A Short Breather

Wendy Marvel POV:

"Please feed me!"

I blurted it out, my face flushing red as soon as the words left my mouth. Part of me felt a small rush of pride—I had actually managed to say it out loud to a complete stranger! I almost wanted to pat myself on the back. But before I could savor that tiny victory, I looked up and saw Yuno staring down at me, his expression blank, eyes wide with shock—and maybe even a hint of disgust.

That look felt like a dagger through my heart. The weight of what I'd just said sank in. Oh no... my cheeks burned hotter as the embarrassment washed over me. I frantically waved my hands in front of me, trying to salvage the situation.

"No! No, it's not what you think! I swear I'm not a pervert! I'm a Sky Dragon Slayer—I eat wind to power up!"

I bit my lip, too mortified to look him in the eyes. I wanted to curl up and disappear on the spot. Carla, where are you when I need you?

Then, finally, Yuno spoke.

"Oh..."

I shot my head up, desperate for any sign of understanding. And there it was—a flicker of recognition in his face. Relief washed over me like a tidal wave, and I almost wanted to cry tears of joy. My eyes silently pleaded with him. Please, please, just pretend this never happened.

It felt like the universe was showing me mercy when Yuno cleared his throat and gave me a small, awkward nod. We were in silent agreement—this would be our secret.

"So... how does this work? Do I just... blow wind into your mouth or something?" He looked confused, and I couldn't blame him. Dragon Slayers weren't exactly common knowledge, and it's not every day you get asked to power one up.

I opened my mouth and pointed. "Yeah, just send your wind magic my way. Drop your spell, and I'll handle the rest."

Yuno POV:

I watched her, mouth open, pointing like she was inviting me to... well, blow air into her. I raised my right hand instinctively, but then stopped, grabbing it with my other hand before I could go through with it.

She blinked up at me in confusion, but I barely noticed. My mind was racing. I glanced around and saw some of the Erminan villagers still nearby, watching us with wide, hopeful eyes, whispering pleas to save their beloved water god.

And that's the issue. If it were just the two of us, I might be able to do this without a second thought. But in front of an audience? How could I possibly justify putting my hand anywhere near a little girl's mouth like that?! Anyone who saw that would think I'd lost my mind—or worse.

I felt a jolt of realization, and an idea struck me like a lightning bolt. My hand lowered as I silently communicated with my grimoire.

"Bell?"

"Yes, Yuno, my darling prince?" Bell's voice came through, full of excitement. She probably thought I was calling for something... else.

"You do it."

"...Oh. Okay," she replied, clearly disappointed

Wendy:

I watched in confusion as Yuno abruptly grabbed his own hand, halting his movement. He stood there, clearly battling some kind of internal moral struggle. I stayed silent, my curiosity piqued as I waited for him to resolve whatever was going on inside his head.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally relaxed, standing straight. I watched in fascination as one of the two books in his satchel began to float in front of him, glowing with a soft green light. The pages flipped on their own, finally stopping at an illustration of a small figure with wings.

"A fairy?" I leaned in closer, intrigued. But it wasn't over yet.

Suddenly, a burst of light shot out from the book, forcing me to shield my eyes. When I looked again, the light was fading, and a figure stepped out—one that would be etched in my memory forever.

She was tiny, with a pair of insect-like wings and pointed ears. Her green hair and eyes sparkled with an otherworldly beauty, and her skin seemed to glow in the light. The air around her hummed with magic, swirling naturally around her as if the sky itself obeyed her commands. It reminded me so much of my mother, Grandeeney. But that wasn't what shocked me the most.

My eyes widened, and I pointed at her in disbelief. "F-Fairy!" It was the only word I could muster.

She glanced at me curiously, then flipped her hair arrogantly. "Hmm, I suppose that's not completely wrong. I am beautiful, after all. But no mere fairy could compare to me. Stand tall, little girl—most don't get to witness my beauty. It's usually reserved for my darling prince, Yuno. Consider yourself lucky to bask in my glory."

"Bell..." I heard Yuno mutter, clearly irritated, but I wasn't focused on that. Her words brought back an old question passed down through my guild from our first master.

Do fairies have tails? More than that... Do fairies even exist? Nobody knows for sure. That's why our guild is named after them—an eternal mystery, an eternal adventure.

I pointed at her indignantly. "Why don't you have a tail?!"

Her eyes narrowed in confusion, but her expression quickly morphed into fury. "Why on earth would I have a tail?! Huh?!" She buzzed around my head like an annoying insect, dodging my attempts to swat her away.

Before things could escalate further, Yuno caught her mid-air, trapping her in his fist. I winced as she began to blush at his touch. Oh no, I think I finally understand what Cana meant when she called Levy an M.

Yuno, clearly unbothered, turned back to me. "I think we have more important matters to focus on," he said, glancing pointedly at Mercphobia's dying form beside us.

Embarrassed, I nodded. "This is Bell, my familiar. She'll charge you up," Yuno explained. 

I opened my mouth once more as Bell, still in his grasp, rolled her eyes but complied. With a flick of her tiny finger, she sent a small bullet of wind my way.

I was about to ask for more—surely that wasn't enough—but the moment I devoured that little bit of wind, my eyes widened in shock. The wind was pure, warm, and soothing, unlike anything I had ever tasted. The power was overwhelming, and before I knew it, I had entered Dragon Force. The energy from that tiny bit of wind was far more potent than anything I had ever absorbed before. It was... addicting. Stronger and purer than even the magic from the Sky Dragon Queen, Grandeeney. Is this what drinking feels like?

I couldn't help but blush, letting out a small moan, only to see Yuno staring at me again, his expression unreadable. Mortified, I quickly nodded to signal I was ready and turned to Mercphobia.

I raised my arms and cast "Heal," a soft green light enveloping the Dragon God. Relief washed over me as I saw even his most severe injuries beginning to mend rapidly. But something was off. While his body was healing, his magic power didn't return. It was like he was an empty shell. Did the White Mage steal his magic for good? Based on what Mercphobia had told us before, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. Does this count as sealing a Dragon God?

Once the healing was done, Mercphobia slowly opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. I tensed, unsure what to expect, but when I saw the intelligence and understanding in his gaze, I finally allowed myself to relax. His former animalistic madness was gone, replaced by a look of deep shame.

With a soft glow, he shifted back into his human form. His appearance was mostly the same—shoulder-length hair, two long horns, and a tattoo over his right eye. His dark coat and loose clothing were torn, but what caught my attention was the new scar on his throat, something even my healing magic couldn't remove.

"Sea God-sama!" I heard a voice call, and I turned to see Carla, Happy, Lucy, Erza, a battered Gray and Natsu, and even Karameel making their way through the cheering crowd of Erminans. Relief flooded me at the sight of my friends.

"Everybody!" I shouted in joy, grateful to see them safe. But my attention quickly shifted as two more figures approached.

The first was the ash-blond guy who had intervened in Leviathan's rampage, accompanied by a silver-haired girl with pink eyes. But what caught all of our attention was the creature perched on the girl's shoulder—a small sea serpent with a gruesome scar running from its neck to its tail.

Natsu and I immediately recognized the scent. Leviathan?! We weren't the only ones who tensed up. Everyone except the girl and, surprisingly, Mercphobia, seemed on edge.

Karameel, even without magic, stepped protectively in front of Mercphobia, and we all prepared to do the same. But Mercphobia clapped his hands, gaining our attention, and placed a hand on Karameel's shoulder, signaling for us to stand down.

"It's alright, everyone. He means no harm," Mercphobia said calmly, much to our disbelief. Even Karameel stared at him like he had lost his mind.

"Sea God-sama... how could you say that—"

Before she could finish, the sea serpent spoke in a slow, distinct voice. "Fake... powerless... now... is... human... now... me... no... care... for... him."

It took a moment for the words to sink in, and we turned to Mercphobia, who gave us a silent nod of confirmation. My heart sank. The White Mage had taken his power after all. My deepest fear had come true.

Elefseria POV

I stood up abruptly, my heart racing with awe as I approached the grand glass mural before me. My eyes were immediately drawn to the glowing blue figure of Mercphobia, now dimming. I gripped my staff tighter, barely able to contain the excitement and anticipation coursing through me.

They actually did it.

For the first time in a hundred years, one of the Five Dragon Gods had been sealed.

I could hardly believe it. After all this time, after decades of endless struggle, we had reached a turning point. Perhaps, at long last, this century-long quest was nearing its end.