She raised her right hand, air twisting violently around her palm. The wind spiraled inward, condensing into a bladed sphere of raw force. Hoteye's massive wave of destruction came crashing down. Sky Dragon's Spiraling Sphere! Wendy thrust her hand forward, her Spiraling Sphere slamming into the incoming attack. The moment it touched the earth magic, a vacuum of compressed wind detonated outward—disintegrating the attack in an instant. Hoteye's eyes went wide. "What—?!" Before he could react, Wendy was already in front of him. Her attack struck true. The Spiraling Sphere slammed into Hoteye's chest, the sheer force launching him backward like a ragdoll. He crashed into the rubble, an explosion of wind pressure kicking up dust and debris in all directions. Silence followed. The battlefield settled. Wendy stood there, chest rising and falling with deep, labored breaths. Hoteye groaned, barely conscious. His magic had burned out. His body refused to move. Wendy staggered but remained standing. "It's… over…" she muttered. Then, she collapsed to one knee, exhausted. But even in her exhaustion, she smiled. She did it. She won. With a triumphant stride Wendy moved forward. The night sky stretched endlessly above, a sea of stars shimmering like scattered diamonds against the vast darkness. A cool breeze rustled the trees, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and pine. Despite the beauty of the night, Wendy's heart remained heavy with concern. She finally made it back to the small clearing where she had left Carla and Naruto. Carla lay on her side, her breathing steady but weak, while Naruto remained slumped against the base of a tree, his fevered body still radiating intense heat. His golden hair was damp with sweat, strands clinging to his forehead as he shifted slightly in his unconscious state. Wendy dropped to her knees beside them, brushing her fingers lightly against Naruto's cheek. His skin was burning. Too hot. Even after everything, his fever hadn't gone down. "Still the same…" she whispered, worry creeping into her voice. She placed both hands over his chest and let her magic flow into him once more, but just like before, it barely made a difference. His body was still rejecting external healing. The over-absorption of ethernano had reached too deep. Wendy bit her lip. "Come on, Naruto… just hold on a little longer." A soft groan pulled her from her thoughts. Carla stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she let out a quiet, pained hiss. Wendy immediately turned her attention to her friend, resting a gentle hand on Carla's shoulder. "Carla, don't move too much," Wendy urged, channeling a small amount of healing magic into her. "You're still hurt." Carla blinked a few times before her gaze settled on Wendy. "Wendy…?" Her voice was groggy, disoriented, but as soon as she spotted Naruto's unmoving form beside her, clarity snapped back into her expression. "Naruto! Is he—?" "He's alive," Wendy reassured her quickly. "But his fever won't break. No matter how much I try to heal him, it's not working." Carla exhaled in relief, but worry remained in her sharp feline eyes. She tried to push herself upright, wincing slightly as her body protested, but thanks to Wendy's magic, she managed to sit up properly. Wendy sat back on her heels, tucking a stray strand of blue hair behind her ear. She let out a deep breath before looking at Carla with a determined gaze. "I need to go," she said. Carla frowned. "Go where?" "To help the others." Wendy clenched her fists. "I can sense their battles from here. They need me. I can't just sit here and do nothing while they fight." Carla's expression hardened. "Wendy, you're already exhausted. You've been carrying Naruto, fighting Hoteye, using your magic over and over. You need rest." "I don't have time to rest." Wendy shook her head. "If I don't go now, things could get worse. I won't let them fight alone." Carla looked at her friend, searching her face for any hesitation, any second thoughts—but there were none. Wendy's sapphire eyes burned with resolve, unwavering and fierce. She had made up her mind. A sigh escaped Carla's lips as she crossed her arms. "…You're too stubborn for your own good." Wendy smiled faintly. "I wonder where I got that from." Carla scoffed but didn't argue. Instead, she glanced at Naruto again, then back at Wendy. "Fine. Go." Wendy blinked, surprised at the lack of resistance. Carla rolled her eyes. "What? You were going to leave anyway, even if I protested." She let out a small huff. "Just be careful. And don't do anything reckless." Wendy nodded, then reached out and squeezed Carla's hand briefly. "Thank you, Carla. Watch over Naruto for me." Carla sighed again, but this time, a small smirk tugged at her lips. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't come back half-dead." Wendy stood up, taking one last glance at Naruto. His fevered expression remained the same, his body still caught in whatever battle was raging inside him. She swallowed hard. Just hold on a little longer, Naruto. I'll be back soon. And with that, she turned and sprinted off into the dark forest, her heart pounding with urgency as she raced towards her next point. Erza lay motionless, her breathing shallow, her body wracked with pain as Cobra's venom coursed through her veins. Her vision blurred, the battlefield spinning around her, but she could still make out the fierce clash above. Natsu and Cobra clashed in midair, a chaotic whirlwind of fire and poison. Happy clung tightly to Natsu's back, his wings straining against the weight of the battle. Cobra, perched atop Cubellios, weaved through the air effortlessly, his smug grin never faltering. "Tch! Is that all you got, fire-breath?" Cobra sneered, dodging another flaming strike. "You're too damn loud—I can hear your every move before you even make it!" Natsu growled, gritting his teeth as he barely evaded a venom-coated strike. His fists burned white-hot, but Cobra was just a step ahead, his movements sharper, his attacks relentless. The battle was turning, and it wasn't in Natsu's favor.
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