all." Leon said as he walked away before suddenly turning around and pointing his palm at Gray to shoot a dozen ice eagles at him. "How long I've waited for this!" He declared as the first volley slammed into Gray. "For ten years I've gathered information, gathered allies, until I learned about the one place that could undo Iced Shell!" He said as he made more ice eagles. "Galuna Island; a place where one can gather moonlight that will allow you to break even the strongest spells." Leon said as he sent the next volley flying in at Gray. "We brought Deliora from Brago three years ago, and now everything is coming together." He said as Gray put his fist against his palm to create a sphere of ice that shielded him from the ice eagles.
"So you've wasted all this time on such a ridiculous thing." Gray said calmly as the sphere of ice shattered around him and Leon's smirk disappeared.
"Ridiculous?" Leon asked before his face contorted with rage, both of them now so caught up they didn't notice that the ruins had stopped shaking. "HOW CAN YOU, WHO WASTED THE PAST TEN YEARS IN SOME GUILD, SAY THAT!" Leon demanded angrily.
"I just believed in Ur's words." Gray said and Leon froze. "'In the western countries, you'll find tons of mages stronger than I am.', remember?" Gray asked as glared at Leon and Leon's eyes tightened slightly. "Fairy Tail is where I wound up, and I couldn't believe how many powerful mages I saw." Gray said before his look became a glare. "And now, I find my senpai has been spending all this time trying to kill Ur." He said and the manic light came back to Leon's eyes.
"Who cares, I've lived for nothing but this day." Leon said before launching towards Gray. "THINK ABOUT IT, THE ONLY WAY WE CAN SURPASS OUR DEAD TEACHER IS BY DEFEATING THE ONE THING EVEN SHE COULDN'T BEAT!" Leon roared as the head of an ice lion appeared over his hand before punching out to send an ice lion at Gray.
"Your aspiration is admirable." Gray said as he moved to dodge the ice lion while putting his right fist over his left palm. "BUT YOU THINK SOMEONE SO BLIND CAN ACTUALLY SURPASS UR! TRY AGAIN IN ANOTHER HUNDRED YEARS!" Gray yelled as he formed an ice sword before swiftly cutting Leon in half.
Leon's eyes went wide before his whole body cracked then shattered into ice, and this time Gray's eyes went wide. "Ice Make…" Leon said as he appeared behind Gray. "SNOW TIGER!" Leon yelled and a large tiger made of ice formed in mid-pounce at Gray.
Gray looked at it in shock before quickly jumping up as he put his right fist over his left palm. "Ice Make: PRISON!" Gray yelled as a large cage of ice formed over the ice tiger, trapping it inside. "Is that it, Leon?" Gray asked as he jumped down then looked back at the tiger. "Such a pitiful beast." He said and Leon's eyes tightened.
"DON'T BE RIDICULOUS!" Leon declared angrily as he made the tiger slam against the icy bars. "I'll just smash your pathetic cage and…!" Leon started to say before stopping in surprise as the cage held against the ice tiger.
"One-handed molding is unbalanced, remember?" Gray asked as he turned to face Leon. "That's why you can't use your full power when it matters most." He said as closed his eyes and got into his stance. "Ice Make…" Gray said as Leon's eyes slowly widened in denial and rage. "ICE CANNON!" Gray roared as he formed a large cannon of ice that fired a blast of magical power at Leon.
"GAAAH!" Leon cried out in pain as he was slammed into the thick stone walls of the ruins.
"That's what Ur taught us." Gray said as the smoke cleared to show Leon barely standing as he glared at Gray.
"Gr…" Leon started to say before he coughed up blood. "a…y…" He said as he slowly fell to the ground before Gray's eardrums nearly shattered.
Link, Erza, Lucy, and Happy
As soon as they saw the ruins were no longer tilted, Link and Erza immediately took off to the ruins. "Lucy, move!" Erza shouted back and after jerking Lucy immediately took off.
"Thank you, Cancer!" Lucy shouted back, both thanking and dismissing him.
"Anytime –ebi." Cancer said with a small bow before disappearing.
Link and Erza quickly pulled away from Lucy, making her grit her teeth to try and keep up, when Happy suddenly picked her up. "Happy!" Lucy said in surprise at the sudden pickup before looking back at him.
"We have to hurry." Happy said determinedly and Lucy looked at him before nodding her head.
"Link, what could've righted the ruins so quickly?" Erza asked, although she knew he was most likely thinking the same thing. The steady movement was similar, it was almost as if someone had used magic like his Song of Time to reverse the damage.
"I've never heard of another magic like what I play with my Ocarina." Link said quietly as he glanced at Erza, but she shook her head to show that she had never heard of such a magic either.
"Erza, Link-san!" Lucy suddenly called out in desperation as they ran into the ruins, the moon high in the sky, and they looked back at her before looking at where she was pointing to see a purple beam coming down from the moon on the other side of the ruins. "It's the Moon Drip! They're trying to free Deliora!" She screamed and both their eyes tightened before Link Equipped his Golden Gauntlets.
Erza immediately jumped up and landed on his right palm with one foot before Link heaved up to send her flying over the ruins towards the beam. Lucy's eyes went wide even as Link jumped up before disappearing then reappearing in green flashes. "Let's go!" Happy declared as he quickly flew after them.
When Happy caught up to them Erza was standing over a down Toby, the Moon Drip already gone, with Link standing a few feet away from her. "Good aim, Link, as always." Erza said with a small sigh to which Link nodded with a small sigh of relief.
"YOU FOOLS!" Toby suddenly yelled as he looked up, making Link wince from the volume as Erza, Lucy, and Happy looked at him in surprise. "YOU'RE ALREADY TOO LATE!" He yelled before a loud roar shook the ruins, making everyone grab their ears in pain except Link.
After the first roar everyone looked at Link in worry to see his face frozen in shock and pain. "Link?" Erza called out in worry before blood started dripping from his ears as he slowly collapsed to his knees. Before anyone could move another roar shook the ruins, making them freeze once more.
Natsu
"It's here…" Zarti said as Natsu knelt on the ground, his hands over his ears. "It's finally awakened." Zarti said, somehow unaffected by the loud, piercing roar.
"DELIORA IS REVIVED!" He yelled in triumph as the ice around Deliora's head and upper torso shattered, allowing it to move its torso for the first time in ten years.
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.
Till next time.
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