Galuna Island, Part Eight

The three fought their way to the cave where Deliora was kept.

Deep within the cave, the frozen Deliora still stands there, its ice surface covered with dense cracks, as if it could shatter at any moment.

Purple light poured down from the crack above, arriving as promised and shining upon Deliora.

All I can say is that Bruce (Toby) did a great job; dogs truly are man's best friend.

Although the kobold was beaten black and grime, it still faithfully carried out Lyon's orders, and the dog itself performed the ceremony.

Natsu scratched his head, utterly confused, his pink, spiky hair becoming even more agitated. "We've already damaged the ruins to the point of tilting, so why is the light still shining in?"

Zalty composed herself, took a crystal ball from her sleeve, and slowly twirled it between her fingers, purple light flowing within its surface. She raised her head, a confident smile playing on her lips, her tone arrogant:

"My Arc of Time has restored the ruins; of course, its light can shine in. The Moon Drop, the demon ravaging the northern continent, Deliora, is about to awaken!"

Riyao clapped his hands, looking as if he had just realized something. "Then if I capture you and bring you back to the village, will my village be restored?"

Zalty's eye twitched. That damned Kras always managed to infuriate her.

Lyon and Gray also came here.

Both were covered in wounds; blood still clung to Gray's lips, and Lyon's silver hair lay disheveled on his forehead, but their eyes held an unwavering resolve.

Riyao felt a little cheated because he didn't get to see the whole love-hate relationship between the two brothers.

Deliora is about to be released from quarantine.

The cracks on the ice surface became more numerous and deeper, and the cracking sounds echoed in the cave, as if something was awakening from its Sleep.

Lyon saw the ice about to shatter, his expression turned fanatical, and a mad flame burned in his icy blue eyes.

"Finally, I see you again, Deliora! This time, I will surpass Ur! I will be the one to seal you away!"

His voice echoed in the cave, carrying an almost obsessive intensity.

Riyao sighed inwardly, "Are people in this world so easily brainwashed? One by one, they've all been tricked into becoming villains. Brain is definitely a pyramid scheme leader; the villains in the early episodes are all more or less connected to him."

The ice shattered completely.

The massive block of ice shattered in the middle, scattering fragments like shrapnel, and a chilling aura instantly swept through the entire cave. A colossal figure rose from the ice, its muscles twisted, its face contorted, and its fangs bared; Deliora roared to the sky.

Aww~

The roar seemed to come from the depths of hell, filled with endless resentment and brutality.

The entire Galuna Island felt this terrifying magic; the earth trembled slightly, the sea surged, and birds scattered in fright.

In the village, the villagers huddled together in terror.

Only Mirajane, a hint of excitement flashing in her silver eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips, strode towards the ruins, her long silver hair fluttering in the wind.

Experience pack~

Gray stood in front of the group, his hands clasped together, icy blue magic gathering in his palms.

He struck a pose of Iced Shell, his face bearing a resolute expression.

"I will seal Deliora away!"

Natsu stood in front of Gray, like a nesting doll. His back was to Gray, flames danced on his fists, and his white checkered scarf fluttered slightly in the heat.

"No, I've already decided to challenge this guy. Go ahead and cast that spell if you want."

Deliora unleashed a punch at Natsu, the massive fist carrying devastating power, compressing the air into a shockwave. Natsu met it head-on, his right fist wreathed in flames, the Fire Dragon's Iron Fist colliding with Deliora's fist.

I won't give up until the very end!

Flames and dark purple magic exploded at the point of impact, the shockwave causing the cave to tremble.

Unexpectedly, the moment Deliora touched Natsu, his entire body shattered into pieces!

Like a statue weathered for a thousand years, it collapsed under the impact of the flames, shattering into countless ice blocks and fragments that scattered all over the ground with a crash.

Ice water gushed out, flowing between the gravel and ice.

At the bottom of the water lies a crystal ball, emitting a faint light, as if it is absorbing something.

That was the crystal ball that Riyao had secretly placed next to Deliora.

Erza, Mirajane, Lucy, and Happy arrived.

Erza a half-body suit of armor, her long red hair flowing behind her; Mirajane wore a leather jacket and skirt, her silver hair shimmering in the moonlight; Lucy and Happy followed behind, panting heavily.

Just as everyone was celebrating...

Riyao stood on the platform where Deliora was, with broken ice and flowing icy water beneath its feet.

[Life Mimicry - Demon]

He kept his head down, his hands hanging at his sides, and his shoulders trembling slightly.

Then, his magical power surged.

That magic was like magma erupting from the abyss—hot, violent, and uncontrollable.

Its aura became terrifying, exactly the same as Deliora's aura just now, and even surpassed it.

The entire cave was enveloped by this magic, and the air became heavy and oppressive, as if an invisible hand was gripping everyone's throat.

"Ahhhh..."

Riyao raised his head and let out a painful, twisted roar. His body began to change drastically, his skin being covered with jet-black scales at a visible speed, spreading from his arms to his shoulders, from his shoulders to his chest, and from his chest to his entire body.

Its form was completely demonized, neither resembling Deliora nor Mirajane 'Satan Soul.

Its entire body was pitch black and menacing, covered in scales, each scale looking as if it had been forged in hell, gleaming with a cold metallic luster.

Purple patterns meandered between the scales, like lava flowing on black rocks, giving it an eerie appearance. Its limbs had also transformed into ferocious and terrifying claws, with fingernails like black scimitars that reflected a cold, sharp edge in the dim light.

Two curved horns grew from the top of his head, and a row of bony spikes rose from his back, extending all the way to his tail.

Its tail is thick and powerful, ending in a trident that carves deep furrows in the ground.

This unexpected scene left everyone utterly shocked.

"Hey! Kras! What's wrong?!" Natsu shouted anxiously, trying to rush over, flames dancing on his fist.

Erza grabbed Natsu's arm, her reddish-brown eyes fixed on the demon on the platform, her voice deep and tense.

"Don't go over there, something's wrong."

Mirajane's eyes narrowed, her silver pupils contracting slightly. She had received countless demon souls and was most sensitive to the aura of demons. The aura she sensed at this moment was more powerful and terrifying than any demon she had ever received.

"This demon is more terrifying than the Satan Soul."

Gray lay on the ground, his icy blue eyes filled with shock and confusion. He had seen Deliora before, Deliora who had been frozen for ten years, but the aura emanating from this demon was many times stronger than Deliora's.

"This isn't Deliora; Deliora isn't this terrifying."

Lyon, who was lying next to Gray, was like he had been injected with chicken blood. His silver hair stood on end, and his icy blue eyes burned with a crazy flame as he struggled to get up.

"Help me up! I still have a chance to surpass Ur!"

Gray turned his head and looked at him speechlessly. "Wake up."

Ultear (Zalty), lurking in the shadows, had a solemn expression, her purple eyes swirling with complex emotions. She gripped the crystal ball tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white.

"Who is it? And is what he's saying true?"

Lucy and Happy huddled together, trembling. Lucy's golden hair swayed gently with each tremor, while Happy's wings were tightly folded to his sides, and his two round eyes were filled with fear.

After transforming, Riyao slowly turned around.

His dark eyes swept over the group, the pupils vertical, like two unfathomable slits. A slow, wide grin spread across his face, revealing two rows of gleaming white fangs.

The smile looked particularly weird on the ferocious face, like an evil ghost in hell laughing at the insignificance of the human world.

Erza instantly Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor, wielding a longsword in each hand, with dozens of longswords appearing behind her.

Mirajane received the Satan Soul, his eyes became incredibly sharp, and bat-like wings unfurled behind him.

Natsu assumed a fighting stance, his feet spread apart, his fists bursting with flames, and his pink hair billowing in the heat.

Erza ordered in a deep voice, "Lucy, Happy, take Gray and his senior brother away from here."

Lucy nodded quickly and, together with Happy, dragged Gray up.

Gray tried to struggle. "I can fight too!" But Lucy grabbed him by the collar and, together with Happy, dragged him out.

Lyon was dragged out as well, still yelling, "Let me go! I can still fight!"

Magic raged within the cave, dark purple magic swirling like a storm in the air, distorting the air and bending the light.

The demonized Riyao stood in the center of the platform, looking down at the three people, his vertical pupils reflecting their three figures.