Taurus, Virgo, and Cancer are all physical-attack Celestial Spirits, useless in a fight like this. Summoning Aquarius would require water, which was plentiful here, but the enemy was a cloud—an intangible foe. Even if the attack landed, it would do nothing.
The battle kicked off with Natsu facing the girl who looked like a kid, while Lucy, with Happy's help, took on dozens of giant wolves. The sight nearly scared her witless.
Thankfully, Taurus was a beast. His massive axe cleaved through the wolves, one swing taking down one, two swings dropping a pair. He cleared the pack quickly, though not without taking some hits. He fought until the end before returning to the Celestial Spirit World to rest.
With her side handled, Happy flew off to help Natsu, while Lucy hid, catching her breath and observing Chloe's magic.
Despite watching for a while, she couldn't find a way to turn the tide.
"Even if my magic has a weakness, you're not the one to exploit it, kid!" Chloe boasted, brimming with confidence. "This terrain naturally counters your fire magic and boosts mine. The more you attack, the more water vapor you create, and the more clouds I can control. You can't beat me."
"Heh…" Natsu grinned. "My attacks might not work on you, but your clouds get evaporated by my fire. If you want to hit me, you'll have to make them solid. And when you do, I'll hit you!"
Chloe was taken aback. This guy? He looks like a hotheaded idiot, but he's sharper than I thought!
"Too bad you're still too naive," she sneered, stretching her hands forward. A thick, heavy mass of white clouds surged out, surrounding Natsu and Happy.
"No matter how many times you try that, I'll burn it away!" Natsu roared, flames erupting from his body. But for the first time, his Dragon Slayer flames failed against the clouds.
"Natsu?!" Happy gasped, staring in shock.
"Idiot, I told you your attacks are useless!" Chloe gloated, hands on her hips. "These sea clouds have dozens of times more water than the last ones. Your puny flames can't evaporate them."
"Damn it! What is this stuff?!" The sea clouds were heavier, denser with moisture, impossible to burn through with ordinary fire. Natsu had no choice but to let Happy pull him back to avoid them.
The clouds were tangible yet formless—impossible to grab, impervious to burning. Unlike any enemy Natsu had faced before, they were a nightmare to deal with. For the first time, he was at a loss.
Though the sea clouds moved slowly, they clung like a curse, following Natsu and Happy relentlessly. Every step back they took, the clouds advanced. When they tried to fly upward, the clouds followed, giving them no room to breathe. The heavy clouds closed in like a cage, completely restricting their movements.
Then Chloe unleashed her next move: "Rope Clouds!"
The surrounding clouds twisted into tough, rope-like strands, binding Natsu and Happy tightly.
"I can't move!" Happy cried.
"Let me go!" Natsu growled.
"Fire Dragon's Blazing Glory!" Natsu unleashed a surge of magic, trying to burn through the watery cloud ropes with hotter flames, but it barely made a dent.
"Go to hell!" Chloe shouted, preparing a finishing blow.
Seeing Natsu in danger, Lucy didn't hesitate. She pulled out Aquarius' key and opened her gate. "It's water magic against water magic. Please, Aquarius, make this work!"
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The gate opened, and Aquarius, the mermaid Celestial Spirit with her iconic water jug, appeared. With her sea-blue hair, blue fish tail, and blue jug as a weapon, she was a vision in blue. She glanced at Chloe, half her body merged with the clouds, and scoffed, "A demon, huh?"
Though Lucy had suspected as much, hearing Aquarius confirm it still startled her. But there was no time to dwell. "Please, save Natsu and Happy!"
"Don't order me around!" Aquarius snapped. Her temper was no secret—Lucy's own stubborn streak had been shaped by her in many ways.
With a flick of her jug, Aquarius unleashed a torrent of water, a spinning pillar that swept both Natsu and the enemy toward the cliff.
Among the Golden Zodiac Spirits, Aquarius was near the top in power, rivaled only by Leo, the undisputed strongest, and maybe Capricorn or Scorpio. In the entire Fairy Tail story, few water mages could match her skill.
The watery vortex sent Natsu and Happy flying, disrupting the cloud ropes with a mix of magical and physical force. The ropes dissolved into water, slammed against the cliff by the powerful current.
"What the—?!" Chloe yelped, caught off guard by Aquarius' appearance.
Natsu, dizzy but unharmed, jumped to his feet. He didn't complain about Aquarius' rough rescue—instead, he was grateful. "Thanks for the save, Lucy!"
Everyone knew it took magic to beat magic.
Lucy's move drew Chloe's attention. "You canceled out my sea clouds with water magic that strong?"
Chloe finally noticed the woman she'd overlooked before. Though surprised, she kept her smug demeanor. "I thought you were just a weakling and was gonna let you off easy. Didn't expect you to be a Celestial Spirit Mage with that kind of power!"
Lucy eyed Chloe nervously, knowing she was outmatched. Her only hope was…
"Aquarius?" Lucy called out.
Where'd she go? She was just here!
[I'm on a date with my boyfriend right now! Don't bother me unless it's important!]
A message from Aquarius in the Celestial Spirit World left Lucy sweating bullets. With no other choice, she ducked back into hiding.
"What's wrong? Your Celestial Spirit Mage friend not joining in?" Chloe taunted from the air.
"I don't need anyone else to take you down!" Natsu shot back, showing no trace of embarrassment from being trapped earlier. He flashed a confident grin.
Just as Natsu reignited his fighting spirit for round two with Chloe, the sky darkened. A shadow loomed overhead, and a white figure descended from the heavens.
Dressed in pristine white, exuding a holy aura, the figure stood out with fiery red hair—a striking contrast that only amplified their commanding presence. Twelve wings spread behind them, blocking what little sunlight remained, as countless feathers fell like snowflakes. They landed gracefully on the battlefield, like an angel descended.
"Kira?!" Natsu recognized him instantly by his scent, despite the new outfit. "What are you doing here?"
"Natsu, Happy, Lucy—you guys have really gone too far this time!"
"What, you're here to drag us back?" Lucy asked, emerging from her hiding spot. Relief washed over her at Kira's arrival. She and Natsu had taken this mission against the guild's rules, so it wasn't surprising someone came to fetch them—just unexpected that it happened so fast.