"What happened here? Why are they still in their demon forms?" Lucy asked.
"Because they are demons, they were never human in the first place. The Moon Drip doesn't affect a person's physique, it affects their memories. Somehow, they must've forgotten they were demons and thought they're human. So they unconsciously transform into humans during the day. Some of them also went crazy because their memories were a mess." Ben explained.
"As I thought, that was really the case. Galuna Island is known to be an island of demons." Erza said.
"I realized it as soon as I stepped foot in this village. As a Devil Slayer, I am sensitive to demonic energy, and I can feel it emanating from them." Ben added.
The Fairy Tail mages nod before their eyes widen realization. Ben said that he is a demon hunter and the villagers here are demons.
"Hey, you! Don't even try to attack them, they haven't done anything bad." Natsu said as he and his friends surround Ben and are ready to fight him.
Ben had a thin smile on his face.
"You have nothing to worry about. I'm not the type to hunt demons indiscriminately. Even I have a friend who's a demon, although he left this world due to old age. As a Dragon Slayer, you should also know where your magic came from and who taught it to us, right?" He said.
Natsu came to a realization and nodded before relaxing a little. He was taught by a dragon and thought dragons are friends, but he also knows dragons can also be enemies. So he thought Ben had the same opinion as him.
"Then I'll take my leave. There are more bad demons to hunt. Good luck with your punishment." Ben said while leaving and waving at them.
The mages, except Erza, remember that they will be punished for breaking the guild's rules and have horrified expressions on their faces. They all look at Erza and know there's no way out of this, so they just give up.
Ben left the village and went to the forest. He moved stealthily towards the far coast while making sure no one saw him. There was someone following him, but he could easily get away from them, it's Zalty.
"Tsk, I lost him. Well, it doesn't matter. I can always find out who he is with the Council's help." Zalty said as he transformed into a woman.
This woman is a Council member, Ultear. She's the real mastermind behind all of this. Ben could confront her, but he didn't see the need to do it now. It's not his problem, it's the Council's problem, so he won't do anything for now.
Ben converted his Light Runner into a ship to return to the mainland. He arrived at the pier in Hargeon after 2 hours because he steered quickly. He wanted to return to his village, but then he remembered Mira.
"It's been a while since I saw her. But I don't know what to say after what happened back then. Let's just think about it along the way. I don't want her to think I'm avoiding her because of that small kiss on the cheek. Damn, a kiss on the cheek is making me act this way. Miserable." Ben said while driving Light Runner in rally mode.
Ben quickly drove to Magnolia while thinking about what to say to Mira. The way to Magnolia feels really fast because he was too focused on what to say to Mira. But he still didn't know the best thing to say even after reaching Magnolia's gate.
"Damn, whatever, I'll just say what I think." A frustrated Ben said.
Ben stored Light Runner in his storage mark again and walked into town. He walked to Mira's house while looking around the street.
"This place is always lively, huh? People must feel safe here because a big-named guild is protecting their town." Ben noted as he walked through the street.
Suddenly something flashed above his head and he looked up. He saw big iron pillars zip through the sky and they flew towards the center of Magnolia. They flew to the Fairy Tail guild hall in the center.
Ben's experiences as a ex-soldier told him that this was an enemy attack. He wasn't sure whether the Fairy Tail mages knew or not, but regardless he knew he needed to move. Those pillars are big and they might fall on ordinary people.
In a flash, Ben teleports to the sky to catch the pillars, but he didn't appear in the right spot. He aimed to teleport in front of them, but he appeared behind them. It's a miscalculation because he still needs to move fast, but he has another way.
Ben extended his hands in the pillar's direction. "Sun Dragon Gravity Pull!"
A dark purple aura covered his hands and suddenly the pillars stop in midair. They fly back to his position as he falls to the ground. Some people are on the street below him, so he shouted at them to get away from there.
The people on the street scattered and Ben landed on the ground. But the pillars are still flying to him because they are following his pulling force. Right before the pillars hit him, Ben used Gravity Pull with the same power to nullify the pulling force.
"Annoying." Ben grumbled as the pillars fall around him.
"YOU THERE, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?!" A man shouts from an alley.
"I should be the one asking that. I am a mage while you are a ordinary citizen, so you have more of a chance getting injured by these things." Ben replied, sweat dropping.
"Ah, that's right." The man said.
"Anyway, can you let the local authorities know about this? I'm heading to Fairy Tail, so I can't take care of it myself." Ben asked.
The man nodded and went to report the incident to the authorities. Ben left the area and headed to the Fairy Tail guild hall. He doesn't know what happened to their guild, but he needed to make sure Mira and Elfman are fine.
But before he could even get close to the guild hall, he encountered the mages from Fairy Tail. Mira and Elfman are among them and Makarov led them from the front. They all stop and look at each other, with Mira and Ben not knowing what to say to each other.
"You are Ben, right? Were you the one that stopped those flying iron pillars?" Makarov asked.
"Yeah, I was walking down the street when those things flew overhead. Was I not supposed to do that? I just assumed it would be dangerous if they fell in the town." Ben replied with an apologetic tone.
"No, that was the right decision. We need to thank you for that. Mira, Elfman, he's here for you, so go and accompany him. I will handle this matter." Makarov said.
"But, Master." Mira argued.
"I'll leave it to you. Let's return, everyone." Makarov said as he walked back to the guild hall.
The mages look at each other and shrug their shoulders before they follow Makarov. Mira and Elfman stay behind and sigh before they approach Ben.
"Long time no see." Elfman and Mira change the topic.
"Yeah, long time no see. Sorry that I just arrived, I've been busy for the last few days." Ben followed their lead.
He knew better than interfering in another guild's issues. It was their code of ethics as mages from a legal guild. Although he didn't really care about it, he won't be too clear about it. He didn't want to cause Mira and Elfman any more trouble.
"Have you eaten something?" Mira asked.
"Not yet. Let's eat then, my treat." Ben offered.
"Okay." Mira replied.
They said that but none of them move and it made things awkward.
"I think I'll help the others." Elfman said.
Elfman chose the running away option as he ran to his guild, leaving the 2 alone. Ben and Mira scratch their heads and laugh before finally walking to a restaurant. They order some food and eat while talking. But they both avoid the topic of Mira's kiss.
Ben finally manned up.
"Listen, Mira." He said.