The Beast Awakens

Yukari didn't waste any time. She shot up the final steps of the temple, her boots barely touching the ground before she landed on the crumbling rooftop. The view was nothing short of dramatic directly above, a sinister beam of light descended from the moon, bathing the temple in an eerie glow. The energy in the air crackled like an impending storm, thick with magic so potent it made the hairs on her arms stand on end.

Below the beam, a group of robed figures stood in a perfect circle, chanting monotonously as their ritual neared completion. Their faces were blank, their voices hollow, but Yukari could feel the raw intent behind their words. They were dead serious about reviving whatever monstrosity they had locked away beneath the temple.

Then, as if on cue, a deafening roar tore through the night. The entire structure trembled beneath Yukari's feet, sending dust and loose debris cascading down the sides. The roar was guttural, ancient, and filled with an overwhelming rage that made the very air vibrate.

"Oh, fantastic," Yukari muttered. "Nothing says 'bad decision' like waking up something that sounds like it eats people for fun."

Before things could escalate further, she exhaled sharply and raised a hand. The air around her shimmered as she began to increase the temperature. Not to the point of combustion no, that would have been too messy. Instead, she cranked up the heat subtly, turning the atmosphere thick and suffocating.

The effect was immediate. The robed figures twitched, their chants faltering as beads of sweat formed on their foreheads. Within moments, one by one, they started collapsing like puppets with their strings cut. Their bodies hit the ground with soft thuds, unconscious from the lack of oxygen in the superheated air.

Yukari crossed her arms, pleased. "Well, that was easy."

Unfortunately, her moment of satisfaction was short-lived.

A sudden blur shot out from the shadows of the temple, moving at an unnatural speed. Before she could fully register the movement, a figure landed a few meters away, crouched low with a grin stretched across his face.

Yukari tilted her head. "...You a lost dog or something?"

The newcomer straightened up, revealing his lean, slightly muscular frame. His brown hair fell past his shoulders, and his round eyes sparkled with a manic energy that set off immediate alarms in Yukari's mind. But the most bizarre thing? His face his entire lower jaw, nose, and ears had the distinct features of a canine.

"I'm not lost," the man huffed, placing his hands on his hips. "My name is Toby, and I'll be—"

Yukari held up a hand. "Wait. Hold on." She squinted at him. "Are those dog ears... real?"

Toby stiffened. "O-Of course they are!"

She leaned in slightly, a smirk tugging at her lips. "You sure? They look kinda fake."

"They're real!" he snapped, baring his teeth.

Yukari chuckled. "Alright, alright, Fido. What do you want?"

Toby's grin returned as he flexed his fingers. His nails suddenly elongated into sharp, claw-like appendages, glowing faintly with an ominous purple hue. "I'm here to stop you! With these claws and my special Paralysis Powder, I can—"

Before he could finish, Yukari flicked him.

It wasn't even a full punch just a casual flick of her finger against his forehead. But the force behind it sent Toby flying backward with a loud whump, where he crashed face-first into the temple wall and slumped to the ground, twitching slightly.

Yukari dusted off her gloves. "Well, that was disappointing."

With that minor inconvenience dealt with, she turned back to the temple ruins below. Despite the ritual being interrupted, the monstrous wails hadn't stopped. If anything, they were growing louder.

"Guess I'd better see what all the fuss is about," she muttered, before leaping down into the depths.

By the time Yukari rejoined Gray and Natsu, they had already fought their way through several enemies and were standing at the temple's lower levels. But neither of them were looking at her. Their gazes were fixed on something massive.

Yukari followed their line of sight and stopped dead in her tracks.

"Holy hell."

There, embedded in layers of cracked ice, was Deliora.

Even in his weakened state, the demon was terrifying. His enormous, muscular body was dark blue, covered in spikes and ridges that made him look like something ripped straight from a nightmare. His arms were thick as tree trunks, ending in clawed hands that could probably crush boulders with ease. His face if it could even be called that was dominated by large, hollow eyes and a mouth filled with jagged, pointed teeth.

But despite his monstrous appearance, Yukari immediately noticed something important.

He was barely moving.

The only part of him that was free from the ice was his head and part of his upper body. His eyes, though glowing faintly, held none of the power she would have expected from a revived demon. His breathing was slow and labored, as if every second was a struggle.

Yukari narrowed her eyes. She could feel it the sheer weakness radiating off of him.

"This thing's already dying."

Gray tensed beside her, his fists clenching. "What?"

"The ice," Yukari explained, nodding toward the massive frozen sections still wrapped around Deliora. "It's not just restraining him. It's been sapping his life away for years. Whatever magic kept him sealed up it worked too well."

Natsu snorted. "So we showed up for nothing?"

Yukari smirked. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. There's still the fun part." She turned to Gray, her expression softening slightly. "This thing was sealed away by your master, wasn't it?"

Gray swallowed hard. "Yeah..."

"Then you should be the one to finish it off."

Gray's eyes widened. "Me?"

Yukari nodded. "This thing's already on its last legs. It won't take much to put it down. And I'm guessing... you've got something special in mind?"

For a moment, Gray hesitated. Then, taking a deep breath, he stepped forward. He raised a hand, and an intricate magic circle appeared beneath his feet.

"Ice-Make: Lance!"

A series of razor-sharp ice spears erupted from the ground, launching forward at high speed. They struck Deliora directly in the chest piercing through what little life he had left.

The demon let out one final, guttural growl. His massive form trembled... then stilled.

The battle was over.

Yukari sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "Well. That was anticlimactic."

But before anyone could respond, a slow, unsteady clapping sound echoed through the temple.

They turned to see Leon standing in the entrance, his body battered and bruised from his earlier fight. His face was unreadable until he finally took in Deliora's lifeless form.

His expression crumbled.

"No..."

The grief in his voice was palpable. His legs shook, and he dropped to his knees, staring at the fallen demon as if refusing to believe what he was seeing.

Yukari watched him for a moment before sighing. "Welp. This just got awkward."

And with that, the temple fell silent.