Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Gray: I Will Never Forgive This Person!
"Well then, let's go down and take a look," Kira announced, raising his right foot.
The group tensed.
"Wait, what are you planning to do?!"
"Hold on!"
Before anyone could stop him, Kira stomped down hard. The ground beneath his feet cracked with a deafening CRACK, the fractures radiating outward. Moments later, the floor collapsed entirely.
"No! That's dangerous!"
"What's wrong with you, you maniac?!"
"Why is the ground so fragile here?!"
The three companions plummeted through the collapsing debris, their cries of alarm echoing in the cavernous space below. Meanwhile, Kira remained utterly unbothered. With a wave of his hand, he summoned his Word Magic.
"Word Spirit: Wing."
Magical wings sprouted from his back, fluttering as he descended gracefully. He touched down lightly, not so much as disturbing the flow of his cloak.
"Perfect landing!" he declared smugly.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The others crashed to the ground in a far less dignified manner. Groaning, they staggered to their feet, bruised but otherwise unharmed.
Kira smirked and wagged a finger at them. "Tsk, tsk. If you lack the ability to handle emergencies, you'll never pass the guild's assessment to become S-class wizards."
Kana, Gray, and Rocky exchanged a silent look before simultaneously rolling up their sleeves.
"You've got some nerve!"
"It's your fault, you idiot!"
"You're about to regret this, Kira!"
Before the trio could teach him a lesson, Kira pointed into the distance. "Look! That must be the target of the Moon Drop. And, wow... what an enormous, ugly creature!"
Gray narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Oh, come on! That's the oldest trick in the book. Do you really think I'd fall for—"
"Wait," Rocky interrupted, his attention fixed on the far side of the cavern. "Is that... a demon?"
Kana squinted in the dim light. "I get it. They're using the Moon Drop to destroy the ice and release this thing."
At the mention of ice, Gray froze. His heart raced as an old memory clawed its way to the surface. He turned slowly, his gaze locking onto the figure encased in frozen magic.
"Deliora?!" he shouted, his voice trembling with disbelief.
Kana and Rocky turned to him in confusion, but Gray's eyes were glued to the monstrous figure.
"You've got to be kidding me. Why would Deliora be here of all places?!"
The panic in Gray's voice caught the others off guard. Kira, on the other hand, wore an expression of mild amusement, as if everything was playing out exactly as he had anticipated.
"Deliora?" Kira echoed, tilting his head in feigned ignorance. "What's wrong, Gray? Do you know this demon?"
Gray lowered his head, trembling with barely contained emotion.
Rocky looked from Gray to the frozen beast. "Deliora? Who—or what—is that?"
Before Gray could answer, Kira chimed in. "Oh! Now I remember! Deliora—yes, I've heard of it. It's a powerful demon that wreaked havoc in the northern continent over a decade ago."
Gray snapped his head up. "Kira, you..."
Unperturbed, Kira continued, "Gildarts once mentioned it. He went to deal with Deliora but found it already sealed by an incredible wizard. I didn't expect it to end up here."
Gray's breathing quickened. He grabbed Kira by the collar, his voice cracking with rage. "You knew! You knew all along! That's why you brought me here!"
Kira blinked innocently. "Knew what? I don't—"
"Don't play dumb with me!" Gray's grip tightened. "You said the Moon Drop could dissolve all magic. Who's responsible for this?! What do you know, Kira?! Tell me now!"
Rocky and Kana rushed to pull Gray back.
"Gray, calm down!" Kana urged.
"Let him go, Gray!" Rocky added.
"How can I calm down?!" Gray bellowed, his voice breaking. He turned back to Kira, his eyes wild. "Tell me, Kira! Who's doing this?!"
"Gray, you're going to—" Kira's words were cut off as Gray shook him violently. With a sigh, Kira reeled back his fist and delivered a sharp punch to Gray's jaw.
The blow sent Gray sprawling across the ground.
"Calm down before you talk!" Kira snapped, flexing his knuckles.
For a moment, there was only silence. Rocky and Kana stared, dumbfounded, while Gray lay motionless, the tension drained from his body. Slowly, he began to speak, his voice heavy with sorrow.
"Deliora... was sealed by my master Uru. She gave her life to stop it."
Kana and Rocky exchanged surprised glances.
Gray continued, recounting the tragic events of his past. "Uru taught me everything I know about magic. She was more than a master—she was like a parent. She sacrificed herself to protect us all."
Rocky frowned, his confusion replaced by understanding. "So that's why you were so upset."
Gray clenched his fists, his voice shaking. "Uru is the person I respect most in this world. No matter who's behind this, I'll never forgive them for defiling her sacrifice!"
Kira chuckled quietly, his expression unreadable.
Kana walked over to Gray, pulling a bottle of wine from her satchel and placing it in front of him. Then she turned to Kira, her eyes narrowing.
"You knew all this from the start, didn't you?" she accused. "You orchestrated this whole thing—bringing us here, bringing Gray here. Am I right?"
Kira smiled, giving her a thumbs-up. "Bingo! That's exactly what I did. Impressive deduction, Kana."
Gray leapt to his feet, furious. "You admitted it just like that?! What kind of person does that?!"
Kira shrugged. "Why are you so surprised? It's no different from when you sent Natsu to handle the fake fire dragon. I simply knew about the situation and thought it was best for you to face it directly. Same logic."
Gray sputtered, at a loss for words. Kana facepalmed.
"You could've just told us!" Gray finally managed.
"I did," Kira said simply.
Kana groaned. "You are insufferable."
"Come on," Kira said, his tone suddenly serious. "If I hadn't done this, would you ever have known Deliora was here? You can't even make it to the second floor of the guild yet."
Gray froze, the weight of Kira's words sinking in. After a long pause, he sighed. "You're right. I was too worked up. I'm sorry. And... thank you."
Kira grinned. "Don't mention it."
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