Chapter 242

【“In order to resurrect Ur, what do you think?”】

【Gray was stunned again, and so was Lyon beside him.】

【The two looked at Black Natsu in disbelief.】

【“Wait, you just said... resurrect Ur?”】

【“What kind of joke is that, Ur is already dead!”】

【Gray and Lyon spoke in unison.】

【“That’s just what you think.” Black Natsu said while arriving in front of Deliora.】

【At this moment, Deliora, having resurrected more than half, locked its gaze on Black Natsu.】

【The scarlet eyes became a few shades deeper.】

【Within them was contained an indescribable fury!】

【Ooooooh————!!!】

【Deliora let out a long roar toward the sky, and its giant fist swung toward Black Natsu without mercy.】

【“Careful... hmm??”】

【Gray in the back had his alarm bells ringing wildly.】

【However, halfway through his words, they got stuck in his throat.】

【His eyes widened along the momentum.】

【The scene in front was reflected in his pupils.】

【The crazed Deliora was swinging its giant fist, but it was steadily caught by Black Natsu’s calm palm.】

【“Hmm?” Seeming to have noticed something, a flash of astonishment crossed Black Natsu’s eyes.】

【The next moment!】

【In the eyes of Gray and Lyon, who were extremely shocked.】

【Huge cracks appeared on the fist that Deliora had swung down.】

【And, the cracks were constantly expanding, spreading from the forearm to the arm.】

【Then to the upper body, and the entire body.】

【Countless cracks emerged, and those scarlet eyes also dimmed along with them.】

【Crack, crack... crack, crack...】

【The sound like glass shattering was echoing.】

【Subsequently, that massive body directly began to shatter.】

【Fragments of varying sizes gradually fell from that massive body.】

【Boom, boom, boom...】

【Successive roaring sounds rang out in the eyes of Gray and Lyon.】

【At this moment, both of them were standing frozen on the spot.】

【Even Black Natsu retracted his hand with some astonishment, looking at himself.】

【Then looking at the crumbling Deliora in front.】

【He smiled: “Gray.”】

【“You really do have a good Master.”】

【“This... what exactly is going on??”】

【Looking at the Deliora that shattered so easily, both Gray and Lyon were standing frozen on the spot.】

【It was just that... they hadn’t detected any magical power released by Black Natsu just now.】

【He just simply reached out his hand, and easily destroyed the immortal demon, Deliora?】

【“Haven’t you realized it yet? Deliora... has been dead for a long time.”】

【Just at this moment, Erza’s voice came from behind Gray.】

【Following behind Erza were Lucy, Happy, and Mirajane.】

【Not long ago, Lucy had been chased by Lyon’s three subordinates, all the way to the coastline.】

【Must say, at the critical moment, Lucy still erupted with some potential.】

【In the forced situation of three against two, she even turned the tables by borrowing Aquarius’s power to take one down.】

【Happy also took the opportunity to knock one down with his dried fish.】

【However, the opponent’s numbers were always a hurdle that couldn’t be crossed.】

【Lucy and Happy, who had exhausted all their strength to defeat two, clearly had no more power to fight.】

【Fortunately, at this critical moment, Erza arrived and with just a single sword strike, finished off the guy who could use vibrations to neutralize magic.】

【Subsequently, as the group headed toward the ruins, they encountered many masked men blocking their way.】

【It was also at this time that they met Mirajane.】

【The meeting of two S-Class existences meant that this battle had no suspense at all.】

【In less than a minute, the two of them cleared out everyone who came to block them.】

【Then they arrived here and saw this scene.】

【Listening to Erza’s words.】

【Gray’s mouth hung open: “Deliora... is already dead?”】

【“Yes.”】

【Black Natsu, who was standing in front of the constantly crumbling Deliora, also spoke up.】

【“For so many years, Ur has been wearing down Deliora’s life; by now, Deliora was only on its last legs.”】

【“Therefore, it only needed a light touch for that long-decayed body to completely crumble.”】

【Lyon was also stunned, but following that was indescribable anger and helplessness...】

【Lying on the ground, he clenched his fists tightly.】

【Tears of unwillingness fell on the spot.】

【“Could it be that we... only witnessed Deliora’s final moment??”】

【“Can’t win...”】

【Lyon’s body was trembling.】

【“I... simply can’t win against Ur...”】

【Gray’s eyes also gradually became moist.】

【Staring at the crumbling Deliora, his thoughts were myriad.】

【He seemed to have returned to his childhood, when he recklessly went to challenge Deliora, who had destroyed his hometown.】

【No matter how much he tried with all his might, he couldn’t cause any damage to that monster, and even his own life was in jeopardy.】

【It was at that time that his Master, Ur, appeared and saved him.】

【Ur also understood his pain.】

【She did not want her disciple to live a lifetime in hatred, in fear, and in darkness.】

【As a teacher, she made a decision.】

【Use Iced Shell! To seal Gray’s darkness.】

【“The darkness in your heart, I will seal it!”】

【This was what Ur said to Gray at that time.】

【Until this moment, the moment he saw Deliora completely pulverized.】

【Gray truly understood the meaning of this sentence.】

【Deliora’s darkness... at this moment, completely receded along with its pulverization.】

【Tears could no longer be stopped from flowing down.】

【Along his cheeks, they slowly dripped onto the ground.】

【Everything from the past seemed to have completely declared an end at this moment.】

【“Thank you... thank you...”】

【Gray’s voice trembled.】

【His figure also knelt powerlessly on the ground.】

【“Really, thank you very much... Master!”】

Outside the sky screen.

Gray’s eyes were already blurred by tears.

No matter how many times it has been, whenever he recalls this matter.

His heart is always touched.

Gray: “Really... thank you, Master.”

Ur: “This is my duty; being able to see you grow up healthy proves that my choice back then was not wrong.”

Gray: “I... I really don’t know how to thank you; back then... it was clearly my own recklessness... it was me who didn’t listen to you and insisted on challenging Deliora...”

“Which led to... led to your death; I really am a bastard...”

Ur: “Alright, alright, why is your voice still intermittent? You wouldn’t be crying, would you?”

“You’re such a big person, you wouldn’t really be crying, would you?”

Gray: “I... I just.”

Ur: “Stop, stop! Gray, I have never regretted my decision, so you don’t need to care; besides, am I not doing well now?”

“Even the me in the black world, doesn’t she have a chance for resurrection? Black Natsu said it himself, so... this really counts for nothing.”

“If you keep crying, I’m going to laugh at you, you’re such a big person.”

“You are my disciple, after all; crying so easily, what does that look like!”

Inside the Fairy Tail guild, under the curious gazes of countless people.

Gray raised his arm abruptly.

He wiped his moist eyes.

“Look... what are you looking at?”

“Ur is right, I’m such a big person, how could I cry!”

Makarov crossed his arms: “What a dishonest little brat.”

【The scene continues.】

【With Deliora’s crumbling and Lyon’s defeat.】

【This mission has finally reached its end.】

【Everyone has left the ruins together and arrived in the forest on the outskirts.】

【“So exciting! Is this what an S-Class mission is like?”】

【Perhaps because it was the first S-Class mission in her life, even Lucy, who was not interested in this before, felt a great sense of achievement.】

【She is currently in a state of high excitement.】

【Muttering along the way.】

【Even Gray, who was supporting Lyon as they walked out from behind, let out a long sigh of relief.】

【“Didn’t expect that we could really complete an S-Class mission with our own strength!”】

【Walking in front, with his hands behind his head, Mirajane curled her lips in disdain.】

【“You guys don’t think that things are really over, do you?”】

【Gray and Lucy were both stunned!】

【“Eh? But Deliora is already dead, and the enemies have basically been eliminated; could it be... it’s not over yet?” Lucy asked curiously.】

【Erza shook her head: “Think carefully, what was your mission? It was to lift the curse.”】

【“But... Deliora is dead, shouldn’t the curse be lifted along with it?” Gray said.】

【“Who told you that the curse was because of Deliora?”】

【Black Natsu turned his head and looked at Gray.】

【“To be precise, it should be the negative effect caused by magic like the Moon Drip.”】

【“How could this be?” Lucy was stunned.】

【“But... how exactly is this to be solved?” Gray said, looking at Lyon.】

【Seeming to understand Gray’s meaning, Lyon stopped his steps.】

【He shook his head: “To be honest, I don’t know what exactly is going on.”】

【“We have been here for three years and have never contacted the villagers of that village; besides, they haven’t come to find us in these three years either.”】

【Seeming to have captured some key information, Erza looked at Lyon.】

【“In three years, not even once?”】

【Lyon shook his head.】

【“Come to think of it, if it were from the village direction, one should be able to see the light of the Moon Drip falling on the ruins here every night; since those villagers have always been in pain, it’s impossible for them not to come and investigate, right?”】

【Happy also touched his chin and asked in confusion.】

【Black Natsu, Erza, and Mirajane looked at each other, seeming to understand something.】

【They nodded to each other.】

【“Let’s go to the village first.” Black Natsu said.】

【“Hey... but how exactly are we going to solve it?” Looking at Black Natsu’s back, Gray was full of confusion.】

【“You’ll know when you get there.”】

【Black Natsu’s voice came from the front; Gray was just about to take a step, but seemed to have thought of something.】

【His gaze looked at Lyon, who had already walked to the side and sat down.】

【Lyon was stunned, then spoke viciously: “You guy, what are you still looking at?!”】

【“I think, you should also find a guild to join.”】

【Gray said: “After having new companions, or new rivals, you might be able to find a new goal.”】

【Lyon was stunned, gritted his teeth, and turned his head to the side.】

【“Meddlesome! Get lost quickly!”】

【Gray smiled and waved at Lyon.】

【“Then... see you again!”】

【...】

【On the other side, the village.】

【As soon as Black Natsu and the others returned, they gathered all the villagers together.】

【“Before destroying the moon as you wish, there is one more question that requires you to answer truthfully.”】

【Staring at everyone present, Black Natsu said this.】

【Lucy’s mouth twitched, and she quietly complained to Happy on the side: “Destroying the moon is an impossible mission, how can we agree to it?”】

【Happy scratched his head, then spoke firmly: “That is Natsu!”】

【Lucy had black lines all over her head: “What kind of answer is that?”】

【At this moment, the village chief, who had turned into a demon, spoke first.】

【“What other questions are there? This is all the moon’s problem; as long as the moon is destroyed, everything can be restored!”】

【Black Natsu looked at the ruins in the distance, then said:】

【“We will destroy the moon, and my question is also very simple: can you tell us why you have never gone there to investigate?”】

【For some reason, even Lucy could tell.】

【When facing this question, the village chief panicked.】

【“Uh... that is because there has always been an ancestral teaching in the village that people in the village must absolutely not approach the ruins...”】

【Before the village chief finished speaking, he saw Black Natsu’s clearly speechless expression.】

【“Do you think we believe such words? What kind of ancestral teaching could be strong enough to restrain you who are on the verge of despair?”】

【Black Natsu shook his head: “In the process of executing a mission, if even the host does not cooperate, then may I ask, do you really want to solve the problem?”】

【Black Natsu’s series of pressing questions seemed to have completely broken the village chief’s psychological defense.】

【He sighed heavily: “Actually, it’s not that we wanted to hide it on purpose, it’s just that... no one would believe it even if we said it.”】

【“To tell you the truth, in these three years, we have also wanted to go to those ruins to investigate more than once.”】

【“But...”】

【Speaking of this, the village chief’s face was somewhat terrified.】

【“I don’t know what the reason is, but we simply cannot reach the ruins.”】

【“No matter where we start from, no matter what time it is, as long as we want to approach the ruins.”】