Chapter 42 : Ur

"What is your purpose?" Leon asked, his face pressed against the cold stone slab.

"Same as you. So, we can live in harmony and friendship," Nate replied slowly, releasing his grip on Leon.

Nate didn't fully understand the intricacies of the Moon Drop ritual, so to melt the ice, he knew he'd need professionals like Leon.

Leon stood, his gaze shifting between Nate and Ultear, a serious expression on his face. "You also want to revive Deliora?"

"I'm not," Ultear quickly denied. As a councilor, she couldn't admit to such intentions. Under the alias "Sarudi," she had been manipulating Leon, aiming to use him to break Deliora's seal and then control the demon. Unfortunately, her cover was blown by Nate, leaving her slightly embarrassed. But since Nate wanted the ritual to continue, which aligned with her goals, she wasn't about to interfere.

Leon remained silent for a moment before stating, "The seal will take another day to fully break." He knew the enemy was too strong to resist for now. Everything would depend on what happened once Deliora was freed.

"So, you'll also join the ceremony. More people will speed up the process," Nate suggested.

"I understand..." Leon gritted his teeth, joining the black-robed figures in their worship of the moon. His subordinates, Yuka, Toby, and Shirley, knelt beside him.

At that moment, Nate's six eyes saw Erza and Juvia fighting Leon's other subordinates in the forest. Nate sent them a message:

Sigma man: [Don't kill Erza. Bring them to the temple.]

A short while later, five new figures appeared at the temple, Leon's subordinates defeated and brought back by Erza.

As Leon and his group rejoined the Moon Drop ritual, Erza turned to Nate, confused. "What's going on?"

Nate casually explained, "It's simpler to kill Deliora once and for all. Otherwise, someone will keep trying to revive him. The island's unique location makes it perfect for the ritual. I don't want to deal with this again."

Erza thought about it, then reluctantly agreed. "You're right, but do we have enough strength to defeat him?"

"We will win," Nate assured her. He pointed to Ultear, who stood nearby. "We've got a councilor, after all."

Ultear, noticing the group's attention, sighed. "If we fail, I'll get you out, and the Council will handle the rest." This was only half true—she planned to move Deliora before the Council even arrived and blame the failure on Nate.

Nate chuckled to himself, recognizing the irony. Everyone had their own agenda. Leon and his group wanted to challenge Deliora, Ultear sought to control the demon, and Nate, while pretending to aim for Deliora's destruction, actually wanted to collect Ur's soul. Yet, for now, their goals aligned: complete the Moon Drop Ceremony.

Time passed, and soon, midnight arrived. The earth trembled, and a demon's roar echoed from beneath the temple.

Leon's face lit up with excitement. "Deliora is resurrected!" Without hesitation, he rushed off, his subordinates following closely.

Ultear's eyes gleamed with anticipation, though she quickly masked her emotions.

"Let's check it out," Nate said, closing his magic book.

In the depths of the underground cave, they found Deliora—reduced to dust.

Leon collapsed to his knees in shock. "Deliora… is dead?" For three years, he had moved Deliora to this island, continuing the Moon Drop ritual in the hope of resurrecting the demon. But now, all that effort had come to nothing.

Ultear, too, was stunned. Could Ur's magic have killed the demon?

Nate, seeing her reaction, inwardly laughed. Deliora's fate had been sealed by her mother.

Erza, meanwhile, sighed in relief. "It seems we don't have to fight after all. Knight, what's next?"

"Breaking the evil barrier in the sky will complete the mission," Nate replied casually, already moving on.

Erza and Juvia quickly followed suit, while Ultear lingered behind for a moment, then walked to the water's edge. After a long silence, she snorted, turning to Leon and his team. "Pathetic." She added, "Since you haven't caused any major harm, I'll let this go for now." With that, she vanished, her body dissipating like water—revealing she had only sent a thought projection.

Leon's subordinates called after him, but Leon, empty and disillusioned, waved them away. He didn't care anymore.

"Leave me alone," Leon said, walking out of the cave in a daze.

Time passed in the cave.

Suddenly, a golden magic circle flashed near the stagnant water. Nate reappeared.

"Finally, they're gone. Now, let's collect those soul fragments." Nate dipped his hand into the melted ice, using his six eyes to detect the flow of magic. Bit by bit, he began collecting Ur's soul fragments, knowing it would be a time-consuming process.

In a strange world, Ur slowly opened her eyes, surprised to find herself naked.

"Where… am I?" she murmured, confused. Wasn't she supposed to be dead?

As she touched her face, her hand passed through an array of shimmering zeros and ones surrounding her. "What is this place?"

"This is the [Deep Internet], also known as the Deep Web. And you're its first visitor," a male voice announced.

Turning, Ur saw a young man appear out of thin air—Nate.

"Who are you? And what is the Deep Internet?" she asked, still reeling from confusion.

Nate smiled, "Hello, Ur. The Deep Internet is a kind of magic I created, and this place is its core."

With a snap of his fingers, the zeros and ones around them coalesced, forming screens and functions: forums, games, chat groups—all alive with information. Ur looked on, amazed. What kind of magic was this?

"Did you… resurrect me?" she asked, still in shock. Resurrection magic was legendary.

"No," Nate corrected her. "I simply gathered your soul and brought it here—to the Deep Web."

He snapped his fingers again, and a blue dress appeared, draping itself over Ur's body. She touched it, marveling at how real it felt. Created from thin air? Was Nate some kind of god?

"In the Deep Web, everything is 'virtual.' For example…" Nate clapped his hands lightly, and all the data around them began to rewind. Then, he clapped again, and everything froze.

Ur was speechless. This magic was beyond her comprehension. "Great wizard," she said with newfound respect, "I didn't catch your name."

"Nate," he replied with a smile.

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