"What is this?"

Elyar eyed the magic circle shedding rainbow light, her brows knit, like a hawk studying a strange sun.

"This is the Element Fusion Array. It merges the elements inside and turns them into my weapons. Let's keep going, Aerucia!"

Yumigawa Nozomi spoke, then climbed onto the Aerucia Bird's back; the orbs trailed her like fireflies.

"Interesting. Wind Spiral."

Elyar flicked her wrists; tufts of wind spun out, like jade tops.

"Elemental Laser Cannon."

Nozomi thrust out her right hand; three orbs wheeled around it like planets, and as they spun, they lanced beams.

Krak!

The laser drilled through the whirling wind, like a needle through silk.

"Wind Blades."

As the spiral was pierced, Elyar shot into the high sky; she spread her hands, and the wind at her back sharpened into blades like crescent leaves.

"Go."

Whoosh whoosh!

Thousands of wind blades fell toward Nozomi like monsoon rain.

"Seven Stars in a Row."

Seeing the blades, Nozomi stayed calm; she guided seven orbs, six forming a ring and one set at its heart, like a sky mandala.

"Attack."

The seven orbs fired in turn; the center finished, a ring orb swapped in, and the cycle kept lashing light like a spinning loom.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Lasers clashed with the blades; their white heat held the storm back, and no edge reached Nozomi, like a wall of sun.

"Ha—you're indeed strong."

Seeing it, Elyar laughed; fighting spirit flared in her like rising wind.

"Warm‑up's over. Let's switch to something sharper—Wind King's Sword."

Elyar reached into the air and drew a sword from the wind, its blade haloed by circling gusts, like a dancing comet.

"I'm quite good with swords, you know."

Gripping the Wind King's Sword, Elyar flew toward Nozomi like a green streak.

Nozomi saw her charge and kept the orbs firing, like bees spitting light.

It didn't help; no matter how many beams, none could bar Elyar's single cut, which split light like bamboo.

"Ugh! Aerucia, put some distance—I'm no good up close."

Fear pricked Nozomi's chest as Elyar closed; she urged the bird like a rider urging a snow stag.

"Chirp!"

The Aerucia Bird surged faster, carving arcs of wind to pull away from Elyar like a silver arrow.

"It's useless. I am the Wind Elf King. In speed, you can't match me."

No matter how the Aerucia Bird cut the air, Elyar closed, inexorable as a hawk on a dove; the lasers barely scratched her wake.

"Sevenfold Barrage!"

Seeing single beams fail, Nozomi halted the swapping and made all seven orbs fire at once, like a volley of stars.

Gather—gather—

The fronts of the seven orbs flared, then hurled devastating lasers at Elyar, lines like cutting rain.

"Wind King: Sky‑Cleaving Slash."

At the instant the seven beams would hit, she vanished—no, she moved too fast to see; a sword‑glow streaked between the rays like lightning.

Zzzzz...

The sword‑light faded; the lasers thinned as if drained, then dwindled to threads of current and winked out. Elyar reappeared before Nozomi, like a ghost in a gale.

"What—!"

Shock bit Nozomi; her breath snagged as Elyar blinked in.

"Ten‑Star Chain Strike."

She steadied herself fast and whipped ten orbs into attack, a spiral of lights like a dragon of fireflies.

"Such weak strikes won't touch me."

Elyar met the barrage with ease, calm as pine under snow.

"Won't they? Try it—Detonate!"

Knowing ordinary attacks failed, Nozomi chose decisively; she triggered all ten orbs to explode, heart clenched like a drawn bow.

"What—! Wind King's Barrier!"

As the orbs blew, Elyar smothered surprise and cast a barrier, a dome of whirling air like a storm egg.

Then—

BOOM!!!

The self‑detonation's ruinous force shook the empty sky, thunder rolling like mountains breaking.

...

When the blast ebbed.

"Did we win?"

Nozomi peered at the blast zone, nerves taut like harp strings.

Sadly—

"Cough, cough. You're rather capable."

Elyar stood there, a bit scuffed, otherwise untouched, like a falcon ruffling feathers.

"Your orbs are gone. What will you do?"

"Don't worry about me. As long as this Element Fusion Array stands, I have weapons."

Disappointment stung like cold rain, but Nozomi wouldn't give up.

"Then what if I destroy that array?"

A sly smile curved Elyar's lips, like a knife’s shadow.

"Wh—"

Words died in Nozomi's throat, because Elyar did exactly as she said—

"Pierce, Wind King's Sword!"

Elyar let go; the Wind King's Sword shot toward the array's heart at uncanny speed, like a falcon's dive.

Clang!!

The blade struck the center; the array cracked, then vanished like frost in sun.

"...oh."

Nozomi froze, lost for a heartbeat, like a bird with clipped wings.

An Elf User leans on two pillars: first, their spirit; second, supportive arrays or spells.

Her Element Fusion Array was one such pillar.

Now it's broken, and the Aerucia Bird can't match Elyar, the Wind Elf King.

"Do you still wish to fight?"

Elyar pulled her sword free and eyed the stunned Nozomi, gaze cool as winter.

"I..."

Doubt flooded Nozomi first; without the array, her weapons were gone, and Elyar wouldn't give her time to set another.

In this wind, even self‑preservation frayed.

No—not yet. One card remained.

And without a contract with her, finding her brother was impossible.

So—

"Of course I’ll continue!"

Resolve kindled in her like a lantern at dusk.

"Haha, good, very good. You do please me."

Elyar laughed, then drifted upward, light as thistle fluff.

This time, Nozomi ignored her and didn’t pull the Aerucia Bird away.

She closed her eyes, hugged her cat plush to her chest, and took on a prayer pose, still as a moonlit pond.

"Elements between Heaven and Earth, in my name, Yumigawa Nozomi, I command you—gather here and become my strength—Elemental Bestowal!"

She finished and slowly opened her eyes.

Then—

"Chirp! Chirp!"

Around Nozomi, the air swelled into an ocean of elements, hues flowing like tides; the Aerucia Bird quivered in delight and called out.

"You truly surprise me. I didn’t expect you to be an Elemental Body."

Elyar stared at the ocean of elements, astonished like a traveler seeing dawn over jade peaks.

"...Ungh."

Exhaustion swamped Nozomi; her knees felt hollow, ready to fold like reed stalks, but she forced the final step.

"Bestowal—Aerucia Bird!"

!!!

The dense elements surged into the Aerucia Bird like rivers into a lake.

A heartbeat later...

The ocean was gone, all absorbed.

The Aerucia Bird now radiated power rivaling Elyar, its feathers blazing like a small sun.

"Aerucia, I’m counting on you. Please win."

With that, Nozomi slipped into sleep, falling like a petal.

...

(Elemental Body: a physique blessed by the elements, with deep affinity. In need, one can command elements to serve, but it consumes great stamina.)