Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
After discussions between Noah and Roubaul, the Fairy Tail group and the new Oración Seis temporarily agreed to cooperate, splitting into two teams.
One team would go to resolve the demon Deliora sealing incident.
The other team would meticulously search for the "thing" the Black Magic Cult had hidden on Galuna Island.
Everyone had no objections to this, and after a short rest, they each set off...
In the center of Galuna Island, an ancient architectural ruin.
Passing through the surrounding forest, the temporary squad consisting of Mira, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Wendy, Minerva, and Sorano arrived outside the ruins.
Considering the intelligence provided by Roubaul, the Zero group, who were attempting to unfreeze the demon Deliora with the Moon Drip, were not particularly strong, so this team's personnel configuration was slightly weaker.
However, "slightly weaker" was only in terms of overall strength; compared to the other team searching the island, they simply had more Mages with less experience.
This encounter with the Zero group was actually meant as training for Lucy and the others, with Mira purely there to provide backup.
Lucy looked up at the moon symbol on the building's wall, blurred by weathering. How long this building had existed, even the demon villagers who had lived there for generations did not know.
They only knew this ancient ruin was called the Moon Temple.
In fact, besides being known as the Cursed Island, Galuna Island also had the beautiful name Moon Island.
Because of its unique geographical location, this isolated island far out at sea could receive the maximum blessing of moonlight. Whenever night fell, the abundant moon's power made Galuna Island as brilliant and beautiful as the moon, like a bright moon in the sea.
The worship of moonlight led ancient people to build a temple of faith on the island, dedicated to the moon deity representing the moon.
Time passed, and moonlight still favored Galuna Island.
However, the ancient faith had long ceased to exist. Now, on this island, only a temple abandoned for who knows how many years remained, along with a village of weak demons.
"Gods... I wonder what they look like."
After sharing the information collected from the demon islanders, Sorano seemed somewhat engrossed. She had loved legends of angels since childhood, and her current Magic was also Angel Magic.
In many legends or stories, angels were often messengers of gods, which made it hard for Sorano not to wonder what kind of existence a god surrounded by angels would be.
Mira looked at the inscriptions outside the temple, her brows furrowing involuntarily. For some reason, she felt a hint of aversion towards this so-called moon deity.
Could it be because her Take Over power was primarily based on demon souls?
After all, gods and demons sounded like opposing existences.
"Everyone, there's a passage beneath the temple."
While her companions were either marveling or wandering around, Minerva quickly investigated the Moon Temple and successfully found the passage Roubaul had mentioned, leading to the canyon where the demon Deliora was placed.
"That's amazing, Minerva."
Natsu gave Minerva a thumbs-up, his unreserved praise making Minerva somewhat flustered.
One had to know that when she was with Jiemma, no matter how well or how outstanding she performed, she never received even a speck of praise from him.
And now, simply doing a trivial little thing, she could receive the affirmation she had always yearned for.
The feeling of being recognized was truly wonderful.
Minerva's lips curled into a slight smile as she rubbed her face against the snow cat Cheese, "borrowed" from Noah. She had wanted to do this for a long time.
Since the passage was found, everyone naturally wouldn't linger in these dilapidated ancient ruins.
However, Natsu, who usually charged at the front, uncharacteristically failed to claim the first position this time. The first person to impatiently enter the canyon passage was Gray.
Ever since learning that the demon his master sealed with her life had been moved to Galuna Island, Gray had barely spoken for the past two days, his heavyhearted gloom even noticed by the thick-skinned Natsu.
Seeing Gray advance without a word, everyone quickly followed.
The passage to the canyon had been tampered with; the originally flat path became sloped under the influence of Magic. Gray glided on ice, and the others also displayed their various abilities.
Mira, using part of her Satan Soul ability, unfurled a pair of demon wings, while Sorano spun a gold coin to summon a pair of angel wings.
Lucy was carried by Happy.
Minerva, using her Territory, carried Wendy and the two Exceeds, moving as steadily as an experienced driver.
However, if nothing unexpected happened, an unexpected event would occur.
Natsu, walking at the very end, stepped on Gray's still-lingering icy ground, slipped, stumbled, and rolled down.
Like a bowling ball, Natsu successfully bowled a perfect "strike", hitting five people.
"Ah!"
"Kya!"
Amidst a series of sudden screams, the group was ambushed by Natsu's "Invincible Fire-Wheel" and was swept along, rolling out of the passage together.
Fortunately, everyone was not delicate, so apart from being a bit disheveled, they only had minor scrapes, which were immediately healed by Wendy's Magic.
The end of the passage was a cave, with visible signs of artificial excavation, expanding the cave several times over. It seemed to have been modified to allow a being of enormous size to pass through.
Natsu sniffed the air. The enhanced sense of smell provided by his Dragon Slayer Magic allowed him to detect a scent that belonged neither to his group nor to the demon islanders.
"Someone's here, let's go!"
Mira quickly restrained the impulsive Natsu, but overlooked the agitated Gray.
Seeing Gray angrily confront the three Mages who had entered the cave, Mira sighed helplessly. She had wanted to try a stealth approach.
Now that they were exposed, they could only go all out.
Mira released Natsu and said to the others, "Do it cleanly, try not to make too much noise."
Yuka, Toby, and Sherry. They were subordinates of Zero. It doesn't matter if you can't remember them, because their names won't appear again. Let's call them the Cannon Fodder Trio.
They hadn't left the canyon for a week. At Zero's instruction, the Cannon Fodder Trio were going to get some supplies, as the demon islanders were affected by the Moon Drip Magic, in a state of confusion, forgetting their demon identities, and had no time to notice them.
Walking into the cave, chatting and laughing, the three were discussing whether to have hotpot or soup when they were suddenly stopped by a half-naked man.
They originally thought it would be three against one, giving them the advantage.
Who knew that five more people and three cats suddenly appeared, followed by a brutal group beating, and the Cannon Fodder Trio were thus subdued.
To lie in wait, to ambush! Is it okay for us, these three unremarkable cannon fodder characters, to be treated like this?
Of course it is.
Facing the famous Demon Mirajane, the Cannon Fodder Trio trembled. As the saying goes, in the world of Magic, harmony is valued. For the sake of love and peace, they finally honestly confessed Zero's plan.