"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Lyon's angry roar echoed through the cave. He dragged his injured body, using all his strength to stand, his crimson eyes fixed on Ryoma.
Facing Lyon's questioning, Ryoma's expression remained unperturbed.
He simply looked calmly at the ice block, which emitted an ominous aura, and slowly revealed a truth that would overturn everyone's understanding.
"Iced Shell isn't just a pure sealing magic."
Ryoma's voice was soft, yet it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.
"While sealing a target, it continuously strips away the life force of the sealed individual."
"Ten years…"
Ryoma's gaze shifted to Gray, and he said, word for word.
"Ten years of erosion, even Deliora couldn't withstand it."
"What?"
Gray was stunned, his body rigid like a statue as he knelt on the ground. The tear stains on his face had not yet dried, his eyes filled with confusion and disbelief.
Stripping… life force?
Then does that mean…?
Ryoma looked at his shocked expression and nodded slightly, confirming the guess in his heart.
"Yes."
"It was completely killed by Ur during these ten years."
These words exploded in Gray and Lyon's minds simultaneously like a clap of thunder.
"Impossible!"
Lyon let out a heart-wrenching roar, the color drained from his face, leaving only a pallid despair.
"You're lying to me! This is absolutely impossible!"
He spent ten years!
A full ten years!
He endured loneliness and darkness, abandoning everything, just so he could one day personally surpass Ur.
But now, this guy was telling him that the goal he fought for for ten years, the demon he considered his ultimate challenge, had already died without him knowing?
Killed by Ur?
"In that cas… I'll never be able to surpass Ur, will I?"
Lyon's belief completely crumbled at this moment. His eyes lost focus, his body swayed, and he fell back to the ground, still muttering to himself.
"You're lying to me… you must be lying to me… one day… one day the ice will melt, and I will definitely defeat it…"
His voice grew softer and softer, filled with unwillingness and self-deception.
Ryoma sighed softly, no longer paying attention to the man who was on the verge of collapse.
His gaze swept over everyone and finally landed on Gray, who also had a complicated expression.
Then he asked an unimaginable question, "Gray, do you want Ur to come back?"
"…"
In an instant, the entire cave fell silent.
Natsu's mouth hung open, his face showing a "what the hell are you talking about" expression.
Lucy and Happy's eyes were wide, their faces full of disbelief.
Even Erza, who had just been serious and pestering Natsu, now showed an extremely shocked expression.
Come back?
For someone who had already turned into ice… to come back?
How is that possible?
Gray's body trembled violently, his lips quivering, but he couldn't utter a single word.
Ur's last words and her gentle yet resolute smile once again appeared in his mind.
"I will seal the darkness within your heart."
Tears once again streamed uncontrollably from his eyes.
This time, it wasn't because of sadness, but because of a glimmer of hope that even he himself dared not believe.
"You… what do you… mean by that?"
His voice was hoarse and trembling, carrying a cautious anticipation.
Even Lyon, who had been lying beside him, dejected, suddenly lifted his head and looked over in shock.
Ur… come back?
Facing everyone's confused, doubtful, and shocked gazes, Ryoma revealed his plan.
"I have a magic that might be able to reverse this process."
He paused, then added, "However, this magic requires an extremely vast amount of Magic Power. By myself, it might not be enough."
As soon as he finished speaking—
"Add mine!"
"Add mine!"
Two voices rang out almost simultaneously.
One came from Gray. He stood up from the ground without thinking, his eyes burning as he looked at Ryoma, filled with determination.
The other actually came from Lyon. He found strength from somewhere and climbed up again. Although his body was still swaying, the obsession in his eyes was replaced by another, even more fervent emotion.
That's right!
If Ur could come back… he could challenge her again. He could use his own hands to prove that he had surpassed her.
This obsession instantly gave him a new goal.
Watching these two fellow students instantly form a united front, Erza did not immediately express her stance.
She stepped forward, standing in front of Ryoma, her sharp eyes gravely scrutinizing him.
"Ryoma."
Her voice was steady and powerful, with an unquestionable seriousness.
"I need to confirm a few things."
"First, how confident are you that Deliora is dead?"
"Second, will the magic you mentioned have any irreversible effects on yourself?"
"Third, and most importantly. Will this magic, while reversing Ur's state, also allow Deliora to recover?"
Erza's questions were incisive, instantly making the excited Gray calm down.
That's right.
What if Deliora wasn't completely dead?
What if this magic had enormous side effects?
Ryoma understood Erza's concerns.
This was normal. In fact, it was the rationality and caution an S-Class Mage of Fairy Tail should possess.
He met Erza's gaze and made a guarantee with an incredibly firm tone. "I can confirm that Deliora is dead."
"As for the magic itself, while it consumes a vast amount of Magic Power, it will not have any negative effects on my body."
"Furthermore, I can guarantee that my magic will only affect Ur, and will absolutely not involve Deliora."
Erza watched him quietly, seemingly judging the truthfulness of his words.
A few seconds later, she let out a long sigh.
"Alright."
She chose to trust her comrade.
"I agree."
Since they had decided, everyone no longer hesitated.
After a brief rest in place, once everyone's Magic Power had recovered to a similar level, the operation officially began.
Ryoma stood at the very front, facing the massive ice block.
Gray and Lyon stood to his left and right.
Erza, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy stood behind them.
"Are you ready?" Ryoma asked in a low voice.
"Anytime." Gray responded in a deep voice.
"Let's begin." Lyon's voice was filled with anticipation.
"Go, Ryoma!" Natsu excitedly waved his fist.
Ryoma took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
The next second, he opened his eyes, extending both hands forward.
"Give me all your Magic Power!"
Buzz!
In an instant, several powerful torrents of Magic Power surged from behind.
The vast Magic Power converged on Ryoma's body, forming a visible Magic Power storm around him.
Ryoma released all of this energy, which combined everyone's strength, along with his own immense Magic Power.
"Space-Time Magic—"
An obscure and difficult-to-understand magic circle instantly spread outwards from him as its center.
The entire ruin began to tremble violently. Space seemed to transform into a soft curtain, being frantically pulled and twisted by an invisible force.
"Space-Time Corridor!"
Accompanied by Ryoma's low shout, the surrounding world instantly lost all its colors.
Whether it was the hideous Deliora or the mottled ruin walls, everything faded and peeled away in an instant, turning into pure grayscale.
Light and shadow twisted, and all things stood still.