With a few hours left before reaching their destination, Knight wasted no time. He pulled out the magic book Juvia had stolen, put on Feng Yong's glasses, and began studying the advanced magic of Thought Projection. He focused intensely on the book, shutting out the outside world.
Erza, Juvia, and Laxus, meanwhile, accessed the magic Internet on their devices. The train car was silent, with no one speaking.
As dusk approached, the train pulled into Hargeon. The group disembarked, and Knight led the way to the port.
"We need to catch a boat to Karna Island. Someone should be here to pick us up," Knight said, scanning the ships. He spotted a familiar face among the crowd.
"Mr. Knight! You've finally arrived!" the young man called out.
Knight squinted, trying to remember. "You're still a boatman, right? The village chief's grandson?"
"My name is Popo..." The young man wiped the sweat from his brow, a bit flustered. "Come aboard, I'll take you to the island. Are these Fairy Tail wizards as well?"
"I'm Erza," she said seriously, already considering the mission as her own.
As they boarded the ship, Knight introduced Juvia and Laxus. When Popo heard they were all S-class wizards, he was visibly relieved. "This time, we'll surely rid the village of the curse," he said, rowing energetically toward Karna Island.
"About three days ago, the evil fog you destroyed last time reappeared. Some of the villagers have already started losing their memories," Popo explained.
Knight nodded, using the boat ride to continue studying the Thought Projection magic. Despite the complexity, he found it manageable.
"Don't worry, we'll fix everything this time," he assured Popo.
By the time they reached the island, it was night. Popo led them to the village, while Juvia looked up at the sky. The moon, which should have been bright and full, had a faint red hue.
"There's something strange in the sky… Is that the 'evil fog'?" Juvia asked.
Erza nodded, sensing the malevolent energy. "I can feel the presence of something evil."
Laxus raised his hand toward the moon, sparks of lightning dancing in his palm. "Should I just blast it away? Seems like a simple job."
Knight intervened. "Didn't you listen on the train? If you destroy it now, it will just come back. Someone on the island is performing the Moon Drip Ceremony. We need to stop that first."
Laxus shrugged and lowered his arm. Without a word, he began walking away from the group.
"Where are you going?" Erza called after him.
"I work better alone. You guys head to the village and wait for the real fight," he said dismissively, striding off on his own.
Knight watched him go, then turned to Popo. "Head back to the village and let the chief know we'll handle things from here."
Popo sighed. "My name is Popo, by the way…"
Ignoring the complaint, Knight's magic swirled around him, and he slowly levitated off the ground.
"You can fly too?" Erza asked, surprised. She hadn't seen Knight use this magic in their previous sparring session. Had he been holding back?
As Knight floated higher, Erza clenched her fist. "Knight! You were holding back last time! We're going to have a proper fight after this mission!"
Hovering in the air, Knight sighed. "Do we always have to fight? Can't we pursue something other than endless duels?"
Below him, Juvia stepped forward, standing protectively in front of Erza. "Juvia won't allow you to hurt Lord Knight!"
Knight quickly interrupted, "The temple is to the north. I'll head there first. You can follow at your own pace."
With that, he flew toward the temple, leaving Erza and Juvia behind, glaring at each other.
Erza raised an eyebrow. "I was just talking about sparring."
Juvia's eyes flashed, her magic bubbling to the surface. "I won't let any rival stand in my way. Prepare yourself, Fairy Queen!"
Erza: "?"
...
Using his flight magic, Knight effortlessly crossed the dense forest and reached the temple. The Moon Drip Ceremony was already underway at the top of the structure, but Knight's focus was elsewhere.
"If I remember correctly, Deliora should be sealed in a cave beneath the temple…" he thought, descending toward the entrance.
Guided by his Six Eyes, which allowed him to perceive the flow of magic, Knight quickly found the cave's entrance and ventured inside. His footsteps echoed through the deep cavern, and soon he arrived at his destination: a massive demon encased in ice.
A magic circle above the ice emitted a purple glow as moonlight filtered through, slowly melting the ice. Pools of water gathered beneath the frozen demon's feet.
But in Knight's eyes, both the water and the ice were filled with fragments of a familiar soul: Uru, the great Ice Wizard who had sacrificed herself to seal Deliora.
"There are so many fragments... This will take some effort to collect," Knight muttered. He approached the ice and placed his hand on it, attempting to capture a fragment of Uru's soul. But the [Absolute Ice Seal] was no ordinary magic. Extracting the soul from it was proving impossible without melting the ice first.
As Knight pondered his next move, he suddenly sensed another presence behind him. Without turning, he said, "There's no point in hiding if you're already here."
A short figure stepped out from behind a rock, wearing a mask. "Hoho… I hid my presence well. How did you detect me?"
Knight turned to face the intruder. "Ultear," he said calmly, revealing her identity.
The figure's eyes widened beneath the mask. "What did you just say?"
Knight smirked. "Or should I say, 'Witch of Pain'? Quite the reputation you have online, don't you think?"
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