### Chapter 60: The Invaders
"Eh?"
Hearing Gray's words, the group was momentarily stunned.
Natsu asked with a puzzled look: "Deli... what? Do you know this thing?"
Gray seemed not to hear him, his face full of horror and disbelief, muttering to himself in panic:
"Impossible!! How could Deliora appear here?!! Impossible!! Absolutely impossible!!"
Riku placed his hand on Gray's shoulder: "Alright! Gray! Calm down!!"
Hearing Riku's voice, Gray's emotions calmed slightly, but his body couldn't stop trembling. Clearly, this monster brought back indelible and terrifying memories.
"What exactly is this monster?"
Gray looked at the monster with eyes full of fear and hatred, gritting his teeth: "Deliora, the Demon of Disaster."
"Ten years ago, it wreaked havoc in Isvan. It has an immortal body. My parents, my family, were all killed by it. Only I was lucky enough to survive."
"Later, my Magic teacher Ur sacrificed herself to seal it."
"But this guy should be sealed in the icebergs of the Northern Continent. Why would it appear here?"
Lucy asked in surprise: "The Northern Continent? That's thousands of miles away from here. Are you sure it's this guy, not a similar monster?"
"Of course I'm sure!! I'd recognize this guy even if it turned to ashes!! My teacher used Iced Shell to freeze it, a Magic that requires converting one's entire life force into ice."
Gray stared at the sealed monster, his eyes filled with deep-seated hatred. Seeing this expression, the group knew this monster was indeed the one from the Northern Continent.
At this time, Riku raised an eyebrow: "Someone's coming."
"?! There are people in these ruins?!"
Hearing Riku's words, the group was stunned. There were actually people in these ruins.
Riku closed his eyes and expanded his 'Mind Network' (Mantra).
Zzzzt————!
An invisible electromagnetic field spread out, encompassing the entire ruins. All living creatures in the ruins naturally emitted electromagnetic waves which immediately gave feedback to Riku.
"Hmm... more than forty people in total. Two are coming this way for now, and another one is about to arrive."
"More than forty people?!"
"So many people!!"
Now even Lucy knew Riku possessed extremely powerful perception abilities. Riku's perception would definitely not be wrong.
"Why would so many people gather here?! Isn't this an abandoned ruin?"
Just then, footsteps sounded.
Lucy said: "Shh~~! Someone's coming! Let's hide first!"
"Why?"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
The group hid behind a rock first.
Soon, two men appeared. One was slightly short with thick eyebrows, and the other looked like a dog.
"Seems like someone was talking over here."
"Oh oh."
"Yuka, Toby, let me tell you a sad thing. Angelica was beaten up by someone."
A girl with heavy makeup walked over.
Toby retorted: "That's just a mouse!!"
The girl said in a resentful tone: "It's not a mouse. Angelica is a hunter roaming in the darkness. Love."
Hearing the girl's words, Lucy couldn't help but shiver: "Here comes a weird human."
Natsu sniffed and said: "They aren't villagers from this island. The scent is different."
Happy nodded and added: "They don't feel cursed at all, although I don't know what's up with that person with dog ears."
Yuka frowned: "Are there intruders?"
Angelica was the guard arranged around the ruins to prevent harassment by others. Whoever defeated that big mouse must be a mage. Coupled with hearing human voices just now, there was a high probability someone had come.
"We are about to collect Lord Moon's light soon. Truly, what a sad thing. Before Lord Reitei (Cold Emperor) finds out, let's expel them. Before Lord Moon reveals itself."
"Indeed. Since they've seen Deliora, we can't let them return alive."
"Let the intruders sleep peacefully forever. Love."
"Die, kill them!!"
The three of them chatted as they gradually walked away.
Natsu said unhappily: "Why do we have to hide? Wouldn't it be better to catch them and ask clearly?"
"Didn't you hear Riku? There are more than forty people. If we act now, we'll definitely attract them all."
Natsu clenched his fist: "Then we'll defeat them all."
Gray angrily punched the ground: "Damn it, why did those guys move Deliora here? How did they find Deliora's sealing place?"
"Although I don't know if it's related to this island's curse, it definitely shouldn't appear in this place."
"Reitei... no matter who it is, if they defile Ur's name, I will absolutely not let them go!!!"
Lucy guessed: "Could this island's curse be related to this demon?"
Since they both had demonic forms, maybe the curse emitted by this thing turned those villagers into demons.
Gray said: "It's not impossible. This demon is still alive."
"Good! In that case, let's try defeating this demon."
Natsu prepared to act and finish off this demon.
Hearing this, Gray quickly turned around and punched Natsu in the face, knocking him to the ground.
"Gray, you bastard, what are you doing?!"
Gray shouted at Natsu in shock and anger: "Fire Mage, stay away from me!! If the ice melts and Deliora wakes up, what will we do?!!"
"Is this seal that easy to melt?!"
"No... no..."
Hearing Natsu's words, Gray suddenly snapped out of it. Indeed, the Iced Shell Magic couldn't be melted by fire. No matter how high the flame's temperature, it was impossible to melt. He was just mentally shaken just now; anger and fear had overwhelmed his mind, preventing him from thinking rationally.
At this moment, Riku stepped forward: "Alright, Gray, calm down a bit. Natsu, don't be rash either. There's a simple method now: catch them all and ask why they transported this thing here. Since your Master sealed it, let you make the decision."
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