Just as all the villagers and even Sherry herself believed the mysterious wizard had been crushed under the golem's attack...
The dust began to settle. A cloak flapped in the wind.
Chase stood tall on the shattered ground, one hand raised above his head, calmly holding back the massive stone fist of the rock monster.
He hadn't even used magic.
"H-How is this possible?!"
Sherry's pupils shrank in disbelief as she stared at him.
"He stopped it with one hand… and without even casting a spell… Are you some kind of monster?!"
Chase didn't answer. He simply gave her a relaxed smile then clenched his fist.
CRACK!!
With that single motion, the rock monster's massive, supposedly indestructible fist shattered into rubble and rained to the ground in chunks.
The impact forced the golem and Sherry along with it to stumble backward, struggling to regain balance.
"Compared to the Rock Giant Soldier," the Dark Magician Girl teased playfully, "your summon feels more like a stuffed animal."
"You're joking, right?!" Sherry snapped, regaining her pride. "This is the magic I love!!"
As she shouted, a purple magic circle pulsed into existence in the palm of her hand.
She pointed it directly at the Dark Magician Girl activating her Puppet Magic in an attempt to seize control.
A wave of eerie magical energy rippled out from her hand and surged toward her target.
"So this is what Lucy's spirit felt like when it was controlled…"
The Dark Magician Girl blinked, momentarily distracted by the strange sensation creeping over her body.
"It is a strong spell," she admitted honestly.
Then, without any effort, she raised her wand and gave it a casual flick.
SNAP!
The control magic instantly shattered like glass.
"What… what is this power...?"
For a brief moment, Sherry caught a glimpse of something terrifying magic power on a completely different scale.
She sat frozen atop the rock monster's head, her confident expression wiped away, her face pale with fear.
This level of pressure… she had only ever felt something like it once before in the presence of Lamia Scale's top wizard, Jura of the Iron Rock.
"Listen, little girl," Chase said, stepping forward with calm confidence. "It's true that some types of magic naturally counter others. But that only matters… if they're on the same level."
"W-Who are you calling 'little girl'?! Sherry is not little at all!!"
Humiliated, Sherry puffed out her chest in defiance, emphasizing her, ahem, "womanly pride."
Clearly, she had completely misunderstood Chase's comment…
Chase wasn't in the mood to argue with such a narcissist. With a soft sigh, his gaze sharpened.
BOOM!!
A wave of dark-gold magic energy erupted around him.
The sheer force tore his cloak and shirt to shreds, baring his upper body beneath the glowing surge.
A crushing sense of pressure swept through the entire village like a tsunami of raw power.
In Sherry's eyes, Chase now stood at the very heart of a raging magical storm his presence twisted and terrifying, like some evil spirit risen from the depths of Shura's Hell.
She trembled uncontrollably, her face drained of all color. Her magic faltered.
Boom!!
The rock monster collapsed where it stood, unable to withstand the pressure. Sherry, still on top of it, lost her balance, toppled to the ground, and hit her head fainting on the spot.
"Haha! That's Brother Chase for you!"
Lucy pumped her fist in excitement and beamed with pride.
"The bait plan worked perfectly!"
But Chase didn't stop there.
After dispatching Sherry with one move, he calmly turned and began walking toward the other battlefield where Natsu was still engaged in a fiery clash against Yuka and Toby.
Though Natsu didn't seem to be struggling, Chase knew the real action would soon return to the Moon Temple.
And when things reached their climax… it was never wrong to take the initiative early.
"Hey, Chase! What do you think you're doing?! This is my fight, got it?! Stay out of it!!"
Natsu yelled after sending the dog-headed Toby flying with a fire-enhanced punch. He turned and shouted, clearly sensing the magical storm Chase had just unleashed.
He knew full well Brother Chase had entered the fight.
On the other side, Yuka and Toby were holding their breath, their expressions tense. The atmosphere had changed entirely.
"I see... so I have three enemies now," Chase said flatly as he came to a halt, eyes sweeping over Natsu, Yuka, and Toby.
"Huh?! Wait a sec!"
Natsu blinked, confused. Then he put his hands on his hips and let out a loud laugh.
"Hahaha! Chase, you really need to get your eyes checked. They only have tw AHHH!!"
WHAM!!
Before Natsu could finish his sentence, Chase's fist had already connected launching him high into the air.
"Waaaahhh!!"
Natsu spun wildly midair, trailing smoke and curses behind him as he traced a beautiful arc like a human firework.
The spot where he landed? None other than the ruins of the Moon Temple at the center of the island.
"Natsu," Happy sighed, floating lazily nearby. "Looks like Chase sees you as an enemy too."
In the blink of an eye
BOOM! BOOM!
Two more muffled impacts echoed through the night. Yuka and Toby were both launched straight into the sky vanishing into the darkness like startled birds.
That was it.
The overwhelming force of an S-Class wizard made the entire fight feel like a casual breeze.
"As expected of Brother Chase. One move each and it's over," Lucy said cheerfully, trotting over and giving him a big thumbs-up.
"Right, and since you used me like a weapon," Chase replied, cracking his knuckles, "maybe I should return the favor... by turning you into a shooting star too."
He raised his fist with a wicked grin.
"I'm sorry! I was wrong, Brother Chase!!" Lucy squeaked, panic written all over her face.
Lucy placed her hands flat on her abdomen and bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle at light speed, apologizing with everything she had.
Her survival instincts had kicked into overdrive.
"But looking at it from a mage's perspective, given the situation, using you as bait was the most logical solution."
Chase opened his hand and gently patted her shoulder with a grin.
"Anyway, Lucy consider this mission passed."
"Really?! Awesome!!"
The rookie wizard who had just earned the approval of an S-Class mage couldn't hold back her joy. She jumped up with sparkling eyes.
"Don't celebrate just yet. It's not over."
Chase turned slightly and raised his gaze to the pillar of purple moonlight descending from the sky, pouring down over the ruins of the Moon Temple in the distance.
According to what Leon had let slip earlier, Deliora's frozen seal was set to break tonight.
It was happening a day earlier than the original timeline but that didn't matter. What was important now was making sure Uru could be "resurrected" through the power of Moon Drop.
That was also why Chase had sent Natsu over to the temple.
If he went himself… well, let's just say he knew full well that he might accidentally obliterate the entire temple including the Moon Drop magic circle.
When it came to destruction, Chase was very self-aware...
"That's right! We can't let that demon Deliora come back to life!!"
Lucy's face paled as the weight of the situation returned to her. The satisfaction of defeating the enemy mages and protecting the villagers quickly faded.
The real danger was still looming over the temple.
"Come on, Lucy. Take me there," Chase said.
"Right!" Lucy nodded firmly.
"Wait hold up!"
Just as they were about to head off, Gray approached, limping badly from his injuries.
"I'm going too. No matter what happens… I have to settle things with that bastard Leon!"
Though they had once trained under the same teacher, Uru had become more than a master to Gray she was like a mother. Maybe even more than that.
There was no way he could just sit around and watch Leon erase her existence.
"No way, Gray look at yourself. You're in no condition to fight at all."
Seeing him stagger forward, Lucy's face filled with concern.
"This is about Uru's life! You want me to sit here in the village like a coward and wait for news?!"
Gray shouted, unable to hold back his frustration.
Lucy flinched at his outburst.
Realizing he'd gone too far, Gray lowered his head and muttered quietly, "...Sorry."
He didn't wait for a reply. Gritting his teeth, he turned and walked away, dragging his injured body toward the temple.
"Even if you force your way there with that battered body," Chase called out to Gray, "what can you really change?"
As he spoke, a trap card slipped from his fingertips.
"At the very least, you should recover your ability to fight right?" he added with a smile.
Gray stopped in his tracks.
"That's the Trap Card Stamina Enhancer – Super Z, isn't it?" Happy called out, instantly recognizing the card Chase held between his fingers.
As someone who had trained and fought alongside Chase in the guild, Gray was well aware of the card's effects. Without hesitation, he turned around and marched back toward him.
Seeing the determination in Gray's eyes, Chase didn't say another word. He simply chanted under his breath and activated the card's effect.
Buzz.
A magic circle flared beneath their feet, and from its light emerged a bottle filled with a strange, shimmering liquid.
Gray took the bottle without question, popped it open, and drank it all in one go.
Moments later, a warm glow spread through his body his magic power surged back to full, and the exhaustion vanished as though it had never existed.
"Ugh, that looked gross…"
Lucy's scalp tingled as she instinctively hugged herself.
"Lucy," Chase said, turning toward her with an innocent smile, "if I remember correctly… you burned through quite a bit of magic during your battle too, didn't you?"
"Nope! No, no, no none at all! I'm good! I'm full of energy!"
Lucy panicked and frantically shook her head, rolling up her sleeves in desperation. She flexed her not-so-muscular biceps and held them up like a proud warrior.
"See? Look! I'm bursting with strength!"
"That's good," Chase replied with a serious nod. "There's a cooldown period after using a physical enhancer, after all."
Lucy's smile twitched. Then her face fell completely.
"..."
He totally did that on purpose. He absolutely did.
After the comical moment passed, the group said their farewells to the villagers and set out toward the temple ruins, walking together through the darkened forest path.
On the way, Gray walked at the front, his expression heavy. He slowly explained everything that had happened between Uru, Leon, and Deliora.
He told them the truth that Uru had sacrificed herself by using Iced Shell to freeze Deliora, but that the technique did not actually kill her.
Instead, it left her sealed within the ice, still alive.
Lucy listened intently, finally beginning to understand the full story.
Chase's face grew serious as well.
He already knew the events from memory but hearing them directly from Gray was a different experience altogether.
And it only deepened his resolve to bring Uru back.
The group fell silent for a long while as they continued walking through the moonlit forest.
But just as they reached the final stretch only about two-thirds of the way to the temple they were suddenly ambushed.
A group of figures emerged from the trees, blocking the path.
They wore deep purple Taoist-style robes, their faces covered, and although they didn't radiate much magical power, their intent was clear.
Just like Yuka, Sherry, and Toby, these were Leon's followers people who had once lost their homes to Deliora and joined Zero Emperor Leon in a desperate bid for revenge.
Just as Gray had said he and his senior, Leon, needed to face the end of their long, painful road.
So Chase made a decision.
He chose to stay behind and hold off Leon's followers, allowing Gray to proceed alone to the temple ruins where the magical pressure was now spiking wildly.
He could feel it clearly.
Natsu was already there.
Locked in battle with Leon.
"These guys are so weak!"
After exchanging blows with a few of the attackers, Lucy was surprised and delighted to find that the masked assailants, despite their intimidating presence, were nothing more than ordinary people.
No match at all for real wizards.
"Yeah," Happy sighed, hovering nearby. "Not exciting in the slightest."
"…How does a deadweight cat who's been hiding behind me the whole time have the right to say anything?!"
Lucy snapped back, cracking her whip at an enemy charging toward her.
The strike knocked the attacker's purple robe loose, revealing a face marked with the distinctive tattoos of a northern tribal group.
"Wait you're…"
Lucy suddenly froze in place, whip suspended mid-swing.
Meanwhile…
A deep purple light poured straight down from the night sky, channeling through the altar atop the temple and flowing into the frozen body of Deliora below.
ROOOAAARRR!!
A monstrous, bone-chilling roar echoed from the depths of the ruins.
The entire temple began to shake violently.
Cold, oppressive magic spread like a storm in all directions.
First floor of the temple.
Blades of white Ice-Make Magic and light green Ice-Make Magic clashed furiously.
When the spells collided, they shattered into dazzling fragments crystals flying in all directions like snow.
Fueled by sheer will, Gray had finally arrived and confronted Leon face-to-face.
And though the battle had pushed him to his limit, he had won.
Leon now lay flat on the cold stone floor, panting hard, his lips twisted into a bitter, contorted grin.
"Heh… heh… Do you hear that, Gray?"
His voice trembled, not with fear, but with fanatical satisfaction.
"That's the roar of a very familiar demon."
Deliora.
"No one can stop it from being unsealed now…"
"My dream... my dream of surpassing Uru is about to come true in Deliora!!"
"HAHAHAHA!! Hahahaha!!"
Leon's crazed laughter echoed through the shaking temple, bouncing off the ice-covered walls.
Gray stood above him, face dark and eyes burning with fury.
He stepped forward, seized Leon by the collar, and yanked him upright.
"After all that talk, Leon, you bastard... do you even know what you've done...?"
Exercise, play, eat, take a bath...
Memories of the warm days the three of them had spent together Uru, Leon, and himself flashed through Gray's mind.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he roared, unable to hold it in any longer:
"Lifting the Absolute Freeze means killing Uru!!"
Leon allowed himself to be yanked upright by the collar. His gaze remained cold.
"So what?" he replied icily. "I already understand the mechanics behind Absolute Freeze."
"You're still talking about Uru dying but you're the one who ignored her warnings and charged off to fight Deliora!"
"You're the one who killed her, Gray!!"
His words pierced like knives, cutting straight through Gray's chest.
As if all his strength had drained away, Gray crumpled to the floor, powerless.
He couldn't deny it.
That was the truth. His lifelong guilt. A sin he would carry forever one that could never be undone or washed away.
In a sense, Uru was already dead.
And worst of all… he had never even gotten the chance to say goodbye.
"Watch closely, Gray."
Leon's voice twisted into madness as he stepped forward, eyes gleaming with obsession.
"I'm going to kill Deliora and prove that my strength has completely surpassed Uru's!"
He walked toward the depths of the ruins, toward the descending moonlight and the breaking ice.
"Even now… he doesn't get it."
A calm voice echoed through the trembling temple.
"He's still trapped in his master's shadow. What a pitiful, sad man."
The sudden remark made Leon freeze.
He turned around sharply, and there, under the glow of the purple moonlight filtering through the collapsed temple entrance, stood a tall figure.
Chase.
"You… what did you just say?!"
Leon's voice trembled with fury as his eyes narrowed.
But Chase ignored the anger and continued walking forward. He passed Gray still kneeling in shock and came to stand face-to-face with Leon.
"All this talk of 'surpassing your master' is just a pathetic excuse."
"The truth is... you miss her."
"You're no different from Gray. But unlike him, you haven't accepted anything. You're just running."
"At least Gray is willing to face his mistakes."
Leon's face twisted.
"I miss her?!" he shouted, voice cracking. "Don't make me laugh!!"
"All I've ever wanted… is to defeat Deliora the demon even Uru couldn't stop and prove my strength once and for all!"
"That's all!!"
The temple shook again.
Stone pillars collapsed. Rubble tumbled down in all directions.
And from the heart of the ruins, Deliora's demonic aura surged thick, monstrous, and full of rage.
The seal was nearly broken.
"If that's all you wanted," Chase said casually, "why not just challenge Uru head-on?"
"Why go through all this nonsense?"
Leon froze.
Before he could reply, Chase turned away from him and faced Gray again.
"And Gray… if you regret it that much…"
"Then tell her yourself."
"Say sorry to your master in person."
Gray's eyes widened. "Chase… what the hell are you talking about?!"
He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.
"Uru… she's dead…"
"She's already gone…"
Chase smiled faintly.
"Uru is dead? Sore wa dou kana?" ("That's not certain").
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Chase's lips.
Under the stunned gazes of Gray and Leon, he raised his fist and pointed it straight at the cracked ruins beneath their feet.
BOOM!!
The weakened stone floor, already fractured from earlier battles, finally gave way.
The three of them Chase, Gray, and Leon plummeted into the darkness below.
The air grew colder as they descended.
Deep underground, wrapped in shadow and frost, the towering form of a demon began to reveal itself.
Deliora.
Its enormous body loomed ominously, shrouded in what little remained of the Absolute Freeze.
The ice that once imprisoned it had now melted away entirely, turning into cold streams that flowed downward, soaking into the ground and escaping into the sea around the island.
"Gray?! Chase?!"
A surprised voice rang out.
Natsu looked up, eyes wide, as he saw his teammates fall from the crumbling ceiling above.
Across the battlefield, a masked figure standing atop a rock pillar narrowed her eyes.
Saludī also known as Ultear watched with a frown.
She hadn't expected this turn of events.
Even though the Fire Dragon was from Fairy Tail, she never imagined Chase would be here too.
She had encountered Chase before at a recent Council hearing under the Advocates.
"What luck… if he had arrived here first instead of the Fire Dragon, I wouldn't have stood a chance in my current state…"
But Saludī quickly recovered her composure.
Now that Deliora's seal had been broken, not even an S-Class wizard could reverse the situation.
In fact, she thought, this was perfect.
I'll just use him to test the true strength of the awakened Deliora.
But just as she reached that conclusion, something happened that made her breath catch in her throat.
Chase raised his hand.
A glowing card floated between his fingers.
"Melting ice, dying soul…"
"In my name, guided by these cards…"
"Return to this world, whole once more."
"My turn Form Recovery activate!"
Magic surged through his body.
Brilliant, divine light burst outward and wrapped around him, weaving together a shimmering magic circle filled with ancient runes and sacred geometry.
The cave lit up with a blinding radiance.
A recovery spell?
No something much more than that.
This was resurrection.
But Chase deliberately avoided speaking the true name of the target out loud.
Not because he didn't trust Natsu or the others…
But because the power over life and death was too dangerous to be uttered freely.
If spoken carelessly, it could invite the wrath of Ankhseram, the cursed god who once plagued Zeref.
In fact, before making this decision, Chase had spent a long time consulting the wise and well-read Dark Magician Girl.
Based on the battle experience from their confrontation with Ignia, she had come to an important conclusion:
If the soul of the deceased hadn't fully dissipated, then the god Ankhseram would be unlikely to detect or interfere with the resurrection.
(A nod to the readers: since someone asked before, this patch clarifies that point.)
Buzz!!
The sacred light of the magic circle spread through the underground chamber, illuminating the cave like dawn.
And then
Deep within the glow...
A woman with short, silver hair, now wet and clinging to her face, slowly sat up.
She held her head with one hand.
Her eyes fluttered open.