The bright afternoon sun washed over him, a warm welcome compared to the dim, stuffy air inside the guild.
Magnolia's streets were alive.
The noise of the crowd, the clatter of horse hooves, and the shouting vendors filled the air with energy.
The usual brawl-like atmosphere of the guild faded away, replaced by the hustle of an ordinary market.
It felt like stepping into a completely different world.
Ace didn't hesitate, turning east along the familiar stone-paved road.
His footsteps clicked crisply against the ground.
As he walked, the buildings grew sparse, and the crowds thinned out.
The noise drifted away, leaving behind a quiet calm broken only by the wind rustling the leaves and the occasional bird chirp.
He unfolded the request form, double-checking the location of the forest entrance on the map.
His finger traced the dotted path, and for a moment, he could almost feel the heavy silence of the forest waiting for him.
Once he reached Magnolia's east gate, Ace focused his thoughts.
A soft glow of light materialized beside him, revealing the elegant form of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
Dense trees lined the road ahead, casting cool, dappled shadows.
The air turned moist and fresh, smelling of damp earth and greenery.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy, leaving dancing spots of light on the fallen leaves. It was dead silent here, making his own breathing sound loud in his ears.
"Ace, please get on," the Nine-Tailed Fox said, crouching low.
Its back wasn't as broad as Garurumon's, but it was incredibly steady, and its nine fluffy tails naturally curled to form a comfortable seat.
Ace hopped onto the Fox's back, feeling the warmth of its fur.
The Fox pushed off, transforming into a streak of white light as it sprinted down the forest path.
It was far faster than any horse, yet so smooth as Ace barely felt a bump.
The wind roared in his ears as the trees blurred past.
Moving like lightning always put him in a good mood.
Following the map, they quickly reached a small logging camp on the forest's edge. The mood there was heavy. Several injured loggers were wrapping their wounds, terror still etched on their faces.
A middle-aged man who looked like the foreman saw Ace arrive on the mystical beast, and his eyes lit up when he spotted the Fairy Tail mark on Ace's arm.
He rushed over immediately.
"You're the Wizard from Fairy Tail? Thank god!" The foreman pointed frantically into the deep woods. "It's in there, about a half-day's walk east! That monster is a nightmare—it's huge, and its hide is so tough our axes couldn't even scratch it! Watch out for the poison fog it spits!"
"Got it," Ace nodded calmly.
He signaled the Kyubimon, and they took off again without wasting a second.
As they pushed deeper, the light dimmed, and a faint stench of rot hung in the air. The trees here looked twisted and sick.
Kyubimon slowed down, ears twitching as it sniffed the air.
"There's a strong presence of darkness and poison, Ace. It's close," the Fox said, its voice grave.
"Yeah, I feel it." Ace focused.
He could sense the oppressive energy ahead, along with the unsettling sound of heavy movement and low growls.
Ace leaped lightly from the Fox's back.
He needed raw power for what was coming. "Garurumon, you're up! Prepare for battle!"
"Leave it to me!"
A dazzling magic circle flashed blue and white, and the majestic form of Garurumon materialized in the woods.
Its metallic fur shone in the dim light, and its cold blue eyes scanned the area.
It let out a piercing howl that shook the silent forest, announcing its arrival.
"Awoooo—!"
"The target is in that hollow ahead. Watch out for the poison!" Ace warned, pointing toward the source of the stench.
Garurumon growled low in its throat.
Despite its massive size, it moved with astonishing speed, charging into the purple-mist-shrouded hollow like a blue lightning bolt.
The scene inside was gruesome.
A Magical Beast the size of a small hill sat coiled in the center.
It looked like a mutated giant toad, its body covered in a thick, dark green hide that oozed slime.
Disgusting pustules covered its back, looking ready to burst, and its murky yellow eyes stared out with pure malice.
Its mouth hung open, revealing ghastly green fangs and spewing a corrosive fog that warped the air around it.
Beside the giant toad were three smaller figures—Miasma Toadlets, each about the size of a wild bull.
They were lighter in color, but the poison they dripped was just as deadly.
"I see," Ace realized. "The loggers must have run into these 'children.' If they'd met the big one, they wouldn't have made it back to report anything."
Suddenly, one of the toadlets lunged at Ace, its mouth gaping open to reveal rows of poisonous fangs.
"The hell, you want to die?" Ace's eyes went cold.
But before he could move, a phantom-like figure blurred in front of him.
Kyubimon stood there, looking completely indifferent as it lifted a forepaw and swiped elegantly through the air.
Demonic power surged from the claw.
Dead leaves and dust in the air were instantly infused with energy, turning into countless razor-sharp purple blades.
Like an angry swarm of bees, they shot toward the three toadlets, blanketing the area.
"Croak?! Croak—!"
The toadlets didn't stand a chance.
The energy blades shredded their fragile skin, severing tendons and destroying their poison sacs in seconds.
After a few shrill screams, the three beasts collapsed, twitching in pools of poisonous blood before their bodies slowly dissolved into data.
Kyubimon flicked its tails, acting like it had just swatted a fly, and quietly stepped back to Ace's side.
Now it was Garurumon's turn.
It didn't hesitate as it launch the first attack.
"Fox Fire!"
A stream of high-intensity blue flame shot from its mouth, slamming into the Miasma Toad's head.
The fire collided with the poison fog, hissing violently as it burned the toxins out of the air.
"GROOAAAR—!"
The Miasma Toad roared in anger.
For something so big, it moved fast, rearing up and unhinging its massive jaw.
A torrent of thick, dark purple poison sprayed out like a high-pressure water cannon.
Wherever the liquid touched, trees blackened and rocks sizzled, dissolving into white smoke.
Garurumon reacted instantly.
Its powerful hind legs kicked against the ground, launching it sideways just in time to dodge the corrosive stream.
Missing its target made the Toad furious.
It dropped to all fours and charged like a runaway siege engine, crushing small trees and shaking the ground with every step.
"Garurumon, don't take it head-on! Use your speed! Circle to the side and hit its joints and underbelly!" Ace shouted.
The toad king had likely gone berserk after its children were killed.
Garurumon understood.
The moment the toad was about to collide with it, it displayed exceptional mobility with a swift sidestep, brushing past the massive body!
At the same time, its claws—sharp enough to tear steel—slashed viciously at the toad's vulnerable flank.
Screeeech—!
A teeth-grating tearing sound rang out!
Garurumon's claws easily broke through the thick hide, leaving several deep wounds.
Inky-green, highly corrosive blood spurted out.
A few drops splashed onto Garurumon's forelimbs, making a light sizzling sound, but its metallic fur held strong. It emitted a few wisps of smoke but sustained no real damage.
"Good! Its defense is solid!" Ace felt his heart settle.
Garurumon was superior in every way.
Being wounded repeatedly drove the Miasma Toad into a frenzy.
The bulging pustules all over its body began to throb violently, their color turning a deeper, purplish-black.
It was clearly brewing a massive, all-encompassing poison fog explosion!
"Can't let it do that! Garurumon, freeze it! Freezing Fang!" Ace saw the danger immediately.
Garurumon opened its mouth as It spewed an extremely cold, white frost!
The frost spread out in a fan shape, instantly covering the Miasma Toad—including the throbbing poison sacs—with a rapidly thickening layer of solid ice!
Crack... crackle...
The sound of ice spreading was incessant and the toad's movements became sluggish.
The poison fog it was trying to unleash was frozen solid within the pustules.
Its entire body turned into a giant ice sculpture, with only its yellow eyes still moving, revealing terror and rage.
"Now! Finish it! Fox Fire—full power!"
Garurumon took a deep breath, its chest swelling.
Then, a pillar of azure flame roared like a blue dragon and slammed into the ice-encased beast!
BOOM—!
The extreme heat caused a violent thermal shock, Under the double blow of internal pressure and external fire, the Miasma Toad let out one last, desperate wail.
Its massive body was torn apart in the explosive impact, turning into charred remains that slowly dissipated into data.
The battle was over and the hollow returned to silence, save for Garurumon's light panting.
"You did great, Garurumon!" Ace walked to his partner's side and patted its sturdy neck.
Garurumon affectionately lowered its head and nuzzled Ace, letting out a contented whimper.