Happy huffed, puffing out his chest despite still being tied up. "You tried to leave!"
Yukari rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers, summoning a small but precise flame. The heat didn't even scorch the ropes as they disintegrated into ash, freeing both Lucy and Happy.
Lucy stared at her wrists in disbelief, then at Yukari. "How did you—?"
"Magic," Yukari said flatly, brushing her hands off. She turned to the group, her sharp violet eyes narrowing. "Now someone start explaining what's going on here. And make it quick, because my patience is running thinner than Happy's fur in winter."
Happy gasped, clutching his fluffy tail. "Hey! That's uncalled for!"
Erza stepped forward, crossing her arms. "The island is cursed, and Natsu, as always, has decided to charge ahead without thinking. We need to stop him before he makes things worse."
Yukari raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess: he's already made things worse?"
Gray sighed, rubbing his temple. "Pretty much. There's a whole group of mages trying to resurrect something, and he's probably in the middle of it right now."
Lucy blinked, glancing between them. "Wait, resurrect? Like... dead people?"
"More like monsters," Gray muttered, his tone grim.
Yukari smirked, crossing her arms. "Well, isn't that just lovely? Don't worry, your punishment for this will be—"
"Severe," Erza interjected, her voice cold and authoritative.
Gray visibly paled, and Happy clung to Lucy in exaggerated fear. Even Lucy, who had just joined the guild, felt a chill run down her spine.
"W-We'll fix this, okay?!" Gray stammered, raising his hands defensively.
Before Yukari could add another jab, a loud explosion rocked the island, shaking the ground beneath them. The sound came from the direction of the ancient temple, and everyone turned to see a plume of smoke rising into the sky.
"Let me guess," Yukari deadpanned, "that was Natsu?"
Erza nodded sharply. "Let's move."
The group sprinted toward the temple, the dense forest giving way to rocky terrain. Gray, despite his injuries, pushed ahead with a determination that Yukari couldn't ignore. His arm was wrapped in a makeshift bandage, but blood still seeped through.
"What's his deal?" Yukari muttered, more to herself than anyone else.
As they neared the temple, they were stopped by a group of hostile mages spilling out from the crumbling structure. They stood in their way, each one wielding a weapon or magical energy, their intent clear.
"You're not getting past us!" one of them barked, raising a staff that crackled with electricity.
Yukari sighed, cracking her knuckles. "Really? This is what you're bringing to the table?"
Gray got into a fighting stance, but before he could attack, Yukari snapped her fingers. A wave of golden flames erupted around the mages, not harming them but heating the air to an unbearable degree. The weaker ones fainted immediately, and the others followed shortly after, collapsing in a heap.
"Well, that was easy," Yukari said, dusting her hands off. She grabbed Gray by the back of his shirt and hoisted him onto her shoulder despite his protests. "Hold on tight."
"What the hell are you doing?!" Gray yelled, struggling.
"Saving time."
With a burst of her flame wings, Yukari shot into the air, streaking toward the temple. She ignored Gray's string of curses and complaints, landing inside the crumbling structure with a resounding crash.
The temple was in chaos. Smoke filled the air, and the walls were barely holding together. Yukari set Gray down roughly, stepping through the wreckage until she spotted the source of the commotion.
Natsu was locked in combat with a man she didn't recognize. The stranger had white hair, sharp eyes, and a cold, calculating demeanor that contrasted starkly with Natsu's fiery recklessness.
"Lyon," Gray muttered, his voice laced with both anger and pain.
Yukari glanced at him. "You know him?"
"Yeah. He's—"
Before Gray could explain, Natsu was sent flying by a powerful ice spell, landing in a heap near them. He groaned, picking himself up and blinking when he saw Yukari.
"Y-Yukari?! What are you doing here?"
"Oh, you know," Yukari said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Saving your sorry ass. Again."
Natsu looked genuinely panicked, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Wait... is Erza here too?"
Yukari smirked, enjoying his discomfort. "What do you think?"
Natsu paled, his moment of distraction costing him as Lyon's next attack sent him skidding to Gray's feet.
"Get it together, Natsu," Gray snapped, stepping forward.
Yukari sighed, rolling her eyes. "Well, I guess it's your fight, Gray. Don't mess it up."
Gray glanced at her, his expression serious. "Just stop the Moon Drip Ceremony, Yukari. I'll handle Leon."
Yukari hesitated for a moment before giving a small nod. "Fine. Don't die."
She turned and blasted through another wall, the sound of crumbling stone echoing behind her as she ascended toward the temple's peak.
The higher Yukari climbed, the more the structure seemed to resist her. Cracks formed beneath her feet, and the air grew thick with magic. She could feel the ceremony's energy intensifying, but she pressed on, determined to stop it before it was too late.
As she reached the final set of stairs, a figure stepped into her path.
He was tall, with long green hair and a red mask that obscured most of his face. The mask's wide yellow eyes and toothy grin were unnerving, and the crystal ball in his hands glowed ominously.
"You're persistent," the man said, his voice smooth and mocking. "But this is as far as you go."
Yukari tilted her head, unimpressed. "And you are?"
"Zalty," he said with a flourish, as if the name should mean something.
"Right," Yukari said flatly. "Move, or I'll move you."
Zalty laughed, raising his crystal ball. "You're welcome to try."
Before he could cast a spell, Yukari's flames flared around her. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a massive golden fireball, its heat warping the air around them.
"Supreme Dawn Burst," she said calmly.
The fireball exploded, sending out a chain of detonations that engulfed the area in a brilliant inferno. Zalty barely had time to react before the flames consumed him, leaving him sprawled on the ground, his mask scorched and his crystal ball shattered.
Yukari stepped over him, her flames dissipating as she continued her ascent. "Told you."