After a day of lively fun and games, the night quietly descended upon Magnolia.
Amid the tension and excitement brewing in the hearts of the members facing the upcoming exam, heavy snow began to fall, blanketing the entire city in a silvery white.
Moonlight reflected off the snow-covered rooftops and streets, making Magnolia appear as bright as day.
Meanwhile, in Ankh's manor, moonlight stealthily seeped into the study, where Ankh was carving a highly complex, strange magic circle.
"Are you sure this is right, Seram?"
Ankh placed the final piece of the Magic Crystal he had polished into the engraved patterns of the magic circle and asked Seram in his mind.
[That is correct, but... are you sure you want to do this? It will drain a massive amount of your Divine Power.]
Ankh gazed at the intricate and cryptic patterns of the magic circle before him, along with the numerous high-purity Magic Crystals arranged atop it, and nodded firmly.
"In critical moments, having an extra ally is always good. Besides, it will finally put Ultear's mind at ease."
With that, a flash of light shimmered in Ankh's hand as he Requipped and an exquisitely crafted crystal vial appeared in his grasp.
Inside this vial was the melted water from the ice that had sealed the colossal demon Deliora on Galuna Island.
In other words, it was the ice water formed after Ur used her own body to cast Iced Shell.
Ankh carefully placed the crystal vial at the exact center of the magic circle.
After confirming the integrity of the Divine Power within his body, he slowly channeled his energy into the magic circle, activating it entirely.
The high-purity Divine Power Magic Crystals that Ankh had previously polished began to function, sustaining the heavy operation of the entire magic circle.
The room suddenly lit up with an ethereal blue glow.
Ankh found himself standing as if amidst a galaxy—the combination of this magic circle and his immense Divine Power had actually created a localized virtual space.
The ice water in the crystal vial began to slowly flow out of its mouth.
It autonomously merged and floated in the air, gradually coalescing into the distinct form of a woman.
Ur.
The flow of ice water was incredibly delicate, tracing every detail of Ur's body.
Gritting his teeth, Ankh poured in more Divine Power, feeling the intense strain within him growing increasingly unbearable.
What Ankh was now mysteriously performing was the highly forbidden ritual to resurrect Ur.
With the battle of Tenrou Island imminent, and in order to swiftly overcome Grimoire Heart, Ankh had accumulated a considerable amount of Divine Power Magic Crystals over this period.
Thus, he decided to attempt the resurrection of this Ten Wizard Saints-level Mage tonight.
However, Ankh had not anticipated that the sheer amount of Divine Power required to resurrect a person would far exceed his original expectations.
Ur's ice water coalesced in the air into a curvaceous human form, her features becoming increasingly distinct.
Within the icy water emitting a chilling aura, dense networks of blood vessels began to form.
The temperature of the ice water began to rise, as solid bones and internal organs started to generate within.
The interior turned a vivid crimson, with flowing blood becoming intensely vibrant.
Finally, pale skin gradually grew over the blood, layer by layer.
Ur's beautiful face grew increasingly radiant and captivating.
Her body, with skin as pale as refined fat, was exposed to the air, appearing entirely unrelated to the concept of "death."
After a long, long time, Ur's complexion turned a healthy rosy hue.
The illusory galaxy around them had vanished unnoticed, and the Magic Crystals had become dull, piled together like worthless, drained stones.
The room fell into silence.
Ur's eyelashes fluttered slightly, then her eyelids slowly opened, revealing dark, bright eyes filled with curiosity and confusion.
Her gaze was dazed, much like an ordinary person just roused from deep slumber.
Yet, moments later, feeling a cold chill all over her body, Ur realized she was standing entirely naked in a strange study.
Instinctively, she immediately covered her private areas, though with some difficulty... Ur alertly scanned her surroundings.
Without much observation, she quickly noticed a handsome young man lying unconscious on the floor before her.
At the most critical moment of Ur's resurrection ritual, Ankh had felt his Divine Power completely overdrawn.
Fortunately, he held on until the ritual successfully concluded before passing out.
Ur grabbed Ankh's wrist and assessed him for a moment, detecting that the Magic Power within him had thinned to a dangerous extreme. Her heart sank with immediate alarm.
For Mages, Magic Power is exactly like blood to the human body.
A Mage whose internal Magic Power is completely depleted faces a massive risk of death.
This is precisely why "Magic Power Deficiency" exists as a lethal ailment unique to Mages.
Ankh's current condition was akin to complete Magic Power depletion.
Not daring to delay, Ur quickly mobilized the Magic Power within her and transferred it directly into Ankh's body.
Though she didn't know what had happened, Ur's own memory remained frozen at the exact moment when she used Iced Shell to perish together with Deliora, smiling as she encouraged Gray to live on.
She should have been dead.
It felt like waking from a long, hazy dream.
Today, she suddenly regained clarity and found this young man lying half-dead before her.
'So I probably didn't die after all?'
'Had this kid saved me?'
Ur channeled her magic power into Ankh's body, growing increasingly astonished the more she transferred.
Just how much magic can this boy contain?!
As the magic flowed in, Ankh's complexion visibly improved.
Only then did Ur stop, letting out a soft sigh while staring at her own hands in bewilderment.
'The quality of my magic power had strengthened—was this also the young man's doing?'
Ur casually conjured a blue ice rose shimmering with thick cold air.
Frowning, she examined it carefully and murmured, "As expected... the chill is terrifyingly cold. And my body feels strange too—noticeably lighter."
Suppressing the urge to jump around the room to test her new body, Ur struggled to lift Ankh and moved him to a nearby sofa.
Then, feeling highly embarrassed about remaining undressed, she stealthily rummaged through Ankh's wardrobe.
Ur deduced that this young man was probably a workaholic—his study contained everything one might need to live in there.
Simultaneously, she suspected he had female family members, since she found several pieces of women's clothing tucked away in his wardrobe.
These were actually leftover garments from when Erza used to live here during her penniless, younger days.
"Fits perfectly. The figure is quite good too," Ur remarked as she slipped into the clothes, unsure whether she was complimenting the owner or herself—or perhaps just instinctively muttering after years of silence.
Once dressed, Ur began curiously scanning the entire room.
Suddenly, her gaze locked onto an object by the window, and she walked straight toward it.
It was a photograph—a group shot taken during the victory celebration in Edolas, featuring twice the number of Fairy Tail members.
Ankh found it meaningful and had purposely displayed it in his study.
Ur stared fixedly at the image: one Gray bundled in thick clothing, and another Gray completely naked.
She instantly recognized her disappointing disciple!
'But wasn't Gray just a little brat?'
'And why were there two of him?!'
Ur felt utterly confused.
Then, her eyes shifted and landed on something even more baffling.
The calendar on the desk clearly showed December 11, X784.
'X784?'
Ur's mind went blank—had she really been asleep for ten whole years?