Shattering the Sky

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"Hey, Kitaro! Do you even realize what you're saying?"

"Even if you're ridiculously strong, destroying the moon… That's just impossible!"

"Aye, sir!"

Sure, Uchiha Kitaro's power was terrifying, but destroying the moon? That sounded like a stretch.

"Destroy the moon, huh? How are you planning to do that? Burn it? So breaking the moon is the way to lift the curse!" Natsu's excitement was palpable as he grinned widely.

"It's not that complicated, actually. Breaking the moon is pretty simple."

A faint hum filled the air as Kitaro clenched his fist. The power of vibrations enveloped it, forming a translucent white aura that shimmered like mist.

Seeing this, Lucy and the others instinctively stepped back.

"Kitaro! I know your vibration power is insane, but there's no way you can actually hit the moon from here!"

Ignoring their doubts, Kitaro thrust his fist toward the moon in the sky.

CRACK!

The sound was sharp, like glass breaking. A web of cracks spread across the very fabric of the air, rippling outward.

The sheer force of the vibration surged skyward.

BOOM!

The entire sky fractured like shattered glass, splintering into countless pieces.

"What the—?!"

"The sky's breaking apart!"

Everyone was utterly stunned, their shocked cries echoing around them. They'd come expecting the moon to break, not the entire sky. Was the heavens themselves about to collapse?

CRASH!

The sky fragmented completely, its shards falling like glittering rain. A single pure, white moonbeam pierced through the chaos, illuminating the ground below.

"What… is this?"

"Seriously, what the hell just happened?!"

Kitaro chuckled and began explaining. "It's simple. If the moon we see outside doesn't change, but the moon on this island appears purple, the issue must lie with the island itself."

"So, my guess was that Lyon and his crew, by focusing moonlight every night for three years, accidentally created a crystalline layer in the atmosphere above. The light passing through this layer is distorted into a purple glow, which is then cast over the island."

"By destroying the crystal layer, the moon's natural light is restored, and with it, the so-called 'Curse of the Moon' is broken."

"That's amazing! Kitaro, how did you even figure that out?!"

"It wasn't that hard. When I arrived here, I sensed everyone's positions and noticed something covering the sky above."

"But…" Gray frowned, glancing at the villagers who still retained their demonic forms. "Why haven't they changed back? Wasn't the curse lifted?"

"Yeah! What's going on?"

Kitaro smiled knowingly. "The reason's simple. This is their true form."

"The purple moonlight must have had some unique magical properties that altered their memories. It made them believe they were originally humans and that the light turned them into demons."

"No… no way…"

Lucy's face went pale as the realization hit her.

"Yep, these villagers were demons all along. Galuna Island isn't cursed to turn people into demons—it's simply an island inhabited by them."

The shock was too much for Lucy, and she collapsed onto the ground, trembling.

"Is… is that true?" Gray stammered, turning to one of the demon villagers.

The villager, visibly confused, scratched his head. "Uh… yeah, I guess that's how it's always been…"

Lucy blinked in disbelief. "Kitaro, how did you figure this out?"

"My eyes. Their insight is sharp enough to tell demons apart from humans at a glance."

"So you're saying…"

"Exactly. The moment I arrived and heard the villagers' story, I already knew how to lift the so-called curse."

"What?! You knew the whole time?"

"Yep, it's not that complicated. For me, anyway. But for you guys…sigh."

His casual tone only made his explanation more frustratingly impressive. After all, it wasn't just about brute strength—his intellect was just as formidable.

"Actually, there were plenty of clues suggesting there was no curse. The most obvious one? Lyon and his group."

Lucy's eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Of course! Lyon and his group were out in the moonlight every night, but they weren't cursed at all. How didn't I realize that?!"

"Exactly. Humans aren't affected by the Moon. And if you'd thought to question why the villagers didn't know about Lyon's presence or why they never mentioned the ruins, the answers would have fallen into place."

"It's all about piecing together small bits of information. Analyze and connect the dots, and you can reach the correct conclusion."

"Wow…" Lucy stared at Kitaro with admiration. "You're not just strong—you're brilliant! And you're supposed to be a rookie?! How do you know so much?"

"I'm new to the guild, sure, but that doesn't mean I'm new to missions. I've been taking jobs like this since I was six."

"Six years old?!"

"What the hell were you doing at that age?!"

Kitaro smirked, his tone nonchalant. "If I had to put a label on it… I guess I was a hitman back then."

For a moment, the group froze.

"A… hitman?!"

"Relax. I'm joking."

"That's not funny at all!"

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