A dark, chilling wave of magic surged through the air, overwhelming the weaker lackeys in Lyon's group. They trembled, their bodies shaking under the pressure. Their families had been slaughtered by Deliora, which was why they'd joined Lyon's plan in the first place. Now, their enemy stood before them—and so did the one who could avenge them.
Even Gray was trembling, his hands and feet quaking as the sealed-away pain of his past came flooding back like a tidal wave. A freezing, snowy night. A towering demonic figure. The cries of his family. A village torn to pieces. Howling winds, frost, blood, hunger, helplessness… All those memories wove together into a terrifying nightmare that gripped his heart.
Ten years had passed, and Gray thought he'd buried that nightmare. But now, he realized it hadn't vanished—it had only been locked away deep in his mind, as if, like Ur once said, the darkness in his heart had been sealed by her.
But now, that seal was broken.
"No way! Even Ur sacrificed herself to stop that monster! How could we possibly defeat it?!" Gray's voice shook with despair.
Even Cana and Kira, who'd known Gray the longest, had never seen him like this.
"Gray! Snap out of it!" Kira stepped forward, grabbing Gray's shoulders and shouting to pull him back from his panic.
While Gray was spiraling, Lyon was practically vibrating with excitement. "Finally… after all this time… ten years, and I've done it! Deliora's revived!"
"Ur, do you see this? I'm going to defeat it and do what you couldn't! I'll prove I'm stronger than you!"
Lyon knew that the measly magic he'd recovered in the past couple of hours wasn't nearly enough to take on Deliora. But so what? This was the plan he'd spent a decade preparing for—finding methods, gathering allies, executing it for three years. All that waiting was for this moment! Even if he wasn't at his peak, he had to fight. This wasn't just his dream—it was the goal of everyone who followed him.
Lyon staggered forward, his steps unsteady, heading toward Deliora. But as he passed Kira, they stopped him.
Lyon looked surprised. "What? You're trying to stop me now?"
"I'm not stopping you," Kira said without turning, their voice calm but firm. "I'm just letting you know that your plan was doomed from the start."
Lyon froze. "?!"
Gray blinked, confused. "…"
"Oh, wow, it actually worked? This is Deliora? That's some terrifying magic!" Ultear—disguised as Zalty—sauntered into the cave from a staircase behind them. "No wonder even Ur could only seal it. Its power's even greater than I imagined."
Zalty's reappearance didn't draw much attention. To Lyon's group, Zalty's motives for joining were questionable, but with Lyon's strength, they didn't care too much. For Gray, Kira, and the others, Zalty didn't seem like a good guy, but they weren't worried. If he betrayed them, everyone here would turn on him.
And besides, Kira was right there! Everyone had just seen Kira utterly dominate Lyon in their brief clash. Zalty didn't stand a chance.
The Moon Drip hadn't fully dissolved the Absolute Zero ice yet, so Deliora still needed a bit more time to revive. Lyon turned to Kira, his voice sharp. "What do you mean my plan was doomed from the start? You think I can't beat Deliora?!"
"An enemy even Ur couldn't defeat? There's no way you can!" Gray snapped, his desperation rising. He looked ready to throw himself into a suicidal attempt to reseal Deliora before it fully woke. "The only option now is to use Absolute Zero again while it's not fully revived!"
Lyon's anger flared. "You're still trying to stop me, even now?!"
"Shut up! I've already surpassed Ur! I can beat it!" Lyon roared.
Kira sighed, pausing to choose their words carefully, their expression cryptic. "How much do you two actually know about Absolute Zero?"
"What are you getting at?" Lyon snapped, annoyed by Kira's vague attitude. What's with the act?
"I heard this from Gildarts, who learned it from fighting Ur," Kira said. "Once Absolute Zero is cast, it's nearly impossible to break. The sealed target's life force is slowly drained away. Ten years? That's more than enough time to kill Deliora for good."
Lyon's heart sank, a bad feeling creeping in. "What… what are you saying?"
Kira nodded. "Exactly. Deliora's already dead. Ur killed it over these past ten years."
Loke whistled. "That's incredible!"
Cana stared at Kira. "No wonder you were so sure his plan wouldn't work. You knew all along… Wait, hold on! You heard this from Gildarts?"
Uh, Cana, is that really the point here? Kira thought.
"No… I don't believe it!" Lyon's voice cracked, his composure crumbling. "If that's true… then… I'll never surpass Ur!"
But as he felt the weakening magic emanating from Deliora, he had no choice but to believe Kira.
Crack!
With the first sharp sound, like a signal, the partially unsealed Deliora began to shatter. The noises grew louder, more frequent. Frost-covered flesh, frozen for years, started to break apart, crumbling to the ground under gravity's pull.
Lyon's last hope collapsed. He fell to his knees, tears of anguish streaming down his face.
"Damn it!" Lyon slammed his fist into the ground, his heart torn between regret and frustration.
"I'll seal the darkness in your heart!"
Ur's final words echoed in Gray's mind, stirring deep emotions. Tears welled in his eyes as he whispered, "Ur…"
Only now did he truly understand her words. Only now could he finally let go of the dark nightmare that had haunted him.
"Ur… thank you," Gray murmured, tears flowing freely down his face.
Kira stood to the side, looking… a little awkward.
Wow, experiencing this in person is so different from reading the manga!
Back when they read it, Kira had been moved by this moment. But now? Two grown men crying over a demon? This scene was just weird.
The atmosphere grew tense and heavy.
Guess it's up to me, the mood-lifter, to break the ice!
"Such a shame," Kira said with a dramatic sigh. "If you'd studied more, you wouldn't have wasted ten years on a pointless plan. Ten years! How many decades do you get in life?"
Lyon's head sank lower, his sobs growing louder as he mourned his shattered dream. "I can't surpass her… I'll never surpass Ur…"
Wait, why does this feel even funnier now? Kira thought, barely holding back a laugh.