The dust finally settled.
The mountain was silent—eerily silent—broken only by the groans of the Abel and the faint crackle of fading magic. The battlefield was scarred beyond recognition: jagged boulders torn from the earth,, the air thick with smoke and the stench of blood. It was the kind of silence that follows after a storm… the silence of survival.
And at its center stood Astro.
His shadow loomed over the broken body of Abel. The once-proud guild master was now nothing more than a shattered husk. His limbs mangled, his aura flickering like a dying candle, his blood pooling into the cracks of the earth. And yet—
Even now. Even like this.
His eyes still carried a bit of ember of defiance.
Astro slowly dropped to one knee. A faint purple glow shimmered to life in his hand, sky magic swirling like threads of light. The soft current wove itself into Abel's wounds, knitting flesh, slowing blood, forcing the body to hold together just a little longer.
"Don't move," Astro said, voice sharp but steady. His chest heaved with exhaustion, yet his will didn't waver. "You'll bleed out if you do. And I'm not letting you die here. Not yet. You still need to confess. You still need to pay for your sin."
Abel's lips twisted into a crooked grin, blood bubbling at the edge. Even on the edge of death, he sneered.
"…Tch. A devil slayer playing savior. That's rich." His voice was hoarse, but his eyes never lost their bite. "Tell me, Sky Devil… Why? Why fight for this city? These people aren't yours. You could've walked away. And yet here you are,even taking a full load of poison for strangers. For what?"
Astro paused, his magic still pulsing. Slowly, he lifted his gaze toward the ruined sky above. Through the veil of smoke, faint stars struggled to shine. For a moment, his eyes softened.
"…Because they deserve it," Astro whispered. His words carried the weight of a vow. "A chance to live without fear. A chance to smile beneath a clear sky. That's all I want—for them.."
The words struck like thunder in the silence.
Abel's breath caught. His smile twisted into something colder.
"…Smile, huh?" He let out a dry, broken laugh. "You're a fool." His tone was no longer mocking. It was bitter. Heavy. Almost… pained. "Devils don't care about other's smiles. Devils don't fight for anyone. And even if they try—" His voice cracked into a growl. "—even if they reach out for someone to protect… it'll all be ripped away. Torn apart by devils themselves!"
Astro's healing hand trembled. The glow wavered. His brow furrowed as Abel's words sank deep.
"You'll see it, Sky Devil Slayer," Abel hissed. His voice wasn't taunting anymore. It was a warning—a curse. "This magic you wield… it isn't a blessing. It's a curse. A hunger that devours you from the inside… until there's nothing left. Until you become the very thing you were supposed to destroy."
Astro's eyes widened. For a moment, the battlefield around him faded.
And the memories came flooding back.
The Inca Kingdom.
The night the he was reborn.
The wind howling like a beast as he lost control.
The castle walls torn apart. Stone crumbling under his rage.
And the blood. So much blood.
So many people torn apart by the winds that they were surrounded with. His own hands dripping with crimson as he stared at what he had done.
He remembered the silence after.
The horror in his chest.
And then—running. Running until his legs gave out. Running from the corpses. Running from himself.
The warmth in his eyes drained away, leaving only shadow.
Because he had seen it. Those same black markings, crawling across Abel's skin during their battle. That same hollow hunger, eating him alive.
Abel wasn't lying.
This was the truth.
Before his thoughts could consume him, light erupted from the mountain's peak.
Astro's head snapped up, eyes locking on the summit. A radiant flare split the darkness. The last echoes of battle had fallen silent. Kael, Lucien, and the allied Light Guild stood tall,. Astro could sense that the dark mages over there had fallen.
Victory.
It was over. The plan had worked.
Abel's shoulders slumped against the ground, his fire gone. "…So they lost too, huh? Hah. Doesn't matter. I gave up a long time ago."
Then—suddenly—he locked eyes with Astro again….but slumps down and sighing,
"Well at least, you are not a member of Abyss Howl, otherwise my fate would have been so much worse."
The name alone froze the air.
Astro blinked, confused. "…Abyss… Howl?"
Abel gave a weak laugh that dissolved into a cough. "Don't tell me you've never heard of it? I never thought a devil slayer existed that didn't know of itt." He drew in a sharp breath. "That's the birthplace of every devil slayer lacrima in existence. The cradle of the curse itself."
Astro's chest tightened. He knew of lacrima—knew how mages could implant them to gain magic. But he had never undergone such an implant. His power had awakened… by one of the devil himself.
'Come to think of it, how did he pass the power to me. Is that a power unique to sky devil slayers, that I have yet to learn…or by lacrima…but I don't remember him planting a lacrima inside me.'
The thought clawed at him. But answers would have to wait.
Astro looked down. Abel had finally slipped into unconsciousness, his body giving way at last.
Astro inhaled, steadying himself. With effort, he hauled Abel onto his shoulder. His body screamed with exhaustion, but his steps were steady as he walked toward the summit—
The war was over.
But this wasn't the end of his journey.
Before he wanted to find and join Fairy Tail out of curiosity.. Out of hopes for adventures and companions… But now he has a new reason. He wants to find answers to his curse of devil power there.
He can't find the devil slayer guild hidden in the world yet. But as the place where the protagonists of this world gathered, Fairy Tail definitely holds a lot of secrets and answers that might be of help to him.