(One day before, Hargeon)
Natsu arrived in Hargeon with Happy. During the trip, Happy noticed Natsu's solemn expression. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but something inside him told him it was better not to bother Natsu at that moment.
They decided to go straight to the port...
Their first goal was to find transportation to Galuna. This left Happy speechless—Natsu, who hated transports, was looking for one on his own... However, there was disappointment, as no one wanted to go to Galuna.
Inevitably, Gray appeared to stop Natsu. He was ready to fight him to prevent him from going to Galuna Island, but to Gray's surprise, Natsu didn't make any excuses.
"Gray, I want to get stronger…"
"Huh?! Are you stupid, Natsu?! You know I could kick you out?!"
"Even so, I want to go. I want to push myself to the limit, I want to get stronger!"
Gray grabbed Natsu by the collar. "Natsu, don't say nonsense! There are other ways to get stronger! An S-rank mission won't just put you in danger—it could put others in danger because of you!"
"I—!" Natsu grabbed Gray's collar back. "I can't beat him!"
"Natsu..." Gray knew who he was referring to but couldn't believe it. That stubborn, idiotic, aggressive bastard just admitted he couldn't beat Allen.
"I know. I know by the smell that comes off his body, by the hidden presence behind his magic, I know because Igneel tells me!"
Natsu had promised himself he would become the strongest so he'd have the power to protect his friends, so no tragedy would happen again, and so his father Igneel, wherever he was, would be proud.
Natsu was someone impulsive with magma instead of blood. He had a strong character but a great sense of morality, though he had his psychotic moments. Natsu was fearless to face anyone—even knowing he would be defeated. With that mentality, he challenged Erza, Laxus, Makarov, and Gildarts. He always did this because, although he knew the other person was very strong, he thought that if he trained and fought enough, the moment would come when he surpassed them. But he hit a wall, an indestructible wall.
Natsu was kind of dumb—not stupid-the difference was too big: in power, skill, experience, mental or spiritual strength... every aspect showed an overwhelming difference.
"I don't want to stop! I feel that if I do, I'll never catch up! That's why..." Natsu let go of Gray's stunned collar, "That's why I ask you not to stop me…"
Gray growled, grabbed his head, hit his forehead, and even punched Natsu, but Natsu didn't defend himself.
"I don't care anymore... let's go, Natsu..." Gray extended his hand.
"Huh?"
"I'm telling you I'm coming too..." Gray sighed.
Gray and Natsu hated each other more as rivals than enemies, and this was the first time Gray sincerely helped Natsu. Happy, watching this, couldn't help but cry.
...
(At the present time, Hargeon)
Their first goal in Hargeon was to find transportation to Galuna Island. Since Allen was only accompanied by Lucy and Erza, using the same method he used with Natsu was out of the question.
They began searching for someone available, but everyone refused. Galuna Island had such a bad reputation that not even pirates went there.
"This is frustrating..." Erza growled, glaring angrily at the last fisherman who rejected them and was fleeing in panic.
Allen yawned. "Well, considering there's an S-rank mission there, it's not exactly a tourist spot…"
"If that's the case, why don't we just give up? I mean, Natsu and Gray are pretty strong; I don't think they will die on this Request," Lucy smiled, but Erza gave her a look that made her hide behind Allen.
"It's not just a matter of strength..." Allen said.
Erza calmed down and spoke irritably, "First, we have to bring those two in to be punished. Don't you get it, Lucy? This is a clear violation of guild rules—they could even be expelled!"
"Lies..." Lucy trembled. She hadn't been in Fairy Tail for long, but she could tell the atmosphere was different from other guilds. It felt like everyone was one big family. Would they really expel Gray and Natsu?
Seeing Lucy's pale face, Erza sighed. "Lucy, each mission rank increases the danger and complexity. A mage must not only be strong but able to handle complicated situations. It only takes one small mistake for many people to die. That's why to take an S-Class mission, you need to be an S-Class Mage or have supervision from one…"
Allen patted her on the head. "Honestly, I don't think that kind old man would expel Natsu and Gray in normal situations, but if they cause deaths…"
Allen didn't finish the sentence, but Lucy understood...
"It's not that I don't understand," Allen said, looking at the horizon, "I guess in part, it's my fault..."
Since Allen arrived, the atmosphere in Fairy Tail has changed. After all, the strong guys in the guild had been that way for years, and new mages had to climb up patiently from the bottom. But Allen broke the status quo, putting pressure on many, especially guys like Natsu, Laxus, and even Gray, because the newcomer was a monster.
"That can't be. The fault is that idiot's," Lucy said with a snort.
Erza placed her hand on Allen's arm. "Lucy's right—you don't have to feel responsible. On the contrary, giving those idiots a taste of reality will make them mature…"
"Yes, but maybe that's what caused this incident..." Allen shook his head. He didn't know what originally pushed Natsu to do this at the original destination, but in this world, it was because of him. Of course, it wasn't going to keep him up at night. Natsu was old enough to face the consequences of his decisions—even if it killed him...'
...
They were about to go looking for pirates to "ask" them to take them to the island of Galuna when Allen had an idea.
"Lucy, do you still have that perverted cow?"
"Perverted cow?" Lucy smiled ironically, "If you mean Taurus, then yes..."
"Oh, I see," Erza smiled, understanding Allen's intention.
Lucy was confused but didn't want to say no to Allen's request, so she summoned Taurus. He appeared with a scream of excitement but immediately felt chills when Allen grabbed him by the neck like a chicken. The Bull of the Twelve Zodiac Spirits was a brute strength specialist but was lifted by the neck like a feather.
Lucy apologized to Taurus, who was pale. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he definitely wasn't going to like it. Allen grinned like a demon. His aura changed to oppressive, his muscles bulged, his mass multiplied, and with a stomp, he shook Hargeon before throwing Taurus. Taurus flew into the sky like a comet.
Lucy knelt pale. "I hope he doesn't die... or all the spirits will hate me..."
"Don't worry, he's protected by my magic, though no one will ever take away his trauma. Maybe this will help him be less perverted..."
"..." Erza squinted.
...
Makima – He did it on purpose...
Gwen – That's what I thought too...
Wednesday – If he wanted, he had like ten different ways to get to Galuna, but he chose this... definitely on purpose.
Rebecca – Jealousy? Hahaha!
Harley – Definitely jealousy, even if the other is a spirit, Daddy wouldn't let the cow look at his girl with perverted eyes~
Eve – And he still dares to say he doesn't like Lucy...
Diana – He never said that. He just said Lucy is a little naive and he doesn't want to take advantage of that... or at least that was the excuse he gave me a couple of days ago when he visited...
Kimiko – Perverts have a hard time with Allen around... not that I pity them or anything...
Nanao – Certainly, Allen Walker is a shameless womanizer, but compared to a pervert, I think he's better...
McDragon – Ugh, I know you're not talking about me, but why do your words hurt so much?!
...
Allen coughed noticing Erza's penetrating eyes, which he suspected. "Yeah, maybe I wasn't totally honest about not having another way to get to Galuna,"
"What?!" Lucy jumped up from the ground.
Allen, now being looked at by Lucy too, ended up confessing, "In my defense, this was the most suitable method for a Fairy Tail member, right?" he said cheekily.
Lucy and Erza exchanged looks before sighing. Allen didn't look like a funny character, but sometimes he did and said things that were those of a shameless bastard.
Allen shrugged and looked into the distance. This time he had to use more force because Galuna was farther, 125 miles (200 km) to be exact. "Judging by the speed I sent him at... Taurus should take about ten minutes to get to Galuna Island... maybe less."
Allen pulled out a table and three chairs to sit and wait. Erza said nothing and sat next to Allen; Lucy resigned herself, hoping Taurus really wouldn't die, and also sat down to wait.
The three were still at the port, attracting the attention of many people; however, those who witnessed what had just happened preferred to pretend they didn't see anything, fearing to disturb the monster who had shaken the city with a single stomp.
...
(Galuna Island)
Gray, Natsu, and Happy were in a cabin lent to them by the island's inhabitants. All three wore serious expressions, especially Gray, whose face was shadowed. Their clothes were worn and tattered, and bruises covered their bodies — it was obvious they had been fighting, and judging by the outcome... they lost.
"Damn it, that bastard Lyon is crazy!" Gray slammed his fist against the floor in frustration.
"Gray..." Happy lowered his ears.
Natsu said nothing, but his eyes showed determination. "Next time, we'll kick their asses!"
"Oh, who are you talking about?~" a strangely pleasant but strict voice reached their ears.
Natsu, Happy, and Gray turned pale as they mechanically looked toward Erza. She wore a smile, but they all knew another beating was waiting for them.
"Wait, Erza!" Gray shouted.
"We can explain!" Natsu started to back away.
"I was only brought here by these two!" Happy yelled, betraying Natsu at the first chance.
"NO EXCUSES!" Erza shouted.
From inside the cabin, sounds of punches and desperate screams were heard as the three begged for their lives before a hysterical Erza.
"Shouldn't we stop her?" Lucy asked, watching from outside.
"..." Allen observed alongside her but just shrugged. "I don't think Erza will kill them... probably."
"Probably?..."
"Excuse me," an elderly man dressed in peculiar clothes and wearing a mask approached the pair. "My name is Mocha. I'm just a weak old man who can't protect my people. I don't fully understand, but it seems your friends came to this island by mistake?"
Lucy explained the situation to Mocha and the others who gathered. They seemed surprised and then depressed. If Natsu and Gray came breaking the rules of their guild it means that the hope of the inhabitants was dead.
"Elder, could you show me your arm?" asked Allen, interrupting everyone's depressed state.
"Hm?... yes, of course..."
Lucy covered her mouth when she saw the villagers' demon-mutated parts. Allen narrowed his eyes and looked away toward the sky, then back at Mocha.
"Allen?" Lucy looked at Allen with doubt in her eyes. It was clear she didn't want to leave these people to their fate.
"Don't worry, old man. I'm not the kind to go around helping people, but if I saw this and left it be... I'd feel bad."
Lucy's eyes lit up... and Allen smiled.
"Even if this wasn't an officially accepted mission, I might lend a hand with your problem..."
"Really?!" Mocha was happy to have more mages from the famous Fairy Tail; it gave them hope.
...
Lucy and Allen entered the cabin where the others were. The sight was pitiful. Gray and Natsu had large bumps on their heads and their faces were swollen. Happy was unconscious with his mouth full of fish.
"So scary..." Lucy clung to Allen's arm.
"Welcome. You took your time, didn't you?" Erza greeted them calmly, as if she hadn't nearly killed the three.
"We were talking with the village chief..." Allen replied, approaching Erza and brushing her hair, which had gotten messy.
"What?!" Erza blushed while Lucy's mouth dropped open in shock. Allen immediately realized what he'd done and withdrew his hand.
"Sorry, it's an old habit..." Allen replied lightly, unaware that both girls' gazes had sharpened. What kind of habit?! With girls?! With another redhead?! Does Allen have a habit of running his hands through women's hair?!
Realizing he'd made a mistake, Allen quickly walked over to Natsu and kicked him to wake him up.
"Hey, Natsu, what happened?"
"Ugh... Allen?!" Natsu backed up to the wall, terrified. He'd had enough of Erza's beatings and didn't want another one.
"No... I'm not going to hit you."
Lucy felt a drop of sweat roll down her face. "You say that after kicking him to wake him up?"
"Lies! You're worse than Erza! Don't think I've forgotten how you dressed me as a woman to throw me at that gorilla!" Natsu froze, realizing he'd revealed a secret he'd promised to keep forever.
Allen looked at Lucy and Erza, who were staring at him. "No, it's a long story, and at the time, it seemed like a good idea..." Allen turned to Natsu, looking at him with dead eyes, which scared the Dragon Slayer.
"Allen..." Gray woke up and crawled over to Allen, grabbing his ankle when he reached him. "Please, lend me your power!"
This time, not only Lucy, but also Erza and Allen himself were surprised that the proud Gray Fullbuster was begging for help.
"I know our relationship isn't the best. I know you think I'm pathetic, but I'm asking you — don't let my sensei sacrifice be for nothing!"
Allen crouched down and pointed with a finger at a wound on Gray's chest, which wasn't caused by Erza. Though Titania was strict, she controlled her strength enough not to seriously hurt the three, but this wound seemed aimed at Gray's heart, although it missed by a bit.
"Vulnera Sanentur..." Allen slowly began healing the wound, recalling that Natsu and Gray had an 80% chance of dying. Once done, he stood and extended his hand to Gray, who took it to stand.
"Gray, tell me what happened?"
"..." Gray had put aside his pride this time because above all else was the person who meant the most to him in his life — his master, Ur...
...
Ten years ago, on the northern continent in a region known as Isvan, a tragedy occurred. The demon of misfortune, Deliora, appeared. This monster devastated entire cities, destroying everything in its path, killing many people, including Gray's family.
It was an unstoppable force of nature; no mage could stand against it. Gray barely survived and was rescued by Ur, whom Gray considered the most powerful ice mage in the world. Ur didn't just give him shelter and food; you taught him magic — not to seek revenge, but to survive. However, Gray never forgot his hatred for Deliora, so ignoring his master's warnings, he went to look for Deliora when it appeared again.
Gray naively thought that by learning magic, he could defeat one of Zeref's demons with the most destructive power. A grave mistake... reality hit him like a hammer as he realized his power was insignificant.
Gray, resigned to death, was saved at the last moment by Ur, who, seeing no other way, used a spell called Iced Shell. This spell converted the mage's life into pure magic, creating an eternal prison of ice that would never melt.
Gray never forgave himself for that, and neither did his apprentice brother, who blamed Gray for Ur's death. Also, Lyon blamed Ur for being too weak to die for Deliora. Now Lyon had returned with the sole intention of thawing Deliora to defeat him and prove his power was greater than Ur's.
Everyone listened quietly until the end of the story. At that point, Erza no longer had the motivation to drag Natsu and Gray back. If Deliora awakened, he would be a danger to Fiore—no, maybe to the entire continent of Ishgar.
"Your brother is so naive, Gray..." Allen could feel the dormant breath of Deliora.
"Allen?" Gray asked, with a somber look.
"I can feel that thing's heartbeat... I'm afraid even without that Moon Drip, it will awaken soon..."
"...!"
An expression of shock and awe swept the place. Fear even added to Gray's face — he was the only one who had seen what Deliora was capable of.
"That's a lie!" Gray denied immediately and grabbed Allen's shirt. "My master made an eternal prison. She gave her life for it! Are you calling her a liar?!"
"Calm down..." Allen smiled, his eyes glowing as he put two fingers on Gray's temples. "If you don't believe me... why don't you hear him for yourself..."
"...!"
Gray felt as if the sound disappeared. The voices of Erza, Natsu, and Lucy faded. The wind stopped blowing, the sounds of animals vanished... even his heart stopped beating. In that state, only two things could be heard: Allen's voice and...
THOOM...
"...?!" Gray turned pale and collapsed to the ground.
THOOM... THOOM... THOOM...
They were immense, disturbing, chilling — the beats of Deliora... that monster was alive.
The Chat was more confused than Allen since they knew the truth: Deliora should have died by the time the ice melted! Not only that, it seemed that Deliora's heartbeat was stronger than when he was frozen.
There was something strange floating in the air...
...
Lucifer prepared himself a cup of coffee with two sugar cubes. Then he sat on his sofa and turned on a record player that played an old melody.
"Allen, you might think I despise humans, but I find them fascinating, because from time to time someone appears who surprises and interests me..."
Lucifer looked at his table, where a poker hand lay with three Aces and one card face down... Lucifer smiled, watching the fourth card slowly flip over, revealing the fourth Ace.
"Our little chat reminded me of a phrase I like..." Lucifer squinted with a sharper smile, "If there's even the slightest chance something will go wrong... not only will it go wrong, it will go worse..."
===
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