"Pegasus Meteor Fist!"
Boom!
Magic surged into his gauntlets as Moen erupted forward, his fist striking like a storm of stars. In an instant, the towering Horned Lizard was smashed flat against the ground.
This Horned Lizard was actually a humanoid monster—upright like a man, a single horn sprouting from its head, standing nearly two meters tall.
Its underbelly lacked scales. Moen's fist slammed directly into it, shifting its organs and twisting its body in agony. Collapsing to the ground, the beast trembled uncontrollably, clearly losing all ability to fight.
Moen did not let the creature suffer for long. Wrapping both arms around its thick neck, he gave a sharp twist. Crack! In that instant, the tormented Horned Lizard found release in death.
Clap, clap.
Moen patted the dust off his Equuleus Bronze Cloth, its sea-blue metal shining clean and untarnished.
Wearing this well-formed Cloth made his journey through the forest much easier. Mosquitoes and insects could hardly touch him—he only needed to mind the few areas the Cloth didn't cover.
And, of course, the Cloth possessed its own automatic repair and purification. Blood or grime? Once stored in its Pandora Box, the armor would be spotless again. Truly, it was convenient and reliable.
Crack!
Moen grasped the Horned Lizard's horn and pulled. With a clean snap, the magical horn came free. He tossed it into his satchel, which already contained thirteen others—sign that thirteen Horned Lizards had already fallen to his hand.
Along with other magical beasts he had casually slain these past two days, the battles had honed his Pegasus Meteor Fist considerably. As expected, true combat was always the fastest path to mastery.
Gurrr!
As he tore away the horn, a sound drew his attention.
"Who's there? Come out!"
Securing the satchel to his back, Moen turned toward the noise. It sounded human, not beast.
"Ah… we've been discovered. Sorry, Jellal."
Sure enough, a voice spoke from the undergrowth. Moments later, two figures—a boy and a girl—emerged.
Both had blue hair. The boy was tall for his age, hair a lighter shade of blue, about the same age as Moen. The girl was far smaller, no more than four or five years old, her round features giving her an undeniably adorable look.
"Sorry, we were just passing through."
The boy with sky-blue short hair stepped forward, speaking politely. On his right cheek ran a tattoo-like marking, covering nearly half his face like an arcane brand.
He wore a black short-sleeved shirt, gray pants, and carried a green military-style backpack. A staff protruded from it, marking him as a mage. Yet strangely, Moen could not sense any magic from him. The girl, however, did carry a magical presence—but it was peculiar.
How to describe it?
It was faintly similar to Natsu's magic, but not quite. Her magic was weak, hard for Moen to properly discern.
Noticing Moen's eyes on her, the girl shrank back timidly, retreating behind the boy's back. He, in turn, stepped forward firmly, shielding her from Moen's gaze.
"Who are you two? Why are you here?"
Moen softened his tone. These two didn't look like villains. The little girl's pitiful innocence alone was enough to melt hearts, while the boy's eyes shone with genuine sincerity.
"My name is Jellal. This is Wendy. We're trying to find a way out of here."
The boy weighed his words, then answered Moen honestly.
"What a strange pair… are you siblings? Do you live nearby? And how did you make it this far unharmed?"
Moen frowned in puzzlement. Jellal's sincerity was clear, but his story left many questions.
Neither of them seemed particularly strong, and the Vast Forest was no place for a casual stroll.
"We're not siblings. We just met by chance. This child got separated from her mother. It's too dangerous here, so I brought her along."
Jellal spoke calmly. His words sounded truthful, and everything about this boy radiated sincerity.
How to put it? He had that kind of aura—the kind of person who would sacrifice himself just to save another.
"Big brother… have you seen my mom?"
The little girl, Wendy, clutched tightly onto Jellal's sleeve. She timidly poked her head out, tears welling in her large eyes as she looked at Moen with hope.
"…No, I haven't. I didn't encounter any humans before meeting you two."
Moen shook his head. This business of looking for one's parent gave him a strong sense of déjà vu.
"My mom isn't human—she's a dragon! The Sky Dragon!"
Wendy blurted out in a hurry. Those words finally made everything click in Moen's mind.
So he was right—this girl was just like Natsu!
Natsu searched for his father, Wendy for her mother. Natsu's father was the Fire Dragon, Wendy's mother was the Sky Dragon. The magical aura flowing from Wendy felt strikingly similar to Natsu's. Without a doubt, she had also learned Dragon Slayer Magic. That meant this child was also a Dragon Slayer Mage!
Though Wendy's aura seemed a little impure, Moen still made the judgment. The only thing he couldn't tell was whether Wendy had any connection to Natsu.
"Wendy, do you know Natsu?"
Moen asked directly. If she knew Natsu, it would be easy—he could just bring her straight to the guild.
"Natsu…"
Hearing the name, Wendy scrunched up her little face, clearly trying to recall. It seemed she had heard the name before, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember.
"…I don't know him."
In the end, Wendy shook her head. She truly couldn't recall who this Natsu was.
"I see. Forget it then. You two should stick with me for now. This forest isn't safe at all. Once I'm done with my business here, I'll take you out."
Moen nodded and spoke to the pair. He couldn't just abandon two children who clearly weren't strong. If they kept wandering around like this, some beast would swallow them whole sooner or later.
From what they said, the two of them had already been in the forest for a few days. The fact they hadn't been eaten yet meant their luck was nothing short of incredible.
"…I have other things I need to do. Could you at least tell us the way out?"
Hearing Moen's words, Jellal looked troubled. He hesitated before asking earnestly, as though he truly wanted to find the exit on his own.
"Jellal, let me be honest—it's not that I look down on you. But… you don't know magic, do you?"
Moen frowned slightly. What annoyed him most was people who didn't grasp their own situation or ability. He was offering help out of kindness, yet they acted like they didn't need it. Even if they knew the way, there was no way they could make it out safely alone.
"Ah? No—I do know magic!"
Moen's words clearly startled Jellal. The boy quickly drew the staff strapped to his back, trying to prove himself.
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