Chapter 43 : Curse of the Moon!!

"Shh~! Don't let Kyros catch wind of us, or we'll be in for it!"

Both Natsu and Happy wore expressions of sheer horror.

"Kyros, he's..."

Lucy had been acquainted with Kyros for about a month now. While Kyros had his moments of clumsiness, like accidentally bumping into a train, most of the time he seemed pretty ordinary.

"Have you ever seen Kyros when he's angry? He's absolutely terrifying!"

Kyros's voice echoed from outside: "Got nothing to say? Natsu, Happy, you both remember back when we played hide-and-seek, even as a ghost, I could always find you no matter how hard you hid."

A chill ran down Natsu, Lucy, and Happy's spines.

"Even if you try to hide something from me, I'll know. It's like having eyes in the back of my head."

"That's just one of my magics! Sensing attacks, predicting opponents' moves, gauging the strength of creatures, sensing their emotions and intentions, and even detecting objects outside my field of vision."

"Hey~~! That's totally unfair!" Lucy inwardly protested.

Natsu and Gray were equally stunned by Kyros's revelation. It was indeed unfair. While some mages specialized in perception magic, this wasn't even Kyros's strongest suit.

"But all that aside, you probably didn't get it. Long story short, I've known you were here since I set foot on this island!"

*Boom—!!!*

The village gate was shattered by Kyros's punch.

"Wow, ah!"

Everyone in the village was taken aback.

Kyros strolled in, grinning. "Well, what a surprise, huh?"

"You three have got some nerve, sneaking out for S-rank missions."

Happy rushed to Kyros, blurting out, "Kyros, it wasn't my idea! Natsu and Lucy made me do it!"

Lucy immediately shot back at Happy, "You treacherous cat!!"

"The game's up, you lot. Head back to the guild at once and face the punishment from the guild master."

Upon hearing Kyros's command, Natsu defiantly retorted, "I'm not going back!!"

"What was that?" Kyros's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing within.

Though Kyros usually seemed approachable, those who knew him well understood his strong and commanding nature.

"Huh—?!" Lucy trembled with fear at the sight.

"I said I won't go back. I'm going through with the S-rank mission!"

"Humph!" Kyros snorted coldly.

The Conqueror's Haki slammed toward Natsu like a cannonball.

"Boom!!!"

"Wow ah ah ah!!"

Natsu screamed as he was propelled into the air by the Conqueror's Haki.

"Boom boom!!" Several houses in a row crumbled under Natsu's impact.

Conqueror's Haki radiated, striking fear into the hearts of everyone in the village, including Happy and Lucy.

Lucy suddenly grasped the gravity of Natsu and Happy's warnings about Kyros's wrath. It wasn't that Kyros had uttered something awful or committed some grievous act; merely his presence exuded terror.

"You can't even handle a single strike, yet you dare aspire to complete a S-level mission? Who gave you that audacity!"

"Shh!"

Kyros materialized beside Natsu and delivered a swift kick to his face.

"Wow!"

Natsu yelped again, sent flying by the force of the blow.

"The guild rules stipulate that only S-rank mages are eligible for S-rank quests. Do you understand why? Because those lacking the strength for such missions are simply courting death."

"If you wish to undertake an S-rank mission, then first become an S-rank mage!!"

"This time, consider it your warning. I'll let you off lightly for now. But should you dare to repeat this folly, I'll snap your legs to see if you still dare to wander."

With his message delivered, Kyros shifted his gaze toward Lucy and Happy. Both shook their heads vigorously like rattles; Kyros's intimidation was so potent they dared not make a move to flee.

Surveying the villagers, Kyros spoke, "I apologize for having to discipline the inept fellows in our guild, and I will make reparations for any damages incurred."

"No no no! No need for compensation!" The villagers trembled in fear; how could they possibly entertain the idea of demanding recompense from Kyros?

"Now, tell me about the mission."

Gray was taken aback by Kyros's statement. "Kyros, didn't the master instruct us to bring Natsu and the others back? Why undertake this task?"

Kyros shook his head, explaining, "It would have been preferable to intercept these fools before they reached the village. But now that they're here, the situation has changed."

"Though they may have undertaken this quest independently, once accepted, it becomes the guild's responsibility. Failing to see it through would tarnish Fairy Tail's reputation."

"Alright, we've reached our destination. Let's address this task while we're at it," Gray proposed.

"Could you enlighten us about the curse?" Lucy inquired.

The village chief nodded vigorously, exclaiming, "Absolutely! No time to waste. Allow me to demonstrate. Everyone, please remove the coverings."

Responding to the village chief's directive, the villagers swiftly unveiled themselves, revealing their altered forms.

To the group's surprise, parts of each villager's body had transformed into demonic appendages.

"What in the world?!" Lucy and Happy exclaimed in shock, while Gray's eyes widened.

"That's precisely why we sought your help. Every living being on this island, even the animals, has fallen victim to what we call the Curse of the Moon."

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