Astro soon arrived at the cave where the children were hiding. At first, the sound of footsteps made them huddle together in fear, but when they saw the glow of his unmistakable purple eyes, their faces lit up with relief. Still, they couldn't help but notice how battered he looked—his clothes torn, his body worn from battle.
Some of the braver children stepped forward.
"Are you alright, mister?"
"Did you get hurt?"
"Where's Shawn? Did he not come with you? Is he okay?"
Their questions came one after another, a flood of concern.
Astro scratched his head, both amused and touched by their energy even in a time like this. He let out a soft chuckle and crouched down so his gaze met theirs.
"Don't worry. Shawn's safe, and we defeated the bad guys. We'll be able to leave this island now," he reassured.
"Really?" A few of the more cautious ones crept forward, eyes wide with hope.
"But… what about our parents?" one of the smaller children asked. The words made Astro pause. Some of the older kids dropped their gazes, already aware of the truth, while the youngest didn't yet understand what "death" meant.
Astro gently placed his hand on the heads of two of the younger ones, offering a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. Your parents gave me permission to take you away from the island," he whispered, lying through his teeth but with kindness in his voice.
"Oh, that's fine then," the children agreed easily, too trusting and too innocent to doubt him. For them, Astro had become a source of safety—a light that pulled them out of the dark, frightening place they had been trapped in.
Together, they followed him out of the cave. Astro glanced back and announced with a small grin,
"I'll use my magic to tie you all to me. We're going to fly to a ship nearby."
Some children looked thrilled, their eyes sparkling with excitement, while others grew stiff with nerves. But no one objected. That was enough for Astro.
"Sky Devil's Binding Rope," he called out, purple wind swirling from his hands. The ropes wrapped around each child's waists, the other ends fastening securely around his own.
"Are you all ready?" Astro raised one hand as if leading a charge.
"Yes!" a chorus of voices rang out enthusiastically—though a few still blinked in confusion about how this was supposed to make them fly.
A pair of great purple wings formed from the wind at Astro's back. With a strong beat, Astro lifted off the ground, pulling the children with him as they rose steadily into the sky.
The sea spread out beneath them like a living, endless painting. The children leaned over, wide-eyed, their fear quickly giving way to pure wonder. Astro kept his pace steady—not too fast, careful not to jolt them.
Their awe made him laugh out loud for a bit, the sound carrying warmly through the wind.
Astro usually avoided flying during battle. His turns were too wide, his trajectory too predictable—an easy target for sharp-eyed foes. In combat, he preferred wind-propelled bursts or conjuring air platforms to sprint across the sky. But for this moment, for the sake of these children, his wings served perfectly.
When the pirate ship came into view, Astro descended carefully onto its deck. The pirates were still unconscious, bound from earlier. To be safe, he made sure they slept even deeper and hoisted them high up where curious little hands wouldn't accidentally untie them.
"These guys are annoying. Don't wake them up," he said firmly.
The children nodded in unison, obedient as baby chicks before their mother hen.
"I will go and get my friends and Shawn, wait patiently at the ship, Don't run around and don't jump around." Astro instructed.
The children again nodded in union.
Astro let out a sigh and chuckled to himself.
"If being a wizard doesn't work out, I guess I could always run a kindergarten."
With the children safe on the ship, Astro spread his wings once more, ready to head back toward the island to fetch the others.
Astro's mind still echoed with Kian's final words:
"Abyss Howl won't allow another Devil Slayer to exist outside their control! They'll kill you—and everyone you love to get that power!"
His gaze fell on the purple wind wings at his back, their glow faintly rippling even in the bright sky.
"This power… it's what let me protect the people I've come to care about. And it will keep doing so in the future. But still… there's always the chance that it could devour me, take control, and turn me into a monster."
"Even so, I have no intention of giving it up."
Astro clenched his fists.
As for Abyss Howl—
The thought cut off abruptly as every hair on his body stood on end. Goosebumps rippled along his arms, a primal warning surging through him.
"What is this… this magic power?" he whispered, his breath catching. "Why is it coming here?"
His eyes snapped upward. A streak of purple light tore across the heavens, descending at terrifying speed toward the island.
In the span of mere seconds, it struck.
A deafening explosion followed.
The impact blossomed into a colossal dome of purple light, swallowing half the island at its center. The brilliance was blinding, forcing Astro to shield his eyes with his arm. Then came the shockwave—an unstoppable force that hurled him backward hundreds of meters through the air. His wings buckled under the pressure, but he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stabilize, wind whipping furiously around him until he regained his flight.
Blinking against the fading glare, Astro's eyes darted toward the distant ship. Relief washed over him—the vessel remained intact, the children seemingly unharmed.
Then he turned back to the island.
A massive crater now scarred its heart, completely empty now with no trees on it. And the surrounding area was burning with relentless fire. The flames spread outward, devouring trees, earth, and stone alike.
"Erza… Levy…" Astro's voice broke, raw with urgency. His momentary shock burned away, replaced with a surge of desperate resolve.
Without wasting another breath, he hurled himself forward, wings straining as he raced toward the destruction—toward where his friends had been.
Just a short while earlier—
Levy stirred awake, her eyelids heavy, her body aching from exhaustion. She pushed herself up to a sitting position and blinked, taking in the scene around her. Erza stood close by, vigilant as always, while the gray-haired boy rested nearby. Two of their enemies lay unconscious on the ground, bound and defeated.
"Did we… win?" Levy asked, her voice groggy but hopeful. The answer seemed obvious, yet she needed the reassurance.
"Yeah," Erza nodded with a small smile. "All of the enemies have been dealt with. The mission is complete. We just need to report back to the council member who gave us the job."
Relief washed over Levy, and she flopped back onto the ground, stretching her arms.
"Finally… I can brag to everyone that I completed an S-Class mission. First thing I'm doing after we get back is taking a long, hot bath."
Erza chuckled softly. "Same here. What did you think about your first S-Class mission?"
Levy's expression soured. She thought of the traps within the temple, the relentless pressure, and the desperate struggle she'd endured against her opponent.
"I don't want to take another S-Class mission for at least a year," she pouted. "This was way too hard compared to our usual jobs. From now on, I'll stay in my lane."
Erza laughed at her honest reaction. "Roger that. Still… you should be proud of yourself, Levy. You did great."
Levy let out a shy laugh, but her face betrayed how much the praise meant to her. Erza's words had always carried weight—coming from someone she saw as nearly invincible, it was a treasure.
Wanting to change the subject before she blushed any harder, Levy glanced at the boy beside her.
"Who is this kid, anyway? He saved me back there, and he's the one who actually defeated the guy I was fighting."
Erza grew thoughtful, then explained everything Astro had told her from the beginning—about what happened to the island and the children that were experimented on and those that survived till now.
Levy's eyes widened. "That's horrible… they had it so rough. Why would anyone do something like that? Killing everyone on the island… experimenting on children? There should be a limit to how evil people can be."
Erza's smile turned bittersweet. Almost unconsciously, her hand drifted to just below her right eye. Memories surfaced: fleeting figures of children, and at the front of them, the blurred outline of a blue-haired boy she could never forget.
"Some people are just like that," she murmured. "They'll grab any excuse to do evil things and hurt others."
Levy froze. Erza's eyes held a vulnerability she had never seen before. Panic welled in her chest. What could she say? Erza had always seemed unshakable, the most reliable person she could lean on. To see her like this—it didn't feel real. Levy opened her mouth, trying to find the words—
But Erza straightened, her composure sliding back into place like polished armor.
"But there are also good people," she said with a gentle smile. "People who don't need a reason to do good things. The world… is balanced in its own twisted way."
Her thoughts drifted toward her guild, the warmth of laughter, the bonds she had forged. She allowed those memories to replace the shadows in her mind.
Levy's lips curved into a grin. "You're one of those people too, Erza."
The compliment caught Erza off guard, a faint blush coloring her face. Before she could answer, however, her instincts screamed. Her body tensed all at once—danger.
She looked up.
A blinding purple light descended from the heavens.
And then—
BOOM.
A massive explosion tore through the island. Even though they weren't caught in its center, the blistering heat and crushing shockwave rushed toward them like a storm.
Levy froze, her face pale in shock at the sudden turn of events. But before she could even react, Erza had already stepped forward, placing herself between levy and the oncoming force.
"Erza!" Levy cried out.
But there was no hesitation in Erza's movements.
"Requip: Flame Empress Armor!"
In an instant, her body was clad in blazing red armor, twin blades flashing in her hands. With swift, precise strikes, she cut through the torrent of heat and force, dispersing it before it could consume Levy and the others.
The sight of Erza's unshakable back standing firm in front of her steadied Levy's heart. Her fear dulled, replaced by awe and relief.
But as the shockwave faded, Levy's eyes widened. The surrounding area was engulfed in fire, the heat rising rapidly, turning the air itself heavy and suffocating.
"Are you okay, Levy?" Erza asked without turning her head, her eyes fixed on the devastation ahead. She could already tell—the destruction wasn't Astro's doing.
"Astro said those people had a superior," Erza muttered, her gaze locking on the mountain that was now half-gone, crumbling under the impact. "Could it be them…?"
Chunks of rock began tumbling down toward the shore. Erza acted immediately.
"Levy, take the boy. I'll handle the two enemies."
"Got it!" Levy didn't hesitate.
"Solid Script: Wings!"
Shimmering text took shape, transforming into glowing wings that sprouted from her back. She scooped up the gray-haired boy, holding him close as she lifted into the air. Erza followed close behind, shifting into her Heaven's Wheel Armor to take the unconscious criminals.
But before they could gain distance, a streak of purple light suddenly lanced through the air—too fast for Levy to track.
It slammed directly into Erza.
"Erza!!" Levy screamed as she watched the armored knight get knocked from the sky, plunging into the sea with a resounding splash.
Levy's heart pounded in panic. She turned just in time to see the two bound enemies crash back down onto the beach below. From the collapsing mountainside, boulders still continued to fall, threatening to crush everything in their path.
Kian groaned awake on the shore, his vision blurred from the pain. Through hazy eyes, he caught sight of the purple light descending.
It touched down gently before him. The radiance faded—revealing a man.
Levy's breath caught.
The figure was impossibly striking, almost unreal. Blond hair that gleamed in the firelight, sharp golden eyes, and attire that radiated wealth and authority: a flowing white windbreaker over clothes lined with golden embroidery. His every step toward the fallen enemies was measured, graceful, and composed—yet heavy with an aura of power that demanded fear.
Levy's instincts screamed. Whoever this man was, he was no ordinary mage.
Her gaze flickered to the spot in the sea where Erza had vanished. Biting her lip, Levy made her decision. Clutching the boy tighter, she beat her glowing wings and darted toward the water.
She couldn't stay near this blond man a second longer. He was far too dangerous. And she knew—she didn't have the strength to face him.
The young man didn't so much as glance at Levy as he slowly advanced on Kian. With a flick of his hand, several purple light bullets burst forth, ricocheting through the air as though the world itself were lined with invisible mirrors. Most veered off to obliterate the falling boulders—but one cluster swerved toward Levy.
She froze. The lights danced around her in a deadly orbit, too fast to follow.
"Wha—?"
Before she could comprehend it, one struck her right thigh and pierced through her. Pain exploded through her body, and before she could scream, same bullet rebounded and pierced her right arm. Then her left leg. Her shoulder. Again and again, the purple bullets tore into her until every limb was riddled with wounds.
Her wings faltered. Blood sprayed from the holes left behind, and with a strangled cry she plummeted to the sand, shielding Shawn in her arms with the last strength she had.
"It… hurts!" Tears streamed down her face, her body trembling violently.
But the blond man did not spare her a look. His golden eyes, glowing faintly with purple, remained fixed on Kian. He walked with deliberate, unhurried steps..
Kian forced his blurred vision to focus, horror and awe clashing on his pale face. "Y-you… I know you. You're…!"
His cracked lips curled into something like relief. "You came at the right time! I found it—the Sky Devil Slayer! The Sky Devil chose an avatar long ago!"
The man—Luthar—paused. His golden irises burned brighter with purple hue. His voice was calm, cold, dismissive.
"Your mission was to become the Sky Devil Slayer. Did you fail?"
"I-I—yes, but only because the Slayer already exists!" Kian stammered desperately, his words tumbling over themselves. "It's not my failure, it's—it's because—"
"And yet," Luthar interrupted lazily, "you exposed that truth to outsiders."
Only then did his gaze flick to Levy, who lay broken and bleeding, still clutching Shawn to her chest.
Kian panicked. "But Master Luthar—"
The name died in his throat.
With a mere twitch of Luthar's fingers, purple bullets shot forth again. They struck the ground, then bounced—ricocheting like executioners unleashed. In a heartbeat they sank into Kian's body, piercing his chest, his limbs, his skull. His scream was cut short as the lights tore him apart from within.
The woman beside him tried to move—too late. The bullets turned and consumed her as well. In seconds, both their bodies crumpled lifelessly to the sand.
Levy's tears blurred her vision, but even through the haze, she saw it. He killed them as though they were nothing.
And then, as if conjured from shadow, a woman appeared at Luthar's side. Black hair framed her face, her gown clung to her form like liquid darkness. Her voice dripped with seduction.
"So, the Sky Devil already has an avatar. I'll inform Master."
She went silent, her gaze going distant—communicating wordlessly with someone beyond this place.
"Well," Luthar said, his voice low, almost curious. His steps carried him toward Levy and Shawn, each one deliberate and slow. "At least I know it's not this girl."
His fingertips glowed faintly purple.
Levy's heart clenched. She couldn't move. She couldn't fight. She could only whisper, brokenly, as her tears ran down her face.
"No… please…"
Her mind flashed with memories—Erza's steady back, Astro's warm smile, Jet and Droy laughing, the chaos and warmth of Fairy Tail. Her family.
"I don't want to die… Erza…"
Her voice trembled into silence.
As if answering her call, a figure rose from the sea. Erza, clad in her Heavenly Wheel Armor, charged toward the beach. The moment her feet touched the sand, she shouted,
"Re-equip: Flight Armor!"
In an instant, her body was covered in a sleek, revealing armor reminiscent of a cheetah—built for speed and precision. With movements almost too fast for the naked eye, she lunged at the blond mage, one sword aimed straight at his chest.
Astro also appeared from the opposite side landing on the beach, with his purple wind swords in hand. He dashed forward at the same time as Erza. Both advanced at speeds barely perceptible, Astro targeting Luthar's head while Erza stayed low, crouching as she slashed at his waist.
In a blur, they cut Luthar into three pieces, each segment floating momentarily above the others without a drop of blood, as Astro and Erza stopped at opposite sides from where they had arrived.
Erza again dashed back and instantly returned to stand between Levy and Luthar, who, despite being cut into three pieces, remained eerily peaceful.
Astro also wasted no time. He dashed to Astro and Shawn and began healing Levy.
"You'll be alright, Levy," he whispered, trying to calm her.
Levy, seeing both of them defending her, finally lost consciousness from losing too much blood.
Erza, standing guard, looked towards this unknown young man..
"What did you think you were doing to my friend?" she shouted, rage boiling in her voice as she glared at Luthar's broken form. Yet, as his body glowed purple, it reassembled seamlessly, as if never harmed.
Luthar ignored her entirely, his focus locked on Astro behind her, healing Levy.
"Found you, Sky Devil Slayer," he whispered, light gathering at his fingertips. His white windbreaker fluttered in the wind. The air thickened with tension, brimming with imminent danger.