Fairy Tail: The Dark Swordsman

40 - The Beast

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[X782, A year later]

— Dannis Martell —

"They should be around here." Mystogan told me as we trudged through the swamp near the northeastern borders of Fiore.

This wasn't really a place I would choose to be in voluntarily, but life rarely ever takes you where you want to go.

It had been over a year since Alvarez attacked Fairy Tail. Looking back, it felt like a lifetime ago. But as always, Fairy Tail bounces back.

Everyone put the entire thing behind them, and the guild's usual boisterous energy slowly returned. Laughter echoed in the halls again, the tension on everyone's shoulders slowly eased with each uneventful month that passed. Master Makarov had even gone forward with the S-Class Trials that year. Mirajane, Cana, and Mystogan had all participated, but in the end, it was Mira who came out on top.

I still remember how happy she looked, standing in the guildhall as the newest S-Class mage, a big smile on her face as she made the peace sign with her fingers. I couldn't help but smile back. She definitely deserved it.

I shifted my gaze to Mystogan, who was walking a few paces ahead of me. The man was still as quiet as ever, his face hidden beneath his cloak and hood. We'd formed a quick friendship after our talk three years ago, and since then, most of my missions had been with him. While I spent quite a few times going out on missions with Mira, Mystogan had become the new friend I never thought I needed after the whole debacle with Laxus.

Our abilities complemented one another and working together was easy. Not to mention, the constant missions gave us the perfect excuse to keep traveling in search of the anima gates without raising too many questions.

Like today. Our mission was supposed to be simple, traces of magic similar to the Anima was detected by Mystogan somewhere around these swamps. My job was to help escort him there just in case any magical beasts took interest in them, like the last time with the Vulcans. His job was to be the one to close the portals. But as usual, nothing ever goes as planned.

"Dannis, over here." Mystogan called out.

I followed his direction, stepping through the thick vegetation until I reached his side. We stood on the edge of a small hamlet that was utterly ruined. Wooden huts that were half-collapsed, the dirt path singed with ash, and a few trees nearby were uprooted. The scene reminded me of that time with Grilthos and the village.

I turned to see an old man, hunched over a cane, slowly making his way toward us. His eyes were sharp and narrowed, most likely suspicious of us as outsiders. Especially considering the recent attack.

"Who are you?" he rasped, his voice as worn as his body. "What are you doing here?"

Mystogan and I exchanged a glance before I stepped forward, showing him the back of my hand that held Fairy Tail insignia.

"We're Fairy Tail mages, we're here to investigate a magical event in the area."

At the mention of Fairy Tail, the old man's eyes widened slightly. The tension in his posture loosened, though the caution remained. "Fairy Tail, you say? If that's true, then perhaps you can help."