Chapter 43: FTRJ: Chapter 43

A short while later, Erza walked in, wearing athletic clothes. “You’re finally awake,” she said, wiping sweat from her brow with a towel slung over her shoulder.

Finn swallowed his food. “Yo, Erza, back from your morning workout? Hard work,” he said. Erza woke up early every day for training—a level of dedication Finn, a self-proclaimed “slacker,” couldn’t match.

Erza rolled her eyes. “Just eat. Then let’s go to the guild.” She headed to the bathroom and closed the door.

…

It was almost noon when Finn and Erza arrived at the guild, laughing and chatting.

“What’s wrong?” Finn noticed the serious faces of the guild members.

Mirajane ran out. “Finn, Erza, you’re here! Get Natsu and the others back!”

“Natsu? What happened?” Erza asked, puzzled.

“Natsu, Happy, and Lucy took an S-class mission without permission,” Makarov said angrily.

“An S-class mission? Is Natsu insane?” Finn exclaimed, though after a moment’s thought, he admitted it wasn’t entirely out of character for Natsu.

“When did this happen? How long ago did they leave?” Finn asked Mirajane.

“I don’t know. The mission was gone this morning. Gray went after them, but he hasn’t returned.

I’m worried he can’t bring Natsu back,” Mirajane said, clearly worried. Having experienced loss, she understood the dangers of S-class missions better than most.

Bang! Erza punched a nearby pillar, her voice dangerously low. “I’ll get them back. I’ll teach them a lesson.”

Makarov said, “Finn and Erza, go. The mission’s on Galuna Island. Bring them back safely, please!”

“Don’t worry, Master. I won’t let them get hurt,” Finn nodded towards Erza. “Let’s go.”

“Mm.” Erza turned and left the guild.

“Be careful,” Mirajane waved goodbye.

At Hargeon Towns Port…

“Erza, I found Natsu’s trail. They left by boat, and it seems they’ve been gone for a while,” Finn reported, having diligently investigated the port area. He and Erza had split up to search for any sign of the missing trio.

“They’re gone? Damn it,” Erza said, her face contorted in anger. “Let’s chase them!”

Finn spread his hands, indicating his helplessness. “The problem is, no one dares go to Galuna Island. I’ve asked everyone. Without a guide, we don’t know where it is.”

Erza groaned, rubbing her temples in frustration. Then, her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of something in the distance. A ship with a jellyfish flag was visible on the horizon.

Finn followed Erza’s gaze, his voice laced with uncertainty. “Erza…you wouldn’t be thinking of…”

Erza nodded firmly. “No choice. We’ll steal that ship and make them take us,” she declared, her gaze fixed on the pirate vessel.

“I knew it,” Finn sighed, shaking his head in resigned amusement.

Galuna Island, a cursed island. It was said that those cursed there turned into demons, hence its deserted state.

Gray, forced by Natsu, had been brought to Galuna Island and, eventually, reluctantly agreed to participate in the S-class mission.

Lucy initially believed that Gray’s presence would significantly increase their chances of success.

However, Lucy now regretted being captivated by the allure of the Golden Key. Perhaps her ambition had gotten the better of her; the reality of an S-class mission was far more daunting than she had anticipated.

Upon arriving on the island and speaking with the village elder, they learned the true nature of the mission: to destroy the moon? It was an utterly impossible task.

However, as night fell and the villagers, under the influence of the strange purple moonlight, underwent a horrifying transformation into demonic creatures before Lucy’s very eyes, Lucy began to question everything she thought she knew.

Could the moon actually be the source of this terrifying phenomenon? The thought sent a shiver down her spine, causing her to seek refuge within the safety of a nearby dwelling.

They discovered that the purple moonlight was most intensely focused on a mountain, and after speaking with the village elder, Natsu and his companions learned that an ancient temple was situated atop the mountain.

Armed with this new information, Natsu and his companions decided to investigate the temple the following day in search of clues.

True to their plan, the following day, the group discovered the ruins of a temple known as the Moon Temple. Based on the events of the previous night, it was clear that the strange purple moonlight was concentrated within this very temple.

Upon entering the temple and conducting a thorough search, the group stumbled upon a shocking discovery—a colossal demon, sealed within a prison of ice magic.

Lucy had never witnessed Gray exhibit such an intense emotional response; his entire body trembled uncontrollably, his eyes filled with a potent mixture of terror and burning hatred.

He repeatedly muttered a single, chilling name: “Deliora! The demon known Demon of Destruction!”

Through Gray’s harrowing account, the group learned the horrifying origins of the ice-imprisoned Deliora.

Originally sealed within an iceberg in the northern continent, Deliora was the immortal demon that had wreaked havoc across the Isban region ten years prior.

It had been Gray’s master, a woman named Ultear, who had sealed the demon away, sacrificing her own life in the process.

This was the moment Lucy realized the gravity of her mistake; she should never have come here. To encounter a legendary immortal demon in the midst of an S-class mission was beyond anything she could have ever imagined.

Just then, three individuals approached them.

Upon seeing the newcomers, Natsu and his companions hastily concealed themselves, eavesdropping on the conversation between the three individuals.

They learned the names of the newcomers—Yuka Suzuki, Toby Horhorta, and Sherry Blendy—and the sinister purpose of their visit.

Their goal was to utilize the Moon Drip, a legendary artifact said to possess the power to nullify any and all forms of magic, to break the ice seal imprisoning Deliora, and subsequently defeat the demon with the aid of a man known only as Sub-Zero.

This revelation ignited a furious rage within Gray; the demon that his master had sacrificed her life to seal away was about to be unleashed by these individuals? Gray resolved to personally investigate the identity of this man known as Sub-Zero.

As night descended once more, the group witnessed the Moon Drip ritual for the first time.

During the ritual, Gray finally encountered Sub-Zero and learned his true identity—Lyon, Gray’s senior brother and fellow student under Ultear’s tutelage.

When confronted by Gray about his actions, Lyon offered a justification that Gray found utterly unacceptable—a desperate attempt to prove his superiority over Ultear.

Lyon believed that only by personally defeating Deliora, a demon that even Ultear had been unable to conquer, could he definitively prove that he had surpassed his master’s abilities.

The sheer absurdity of Lyon’s reasoning was almost unbearable.

Upon learning that the posting of the mission request had exposed their operation, Lyon dispatched his subordinates to destroy the village below.

Seeing the imminent danger to the villagers, the group decided to send Lucy and Happy back to thwart Lyon’s subordinates.

When Natsu offered to accompany Gray in confronting Lyon, Gray firmly refused, insisting that this was his battle alone. He intended to face Lyon head-on, and ultimately defeat him.

After a fierce and emotionally charged battle, Gray, his resolve shattered by the weight of his past and the betrayal of his former comrade, suffered a crushing defeat, only to be saved at the last moment by Natsu’s timely intervention.

Having successfully returned to the village and repelled Lyon’s subordinates, Natsu and his companions found the village in ruins.

They subsequently engaged in battle against the remaining subordinates. Due to Gray’s still-healing injuries, Natsu was forced to render Gray unconscious to prevent him from further endangering himself. He hoped to allow Gray to rest and recover his strength.

With Gray incapacitated, Natsu found himself facing Yuka and Toby alone, while Lucy and Happy were left to contend with Sherry.

Sherry’s formidable doll magic proved to be a significant challenge, and after a grueling battle that tested Lucy’s abilities to their absolute limits, she finally managed to defeat Sherry. However, the intense exertion had completely drained her magical reserves.

Exhausted and depleted, Lucy collapsed onto the sandy beach, her body heavy with fatigue.

Her thoughts drifted to the ongoing battle. “I still have no idea how Natsu’s doing,” she mused, gazing up at the sky, “and I really have to wonder if we’ll even be able to complete this S-class mission…”

A gust of sea wind ruffled Lucy’s bangs, and in the periphery of her vision, she spotted a large vessel approaching the island.

“Huh? Didn’t they say that nobody ever comes to this island? And it’s a pirate ship, of all things?”

Lucy sat up, her eyes fixated on the approaching vessel, its black flag bearing the unmistakable symbol of piracy.

“Lucy, something’s coming,” Happy announced, rising to his feet.

The ship soon reached the shore, and two figures disembarked.

“Eek!!!” Happy’s eyes widened in terror upon recognizing the figures, and he instinctively made a move to flee, but a gleaming sword materialized before him in an instant, its sharp point aimed directly at his chest. He had no doubt that the blade would pierce him if he dared to take another step.

Cold sweat trickled down Happy’s brow. “E-Erza!!” he squeaked, turning his head to face Erza, whose gaze was as cold and unforgiving as the blade itself.

Overcome with fear, Happy promptly collapsed to his knees, his voice trembling as he pleaded for mercy. “I’m sorry, Erza!”

Erza turned her attention to Lucy, her voice as chilling as the winter wind. “Lucy,” she hissed, her eyes burning with barely suppressed fury, “you know exactly why we’re here, don’t you?”

Lucy, her body stiff with terror, stammered a barely coherent response. “W-we’re here to…to bring them back…r-right?!”

“Big sis, we’re off now! Give us a shout if you need anything else!” A boisterous voice called out from the pirate ship. The pirate captain, standing proudly on the deck, waved a cheerful farewell to the group.

Finn turned to observe the pirate captain’s almost pathetic display of subservience, shaking his head in wry amusement.

“Honestly,” he muttered under his breath, “I much preferred it when these pirates had a bit more of a rebellious spirit.”

When Finn and Erza had first boarded the pirate ship, the crew had been arrogant and defiant, but in the face of Erza’s unbridled fury, their bravado had quickly evaporated. Even Finn had been hesitant to provoke Erza’s wrath.

As a result, the pirates had received a rather thorough and brutal beating at Erza’s hands. Perhaps it was the sheer force of Erza’s wrath that had finally subdued them; these pirates now seemed almost proud to consider themselves Erza’s underlings. Finn, however, found their lack of backbone utterly contemptible.

With a dismissive wave of his hand, Finn signaled for the pirates to depart.

Turning his attention back to Erza, he inquired, his voice laced with a hint of impatience, “So, where’s Natsu?”

Lucy, her voice barely a whisper, replied, “Natsu’s still fighting.”

“Let’s go get him,” Erza declared, her voice firm and resolute, already turning to leave in pursuit of Natsu.

Lucy, however, quickly interjected, her voice laced with a desperate plea. “Wait, please! Let me explain. I am truly sorry for our reckless decision to undertake this mission without permission.”

“However,” Lucy continued, her voice urgent, “this island is currently facing an extremely perilous situation.

Someone is attempting to revive the ice-sealed demon, and the villagers are suffering under the influence of an ominous, malevolent power. In short, the situation is dire.”

“I want to do something to save this island…” Lucy attempted to continue, but Erza cut her off abruptly.

“I’m not interested,” Erza stated coldly, her voice devoid of any empathy.

“But…at the very least, let us complete the mission…” Lucy pleaded, but before she could finish her sentence, Erza’s sword materialized in her hand, its sharp point pressed menacingly against Lucy’s throat. The polished surface of the blade reflected Lucy’s terrified face.

“That’s not how it works, Lucy,” Erza hissed, her voice dangerously low. “You betrayed the Master’s trust. Don’t think you can simply get away with this.”

“So…so terrifying!” Lucy’s eyes welled up with tears, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Lucy’s gaze shifted towards Finn, who stood silently beside Erza. In her mind, Finn had always been a gentle and compassionate person, and she desperately hoped that he might be able to intercede on their behalf and persuade Erza to reconsider her decision.

Finn shook his head, his expression unyielding. “Don’t look at me like that,” he said, his voice firm but not unkind.

“I’m furious about your unauthorized actions. Now, take us to those disobedient brats.”

Defeated, Lucy led them towards the village.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the bed where Gray lay, his body covered in numerous wounds.

Gray slowly regained consciousness. “Is it morning already?” he murmured, his mind slowly piecing together the events of the previous night.

He recalled the sudden attack on the village and the chaos that had ensued. A surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins as he sprang from the bed and hurried outside.

All around him were makeshift tents, hastily erected from whatever materials could be found. The village had been ravaged by the previous night’s attack, forcing the villagers to seek refuge in a nearby area where building materials were readily available. Their survival depended on their ability to find shelter.

“Yo, Gray, you’re finally awake,” a familiar voice called out. Gray spun around, his eyes widening in surprise as he recognized the speaker.

Finn stood there, a calm smile playing on his lips.

“Finn? What are you doing here?” Gray asked, his voice laced with a mixture of confusion and apprehension.

“I’m here to take you back, of course,” Finn replied, his tone casual yet firm. “Come on, let’s go. Someone’s waiting for you.” With that, Finn turned and began walking towards the village, leaving Gray to follow.

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