Galuna Island, Part Five
Voices could be heard in the distance, and footsteps echoed between the stone walls.
Riyao immediately grabbed Natsu, and the group quickly hid behind a stone pillar, holding their breath to observe the situation.
The three Present Riyao and the others.
A shirtless dog-headed man walked at the front, his pointed ears twitching. His name was Toby.
Following closely behind was Sherry, a pink-haired girl who kept talking about love, her hands cupping her cheeks, her eyes sparkling with a dreamy light.
At the very back was a scruffy-looking guy Yuka with extremely exaggerated eyebrows. He walked with his hands behind his back, looking like he thought he was very handsome.
Sherry cupped her face in her hands, her long pink hair swaying slightly, her voice filled with worry.
"Angelica got beaten up by someone, hopefully it won't affect Zero Emperor's plans."
Toby made an exaggerated sarcastic expression, his dog ears perking up.
"Why give a mouse such a nice-sounding name! Woof!"
Yuka stood with his hands behind his back, his tone indifferent.
"It was probably done by villagers from the surrounding area."
Seeing that Deliora, who was frozen in ice, was not acting abnormally, and confirming that there were no intruders around, the three of them left while chatting, their footsteps gradually fading into the distance.
Gray's face was extremely pale, as white as a sheet of paper, and his lips were pressed tightly into a line.
He took a deep breath, his voice hoarse.
Let's wait here until nightfall and see what happens.
Feeling bored, Natsu simply lay down and fell asleep, his hands behind his head. He started snoring in less than three seconds, with a trace of drool at the corner of his mouth.
Bored, Happy flew over to Riyao's side, flapping its wings and tugging at Riyao's clothes with its little paws, trying to get Riyao to continue flattering it.
Lucy took out her key and whispered, "Open! Lyra!"
A golden magic circle appeared, and a Celestial Spirit playing a harp appeared beside them, the melodious music echoing through the ruins.
It's emo time.
The music was plaintive and sorrowful, like someone whispering in your ear, or like the wind blowing across a vast wilderness from afar.
"♩Cake shops sell cakes♩Bread shops sell bread..."
Gray leaned against the stone pillar, listening to the music, his eyes gradually becoming vacant, his thoughts drifting back to a long, long time ago.
He thought of Ur, of that stern yet gentle woman, of her last smile, of that heavy snowfall.
A tear slid down the corner of his eye and flowed silently down his cheek.
Riyao crouched down in front of Gray, tilting his head and teasing him.
"Lord Gray dropped a little pearl!"
Lucy quickly explained, waving her hands in front of her chest.
"The music of Lyra can touch the heart; it wasn't that Gray wanted to cry."
Natsu, who had woken up at some point, pointed at Gray and mocked him, laughing so hard he almost fell over.
"Haha! Gray cried! Gray cried!"
Gray wiped away his tears forcefully, his eyes red as he retorted.
"No! It's just sand in my eyes!"
Just then, a huge purple magic circle appeared above their heads.
Purple light pierced through the ruins and shone on Deliora.
Fine cracks began to appear on the surface of the ice, with faint signs of melting, and water droplets slowly slid down the ice surface.
Gray's eyes widened, his heart filled with rage, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
"Let's go up and see what's going on!"
The group hurried upstairs. Riyao walked at the very back, and when they weren't looking, he took a small crystal ball from his sleeve and quietly placed it in the ice crevice next to Deliora.
The crystal ball flickered briefly, then faded, blending seamlessly into the ice surface.
Upon reaching the top of the ruins, the sight before them astonished everyone.
A group of people dressed in religious attire formed a circle, raising their hands high and chanting incantations.
The deep chanting echoed in the night sky, like some ancient sacrificial ritual.
"Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits..."
Lyra emerged from behind Lucy, adjusted her non-existent glasses, and began her explanation.
"This is the Moon Drop! A ritual magic that can nullify most spells!"
Lucy was startled.
Why haven't you gone back yet?
The so-called Zero Emperor emerged from the shadows with his subordinates.
He wore a white robe, his long silver hair cascading over his shoulders, his face cold and arrogant, exuding an aura of superiority.
How much longer until Deliora is unsealed?
Sherry replied, her hands folded in front of her chest, her voice soft and sweet.
"It'll probably be today, or tomorrow."
Zero Emperor nodded and waved his hand, ordering his men to destroy the village first.
The familiar voice jolted Gray, and he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.
He stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his lips trembling slightly.
That voice, that tone, that arrogant posture...
The hot-tempered Natsu didn't care about anything else and charged out, his fists bursting into flames.
Why worry so much! Just destroy it!
Gray cursed under his breath, calling himself an idiot, but he still rushed out.
He pressed his hands to the ground, and icy blue magic surged forth. "Ice Geyser!"
A dense barrage of ice spikes hurtled towards Zero Emperor and his companions.
Zero Emperor and his group quickly dodged, their movements clean and swift.
After landing, he pressed one hand to the ground and used the same move as Gray. Ice spikes rose from the ground and collided with Gray's ice spikes, shattering with a loud crash.
Gray shouted through gritted teeth, his voice filled with anger and pain.
"It really was you! Lyon!"
Zero Emperor, no, Lyon smiled slightly, his long silver hair fluttering in the wind.
"Long time no see, Gray."
He waved to his men, telling them to ignore him and go wipe out the village first. Then he turned to face Gray, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Riyao screamed hoarsely, clutching his head in his hands, his expression one of utter grief.
"No! That's the village I love so much! You bastard!"
He knelt on the ground, pounding his chest and stamping his feet, delivering a phenomenal performance.
Before Natsu could react, Lyon unleashed an ice spike that froze Natsu into a ball, sending him tumbling down the ruins like an ice bowling ball.
Happy flew away with Lucy, flapping their wings and soaring into the sky.
Riyao scratched his head, glanced at the two who had flown away, and then at the two brothers facing off.
What about me?
Gray shouted without turning his head.
"Stay away from me!"
Riyao obediently squatted behind a stone pillar in the distance, pulled out a handful of sunflower seeds from somewhere, and started cracking them open.
The love-hate relationship between the two brothers is so sweet!
The two began to show off their Ice-Make, with Gray focusing on static poses and Lyon on dynamic ones. The ice blocks in their hands continuously took shape and shattered, and a chill permeated the entire top floor of the ruins.
Gray clasped his hands together to cast a spell, and icy blue magic gathered in his palms.
"Ice-Make: Ice Hammer!"
A giant ice hammer materialized out of thin air and smashed towards Lyon.
Lyon stylishly extended one hand to cast a spell, his silver hair fluttering in the icy wind.
"Ice-Make: Ice Dove!"
Several ice doves took flight, colliding with the ice hammer in mid-air and shattering into countless ice crystals.
The two fought like in a turn-based game, exchanging moves and techniques, making Riyao's eyes twitch as he watched.
The key is that Gray, that idiot, is still at a disadvantage, with every move he makes being easily neutralized by Lyon.
We need to teach this idiot a lesson; he's been playing friendly matches with Natsu every day without making any progress.
Riyao, relax and keep eating your sunflower seeds. As for Lucy, just kidding, she's the chosen one, even if Natsu dies, Lucy won't.
Gray was quickly beaten severely, kneeling on the ground, blood flowing from his forehead, staining half his face red.
Lyon glanced disdainfully at Gray, who was lying unconscious on the ground, and turned to leave without even looking at him again.
Riyao sighed, rubbing his forehead. "That idiot."