"So, that's the truth behind the purple moon?"
"Wow, Kira, you're something else! No wonder you're an S-Class wizard—figuring it out just like that!"
Kira soaked up the praise with a smug grin. "Obviously! Take notes, kids!"
"Then… why not just tell the village chief?" Gray asked.
Kira shot him a look like he'd just said something ridiculous. "What, are you dense? Their memories are messed up—they're not gonna buy our explanation. They've been living with this 'curse' idea for years, even 'killing' their own kids over it. If I told them they've always been demons, they'd lose it, call us useless, and probably kick us out."
"Uh… yeah, that makes sense," Gray admitted. "Wait, if they're demons, does that mean the chief's son died for nothing?"
"Nah, demons are tough to kill," Kira explained. "And since the chief said his son 'lost himself,' I'm betting he just returned to normal and probably left the island."
Kira started walking toward the forest's center.
"Everything happens for a reason. This island didn't just start acting weird out of nowhere. Whether it's a virus or magic, if this started a few years ago, something big must've happened back then."
Loke piped up, "So, where are we headed now?"
"First, we look for something like a magic circle. A spell that covers the whole island needs a lot of prep, which means a big space to set up the array."
"A big space?" Gray frowned. "We haven't seen anything like that on the way here."
"According to the books, Galuna Island has an ancient ruin that channels moonlight's power. Since moonlight's got holy properties, the demon villagers can't get near it, making it the perfect spot for a magic circle."
"Makes sense," Loke nodded. "No villagers snooping around, no risk of it getting wrecked. It's ideal."
"Exactly!" Kira smirked. "Learn from this, guys. Before a mission, do your homework. Read books, stay informed, eat your fruits and veggies, cut back on late nights and booze, and stop picking fights or chasing girls!"
Ten minutes later…
"We're here."
Kira stopped at the edge of an ancient, mysterious ruin. Scattered stones littered the area, some etched with moon-like patterns.
"This is the ruin you mentioned?" Gray asked. "It's not even that far from the village. Why didn't the villagers say anything about it?"
"Because they can't come near it," Kira replied. "They probably thought it'd sound too crazy, and we wouldn't believe them, so they kept quiet."
"This is the island's center and highest point," Kira continued. "If you're setting up a magic circle, this is the best spot. Let's check it out."
Loke suddenly pointed. "Hold up. There's a cave here."
"And another one up there, same size," he added, stepping forward and craning his neck. "Wait, no—there's multiple layers, all broken through. This isn't natural. Someone did this. Why?"
Kana and Gray moved closer, confirming Loke's observation.
Before they could say more, Kira's voice rang out, brimming with realization. "That's it! I've got it! This place channels massive amounts of moonlight—perfect for that spell!"
With a dramatic flourish, Kira struck a pose, ready to drop his big reveal. "There's only one truth!!"
The trio, seeing Kira's confident grin, leaned in. "What's the spell?" they asked.
"Moon Drip," Kira declared. "A legendary magic that gathers moonlight into a concentrated beam, forming a force so powerful it can negate any spell."
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"A magic that can cancel any spell? Does something like that really exist?" Gray and Kana gaped, stunned.
Loke, on the other hand, didn't seem fazed. Made sense—he was a Celestial Spirit who'd been around for who-knows-how-long. In the original story, it was a spirit who tipped Natsu's group off about Moon Drip.
"Oh, it's real," Kira nodded. "I read about it. But Moon Drip's no easy feat. It needs a ton of moonlight, a lot of manpower, and some super obscure, ancient chants. It's a lost art these days."
"Plus, it's a messy spell," he added. "The books say it releases a weird gas that probably polluted the island."
"Polluted gas?" Kana gasped. "So the villagers' bodies were affected because the air's contaminated?"
"Not necessarily," Kira said. "Could be something else. The sun's about to set, so we'll know soon enough."
"That's messed up," Gray growled. "Who's doing this? Why wait for night? Let's just smash the magic circle now!"
"Yeah," Kana agreed. "If we break it, we stop the pollution, right?"
"Moon Drip only works at night," Kira explained. "Right now, there's nothing to smash, and no one to fight. You'd just be punching air."
"But the chief said this has been going on for three years," Gray pressed. "It still hasn't worked?"
"It's not that simple," Kira shook his head. "Moon Drip takes a long time to pull off, even with this island's abundant moonlight. Three years isn't enough. And the side effects? Tricky. Breaking the circle won't fix everything."
Kana frowned. "Can't we at least purify the air or something? You've got tricks for that, don't you?"
"Thing is, I haven't sensed any weird air since we got here," Kira admitted. "That's why we need to wait for night to figure it out."
He grinned, his tone turning mischievous. "Besides, don't you guys want to see what these mystery folks are trying to break with Moon Drip?"
That sparked their curiosity. Who were these people, and what were they after?
"The answer's down there," Kira pointed to the cave. "Wanna check it out?"
"Hell yeah!" the trio cheered, clearly pumped for the adventure.
Gray's mind was racing. S-Class missions are wild. I'm learning so much—stuff I can rub in Natsu's face later.
Kira glanced at Gray's eager expression, smirking to himself. Laugh while you can, buddy. You won't be smiling for long.