He was being impulsive, and he knew it.
It was just that seeing the devastation brought about by Deliora was far different from simply hearing about it.
Over the course of time he had spent in the Northern Lands, he had watched the efforts and struggles of the people who lived within it. Day by day, rising early to make ends meet through labour, and even less savoury means in order to survive. Cutting through the sheets of ice to melt fresh water, and even travelling long distances to the nearest fishing holes, it was just how life worked.
Yet that did not mean that nothing paid off from their actions. The towns and villages scattered across the ice and snow made of imported brick and cobblestone, stood tall and warm in the face of blizzards and hail storms alike.
The smiles of the people,
And the tenderness of close human interaction.
The comfort of family through harsh times.
Even, the efforts of a little girl and her ice sculptures.
Gone.
Within a day, everything was gone.
Fires ran rampant, leaving long wisp-like trails of smoke that stretched out towards the skies. Down bellow, lay the wreckage. A mismatch of trampled metal, wood, stone, and flesh. Buildings that had once stood tall, and great monuments erected towards the faith, were damaged beyond repair. Chunks torn off, and holes punctured into their massive frames, left them just barely standing.
Wordlessly, he entered the town from its main entrance: An open street set up in such a way that vendors could set up their own shops.
Regardless, such a thing was rendered trivial as nothing truly remained of the street. Banners of the town mayor that had once been strung proudly atop buildings were torn and fluttering with little movement despite the strong winds.
He walked forward, his gaze set on the monster before him. It was exactly as the rumours described: tall, overbearing, and ruthless. Perhaps even a tad more.
His hands once empty began to emit arcs of magical energy.
What Ur, and her students knew of his magic was only limited to the knowledge he had told them. This being the case, he had only explained his ability to create and understand a weapon's functions. Therefore, they had a basic understanding that he could recreate weapons that he had once seen. Although the ability sounded impressive, one would have to remember that his current appearance was closer to that of a child's. In which case, what weapons could a boy his age possibly have seen that could be considered too dangerous?
That reasoning was wrong as he had plenty of weapons in his arsenal that could be considered too dangerous. For he possessed weapons known as Noble Phantasms, Crystalized Mysteries using the imaginations of humans as their core.
Mysteries were what the residents of the twilight world referred too as their magic. In which case, a Crystalized Mystery's strength was far more than a Magus's Mysteries. This was due to the power source and origin. While a magus perfected their Mysteries through research past on from generation to generation, a Crystalized Mystery held its roots and power within the hearts of the people. After all, one would never forget the legends of heroes, even if the stories were only told in passing.
Any moment now, he knew that Ur and the rest would be making their way to the town. He had chosen to move ahead of them not only to scout, but to gauge the level of danger in the situation.
Still, a roar resounded in the distance, causing tremors to reverberate within his chest.
Walking forward, he suddenly stopped, his eyes catching signs of movement within the rubble.
He acted decisively.
Glancing at Deliora, he then turned and moved in the opposite direction.
Towns can be re-built, but lives simply can not.
Watching the glazed look in Gray's eyes, Ur knew she had to take action before her student did something stupid. However, even she felt some degree of outrage take root within her for the little girl frozen in the ice.
"Gray?" Lyon called. He was standing opposite to her, and even now she could see the minor trembling of his body.
She couldn't fault him. After all, it hadn't even been that long since they had last the girl, and it wasn't something she or any of her students would be forgetting anytime soon.
As a resident of the Northern Lands, she knew that life could be difficult, and not everyone could be lucky. Gray was born and raised within a warm home, and Lyon had her, but the little girl's situation was far different. Fighting to survive, and a father who did all in his power to better the little girl's future. The situation was actually quite pitiable, and anyone would feel remorse for them should they understand the situation.
Gray stretched out a hand towards the silver cross-shaped necklace in the girl's hand, and gently grabbed it before clenching his fists.
He then ran off in the direction of the town, leaving Lyon momentarily stunned before Ur took off after Gray, the action bringing Lyon back to his senses.
"Gray, stop!" Ur yelled, grabbing Gray's arm as the group entered the town.
"I have to do something!" Gray yelled back.
Ur furrowed her brows as Gray shook his arm away from her grasp.
"You fool, all you're doing is dragging teacher into your mess!" Lyon spoke.
With that said, even Gray began to hesitate. Even though he was young, he could see truth in Lyon's statement. Why else would Ur still be following him? She had said that if he went to fight Deliora, then he would no longer be her student, yet her she was now persistently running after him.
"You don't have to come," Gray spoke softly before blindly running towards Deliora.
Ur sighed. She had known ever since she had chosen to take Gray in as student that he could never let go of his hatred. Deliora had destroyed his home town, and killed his parents right in front of him; leaving him near death, and buried beneath the rubble of his own home.
Even as she was training Gray, she knew where the majority of his motivation lay, and the hindrance it caused to his progress.
Since this was clearly the case, she as the mentor would shoulder that darkness.
"Ur?" Lyon asked.
"We're going," she said. Eying the wreckage and noticing the survivors. However, the one at the most danger at the moment was not the survivors, but Gray.
Lyon nodded, and the two ran towards Deliora.
This was it, the time of his vengeance.
"Do you remember me?" Gray asked lowly.
The giant Deliora in front of him was in the middle of annihilating a portion of the town center, but paused as it heard Gray's voice. It turned and looked towards him, grunting before dismissively turning back to it's earlier actions.
Enraged, Gray ran forward, resting his palm against an open fist.
"Ice-Make: Halberd!" He roared, raising his arms up over his head.
A layer of cold mist exuded from his body as a blue magic circle formed at the far extent of his hands. From there, a nine-foot ice halberd with a thin tassel of snow attached to the blade fluttered dramatically as the weapon descended.
Gray smiled. This was the accumulation of all his past efforts and struggles, and it showed in the craftsmanship of his Ice-Make magic. There would be no difference from his ice halberd compared to a real one. In fact, it was probably even stronger and more durable as he was constantly refining it even as he attacked.
Yet his voice caught in his throat as he halberd instantly shattered upon making contact with Deliora's skin. Soon after, he was sent flying, blood rushing to his mouth as he tumbled within the snow.
"Gray!"
That voice was all too familiar to him, and a sense of dread permeated from within his gut. There was a reason he never tried to get close to anyone after his parents died. He couldn't bear to have anyone else he loved taken away from him, and over the course of time he spent with Ur, she had unknowingly become one of them, and to a certain degree, so had Lyon. This prompted his expression to darken as Ur moved to confront Deliora while Lyon helped prop him up.
"Ur!" He called desperately. He had been wrong, and blinded by rage.
Like Ur and Lyon had said, he was nowhere near enough to defeat Deliora. Old fears once again took root within his mind, only made worse when he thought of what could happen to Ur as she went to block Deliora.
If she died, he wouldn't know what he would do, or be able to say. He would experience the same pain as he once had when his parents died.
He never wanted to feel that pain again, so seeing Ur suddenly get back handed and then pinned to a tattered stone wall, it almost drove him completely insane.
However, Ur's form vanished, replaced by a puppet of shattered ice.
He breathed out a sigh of relief before fearfully yelling. "Run!"
By now, he realized there really was nothing that he or Lyon could do. Thus, only Ur could be a match against Deliora, yet that would mean risking her life. He didn't want that sort of risk. Not in the slightest. If anything, it should be him risking his life.
"Don't," Lyon spoke, upon noticing his intentions.
"I have to try," he argued fiercely.
Lyon clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes. "Teacher is the strongest," he spoke with conviction.
In Lyon's eyes, Ur really was the strongest, and his life-long goal to surpass. Ever since Ur had taken Lyon in and began teaching him as a student, the fanaticism within him had only ever been growing. At this moment, it was evident for all to see.
Gray could only hold himself back upon further reflection. By going to help, all he would really do was increase the chances of Ur dying. After all, he knew that he would just be a burden.
Deliora took a second glance at the pests surrounding it before grunting and turning its attention solely on the one who stood before it.
This person was Ur. Not only did she comprehend the sheer magnitude of Deliora's strength with that last exchange, it made her blood run cold. If she had not planned her actions out, she knew that her body could not withstand such a blow. This was evident from the shattered remains of the ice puppet she had previously made.
Her brows creased, her chest heaving as she leaned forward on her knees. "Ice-Make," her hands clapped together, geysers of snow and ice spewing from her palms and creating massive wings. "Snow Bird's Tail Feathers!"
The ice spewing from her palms solidified, the edges becoming as sharp as cracked glass. Where her hands moved, the formed winged-like feathers of ice followed like a massive sword.
This level of performance was on a higher level than what Gray had exhibited. After all, what Gray had used was only the elementary forms of Ice Creation magic. There were several components necessary to utilize creation magic, one of the most important being creativity. Being far older than Gray, Ur had far more experience to rely on, and could be more creative in her creations. Figuratively speaking, her understanding was on a higher level.
Watching Ur begin her attack, Lyon nodded his head in confidence while Gray was left speechless based on the difference between his and Ur's attack. The difference between the two was just too large.
With a swing of her hands, Deliora was forced to block.
Fragments of ice shattered, Ur's attack grating against Deliora's steel-like skin.
Ur's expression changed at that moment.
It's hide was insanely tough.
Clicking her tongue, she swung her weapons again before leaping up. Her form was similar to an ascending snow bird, the white avians of the North.
Deliora roared, eyes growing frustrated as it swatted out with both of his arms.
Ice shattered and fell unceasingly against the ground, Lyon performing a quick Ice-Make magic and creating a shield of ice above himself and Gray.
"Ur!" Gray yelled in concern, watching Deliora's fist come striking down towards her.
The main principle of Ice-Magic,
Was a solid foundation.
Eye's narrowing, Ur's hands once again made contact with each other.
"Ice-Make,"
Time itself seemed to freeze.
Deliora's expression faltered for a moment as a giant object appeared before it.
"Giant's Great War Horn," Ur spoke indifferently.
Besides Gray and Lyon who were watching the fight closely, even the surviving spectators became rooted while looking up into the sky.
It was a giant horn made of ice whose diameter was equal to Deliora's height. Ur stood at the helm, pressing her mouth to the horn's reed and blowing.
Like the severity of a winter storm, hard flakes of compacting snow and hail alike spewed forth from the horn and began to cover Deliora from head to toe.
Struggling, Deliora was wiping away the accumulated snow forming over him, yet his actions were too slow. Whenever he'd clear a section of ice off of him, another would near instantly take its place.
A cheer resounded from the survivors watching as Deliora struggled uselessly.
Soon, Deliora was completely covered in a mound of ice and snow.
The large horn then shattered, leaving Ur to fall back down to the ground breathing heavily.
"You did it Ur!" Lyon spoke rushing forward before even Gray.
Ur's eyes sharpened.
"No, stop!" She yelled, pursing her lips as she created a large magic seal that surrounded the captured Deliora.
Boom.
The ground shook, causing Lyon's and many other's eyes to widen.
Sweat began to form over Ur's brow as she attempted to completely freeze the loose ice and snow that the pile was composed of, killing Deliora from within. She had understood upon noticing that it would be quite difficult to wound Deliora moments earlier that she would have to find another way to defeat it.
Its body was like steel, and not even her ice seemed able to pierce through it. Therefore, she had reached a single conclusion, or an assumption at best. Blood had to have been running through Deliora's veins, how else could it be able to maintain its body temperature in the cold otherwise? Even if this was assumption, she still had to attempt it.
By covering Deliora in several sheets of snow and ice, she hoped to substantially drop the temperature around and within Deliora. After all, blood will eventually freeze at a certain point. Such a thing would allow her to defeat Deliora without necessarily having to pierce through and damage his flesh.
However, she realized as she was attempting to drop the temperature that things weren't going to be that easy. As the person who had created the sheets of ice and snow to cover Deliora, she could feel what the monster was attempting to do from within.
It was frustratingly beating against the walls, and its feet trying to dig beneath. Each of it's strikes would cause Ur's complexion to pale, however, she didn't give up and continued to fuel her magical power into the ice.
Yet, it was not to last.
With a grunt, Deliora pierced a hole into the entrapment, and then promptly began destroying the rest, a piece of debris sent flying and bluntly smashing into Ur's gut.
She dry-heaved, her eyes widening as her hands moved to press against her stomach. Her concentration disrupted, Deliora only used the opportunity to break our faster.
"Ur," Gray spoke, appearing beside her.
Lyon wasn't much farther, but he was still a tad shaken from seeing Deliora break out.
"You both have to leave from here," she urged, wiping off a drop of blood from a cut lip.
"Not without you," Lyon argued.
Ur stopped talking, her gaze instead moving towards the group of survivors she could see from the distance. Even if she wanted to leave, she couldn't just forsake the survivors behind her.
Deliora completely broke out of the ice, and immediately managed to strike at Ur, Lyon, and Gray.
Pushing her students out of the way, it was Ur who took the brunt of the damage.
"Agh-" she bit back a scream as she was sent tumbling across the snow, leaving a trail of blood as wounds opened all across her body.
"You bastard!" Gray yelled, seeing that Ur had yet to get up.
He charged forward and attacked Deliora once more, but he was not alone.
"ICE MAKE,"
A voice screamed, as an animal of ice took shape from an open palm.
"ICE TIGERS!" Lyon yelled.
The type of creation magic Lyon used differed slightly from Gray's as his aspect of magic specialized in the creation of animals instead of objects like Gray.
With a roar, the tigers of ice snapped their jaws around Deliora's heels while Gray attacked with a sword of ice. Still, neither attack had any effect, and both were only repelled back with injuries.
"Lyon, Gray," Ur spoke somberly as she pushed herself up from the ground. Survivors behind her or not, she cared much more about Gray and Lyon's safety. "Get ready to run," she spoke.
"Y-You're joking aren't you Ur?" Lyon spoke, forcing himself up onto his feet.
Ur was his idol, his goal in life. She couldn't possibly be defeated by Deliora or anybody for that matter!
"I'm afraid not, Lyon," Ur spoke. "Now this isn't the time to argue, so take Gray, and the both of you get out of here."
Lyon laughed, a strange glint in his eyes. "I refuse to believe that you can't beat it! You're just holding back," he spoke. "Very well, if you're unwilling to use your stronger techniques, then allow me!"
Lyon pushed ahead of Ur, and spread his legs apart before stretching his arms and crossing them.
"That stance," Ur's voice was panicked. "Lyon, you?!"
"That's correct," Lyon verified as his magical power erupted around him. "I read and learned this technique from one of the books you kept in the house since you weren't teaching us anything strong."
"Did you even read that magic all the way through!?" Ur yelled.
"Such a great magic, I only finished learning it recently," Lyon admitted.
"Don't you dare Lyon!" Ur urged.
Lyon acted as if he didn't hear her and only continued to raise his magical power.
"Iced-"
Lyon's words stopped mid sentence, Ur encasing him in ice on the spot.
"Lyon!" Gray called in concern.
"He'll be fine," Ur spoke softly while turning her attention back onto Deliora before shifting it onto Gray when she realized the monster did not take any further actions.
"What was Lyon going to do?" Gray asked.
"He was going to use a grand magic called Iced Shell that would forever seal Deliora away within an un-meltable ice," Ur spoke solemnly. "However, the users body itself becomes said ice."
Gray couldn't see it, but a calm steadiness lined with hesitation was taking root within Ur's eyes. She had yet to truly understand what had become of her daughter, and if she was like before, remaining ignorant, perhaps she wouldn't have had any hesitation in her actions. However, things had surpassed such a point, and she could only make do with what she already knew.
Shirou had revealed it all to her. Purposely, or not, it didn't matter. That boy's magic truly did catch her by surprise, and although she was skeptical at first, testing proved her skepticism otherwise. She had called forth a friend from the Northern armies and had asked to borrow a weapon. Soon after, she had gotten Shirou to verify everything about the weapon, and even other miscellaneous things disregarding the weapon and moving onto the owner itself. Everything proved true. From the information provided, to the way he recreated a copy and mimicked the swordsmanship, everything was accurate.
This proved one thing for her.
There was truth in Shirou's words, and that in itself drove her furious.
If one asked if she had regrets, there would only be one that she would answer without hesitation. Regardless, actions already taken can not be taken back.
It was her only regret, and the only thing causing her to hesitate and become indecisive.
"Ur, what are you doing?" Gray asked, looking directly at her.
The hesitation within her wavered, but ultimately remained. Still though, looking into Gray's frightened eyes, she knew that she couldn't allow her student to continue shouldering his fear for Deliora.
"Gray," she spoke softly as she gave a tender smile. "Will you promise me something?"
Gray nodded his head. "Y-Your leg," he spoke instead.
"Oh this," Ur smiled wryly. "I lost it in that earlier exchange, but this will do."
From half her shin down, her left leg was gone replaced by a leg of ice.
Tears ran down Gray's face. This was his fault. If he hadn't been so impulsive. If he hadn't been so weak.
"You see, the creation magic I taught you comes in handy," Ur spoke, unable to see through Gray's inner turmoil. "Now will you promise me something?" She asked again.
"A-Anything," Gray spoke.
"Will you promise me to look for news of Ultear for me?" She asked.
Gray's heart sank, realizing the implication in Ur's words. Fear once again appeared over his face.
Seeing this, Ur only hardened her resolve further. If Ultear was her daughter, then Gray and Lyon to her were like her very own sons, and seeing such an expression on Gray's face pained her greatly in ways even she couldn't describe.
She would take that fear, that darkness, and seal it for eternity within the ice.
Her decision had been made.
"Lyon was right," she said, turning her face away from Gray and moving towards Deliora. "That magic is the only way."
"You're wrong," A voice spoke, as a red-haired boy stepped forward.
"Shirou?" Gray called.
He hadn't even noticed Shirou in all the commotion, but he had appeared just before Ur knocked out Lyon.
"There's another way," Shirou spoke.
Ur stared at Shirou, remembering Shirou's magic and the experience she had with battling Deliora. It didn't take her long to come a single conclusion. "Your magic wouldn't be able to do it."
Not only was her refined ice unable to pierce through Deliora's flesh, but it didn't so much as scratch it. Instead, her weapons were the one's to shatter.
Shirou looked at her in all seriousness before a resolute look appeared over his face.
At that moment,
He bowed.
"Thank you, for all that you've done for me," Shirou said diligently.
He was obviously referring to how Ur had saved him from within the ice, gave him a home for the past few months, and even went out of her way to acquire more food to feed a fourth mouth.
"Although I haven't helped you find your daughter yet, you have my word that I will try. With that said," Shirou's gaze hardened. "For your kindness, let me repay you back."
Ur and Gray were stunned, Ur even more so.
Logically speaking, if it were any other person spouting such words in such a situation, it would be entirely unrealistic for the individual to make good on his word. However, just from Shirou's tone alone, there was a degree of certainty. Even the phrase 'let me repay you back,' when coming out of Shirou's mouth at this moment was like a declaration.
Letting out a breath, he stood tall as he began to make his way forward saying, "I need you all to step back," as he went.
"W-What are you doing?"
Shirou continued on towards Deliora, not answering any of the questions directed towards him.
This was part of his resolve.
"I am the bone of my sword."
A great power seemed to be held in these words, like the actualization of a supreme decree or law.
Chills travelled down the spectator's backs, even Ur and Gray's and they were ice mages.
A sword of that resembled something more akin to a rock appeared within Shirou's hands as he stepped forward, only to falter as Deliora suddenly froze, its eyes locked onto his form.
Frowning, Shirou tensed his muscles preparing for anything.
However, no matter how much he prepared, he would never be prepared for what came next.
Deliora stared at him with its fierce eyes, seemingly transfixed as its gaze moved up and down. A smile then quickly appeared upon its face before it opened its mouth.
Everyone froze.
What came out of Deliora's mouth was not a roar, nor a grunt, or any kind of animalistic noise, but rather, a single word.
"Brother?"
A tense silence permeated through the air, but it was only Shirou who could understand the current situation.
His nose twitched as he detected the source of Deliora's power. Deliora did not rely on the contemporary means of magic stored within vessel-like containers within one's body but seemed to run on a similar energy to the magic of his original world. This in theory would mean that Deliora could utilize his magic even if the entire world lost theirs. In a similar way, so could he.
Thus, Deliora must have thought of him as someone similar and on the same side. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
Still, many of the others spectators who registered what Deliora had said were stupefied, none more so than Gray who had a complex look flash across his face. However, he was more concerned about watching what Shirou would do.
In that the face of all the stares directed at him, Shirou continued his approach towards Deliora brandishing the blade he had in hand and displaying his intentions.
Deliora appeared confused, before growing enraged as it realized Shirou was going to attack it.
Yet like Ur had said, even with the massive sword Shirou had in hand, how would he breach through Deliora's natural defences?
"Steel is my body and fire is my blood."
Once again, Shirou spoke another set of words that caused waves of unease to travel across the spectators. Not only did they still feel chills this time, but they also inexplicitly felt the urge to hide or take cover.
Muttering something under his breath, the sword in Shirou's hand disappeared as Deliora was sent flying, large bruises forming at its upper arm, collarbone, windpipe, temple, diaphragm, rib, testicles, and thighs.
Everyone was dumbstruck, unable to understand what it was Shirou had just done. It was only Ur who barely understood what had just happened by relying on her intuition, but the answer she was arriving at was causing her to come to a blank. After all, she linked the bruises visible on Deliora's body to the weapon in Shirou's hands.
Not only could she not imagine the level of power hidden within those nine blows to cause bruises on Deliora's body, but to strike at nine places in an instant, such speed was simply unheard of.
Deliora grunted, no longer bothering to converse and simply attacked blindly using its immense strength and durability.
"I have created over a thousand blades."
The sword in Shirou's hands faded away as if it was never there, being replaced by two falchions, one pitch black, and the other a pale white. Soon after, instead of charging with them, he threw them, swords forming around him as he then charged forward and began scaling Deliora's large body. It truly was a representation of one who had claimed to have created over a thousand blades.
Ur along with the crowd was flabbergasted. She had seen him create a sword out of nothing, but she had only believed this ability to be restricted to one weapon at a time. With the speed and efficiency Shirou was moving at, she could even relate it to the middle land's Requip magic she had once heard of. However, staring at Shirou, this was even more frightening.
The two falchions Shirou had initially thrown had circled back and began swarming around Deliora as more and more pairs of the falchions were created in Shirou's hands.
"Unaware of loss, Nor aware of gain."
Whatever chant Shirou was continuing, Ur suspected that it was related to a grand magic at this point. It could potentially even be a lost magic for she had never heard of a magic able to be utilized without even a magic circle. In fact, she had never even seen a single one as Shirou fought.
If she had thought about it more, she would have also been able to understand the significance of such a thing. When wizards battled, the magic circle was large a give away to alert the opponent of an incoming magic. Without the appearance of the magic circle, it would be hard for an opponent to predict when a wizard would use his or her magic.
Back to the point though, she was uncertain about the magic that Shirou was using. Fact is, she and Gray were both rendered speechless when black and white wings seemed to appear from Shirou's back. Normally, for a wizard like her, it wouldn't be that impressive as her Ice Make magic could give her a similar appearance like the Snow Bird's Tail Feathers attack for example. However, the difference was in the power displayed.
She, along with many others had to shield their eyes as fierce winds blew.
Shirou had just attacked using the blades shaped like wings in his hand. Upon contact they had broken into fragments which each individually exploded around Deliora.
Gray watched on silently, his expression hard to read. Shirou was facing Deliora after all, his hated enemy. No matter what though, nothing could hide away the satisfaction he was currently feeling at the moment as well as his gratitude.
After the explosion, Deliora was left with cuts, blood spilling forth and covering its skin. Yet due to its robust and sturdy body, Deliora did not seem to suffer from any fatal wounds.
In comparison, Shirou was generally uninjured aside from a couple bruises and cuts he had obtained while dodging Deliora's wild swings. In any case, his breathing was beginning to become a tad laboured.
From Ur's perspective, it was obvious that Shirou would be feeling tired after utilizing such magic, but Deliora was still far from finished. In fact, it was simply brushing off all of its injuries.
A grave look appeared on Shirou's face, and magic power then began to emanate around him.
"Withstood pain to create weapons, waiting for one's arrival."
Shirou was contemplating to himself as he spoke those words. With the sheer number of Noble Phantasms, he possessed within his arsenal, he could name a few that would have enough penetration power to defeat Deliora. However, such weapons would destroy the area around him and needlessly harm the innocent. That, and he wasn't sure if he had been able to save all of those buried in the rubble of the town.
Thus, there was only a single choice left for him.
"I have no regrets."
The others watching Shirou fight became confused as Shirou suddenly just stopped and stood directly before Deliora.
"What's he doing?" Gray asked Ur.
Ur didn't reply, but knew that the climax of the fight was about to either conclude or begin. Watching Shirou fight till now, she realized that she had greatly underestimated this youth. All that she hoped now was for his safety. This was because, even if she wanted to get involved, her magic could not harm Deliora due to the toughness of Deliora's body, and the influence of a subtle magic cancelation field around Deliora. Getting involved now would only serve to hinder rather than help.
Indifferent to the murmurs around him and Deliora's incoming fists, Shirou knelt down as if in prayer.
"This is the only path."
"My whole life was,"
Before the final set of words left Shirou's mouth, he looked towards Gray and Ur and gently inclined his head.
That done, he spoke the words that would actualize a miracle.
"Unlimited Blade Works."
The majority of the people watching the battle shielded their eyes at that moment since a blinding flash erupted as a ring of fire enveloped both Shirou and Deliora. A blink of an eye later, and neither of the two remained.
Everyone was shocked, unbelieving of what just happened.
Perhaps the most shocked were Ur and Gray, who stood motionless. Out of everyone present, it was them who had the most experience dealing with Shirou, however, none of them expected Shirou to possess such a magic to completely erase Deliora from existence. This was precisely so, as not even a hair or hide of Deliora could be seen anywhere.
A cheer resounded after what seemed like an eternity of silence. Following the cheer, more and more people began to rub their eyes thinking they had just seen an illusion. However, the majority of them inclined their heads in a show of respect to the saviour who had saved them from beneath the destruction caused by Deliora. Even more so when they recognized Ur.
Ur was a strong ice-mage who had once travelled throughout all of the Northern Lands. This being the case, every resident of the North knew of her strength to some degree, and it was because of this that rumours of her being the next Wizard Saint began circulating. Regardless though, the main point of why she had become the center of attention was because many concluded Shirou to be her student after watching their interactions.
Even the town mayor, after verifying that Deliora was gone, excitedly ran up to meet Ur.
At this point, no one seemed to remember the words Deliora had spoken before Shirou began his battle. Many were too elated to even think of such things.
"Your student is quite amazing!" The mayor incessantly praised.
Ur acted as if she didn't even hear the mayor as she was more worried about what happened to Shirou.
Not only had Deliora disappeared, but Shirou had too. Was he going to be alright facing off against Deliora himself? From what she had seen of Shirou's capabilities, especially that last attack, she at least had a bit of confidence.
Meanwhile, Gray's thoughts were no different than Ur's. After all, it didn't take him long to realize the reason as to why Shirou had done what he had. His actions were not only done as a means to save everyone in the town, but to aide him in his fear of Deliora, and the detriments it was bringing to his magic.
Shirou had done what Ur had intended to do by selflessly shouldering Gray's burdens, hatred, and fear.
Yet what had become of him?
Regardless about all their unanswered questions and concerns, there was no one who could verify anything. Yet based on Shirou's attitude before he disappeared, this surely would not be their last meeting.
Still, it was a happy day for the North.
Because even through the dark and morbid cold of the lands covered in snow,
Peace had once again returned.
A figure stood above an icy plateau.
"So Deliora failed," he murmured before reflecting on what he had seen. A contemplative expression soon flashed across the figure's face. "Another brother? He feels like us, but does not seem to be with us."
The figure's gaze hardened, but regardless, he soon left as if he was never even there.
Thanks for Reading!
Next chapter goes back towards the Strauss siblings
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