"Ice-Make: Shield!"
Facing the flock of howling ice hawks, Gray dashed to Marco's side.
He slammed both palms on the ground, and his magic power instantly erupted!
"CRACKLE!"
A thick, hard, giant snowflake-shaped ice shield rose from the ground, precisely blocking the flight path of the ice hawks.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
A series of impacts rang out as the ice hawks crashed into the ice shield, shattering into countless ice crystals that scattered everywhere, filling the underground cavern with a pervasive chill.
"Gray! What have you done?! Where is Deliora?!"
The helmeted man, Lyon, roared in a flustered rage, his voice already hoarse with fury.
Marco's act of banishing "Deliora" had undoubtedly shattered all his plans and hopes.
"And who are you people?!"
Natsu fearlessly jumped out, his fists igniting with blazing flames.
He shouted at the group of four before him, the scorching fire dispelling the chill and illuminating his face, which was brimming with fighting spirit.
Natsu had finally gotten the fight he was waiting for.
"He must be that Lyon, Gray's senior apprentice." Lucy observed carefully, making her judgment in a soft but certain voice.
The same "Ice-Make" magic, the obvious fact that they knew each other—the helmeted man's identity was plain to see.
"Lyon! Why are you doing this?! Why are you trying to release Deliora?! That's what Ur sacrificed her life to seal!"
Seeing Lyon appear, Gray became very agitated and immediately questioned him loudly, pointing at the spot where "Deliora" had been.
"Hmph, why did Ur have to sacrifice herself?! Wasn't it because of you?! You overestimated your own strength, refused to listen to advice and ended up getting Ur killed!"
Lyon was just as furious, and his accusation was clearly more damaging, because it was indeed the truth.
Gray bore a great deal of responsibility for Ur's death.
If he hadn't insisted on challenging "Deliora," Ur wouldn't have had to face "Deliora" so hastily.
"..."
Gray froze.
He opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound.
His face instantly turned deathly pale, his eyes filled with pain and self-blame.
This was the poison thorn buried deep in his heart, tormenting him day and night.
Seeing Gray at a loss for words and unable to retort, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy grew a little anxious.
He couldn't lose his momentum!
But they didn't know how to refute the claim either.
"Even without Gray, Ur would have inevitably faced Deliora. Given her personality and character, since she was already nearby, she would never have stood by and watched Deliora wantonly destroy towns."
In the end, it was Marco who spoke up, defending Gray.
His words were resolute, carrying an unquestionable force.
"..."
Lyon opened his mouth, but he couldn't refute that statement.
Marco's words were like a bucket of cold water, momentarily extinguishing some of his anger.
His clenched fists loosened slightly, and his shoulders slumped.
His voice became low and hoarse.
"Without the two of us... she might have been more composed... maybe she wouldn't have ended up dead... After all, she was always so strong..."
Lyon's words revealed a similarly deep-seated pain, but only for a moment before he closed off his heart again.
"Ur isn't dead! The ice that sealed Deliora is Ur!"
Gray glared at his senior, Lyon, correcting his statement.
His conviction was firm; he had always believed this.
"Dispelling Iced Shell is erasing the last trace of Ur left in this world."
Gray gritted his teeth.
He wasn't actually afraid of "Deliora" being released; if worse came to worst, he would just use "Iced Shell" to seal the demon again.
The reason he was so agitated was simply that he couldn't tolerate the last remaining trace of Ur's existence disappearing.
That solid ice should not be melted.
"Don't be stupid! Gray, when someone's dead, they're dead! Turning into ice is just something you've imagined! Do you think saying that can change the fact that Ur died because of you?!"
Lyon's response to Gray's claim was a torrent of curses.
He was enraged again by Gray's words, his voice turning wild once more.
He waved his arms, cursing Gray for being naive and weak, for deceiving himself with such ridiculous reasons.
"This... is what Ur told me herself when she used Iced Shell. She said she would become ice to protect us..."
Gray's expression was serious.
When Ur used "Iced Shell," Lyon was unconscious, so he hadn't heard Ur's last words, but it had all really happened.
"Ice-Make: Giant Ape!"
Faced with Gray's explanation, Lyon completely lost his patience for conversation.
He let out a low roar and swung a single arm forward!
Magic power surged out, and a huge, ferocious ice ape made of thick ice instantly formed in front of him.
The ice ape let out a silent roar, swung its massive fist covered in ice spikes, and, with a bone-chilling wind and an overwhelming presence, smashed down toward the area where Gray, Marco, and the others stood.
The very air in the temple seemed to freeze from the massive ice fist.
"I have to release Deliora! I have to kill Deliora with my own hands, to personally defeat the demon that even Ur couldn't beat! Only then can I prove that I've finally surpassed Ur and become a stronger Mage than her!" Lyon roared.
He had been chasing Ur's shadow all this time, but Ur had ultimately been defeated by this "Deliora."
He could no longer prove himself to Ur, so his only option was to prove himself by defeating "Deliora"!
"Ice-Make: Geyser!"
Gray showed no weakness, his eyes already as cold as winter.
He once again slammed both palms heavily onto the ground.
In an instant, the ground where the ice ape's thick lower limbs stood began to shake violently.
"BOOM!"
With a huge bang, as if a dormant spring had been awakened, a violent torrent of ice erupted into the sky like volcanic lava.
The immense impact instantly shattered the mighty ice ape into pieces, turning it into a shower of ice crystal fragments.
Both were users of "Ice-Make" magic, but one used both hands while the other used one.
Compared to Gray's, Lyon's ice had a faint greenish tint.
Gray mostly created "static objects," while Lyon mostly created "animals."
Though they came from the same master, they each had their own distinct style.
"This really is... all that was."
Watching the interaction between Lyon and Gray, Marco couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
This pair of fellow apprentices, they truly had a love-hate relationship.