The next day, early in the morning, Zorn led the group towards the Temple of Moonlight.
Along the way, Natsu and Gray were constantly arguing, one saying that destroying the moon was impossible, and the other saying that destroying the moon couldn't be done.
"Hey, you two have been arguing the whole way. It's clearly possible that it's not about the moon," Cana said, turning to the two of them.
"Mm-hmm, I think so too. Our moon usually isn't affected. Since Galuna Island is cursed, could it be related to something on this island?" Lucy also offered her opinion.
"Huh? I want to ask, where are we going, Zorn?" Happy flew from Natsu's shoulder to Zorn's shoulder and asked.
"Zorn, do you have a clue already?" Lucy asked, looking at Zorn, who was walking straight ahead without a word, puzzled. According to past situations, Zorn would definitely have stopped Natsu and Gray.
"We are going to the Temple of Moonlight on this island, which is also the origin of this matter," Zorn replied indifferently, ignoring everyone's confusion and continuing, "From the village chief's narration, we can get a few key pieces of information."
"The first is the time. The village chief said that such a situation had never happened before, only starting a few years ago."
"The second is the Moonlight, which also began to turn purple a few years ago."
"The third is the reason. We need to consider why the Moonlight turned purple specifically on this island. There must be something on this island, or someone must have tampered with it."
After hearing Zorn's words, everyone fell into thought. Natsu and Gray stopped arguing about whether they could destroy the moon, and instead, as if they understood, they nodded involuntarily.
"Then what does that have to do with us going to the temple?"
"Because only the temple at that location is most likely to have been tampered with, or most likely to hide something."
"Haha, we'll know once we go and see."
It wasn't that Zorn knew the plot and just said so directly; it was because at the moment the purple Moonlight appeared, he truly felt the magic power of several conspirators and the ice-sealed demon from the temple's location with his Observation Haki.
After some time, the group arrived at the Temple of Moonlight, but its dilapidated state made them somewhat unable to understand why such a grand temple looked like this.
"It doesn't seem like anything can be hidden here. It just looks a bit eerie," Lucy said, looking at the walls covered with symbols and the moon mark in front of her.
"Yeah, there's nothing," Cana echoed.
Natsu, however, was very curious, running back and forth, touching everything. Happy was the same, fooling around with Natsu.
"Hey, Natsu, be careful!" Gray couldn't stand it anymore and reminded him.
"Actually, it's right beneath our feet. Be careful, Gray, Lucy." After Zorn finished speaking, and after the others were ready, he grabbed Cana, stomped hard on the ground, and the entire floor instantly shattered with the force.
"Ah!" Lucy exclaimed in surprise, but fortunately, Zorn had warned them, so they were prepared. Gray also tensed his body instantly, and everyone safely reached the underground cave with no damage.
Only Natsu, who was still running around, fell headfirst onto the ground in an instant, and it was Gray who pulled him out by his two legs.
After Natsu got up, he acted as if nothing had happened, still excitedly running at the very front, and seeing a cave, he rushed straight into it.
The further they went inside, the lower the temperature became, and cold mist could be seen drifting on the ground.
Just at a corner, Natsu suddenly stopped in front, no longer making a fuss. Gray and Lucy, who were following behind, were also puzzled: "Natsu, what's wrong?"
But the moment Gray, Lucy, and Cana saw the figure in front of them, they reacted the same way, standing frozen on the spot.
"What is this?"
A demon sealed within a giant block of ice appeared before everyone.
Gray's reaction was even more intense. His lips trembled, and his pupils constricted: "This is impossible, impossible." As he murmured, his fists clenched, and an uncontrollable rage burned in his chest. The magical power that erupted made the surroundings even colder.
"Deliora! He absolutely cannot be here! Who did this?!" Gray instantly rushed to the ice block, shocked to see the impossible happening.
"Gray, what's wrong? Do you know it?"
He was clearly sealed in the north by his master, Ur, so why was he here?
Gray, lost in his memories, did not answer Lucy and Natsu's questions. Zorn looked at Gray, who was trembling, full of fear, and clenching his fists in anger. He sighed inwardly, then explained to everyone.
"Deliora is a demon representing disaster, possessing immortality. He caused chaos in the northern region and was sealed by Ur, a Magician capable of being ranked among the Ten Wizard Saints, who used her own life to do so. She should be the master who taught Gray magic."
When Natsu and the others heard this, they looked at Gray with sympathy, but they did not know at this moment that in Gray's heart, Ur was killed by him.
"It seems some people want to revive Deliora." As Zorn finished this sentence, Gray, who was still immersed in his own world, had his mind instantly brought back.
"Damn it, I will never allow it! Even if it costs me my life, I will absolutely not let this demon appear in this world again. I will end all of this once more."
Gray turned his back to Zorn and the others, his eyes fixed on Deliora. Although tears welled in his eyes, his unusually firm gaze revealed his determination.
"Don't worry, Gray. Haha, are you crying?"
"With us here, it's impossible for you to use your life to stop it. You still have us, your companions!"
Zorn, Natsu, Cana, Lucy, and Happy placed their hands on Gray's shoulder. Natsu, as usual, teased Gray, hoping to alleviate his current mood, but Gray, feeling touched, ignored Natsu.
"Did you forget something, Gray? I'm still here. You should know my strength!"
Zorn's words also gave Natsu and the others confidence. Before Gray could react, Zorn continued to speak towards the top of the cave entrance: "Don't you agree, so-called Lord Zero!"
After speaking, Zorn instantly transformed his magic power into a light sword and launched an attack upwards. A white-haired person wearing a mask instantly raised an ice wall, blocking the attack.
He jumped down.
"As expected of one of the Ten Wizard Saints. I wouldn't dare to be complacent in the slightest. When I heard the report from my subordinates, I followed you here."
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