Flashback — Fairy Tail Guild, the day before departure
Lucy sat at one of the guild's tables, flipping through her celestial keys while sneaking glances upward. Her eyes trailed toward the stairs leading to the second floor, where the S-Class request board hung. She'd always been curious about what kind of jobs were up there.
Mirajane noticed the look immediately, leaning in with her usual soft smile. "Interested in those, huh?"
Lucy blinked, caught. "A little. They just… look important."
Mira chuckled. "They are. Only S-Class mages can take those. The jobs are extremely dangerous — some of them have entire villages depending on them. One mistake could mean your life."
Lucy gulped. "S-so they're that serious…"
"Mm-hm." Mira nodded gently, setting a cup of tea on the counter. "Each one tests the limits of what a mage can handle. You have to be strong, clever, and more than a little brave. That's why only a few can even attempt them."
Lucy's eyes lingered toward the upper level again, imagining what kind of adventures those papers promised.
Mira smiled knowingly. "Curious? There's one up there about a cursed island that's been sitting for weeks. No one's taken it yet."
Lucy nodded, her mind racing. "It sounds… mysterious."
"It is," Mira said softly. "But remember, curiosity can get you into trouble if you're not ready."
The words echoed in Lucy's head as the flashback faded—
---
Lucy sighed, leaning against the ship's railing as the salty wind brushed through her hair. "And now look at me. I should've listened to Mira…" she muttered under her breath.
Beside her, Lisanna smiled teasingly. "You're still thinking about that talk, huh?"
Lucy nodded. "Yeah. I said I'd just look at the S-Class board, and somehow I ended up on one of the missions."
Lisanna laughed softly. "You can't blame anyone but yourself. Though… I think it's also because of him." She tilted her head toward Natsu, who was currently green-faced and groaning over the ship's side.
Lucy's cheeks puffed slightly. "Well, maybe I wanted to help! And… maybe because that celestial key was part of the reward."
Lisanna smirked. "And maybe because you didn't want me alone with Natsu?"
Lucy looked away, blushing furiously. "W-what?! Of course not! He's just… Natsu!"
"Uh-huh~" Lisanna hummed.
As they bickered, Gray stumbled around the deck in his underwear, muttering, "Where the hell are my clothes?"
Happy was perched near the bow, eyes glazed over as he drooled at the fish swimming below. "Soooo many fishies…"
Lucy sighed again. "Why do I always end up in these situations?"
---
Meanwhile, on another ship cutting through the sea's silver surface—
Team Scarlet Heal advanced steadily toward Galuna Island.
Kael leaned casually against the railing beside Erza and Cana, the golden sunset reflecting in his eyes. "You know, Erza," he said with a sly grin, "you get this adorable crease between your brows when you're deep in thought."
Erza's head snapped toward him, her expression flickering between irritation and faint embarrassment. "I—I do not!"
Cana smirked, swirling the ale in her mug. "He's right, though. It's cute in that intimidating kind of way."
Kael leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Guess I'm lucky to travel with such captivating company."
Cana raised a brow. "Captivating, huh? You sure know how to talk to women."
He smiled. "Only when they're worth talking to."
Erza's face softened for just a moment before she looked away, pretending to focus on the horizon. "You shouldn't waste your time with flattery."
Kael chuckled, stepping closer. "It's not flattery if it's true."
Cana laughed under her breath. "Careful, Kael. Keep that up, and she might faint from blushing."
Erza's armor faintly clinked as she crossed her arms, her cheeks indeed tinged pink. "I am not blushing."
"Sure," Kael said smoothly, "and I'm not enjoying this view."
Cana nearly choked on her drink, laughing. "You're impossible."
"Persistent," Kael corrected with a wink.
The tension eased into laughter — light, teasing, and familiar — until their ship rocked gently under the shifting waves.
---
Hours later, Natsu's team was still at sea, the moon casting silver trails across the dark water.
The sailor steering their small boat cleared his throat. "Name's Bobo," he introduced. "You lot are heading to Galuna Island, yeah?"
Natsu perked up. "You're really taking us there?!"
Bobo nodded, expression grim. "You'd better know what you're getting into. The island's cursed. Look."
He rolled up his sleeve — revealing a twisted, demonic arm. The veins pulsed faintly with violet light.
Lucy gasped, stepping back. "That's… that's part demon!"
Bobo nodded solemnly and pointed ahead. "That's the curse's mark. All who live there suffer the same fate."
The group turned toward the looming island in the distance, shrouded in an eerie violet glow under the moon. When they looked back—
Bobo was gone.
"Eh?!" Happy's eyes widened. "Where'd he go?!"
Natsu looked around wildly. "He was just—"
A massive wave rose behind them like a living wall, crashing down before they could react.
Everything went white.
---
Lucy groaned, opening her eyes to find herself lying on a sandy shore. The sun had risen — Galuna Island stretched before her, strange and haunting.
"Ugh… what happened…" she muttered, pushing herself up and spotting the others scattered nearby.
"Wake up, everyone!" she called, shaking Natsu, Gray, and Happy awake. She turned to see Erza and her team sprawled a little further away.
"Erza!" Lucy gasped, rushing over. "You're here too?"
Erza stood up, brushing sand from her armor, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the situation. "It seems both our teams have arrived at the same place."
Gray sighed. "Great. Just great."
Erza crossed her arms. "We're already here. We'll complete the mission — but expect punishment when we return."
Natsu grinned despite her tone. "Heh. Deal!"
Lucy smiled nervously, "Guess we're in this together now."
Erza sighed softly, glancing toward the eerie jungle beyond the beach. "Then let's move. We have a curse to lift."
---
That night, both teams sat with the island's villagers, who bore demonic marks across their bodies. Their leader, Moka, explained the terrible truth — the purple moon had cursed them, twisting their bodies into monstrous forms at night.
As the purple glow illuminated the sky, they watched in shock as the villagers transformed before their eyes.
Lucy covered her mouth, trembling. "T-this is horrible…"
Natsu clenched his fists. "Then we'll fix it. No matter what it takes."
Erza nodded firmly. "We'll find another way — destroying the moon isn't an option."
Cana leaned back, finishing her drink. "Then it's time to get creative."
Kael smiled faintly, gaze sharp and confident. "Let's find the truth behind this curse."
That night, both teams decided to stay in the village. The locals were kind enough to offer shelter, though fear still lingered behind every smile. As the purple moon hung eerily over Galuna, faint howls echoed from the forest—half human, half beast.
By morning, the group set out to investigate. Destroying the moon wasn't an option, so they searched for another way to lift the curse. The air grew colder as they trekked through the dense jungle until an enormous shadow loomed ahead.
A massive mouse—dressed in a maid's outfit, of all things—charged straight at them with a screech.
"What the hell is that?!" Lucy screamed, jumping behind Happy.
Gray stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "Ice-Make: Floor!"
The ground instantly froze, and the creature slipped, tumbling backward with a thud before scurrying away into the woods.
Lucy peeked out from Horologium, trembling. "Is it gone?"
"Yeah," Natsu said, grinning. "But that was weird even for me."
"Coming from you, that says a lot," Cana muttered.
As they continued deeper into the island, they stumbled upon an ancient temple half-buried in sand and vines. A chill swept through the ruins, the kind that whispered of danger.
"Feels like something's calling us," Keal murmured.
"Then let's answer it," Natsu said, marching ahead.
They followed him inside. Dust and silence filled the vast chamber until Natsu stomped his foot experimentally. The floor cracked beneath them—and suddenly the ground gave way.
"Not again!" Lucy yelled as everyone plummeted into darkness.
They landed in a cold, hidden cavern. The air here was thick with an ominous energy. When the torches flared to life, what they saw froze them all in place.
A towering demon encased in thick, unyielding ice.
Its eyes—sealed but still somehow watching—glimmered faintly in the dim light.
"What… is that thing?" Lucy whispered.
Gray's expression darkened. "Deliora."