Her vision blurred.
And then—
A memory flickered to life.
Carla stood on the sidelines, silently observing Wendy's training. The clearing was quiet save for the rhythmic impact of fists meeting flesh, the sharp exhales of breath, and the occasional rustle of leaves as Wendy was sent sprawling across the ground.
Naruto stood tall, unwavering, his eyes sharp but not unkind as he watched Wendy pull herself up again. Her body ached, her magic reserves flickered with exhaustion, but still, she clenched her fists, forcing herself forward. Again. And again. But no matter how much she tried, she could barely touch him.
It was a harsh sight.
Carla could see the frustration clouding Wendy's sapphire eyes, the flicker of doubt creeping into her expression as she tried to match Naruto in close combat. Her body was too light, too small. Her strikes lacked weight, lacked speed. She was a Sky Dragon Slayer, meant to soar, meant to support, but in this moment, she wanted to fight—and yet, it felt like she was running into an unscalable wall.
Carla knew Wendy well enough to recognize that flicker in her eyes. Disappointment. Not in Naruto. Not in the training. But in herself.
A few nights later, Carla found Wendy lying on the grass alone. She wasn't crying loudly, nor was she making a sound. She simply lay there, covering her eyes with the back of her arm, silent tears soaking into her sleeve.
Carla hesitated, a pang of worry tugging at her. Should I comfort her?
But before she could move—
Wendy stood up.
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, her face still red, her breath still shaky—but something had changed. Her sorrow hadn't disappeared, but it had settled beneath something far stronger.
Determination.
The next day, she trained harder. She pushed herself beyond what Carla had ever seen before. Under the blazing sun. Under the pouring rain. Beneath the glow of the moon. She no longer waited for Naruto's training sessions—she sought out her own.
And when Carla had tried to ask about it, Wendy had only given her a small, pleading smile.
"Don't tell anyone, Carla. Not yet. I want to be stronger on my own."
And so Carla watched.
She watched as Wendy, the gentle girl who once hesitated in battle, sharpened herself like a blade against the trials of her own limits. She watched her master her footwork, strengthen her strikes, push her body until exhaustion claimed her and then get back up the next morning.
She wasn't just relying on Naruto anymore. She was chasing after him.
And it was then, as Carla stood alone, watching Wendy train beneath the pale moonlight, that two figures approached from behind.
One was Roubaul, silent and observing. The other—Naruto.
And then, as she continued to watch Wendy, Naruto's voice cut through the night.
"Are you satisfied with just watching over her?"
Carla's eyes widened.
She turned to him, but Naruto's gaze never left Wendy. His voice wasn't teasing, nor was it mocking. It was a simple question—one that weighed heavier than any battlefield.
The memory shattered, and Carla's breath hitched.
The battlefield was still in chaos, Worth Woodsea burning with war, but suddenly, the crushing despair inside her loosened its grip.
She looked down at her trembling hands, then clenched them into fists.
She had done nothing before.
But she could do something now.
Wendy hadn't given up on herself.
So Carla wouldn't either.
In the dimly lit chamber of Oración Seis, Angel strode in, her expression a mix of triumph and urgency. Clutched in her hand was Gemini's key, and beside her floated the eerie dark lacrima that now imprisoned Naruto. Across the room, Midnight stood with a smug grin, holding the unconscious form of Wendy, the Sky Dragon Slayer.
Brain, the leader of Oración Seis, observed their arrivals with a calculating gaze. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation as the members gathered to discuss their next move.
"The orange leech is contained," Angel announced, presenting the lacrima.
Midnight smirked, glancing at Wendy's limp form. "And the Sky Dragon Slayer is ours."
Brain's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Excellent. With these two threats neutralized, we can proceed unhindered."
Cobra, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, raised an eyebrow. "Our resources took a significant hit orchestrating this plan. Was it worth it?"
Brain's eyes gleamed with determination. "Sacrifices are necessary for the realization of Nirvana. The power to invert light and darkness is within our grasp."
As they spoke, a magical projection displayed the ongoing battle in Worth Woodsea. The allied guilds were gaining the upper hand against the hired dark guilds, their resilience tipping the scales.
The dark guilds are faltering," Angel observed, her tone laced with disdain.
Brain nodded. "It's time to intervene. Each of you will target the exhausted members of the allied guilds. Midnight," he turned to his most formidable subordinate, "you will engage Jura. His status as a Wizard Saint makes him a formidable opponent, but I trust you can handle him."
Midnight's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Consider it done."
"The rest of you," Brain continued, "disperse and eliminate any remaining threats. I will use Wendy and our captive Jellal to activate Nirvana."
Cobra pushed off the wall, a sly grin on his face. "Time to show these guild wizards the true power of Oración Seis."
As the members dispersed to execute their assignments, Brain lingered, his gaze fixed on the lacrima containing Naruto. "With you out of the way," he murmured, "Nirvana will be ours."
The chamber echoed with the fading footsteps of the dark guild's elite, each member poised to unleash chaos upon Worth Woodsea.
The once-majestic Worth Woodsea had become an apocalyptic war zone. What was once a thriving sanctuary of towering trees and vibrant wildlife now lay in smoldering ruin. Gigantic roots, severed and charred, jutted from the scorched earth like the skeletal remains of a fallen colossus. The acrid scent of burnt wood mingled with the thick, metallic tang of residual magic, still crackling in the air from relentless clashes. Ghostly embers floated listlessly, remnants of countless explosive spells. Amidst the chaos, the warriors of the allied guilds surged forward, their weary bodies fueled only by sheer will and the unyielding need to bring an end to the tyranny that had desecrated this once-pristine land.