"But this time… he's different! He's become incredibly strong, incredibly evil!"
"He claims… he has merged with the true 'Undead Demon Deliora' that was sealed beneath the Moon God Temple!"
"He is now the new Deliora!"
"Merge?!" Gray's heart sank.
Lord Lyon… possessed by Deliora?!
"That's right!" Moca nodded vigorously, his face full of despair, "He's no longer Lyon! He is now the terrifying Deliora!"
"He commanded all of us villagers to submit to him, to become his slaves! To build him a new demon palace! Those who disobey… will be killed without mercy!"
"Last night, several young people who resisted… were torn apart alive by his demon generals…" Moca couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears.
The demon villagers behind him also let out low wails, a chorus of lamentation.
Gray looked at the group of 'demon' villagers in front of him, all different shapes, crying heartbrokenly, claiming to be infected by evil energy, and especially seeing several trembling children with demonic features among the crowd… Gray's doubts were gradually replaced by anger and sympathy.
Lord Lyon… no, it was Deliora who possessed Lyon's body!
To be so cruel!
Not only did he turn innocent villagers into this state, but he also enslaved them and killed those who resisted!
Elfman was trembling with rage, roaring, "A man! To treat innocent villagers like this! Unforgivable!"
Juvia's eyes also blazed with anger: "Lord Gray! These villagers are too pitiful! We must help them!"
"Village Chief," Gray's voice was cold, but carried a subtle heaviness, "That Deliora… where is he now?"
"He… he's at the Moon God Temple!" Moca wiped away his tears, his voice trembling, "And… and his three demon generals are coming to our village tonight to forcibly take all the able-bodied men!"
"To build his palace! We… we were trying to escape to the seaside to hide before they arrived…"
"Coming tonight?!" Gray's eyes narrowed.
"Yes! Mage!" Moca knelt again, his forehead hitting the ground heavily, "Please! Save us!"
"Come back to the village with us first!"
"Those three demon generals are very powerful, we… we can't resist them at all!"
"Only you can save us!"
"Please!" The demon villagers also kowtowed and begged.
Gray looked at the kneeling demon villagers, then at Elfman and Juvia.
Elfman nodded vigorously, and Juvia looked at him with determination.
"Alright!" Gray said in a deep voice, "We'll go back to the village with you! I want to see how powerful Deliora's demon generals are!"
Led by Village Chief Moca, the three of them, Gray, followed the group of "demon" villagers through the dense forest and arrived at the village located in a valley in the center of the island.
The sight before them once again made the three of them feel a pang in their hearts.
Most of the houses in the village were built of wood and stone, appearing somewhat crude.
Inside the fence, some poultry and livestock could be seen, but their appearance… had also become somewhat strange, some with horns on their heads, others with unnaturally colored skin.
What was most heartbreaking were the children playing or helping with chores in the village.
They looked to be only a few years old to their teens, and although they tried to maintain human form, they all had more or less demonic features—small horns, discolored skin, or faint glows in their pupils.
When they saw strangers like Gray, their eyes were full of curiosity, but more so of timidity and unease.
"These children…" Juvia covered her mouth, her eyes reddening slightly, "They have to endure all this at such a young age…"
"A man! Seeing these children, we absolutely cannot let Deliora get away with this!" Elfman clenched his fists, his voice low.
Gray watched all of this in silence, a hint of pain flashing deep within his ice-blue eyes.
He became even more convinced by Village Chief Moca's words—these villagers, including these innocent children, were all victims infected by evil energy!
And the culprit was Deliora, who had possessed Lyon's body!
Moca arranged for the three of them, Gray, to rest in a relatively spacious wooden house and brought them some simple food and water.
"Three Mages, please rest here for a moment." Moca's face was filled with gratitude and worry, "Those three demon generals… should be arriving soon. They always appear after sunset…"
"Don't worry, leave it to us." Gray said in a deep voice, his tone full of confidence.
Time passed in waiting.
The sunset completely sank below the horizon, and the purple moonlight began to flood the land.
The evil energy on the island also seemed to grow stronger with the arrival of the moonlight.
The village was eerily silent; the villagers had long since hidden in their houses, doors and windows tightly shut, with only scattered lights flickering in the darkness, revealing deep fear.
Suddenly!
"Boom—!!!"
A deafening roar came from the village entrance!
The sturdy wooden village gate was shattered by a massive force!
Wood splinters flew everywhere!
Immediately after, three powerful magical energy fluctuations, carrying a distinct evil aura, swept through the entire village like three hurricanes!
"They're here!" Gray's eyes narrowed, and he instantly rushed out of the wooden house! Elfman and Juvia followed closely behind!
At the village entrance, dust billowed.
Three figures appeared in the moonlight, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression!
The person on the left was short, about one and a half meters tall, with striking blue short hair and round-rimmed glasses.
He wore a dark blue robe, his hands clasped behind his back, and a playful smile on his face. Invisible, wave-like vibrations spread around him! It was Yuka, disguised as the "Vibration Demon General"!
The person on the right was petite and delicate, wearing a black Gothic dress, her pink shoulder-length hair shimmering in the moonlight.
Her fair face was expressionless, like a delicate doll, but her pink eyes held a hint of coldness.
It was Sherry, disguised as the "Puppet Demon General"!
The person in the middle was the most burly!
Nearly two meters tall, with bulging muscles, his upper body bare, his skin a sickly bluish-Gray, covered with eerie black demonic patterns!
He had two curved demon horns on his head, blood-red eyes, sharp fangs showing from his mouth, and a wild demonic aura radiating from him!
It was Toby, disguised as the "Demon General"!
"Wretches of Galuna Island!" Toby opened his gaping maw, his voice rumbling like thunder, with a cruel laugh, "By the command of Lord Deliora! We have come to conscript all able-bodied men! Come out now! Otherwise… we will kill all of you!"
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