Chapter 13 – Frozen Truths
After resting for a while, Arthur finally stood up, his gaze fixed on the broken and bloodied corpse of Deliora, the fearsome demon who had caused so much destruction. The massive beast now lay in ruins, its dark energy slowly fading into the cold air. Arthur's thoughts raced as he walked closer to the shattered body.
"I have to test this," he whispered to himself, clenching his fists tightly.
His mind was filled with a powerful curiosity and a spark of hope. He carefully knelt beside one of the scattered pieces of Deliora and dipped his fingers into the dark, thick blood pooling on the ground. The blood shimmered faintly with magical energy, still potent despite the demon's death.
"If I can gain powers from just a drop of this blood," Arthur muttered, "then maybe… just maybe… I won't have to kill people to get stronger. This could give me a better chance to obtain power from enemies I don't want to kill."
With that thought, Arthur activated his Devour ability, focusing it entirely on the single drop of blood in his hand. His palm glowed with a dark light as the drop was consumed. Almost instantly, he felt the power surge into his body—like a blast of cold wind rushing through his veins, freezing and empowering him at the same time.
The transformation was immediate.
Arthur's body pulsed with raw strength. He stood up, his muscles trembling slightly as he adjusted to the sudden increase in power. He clenched his fist and opened it again, feeling the rush of icy magic flowing inside him.
"My body feels stronger… my strength increased. I can feel it… It's up to three hundred tons now," he thought. "And the other physical attributes… I'll have to analyze them later."
He looked down at his hand again, still tingling from the transfer of power. Then he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"But this confirms it. I still don't fully understand how my abilities work. There are parts of my powers that I haven't explored yet. If Devour can do this with just a drop… who knows what else it can do? I need to investigate this further when I return."
Arthur turned his gaze toward a small group nearby. Gray and Lyon were both crying, emotionally shattered, resting in the comforting embrace of their master, Ur. Gray was quietly apologizing, tears running down his face, while Lyon remained silent but visibly broken.
Arthur walked toward them, his expression calm and respectful.
"Hello," he said gently. "My name is Arthur Kent. I'm a wizard from Fairy Tail."
He extended his hand toward Ur, offering a friendly smile. Ur looked up at him, her eyes still red from tears. She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you," she said quietly. "I'm Ur. These two are Lyon and Gray."
Arthur looked at the boys, then back at her.
"They're your children?" he asked.
Ur shook her head, a sad look in her eyes. "No. My daughter… she passed away."
Arthur's heart beat faster. Now's my chance.
"I'm sorry to ask," he said carefully, "but… how did she die?"
Ur blinked in surprise, not expecting such a direct question. But something in Arthur's tone told her that his intentions were not cruel. She took a deep breath.
"She had an unusually high amount of mana in her body," Ur said, her voice trembling. "But she was so small… too small to handle it. I didn't know what to do, so I took her to the Northern Research Institute, hoping they could help. But… she didn't make it."
Arthur's expression darkened. "The Northern Research Institute… You didn't take her to the one in the north, did you?"
Ur furrowed her brows. "Yes, I did. Why?"
Arthur looked at her seriously. "What I'm about to tell you… it's not easy to hear. Is there a place we can talk privately?"
Ur nodded slowly. "Come with me. We can talk at my home."
The two walked through the snow-covered forest, the cold wind whispering between the trees. Soon, they arrived at a small wooden cabin nestled at the edge of the mountains. Inside, it was warm and simple. They sat at a table near the fire, and Ur waited anxiously.
Arthur leaned forward.
"While I was traveling the world," he began, "I heard rumors. Whispers that the Northern Research Institute had begun cooperating with dark guilds. That they were performing… experiments. On children. Magical children who were sent there for help."
Ur stared at him, shocked. "No… that can't be true. They were just rumors. You don't have proof, do you?"
Arthur nodded. "No, not solid proof. But think back. When you went to retrieve your daughter… did anything seem off? Suspicious behavior, strange decisions?"
Ur's eyes widened slightly as a memory surfaced. Her hands trembled again.
"They… they said she died," she whispered. "But when I asked to see the body… they refused. They told me… that it had already deteriorated."
Arthur leaned back, folding his arms.
"That's a lie."
Ur looked up sharply. "What?"
"We're in the north. This entire region is covered in ice and snow. The temperature is freezing—there's no way a body could deteriorate like that. Not naturally. That excuse makes no sense, unless they were hiding something."
Ur's face slowly shifted from confusion to horror. She stood up, her breath trembling.
"Arthur… does that mean…?"
"Yes," he said firmly. "There's a real chance your daughter is still alive. And the Institute didn't want you to find out."
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