"Blow it."
Although the flute was placed to his lips, Kagayama had no intention of playing it. Especially under Master Makarov's increasingly serious gaze, he broke out in a cold sweat. It was obvious that as long as he blew the flute, they would win, but he didn't have the slightest confidence to do so.
"Just blow the whistle... everything will change!" Kagayama roared in his heart, but his lips were extremely dry, and even his breathing was uneven.
"Nothing will change."
Suddenly, Makarov sighed and looked at Kagayama. At that moment, Kagayama felt that the old man had completely seen through him.
"Weak people are always weak," Makarov said quietly. "But that doesn't mean being weak is bad. Humans are inherently fragile creatures. Because we feel lonely and uneasy, we need a guild and companions. To live strongly, we must support one another. A clumsy person may fall more often and take longer detours than others, but as long as they believe in tomorrow and take brave steps forward, strength will come naturally. You can live strong with a smile on your face."
Makarov smiled and looked at the trembling Kagayama. "It's okay even if we don't rely on the flute."
Under his words, Kagayama's hand loosened, the cursed flute fell, and he collapsed to the ground. He knelt and kowtowed deeply. "I give up," he muttered.
Makarov smiled faintly. "Sure enough, I'm still as charming as ever," he thought.
But just as everyone relaxed, a faint mist began to rise from the flute. A cold voice came from the skull-like head. "What a bunch of useless trash. I can't bear to watch anymore—better if I come out myself!"
Mist erupted, and everyone stepped back. A golden figure rushed out. The next moment, a curse-singing demon emerged, a monstrous shape like twisted branches. The guild members froze—it was a demon from one of Jellal's books!
But they didn't panic. A golden light appeared before the demon.
"Go down!"
Caesar's cold voice echoed through the air. His eyes were sharp, and his movements flashed like lightning. In an instant, his foot—charged with the destructive might of Dragon Slayer magic—smashed down on the demon's head. The impact thundered like a meteor strike.
The creature staggered, its head cracking from the blow. It tried to stabilize but failed. The ground split apart, dust rising in clouds. When the dust cleared, the demon lay motionless. A faint glow flickered from its head, struggling to resist the damage.
"Damn you! I'll devour your soul!" the demon howled, forcing itself up.
But Caesar opened his mouth, unleashing a deafening roar like a storm. The sound tore through the air like blades, ripping half the demon's body apart before it crashed back down.
"Bastard! I'll eat your soul!" it screamed again.
"I know, I know," Caesar said calmly. "Talk about it when you actually can." He pulled out a Rasengan, walking slowly toward the fallen demon. "But for now, become nourishment—power for my Mira."
In the demon's horrified gaze, Caesar drove Hyorinmaru straight into its head. The ice power froze the monster instantly. Its soul tried to escape, to reform the flute, but Caesar's cold smile stopped it.
"Want to run? Did you ask me first?"
Hyorinmaru released a freezing wave, turning the demon's soul into an icy crystal. Caesar flicked his blade, catching the frozen soul as it landed in his hand. Without its soul, the demon's body decayed and crumbled into shards of ice.
"That's… it?" Lucy whispered, stunned. She couldn't believe the final enemy had been defeated so easily.
"This guy got stronger again," Natsu grumbled.
"Yeah," Gray added. "He didn't even use his Take Over magic, just his normal state. Caesar's already as strong as Gildarts."
"Caesar, well done!" Erza said, rushing forward and hugging him tightly—so tightly that his face hit her armor. Caesar winced. "Her armor's harder than iron…" he muttered under his breath.
Still, his Mira was softer, beautiful, and ever-changing. He looked at the frozen soul in his hand and tossed it into his magic pack. "This'll make good material for Mirajane to absorb later."
The battle was over. The Curse Song demon, a lesser creation of Zeref, had fallen easily. Caesar knew it would serve as nourishment to strengthen Mirajane's demon souls further. When they faced the Gate of Hades, he intended to harvest every one of those demons for her to take over.
As for the damage he caused? Nothing serious. His alchemy could repair it in seconds.
Makarov smiled proudly at his guild. His children were growing stronger, and his heart was full. The interrupted banquet resumed, laughter echoing through the guild hall.
"Keep the music going! Keep dancing!" Makarov roared joyfully, raising his mug.