BOOM————!!
Kael's massive slash came down, tearing through the air and carving a giant rift through the ruins. Everyone watched in wide-eyed silence. Even after witnessing his strength firsthand, an attack of this magnitude never failed to leave them stunned.
CRACK———!!
A thin vertical line appeared in the center of Deliora's chest. Then, a web of cracks spread rapidly across the demon's entire body.
BANG————!!
With a sound like shattering glass, Deliora's body began to crumble. Huge chunks of ice crashed to the ground, their echoes rolling through the cavern.
"What?!"
Except for Kael, everyone was frozen in shock.
"How… how is this possible?"
They weren't surprised that Kael could kill the demon—they were shocked by how it died. Kael's vibration power didn't freeze people, yet Deliora had shattered into ice.
"Could it be…"
Lyon's eyes widened as the truth hit him. "Deliora… was already dead."
The realization crushed him. "Ten years… The ice that Ur became slowly drained its life away. We just witnessed the final collapse. There's no chance left… I can never surpass her now."
Tears streamed down Lyon's face. He felt a bitter sense of defeat at losing his goal, but deeper than that, a surge of pride rose in his chest. His master—the woman he admired most—had never truly lost to the monster.
Gray stared blankly at the pile of ice. It turned out his master had saved him and finished the job long ago. "Master…" He lowered his head, covering his face as he sobbed uncontrollably.
With Deliora gone, the conflict between the two sides vanished. Kael deactivated his transformation and returned to his normal form.
Phew————!
Kael let out a long, weary breath. Whitebeard's power was immense, but the magic consumption was brutal. Using a five-and-a-half-star magic reserve to fuel a powerhouse like Newgate was still a heavy burden. He'd need at least a seven-star reserve to use this form comfortably.
"Yeah————!! That's amazing! Deliora is gone!" Lucy cheered, jumping for joy. "The village's curse will finally be lifted!"
"Aye!" Happy added, clapping his paws.
"It's not great at all! I didn't get to do a single thing!" Natsu grumbled, crossing his arms. First, the Eisenwald incident had been cut short by his motion sickness, and now he'd spent this entire S-Class mission on the sidelines.
Lucy teased him, "That's what you get for being careless and getting yourself frozen. You deserved it!"
"Damn it! You didn't do anything either!" Natsu snapped, his head literally catching fire with frustration.
"I… I just didn't have time to make my move, okay?!" Lucy shot back.
Kael smiled at their bickering. "Actually, if you want to complete the mission properly, you still have a chance."
"What do you mean? Isn't it over now that Deliora is dead?"
"Who told you the curse was caused by Deliora?"
"What?!"
"The villagers' curse hasn't been lifted yet," Kael explained. "If you can figure out how to break it on the way back, I'll still count this as a successful S-Class mission for you."
"Really?! Awesome!" Natsu and Happy cheered.
Lucy sighed. "What are you two so happy about? We argued about this for hours and didn't find a single clue. You think we'll just figure it out while walking back?" She had mostly given up—so long as the island was safe, she was satisfied.
Gray turned to Lyon. "Do you know anything about the curse?"
Lyon shook his head. "I don't. But I did have my doubts. For three years, we were under that moonlight even more than the villagers were, yet nothing happened to us. Only they changed."
"That's right!" Lucy's eyes widened. If the moonlight was the source, Lyon and his team should have turned into demons long ago.
"Let's go," Kael said, turning to leave. "The villagers must be getting anxious."
As they walked, Natsu leaned in. "Come on, Kael, give us a little hint!"
"Yeah! Just a tiny one!" Lucy added. An S-Class mission on her record would be a huge boost to her reputation.
"No hints," Kael said flatly.
"Tch! Stingy!"
Gray paused and looked at Lyon. A wave of guilt washed over him. He understood now that Lyon's obsession with resurrecting the demon wasn't just ego—it was a twisted, misguided attempt to avenge Ur.
"What are you staring at?" Lyon asked irritably. After his defeat, humiliation still burned in his chest, and he didn't want Gray's pity.
"You should find a guild to join," Gray said. "With rivals and friends around, you'll find a new goal soon enough."
"Boring… Just get out of here," Lyon muttered, turning away.
When Kael's group returned to the village, they were greeted by the sight of the villagers still trapped in their demonic forms.
"As I thought, the curse is still there," Lucy whispered.
The village chief rushed forward, his voice trembling with desperation. "Lord Wizards! Please… when are you going to destroy the moon?!"
Kael smiled with calm confidence. "Don't worry. You want the moon destroyed? Then let's do it right now."
"What?!"
"Kael, do you realize how insane that sounds?" Lucy hissed.
"I told you we'd have to destroy it eventually!" Natsu shouted, excitement surging back.
Gray waved his hands frantically. "No, no, no! That's physically impossible!"
"Full-Body Take Over: Edward Newgate!!"
Kael began the transformation. His stature swelled, muscles bulging as his appearance shifted into the legendary "Whitebeard."
"He's huge!" the villagers cried, backing away in awe.
Kael planted his feet firmly on the ground. He drew back his right fist, setting it at his waist.
BUZZ—————!
A glowing, white spherical halo formed around his fist, distorting the very air around him.