As Lucy, Natsu, and Happy saw the Vulcan in front of them. To the trio, the Vulcan's features suddenly looked sharper, clearer and its presence seemed more terrifying. Now, they were no longer looking at Aurelius' illusion—their sense of sight has now been altered and their eyes are gonna be seeing the Vulcan even if Aurelius were to remove his illusion.
Their eyes perceived a Vulcan now, and they felt its crushing presence. Their eyes perceived a beast, not the cautious genius behind the mask that is acting to be the beast.
Lucy, in particular, felt the tug of confusion in her chest as the monster's presence loomed larger in her perception. It was like the air itself was thickening with the weight of the beast's power.
"A monster like this…" she whispered, her brow furrowing. She instinctively reached for her keys, but something still felt wrong. The Vulcan appeared… too overwhelming. The magic in the air, the very sense of it, felt distorted.
Lucy's eyes darted back to Natsu and Happy, and the fog of doubt clouded her mind.
Natsu, however, already had his flames ignited. "Time to roast this thing!" he bellowed, charging forward.
They then see the Vulcan raise its massive arm, and slam it down the ground, sending a shockwave of icy air toward the trio. It felt real enough. The trio had no idea that what they were facing wasn't the beast they thought it was.
"Flame Dragon's Fist!" Natsu shouted, leaping into the air to meet the creature's attack head-on.
But as Natsu's fiery attack connected, the Vulcan seemed to flicker, momentarily vanishing and reappearing behind him with a sudden change in direction. The strike missed.
"Did it... did it just dodge so fast?" Natsu paused, blinking in confusion. His vision seemed off. He then felt a pain in his back as the Vulcan's fist hit him.
'Got you now...' The Vulcan, or Aurelius thought. Now that he hit Natsu, he would also be able to manipulate the dragon's slayer's sense of touch of feeling. The pressure, temperature, texture, pain, vibration, itch, or any other sensation, Natsu can feel it all if he wanted!
Happy swooped around the "beast," his small voice panicked. "Lucy, do something!"
"I'm trying!" she snapped, fumbling for her keys. She only had a few—her limited arsenal was a constant reminder of how far she still had to go as a mage. Still, she knew she had to act fast.
"Open! Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!"
The key glowed brightly in her hand, and with a flourish, a torrent of water burst forth. Aquarius emerged, her elegant form contrasting sharply with the chaotic battlefield. The spirit glanced at the Vulcan, unimpressed.
"You again?" Aquarius said, crossing her arms. "Do you realize how cold it is here?"
"I don't care! Attack!" Lucy yelled, panic creeping into her voice.
Aquarius sighed dramatically but complied. She unleashed a massive wave of water that crashed into the "Vulcan," forcing it back. Or so it seemed—Aurelius adjusted the illusion and their vision to make the creature appear as though it resisted the onslaught.
"Is that all?" Aquarius sneered, glancing at Lucy. "Don't summon me again unless it's worth my time."
Before Lucy could protest, Aquarius returned to the celestial realm, leaving her alone with the roaring "Vulcan."
"Lucy!" Natsu called out, throwing himself into the fray. His flames lit up the cave, casting flickering shadows on the walls.
"Take this!" he shouted, launching a fire-infused punch at the Vulcan's torso. To his frustration, the creature just caught his fist, not even giving him a glance.
"What the...?!" Natsu growled.
Lucy's heart raced as she realized the situation was worse than she thought. Their situation was not looking good. Yet, she still had to try.
"Why does she have to be so difficult?" Lucy muttered, referring to Aquarius as she fumbled for another key. She glanced at Natsu, who was still trading blows with the creature. His attacks seemed to have little effect, and the frustration was evident on his face.
Lucy grit her teeth and raised another key. "Open, Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!"
With a flash of light, Taurus appeared, his massive frame dominating the space. "Moo~! Time to smash this beast!"
"Just do it already!" Lucy yelled.
Taurus charged at the "Vulcan," swinging his giant axe in a wide arc. The sound of metal slicing through the air echoed in the cave as the axe came down. Once again, Aurelius altered the illusion and their vision, making it seem as though the Vulcan sidestepped the attack with inhuman speed.
"What? I missed?!" Taurus bellowed, his usual confidence shaken.
Lucy's heart sank. If Taurus couldn't land a hit, what hope did they have? She clenched her fists, the weight of her inexperience pressing down on her. She couldn't summon multiple spirits at once, and she was running out of options.
"Taurus, try again!" she yelled, but before Tauros could swing, the "Vulcan" retaliated. It lunged forward, its fist hitting Taurus's chest—or so it seemed. In reality, Aurelius slowed it's movement enough for Taurus to react and for the beast to dodge the attack by returning to the spirit realm.
"No! Taurus!" Lucy cried out, panic setting in.
Before Lucy could react, the "Vulcan" roared and slammed the ground, sending a ripple through the icy floor. The cave trembled, and the ground beneath her gave way. Lucy screamed as she fell through a hidden crevasse, landing in a lower chamber with a painful thud.
"Lucy!" Happy shouted, his voice muffled by the distance.
"Are you okay?!" Natsu's voice followed, echoing faintly from above.
Lucy scrambled to her feet, wincing as she looked around. The lower chamber was dark and cold, the walls glistening with frost. She called out, her voice trembling, "Natsu? Happy? Can you hear me?"
There was no reply.
A cold dread settled in her chest. She was alone.
From the shadows, Aurelius descended, maintaining the image of the Vulcan. He adjusted their perceptions above, conjuring the image of another Vulcan to keep Natsu and Happy occupied. To them, the situation seemed dire, with two beasts threatening them.
Below, Lucy faced the "Vulcan" alone. Her breaths came in shallow gasps as she clutched her remaining keys. She was tired, her magic reserves dwindling. But she refused to give up.
"I won't lose," she whispered, raising a trembling hand. "Open, Gate of the Giant Crab! Cancer!"
The key glowed faintly in her grip, and with a flash of light, Cancer appeared. His sharp claws gleamed under the icy light of the cavern, and his confident posture immediately brought a sense of fleeting hope to Lucy's chest.
"Princess," Cancer said, his tone cool and professional as ever, "you've been overworking yourself. Time for me to take over."
"Just… just hold it off!" Lucy gasped. "I don't have much magic left."
Cancer glanced back at her and nodded. "Got it. I'll give this brute a full makeover—starting with its face."
With that, Cancer lunged forward, moving with incredible speed. His pincers struck the air like twin blades, aiming for the "Vulcan's" vulnerable spots. Aurelius, hidden behind his web of illusions, marveled at the fluidity of Cancer's movements. Despite being a spirit, Cancer's combat style mimicked a trained swordsman's precision.
But Aurelius adjusted the illusion and their vision just in time. To Lucy's and Cancer's perceptions, the "Vulcan" raised its massive arms and blocked the attack with ease, pushing the celestial spirit back with a deafening roar.
"Fast reaction," Cancer muttered, skidding to a halt. His pincers twitched in anticipation. "But speed's my forte. Let's see how you handle this!"
Cancer darted forward again, zigzagging across the icy ground to confuse the "Vulcan." He struck from multiple angles, his scissors slicing at its arms, legs, and chest. The rapid assault created a cacophony of sharp clangs that echoed throughout the cavern.
Lucy's eyes widened. To her, it looked like Cancer was landing direct hits, yet the "Vulcan" appeared almost unfazed, only giving out one quiet growl.
In reality, Cancer's strikes were perfectly accurate, but Aurelius was able to deflect all of the attacks. His illusions then shifted the "Vulcan's" appearance, making the blows seem ineffective. He manipulated the their sense of hearing, after all, he can do it now after they heard a quiet growl that was from Aurelius. Using this, he was amplifying the beast's roars and the reverberations of its "blocked" attacks to heighten Lucy's anxiety.
The "Vulcan" counterattacked, swinging its massive arm in a wide arc. Cancer leaped into the air just in time, the icy wind from the swing brushing against his legs.
"You've got brute force," Cancer quipped, "but you're all brawn and no brains. I'll carve you up like a delicate ice sculpture."
He spun in midair, his scissors flashing as he landed a clean strike against the "Vulcan's" back. The beast staggered forward, letting out a guttural growl that seemed to shake the cavern walls. To Lucy, it looked like Cancer had barely made a scratch.
"Still standing?" Cancer said, landing gracefully on the icy floor. His tone was confident, but Lucy could hear the subtle undertone of concern.
"It's too strong," Lucy muttered to herself, clutching her arms. Her chest tightened as she watched the battle unfold. Her spirit was giving his all, but the "Vulcan" appeared unyielding.
The pressure was too much. Cancer was struggling, and Lucy's options were dwindling. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, glaring at the towering beast before her.
"I have to try," she whispered to herself, gripping another key in her free hand. Sweat dripped down her brow as she focused all her remaining energy. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!"
The key glowed briefly, and a faint light started to form, but then it flickered and died. The strain on Lucy's body became unbearable, and she stumbled forward, dropping to her knees.
Aurelius raised an eyebrow. "Dual summoning? She has potential after all." He thought.
"I can do this…" she gasped, clutching both keys tighter. "I have to!"
Lucy channeled her remaining magical energy and shouted, "Open! Gate of the Water Bearer—!"
The light returned, brighter this time, but as it grew, a sharp pain shot through her entire body. Her vision blurred, and she cried out in agony as the light vanished once again. Her attempt to summon Aquarius failed.
Cancer turned his head slightly, concern flashing across his normally calm face. "Princess, don't push yourself too hard! You're overdoing it!"
"But I can't just sit here!" Lucy shouted, her voice cracking. Her desperation was palpable. "You're out there fighting, and I'm doing nothing! I have to… I have to help!"
Cancer faced the "Vulcan" again, his pincers clicking with determination. "The best way you can help is by staying alive. Let me handle this!"
The "Vulcan" roared and charged forward, its massive arms swinging down at Cancer. The spirit moved with expert precision, avoiding the blows and retaliating with a series of sharp strikes. His claws glided across the beast's body, creating what should have been deep gashes, but the "Vulcan" appeared unfazed thanks to Aurelius' manipulation.
Cancer narrowed his eyes. "Something's off. I've landed at least five critical hits, and it's still going strong." He thought.
Aurelius smirked, hidden behind the illusory beast. He appreciated Cancer's sharpness but maintained the facade. Manipulating both sight and sound, he created the perfect illusion of an invincible foe.
The "Vulcan" countered Cancer's next attack with a wide swing, catching him off guard. Cancer flew across the cavern, slamming into the icy wall with a pained grunt. His form flickered briefly, a sign that his connection to Lucy's dwindling magic was weakening.
"Cancer!" Lucy screamed, crawling toward him.
Cancer stood shakily, his pincers raised in a defensive stance. "It's no good, Princess," he said, his voice strained. "You don't have enough magic left to sustain me."
"No!" Lucy shouted, tears streaming down her face. "I can't… I can't do this without you!"
"You'll have to," Cancer said with a weak smile. "You're stronger than you think, Princess. Don't give up."
With that, his form shimmered and disappeared, leaving Lucy alone in the icy cavern. She trembled as she turned to face the towering "Vulcan." Her breaths came in ragged gasps, and her vision blurred from exhaustion and tears.
Aurelius watched from within his illusion, impressed by Lucy's resolve. Despite her fear and exhaustion, she hadn't run. She stood her ground, her body shaking but her gaze firm.
"She's determined," he thought to himself. "But pushing her any further now would be pointless. I've seen enough."
The "Vulcan" roared one last time, then turned and mixed into the shadows, leaving Lucy alone. She collapsed to her knees, her tears freezing as they hit the icy ground.
"Why… why am I so weak?" she whispered, clutching her keys tightly.
Aurelius concealed his presence further as he moved through the cavern. It was now time to finish the plan. For now, he got some of the information he needed.