Deliora Is Dead

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"Deliora is dead!!"

"Finally! Deliora is finally dead!!"

"We've avenged our loved ones!!"

"Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!"

"..."

The people, dressed in what initially looked like cult robes, began shedding their outer garments, revealing their true selves underneath. They were ordinary people—men, women, the elderly, and children. Far from fanatical cultists, they seemed like simple villagers.

Tears of joy streamed down their faces as they knelt before Uchiha Kitaro, bowing their heads repeatedly in gratitude.

"Who are they...?"

Lucy and Natsu were both puzzled by the sight.

Sherry explained, "They're the ones who lost their families to Deliora. When we heard that Lord Zero Emperor wanted to defeat Deliora, we joined him to help."

"We thought Lyon could defeat Deliora and avenge us all..."

Natsu and Lucy's eyes widened in shock. They hadn't expected such a reason behind all of this.

Watching Deliora's agonizing demise, reduced to ashes, Gray couldn't stop the tears from flowing down his face.

Deliora was dead at last. The one who had taken his parents and his teacher, Ur. Their deaths had been avenged.

Lyon had been right all along—it was his fault that Ur had died.

For years, Gray had been tormented by guilt. If it weren't for him recklessly challenging Deliora despite the warnings, Ur wouldn't have died trying to save him.

His parents, his teacher—all gone because of his impulsiveness. That's why he hated it when Natsu acted recklessly. Watching Natsu reminded him too much of his younger, foolish self.

Gray approached Lyon from behind and said softly, "Lyon... I'm sorry. It's my fault Ur died..."

Lyon's eyes narrowed. "What? Are you trying to rub it in my face? Rub it in that your ally easily killed the Deliora that even Ur couldn't defeat?"

"No... That's not it. I just wanted to say that for the past ten years, I've regretted it every single day. My recklessness cost Ur her life. If you want to hit me or kill me, go ahead. I won't resist."

Lyon stayed silent for a moment before replying, "What's the point of saying this now? Ur is gone. And now, I'll never have the chance to surpass her."

Though Deliora wasn't killed by his own hands, Lyon felt a sense of closure. Watching Deliora's painful end brought a strange mix of satisfaction and relief.

And as he thought more about it, he realized Gray had been just a kid back then. His impulsive behavior had been understandable.

Uchiha Kitaro walked over, and Lyon instinctively tensed up.

He had once thought Ur was the strongest mage alive and had made it his goal to surpass her. But now, having witnessed Kitaro's terrifying strength—his devastating punch, the black flames that consumed everything—he realized how wrong he had been.

The man was a monster, far beyond anything Lyon could comprehend.

Kitaro's youthful appearance only made it more unbelievable. How could someone so young wield such immense power?

Looking at Lyon, Kitaro said calmly, "Since you're Gray's senior, I'll let your earlier actions slide. Now, get out of here."

With the matter settled, it was time to leave.

Lyon felt a wave of relief as the tension eased.

As they turned to go, Gray paused and looked back at Lyon.

"What are you looking at?" Lyon snapped irritably.

"You should join a guild," Gray said. "There, you'll find comrades and rivals. You'll find a new purpose."

"Shut up... Just leave already!"

With that, they began walking back toward the village.

"Damn it! I was so close to completing the mission, and Kitaro beat me to it!" Natsu grumbled, clearly annoyed.

He'd come here to complete the S-class mission and had hoped to take down the monster himself. If he had succeeded, he might've been able to go up against Laxus back at the guild.

Lucy sighed in relief. "We're safe, and the mission's complete. That's what really matters. And for those villagers, it's the best outcome."

She couldn't believe how dangerous the S-class mission had turned out to be. If she'd known earlier, she might not have come at all. Thankfully, Kitaro had been there. Otherwise, they might not have made it out alive.

Kitaro chuckled. "Who said the mission was complete?"

"What?!" Everyone stared at him in shock.

"Isn't the demon the reason the villagers were cursed?" Lucy asked, confused.

Kitaro shrugged. "I never said the villagers' curse was caused by Deliora, did I?"

"What?! Then what's the real cause?!"

Smirking, Kitaro continued, "The offer still stands. You might yet complete the S-class mission."

Back at the village, they saw the villagers still in their demonic forms.

"It's true... The curse isn't broken!"

"What do we do now? How do we lift the curse?"

"Are we really going to destroy the moon?"

Natsu looked up at the sky, his eyes narrowing at the large, purple moon hanging ominously above them.

"No way, right?"

The village elder approached them, leading the villagers. "Mages, when are you going to destroy the moon?"

"Uh..." Lucy hesitated, unsure how to answer.

Kitaro smiled at the elder. "Don't worry. We'll destroy the moon. Right now."

"Wait, what?!" Lucy and Natsu shouted in unison.

Their jaws dropped as they turned to Kitaro, stunned by what they'd just heard.

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.

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