Chapter 45: I Am Here
"He… he really wants to kill me! And he knows I'm from a Dark Guild. How is this possible?"
Ultear's thoughts raced as a chill ran down her spine—this was the first time she'd felt genuine killing intent directed at her. The murderous aura was so overwhelming it seemed to pierce directly into her soul.
Could the perverted act from earlier have been a disguise? No… he hadn't been pretending. He really was a pervert, but Fairy Tail seemed to be an absolute sacred ground in his heart—a line that must never be crossed.
From the intelligence she'd gathered, numerous Dark Guilds had been hunted down and annihilated by Fairy Tail simply for crossing them.
Dino Maxim had been hesitating whether to strike her down. Ultear was one of the antagonists who'd left the deepest impression on him from the Fairy Tail anime—her story etched clearly in his memory.
He couldn't deny she was beautiful, which partially explained why she'd stuck with him. But more than that, her tragedy resonated—a life of suffering from birth, twisted by a single misunderstanding into what she'd become today.
What haunted him most was her ultimate sacrifice: using forbidden time magic to atone for her sins and save the world, transforming instantly from a young woman into an aged crone.
Such a waste… And ironically, her Arc of Time magic would've been the most compatible with his Tremor-Tremor abilities.
"Leave."
Ultear stared at him in disbelief. "You're… actually letting me go?"
"I've had my fun teasing you. Don't get any ideas about clinging to me and demanding I take responsibility." Dino started walking up the crumbling stone steps. Time was running short—he hadn't eaten since morning and his stomach was growling. "If you ever truly want to abandon the darkness and walk in the light, come find me at Fairy Tail when you have nowhere else to turn."
"Abandon the darkness?!" Ultear shouted after him, frustration and confusion warring in her voice. "What could you possibly know about me?!"
"More than you think." He paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "Are things you see with your own eyes always the truth? Why not ask someone who actually knows what happened back then? You might get a very different answer."
Getting free from Grimoire Heart won't be easy, Dino mused as he climbed. That flying airship is practically impossible to track down. And while I'm not particularly worried about Grimoire Heart itself, not everyone in Fairy Tail is as strong as me.
Still, he'd planted a seed of doubt in Ultear's heart. Perhaps one day it would bloom into something better.
Dino soon reached the third floor of the ruins, arriving just as Natsu finished his own battle. They continued upward together.
"Natsu! Dino!"
Lucy's voice rang out from above. Happy came flying down carrying her in his paws.
Lucy had some minor injuries but nothing serious. She explained that she'd fought one-on-one against that mentally unstable girl and won.
Not far away, Leon and Gray were still locked in fierce combat. Being fellow disciples with nearly identical Ice-Make magic, neither could gain a decisive advantage—it had become a battle of pure attrition.
"Gray!" Natsu shouted. "Why haven't you beaten that guy yet?! Don't tell me you're going easy on him because he's your senior apprentice-brother! If you can't handle it, step aside and let me finish him!"
Leon's face darkened as he saw Dino and the others arrive—his subordinates had clearly been defeated. "Damn it! Even if I'm the only one left, I'll defeat all of you!"
"Leon, your worldview is way too narrow," Gray shot back. "You can't even beat me, let alone everyone else. There are mages in this world far stronger than Uru-sensei ever was."
"Shut up! It's just you, Gray! Ice-Make: White Tiger!"
A magic circle blazed to life on the ground as a massive ice tiger materialized and lunged at Gray with a thunderous roar.
"Ice-Make: Ice Geyser!" Gray slammed his hands down, creating a massive pillar of ice that erupted and blocked the tiger's path.
"Tch!" Leon pushed harder, but his ice construct couldn't break through.
"Didn't Uru-sensei tell us that one-handed molding is inherently unstable?" Gray pressed forward, both hands positioned properly. "At critical moments, it can't achieve full power!"
"Ice-Make: Ice Cannon!"
BOOM!
"Guaaaaahhh!"
The massive ice projectile slammed into Leon head-on, sending him crashing to his knees. His eyes went vacant with shock. "No… impossible! I couldn't have lost to you!"
"Because I have guildmates—friends who push me to be better." Gray turned away, walking toward Dino with a small smile. They high-fived as he passed. "Leon… you should find a guild to join someday. You'll understand then."
The group descended into the underground chamber. Along the way, Gray explained Leon's obsessive desire to resurrect Deliora to surpass Uru. When they arrived, Ultear had already vanished—only the massive form of Deliora remained, sealed in purple-tinged ice.
Dino looked at Gray seriously. "You've decided? You want me to destroy it without even trying to melt it first?"
Gray hesitated only a moment before nodding firmly. "Destroy it. If we leave it intact, Leon will just keep attempting this insane resurrection ritual. If it's completely annihilated, he'll have no choice but to give up."
Lucy blinked in surprise. "Dino, can you really destroy something that powerful?"
"Should be simple enough. Everyone, stand back." With his Tremor-Tremor Fruit developed to near-awakening, solid objects like this were especially vulnerable to vibrational destruction.
Just as Dino raised his fist, a beam of purple moonlight suddenly pierced down from above, bathing Deliora's frozen body in eerie radiance. The ancient ice began to crack and melt before their eyes.
"What?! How is this happening?!" Gray's face went pale. "We already took down all the enemies! Why is the Moon Drip still active?!"
"It must be those guys Dino knocked out at the very beginning!" Lucy realized. "They must've woken up and restarted the ritual!"
"I'll go crush them right now!" Natsu's fists ignited with flames as he turned to run.
"Hahahaha! It's useless!"
Everyone spun around to see Leon staggering toward them, clutching his injuries but grinning maniacally.
"Years of accumulated Moon Drip can't be stopped now that the melting has begun! My chance to surpass Uru-sensei is finally here! Deliora—let me be the one to defeat you!"
Dino placed a calm hand on Gray's shoulder as his friend tensed up.
"Relax, Gray."
A confident smirk crossed his face.
"I'm here."