Gray's Battle

Above the temple.

Erza knocked down the last enemy with the flat of her sword.

The Magic Circle gradually faded away.

"Great, the ritual has stopped!" Lucy said happily.

"No!" Dogman Toby said smugly. "The ritual is already complete!"

With that, he tilted his head and promptly passed out.

"We need to get down there!" Erza said hurriedly.

"Yes."

"Aye!"

Inside the temple.

Gray and Leo were both panting, covered in wounds.

"Leo!" Gray said seriously. "Stop being so stubborn!"

"Ur is still alive!"

"Absolute Zero is a magic that turns the caster's body into ice!"

"That ice is Ur!"

"If you melt that ice, you'll be killing Ur!"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." Gray's gaze darkened slightly. "It was a promise between Ur and me. She said that if you found out she'd become ice, you would devote your whole life to undoing this magic!"

"Leo, don't kill Ur." Gray's voice was earnest. "Let's end this here."

"Haven't you found a new family too? So let the past just—"

Boom!

Before Gray could finish, Leo froze half his body in ice.

"Ah..." Leo looked at Gray and said calmly, "Of course I knew something so boring. But..."

"That hasn't been Ur for a long time. It's nothing more than a few shards of ice."

"Gray, you're already this old and still so naive? You actually believe in a fairy tale like that."

"You bastard!" Gray furiously punched Leo away. "You knew all of it, and you still did this!"

"So what?!" Leo sent Gray flying with a punch of his own.

Gray angrily accused him, "For three years, all you've done is these pointless things!"

"Pointless? You've spent ten peaceful years in a powerful guild, and you've got the nerve to say that?!"

Their conflict escalated further, every attack fierce.

The power and versatility of Ice-Make Magic were displayed to their fullest by two mages of equal skill!

"Leo, you've truly disappointed me. I can't believe you'd do something that hurts Ur!"

"Say whatever you want! I will surpass Ur! I'll prove it—Ice-Make Magic is the strongest magic in the world! I'll continue down Ur's path!"

"As her disciple, if I want to surpass my deceased master, then I can only defeat the enemy even she couldn't defeat!"

"I will revive Deliora, no matter what!"

"Leo!" Gray unleashed a broad surge of ice magic. "Have you become this twisted? There's nothing wrong with becoming the strongest, but never at the cost of those you love!"

"The one who took away the person I loved was you, Gray!"

"That's exactly why we need to cherish those who are still alive! We mustn't revive Deliora, whom Ur sealed away with her life! Look at what dangerous things you're making your companions who trust you do! Are you going to make the same mistake I made back then?!"

"Gray!" Leo cast magic with one hand, sending an Ice Ape charging at Gray. "Talking is useless! No matter what, I will revive Deliora!"

"Then I'll definitely defeat you!" Gray cast magic with both hands, trapping the Ice Ape in an Ice Prison.

"How is this possible?!"

Even as Leo controlled the Ice Ape, he could not break Gray's Ice Prison.

"You idiot who's gone down the wrong path!" Gray said. "Ur taught us—Ice-Make Magic is magic of freedom! When using it, you need both hands to maintain the balance of the form!"

"How could someone who has always shaped with one hand possibly bring out this magic's full power?!"

"You can't even recognize the essence of Ice-Make Magic, yet you say something as ridiculous as wanting to surpass Ur!"

"Leo, you've gone down the wrong path!"

"Now, as your junior disciple, I'll pull you back!"

"I won't lose to you, Gray!" Leo gathered his magic power.

"Sorry, Leo. This might hurt a little!" Gray cast magic with both hands, creating a massive ice cannon.

"Ice-Make: Ice Snow Cannon!"

"Ice-Make: Great Eagle!" Leo stubbornly continued shaping with one hand.

Boom!

The two terrifying ice spells collided, and the force of the impact made the entire temple tremble!

"Gray!" Leo roared. "I'm Ur's pride!"

"If you want that, then you can have it!" Gray roared back. "But I'll never lose to someone who doesn't value family!"

"I've fought that fire-breathing bastard for years, I carry Ur's entrusted wish, and I have my family's hopes behind me!"

"You can't see anything clearly, you exploit your companions' trust, and you arrogantly think you can surpass Ur! If you think you can beat someone like me, you're a hundred years too early!"

"Gray!!!"

"Leo!!!"

The victor was finally decided!

Even though Leo tried to use both hands in a last-ditch attempt, he could no longer withstand Gray's burst of magic!

Boom!

The green ice shattered, and white snow and ice slammed Leo into the wall with terrifying force!

The power did not diminish!

The wall shattered instantly!

"Leo!" Gray cried out in alarm, trying to save him, but it was already too late!

Whoosh!

A red shadow flashed past. Erza had arrived. With one slash, she cut through the ice and snow and pulled Leo back just before he fell out of the temple.

"Gray, are you all right?" Erza asked.

"Cough, cough. I'm fine." Gray let out a breath of relief, barely able to stand as he leaned against the wall.

"Where are Natsu and Ifrit?" Erza asked.

"Natsu is below. As for Ifrit, I don't know where that guy went," Gray answered.

"Gray, the potions." Ifrit suddenly appeared beside Gray and handed him three bottles.

"Ah, those are the ones you used on me last time." Lucy recognized them.

"That's right." Ifrit smiled and nodded at her, then looked at Gray. "You remember how to use them, right?"

"Of course." Gray took the potions and used them as he said, "Were you here the whole time?"

"No, I just got here too. You were fighting so intensely that I figured it might be ending soon, so I came up to take a photo of the final moment of the duel." Ifrit pulled out a photograph.

The photograph showed the moment Gray defeated Leo from the side—a striking shot.

"You took that pretty well." Gray was pleased.

"I'll make copies when I get back, then give them to you," Ifrit said.

"No problem."

Neither of them mentioned that Ifrit had not helped.

Ordinary enemies were one thing, but when it came to Leo, Gray did not want anyone else to interfere. He insisted on defeating him himself.

And Gray believed he would definitely win!

"All right, Gray, rest here. We need to go down and help Natsu," Erza said.

"No. After drinking the potions, I've recovered some strength. I'm coming too," Gray said.

"Then we shouldn't delay," Erza said curtly.

There were enemies below, as well as a demon. She was very worried about Natsu.

Everyone hurried downstairs.