Our mission was supposed to be complete after the Grall Hound was defeated. The village cheered, and the village chief immediately handed over the reward.
However, that night, as I sat alone on the roof of the inn, I felt something.
Aura.
Dark, heavy, and foul—creeping from the forest.
"Partner…" Ddraig's voice was grim. "I recognize this. Dark magic… a filthy energy that shouldn't exist in any ordinary being. The Grall Hound couldn't have acquired it on his own. Someone is behind this."
I clenched my fists. So it was true… my instincts weren't wrong.
Morning.
I gathered Natsu, Lucy, and Happy. "That monster… wasn't the last one. There's a dark wizard behind all of this."
Natsu frowned. "Dark mage? Heh, great! I'm getting even more excited!" A small flame lit up in his mouth.
Lucy looked worried. "If that's true, this is beyond the official mission. We have to be careful. Dark wizards are no easy feat."
I looked towards the forest. "I'm going. You can come or not."
Natsu laughed. "You! Of course we're coming. Guilds always work together. Right, Lucy?"
Lucy sighed. "Yeah, yeah… if I didn't come, you guys would've made a mess."
Happy flapped his wings. "Aye, sir!"
—
We entered the forest. The deeper we went, the colder the air became, and sunlight barely penetrated the trees.
Suddenly, the ground shook. A purple magic circle appeared beneath our feet.
"Watch out!" I shouted.
BOOOOM! A blast of dark energy exploded, separating us. Thick dust obscured our vision.
From within the mist, a man in a black robe emerged, his face covered by a metal mask. His voice was deep and hoarse.
"Hmm… so you're from Fairy Tail. You're the ones who killed my little dog last night."
Natsu stepped forward, furious. "So you're the one who caused chaos in the village! You bastard!"
The man laughed lowly. "Foolish human. I was just experimenting. Dark magic must be tested on weak creatures before I proceed with humans."
A black aura exploded from his body, suppressing the air around him.
"Partner, he's quite dangerous. Don't let your guard down."
I stepped forward, standing next to Natsu. "You will stop here."
The man raised his hand. A magic circle appeared, summoning three more Grall Hounds, this time larger and darker, with black smoke coming from their mouths.
Natsu immediately attacked. "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Flames exploded from both his hands, hitting two monsters at once.
Lucy summoned the key. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!" A torrent of water appeared, hitting one of the Grall Hounds and sending it tumbling over.
I focused on the dark wizard. Boosted Gear lit up.
"Boost!"
My body felt lighter, my blood pumping faster. I ran over, punching him with my left hand.
CLANG! My red fist collided with the black shield that appeared from his magic circle.
He laughed coldly. "Interesting. You're no ordinary wizard. What is that? Body-strengthening magic?"
I didn't answer. I just pressed harder.
"Boost! Boost!"
My body's strength multiplied. The shield cracked, then shattered with a CRACK! before my fist slammed into his chest.
BOOM! He was thrown, hitting a large tree, causing its trunk to crack.
But he stood up again, blood pouring from his mouth. "Heh… you're interesting. I want your body for my experiments."
Suddenly, a black shadow shot from the ground, forming a dark spear.
I jumped out of the way, but a spear grazed my shoulder. Blood dripped, both hot and cold. The wound felt like it was burning from the inside.
"Partner! That's corruption magic. Don't let too much of it enter your body, or you might lose control!"
I held back the pain, gritting my teeth.
Natsu saw me and shouted. "Hey! Are you okay?!"
I nodded briefly, then looked back at the enemy. "I can fight."
Boosted Gear lights up brighter.
"Boost! Boost! Boost!"
Energy surged wildly, almost making my body shake uncontrollably. I knew it was dangerous, but I didn't care.
I advanced again, kicking the witch's head. She blocked with a black wall, but the boost's power penetrated it.
DOOOM!!! The ground shook violently as his body hit the ground.
I looked down at him. "You lost."
However, he laughed despite his body being destroyed. "You only destroyed my body. My experiment… is already underway… you will see…"
The rest of his body turned into black mist, then disappeared into the air.
Silence.
I stood panting, my left hand still glowing red. My body was shaking, not only from exhaustion, but also from residual anger.
Lucy looked at me worriedly. "You're… pushing yourself too hard."
Natsu walked over, his expression serious. "Hey… what exactly is that power of yours?"
I lowered my head, not answering. I just let the Boosted Gear's light dim, then walked away from the battlefield.
"Partner… the longer you hide yourself, the bigger the burden becomes. Sooner or later, they have to find out."
I didn't answer. I just held my left hand, which still felt heavy.
This battle may be over. But beyond this dark forest, I know… there's a far greater shadow waiting.
And sooner or later, I have to reveal the secret of this red dragon's power.
When I was walking, suddenly my body felt heavy.
"Huhhh"
I fell and lost consciousness