Erza and Levy moved cautiously through the thick underbrush, their eyes scanning the island for any clue that might unravel its secrets. They had kept their distance from the mountain so far—the one place they knew powerful wizards lurked.
Though the island was sealed beneath a dome of black wind, shafts of sunlight pierced through in thin, uneven streaks, casting strange patterns of light and shadow. The contrast gave the land a haunting atmosphere—dark and foreboding, yet just bright enough to navigate. Erza, however, looked unusually restless. Every few minutes she glanced down at her hands, her arms, as if checking for something unseen.
"What's wrong?" Levy finally asked, watching her companion with concern.
"One of the reasons I asked Astro to come with us," Erza admitted, her voice low, "was because I heard he can use healing magic. But… ever since we set foot on this island, I've been expecting something to happen. We haven't gotten sick at all."
Levy tilted her head, frowning. "That's true. The job description said the sailors who approached this place fell ill, and most of them died. But we feel fine—or at least we seem fine. Were you expecting symptoms to start by now?"
Erza's eyes narrowed as she turned toward the dome, watching the ominous black wind swirl like a living creature. "Could it be that we're safe only because we haven't touched the black wind directly?"
"That's what I was thinking too…" Levy murmured, pressing a finger thoughtfully to her lips. "But still, I've never heard of black wind before. Wind magic usually doesn't have a color at all—except." She recalled something and glanced at Erza. "Astro's wind magic, for example. His purple wind… he used it to form that bubble so we could breathe underwater."
Erza gave a small nod, understanding. "Yes. Astro's wind feels different too. Just like how Natsu's fire feels different from ordinary–."
Her words died in her throat. Erza took out a sword from her pocket dimension as soon as she noticed something different. Both women looked up at the mountain at the same time. From its jagged peak, a column of black wind erupted violently into the sky, spiraling upward before merging seamlessly with the dome overhead.
It lasted barely a minute, but when it stopped, the air itself felt heavier.
"Do you see that?" Levy whispered, her gaze fixed on the sky. "The dome… it looks thicker now. Denser. Less sunlight's coming through."
Erza's eyes hardened, her knight's instincts sharpening. "Yes. The island is getting darker. If that black wind is feeding this dome, then whoever or whatever is up there is strengthening it." She gripped her sword. "Astro said there are strong wizards stationed at the mountain base. If we charge head-on, we'll alert them. We'll circle around and climb from the far side. That way we can reach the peak unnoticed."
Levy didn't argue. She simply gave a firm nod.
Together, the two girls began their silent ascent up the mountainside, as situation on Astro's side started getting interesting too.
Meanwhile,
"Are you afraid of heights?" Astro asked Shawn, who looked nervous but not truly afraid. Astro raised an eyebrow. He had to admit, he was fond of how brave this kid was turning out to be. Shawn had told him about everything that had happened in the past few years, and despite all of that, the fact that this boy wasn't broken, that his spirit remained strong, was praiseworthy. Astro wasn't sure if he himself could have endured the same at such a young age.
"No, I'm not afraid of heights?" Shawn replied, confused by the question. Why was Astro asking something like that?
Astro didn't answer. Instead, he casually lifted Shawn under his right arm, carrying him with effortless strength, then tapped the ground lightly with his foot. In the next instant, he leapt upward and landed in midair on a purple platform, using it as a foothold to spring again. In a blur, he reached the solid branch of a towering tree.
Setting Shawn down gently, Astro glanced at him. The boy carried quite a lot of magic within him, so even if he did fall from such a height, it wouldn't be too dangerous. Most strong wizards had bodies far more durable than ordinary humans, their resilience scaling with their magical capacity.
"I'll take care of the main assault," Astro instructed, his voice firm. "You'll hide and wait for the right moment to distract them. Stay out of sight. Don't expose your position while you're preparing."
Shawn nodded, and Astro rubbed the boy's head before he moved off to conceal himself behind a tree.
Astro could already sense the two strangers approaching, their magical signatures drawing closer and closer. They were heading straight toward the spot where the captured children were being kept. That was why he and Shawn had set their ambush here—to strike them in the middle of their path.
Suddenly, Astro's gaze flicked upward, drawn to the mountain's peak. A black stream of wind surged skyward from its slopes, twisting into the heavens.
His eyes narrowed.. He could feel it clearly —the dome barrier surrounding the island was growing stronger.
So that's it. Whatever is powering this barrier is up there, Astro thought. He could also sense Erza and Levy halting their movements below, then abruptly turning to head in that same direction.
I'll let them handle the investigation there, he decided, his attention snapping back to the approaching enemies. These two weren't the strongest of the five, judging by the weight of their magic power, but he wasn't about to underestimate them. Strength alone didn't decide everything; they could still wield tricky or dangerous spells.
The reason I brought Shawn here is because we need to end this fast. If the battle drags on, reinforcements will come, and things will get complicated. Let's see if the boy can do what he's supposed to.
Astro crouched slightly, readying himself. At the same time, he felt Shawn's aura flare behind him—the boy was already gathering magic, preparing to launch the opening strike.
"Ash-Make: Raven," Shawn whispered. Several ravens made of blackened ash materialized before him, their wings beating with a faint ember glow. With a flick of his hand, they shot forward, diving at one of the men below. The flock moved so fast that the man couldn't react in time, or the man was not expecting to suddenly get attacked after so many years of peace—his body was struck directly, his flesh seared as the ash-birds burst apart against him.
His partner froze, stunned by the sudden attack. Just as he moved to assist—
"Water—"
"Tempest Blade."
The words slid like a whisper of death from behind. Terror gripped him, smothering his magic before it could form. He turned, trembling, and the last thing he saw were two glowing purple eyes staring into his with cold detachment—before his vision spun, his head severed cleanly from his shoulders.
The remaining man screamed as his partner collapsed, writhing in pain from the burns inflicted by Shawn's attack. Desperation drove him to act.
"Sand Shine!"
A whirlpool of sand erupted beneath him, spiraling upward. It devoured the ravens, smothering their ember-trails and dulling the pain of his burns. As the sand barrier crumbled away, he staggered to his feet—only to see the grisly sight of his partner's headless corpse sprawled on the ground. Standing behind it, shrouded in shadow, was a figure cloaked in darkness, eyes glowing with a merciless purple light.
It was as if a demon had been summoned to the earth, and as the demon locked eyes with him, he got goosebumps.
He didn't understand what he was facing, but his instincts screamed only one thing—survive.
"Sand Spike!"
Jagged spears of sand erupted from the ground, lancing upward toward Astro.
Astro didn't flinch. With a sudden burst of purple wind beneath his feet, he launched himself skyward, flipping forward in midair. His sword gleamed as he descended, aiming straight for the man's head.
The sand wizard was ready this time.
"Sand Guard!"
A towering shield of sand surged upward, intercepting the strike. Astro's blade crashed against it but failed to break through.
. But his own shield also blocked his sight—and Astro took full advantage of that as his body dissolved into purple smoke.
The next instant, Astro reappeared behind him.
"Aero Dominion."
A dense sphere of swirling purple wind formed in Astro's palm. He slammed it forward, aiming for the man's back—but another Sand Guard erupted just in time, shuddering beneath the force and barely holding.
"Tch. Good reflexes," Astro muttered, narrowing his eyes. This is bad. This guy is trying his best to stay alive, The others at the mountain base have noticed the fight here too. They're on their way. I need to finish this quickly and get Shawn out of here as well.
"Sand Slide!"
The wizard's desperation matched his own. He conjured a shifting wave of sand beneath his feet, retreating rapidly down its slope. He knew he couldn't win alone—he needed reinforcements.
But as he slid backward, few shadows came from above.
"Ash-Make: Snakes!"
A torrent of small ash-snakes rained from the sky, writhing as they fell. The wizard looked up, panic flashing in his eyes. Memories of the burning ravens still fresh, he didn't hesitate—sand coiled upward into another shield to block the swarm. Fear drove him to protect himself above.
And that fear left him blind to what waited in front of him..
Astro's chance had come. With the man's front exposed, he wasted no time.
"Tempest Spears!"
A shimmering purple spear formed at Astro's side. He seized it with his right hand, his hand crackling with energy as he dashed forward in a blur.
The sand wizard, still looking upward, caught only a flicker of motion in the corner of his eye.
By the time he registered it, it was already too late.
Astro's spear pierced clean through his chest, bursting from his back in a spray of crimson. His eyes widened in shock—then glazed over, as his body slumped to the ground.
"I don't like killing… but letting you guys live would only cause more harm to the world," Astro said quietly. He wasn't even sure who the words were meant for—the dying wizard at his feet, or himself.
The man tried to speak, choking on blood, but Astro gave him no chance. With one swift motion, he wrenched the spear free and finished it with a clean sweep, severing the head in one stroke.
Shawn jumped down as the fight ended. His eyes lingered on the corpses, and his stomach churned at the sight, but he forced himself to stay calm. After years of isolation and trauma, it didn't even feel worth mentioning anymore.
Astro's gaze flicked past him. He could sense three more enemies closing in. He doubted he could hold them off while protecting Shawn at the same time. Without hesitation, he scooped the boy under his right arm and leapt onto a high tree branch, retreating quickly before the three men could arrive. His course shifted toward the mountain base where the enemy encampment lay hidden. This was the perfect chance.
"Why are we moving so fast? Are more enemies coming?" Shawn asked, not protesting being carried but visibly confused.
"Yeah. Three of them," Astro answered calmly. "For now, it's better to let them investigate this scene while we infiltrate their base. Maybe we'll find a clue about your sister and the other missing children. My friends, meanwhile, are already investigating the source of the black winds at the mountain's peak."
He spoke quietly as his feet carried them with speed toward their target.
"The Temple of Aethereion sits at the top of the mountain," Shawn explained. "That should be the core of the black wind as well."
Astro's eyes narrowed, but his pace didn't falter.
"But that temple is full of traps… are your friends going to be okay?" Shawn asked, his tone edged with worry.
Astro raised an eyebrow hearing this.
Meanwhile, Levy spoke up, her voice tinged with concern.
"Hey, Erza… do you think it's okay for us not to go and help Astro? If we can feel the fights breaking out from all the way up here, then the other wizards must have noticed it too."
Erza didn't slow her stride. "Don't worry," she replied firmly. "I've read Loke's mission report on him, and I've judged him myself. If Astro truly needed help, he would be fighting even harder than this—and causing far more destruction."
Levy's expression remained troubled as she ran alongside her. The two were making their way toward the mountain's peak, but Levy's gaze wandered, drifting toward the forest far below.
Erza noticed and offered a small smile. "You and your team don't usually take on combat-heavy missions like this, Levy. So it's natural you're worried. Trust me—even I am a bit worried.. But in missions like these, you have to put your faith in your guildmates."
Levy looked at Erza's face, steady and confident even as the wind whipped against them. She glanced back toward the forest one more time before setting her eyes forward, fixing on the jagged summit of the mountain above.
On the other side, Astro listened to Shawn explaining the dangers of the temple, but he didn't rush to warn Erza or Levy. Instead, he allowed himself a faint smile.
"It's fine," he said calmly. "They're both capable wizards. One is considered our strongest female wizard, and the other, our brightest mind. A few traps won't be enough to stop them."
"Yeah, you're right, Erza," Levy said after a moment, her lips curving into a small smile as if reassuring herself. "Astro has been the most cautious and serious about everything since this mission started. A few bad guys aren't enough to defeat him."
With that, she pushed herself harder, keeping pace with Erza as they raced toward the top.
As both groups pressed on with their investigations, none of them realized that a ticking time bomb was already approaching the island—an imminent threat powerful enough to annihilate the entire land, taking every resident along with it.