Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Invel wasn't certain how he was supposed to react to his emperor's latest whim. "Invel, I need you to come to Fiore at once. I've discovered something that I need your expertise on in order to properly investigate."

The glowing lacrima in his office was the only thing emanating sound. "What exactly is so urgent about it? You do know I have responsibilities here, your majesty." Especially right now, with his emperor's prior whim to review and rework all trading arrangements with Fiore. He wasn't pleased with them previously and had expressed concerns about the nation's budget - Invel was supposed to find a way to fund a five percent increase in the military budget solely through trade agreement revisions with one nation in a matter of months without starting an international conflict.

"Everything! This could be the answer I've been looking for, Invel." There was an eagerness to his majesty's voice that wasn't common these days. "Years of research had me giving up hope, but now I've stumbled across something amazing. And it needs attention now before the rune knights return."

"Please tell me you have not gone and picked a fight with Era, your majesty."

"Not a fight, exactly." His majesty paused. "More accurately, I've temporarily relocated them away from what I wish to investigate."

Invel pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting the urge to demand more details and just shout at the man to think about his actions. "Sir…do you not remember what you requested of me three weeks ago?"

"Hmm?" His majesty was not quick to respond. Then, he blinked and widened his eyes. "Ah, right. The budget adjustments. August can handle those."

"You told him to oversee the planning of the new weaponry designs the budget adjustments will fund." Invel folded his arms over his chest. "And you sent Irene to handle the unrest rising in the west due to the food shortages caused by an unnaturally long draught. Brandish can't be expected to help, given her…inclination to take excessive amounts of vacation time and Dimaria is only concerned about political measures if she can ignore social etiquette and forsake international relations."

His majesty grimaced, looking away from the lacrima. "Invel, please. Isn't there some way you could take a break?"

"I have a meeting scheduled with an ambassador in three hours, your majesty. Do you want me to tell them to return home after taking such a long trip? It will not look good if Alvarez does not maintain its commitments." Plus, he'd be the one dealing with the fallout if Irene and August were still busy.

"Then…at the very least, are you able to send me some notes on the more complex principles behind ice magic? I've encountered a most peculiar spell and I need an expert in this field to start unraveling exactly what it is that has happened."

"You are wasting your time investigating a spell?" Invel sighed, shaking his head. "With all due respect, we have more important things to look into! There is only so much I can handle and I do not want to get involved in one of your personal projects."

"Invel, this spell killed an immortal demon."

That made the winter mage pause, tilting his head. "Interesting." It was true that ice magic was powerful, but he hadn't quite heard of it overcoming immortality in the past. "I suppose I can see why you're so interested in such a thing." Letting out a sigh, Invel shook his head. "Give me the rest of the day to put together some notes, your majesty. Unfortunately, I am not too keen on abandoning my other tasks to prioritize this one, regardless of your interest in the matter."

"I know."

There was a quiet agreement between the two of them as Invel met his majesty's gaze. Then, the lacrima flickered off as contact was broken. Still, the concept remained. His majesty had found a spell capable of surpassing immortality, potentially even his own curse. Of course he would obsess over understanding the mechanics on how it would work. However, it did not change the fact that Alvarez needed their leader to remain. Invel would provide notes as ordered, but he was not going out of his way to help the man rush towards his death.


Lyon knew the moment Ur died that his dreams had become much harder to achieve. As much as he knew he should be grieving, Lyon just couldn't cope like that. He needed to be active, with a goal to continue striving towards. Surpassing her was certainly still possible, but what grounds did he have to test if he had done so or not? As a child, he'd been rather uncreative on such tests. He'd sparred with other wizards, traveled around the world, seeking out monstrosities similar to Deliora to prove his worth. Yet, it seemed as if demons were a rare thing to find, despite their destructive nature.

Instead, Lyon had found followers. People who had suffered under Deliora heard of his goal to find other more powerful demons and thought it would be best to prevent such tragedies from happening again. They'd worked together, getting stronger together the more they worked. Some might call them a cult, or perhaps even a dark guild. Lyon didn't care; he needed their strength to advance his latest idea, the one that would finally test his worth. Since he couldn't find demons comparable to Deliora, he would face Deliora personally and kill the one monster Ur was only able to trap.

This was what was bringing him back to that perpetually frozen block of ice for the first time in five years. He'd left his followers with some work while he was seeking out Deliora, to observe if he truly still remained frozen. They were off searching for a place to convene and make their plans, where others would not disturb them. After all, it wasn't like most people would understand his reasoning for freeing a demon. Wizards would band together to stop him and that'd be tedious to have to handle when he needed to focus on growing his strength for the moment Deliora was free.

Making matters worse, there were also the rumors to deal with. Supposedly, Era had found the demon not long after his master's intervention. The entire region was guarded while the wizard council devised a sealing spell and a concealing spell to ensure no one could even approach the creature with the thought of freeing it. Given the damage it had caused in the past, Lyon supposed he could understand, but it still meant the area would be heavily guarded. Sneaking in by himself would be far simpler without the distractions of his larger group.

As he began to see the block of ice in the distance, Lyon slowed his pace. He was going to need to exercise caution here. Carefully, he expanded his senses to at least get an initial sense of how many wizards he'd be facing should he approach head-on. Yet, oddly, there was only one magical aura coming from the direction of Deliora. There was only a single guard near the demon and if Lyon's senses were accurate, it was a weak one as well. Had he truly overthought everything? Was the council really this foolish? Lyon found himself smiling, chuckling to himself as he resumed his walk with confidence.

When he arrived at the base of Deliora, Lyon didn't even see the singular guard at first. The person must be unobservant along with being a fool, he decided. If this was what the council thought security was like, Lyon's plans would be able to go forward without any issues at all. He'd been worried about some silly rumors for nothing, it seemed. Then again, it was still surprising to see the block of ice still standing, completely unchanged from what he recalled seeing years ago.

"So, not only must you be moved, but also completely thawed." He reached forward, resting his hand against the ice. He looked up, gazing at the monstrous face that had terrified Gray so long ago. Truly, by simply standing here, he'd proven he was at least stronger than his peer. He didn't cower in terror from this beast and if he hadn't been stopped, he would have been the one to freeze Deliora like this, not Ur. "Yet, the books I read told stories of this spell creating ice that would not melt. It seems as if you've set forth another challenge to prove my worth, Ur, another chance to show that I can do what you cannot, not only in defeating this demon but in—" He broke off, seeing motion off to the side of Deliora. A man stood there, frowning over at him with his head tilted and a book in his hand. This must have been the source of the magical aura from earlier. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Oh, simply someone curious about a strange situation." The man glanced towards Deliora again, his black robes shifting as he turned. He looked like he was a few years older than Lyon, with dark black hair and a darkness in his expression that almost made Lyon question if this was Gray somehow. Yet the voice was too different for it to be the same child he remembered. Plus, there was no way Gray had grown so much in a mere five years when Lyon hadn't. "You speak as if you know the spell that caused this."

So, he was not from this area at least. Lyon frowned, turning back towards the demon. "Of course I know the spell; I have grown my strength and have since surpassed the wizard who originally cast it."

"Is that so?" The man glanced over at Lyon, a faint smile on his face. "Then why are you here? If you've accomplished such great feats, surely facing a simple demon such as this is beneath you."

Narrowing his eyes, Lyon glared at him. "I have no need to explain my reasons, nor my plans, to you. You'll just get in my way."

"I could easily transport the demon to whatever location you desire." The man turned completely away from the demon now, his smile remaining. Yet he didn't look happy. It was more like he found some odd form of entertainment in the current situation. "However, I do not offer my services for free. I want information…and potentially magic in return."

Was this another wizard who'd suffered? Lyon frowned. The man claimed to have magic, yet now that Lyon was closer, it was clear that the man barely had enough power to compare to even the simplest of magical objects. "Do not make false claims to me. I will handle Deliora myself and do not need further help from the likes of weak wizards like you."

"Weak?" The man blinked, his smile gone. Then, he chuckled, shaking his head. "Ah, I see. You sensed the book and mistook its aura for my own. No, I assure you, I am far more skilled than you think. It has simply become habit to suppress my magical aura, or well…my magic in general, I suppose."

The book in his hand was magic? Lyon glanced at it, still uncertain. "Regardless, I still do not need assistance and will not risk others interfering."

"I see." The man glanced over at Deliora, frowning. "Then I suppose I will simply have to wait until tomorrow to find my answers. Though…hmm, there may be something else here. Perhaps I could…" He began rambling to himself, seeming to forget Lyon was even here as he began theorizing what he would do next. Was he really so careless as to reveal his plans so openly? Lyon was glad to have refused him; such a wizard would be incapable of keeping anything hidden.

A magic circle appeared in front of the man before Lyon could react. The ice in front of him glowed for a moment, as the man kept his eyes closed. "Interesting. This is not what I expected." He glanced over at Lyon, tilting his head. "I understand you do not wish to assist me, but I wonder…did the one who caused this study black magic of any form? It isn't quite the same but, strangely, it would make the most logical sense, given what I can feel."

"My master was an ice-make wizard and she passed that knowledge down to myself and Gray!" How dare this man insult his former master like that? She was the strongest wizard alive and Lyon was going to surpass her. "She'd never practice something as dark as black magic." It was forbidden and even Lyon had his limits. True, he was attempting to free his demon, but it was with every intention to kill it, not just let it run rampant.

"Hmm. Then perhaps the creator of the spell had done so…" He trailed off, running a hand through his hair. "What was the cost of the spell then? Or did they forget to interweave one inside, allowing for a curse instead?" He inhaled slowly, while Lyon just question what this man was trying to do. "No…perhaps the spell is the cost. It has elements that feel like transformation magic too…"

"Are you going to leave me to contemplate my plans in peace, or do I have to make you leave?"

"Oh, I will leave once I understand the spell that has encased Deliora like this." The man glanced back towards Lyon. "Which I suppose brings us back to my initial offer. Will you grant me information in return for a transportation spell for Deliora, or will you leave me to contemplate and unravel this spell on my own?"

"And if I choose neither?"

The wizard smiled, stepping back and nodding. "Well, I suppose I will make sure you don't get in my way. And I assure you…I would not start such a fight unless you truly are confident in the assessment of your own strength." He glanced over at Deliora again, that smile remaining. "I'm not even certain if this spell would be able to accomplish for me what it does for him…but if there's the slightest chance for success, I wish to see such a result."

He was claiming to be immune to iced shell? That just seemed absurd. Clearly, he lacked the ability to understand how powerful the spell truly was. Yet, did Lyon have time to waste in a fight? He frowned, glancing over at the demon. The teleportation, that would be the easier task to accomplish, really. No, if he wished for assistance, he'd need help unraveling the spell. "I will tell you what you know in return for your complete assistance in my plans. As I stated before, I cannot risk anyone getting in my way and the best way to ensure you do not interfere after what you learn is to ensure you are aiding me instead."

The man frowned, glancing at the creature. "I see." He paused, tilting his head. "I suppose I do have quite a bit of knowledge on…unraveling unusual spells. I'm certain one of those methods would have some affect on this one, though I cannot be confident in such an assumption."

"Is that an agreement to my terms?"

The man paused, before slowly nodding. "It is. It isn't as if I have anything else to do currently and perhaps this will keep me occupied for a change."

"Then in that case, my name is Lyon. I have every intention of freeing this demon and killing it myself, to prove that I am capable of what Ur was not."

He held out his hand to shake the other wizard's, expecting an introduction. Yet, the man just stared at it, shaking his head. "Oh, I don't shake hands. I'm quite fond of maintaining what I consider a healthy distance from everyone." Lyon dropped his hand in response. This was yet another sign of the man's weakness, revealing he was afraid of a few germs of all things. "Call me whatever you wish; names are not that important to me and I seem to gather a collection of various titles as I travel around."

In other words, he was still keeping secrets to himself. Narrowing his eyes, Lyon crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you not trust me?"

"No, I do not. I don't care to inform you of my identity either." The man tilted his head. "And can you blame me, when you seem to hold the same distrust of myself?"

It was valid, he supposed. Lyon sighed, glancing back at the demon. So, he would give the man a name of some form. In appearance, there was still something about him that made Lyon think of Gray, but he had a far more mysterious air about him and his expressions were even darker than the child he remembered training with. Darker than gray…well, Lyon didn't have time to truly be creative, he supposed. "Black, then. Since you seem so interested in black magic and dress in that color…"

The man only nodded, watching him. "And my explanation? You agreed to inform me of the magic surrounding this demon."

"A spell known as iced shell." Black frowned, but said nothing. "The spell encases the target in a form of ice that can never be melted or broken. At least, that is the intention of the spell."

The man shook his head. "No…it isn't that simple." He frowned. "Is the one who cast it able to speak with me on the matter instead?"

"You doubt me?" Lyon glared at him, closing his hands into fists. "As I stated before, I've surpassed her. You don't need her. And even if you did, well, you'd be hoping for nothing, as she's long dead." He nodded towards the creature. "She died, fighting this thing, but not before she managed to cast iced shell."

"And you observed this battle?"

"Most of it. She prevented me from interfering, when things looked grim." He paused. "I was a child, though, so clearly it was expected that I was still weaker than my master."

"She died casting the spell then." He started shaking his head though, before Lyon could object. "No…wait. The transformation elements…she became the ice? I see. So that's why it feels like it is alive, yet also not. Intention likely influences things after the spell is initially cast…as the user's will still remains. That is why it…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

Lyon glanced at the frozen entity, entertaining the possibility of Black's claim for a moment. "Are…are you claiming Ur is still alive?"

"In a way, yes." Black shrugged. "Though, I doubt I could reverse the spell without more time than you wish to waste. If it doesn't matter to you, I think I'll simply attempt to melt her…if her will remains as ice, it will remain as water too, and will be far quicker than devising a proper counter spell."

"I've believed her to be dead for years now. For all intents and purposes, she still is." Lyon glanced over at him. "Whatever is necessary, I will do it."

"Very well." The man smiled, shaking his head. "Then I think that also decides where to bring Deliora as well. There is a particular village that considers the magic I have in mind to be sacred."

"What spell do you think can unravel this?"

"The Eternal Flame." Black tilted his head. "Our goal is melting the ice with an existing creation rather than forming a counter-spell. Unlike most fire magic, the origin of that flame is not from a wizard and therefore it can often unravel ice magic that is otherwise unable to be melted such as this."

"Well, considering I had yet to devise such a plan, I think this will work just fine." Lyon nodded, and Black moved closer. "I will gather the others working with me on this, and we will begin immediately. Prepare Deliora as needed for the spell to be used."

"You may want to hurry." Black gave Lyon a dark smile. "The rune knights won't be away forever, after all." Lyon decided that it would likely be best to not ask for details on that story. For now, they were working together so he'd simply have to accept that there were some things Lyon couldn't change. He might not trust this man, but the way he spoke seemed to show intelligence on magic at least. Lyon would keep a close eye on him and if it became necessary, he would stop Black from interfering with his goal of proving his strength to the world.

Alright, I might be getting a bit ambitious to start posting this now, but I am very excited for this story. I actually started this draft well over a year ago, stopped due to college getting hectic, moving, and getting a new job. I've focused on trying to write some original stories for a bit afterwords and have now returned to this draft that I know is going to take a lot of time to revise. I do have a full draft of the story at least, but updates will be a little slower than usual as I want to clean up a bit of the draft before fully diving into posting everything. I just figured I've not posted a Fairy Tail fic in over a year now and am eager to return. This story will be a long one, likely my longest yet as a warning. I do hope you enjoy it! Feel free to review and give me your thoughts on the introduction here.