The corridor behind Cael exploded in a spiral of wind blades. He hit the floor hard, his ears ringing as Erigor stepped through the smoke, his cloak fluttering like wings torn from the storm itself.
"I'll crush you before your friends arrive," Erigor snarled.
Cael rolled behind a pillar as another slice of wind tore through the air where he'd been seconds before.
Think. Think!
His buckler was cracked. His gadgets drained. His stamina was shot after scrambling through the entire building. But his mind—his real weapon—was still spinning.
He snapped two small, round devices from his belt and tossed them across the room.
Erigor snorted. "More toys?"
The floor erupted in smoke and high-pitched feedback. Erigor stumbled, momentarily disoriented.
That was all Cael needed.
He lunged forward, striking the wind mage's leg with a jolt from a modified shock baton. The impact staggered Erigor, but the man recovered quickly, wind swirling to throw Cael across the room.
"You're clever," he admitted. "But cleverness doesn't beat power."
Cael stood slowly, wincing. "No… but cleverness buys time."
A roar echoed from below.
A flaming figure crashed through the stairwell wall—Natsu, fire raging around his fists. Right behind him came Erza, sword drawn, and Gray with his arms already forming ice.
"Yo!" Natsu shouted. "Looks like you were hoggin' the boss!"
Cael gave a shaky grin. "Be my guest."
Erigor didn't wait. He raised his staff, conjuring a massive cyclone that filled the room and blew open part of the roof.
"You can't stop me!" he shouted, rising into the air on currents of wind. "The lacrima on the cliff is already powered! All I need is a single broadcast!"
Natsu launched himself into the air, flames trailing. "Then we'll just stop you before that happens!"
Outside, Lucy and Happy reached the cliff's edge. Sure enough, a second lacrima array stood humming, concealed behind a false wall.
"Found it!" Lucy gasped. "But how do we stop it?!"
Happy hovered nervously. "Can you summon someone strong enough?"
She nodded and held up a key. "Open! Gate of the Lion—Leo!"
Loke emerged with his usual suave smirk. "Well, well. What do we have here?"
"No time for flirting!" Lucy snapped. "We need that crystal destroyed—now!"
Loke looked at the pulsing lacrima. "Got it."
He leapt forward, fists glowing gold, and smashed it with a single punch. Cracks spread instantly. The core shattered in a blinding burst of light.
Lucy shielded her eyes. "That did it!"
Back inside, Erigor suddenly froze in the air.
He felt it.
His spell—interrupted. The backup lacrima—gone.
"No!" he screamed. "You ruined everything!"
Natsu collided with him a moment later, sending the wind mage spiraling into the ground. Erza followed with a downward slash, forcing Erigor to conjure a desperate shield of air.
But Cael saw the opening.
"Now!"
He activated his last device—another disk launcher—and shot it at Erigor's back. It latched on and pulsed, disrupting the flow of wind magic for just a second.
Erza's sword pierced through the barrier, slicing Erigor's staff in two.
The wind collapsed.
So did he.
Erigor hit the ground hard, groaning. His magic fizzled out like a dying breeze.
Natsu landed beside him, cracking his knuckles. "Guess that's it, huh?"
Gray sighed. "Finally."
Cael slumped against the wall, chest heaving. "Remind me… never to tick off a wind mage again."
Erza looked at him, eyes narrowing slightly. "You stalled him alone?"
Cael nodded. "Just long enough."
"…You did well."
Her praise was simple, but Cael's heart jumped. He gave a tired grin, trying not to look like a kid who'd just passed his first test.
Later, back at the guild, Master Makarov listened as they explained what happened. He leaned back, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
"Hmph. You handled yourselves well. Especially you, Cael. Seems you've got more than just a few tricks."
Cael rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm still figuring things out."
"You've made a name for yourself," Mira added from behind the bar. "A few members were betting you'd drop out after a week."
"Did you?"
"I bet you'd last a month," she teased. "Glad I was wrong."
He chuckled. "That makes two of us."
That night, Cael sat on the roof of the guild, watching the stars. The wind was gentler here—peaceful.
He held up one of his broken devices. "Could've done better. Next time, maybe something to block wind magic directly…"
He trailed off, thinking.
Below, Mira appeared at the doorway with two cups of tea. She walked up and sat beside him.
"Can't sleep either?"
"Too many ideas," he admitted.
She handed him a cup. "You're strange, you know."
"I've been told."
"But useful."
Cael looked down at his hands. "Useful. I can live with that."
They sat in silence, the city lights below twinkling in the night like artificial stars.