After she found where the villagers were staying, she allowed them to take Gray off her hands in order to tend to his wounds. Karissa took that opportunity to put a protective barrier of wind around the area to protect the villagers. If anyone tried breaking through then she would know.
When one of the villagers noticed that she kept peeking inside different tents to try and find Gray, they went to bring her to the tent where he was staying in. Her timidity had kicked in and she was too shy to ask around when they were busy setting up things. She found a woman inside putting away some things in a box.
When the villager heard her, she jumped and whirled around. Karissa stared at her silently before talking. "I… I just wanted to check on him…"
"Oh no, it's fine! I just finished tending to his wounds. All he needs is rest." The woman smiled at her. She picked up a small bag from a box and excused herself after the female ice wizard thanked her quietly.
She sat down on the ground against a wooden box and just stared at Gray. His dark shirt was folded nicely on the side. He had bandages wrapped around his torso and shoulder along with a small bandage on his forehead.
I wonder when he'll wake up though.
Her hand scrubbed the back of her head.
Lucy's off fighting Sherry while Natsu is busy with Toby and Yuka. We'll have to wait for everyone to regroup so we can figure out what to do next.
Karissa sighed heavily as she tipped her head back against the box. The protection of the villagers was a major priority alongside stopping Deliora's resurrection. Her eyes narrowed a little. Right. She also forgot to tell Natsu and the others about Lyon's intention. She should have told Natsu before she left. That was a mistake.
"Ngh…"
Karissa blinked and straightened her head to look at Gray. He was knitting his brows in his sleep. Quietly, she shuffled closer so that she was sitting criss cross near his head.
It didn't look like he was ready to wake up.
Yeah, it'll probably take a while…
Karissa refused to sleep even after seeing a sign of the new dawn. She could see the skies getting a tad bit brighter through a small gap in the tent.
Her goal right now was to wait with the village people and keep an eye out for any danger. The wind around the area had been acting as her third eye for a while now but she didn't detect anything unusual. If Lyon's subordinates were as loyal as the other three, then they must have realized that they failed to eradicate to village along with its people in one shot. Surely, they would rectify this problem once they noticed their lack of results.
Karissa stared blankly at Gray while she kept thinking.
Maybe he doesn't have anymore subordinates that are as strong as the three.
Slowly, she reached for the spare bandages at Gray's side.
And I don't hear any of Natsu's destruction right now… that must mean his battle is over or that he's having a problem.
She shifted on her knees.
If no one's showing up now then that has to be because there isn't anyone else.
The roll of bandages was tucked away into her pocket.
Yeah, instead of just sitting around and doing nothing she should be doing something else.
You take out the chain of command and everything falls apart.
That's Lyon.
"Hopefully by then, everything will just be a nightmare for you."
Her words were carried away by the breeze after she exited the tent.
…
…
…
After vanishing from the village, she made her way back to the temple and searched for Lyon. Surprisingly, the halls of the temple were empty, there were no guards. If anything, that just showed how arrogant Lyon was. He was confident enough in his own abilities that he had no need for such high security. Or perhaps the guards were out guarding around the temple and she just happened to slip past them? Oh well, it didn't really matter.
After she remembered her rattle state the previous night, she made sure to keep her cool and remind herself to not act too rashly.
Eventually, she found herself walking down a hall after hearing some voices echo. It sounded like there were two, one definitely belonged to Lyon. Her brain had already registered the sound of his voice, overwriting his previous pubescent voice with his new deeper one.
She didn't hide her presence.
They must have noticed it since their talking had ceased completely. The only thing resonating in the eerily quiet temple was the sound of her footsteps.
Finally, Karissa appeared before Lyon and casually waltzed into the throne room while staring at the people inside. A guy in a mask, and Lyon. Her old friend was not wearing his helmet this time.
The guy in the mask laughed as he watched her. "To think you had the courage to walk right into enemy territory."
"Nothing really screams enemy territory when the temple is literally a ghost town." Karissa replied without missing a beat. Then she glared at the strange person in the room. "Now, get out before I fucking freeze this entire room and you with it. I have no business with some masked midget."
Her voice betrayed her cool expression since she sounded irritated.
"Oh?" The guy in the mask turned to her. "How confident."
"Zalty." Lyon interjected as he pushed himself up to his feet. "Leave. I'll be dealing with her."
Zalty paused and stared at Lyon as he walked towards Karissa. Then he waved his hand dismissively. "Ah. Of course, right. As you wish then." He bowed his head briefly.
Karissa watched as the smaller person looked at her and he grinned at her mysteriously while running off somewhere. The sound of his footsteps was receding. To make sure he wouldn't step foot into the throne room again so easily, Karissa froze the only entrance with her ice magic and then looked at Lyon.
He watched her with a hardened state.
She held her hands up, "I'm not attacking you." was all she said
The distance between them was comfortable enough for her to be ready for any incoming attacks that he might suddenly throw at her.
"You know, I've heard things about you when I came to this kingdom." Lyon broke the still silence. "You and your siblings are children of two famous wizards who are no longer of this world. That's quite the reputation. It must explain why you have such an abnormal amount of magic power."
"Lyon, this is not about me." Karissa reminded him. "I'm here to talk about you're plan. Why are you being so selfish?"
"Excuse me?" Lyon narrowed his eyes, offended.
She wanted to try and shove all the facts and realities into his face and try to break his resolve if she could. Persuasion was never something she practiced since people could be quite hard headed. But this person was different. She wanted to try at least.
She walked to the side and kept watching him while he walked the other way warily. "Just listen to me before you get angry. Use your damn head." She poked her temple harshly. "You're like Gray when he was eight. He was obsessed with Deliora for the sake of revenge, he lost sight of what he currently had and that resulted in him losing Ur." She summarized before pointing at Lyon briefly. "Now. You're obsessed with Deliora for the sake of your dream? You're blind to what destruction you're about to cause in this kingdom!"
"Unlike Gray, I don't plan on foolishly charging at a demon with lack of skill and experience like a fool." He clarified firmly. "I have knowledge, experience and skill. I'm more than capable of taking on a demon that Ur couldn't! So, don't you dare compare me to that guy. I'm the only mage capable of taking down Deliora."
Karissa held her tongue before she could spout something rude that had no thought behind it. "Fine, but are you ready to cause a tragedy for the sake of your dream if you die."
"I won't fail—"
"You don't know that!" Karissa cut him off and stopped walking. "You've seen what's it done haven't you?! Don't tell me you had your eyes closed when you and Ur looked for Gray in Brago. Just across the water is an innocent town with people living happily with their families. If you fail to kill this demon, you're going to put those people through hell! Have you ever thought of that?!"
Lyon inhaled and looked at her with disinterest. "They have nothing to fear. No tragedy will come to the people of Hargeon because I will kill Deliora once it revives." He told her without a hint of doubt in his voice.
"Lyon!" Karissa shouted and walked towards him. He raised his hand as a warning but she never stopped walking. She grabbed the sides of his cape and looked up at him. His eyebrows rose slightly at her sudden approach. He wasn't expecting it. But he didn't push her away.
"You're not listening! What you just said just proves you never gave it any thought! I would have been more satisfied with an answer that gave away that you had at least some form of backup plan that would keep people out of harm's way! You're too confident about this!" she gripped his cape tighter. "You have to remember that the world doesn't just revolve around you!"
"I wouldn't be standing here confidently if I doubted myself." He looked at her apathetically before lifting his hands. "If you doubt yourself, you won't be confident in your abilities. Ur taught us that, remember?" he held her wrists and did not hurt her.
Karissa's eyes widened. He truly believed in his strength to defeat Deliora. But didn't he know that it was immortal?
As long as she didn't do the first move, Lyon would not harm her. She posed no threat so far since she chose to speak to him instead of using violence. Naïve but not unexpected. If she wanted to talk then he could entertain her.
Inwardly, he could admit to himself that Gray's treatment was not reserved for Karissa. The other student got what he deserved since Lyon didn't take his chance to do it before. It was pent up frustration that lasted for ten years.
Lyon could understand where Karissa was coming from though. She personally witnessed Deliora's destruction and miraculously ended up being a survivor. He remembered the day he helped her out of the rubble. She looked like a mess after surviving hell. However, she wasn't the only person on this island who was well acquainted with Deliora's destruction rampage.
"I get it, you're afraid." Lyon spoke. "I don't blame you. It's only natural for you to fear Deliora after what it did to your hometown. I have followers who fear the demon as well, and they want it dead. They follow my dream since I will be doing them a favor."
"What…?"
When he felt the strength in her hands loosen, he gently pried her hands off him and stared at her coolly. "So, you have nothing to fear, I will, without fail, defeat Deliora once the ice melts." He reassured her. "And my dream will finally be a reality." He smiled a little.
He was really so close to his dream. The excitement was growing with every hour.
"Lyon, please." She held his arm like a lost child as she pleaded. Her mind was trying to figure out how else she could get through to him.
But she couldn't think of anything yet.
"If you want to blame someone then blame Gray. He's the reason this is happening in the first place. He challenged Deliora and got our master turned into ice." He hissed as his eyes narrowed.
The way he said Gray's name was filled with revolt.
He's really angry at Gray.
"I respect that you're willing to fulfill an ambition that should have been long abandoned by now, but you can't keep chasing after Ur's ghost!"
Lyon ripped his arm away from her and stepped a several feet away. "I cannot fathom why you still want to stop me when you know full well how much my dream means to me!" he raised his voice and it made her almost shrink back. "You even encouraged me!"
The days where Lyon cheerfully talked about surpassing Ur appeared in brief flashes in her mind.
"Of course, I know! I really understand, I do! But this isn't right, and you should know that too!" it was her turn to raise her voice. "Ur would never accept this kind of path of yours!"
"It's too bad she isn't here to tell us that, right?" he said and clenched his fist. "And I will never forgive Gray for that." His ice magic swirled around his hand from his inner anger.
"I couldn't forgive him either but still I did, but that doesn't mean it excuses him from what he did to us! In the end, it's pointless to hold a grudge because it keeps you from moving on in life. Ur told us that, remember?! And that also applies to hanging on to a dream that should have been long gone!"
How long have you been doing this? Have you even lived?
Lyon gritted his teeth as his irritation continued to grow. "Enough!"
Karissa backed away with a sharp breath. It was no use. Reason and logic weren't enough to convince Lyon to back down. He already had his counterarguments that made him more arrogant.
Truly, the only way to stop Lyon was by force.
It was unfortunate that it had to be so. She really had no desire to fight him when he was so lost in his own dream. But…
"And you're still using one hand… you can't be confident in defeating Deliora like that!" she put her hand in her palm. "Wake up and stop dreaming this dream!"
He raised his hand and prepared to use a spell.
Gray looked over his shoulder when he heard Lucy call his name. To his surprise, he found Erza walking after him with Lucy and Happy trailing behind.
Earlier, he had woken up and found Erza waiting for him in a tent with Lucy tied up next to her. She came to the island to bring him back to the guild under their Master's orders. But he was having none of it. He needed to stop Lyon and Deliora's resurrection. This job was too personal to abandon now.
"Erza, I told you, I'm not going back until I finish this job."
The scarlet haired woman hardened her brown eyes. "I'm aware of that. We'll deal with this later once we've taken care of everything."
He arched a brow. That was a first. He didn't think Erza would lend a hand after she was adamant about staying and helping since they broke the rules. But at least no one was stopping them from going back now. The Master back at home wouldn't send anyone else since he trusted Erza to bring them back.
"What about Natsu and Karissa?" Happy wondered.
"Natsu probably doesn't know that the villagers sought refuge here…" Lucy sweat dropped. "I bet he's lost."
"But she and Natsu stayed back when you went to fight that girl." Happy informed.
"Karissa would have definitely found this place with her wind magic." Erza looked around.
Yeah. She wouldn't get lost.
Gray turned his head when he saw a villager pass by and he hurried over to them as he called them out. "Aside from me, was anyone else here before morning came?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah. There was that one girl with black hair."
"She was here?"
The guy nodded and pointed at the tent in which Gray was previously staying in. "After she put up a wind barrier around the storage area, she went inside your tent and stayed in there until morning."
Gray knitted his brows. "I didn't see her…"
He looked around and noticed that there was no wind barrier. She wouldn't create a barrier like Erigor's to trap people inside if she was expecting Natsu and Lucy to find her.
"Erza, Lucy." Gray whirled around. "Was there a wind barrier when you guys arrived?"
Lucy tilted her head and then shook it. "There was nothing around the place."
"That means she left to confront Lyon. She was long gone by the time you guys came." Gray clicked his tongue and turned around to run out the village. The three Fairy Tail members were quick to follow after him.
"Wait, what does Karissa's wind barrier mean?!" the blonde celestial wizard asked they ran into the forest.
"Karissa sometimes uses her wind as a sixth sense to detect enemies. But since it's not there that means she chose to not to protect the village since there isn't anyone else that would harm them. And knowing her, she probably went after Lyon after she figured out what he's after."
"And what is he after exactly?" Erza spoke from behind him.
"He wants to defeat Deliora."
Lucy and Happy repeated this revelation in unison, completely surprised since it wasn't what they were expecting.
He explained it to them. Lyon's ambition. If he wanted to keep his chasing his dream of surpassing Ur, then Lyon had to defeat Deliora, the one thing Ur could not.
"But if Karissa went to confront Lyon, then maybe she already took him down?" Lucy said a brief pause, "She's strong, right?"
"Yeah but this is different. She might have trouble fighting him since she cares about him."
"That certainly can change things." Erza agreed. "She would want to save him then."
Happy blinked several times. "But doesn't she understand that Lyon is the enemy? I don't get it."
"It's a bit complicated." Gray sighed heavily. "Those two used to like each other so that might be holding her back too. I'm not sure."
Lucy gasped a little at that historic detail. She certainly wasn't expecting to hear something like that. Judging by the reactions Gray and Karissa had the previous night when they saw Lyon, it was safe to say that the three had been reunited after a long while.
Lucy didn't really have the chance to get to know Karissa just yet since the ice wizard was quite shy, she chose to keep her a reasonable distance from the celestial mage since she didn't warm up to her yet. Mirajane had told her so when she wondered about it. However, despite her introverted nature, she saw how she cared for those who were close to her.
During the Lullaby incident, Karissa offered her own magic power in exchange for Erza's because she was worried about the older mage.
Karissa chose to sit next to Gray as they waited for the moon to show since she knew he was tense.
She stayed with him in his tent for a while because she was concerned for him.
Levy had told her that Gray was her friend way before they joined Fairy Tail. The two cared a great deal for each other due to their history. If Lyon was an old friend like Gray, she was guessing that she cared for Lyon in the same way.
No matter how much time passed, there will always be lingering feelings of the past that will always make a person care for another whether they liked it or not.
"Karissa always used to stop Lyon and I when we argued as kids. She probably doesn't even realize it herself, but she's acting like she's the mediator again. She wants us to stop fighting each other so she went off on her own. She just wants to finish things quickly."
She made that clear when she prevented Gray from helping her fight Lyon that night.
Just as Lyon was stuck in the past with his dream, Karissa was also thrown back in time the moment Gray and Lyon started fighting with each other. However, she needed to realize that those days were long gone. There wasn't any point of stopping Gray from facing Lyon. That fight was going to be inevitable.
Karissa would most definitely put up a good fight against Lyon but not if she wasn't fighting at a hundred percent.
It wasn't her job to act as the mediator of their fights anymore. Gray needed to take responsibility and end things himself.
All of a sudden, they felt the earth shake.
…
…
…
The throne room was cold.
Karissa panted as she watched Lyon. He was breathing heavily too. They were fighting each other again, and they were evenly matched.
The following second, the floor broke as someone punched their way above.
Lyon and Karissa held up their arm up to their face when rubble from the floor flew in their direction. Their vision was clouded from the smoke.
While stepping back, Karissa land harshly on her butt after tripping over her own feet. She winced and moved to get back up until she caught a glimpse of a familiar scaly white scarf. Her mouth slightly fell open. She saw the familiar pink hair of the person standing in front of her.
"Natsu…?"
Her pink haired friend perked up and looked behind his shoulder to grin at her. "Hey, Karissa. What's up?" he held up a hand to casual greet her. "Man, are you seriously having trouble with this guy too?" he put his hands on his hips.
"What's up… what, what did you do? Did you tilt the temple?!"
"Yep! That way," Natsu turned his head to look at Lyon. "The moon won't shine down on that demon underground."
Karissa blinked in disbelief.
Right.
Only a guy like Natsu would think of something so drastic.
She chuckled hollowly and shook her head. "Good old Natsu." She looked at Lyon with relief. "Now you won't have the chance to defeat Deliora."
There was no way he could fix the temple back to the way it was.
Natsu arched a brow. "Defeat Deliora?"
Lyon's face darkened angrily as he clenched his fists. "How dare you…"
All of a sudden, Lyon began freezing parts of the throne room. A clear sign that he was very displeased with Natsu's interference. Then, fire and ice began to clash.
She hated to admit it to herself but she knew that it was better for Natsu to tag in. She was aware of her hesitation to fight Lyon at a hundred percent. The reason for that was because she was also concerned over Lyon's own feelings towards his dream. She didn't want to heartlessly trample on it. She wanted to save him.
Natsu's willingness to fight Lyon with everything he got brought her peace of mind.
She watched both wizards duke it out. Natsu was asking Lyon why he couldn't simply fight Ur after he revealed that he wanted to surpass her, and Lyon answered with the obvious answer: she was dead. And again, Lyon rightfully blamed Gray for it.
"I'll find the remaining followers and take them out just in case they have another way to do the moon drip ceremony." Karissa said while getting up to her feet. She couldn't sit still when she wasn't a absolutely sure that they stopped Lyon's followers.
Lyon gritted his teeth when he saw his former classmate run towards a wall to break her way through. "Karissa!" he yelled her name as a warning and pointed two fingers at her. However, the pink haired fire wizard zoomed in front of him with a dark look.
"I don't think so." Natsu reeled back his fistful of fire before swinging at him. The older wizard leaped away from the haphazard magic.
The temple has tilted. We need to stop all of his followers before they initiate some sort of backup plan!
If they were able to move the ceilings to create a circular opening for the moonlight, they might be able to the same despite the current state of the temple.
Just as she was about to bust a hole through the ice wall, cracks began to form on the wall after she heard a thud on the other side. She skidded to a stop and stared warily as the cracks had spread out after another hit piece of the wall crumbled away. Her eyes widened at the sight of Gray in front of her.
Her friend's face relaxed when he saw that she was alright. "So you were here." Gray breathed through his nose as he walked into the throne room. "Running off recklessly... What are you, Natsu?"
"Gray!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Are you sure you should be walking…?" Karissa wondered as he walked past her.
"I'm fine, but anyway, you two just leave this to me."
Natsu scoffed and gave Gray a look. "Seriously? He already beat you once before!"
"He won't beat me a second time. This will be the end of it."
"What… do you have some plan?" Karissa mumbled her question.
Lyon sneered at him. "You're rather confident of yourself."
Gray swallowed and looked at the side for a moment. "Ur died ten years ago because of me. But I can't let you get away with hurting my comrades, harming the village," Gray gave Lyon a determined look. "and trying to melt that ice. We'll both undergo this punishment."
Gray got into a stance that Karissa wasn't quite familiar with. She had never seen someone in this stance before. It must be some type of ice magic since ice was the only magic Gray would excel at. His arms were forming an 'X' sign, with his right arm above his left. Even if she didn't know what it was, she somehow knew that somewhere in the back of her mind she had knowledge of it. She just couldn't recall it. She was confident that it was something she read about once before.
Then, to answer the question in her mind, Lyon identified the spell: Iced Shell.
"Have you gone mad?!" Lyon stepped back.
"Gray! What are you doing, stop that!" Karissa shouted.
Gray ignored her and demanded that Lyon leave the village and return the villagers to their original form right this instant. He was threatening Lyon. At least, that was what she was starting to believe until she felt a surge of magical power emanating from Gray.
"I see." Lyon smirked confidently and almost with snide as he stood his ground. "So you're using that spell as bluff. What nonsense."
After he said that, Gray's magical power continued to grow to the point where wind and ice revolved around him rapidly.
This idiot is serious!
She could hear her heart pounding in her ears.
"Gray! Stop it!"
"You…!"
Both Lyon and Karissa tried to stop him with magic but they ended up getting knocked back from the force of his magic. Her back collided against the ice wall behind her, she winced when she slumped to the floor.
"The fact that Ur died because of me will never change, no matter how much time passes. I have to take responsibility for it at some point. I'm going to do it here. I've been prepared to die… for the last ten years!"
"You're both fucking idiots…" Karissa growled under her breath and quickly stood up against the force of magic.
"Are you serious?!"
"Answer me, Lyon!"
Karissa started running.
"Will we both die, or will we both live?!" Gray glared at Lyon.
Lyon didn't move an inch from his spot, "Do it. You don't have the courage to die."
The two former classmates were too preoccupied with their own conversation that they didn't realize the other pupil was running towards them. She forced herself to run against the magic trying to slow her down. She needed hurry. It was only when she got a few feet closer that they noticed her running towards the elder pupil. She grabbed onto him and hugged him tightly in her arms.
Lyon stiffened in her hold.
Gray's flinched and his eyes widened.
Karissa glared at her friend.
"You fool, what are you doing?!" Lyon tried to break his arms free from her hold but she firmly locked him in place.
"Freeze Lyon and you freeze me with him!" Karissa warned her fellow guild member.
"Don't be ridiculous! Move!" Gray yelled at her but she didn't even blink.
"Stop that spell and I'll move!"
"Karissa! I can't let him melt Ur!"
"I don't think Ur saved you both so that you two could up frozen!" she shot back angrily.
"Back off, idiot!" Natsu suddenly punched Gray in the face once he got close enough, ceasing Gray's Iced Shell spell instantly. The wind and the ice disappeared along with the spell. Lyon and Karissa watched in bewilderment as the two started bickering. They were arguing about who should be facing Lyon.
"… You have quite the comrade."
"Tell me about it." said Karissa as she released Lyon.
All of a sudden, Gray grabbed a fistful of Natsu's scarf and glared at him. "I have to put this thing between Lyon and I to an end! Even if it means I have to die to do it!"
Karissa and Natsu were both fed up with Gray's talk about sacrificing himself. The pink haired mage clutched Gray's wrist tightly and look at him with a dark serious look.
"So you're gonna end this thing by dying, huh? Stop running away." He spat.
All of a sudden, the room began to rumble and tilt. Karissa was on her way to help Natsu knock some sense into Gray when it started moving. She lost equilibrium for a moment there. The room began to tilt until it was finally back to the same level back when she first arrived in the throne room. Once the temple finally settled, the small man from earlier hopped into the room with a bounce in his step.
"Sorry to interrupt." He grinned when he went over to Lyon.
"Zalty. You did this?" Lyon arched a brow.
"The moon will be out soon, so I took the liberty of returning things to normal."
"What?!" Karissa gaped. "It's already this late?"
"W-Who is he?" Gray asked.
"I don't know but maybe he used some type of restoration magic to fix the temple?"
Natsu groaned. "Seriously? And after all the hard work I did to tilt it… HEY! How did you put it back to normal?!"
The only response he got was a laugh in the face which only serve to tick him off.
Natsu bolted after the guy who decided to commence the moon drip ceremony again, and he entrusted the task of defeating Lyon to Gray.
Natsu will deal with that guy.
Absolutely none of the followers should be at the top of the temple because that's where the ritual takes place.
But…
"I'll stop Lyon here. Don't worry about me. Just make sure the ritual is stopped." He told her with his back facing her. It wasn't reassuring her at all. Just a moment ago, Gray was ready to throw away his life. She didn't want to make the mistake of leaving him to do it again.
And she certainly didn't want Lyon to be frozen in ice either.
… I don't want to leave these two alone…
Karissa frowned deeply. "… How can I trust you after what you did? I can't leave you here with Lyon if it means you're going to throw your life the moment I turn my back."
The dark haired wizard looked over his shoulder and saw her staring at him from behind. She had every right to be worried.
If Lyon was just going to stand there and take it, then Gray figured that he must have some ace up his sleeve. He had a feeling that things wouldn't end if he just sealed him away.
And Natsu was right.
He was running away.
Gray turned around and walked over to her while she simply stared at him without saying anything. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her in the eye.
"Trust in me."
He noticed the fresh red cut on the patch of skin between her neck and collarbone. His eyebrow twitched.
"Stopping our fight is not your responsibility anymore. Don't burden yourself needlessly with it, alright?"
Was it really okay?
Gray felt the tension in her shoulders ease.
She felt torn between trying to save Lyon and trying to ease Gray's troubles by ceasing Deliora's resurrection. Somewhere in her heart, she felt guilty for not being able be with Ur and Lyon that day when Gray decided to go after Deliora in the blizzardy night. Maybe if she was, things would have been different today where the three of them would be standing on the same side.
But that's impossible.
She put a hand on one of his on her shoulder as a sign of her trust. He gave her a small smile to thank her.
She had to let go.
Karissa felt Gray's large hand ruffle her hair.
Lyon needed to be left with Gray to deal with. There was no avoiding it anymore.
…
…
…
Karissa broke a wall and flew out of the temple and saw that it was very much night time now. The moon would be showing itself soon. She backed away to take a good look at temple and was relieved to see that there was no purple light above the temple. That meant that the followers were up there just yet.
"Karissa!" a familiar voice shouted from below.
The youngest Sinclost looked down and found Lucy, Erza and Happy fighting Lyon's followers. The celestial wizard was the one who called her.
Wait… when did Erza get here?
And…
Karissa's eyes narrowed.
Lucy had a look of relief when she saw Karissa flying towards them. After what Gray told them, she was a bit worried that Karissa might have gotten hurt due to her personal feelings. When she got closer, she could see that the ice wizard was somewhat in good shape, she had a few injuries but it wasn't anything serious.
Karissa created an ice sword and rushed faster towards Lucy.
The blonde blinked, "E-Eh?! Wait a minute—!" she freaked when she saw her preparing to swing the sword the moment she got close. What the hell did she do to piss her off?!
Karissa flew past Lucy, who screamed, and landed on the ground before swinging down her ice sword.
"Lucy, don't let your guard down." Karissa warned her and attacked more of the followers.
The blonde wizard realized what just happened and sighed in relief. "Sorry, I was just glad to see you were okay."
"Hm, thanks…"
"Let's hurry up and finish them off." Erza ordered as she swung twin swords.
When the fight was over, the girls and the flying cat decided to head to the temple. Karissa's worries were decreasing now that the followers weren't able to stand. Without them, they wouldn't be able to do the ritual.
"Wait!" one of them called out, it was an old woman with a strange headband, "we won't let out interfere with Reitei-sama!" She said while being held up by a young man.
Erza seemed to have recognized the headpieces they both wore. "You people are from the City of Brago, and you want revenge."
Brago?
So they were there when Ur used Iced Shell.
"You're just like him." Karissa spoke after a brief silence, "Selfish for your own desires to the point of not thinking of others. The world does not revolve around you."
The old lady grimaced, "You… You don't know anything!" she suddenly yelled, furious. "You didn't have to watch as your home was destroyed, as your loved ones died in that destruction. That… That demon deserves to die!"
Karissa chuckled hollowly and stared at the woman. "Don't know anything, huh?"
…
…
…
Silver appeared around the corner and wordlessly went to grab Gray and Karissa, making them yelp in confusion and surprise. Karissa was under his arm while Gray was being carried on his shoulder.
"Dad, what's happening?"
"Mister Silver?"
…
…
…
Gray and Karissa were witnessing the destruction around them. There was smoke and fire everywhere. Everyone was screaming. People were crying over bodies that no longer moved. There was blood.
It was nothing like a few hours ago.
It was a nightmare.
Karissa practically shook like a leaf in Silver's arm. "Wh-What's happening?!"
Gray's eyes widened when he saw a large figure behind them.
"Mom… dad…! What is that?"
It was looking around as if admiring its work. It was obvious that the cause of this mass destruction was that thing standing over there. Gray tensed when he saw it raise its head to let out another terrifying roar, causing Karissa to her head around to try and see where it was coming from. Suddenly, a beam of light came from the monster's mouth. The beam flew right past them. The next second, the ground practically exploded with fire. The buildings around them were destroyed in an instant.
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"I know full well what kind of horror that monster is capable of." Karissa smiled sadly. "I'm also a survivor from one of Deliora's attacks, one that occurred before it travelled to Brago. It ravaged Isvan at night while I was sleeping. I can still remember the bodies of men, woman and children lying on the floor… the blood… the fire, and everything else. I've seen it all while running away. It even killed two people I considered to be my parents for a time."
They have no right.
"You are willing to risk the lives of the people in the western continent for the sake of revenge? You're going to let children who were like me see such horror? You want them to go through the same misery as we all did?" she clenched her fists tightly and then relaxed. "You have no right… no right at all to risk the lives of people for your selfish wish!"
Her guild members were shocked. Erza and Happy especially. Karissa was usually the quieter person in a group and it rare for her to speak her mind like this. She usually held her tongue and spoke out of earshot since she usually got so nervous.
The people around them faltered for a moment.
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Then, all of a sudden, a familiar loud earsplitting roar erupted from the temple.
Everyone covered their ears, Lucy and Happy complained at the loud noise.
Karissa's eyes widened in horror. The hair on her neck was standing up.
No matter how many years had passed, she would never forget that sound. That awful sound that once woke up her from pleasant dream and made her live a nightmare.
"Is that…?" Erza looked at the temple.
"… He did it…" Karissa spoke. "Deliora is revived…"
Karissa completely ignored Erza and the others when she dashed off to the temple. She briefly used her wind magic to shorten the length until she remembered that conserving magic power was necessary in the current predicament. She was aware of how much she spent in the last few days. She didn't sleep at all and she didn't have enough time to completely recover what she had spent.
The ice wizard ran into the temple with familiarity guiding her.
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"Ur is alive?"
"Yeah… she told me that she was still alive but as ice."
"… Really?"
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Gray believed that she was still alive as ice.
Karissa was skeptical when he first told her that.
But now…
Ur!
Karissa leaped down the hole and made a beeline for the tunnel she first saw when she crashed underground. The monstrous roar of Deliora was louder than ever with each step she took.
When she arrived, she found Lyon, Gray and Natsu there. Seeing the roughened-up look Lyon carried as he crawled on the floor confirmed that Gray won the battle against him.
The black haired girl blinked in surprise when she saw Lyon struggling to stand. Was he serious?
"I'm… going to… surpass you now!"
"Oh my god, just sit down!" Karissa shouted at him and reached out to grab his shirt until she saw Gray walk around him and strike him behind his head, knocking him down.
Well, that's one way to do it.
"Enough, Lyon."
Quickly, she approached Gray and held one of his arms with both hands. She was relieved he was okay even though she saw that wound on his side. The relief that washed over her was replaced by anxiousness when she stared up at the demon that was getting familiar with moving its limbs again. It wasn't fully awake to start attacking this second but she was certain that it would make a move in the next minute or so.
"We should leave this place and help evacuate the island for now…" Karissa mumbled while lightly tugging on his arm. "We could regroup or something and figure out something in the meantime while this thing is still dazed."
She could force herself to get to Hargeon and evacuate the people there as well…
Time was ticking.
She female mage blinked when she felt Gray's larger hand slowly loosen her hand on his arm. She lifted her head to look at him and found his eyes staring right at her with strange look in his eyes. Now she was worried. He looked almost apologetic.
Him pulling her into his chest was the last thing she expected in this situation. She blinked several times in confusion.
"Gray?"
"I'm sorry."
"… For what?"
He pulled away a little to look at her, their foreheads almost touching, and she tried searching for an answer on his face, but he was hiding whatever she wanted to see.
Gray stared at the expression on her face. She was confused and worried about him for his unusual silence. His next move would ultimately cause her grief, he knew that even though he hated the thought of it, but he had no other option left if he wanted to protect those around him.
Karissa was someone who cared and supported him. He was fully aware how important he was in her life just as she was to his. That's why he knew full well what she would do if she realized what he was going to do. She'd do anything to stop him. So, he had to stop her before she had the chance.
She sensed him using magic. A bad feeling coursed through her.
Her eyes widened. "Gray—!"
He quickly stepped away with his arms flying back to his side just as a cube of ice trapped her inside, rendering her enable to move or speak. Gray looked at her solemnly for a few seconds before turning around.
What the fuck?! Why did he do that?!
And she wanted to scream and shout the moment she saw Gray in that damn Iced Shell stance again. The idiot was going to do it again.
You knew I'd try to stop you! You damn…!
She could faintly hear Lyon yelling at Gray to stop while her body struggled to break free in some way.
I have to use my wind magic to loosen the ice surrounding my body fast! Then I'll break free with a burst of wind arcs.
Come on…
Hurry.
As she hurried, she saw Natsu step in front of Gray. He was stopping him from using the Iced Shell. Good. Keep that idiot busy.
Karissa was able to move a bit inside Gray's ice.
Just a bit more.
She heard Deliora's roar again, this time it raised its arm to crush Natsu under its fist.
With a shout, Karissa broke free from the ice surrounding her body, the ice flying everywhere, and stepped into the water. To do what? She wasn't sure. Her mind had yet to come up with something to counter Deliora and somehow protect the people around her. Then its arm froze in the air along with everyone else in the cave.
The arm cracked and fell off and soon enough its entire body was doing the same before it all began to fall apart in the water.
Karissa's eyes widened. "… What?"
"For ten years… Deliora was subverted in Ur's ice…" Lyon spoke from the ground behind her. "And we're… simply seeing his final moments…?!" he said in disbelief. Karissa turned a little to look at him and saw him slam his fist on the ground with tears of frustration. "I can't compare… I can't surpass Ur."
The brief adrenaline that built up was beginning to wear off and she felt relief wash over her once again. Feeling unsteady on her feet she walked backwards until she finally stumbled back and sat down in the water, simply staring down at the flowing water that was once her beloved teacher.
It didn't feel cold.
It somehow felt warm like as if someone was gently embracing her. A familiar feeling that she had forgotten.
Karissa lifted her hands and scooped up some of the water.
You somehow ended up saving all three of us years after you became ice.
The water slipped through her fingers.
You were really an amazing teacher and mage, Ur.
It might have been her imagination but she could have sworn she heard a voice tell her to take care. A voice that filled her with nostalgic warmth.
Gray rubbed the back of his neck as Karissa ignored him and just kept squeezing whatever water she could of her clothes while sitting on a rock. He had tried calling her name earlier after recovering from some waterworks but she didn't even look at him. But he once caught a glance of her face and saw how positively glacial she looked.
"… H-Hey, Karissa."
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He frowned deeply. He wanted to give a proper apology while looking at her face but she wasn't making it easy for him.
When they were kids, Karissa was definitely not the type to take shit sitting down. She would often get into fights that his father or her older brother had to break up. As they grew up, she was able to keep a lid on her anger and not just lash out like some immature child. But the times where she did get angry made a few guild members uneasy. Long time members were aware of how scary she could get, that glare she'd give someone was enough to turn tail and run. It was even scarier now since it rarely happened. They figured that if openly showed her displeasure today, it was the result of much contained negativity. And right now, the anger radiating off her was making him nervous because it was all directed towards him.
He heaved out a sigh and reached for her wrist to forcefully get her attention. The last thing he needed was for her to ignore him like the plague for who knows how long. She scoffed and leaned away from him. She put her hands flat on the rock and scooted back and then lifted her leg to slam it into Gray's side, sending him crashing into the water.
"Ah fuck!"
He should be grateful that she didn't kick the side of his injury.
Lyon, who was watching from a far, had his lips in a tight line as he blinked a few times.
Natsu just cackled while saying that she got him good.
With a sputter, Gray sat up and wiped the water off his face, and then he flinched when he noticed she was in the water with her leg reeled back. "O-Oi—!"
He was muffled by the sound of splashing water that Karissa caused when she kicked up the water. Her wind magic was making it even worse. At some point, he just gave up and stopped fluttering around and just sat in the water while she vents out her anger. He just hoped she wouldn't drown him.
"You are never, ever, allowed to freeze me like that again, you hear me?!" Karissa shouted at him after grabbing his head and lightly shaking it. She didn't pull his hair or anything though much to his relief. "If you do it again, I'm... I'm freezing your dick! And I'll drown you in the river by the bridge!"
"You'll what?!" Gray freaked, baffled, his hand flying down to his nether regions since he wasn't sure if he should take that threat lightly. "Keep your magic away from it!"
But that was not what she wanted to say.
She wanted him to tell him not to sacrifice himself like that since it made her incredibly sad. She nearly cried.
She didn't want him throwing away his life so easily.
It was just a habit. Instead of openly expressing sadness, it was ejected in the form of anger.
Gray was very much aware of this.
With her shoes in the water, she sat down on the rock and stared down at water with her hands in her hair. "Please… never again."
Gray couldn't make out her face properly, not with her bangs hanging in front, so he got up after shaking some water out of his hair and walked up to her. He crouched down and grabbed her hands in his. "I won't. Never again."
To say that she was terrified was an understatement. A few moments ago, she was so focused on breaking free from his ice and trying to stop him that she didn't realize how scared she was until all tension was released from her body. A life without Gray in it, she didn't dare imagine it.
"Do you promise?" her voice sounded small.
"Yeah." He ruffled her hair. "I promise."
She pulled away from his larger hands and linked her pinky with his to reinforce their promise. It made him chuckle.
How childish.
But then he could feel her pinky shaking. He furrowed his brows.
Then she sniffled.
"Come on, don't cry." Gray nudged her head playfully with the back of his hand. "You're doing well holding it in."
"I won't. Shut up." he slapped his hand off her and pouted. Silently, she looked up at Gray with her little pout and just held out her arms to him. She wanted a hug. Gray just moved closer for her to wrap her arms around him tightly. He hugged her back and gave her soft rubs on her back to make her feel better.
Natsu watched the two silently with a smile on in his face. He turned his head the other way, and he nearly died from shock.
Suddenly, they heard Natsu scream out of fear. When Karissa and Gray looked back, they saw how he was trying to flee from Erza who was holding tightly onto his scarf. Lucy and Happy were there too. Lucy was sighing behind them.
Not too far from them, Karissa noticed how Lyon was struggling to get up on his knees. She released Gray and got up on her feet to hop off the rock and timidly jog over to him. The oldest of the three looked like he needed help after all, and she wanted to give it to him. When he stumbled, she appeared to hold him up much to his surprise. Gray soon went over to help him as well.
I think I could safely say that we're all standing on the same side now.