Chapter 39: Deliora
"Are you insane?!" several voices shouted in unison.
Dino waved his hand dismissively with a grin. "Haha! Relax, relax! I'm just messing with you. Only weak-willed creatures would actually off themselves from that. Humans are tougher—worst case, you'd have a few months of nightmares, lose your appetite, maybe some sleepless nights. No big deal."
"THAT'S NOT REASSURING AT ALL!!!"
A few months of psychological trauma, loss of appetite, insomnia—if someone was already fragile, suicide wasn't exactly off the table!
Lucy suddenly clasped her hands together with genuine relief. "You know… I just realized how lucky we are to have Dino in our guild."
Natsu, Gray, and Happy all nodded vigorously in agreement. Being guildmates meant they didn't have to worry about this maniac targeting them. Was there any greater blessing in this world?
"Hey! Look! There's a building up ahead!"
After pushing through the jungle, a structure built into the mountainside came into view. The group approached and entered a massive, echoing hall.
"Whoa! This place is huge!"
"Pretty run-down though. Wonder how old it is?"
"Look! There's a moon-shaped emblem carved up there. Didn't the village chief mention this island used to be called 'Galuna Island'?"
"Galuna Island, the moon emblem… something feels off about this."
"Man, this floor looks ancient. Think it'll hold—" Natsu stomped down hard with his boot.
"DON'T DO THAT, YOU IDIOT!"
CRASH!
The floor shattered instantly, creating a gaping hole. Everyone plummeted through, Dino included despite his best efforts.
THUD! CRASH! BANG!
They tumbled through debris and rubble before finally hitting the ground below.
Natsu immediately burst out laughing when he spotted Dino covered in dust and stone fragments. "BAHAHAHA! Dino's all dirty!"
Gray and Lucy had been ready to chew Natsu out, but seeing even Dino Maxim—the seemingly invincible monster—looking disheveled actually made them feel… better? Like he was human after all, not some untouchable force of nature.
Dino shot Natsu a glare while dusting himself off. "Use your brain before you act, you moron!"
Natsu's laughter died in his throat, his eyes going wide as dinner plates. "Wh-what the hell is THAT?! There's a giant demon frozen in ice!!!"
Everyone turned to follow his gaze. Gray's face went sheet-white, his entire body going rigid as he whispered the name in disbelief: "D-Deliora?!"
"That's impossible! Why would Deliora be here?! No… no, it can't be! Not in a place like this!"
Dino's voice cut through the panic, steady and calm. "Gray. Breathe. It's just a demon sealed in ice."
Seeing the frozen monster and hearing Gray's reaction, fragments of memory clicked into place in Dino's mind. He had a vague recollection of this arc now.
Gray's breathing slowed, but his body still trembled visibly. Whatever composure he'd regained was paper-thin.
"You know this thing, Gray?"
"Deliora… the Demon of Disaster…"
Dino's head snapped toward the entrance. "Hold on. Footsteps. Hide. Now."
Everyone scrambled behind the rubble and stone pillars.
Two figures entered the chamber. One had distinctly canine features, while the other sported the most absurdly thick eyebrows any of them had ever seen.
"The noise came from over here."
"Yeah, looks like it."
"Check out all this broken stone—must've fallen through from the floor above. This whole place is falling apart. With those earthquakes last night, we're lucky the whole building didn't collapse."
"Ugh, those tremors scared the crap out of me! Never thought we'd get earthquakes on this island!"
"Natural disasters, man. Can't be helped. At least the Moon Drip magic circle is still intact—would've set us back weeks if that broke."
A woman's voice echoed through the chamber. "Yuka, Toby! This is terrible! Angelica got so frightened she's hiding in her nest and won't come out no matter what I do!"
The dog-like man—Toby—scratched his head. "Isn't that just normal mouse behavior? They hide in holes when they're scared."
"Angelica is NOT a mouse! She's a noble hunter of the darkness, and there is love in—"
"Wait. Intruders?"
"If they saw Deliora, we can't let them leave alive. They must've escaped somewhere in here. Find these intruders and eliminate them before Lord Lyon discovers this!"
"Granting death to trespassers is also an act of love!"
"So… we just kill 'em, right? Got it."
The trio's footsteps faded as they left to search elsewhere.
Once the coast was clear, the group emerged from hiding.
"What a bunch of weirdos!"
"Their scent's different from the islanders. They're definitely outsiders."
Natsu turned to Dino with his usual blunt solution. "Hey, why don't we just grab those guys and beat the answers out of them? They've gotta be behind whatever's happening to the villagers."
"Because there's no need." Dino shook his head with a knowing smile.
Memory was like a chain reaction—one piece triggered the next. He'd already figured out what the "curse" really was. He'd had an inkling last night, but now it was crystal clear. Honestly, it was almost laughable.
Lucy gestured toward the frozen demon. "Dino, shouldn't we destroy this thing? The villagers' curse might be connected to this demon somehow. If we destroy it, maybe the curse will lift?"
"NO! Wait!" Gray stepped forward urgently. "Don't destroy it yet! I need to know… who is this 'Lyon' they mentioned? And why would he bring the demon my master gave her life to seal all the way out here?"
"Master?"
"Gave her life?"
Gray's expression hardened, his voice heavy. "Yeah. Deliora was sealed by my teacher—Ur—using Absolute Zero. She sacrificed herself to seal this monster forever."