"I really don't know."
Lyon had no idea what was happening to the people on Galuna Island.
He frowned, his voice filled with confusion and helplessness.
If it truly was the effect of the "Moon Drip Ritual," then the people who had been in the core area this whole time should have been the most severely mutated.
It made no sense that they were unaffected.
"So… can you give us back Deliora?"
After explaining himself several times, Lyon took a tentative step forward, his words laced with a plea.
This matter clearly had nothing to do with Deliora!
Why did they have to take his Deliora away?!
The indignation and anxiety in his heart were about to burst from his chest, yet he couldn't act on them.
"Since when did it become yours?" Marco looked at Lyon with an expression of utter bewilderment.
If one had to be precise, Deliora was a creation of Zeref, so ownership belonged to Zeref.
However, considering the demon was currently sealed by Ur, her disciples, Gray and Lyon, did indeed have some right to decide its fate.
If that Ultear truly was Ur's daughter, she would of course have a say as well, since it was, after all, her mother's "legacy."
"Marco, we can't let Deliora out." Gray's expression was grave.
He was resolute in his desire to protect "Ur"; he would never allow the ice that Ur had become to be broken.
"Gray! If you truly believe that ice is Ur, then you should support me! Let's destroy Deliora completely! And set Ur free!"
After being defeated by Gray, Lyon's mind had cleared considerably.
He began trying to cooperate with Gray.
In any case, he wanted to fulfill his long-held obsession and destroy Deliora first!
"…"
It had to be said, Lyon's change of tack did make Gray hesitate for a moment.
If Deliora were completely destroyed, Ur would indeed be "liberated" and would no longer have to stand guard over the demon.
"As long as we join forces! We can definitely defeat Deliora!"
Lyon continued to shout, seeming to have found his confidence again.
He thought about it from a different angle: the reason he was defeated wasn't that he was too weak, but that Gray was stronger!
Lyon himself had dared to face Deliora alone.
Now, with a powerful ally, he was naturally more confident.
With the two of them joining forces, their chances of victory against Deliora were naturally higher.
Besides, even if they did lose, the worst that could happen was sacrificing themselves to seal the demon again with "Iced Shell."
Lyon wasn't afraid of death in the slightest.
In fact, ten years ago when facing Deliora, seeing that his master Ur was no match for it, Lyon's first instinct had been to rush forward and use "Iced Shell."
In the end, Ur had to knock him unconscious to stop him.
This was the very source of Lyon's fixation.
In his heart, he also deeply loved and respected Ur, which was why he had turned against Gray, the "main culprit."
It was why he had always wanted a life-or-death battle with Deliora, even if the result was him taking Ur's place and using "Iced Shell" to seal Deliora once more.
Lucy's earlier accusation—that they didn't care about ordinary people, that they didn't care if Deliora was released to continue its evil deeds—was actually incorrect, because Lyon had long been resolved.
The outcome would be one of two things: either he would completely destroy Deliora, or he would use "Iced Shell" to seal it again.
He would never allow Deliora to continue its rampage.
"No. There can't be any more sacrifices."
In the end, however, Gray shook his head and rejected the proposal.
People don't learn when taught by others, but they learn after a single experience.
The consequences of his impulsiveness ten years ago had a profound impact on Gray.
He never wanted to implicate others because of his rashness again.
"Damn it! Gray! Where's the courage you had to challenge Deliora on your own?! Don't you want revenge for your parents, for Ur, for everything you've lost?! How did you become so cowardly?!"
Gray's mature decision made Lyon snap.
He started cursing again, trying to use reverse psychology to change Gray's mind.
"This isn't cowardice. It's responsibility."
Gray still shook his head, not falling for Lyon's taunt.
He believed he still didn't have what it took to defeat Deliora, so he absolutely could not release it.
Unlike Lyon, who lacked a clear understanding of his own strength, Gray had a decent grasp of his abilities and Ur's.
He had many points of reference for comparison.
Gildarts knew Ur and had evaluated her strength, acknowledging that she was on the level of a Ten Wizard Saint.
Master Makarov had also agreed with this assessment.
Gray had encountered three of the Ten Wizard Saints in his life: his own guild master, old man Makarov; the master of their former rival guild, Phantom Lord, Jose Porla and Jellal, who had only recently been apprehended.
Master Makarov was needless to say, his power was unfathomable.
Gray didn't feel he was even qualified to challenge him.
As for Jose Porla, he had fought fiercely against the Fairy Tail Twin Stars.
Although he was ultimately defeated, his strength was certainly not to be underestimated.
After all, his opponents were the "Thunder God" Laxus and the "Star Rose God" Marco!
The more one looked at it now, the more impressive Jose Porla's battle record seemed.
It couldn't be helped; the Fairy Tail Twin Stars, Laxus and Marco, were only getting stronger and more famous.
Even though Marco and Laxus hadn't yet grown to their current level at the time, the achievement still looked very impressive, making people hold a little more respect for the now-vanished Jose Porla.
It was ironic, really.
Back then, Marco and Laxus had made a name for themselves by fighting Jose Porla.
Now, it was Jose Porla who was maintaining his prestige because of that battle.
And Jellal was an even clearer case.
It was only thanks to Marco's intervention that he was successfully taken down.
Even Erza had been at a disadvantage.
The power of a Ten Wizard Saint was truly immense.
It was a battle Gray had witnessed firsthand, and he had been deeply shaken by the terrifying level of power.
Therefore, Gray knew very well that his strength was definitely still inferior to Ur's at the time, and Lyon's was even further behind.
Even if the two of them joined forces, it would be impossible to destroy Deliora.
Unless… Gray glanced at Marco.
Unless Marco makes a move.
Only then would they have a fighting chance.
Marco's strength was definitely greater than Ur's.
After all, Marco had actually defeated a Ten Wizard Saint—and not just once.
His battle record was insane!
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