Chapter 12 – The Lava Hurricane
After a long and relentless journey to the north, Arthur moved swiftly through snow-covered lands, passing village after village, all buried under blankets of white. In each one, he stopped to ask questions, gathering fragments of information—tales of destruction, unnatural ice, and monstrous sightings. He was tracing the chaos, searching for the path Deliora had carved with its cursed presence.
As the bitter wind howled through the trees and whipped against his cloak, Arthur narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists.
If I can't even deal with Deliora… then how will I ever face the multiversal-level monsters of my real world? This… this is just the warm-up.
He accelerated, his boots slamming into the frozen earth as he surged forward like a comet. The landscape was vast and silent, blanketed in an oppressive whiteness. Mountains towered in the distance like ancient sentinels, their peaks shrouded in mist and snow. The chill gnawed at his bones, but he didn't slow down—not even for a second.
Then, a sound broke the quiet.
A distant boom echoed across the valley. It was faint but unmistakable—a battle. His heart skipped a beat.
"A fight…!"
With no hesitation, Arthur bolted in the direction of the explosion, the wind now a blur around him. As he closed in, he saw figures in the distance—gray silhouettes against the snow.
And then he saw her.
Ur.
She stood before Deliora, her eyes filled with grim resolve. Her hands were already forming the symbols of the Iced Shell—a forbidden spell, one that required the ultimate sacrifice. From afar, Gray and Lyon watched, powerless, frozen in fear and sorrow.
"Watch how I'll end your nightmare, Gray," Ur said with a soft, melancholic smile, her voice steady despite the storm inside her. She had made peace with death.
But before the spell could be completed—before fate could seal her away—a flash of fire exploded across the battlefield.
BOOM!
Deliora was struck by a devastating lava-infused punch and hurled across the ice, tearing through a frozen cliff like a cannonball. The beast roared as it crashed into the mountain, momentarily stunned.
Ur, in shock, halted her incantation. Her eyes widened as a figure emerged from the smoke and flame.
Arthur stood tall, lava-coated fists crackling with molten energy, his expression resolute.
"You're not dying here. Not today," Arthur declared. "We haven't won yet."
He pointed toward Deliora, who was rising again, now angrier than ever. The beast's eyes glowed with wrath.
"I'll need your help to bring it down," Arthur said, turning to Ur. "You in?"
Ur blinked through the cold. Her lips trembled for a moment before she gave a firm nod, wiping a tear from her cheek.
"Let's finish this… together."
The two of them charged, lava and ice colliding against the monstrous demon with synchronized fury. Explosions of vapor burst through the battlefield as fire met frost, and the terrain around them shattered under the elemental assault.
Deliora roared, swinging its arms and tail wildly, but Arthur and Ur were relentless. They struck together with overwhelming force. Glacial spears impaled its limbs while lava fists smashed into its thick hide, carving glowing red cracks into its form.
Gray clenched his fists from a safe distance, eyes filled with awe.
"Ur… please don't die. Beat that monster."
Lyon said nothing, but his gaze betrayed the pride he felt watching his master and Arthur stand together.
Suddenly, Deliora unleashed a blast of cursed ice from its mouth, and Arthur barely managed to dodge, spinning midair. The beast swung its massive tail again, this time with deadly precision.
WHAM!
Arthur and Ur were thrown violently. He caught her mid-air, wrapping his arms around her to shield her from the impact. They slammed into a wall of ice with a thunderous crash. Arthur gritted his teeth, the breath knocked from his lungs, blood spurting from his mouth as his back cracked the frozen surface.
"ur!" Gray shouted from afar, horror in his voice.
Arthur slid down the ice wall, holding Ur protectively. His body was trembling, but his spirit didn't waver.
"You okay…?" he asked, even though his vision blurred.
Ur nodded. "Yes… but he's still standing. How do we stop him?"
Arthur's eyes burned with intensity. "Can you freeze him… just for one minute?"
She hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. I can hold him. But only once."
"Then that's all I need."
Deliora stomped forward, injured but still monstrous. Black blood oozed from its chest. The ground trembled with every step. Arthur stood tall again, summoning all the fire he had left in his body, veins glowing like molten cracks.
Ur charged. Magic surged from her hands as she unleashed a freezing storm. Ice coiled around Deliora's legs, chest, shoulders—an ancient sealing spell born of desperation. The beast howled in fury, trapped in place.
Arthur ascended into the air, gathering lava from every fissure he'd created during the fight. The air shimmered with heat. The sky above them darkened with the intensity of his power.
"This one's from the same creators of Fire Tornado…" he muttered, voice echoing with power. "But this one's on a whole different level."
"LAVA HURRICANE!!"
The sky split open as a swirling vortex of molten rock and flame descended upon Deliora like a divine punishment. The beast roared in anguish as the lava consumed it. A fiery explosion followed, incinerating ice, stone, and shadow in a single, blinding blast.
KABOOOOOOOM!!
The impact sent a shockwave across the battlefield, and silence followed.
Deliora collapsed.
A massive hole burned through its chest. The monster twitched once… then lay still.
Arthur crashed to the ground, exhausted and battered. He gasped for air, his body scorched but intact.
"Good thing my defense is high…" he whispered, coughing.
Ur ran to him, kneeling by his side.
"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.
"Just… need a minute," he replied, offering a faint smile before closing his eyes.
Gray and Lyon rushed over. Gray dropped to his knees, tears in his eyes. Lyon placed a hand on his master's shoulder, unable to hide his respect.
Deliora was defeated—not through death, not through sacrifice… but through determination and unity.
And Arthur knew deep down… this was only the beginning.
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