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The moon hung above the treeline.
Three hours had passed since the battle with the demon.
On the tranquil half-island, under soft moonlight, two figures lay intertwined.
The girl rested in the boy's arms, breathing softly, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Mira's face was flushed, having just experienced her first intimacy.
"Oh my, now you're shy."
Noah, no longer flustered, blew a mischievous breath into the girl's ear, causing Mira's body to tremble, her movements quite captivating.
Mira's blush deepened from the teasing. She pushed against Noah's chest, trying to escape his embrace, but faced with solid muscle, her futile protest ended with a soft whimper.
"Hmph, you always bully me."
The girl's slightly aggrieved expression looked pitiful, but Noah only held her tighter, his tone full of mischief. "I wonder who was so eager to play the knight earlier, only to be conquered by her steed instead."
Seeing Mira bury her head in his chest like an ostrich, Noah chuckled and stopped teasing her. "Alright, let's get ourselves together. It's time to head back."
After the battle, the rampaging demon had been defeated by Noah's Current Drive. The now-conscious Mira's clothes had been mostly shredded in the aftermath.
Mira's bare feet touched the smooth ground. Dressed in Noah's shirt, she had a unique charm.
If it weren't for the late hour indicated by the full moon, and the worry their companions might feel if they didn't return soon, Noah feared he might not be able to resist going another round.
Suddenly, he scooped Mira up in a bridal carry, startling her. She thought Noah wanted more and tightly clutched the shirt, her pleading, pitiful gaze making Noah laugh heartily.
Taking to the wind, the two flew over the chasm formed by the split island, heading straight for the village.
During Noah and Mira's intense three hours, Natsu and his group—who had returned early to the village—expected the villagers to be panicking over the massive change that split Galuna Island in two.
However, Natsu and his friends were the ones surprised first.
Because these "demon" villagers could no longer be called demons. They had permanently become human, their demon forms no longer able to manifest.
In the village chief's words:
Since ancient times, Galuna Island's inhabitants had always been human. It was only due to satanic power in ancient times that the island's humans were corrupted, transforming into demons.
Only Galuna Island's moonlight could suppress and purify the demonic corruption, but it could never completely eliminate it.
Therefore, the islanders lived secluded lives for generations. Even when they went to sea for trade or supplies, they tried to return as quickly as possible. The lack of sufficient external contact also led to the island's backwardness, like a primitive tribe.
Until today, the demonic corruption suddenly disappeared from their bodies, and the islanders completely escaped it, returning to human form.
And the exact time of this change almost coincided with when the Moon Temple's underground altar's moonlight seal was broken.
The only outsiders on the island were Natsu and his group, so all the changes could only be related to them. Thus, the village chief was very grateful and had already instructed the villagers to prepare a rich feast to entertain their benefactors.
It must be said that although their development was backward, the quality of the poultry and vegetables raised on the island far surpassed those in the city, earning everyone's endless praise.
As the celebratory feast drew to a close and everyone had eaten their fill, they finally remembered that two people were still missing.
Lucy rubbed her overstuffed belly. "How come Noah and Mira aren't back yet? Nothing bad happened to them, did it?"
"Don't worry. Roubaul said they're fine, so they're fine. As for the feast..."
Natsu lay on his side on the ground, a blade of grass in his mouth, looking utterly content. "We saved them food, didn't we? I even ate a few bites less."
"Well, thank you very much for that."
A familiar voice came from above. Noah, holding Mira, gently floated down on a soft breeze.
Their return didn't cause much of a stir.
However, their disheveled appearance and Mira's flushed face made Lucy and Sorano—who had read certain romance novels—instantly understand why Roubaul hadn't let them disturb the two earlier.
The mischievous cat Happy, with his two small paws supporting his cute face, curled his tongue and joined Natsu in making suggestive sounds at the pair.
"He llllikes you~"
Midnight merely glanced up once before closing his eyes. What else was there to do after eating one's fill but sleep?
Carla nodded to Noah in acknowledgment, then continued flipping through the book she carried. Erik and Kinana were wrapped up together, gazing at the moon, their rapidly progressing relationship making them completely oblivious to Noah and Mira.
Wendy, having heard there were fireflies on the island at night, had gone with Minerva, along with Cheese and Shirayuki, to catch them.
Gray and Lyon, long-separated fellow disciples, were in a corner having a heart-to-heart, reminiscing about amusing stories from their training days.
Looking at the leftovers after the feast had been thoroughly demolished, and the food Natsu had specifically saved for them, Noah ultimately didn't voice the words, "A bunch of ungrateful people."
Having engaged in physically demanding activity, Noah didn't feel much hunger, but Mira had long run out of strength—otherwise, she wouldn't have let Noah carry her the whole way.
Faced with delicious food, the famished Mira now disregarded her image and ate heartily, not forgetting to snatch Noah's portion and giving him a triumphant look.
Mira's childish behavior amused Noah. He didn't disturb her eating. After scanning the area, he noticed that even the Black Priest Boss had been tied up and brought back, but one person was conspicuously absent.
"Natsu, where's Roubaul?"
Natsu scratched his head. He'd been so engrossed in eating earlier that he hadn't noticed when Roubaul disappeared, so he could only face Noah with an awkward expression.
It was Sorano, who was currently sharing her Celestial Spirit Magic experience with Lucy, who spoke up. "The Master is at the village chief's residence. He told me to have you go find him there when you returned."
Noah already knew about the islanders' transformation.
A fragment of Satan Soul's power—sealed during her lifetime—could demonize the original inhabitants here, a process that had lasted for generations, at least a thousand years, from which they couldn't escape.
And the power of the moon could not only curb demonic corruption but also seal Satan's power. Noah and Mira had destroyed the Moon Temple together.
Could there truly have been a "Moon God" countless years ago?
Galuna Island had a long history. Perhaps the village chief could answer all these questions.