Under the hazy moonlight, Bobo stood by the edge of the boat and slowly removed his cloak, revealing a dark green-black arm—twisted, grotesque, and utterly inhuman.
Gray and Happy were certain of it.
That was not a human arm.
It was something belonging to a monster… or rather, a demon.
"Once you set foot on the island, you may be cursed as well," Bobo said heavily. "And when that happens, you'll end up like me. Even if you escape Galuna Island like I did, the curse will follow you forever—unless you completely lift it."
He paused, then looked at them seriously.
"But do you really have the resolve… or the ability… to break that curse?"
"Old man… your arm…" Gray stared in disbelief at Bobo's fully transformed left arm.
"So this is what a demon's curse does…" Happy swallowed nervously.
"Just be careful," Bobo said, shaking his head. He turned his gaze toward the distance. "Look—there it is. That's Galuna Island."
In his eyes was a deep sense of nostalgia.
"There's light on the mountaintop… did they build the village inside the mountain?" Gray guessed.
"Hey, old man—?!"
Gray turned to ask another question—but his expression suddenly changed.
Bobo… was gone.
He had vanished without a sound. There hadn't even been a splash.
"Happy, did you see where he went?" Gray asked quickly.
"No… I was looking at the island the whole time. I didn't hear anything either," Happy replied.
"…Honestly, you're completely useless at times like this," Gray muttered helplessly, glancing at Natsu—who was still in miserable condition.
At that moment—
A massive wave surged up out of nowhere, crashing over the small boat and sweeping Gray, Happy, and Natsu into the sea.
And the direction the wave carried them…
Was straight toward Galuna Island.
Meanwhile, Arlen, Erza, Ultear, and Lucy finally arrived at Hargeon Port after rushing nonstop.
Unfortunately—they were too late.
Natsu and Gray had already left who knows how long ago.
Erza clenched her fist, visibly annoyed. "Those two idiots… they sure move fast when they want to."
"Alright, calm down. Once we get to Galuna Island and catch Natsu, Gray, and Happy, you can lecture them properly," Ultear said with a smile.
Lucy coughed awkwardly, silently observing three seconds of mourning for those three fools.
"It's already late. Let's stay the night in Hargeon and find a ship tomorrow. We can also gather more detailed information about Galuna Island," Arlen said calmly, glancing at the dim moonlight.
"Agreed."
The three women all nodded.
At this hour, no ships would be operating anyway—and even if there were, no one would dare sail into the fog-covered sea… especially not toward Galuna Island.
They found a decent inn and stayed the night.
At dawn the next morning—
Erza wasted no time dragging Arlen out of bed. Even Ultear, sleeping nearby, was woken up by the commotion.
"Wake up! It's morning—we're leaving!" Erza urged.
"Alright, alright… at least let us wash up. Let's grab some breakfast first," Arlen said helplessly, though there was a hint of fondness as he ruffled Erza's hair.
"Then hurry up! I'll go buy breakfast—and wake Lucy!" Erza dashed out of the room like a storm.
"It seems Erza is really worried something might happen to Natsu, Gray, and Happy," Ultear said with a smile.
"That's only natural," Arlen replied as he stepped out of the bathroom. "Even S-Class mages can fail sometimes—let alone Natsu and Gray, who aren't even qualified yet, taking on a mission like Galuna Island. Of course the Master is worried. That's why he wants us to bring them back as soon as possible."
After a quick meal, the four of them returned to Hargeon Port.
But just like Natsu's group—they ran into the same problem.
No one was willing to go to Galuna Island.
To the sailors, it was a cursed place best avoided at all costs.
In the end, Arlen simply bought a boat outright, and only then were they able to set sail.
"Wow… Galuna Island must be really terrifying. These sailors won't even go near it," Lucy said, hugging her knees as she sat on the boat.
"Well, it is a cursed island," Erza replied.
Meanwhile, on the shores of Galuna Island—
Natsu, Gray, and Happy slowly regained consciousness after being washed ashore by the massive wave.
After looking around in a daze, Happy suddenly beamed.
"Thank goodness—we're alive! And we made it to Galuna Island!"
"Well… I guess that's a blessing in disguise," Gray said, hands on his hips. "As long as we complete this mission perfectly, the old man probably won't kick us out of the guild."
"Let's go! Time to find the client!" Natsu shouted excitedly.
After grabbing some quick food, the trio followed Happy's lead, trekking through dense forest.
By the time they reached the village—it was already nightfall.
But a new problem awaited them.
"Whoa… that wall is huge," Happy said, staring at the wooden wall towering at least twenty meters high.
"'No Entry'? What's that supposed to mean?" Gray frowned.
"Who knows. Let's just try calling out," Natsu said casually.
"Hey! Anyone there?! Open up! We're mages from Fairy Tail—we accepted your request!"
Two villagers holding spears appeared atop the wall, looking down at them.
"But we haven't received any notice that the request was accepted," one of them said.
Natsu, Gray, and Happy instantly felt guilty.
After all… they had taken the job without permission.
"Uh… maybe there was a delay in communication?" they improvised.
"Show us your guild marks. We need to confirm."
Without hesitation, the three revealed their Fairy Tail emblems.
After verifying them, the villagers cheered—and shortly after, the gates opened.
"Feels like we're walking into a monster's mouth…" Happy muttered.
As soon as they entered, they saw a group of villagers completely wrapped in white cloth.
At the front stood a small figure leaning on a cane—their gender indistinguishable.
"Welcome, mages of Fairy Tail. I am the village chief of Galuna Island—Moka," the figure said.
"Before explaining the details of the request, I would like you to see something."
The first part was directed at Natsu and the others.
The next—
Was directed at the villagers behind him.
"Everyone… remove your cloaks."
At his command, the villagers took off their coverings.
In the next instant—
Natsu, Gray, and Happy's pupils shrank.
The villagers' bodies… had all begun transforming.
Some had demon-like arms.
Others had twisted legs.
Some had horns growing from their heads.
Under the eerie purple glow, their half-demon forms looked utterly grotesque and unsettling.