The newcomers were none other than the Kingdom's military, drawn here after hearing the commotion.
The Kingdom of Fiore was known across the entire continent of Ishgar for its exceptional security and powerful military. Even seasoned mages preferred not to clash head-on with Fiore's soldiers. That was precisely why the Beast Apostles had retreated moments earlier.
"ROOOAAAR!!!"
The moment the kingdom's soldiers arrived, they were greeted by the sight of a raging beast towering over the shoreline. A wave of shock washed through the ranks.
"W-What, what is that thing?"
"H-How can anything be that big?!"
"It's, it's a monster!"
The soldiers were stunned. Mouths hung open. Their voices trembled.
Though the world was no stranger to magical creatures, few people ever saw them with their own eyes. Many spent their whole lives knowing monsters only from books and old stories.
Now, a real, living monstrosity stood right in front of them. How could ordinary soldiers not be terrified?
But they were, after all, trained military men. Fearful as they were, not one attempted to flee. Their captain barked a sharp reprimand, and they quickly regained their composure.
"All of you, calm down! What's the panic? It's just a monster, a slightly bigger animal. Nothing to be afraid of! Follow my orders. First Squad—evacuate the wounded! Third, Fourth, and Fifth Squads—prepare for combat!" The captain's voice was stern and steady as he issued commands.
Morale snapped back into place. The troops moved with renewed purpose. Yet as he watched his men reclaim their discipline, the captain's eyes flickered, just briefly, with worry.
He'd made it sound easy, but he understood all too well: a "monster" was nothing like a wild animal. And with the number of soldiers he had on hand, they didn't stand a chance. A creature of this scale… only the kingdom's elite mages could hope to subdue it.
'Let's hope those mages get here before it's too late.' He exhaled softly, then restored his usual authoritative expression.
"State your identities!"
Ur had just finished waking Levy when a kingdom soldier stepped into view.
The soldier eyed Ur warily, gripping his spear with both hands. After all, everyone else on the beach was unconscious—except for these two. Nothing about that looked normal.
Seeing the tension in the soldier's stance, Ur offered a calm smile. "Relax. We're mages from Fairy Tail. We're just here to complete a mission." He tugged open his collar, revealing the guild emblem on his chest.
After generations of capable guild masters, Fairy Tail's reputation in Fiore had grown considerably. The moment the soldier heard the name, the edge of suspicion in his eyes eased.
"What are you doing here? And who are these people?"
The brief exchange had drawn others' attention, and soon the unit's captain approached, questioning them.
"Captain, he says they're mages from Fairy Tail!" the soldier added quickly.
"Fairy Tail?" The captain looked Ur over, surprise flickering in his eyes.
Ur nodded. "That's right."
Honestly, Ur was starting to regret having the guild mark stamped on his chest. Every time he had to identify himself, he ended up pulling open his shirt like some shameless exhibitionist.
The captain saw the emblem and, like the soldier, visibly relaxed. Fairy Tail's members were violent, eccentric, and notoriously unreliable, but they were still a righteous guild. There was no reason to doubt them.
Besides, the captain needed a favor, and attitude mattered.
"Sir Mage, do you know what exactly happened here? Why is everyone unconscious?" At first, the captain assumed the giant beast was the cause. But as the rescue progressed, he realized something was off.
Aside from the Magic Council members, none of the victims had any visible wounds. If anything, their state resembled poisoning.
Ur glanced at the unconscious victims being carried away, then explained. "This place was ambushed by the dark guild known as the Beast Apostles. Everyone here was hit by miasma magic. Without someone to purge the spell, they won't wake up anytime soon. But don't worry, they're not in danger." Ur had learned a lot recently; reading residual magic was no longer difficult.
But the captain's concern was no longer with the victims. Because the moment he processed Ur's words, his expression changed dramatically.
"What? A dark guild infiltrated the kingdom?!"
Even facing the monster, he hadn't been this shaken. "Sir Mage, are you certain it was a dark guild?"
"I'm certain. They tried to attack me. I killed two of them. Their bodies are right there. Have your men check." Ur understood the captain's disbelief.
Monsters were troublesome—but dark guilds? Dark guilds were a nightmare.
Even though the Beast Apostles weren't particularly powerful, their mere presence within Fiore's borders was disastrous.
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
The verification didn't take long.
Once the report came in, Ur clearly saw the captain's face turn grim. "My apologies, I have lost my composure."
"No need. When it comes to dark guild lunatics, caution is normal."
"Thank you for your understanding." The captain composed himself, then added, "There is one more thing I must ask—"
"You want me to take down the monster for you, right?" Ur interrupted before he could finish.
"No problem. It's my mission target anyway. But when it's dead, the corpse is mine."