From the depths of the ruined forest, a lone figure emerged.
He walked slowly, deliberately, as if savoring each step. The earth trembled slightly beneath him, and with every inch he closed between them, Carla felt something inside her grow colder.
A man with wild, unkempt hair and unsettling, golden-rimmed eyes.
Hoteye.
The member of Oración Seis known for his absurd wealth, his ability to manipulate the very ground beneath him… and his merciless nature.
A shudder ran through Carla's body.
This wasn't like before.
She had encountered enemies before—dark wizards, dangerous foes. But she had always had Wendy, always had Naruto, always had someone beside her. Someone stronger.
But now?
Now she was alone.
A sickening wave of fear churned in her stomach, locking her legs in place. She wanted to run. She should run.
But she couldn't.
Not this time.
Because if she ran now, she would never find Wendy.
Hoteye tilted his head as he approached, his lips curling into a smirk. "Well, well… What do we have here?" His voice was slow, almost lazy, but the underlying malice was unmistakable.
Carla clenched her tiny fists, her breathing ragged.
This was her first real battle.
And there was no turning back
Carla's paws trembled against the dirt, her breath sharp and uneven. Her wide eyes darted around the ruined forest, but no matter where she looked, she found nothing—no Wendy, no Naruto, no allies. Only the wreckage left behind by the battle. The silence felt unnatural, like the world itself had been put on hold, waiting for something dreadful to happen.
Then, a shadow loomed.
A deep, mirthless chuckle echoed through the broken landscape. Carla's ears twitched, her fur bristling as she turned around—and there he stood. Hoteye.
The man was enormous, towering over her like an unmovable wall of flesh and muscle. His thick, wavy hair framed a grinning face, eyes hidden behind his signature orange goggles. There was something unsettling about that smile—too calm, too knowing, as if he had already won before the battle had even begun.
"Oh dear, a stray little kitten," Hoteye mused, his voice almost gentle. "Lost, all alone… how unfortunate."
Carla's heart pounded. Her limbs felt like lead. She willed herself to move, to run, to take flight—but fear had her locked in place.
Then, the ground beneath her exploded.
Carla barely managed to leap back, wings flaring open as Hoteye raised his hand, the earth twisting and warping under his command. The terrain itself became his weapon, jagged spires erupting from below, aiming to impale her. She flapped her wings desperately, twisting her body mid-air to avoid the attack, but the sheer force of his magic was overwhelming.
Hoteye sighed, almost disappointed. "Ah, how troublesome. You can dodge… for now."
The ground surged again, sending a shockwave through the forest. Carla's small frame was sent tumbling through the air. She barely caught herself, wings struggling to keep her upright, panic tightening around her throat like an invisible noose.
She needed to escape. She needed to find Naruto.
But before she could move—
Something struck her from the blindside.
A force, swift and unforgiving, slammed into her body. Time itself seemed to slow.
Carla's breath hitched. Her pupils shrank.
And then—
A memory.
Carla stood alone, her small frame bathed in the pale glow of the moonlight. The air was still, save for the rhythmic sounds of Wendy's movements—her feet scuffing against the dirt, her sharp exhales as she threw punch after punch, her quiet grunts of effort as she pushed herself harder. Sweat glistened on her brow, and though exhaustion clung to her every motion, she did not stop.
Carla's feline eyes softened, watching Wendy train with a quiet, almost reverent admiration.
Then, behind her, the quiet crunch of footsteps.
She did not need to turn to know who they were. One presence was familiar, steady as the foundation beneath their feet—Roubaul, silent and observing as always. The other, however, was something different entirely. His energy was never still, always shifting, like an untamed storm in human form.
Naruto.
He stopped beside her, arms folded, his gaze fixated on Wendy's movements. He did not speak immediately, simply watching, as if measuring something unseen. Then, his voice cut through the night.
"Are you satisfied with just watching over her?"
Carla's breath hitched.
She turned to him, startled—not by the question itself, but by the weight behind it. Naruto's tone wasn't teasing, nor was it mocking. It wasn't meant to prod or challenge. It was something far heavier. A simple question, yet one that carried the weight of expectation, of truth.
Her answer came without hesitation. "Of course not."
Naruto finally looked at her then, and for the briefest moment, his usual stormy eyes held something… knowing. Something distant, as if he had seen this same moment play out before, in another time, with another person.
And then, he smiled.
"Then why aren't you accompanying her?"
Carla froze.
The words struck like a lightning bolt.
It was so simple. So obvious. And yet, the thought had never occurred to her.
She was Wendy's guardian. Her protector. The one who watched from the sidelines, always watching, always guiding, always making sure Wendy never strayed too far.
But had she ever truly stood beside her?
Had she ever fought with her, for her, instead of just watching from a distance?
Carla's ears twitched, her eyes lowering as she let the question settle deep into her bones. The truth was, she had always placed herself above such things. She was dignified. She was proud. She did not lower herself to the mud.
And yet…
Her gaze lifted back to Wendy, who had not stopped, who had never stopped, pushing herself past her limits over and over again.
What was Carla's pride in comparison to Wendy's determination?
The answer was clear.
Without another word, she stepped forward.
Wendy paused, mid-strike, panting heavily as she turned in confusion—only to blink as Carla stood beside her, wings folding neatly at her sides.
"…Carla?"
Carla inhaled deeply, steadying herself, before speaking with quiet resolve.
"If you'll have me… I'll train with you."
Wendy's eyes widened, surprise flashing across her face—before softening into something warm. She wiped the sweat from her brow, then gave Carla a small, yet genuine smile.
"Of course."