Finn, executing a perfect backflip, landed smoothly, his finger already pointed at Ultear. He muttered, "Hadō #4: Byakurai."
A tremendously thick bolt of lightning shot from his fingertip.
"Eek~~" Ultear had no time to react; the lightning struck her directly.
A wave of intense paralysis washed over her body.
Ultear gritted her teeth, determined to persevere. This was nothing she couldn't handle.
With a flick of her wrist, she reversed time, and the crystal shards Finn had crushed instantly reformed, as if the destruction had never occurred.
Finn frowned slightly, his expression betraying a hint of annoyance. "That won't harm me," he stated calmly.
"Oh, really?" Ultear retorted, a smirk playing on her lips. A white magic circle materialized in her hand, and numerous crystal balls, seemingly drawn from the past or the future, reappeared in the present moment.
"Arc of Time: Luminous Minutes!" she declared, her voice filled with a newfound confidence. The crystal balls began to radiate a brilliant, blinding light, before transforming into powerful beams of energy that hurtled towards Finn with devastating force.
The beams slammed into the ground, causing a series of earth-shattering explosions that shook the very foundations of the ruins.
After what seemed like an eternity, the explosions finally ceased, leaving behind a thick cloud of smoke and dust. Ultear's eyes scanned the smoke-filled area, searching for any sign of Finn. "Is he finished?" she murmured to herself.
Suddenly, the smoke began to churn and writhe, and Finn emerged, completely unscathed, his expression calm and unperturbed.
"What? He's not even hurt?" Ultear exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief.
"Heh," Finn chuckled, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. "The power was impressive, I'll grant you that, but your aim was rather lacking. Let's call it…adequate," he commented dismissively.
Finn extended his right hand, palm open, and directed it towards Ultear. "Hadō #33: Sōkatsui," he murmured, his voice low and menacing.
A torrent of explosive flames erupted from Finn's palm, instantly engulfing Ultear in a searing inferno. The deafening roar of the explosion reverberated through the ruins.
The sounds of the battle deep within the ruins reached the ears of those above, causing a stir amongst the onlookers.
Natsu had already reached the summit of the ruins, where he found a group of individuals performing a ritualistic ceremony. Amongst them were the three individuals who had previously attempted to destroy the village.
"Hey! Stop what you're doing!" Natsu bellowed, charging towards them with unrestrained fury.
"You got lucky last time," Toby snarled, his poison claws extended. "This time, there are three of us. You won't win again." Toby lunged at Natsu, initiating the battle.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu roared, unleashing a devastating blow that sent Toby reeling backward.
Jellal and Yuka watched in stunned silence, their faces etched with disbelief.
"What are you two waiting for? Join the fight!" Yuka urged Jellal, his voice laced with urgency. "If we don't stop him soon, he'll ruin the ritual!"
"Heh," Natsu grinned, extending a finger towards them in a mocking gesture. "Bring it on! I'll send you all flying!"
The sounds of the battle raging below spurred Natsu on to greater efforts.
The smoke cleared, revealing Ultear, battered and bruised. Finn addressed her calmly, his voice laced with curiosity.
"I'm curious, Ultear," he said. "You must know that Deliora was sealed away by your mother, using her own life force. So why would you assist Lyon in attempting to release him?"
"Shut up," Ultear hissed, her voice filled with barely controlled rage. "That woman didn't deserve to be called a mother."
She slowly rose to her feet, the burns on her clothing revealing large patches of skin. Finn, however, paid no attention to this.
"That was simply something she did to protect her students," Ultear continued, her voice laced with bitterness.
"What does it have to do with me? I was nothing more than an insignificant afterthought to her."
"That woman always only loved her two students," Ultear screamed, her voice filled with anguish. "Just like she only loved her magic!!" Tears streamed down her face.
"That's not true," Finn said softly. "Ultear, she cared about you. She loved you."
"Shut up, shut up! You don't know anything! Why are you defending that woman?!" Ultear screamed, her magic surging wildly.
"Ice-Make: Rose Garden!" A brilliant blue magic circle blossomed beneath her feet.
Countless ice thorns, tipped with sharp barbs, erupted from the ground, tearing through the air towards Finn.
Finn reacted swiftly, leaping aside to avoid the attack. As he landed, he sensed a powerful presence rising from beneath the ground.
Before Finn could react, a colossal ice rose bloomed from the ground, completely encasing him at its center. The petals of the rose slowly unfurled, its icy tendrils spreading outwards.
The entire underground chamber was now engulfed by a massive ice rose garden, its chilling presence filling the air.
Ultear panted heavily, her body trembling with exertion. Gazing at Finn, encased within the heart of the ice rose, Ultear let out a relieved laugh.
Finn's overwhelming power had been a constant source of pressure, rendering her magic ineffective against him.
"In the end, I've won," she declared triumphantly, turning her gaze towards Deliora's icy prison.
The power of the Moon Drip was steadily flowing into the ice, and it was only a matter of time before Deliora would be resurrected.
"But I still need to deal with Natsu," Ultear thought, preparing to leave.
"Hmm?" Ultear noticed the water accumulating beneath her feet. Her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Where did this come from? Could it be...?" The thought struck her like a bolt of lightning, and she quickly turned her attention to the ice rose garden that enveloped the chamber.
To her astonishment, the ice was rapidly melting, and droplets of water were trickling down, flowing past her feet.
And within the heart of the ice rose, a fiery red glow was emanating from Finn's entombed form.
"That's…fire?" Ultear exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief. "Are you kidding me? How is it possible for fire to ignite within a prison of ice?"
Within the heart of the ice rose, Finn slowly moved his head, then his entire body shuddered. The ice roses surrounding him began to shatter, the icy tendrils breaking apart and crumbling into fragments.
The shattering spread outwards, like a ripple effect, until the entire ice rose garden was reduced to a blizzard of icy shards, scattering like stars across the night sky.
"Impossible!" Ultear cried out, her voice filled with disbelief. She had unleashed the majority of her magical power in that final attack, and yet, she had still failed to defeat Finn?
"Is this…is this man a monster?" The question echoed in Ultear's mind, a chilling realization dawning upon her.
Finn rubbed his hands together, a slight shiver running through him. "That was some impressive ice," he commented, his voice laced with a hint of grudging admiration.
"It actually managed to make me feel a little cold."
His expression turned serious. "However," he continued, his voice hardening, "I am now quite angry, Ultear!"
"Equip, Ryūjin Jakka!" Finn declared, snapping his fingers. A brilliant magic circle flashed into existence, and Ryūjin Jakka materialized in his hand, its crimson blade gleaming menacingly.
"While unleashing this level of power might not be ideal in this confined space," Finn said, his voice low and dangerous, "I doubt you'll listen to reason unless I subdue you thoroughly."
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