The fallen Ultear executed a backward somersault and landed steadily. Wiping her stinging left cheek, she chuckled, "You have no regard for women, you know. You'll never find a girlfriend like that."
"Sorry, but I'm the one girls chase."
Gray stepped forward again and threw a punch.
Ultear neither dodged nor retreated. As Gray's fist approached, she suddenly locked his right arm with both hands, shifted her center of gravity upward, clamped her knees around the unsuspecting Gray, and then forcefully threw him backward.
Bang!
Gray was slammed directly onto a large, angular rock behind him. Lying amidst the shattered stones, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the turmoil in his heart.
"Your physical combat skills..."
"Impressive, right?"
Ultear put one hand on her hip, a smug smile playing on her lips. "Of course I know the weakness of my magic, so I recently took some time to practice physical combat skills."
Earlier, Gray had used tactics to exploit Ultear's information gap, but now the boomerang had unexpectedly swung back and hit him instead.
Gray wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "I should have asked Hope to give me some pointers on physical combat. Fighting that flame idiot every day has dulled my reaction speed."
Hearing a name that irritated her, the smile on Ultear's lips froze. The reason she had been training so hard in physical combat recently was precisely because of that hateful Hope.
That move, the 'Embrace of the Maiden Killer,' had nearly snapped her waist back then. Even thinking about it now, her body felt like it was still faintly aching.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.
Ultear's thoughts returned to the battle. She looked at Gray provocatively. "If using ice doesn't work, you switch to close combat, but your physical skills can't defeat me either. What will you do now, my little junior brother?"
"Uru was always thinking of you."
"So what?"
"That longing of hers can no longer be conveyed to you."
Gray tore off his tattered shirt, which had been ripped by magic, and his expression turned serious. "That's why I will use 'Ice-Make,' the magic Uru taught me, to defeat you! I will save you from this wrong path in life!"
"Heh~"
Ultear sneered. "Ice fundamentally cannot defeat me, and Shaping magic is useless in front of me. You aren't seriously planning to use illusions to sneak attack me, are you?"
"I believe in Uru's magic, so this time, I will defeat you honorably."
Under Ultear's astonished gaze, Gray condensed two Ice Blades in his hands and forcefully slashed himself with them.
Blood splattered.
"Ultear..."
"The shadow in your heart, the darkness within you..."
"I will be the one to seal it away!"
Gray suddenly charged forward. The ice covering his arms mixed with his blood, finally coalescing into a blood-red Ice-Make Longsword.
"I told you, Shaping magic has no effect on me!"
Ultear waved her hand and unleashed the 'Arc of Time,' yet this time, the nemesis of Shaping magic failed to dissolve the ice sword that was merged with Gray's arm.
The ice sword struck her mercilessly.
Ultear, who had been sent flying, had eyes full of horror. She couldn't control time anymore! What was going on?!
Watching the red cold light attack again, she finally understood.
The 'Arc of Time' cannot affect the time of living creatures. Gray had exploited this fact by freezing his own blood into the magic, thereby nullifying her ability.
To go to such lengths, even resorting to self-harm—what intense devotion this was.
But... she also had a reason why she absolutely could not stop here!
Ultear struck her right fist against her left palm. She absolutely could not lose before the arrival of the Grand Magic World!
"That stance is..."
Gray looked at Ultear's incredibly familiar 'Ice-Make' starting posture. Could it be that besides Time magic, she also knew... "Ice-Make: Rose Crown!"
A thicket of thorny Ice Roses shot up from the ground, sending the astonished Gray flying.
Having fallen a distance away, he didn't immediately get up, his eyes filled with nostalgia. "Plant-type Shaping... I truly didn't expect to see Uru's magic again someday."
"That's right, after all, the same blood flows through your veins..."
"Shut up!" Stung by the remark, Ultear struck viciously, unleashing an Ice Cascade intended to bury Gray right there.
Unexpectedly, a powerful surge of magical energy suddenly erupted from Gray's body, shattering the invading Ice magic instantly.
"Is this... the second magic source?!"
"That old man from the Magic Academy actually succeeded in his research?!" Ultear's eyes widened, and she instantly realized that Gray hadn't been using his full power in the previous fight.
"Uru taught me more than just Shaping magic."
Gray stood up, his breathing slightly ragged from the sudden attack. "She also taught me that true strength isn't about using any means necessary, but the will to fight in order to protect."
"You say Uru abandoned you, but did you know that after your 'death,' she never stopped blaming herself and missing you? Lyon told me he often saw Uru secretly crying alone late at night, clutching a little girl's dress."
"Stop talking..." Ultear's body swayed slightly.
The fragments of Memory she had deliberately frozen began to loosen with Gray's words: her mother's gentle hand, the lullaby sung to help her sleep, and those tearful yet bravely resolute eyes at their parting at the Research Institute... "Failing to see through Brain's lies and letting you endure undeserved pain, Uru's spirit must be heartbroken and sorrowful."
Gray's voice softened. "But she definitely wouldn't want to see her daughter continue to fall into darkness..."
"Stop it! I told you to stop!"
Ultear screamed, "You don't understand anything! As long as I activate the Grand Magic World, I can see my mother again!"
"So now you're going to repeat the actions of those who hurt you?! Can that so-called Grand Magic World really bring Uru back to life?!"
Ultear trembled all over.
Gray's question was like an Ice Pick, shattering the high wall she had built with her obsession.
Activating the Grand Magic World... filling the regrets of her life... Did this noble goal hide dark, unknown secrets?
Was she merely a pawn deceived by someone else, just as she had used Jellal?
The answer, in fact, had been there all along.
"I..."
She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a complete sound.
The magical aura gradually dimmed.
Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. In the end, Ultear could no longer deceive her own heart.
------------------------
There are already 70+ chapters available on my Patreon!
The story will continue to update 1 chapter per day on Webnovel,
while early access chapters are posted on Patreon.
Maybe it's not worth it today but it could be later
[email protected]/Kazenova223
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"