Night draped the land in icy silence.
Snow blanketed the forest, muffling every sound. The trees stood like frozen sentinels, their limbs heavy with white. In the distance, a small wooden cabin flickered with firelight—its glow the only sign of warmth in a land ruled by cold.
Inside, the flames crackled softly in the hearth. Four figures sat around it, huddled close—drawn not just by heat, but by stories that refused to stay buried.
She sipped quietly from a cup of hot tea, her face calm but watchful. Gray, slouched and shirtless as always, leaned on his knees. Beside him was Lyon, always competitive, eyes sharp with curiosity. Across from them, Escanor's golden eyes reflected the firelight.
"Miss Ur," Escanor finally broke the silence. "That town up ahead... Can you tell me anything about it?"
You hesitated. Her gaze lowered.
"I've told you before—I wish you wouldn't go," she said gently. "I'm not from that region. I only came upon this place by chance… after saving these two knuckleheads. I stayed to teach them, but even I don't know the full story behind the town's fall."
Escanor glanced at Gray. The boy's hands were clenched into fists.
"That town... was my home," Gray said, voice low and tense. "My parents lived there. It used to be a peaceful place. Until it came."
His fists trembled.
"A demon. A monster like no other. The day it arrived, it destroyed everything. My mother died that day. My father, a mage, vanished fighting it."
He swallowed.
"They called it… Deliora."
The name struck the air like thunder.
Even Lyon's usual cockiness faded.
"That thing couldn't be killed," Lyon added grimly. "No matter how many mages attacked, it was useless. Their spells did nothing. One by one, they fell. The demon didn't even flinch."
He paused.
"But then... it just vanished."
"Vanished?" Escanor narrowed his eyes.
Ur nodded slowly. "When I arrived, Deliora was already gone. Like it had simply disappeared into the snow. But in its place, monsters appeared. Many… far more than I could handle alone. I thought if a powerful mage ever arrived... we might finally have a chance."
Escanor leaned back slightly, processing her words.
Deliora.A creature worthy of legend. Capable of leveling cities. Vanishing without a trace.
No wonder this mission didn't get classified as S-Class… If they knew Deliora was gone... or thought she was.
"But even without Deliora," Ur added, "those monsters are no joke. There are dozens—maybe more. You shouldn't face them alone."
Escanor didn't answer with words.
He simply raised a hand.
For a brief moment—an instant—his magic flared.
A warmth like the midday sun filled the cabin.Golden light pulsed, soft and overwhelming, but beneath it was crushing pressure. Immense, wild, controlled only by Escanor's will.
And just as quickly, it vanished.
The room fell silent.
Ur's eyes widened. Even she was momentarily stunned.
Gray and Lyon looked like statues, caught between awe and disbelief.
"…Now I see," Ur whispered. "You're not just strong. You're... exceptional."
Gray muttered, "No way… He's our age…"
Lyon shook his head. "That's insane…"
Escanor chuckled softly.
"Then let's head out tomorrow and finish this."
The night stretched on.
Ur and Escanor spent the next hour mapping out a route into the monster-infested town. While Gray and Lyon argued in the corner, Escanor couldn't help but smile.
These people—they were... warm. Messy. Human.
And he kind of liked that.
Until—
"Wait—WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES?!"
Gray suddenly stood up, panicked.
Escanor blinked. "Wha—you were wearing clothes?"
Ur sighed. "He always does this. Ever since I started teaching him Ice-Make Magic."
Gray turned red. "It helps me connect with the element!"
"Sure it does," Lyon muttered.
Escanor rubbed the back of his neck. "I've met a lot of weird mages, but you might be a first."
As the room dissolved into laughter, the cold outside felt just a bit further away.
But far from that little house...
…trouble was brewing.
Back in Magnolia, inside Fairy Tail's guildhall, Master Makarov was sipping warm sake when a staff member burst through the doors.
"MASTER!! We've got a problem!!"
Makarov raised an eyebrow. "Calm down. What is it now? Someone blew up the bar again?"
"No—it's Escanor's mission!"
The sake stopped mid-sip.
"What about it?"
"It—it's been upgraded to SS-rank!"
The bottle shattered in his hand.
"Why?!" Makarov barked.
"It's Deliora!" The receptionist cried out. "It's appeared! The demon is back!"
The entire guild seemed to hold its breath.
Makarov's chair toppled as he leapt up.
"Notify everyone! No more missions until I return! I'm going to the north!"
He didn't wait for their response. His coat whipped behind him as he bolted into the night.
"Escanor…!" Makarov growled, launching into the sky with magic.
"Just hang in there, kid. Don't do anything reckless. Grandpa's on the way."
Elsewhere, deep in a frozen valley—
The wind howled violently.
Something vast and ancient stirred in the storm.
A shadow spread its wings. A hulking, monstrous form emerged from the mountains—black as obsidian, eyes glowing violet like twin dying stars.
Deliora.
Alive. Awake. Ascending.
Everywhere it flew, trees withered and died. Snow melted under its cursed breath. The very land recoiled in fear.
And in the distance, watching from atop a ruined spire…
A cloaked figure turned the pages of a strange book, grinning madly.
"…Yes. Destroy it. Spread across the north. Claim it as your nest," he whispered.
"The era of Great Magic is coming. Lord Zeref, I await your resurrection. Let chaos begin."
His laughter echoed across the lifeless cliffs.
And Escanor?
He slept soundly, a soft snore escaping as he curled under the blankets.
Outside, Ur stood in the snow, staring at the clouds as they rolled in darker than before.
She whispered softly to the night:
"…Tiya…"
A name carried by grief.
And perhaps…
…warning.