Chapter 65: Unwanted Advances
The battle was over. Deliora was nothing more than a memory, shattered into nothingness by the weight of time and Ur's ultimate sacrifice. As Gray finished telling the story, an eerie silence lingered, stretching between the ruins of the temple and the night sky above.
Yet, something was… off.
Yukari felt it the moment they stepped into the village.
Just earlier, this place had been nothing but ruins abandoned, lifeless, a graveyard of broken homes swallowed by nature. And now? It was pristine, as if it had never been touched by destruction. The wooden houses stood tall, lanterns glowing warmly along the streets. The villagers, dressed in humble robes, greeted them with smiles and gratitude, completely unaware of the absurdity of it all.
Yukari narrowed her eyes. Yeah, that's normal. Totally normal.
She had sensed it the moment they arrived. The villagers weren't human. Their magic signatures pulsed differently, deeper, almost ancient. Not that she cared, but it did make her wonder why the hell were they pretending to be human?
"Thank you, thank you all!" The village chief a short, elderly man with a beard that somehow made up 80% of his body weight bowed deeply. "You have saved our home from destruction!"
The others followed suit, expressing their gratitude with the same sincerity.
Lucy, ever the softhearted one, smiled warmly. "It's nice to be appreciated for once."
Natsu grinned. "Yeah! But we should totally get a feast as a reward!"
"Food," Happy nodded sagely. "I accept payment in fish and compliments."
Yukari barely listened, still staring at the sky.
The moon. It was still purple.
And that was a problem.
The villagers had noticed it too, murmuring amongst themselves. Their worry was evident the ritual had been stopped, Deliora was gone, but the moon remained tainted, casting its eerie glow upon them.
That's when Erza turned to Yukari. "Can you handle it?"
Yukari blinked at her. "You're just assuming I can?"
Erza gave her a knowing look. "You're the only one who can."
Yukari sighed. She wasn't wrong.
"Fine," she muttered, stretching out a hand. Flames crackled to life in her palm, swirling upward into a golden inferno. She glanced at the sky one last time before flicking her wrist.
The fire shot forward, twisting into a massive sphere that climbed higher and higher until it suddenly exploded, a ripple of heat cutting through the sky.
And just like that, reality cracked.
A massive, invisible layer of magic shattered like a mirror, pieces falling away into nothingness. The purple hue flickered, then faded entirely, revealing the night sky as it should have been clear, dark, and filled with stars.
The village went silent.
Erza nodded approvingly. "Well done."
Yukari rolled her shoulders. "Easy."
But as she looked around, she noticed the expressions on the villagers' faces. Confusion. Shock. Horror.
And then realization.
Memories flooded back, their eyes widening as the truth came crashing down. Hands shook, voices wavered, and one by one, their forms began to shift. Where once there were humans, now stood demons, their features returning horns, tails, glowing eyes, claws. Some gasped in horror, others clutched their heads as if pained by the sudden clarity.
Then, a single voice cut through the noise.
A young man, tall with wild dark hair, stepped forward. His hands trembled as he stared at the elderly chief.
"…Father?"
The village chief's eyes widened. "My son…?"
Tears formed in the old man's eyes as he rushed forward, embracing his long-lost child.
The village erupted into a chorus of gasps and cries reunions, realizations, emotions spilling over like a tidal wave.
Lucy clapped her hands together. "Okay, someone explain what's happening!"
Gray exhaled. "They were demons all along… and they just didn't remember it."
"Magic is weird," Natsu muttered.
"Almost as weird as your face," Yukari added.
"Hey!"
The tension of the moment faded as the village slowly accepted the truth. Despite their demonic appearances, nothing had really changed. They were still them. And with that, the mood took a turn.
A very lively turn.
Because what better way to process trauma than with a party?
The villagers wasted no time in preparing a feast, setting up tables filled with roasted meats, fresh fruits, and barrels of something alcoholic. Music played, laughter rang out, and even the most skeptical of Fairy Tail's group couldn't help but get swept up in the festivities.
Lucy took a sip of something fruity. "This is actually really good!"
Gray had already lost half his clothes. "Natsu, I bet I can drink more than you."
"You're on!" Natsu grabbed a mug.
Erza, was seated primly at a table eating what could only be described as a mountain of cake.
And then… there was Yukari.
Who was currently dealing with a problem.
"Well, well," a sultry voice purred.
Yukari resisted the urge to groan. She turned her head, only to be met with a pair of glowing red eyes and a playful smirk. A demoness, tall and curvy, leaned against the table beside her, twirling a strand of dark purple hair.
"You're quite the warrior, aren't you?"
Yukari sighed. "Let me guess. You want to—"
"—show my gratitude," the demoness interrupted, grinning. "I find strength very attractive, you know."
Yukari pinched the bridge of her nose. "Great."
Before she could escape, another demoness appeared from the other side, sliding a drink in front of her. This one had pale blue skin and sharp fangs, smiling mischievously.
"Don't be shy," she cooed. "Stay a while. Enjoy yourself."
Yukari's eye twitched.
Happy, who was sitting nearby, snickered. "Ooooh, Mira-chan isn't gonna like this!"
Yukari shot him a glare. "Shut up, cat."
Happy gasped dramatically. "Denying your love? How cruel!"
The demonesses exchanged amused glances. "Oh?"
One of them leaned in closer. "You're spoken for?"
Yukari groaned. "No."
"But you want to be," Happy added, tail flicking. "You should hear her talk about Mirajane~"
Yukari grabbed him by the face. "I will roast you."
Happy just grinned. "Aye~"
The demonesses giggled, clearly enjoying her torment. Yukari, meanwhile, was planning multiple ways to escape. Maybe if she caused a small fire
Before she could act, a voice called out.
"Yukari!"
She turned and there stood Lyon's group, having finally arrived. Lyon himself looked more than a little awkward, his usual confidence dimmed after everything that had happened. His teammates hovered beside him, hesitant, but accepted when the villagers waved them over.
The party only grew louder from there, drinks flowing, laughter ringing through the night.
Despite herself, Yukari finally allowed a small smirk.
Yeah… this wasn't so bad.
Even if she did have to dodge some overzealous demons.