Fairy Tail: My Magic is a Yu-Gi-Oh! Deck — Chapter 183

Chapter 183: Giant Monster in the Lake

Baondali Forest, located in the northern reaches of the Fiore Kingdom, was a sprawling, untamed expanse of wilderness that fell completely outside the jurisdiction of any recognized nation.

The reason for its isolation was simple: the woods were infested with ferocious, towering beasts, and even the ancient trees themselves possessed a twisted, predatory sentience. Under normal circumstances, human footprints never graced this soil—save for Mages like Chase, who actively sought out the deadly bounties hidden within its depths.

“According to the map attached to the quest flyer, we need to push into the absolute deepest sector of the northern woods to find the client’s village.” At the forest’s ominous entrance, Chase studied the weathered parchment in his hand, tracing a rough path through the topographical hazards.

“Does someone really live in such a terrifying place? And they can still afford such a massive reward?” Lucy stood practically glued to Chase’s side, her large brown eyes wide with undisguised dread as she stared into the dark treeline.

Just moments ago, she had watched a praying mantis the size of a two-story house burst from the canopy and slice a giant, tree-camouflaged serpent into bloody ribbons. If creatures of that caliber were prowling the mere edges of the forest, her mind refused to picture what nightmares lurked in the center. Had Chase not been standing right next to her, she would have already sprinted all the way back to Magnolia.

“SS-Class Quests have to pass a rigorous review by the Magic Council, so the reward money is absolutely guaranteed.” Chase folded the parchment and casually brushed a speck of dirt from his coat. “Think about it logically. It’s precisely because the client survives in such a lethal environment that they have the resources to offer such a high payout, right?”

“When you put it that way, the client sounds like a super scary monster too!” The timid blonde shrank back, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.

Her overactive imagination instantly conjured an image of their employer: a towering, red-haired ogre with a maw full of jagged fangs, standing as tall as a mountain. A chill wracked her spine. Taking an SS-Class Quest with Chase was definitely a mistake!

“Monster or not, we’ll find out when we get there,” Chase said, waving a hand with effortless nonchalance.

As the S-Class Mage holding Fairy Tail’s record for the highest number of completed high-tier quests, he had dealt with his fair share of eccentric and monstrous clients. He wasn’t about to lose sleep over it, unlike the trembling novice beside him.

“Then… Chase, can you summon the Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress again? It would be so much easier if we just flew over all this!” Lucy’s eyes sparkled with desperate hope.

She framed it as a time-saving measure, but her true motive was entirely transparent: she wanted absolutely nothing to do with the death-trap forest. When it came to avoiding mortal peril, her survival instincts rivaled those of an S-Class Mage—a skill honed entirely through the trauma of teaming up with Natsu, Gray, and Erza.

“He flew for most of the day. The guy is exhausted and said he was going back to his card to catch up on sleep,” Chase replied, flatly shooting down the suggestion.

The entire point of dragging her along was to train her. He wasn’t about to let her skip the practical exam. Remembering how energetic the dragon had looked right before it vanished, Lucy desperately wanted to call out his blatant lie. But she bit her tongue. It had flown for a long time.

She pivoted to a new angle. “Then what about flying Magic? If I remember correctly, you know how to use that, right?”

“That works too.” Chase nodded agreeable. He channeled his Magic Power, manifesting a swirling ring of dark golden light around his boots. He bent his knees slightly, preparing to launch. “I’ll go on ahead, then. See you at the destination~”

“Hold on a second!!”

Lucy’s survival instincts hijacked her nervous system. Moving with a speed that shattered her physical limits, she lunged forward and clamped onto Chase’s thigh in a vice grip. Leaving her alone in this godforsaken wilderness was a guaranteed death sentence! If they were walking, she was sticking to him like glue!

It was a reaction he had entirely anticipated. Chase looked down at the blonde clinging to his leg like a terrified koala. He dispersed the golden Magic around him, a victorious smirk tugging at his lips.

“Don’t be so tense. Didn’t the Mages who took this quest before us walk in too?”

Hearing this, Lucy felt a marginal wave of relief. She slowly loosened her death grip on his leg. “Well… Mirajane did say that a lot of people got lost in this forest before even reaching the client, and were never heard from again.”

“That makes it even more terrifying!!!” Her heart, which had just begun to settle, spiked back into a frantic rhythm.

“Hahaha, relax. I’m right here,” Chase promised, patting his chest. Training was one thing, but if he actually gave the poor girl a heart attack, it would be a pain to explain to the rest of the guild.

Ultimately, Lucy had no choice but to trust Chase unconditionally. Steeling her nerves, she took her first steps into the shadowy depths of the woods. As per their agreement regarding the Winged Dragon—to “see how far she could go”—Chase positioned her in the front to clear the path, while he trailed a few paces behind to intercept any lethal surprises.

A narrow, overgrown dirt trail cut through the dense foliage. It was impossible to tell if it had been carved by previous Mages attempting the quest, or if the villagers used it to travel. On either side, colossal trees loomed dozens of meters high, their thick, drooping vines resembling massive pythons waiting to strike. A cold breeze swept through the canopy, carrying the raw, earthy scent of untamed nature. From the distant bushes, heavy rustling suggested giant predators stalking them from the gloom.

Lucy’s nerves were pulled taut as piano wire. She walked with agonizing caution, her right hand resting firmly on the ring of Celestial Spirit keys at her hip, ready to draw at a moment’s notice.

Fortunately, the first half-hour proved relatively peaceful. Aside from a few knee-high mushroom monsters that popped out of the soil and elicited a shriek from the blonde, they encountered no massive beasts.

About a third of the way down the trail, they passed alongside a sprawling, murky lake. Chase, who had been leisurely enjoying the scenery, suddenly paused.

From the moment they stepped into the lake’s vicinity, the ambient chirping of insects and birds had abruptly ceased. The silence was heavy, suffocating. Taking a slow breath, he caught a faint, rancid fishy odor cutting through the damp air.

They were being hunted.

Chase cast a sideways glance at Lucy. The slow-witted girl was still marching forward, her eyes darting between the trees, completely oblivious to the threat lurking in the water beside them.

Her situational awareness is way too low…

Just as he opened his mouth to give her a subtle warning, a melodic chime rang out. A brilliant golden Magic seal illuminated the dirt directly at Lucy’s feet. A towering figure materialized from the light, sporting distinct bovine muscles and brandishing a massive double-bladed axe. It was Taurus. Judging by Lucy’s violent flinch and exaggerated gasp, the spirit had forced his own gate open.

“Taurus?! What are you doing popping out all of a sudden!” Lucy snapped, her voice cracking from the scare. She was already on the verge of a panic attack; she didn’t need her perverted cow spirit giving her jump scares.

Taurus’s expression was dead serious. Gone were the usual pink hearts in his eyes, though the words leaving his snout remained entirely inappropriate. “Lucy, hurry up and take off your clothes.”

Lucy blinked. “???”

“I sense a highly dangerous aura approaching. We need to prepare a honey trap immediately,” Taurus explained with grave sincerity.

“That is a massive leap in logic!” Lucy shrieked, her jaw dropping. “Please, for the love of Fiore, use the thought process of a normal creature next time! Wait, hold on—you said danger—”

SPLASH!!

Before she could finish her sentence, the murky surface of the lake exploded. A geyser of water shot into the canopy as a colossal, grayish-brown monstrous fish breached the surface. It blotted out the sun, opening a cavernous, bloodstained maw reeking of rotting flesh as it plummeted directly toward Lucy.

“Are you kidding me?! It actually appeared!!” Shrouded in the monster’s massive shadow, Lucy screamed in absolute terror, yet her sharp tongue refused to quit. “How the hell is a honey trap supposed to work on an ugly fish monster!!!!”

As expected of Fairy Tail’s premier straight-man, her dedication to the bit was flawless even in the face of death. She instinctively threw a desperate glance at her side.

Wait. Where was Taurus?

Did that stupid cow really just pop out to give her a warning and then vanish?!

Thankfully, her hand had never left her hip. Operating purely on muscle memory, she yanked a golden key from her ring and thrust it toward the cascading water just as the beast’s jaws snapped downward.

“Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!!”