Chirp, chirp, chatter—
Rustle.
As Yuuki stepped into the forest, his ears filled with the layered sounds of birdsong and the subtle friction of leaves and shrubs as wild beasts moved through the undergrowth.
He released a faint trace of magical pressure.
In the next instant, every nearby beast fled in panic.
"Compound Magic—Devouring Wolf."
Yuuki surveyed his surroundings and spoke calmly.
Boom!
A terrifying surge of magic erupted from his body. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into a colossal black wolf nearly eight meters tall.
A dangerous aura spilled from the creature. Its crimson eyes locked onto the forest—and in an instant, all birdsong and insect noise vanished as if snuffed out.
Yuuki raised a hand and flicked his wrist.
"Go."
"Graaah!"
The massive Devouring Wolf let out a low roar. Its scarlet gaze flashed as it leapt from behind Yuuki—then split apart midair, dividing into numerous ferocious black wolves that scattered in all directions across the forest.
This forest spanned a vast area. With Fanzell's concealment techniques, relying on simple magical sensing alone wouldn't be very effective. But these Devouring Wolves would actively seek out targets with high concentrations of magic.
Half an hour later—
"Found you."
A smile curved Yuuki's lips. He stomped the ground lightly, his body shooting skyward as he vanished from the spot at high speed.
Deep within the forest, near a stream.
A red-haired, middle-aged man with a scruffy beard—wearing nothing but a pair of shorts—stood with a longsword in hand. His expression was grave as he faced five black wolves that had surrounded him.
"What the hell are these wolves…?"
Fanzell's eyes were heavy with caution, surprise flickering across his face.
At first, there had only been one. After he sliced it into five pieces, it split into five smaller wolves—and during that process, they devoured the magic he had released, growing visibly larger by the second.
"I don't remember beasts like this existing in this forest. Is this magic…? Then my earlier hunch was right."
His expression darkened.
A few days ago, while purchasing supplies at the black market, Fanzell had unexpectedly come across magic tools made by his wife, Domina. Having long been unaware of her whereabouts, the sight had filled him with joy.
He investigated afterward. Though he found no concrete leads, the very appearance of those tools proved one thing—Domina was still alive.
Fanzell had already sensed someone tailing him. He just hadn't expected them to show themselves so quickly.
"If it can split, then I'll shred it to pieces and see how it splits then!"
White wind-aspected magic surged from Fanzell's body, rapidly condensing along the blade of his sword.
"Slicing Wind Emperor-- Gale!"
He roared as a violent gale erupted from the blade. In an instant, countless wind blades engulfed the five black wolves.
At the same time, Fanzell vanished from his original position, reappearing behind them as razor-sharp arcs of sword light fell in rapid succession.
Boom!
In mere moments, the intense assault pulverized everything within the area.
Fanzell halted his attack—
then his pupils shrank.
The five black wolves were still standing.
Though their bodies were riddled with wounds of varying sizes, they hadn't been shredded to pieces. Worse still, their injuries were healing at a visible pace—only their size had shrunk somewhat.
"How is that possible…?"
Shock spread across Fanzell's face.
The first time, he'd easily cut one wolf into five segments. This attack had been far stronger—yet it had only injured them, failing to deliver a decisive blow.
At that moment, a soft chuckle sounded from behind him.
"Of course. Those five wolves have already devoured your magic, so they've developed a degree of resistance to it. And without realizing it, your five senses have been affected as well."
A sudden voice!
Fanzell's expression changed drastically. He retreated explosively, whipping his head toward the source of the sound.
A young man stood atop a lush tree branch seven or eight meters behind him, smiling calmly.
When did he get there?!
He hadn't sensed a thing.
Fanzell's entire body tensed. Remembering what the youth had said about his dulled senses, he immediately raised his sword and cut across the back of his own hand.
A wound split open, blood flowing down.
His expression darkened further.
His senses really had been weakened.
"…A curse."
He looked back at the young man, gripping his sword tightly as he spoke.
Yuuki leapt down from the branch and casually waved a hand. The five ferocious-looking wolves dissolved into magic and dispersed.
"Relax. I'm not someone sent by the Diamond Kingdom to hunt you down."
He walked toward Fanzell, spreading his hands slightly to show he meant no harm.
"I know. The assassination unit doesn't have mages of your caliber."
Fanzell didn't relax his guard in the slightest. His gaze stayed locked on Yuuki—there was an intense sense of danger emanating from him.
Yuuki sighed helplessly.
"I think there's been a misunderstanding, Sir Fanzell. This should be our second meeting. The first was near Hage Village, at the Clover Kingdom's border—back in that forest."
"Hage Village?"
Hearing the familiar name, Fanzell froze. He studied Yuuki more closely, a vague sense of familiarity surfacing.
"You're… the kid from back then?"
"That's right."
Yuuki nodded lightly.
"When you passed by Hage Village, you taught Asta swordsmanship for a while."
"I met you briefly then. I just wasn't interested in swordsmanship, so unlike Asta, I didn't study under you."
A faint smile rested on Yuuki's face.
At the time, all his focus had been on replicating magic. Swordsmanship held little appeal, and with Fanzell being hunted by the Diamond Kingdom's assassination unit, Yuuki had deliberately kept his distance to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Yuuki's words cleared the fog in Fanzell's memory. His tense posture gradually relaxed.
"You've changed a lot," Fanzell said, a complicated look crossing his face. "How's Asta doing now?"
"That guy's doing great. He's already joined the Magic Knights," Yuuki replied with a grin.
"I see… then he's fulfilled his dream. With your strength now, you must've joined the Magic Knights as well."
Fanzell sighed with emotion, curiosity surfacing as he recalled the magic that had nearly overwhelmed him earlier.
Yuuki shook his head.
"Not quite. What I'm aiming for can't be accomplished by joining the Magic Knights."
With Fanzell, there was no need to hide anything. He planned to bring him to Domina anyway—and she would explain everything herself. Besides, if nothing unexpected happened, Fanzell wouldn't be staying in the Clover Kingdom for long.
Fanzell paused, his gaze turning even more complex.
He didn't know much about Asta's companion, but he'd heard about Yuuki from Asta before. Comparing those memories to the man standing before him now, the change was nothing short of earth-shattering.
"You didn't come all this way just to reminisce," Fanzell said, brushing dust from his body.
"I promised Miss Domina I'd find you. I'm here to take you to her."
Knowing Fanzell was still wary, Yuuki wasted no words. He raised a hand and sliced through the air.
A spatial passage opened before them.
"…Space Magic?"
Fanzell's pupils constricted. He hadn't recognized the magic used to summon the wolves earlier, but he knew for certain—it hadn't been spatial magic.
"And if I refuse to go with you?"
Fanzell tightened his grip on the sword, asking helplessly.
"Then, since I've already given my word to Miss Domina, I'll have to take you there by force."
Yuuki shrugged, smiling.
For a moment, the air fell deathly silent.
"…Fine. Whatever you are, as long as I don't end up in the Diamond Kingdom's hands."
After a brief silence, Fanzell loosened his grip on the sword. Looking thoroughly drained, he walked toward the spatial passage.
He'd considered fleeing—but judging by Yuuki's relaxed demeanor, the man clearly wasn't worried about that possibility at all.
More importantly, the sudden appearance of Domina's magic tools on the black market was obviously bait meant to draw him out. Combined with what Yuuki had said, there was a strong chance that Domina was with him.
No matter what—
For Domina's sake, he had to confirm it.
The next instant, both figures vanished from the forest.
End of Chapter
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