Boom—!!!
Ten torrents of holy light! Like divine punishment! Precisely pierced the energy nodes in the southeastern part of the giant amethyst!
Sizzle—!!!
Inside the crystal. Where purple light and deep blue intertwined. Holy light injected! Like hot oil poured on snow! Instantly triggered a chain explosion! The purple energy current went wildly out of control! Twisting! Tearing!
[Alert! External holy light…successfully interfered…energy circuit! Node destruction…confirmed!] Christian's voice, filled with strong electronic static, came from inside the crystal.
[Execute…final devour! Predator…maximum power!]
Buzz—!!!
Deep blue light burst violently from the inside out! Spewing from the damaged node! Madly devouring the escaping purple energy! Cracks on the crystal surface spread rapidly! Like a spider web!
"It worked!" Gray's ice spear pierced a black-robed figure!
"Let's add some more fire!" Natsu roared! "Fire Dragon's…Blazing Flame!!!" A scorching white pillar of fire shot into the sky! Bombarding the base of the crystal!
Attacked from inside and out! Collapse accelerated!
Crack! Boom—!!!
The giant amethyst…completely shattered! Countless fragments, carrying uncontrolled purple energy, scattered! Like a purple meteor shower!
The moon drop ritual…interrupted!
The chilling magical field covering the temple instantly receded! The chains and runes imprisoning Deliora dimmed! That suffocating pressure…seemed to have weakened a little?
"We succeeded!" Lucy cheered!
A blue shadow flashed! Christian detached from the center of the explosion! Its gelatinous volume shrank by almost half! Its color dimmed! The core light flickered rapidly.
[Alert! Absorbed excessive…cursed moonlight energy…core overloaded…needs…cooling…regeneration…] He floated onto Lucy's shoulder. The touch was cold and weak.
"You worked hard, Chris!" Lucy gently stroked the gelatinous mass.
"Duty…" The core light was faint but steady.
"Deliora…" Erza, however, did not relax. Her greatsword pointed at the central shadow. "The ritual is interrupted…but the demon…has not disappeared."
"Roar…"
A low, suppressed breath, as if from ancient hell, resounded.
The giant humanoid silhouette, confined by chains in the center of the temple…moved!
The shadow writhed as a massive head slowly lifted. Two points of crimson light ignited in the darkness, like the gaze of hell, and the chains clanked.
Just the act of lifting its head stirred up a gale!
"Ants…dare…interrupt…my revival…" The voice was muffled. Every syllable carried terrifying magical pressure!
Natsu and Gray instantly knelt, sweating profusely! Lucy's face was pale! Happy huddled into her arms!
"So…so scary…" Lucy's teeth chattered.
"Analysis: Target 'Deliora'…life level…exceeds conventional understanding…" Christian's core alarm shrieked wildly.
"Pressure materialized…magic level…immeasurable! Warning: Do not engage directly!"
"Retreat!" Erza made an immediate decision! Adamantine Armor covered her body! Her greatsword blocked in front of the team! "Quick!"
"Trying to escape?" Deliora's crimson gaze locked onto Erza.
A giant claw slowly lifted, chains crumbling piece by piece! Space itself was distorting! "Become…a sacrifice…for my revival!"
The giant claw slammed down! Shadows covered the sky! Death descended!
"Requip: Flight Armor!" Erza's wings spread wide! She grabbed the nearest Natsu and Gray! Rushing forward! "Lucy! Run!"
Lucy turned and ran frantically! Her heart pounded as the giant claw slammed down behind her.
The ground collapsed! Debris shot out like cannonballs!
"Open, Taurus!" Lucy shrieked! Golden light shone!
"Moo—! Miss Lucy!" Taurus swung his giant axe backward! Deflecting the debris! His massive body blocked the shockwave! Protecting Lucy!
Boom! Taurus was sent flying by the immense force! Dispersing into golden light!
"Taurus!" Lucy cried out in pain.
"Individual name: Lucy Heartfilia…continue…evacuation…" Christian detached from her shoulder.
Chris expanded into a deep blue barrier, blocking the subsequent debris. The barrier flickered violently!
[Energy…insufficient…]
"Chris!" Lucy turned to pull him.
"Go!" Erza returned! Grabbing Lucy's arm! Wings fully spread! Rushing out of the temple!
The team fled from the temple area in disarray.
Behind them, Deliora's roar shook the entire island! Mountain walls crumbled! The entire temple slowly collapsed under the terrifying power!
"Hmph…Hmph…" Natsu leaned on his knees, panting. "What…what exactly is that monster…"
"The legendary demon of destruction…lives up to its name…" Gray's face was grim.
"Did…did the mission fail?" Lucy looked at the collapsing temple.
Still shaken, Christian floated back to her side. Its volume was smaller, and its light was dim.
"No." Erza looked back at the smoke and dust. "The moon drop is interrupted. The source of the moonlight curse…is destroyed. The islanders' beast transformation…should be reversible." She looked at the village down the mountain in the distance. Dawn was breaking. The first ray of sunlight pierced the darkness. "The true 'moon drop'…perhaps…has another meaning."
"Analysis: Temple collapse…Deliora…is temporarily suppressed…but not eliminated." Christian's core operated.
"Threat…still exists. 'moon drop'…ritual purpose…questionable. Suggestion: Investigate…information on the mastermind 'Shadow'."
"Pois' dying message…Eisenwald remnants…" Erza's eyes sharpened.
"The clues…point to a deeper darkness." She looked at her tired but determined teammates. "Mission change: One, confirm villager safety. Two, search for 'Shadow' clues. Three…"
She paused. Her gaze swept over Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Happy, finally resting on Christian, who was diligently regenerating and restoring his deep blue color.
"Live. Grow stronger. Until…you are capable of facing any darkness."
The morning light completely dispelled the island's gloom, shining on the Fairy Tail team.
The exhaustion of surviving a disaster intertwined with the solemnity of facing an unknown powerful enemy, but no one flinched. A new journey had just begun amidst the demon's roar.