Chapter 88: A Fungal Forage

Disclaimer:

:(.

This is Day 3 of the 5-day update schedule but… uploaded on what should have been Day 5…

Unfortunately, this will be the last update for the week :(. I looked ahead to the next two chapters which would have me finish the 5-day schedule but I didn't like some parts of how I wrote them so I'm going to change them up a bit which will take time. I usually write parts of a chapter then take a break where I'll replay the events of the chapter in my head and see if I can write it better. If there's a way, then I'll go back to change what I wrote. With the next two chapters, I'll have to take quite a long time doing that since a lot of it is already done and I'll want the changes to make sense with the rest of the content.

On top of that, the main reasons why I couldn't stick to the schedule were:

- Broadband maintenance is being done on my street so the Wi-Fi will be a bit of a pain to connect to.

- Car broke down so had to spend a few days fixing it with the mechanic

- I felt quite ill this week and didn't even have the energy to get out of bed

So, I guess it was a 3-day schedule instead! I'll upload the next two soon enough, as I do want to upload more often now.

(This was also a late upload because I didn't like the way I wrote some of this chapter, but I can manage with this one).

There's no more Daisy-pain in this chapter so she can rest for now… :(. (Maybe that's why I failed on the 5-day schedule, Daisy is annoyed at me for making her suffer, hehe).

There are references to events in past chapters to help with foreshadowing and whatnot. Here they are:

Chapter 51-52, 59, 69, 72-73

Anyways, with that said, I hope you enjoy.

During the morning that Lucas had left to go to the Witches' Forest, the sun was shining high and the squad's base was as busy as ever with a lot of the Magic Knights running around.

However, they weren't busy doing their daily duties or going on their missions, but because they all had a day off. Many of the members were planning to go visit the Royal Capital or to sightsee, or even to just relax in the comfort of the base. A lot of them weren't even seen at the base which meant they left as soon as the morning briefing was over.

David and Shiren were waiting just beyond the fences that encircled the base. The former was leaning against a polished, stone wall, whereas the latter was standing straight.

"Man, I can't wait for today!" David said as he reached in the air with both hands. His face was full of life and his wide smile grew quickly.

"I too am excited for today", Shiren said with a slight boost of tone instead of his usual, passive one.

For the past few months now, Shiren had been acting differently to his normal, stoic self. It seemed like he was putting more emphasis into his words and actions but they didn't always come across well enough and made the others question him. However, the fact that he's done this around David and Hamon many times has made them used to his changes.

"Did someone say something to him? Usually, he doesn't let anyone else's opinion sway him so I'm a bit confused", David noted. "I think Hamon has been thinking about what happened as well".

"I wonder where the late one is. Hamon organised this trip as soon as we were told we had a day off but after the morning briefing, he disappeared", Shiren wondered.

"You don't think… he's asking Melody to join us, right?" David giggled, covering his mouth with the palm of his hand.

Shiren put his fingers to his chin. "Is that because of what Klaus and I told you?"

"Correct", he clicked his fingers. "The way he acted when he saw her in Kiten!"

FLASHBACK - KITEN ATTACK:

"I don't have time for this!" Melody said to herself. She opted to run ahead, ignoring her teammates behind her.

"W-Wait!" Klaus reached out but it fell on deaf ears. He shook his fist in frustration.

The newly-arrived trio wore a set of poker faces seeing Melody act like that.

"She's usually so sweet. Why did she act all aggressive there?" Hamon asked, raising a finger against his chin, scratching it.

"You make it seem like you know her quite well, Hamon", Shiren added, still looking in the direction Melody disappeared off to.

"Yeah, none of us have even talked to her before", Klaus shrugged his shoulders, recovering from his anger.

There was silence from Hamon so the other two reached their heads forwards to see what the matter was. What they saw from the Glass mage was something quite unusual.

His face was red as if he was blushing. He had flinched ever so slightly when Shiren alluded to him knowing her but who knew it was due to a reaction like this?

FLASHBACK - END

"I think I remember his face being red, whatever that means", the tall, Stone mage shrugged.

"Hehehe… There's much to learn about the male heart, Shiren", David spoke to himself. "Well, before we say or do anything else, let's wait a bit longer for the main man. We'll ask him ourselves", he suggested.

"A wise decision", Shiren replied.

The other members of the Golden Dawn all had plans as well. Letoile was in her room and causing a racket as she usually did which was quite odd considering how calm and collected the Compass mage usually was.

A heavy bag slammed onto her pink bed sheet, crumpling the big pattern of a star.

"Phew, all packed to stay the night with my parents…", she thought to herself as she sat down on her bed. "It's been a while since I've gone to visit my parents. I can't wait… to catch up on the last five years. Although, if I went by myself, I might be a bit scared...", she smiled.

The light-green-haired mage stood up and picked the bag up, putting it behind her. She walked towards the door but then walked back, remembering to put on the small, golden bracelet that her brother, Lewis, gave her.

"I can't forget you!" She smiled as she traced her fingers over the piece of jewellery on her right wrist.

"If only Lucas was around. I'd have invited him to come with me! Well, I can have fun with the person I invited for dinner anyways. I wonder where she is?"

Then, a knock came from outside of her room. The Compass mage walked to her door to open it and she saw her fellow squad mate right outside with a bright, beaming smile.

"Mimosa, are you ready?" Letoile asked as she walked outside and locked her room.

"Of course. This will be the last day we can enjoy being together before the Star Festival! Let's make it count". I'm ready to provide you comfort with your parents!" She shouted, flaring her nostrils as she looked quite pumped.

"Y-You don't have to say it with such conviction", Letoile replied, face-palming. Then, she focused on what Mimosa said before it. "Ah, yes. You're having your first date with Lucas, aren't you? I was so happy that you told me you made a move".

Mimosa waved the suggestion away. "N-No… It's not a date, per se… More like a friendly trip where it's just the two of us having fun at a… festival…". The royal gulped as everything she described sounded just like a date in her head. "Ahahaha….".

Letoile giggled. "You and your blushing. Well, while we're on the way to my parents' house, let's discuss what you need to do when the event comes around".

"O-Okay", Mimosa agreed as she put her head down. She messed with the bottom of her brown corset as she was quite nervous.

On the large courtyard, near the flowing fountain of water, soft but melodic music danced across in tandem with the cool breeze. Laying on the slanted, grassy bank that looked towards the small forest in the distance, sat Melody Schubert.

Her fingers graced her small violin by weaving in and around each string. The minimal sweat from her chin trickled down the musical instrument with how focused she was on playing. She stopped for a brief second to wipe her face with her sleeve which caused her two, purple pigtails to move with the wind.

"I thought that I wouldn't be able to get as much practice considering the captain might want me to get involved more with the squad. Thankfully, we have a day off", she smiled as she kept playing.

After a good half hour, she carefully placed the violin next to her and she fell back on the bank. Her head resting around the red and yellow flowers as she looked up at the sky.

"I guess… it wasn't too bad being on a mission with the others", she thought as she reached above with her right hand, the sun in her palm.

On top of the five members who were spending their day having fun or relaxing, most of the other ones were enjoying the break as they saw fit. Hamon was just about to join up with David and Shiren but had been stopped for a few minutes.

Instead of having a day out with their friends or anything of the sort, there was a large amount of stress being accumulated with the two that the glutton was looking at.

"Basically, we need something that hasn't been discovered yet or isn't too well known to the masses", Bell said with a smile.

The Glass mage sighed. "You say you need something like that… How exactly do you think I'd know about something that doesn't exist?"

Yuno blew air out of his mouth with a slight pout. "You'll have to excuse Bell for that less than helpful explanation", he said whilst flicking the fairy away. "A medicine that can essentially heal any wound, even ancient curses. We realise it's not likely but if you have any information at all, it'll be useful".

Hamon thought deeply but not before talking about something else. "Wow, Yuno, that's the first time you've spoken that much in one go to me. Is that character development I see?" He chuckled before waving his hands. "Hm, a medicine like that is basically non-existent but I did hear about a rumour on a mission from a few months ago…".

He clapped his hands together. "There is something that I've heard about that originates on the border of the Forsaken Realm. It's a swamp that's on the edge of the kingdom and in the direction of the Heart Kingdom called the 'Cursed Bayou'".

"Cursed Bayou…", the two repeated with Bell flinching at the name.

"Why is it that you need this type of obscure medicine anyway?" Hamon asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I'll explain", Yuno said as he stepped forwards.

FLASHBACK - LAST NIGHT:

"Wind Creation Magic: Heavy White Blade!"

A huge sword made from wind formed right in front of Yuno. Instead of holding the weapon, since it was way too heavy, he used his magic to control it with his hands.

"Okay, Bell, I'm not going to hold back!" Yuno declared as he swung his blade with great strength. The Wind Spirit that was opposing him was floating in the air with a smirk on her face.

"Well, okay then, Yuno!" Bell shouted as she easily dodged the initial strike with a flap of her wings.

Yuno turned his hand and the wind weapon followed. He was reinforcing the blade with a lot of wind which also increased the speed that it moved at. He swung again but Bell dodged it just as easily as she had done the first time.

"I have to get stronger. The fight against Lagus taught me that I have it in me to get more power but… It's not enough if…".

"You do know that I can hear you, Yuno? Our link is always active", Bell said as she continued her evasive manoeuvres.

"What? I thought that we only link up when we want to talk to the other", Yuno responded.

"I'm joking but… what you're saying is true. We only link if both parties request it which means that you did want someone to talk to, even if you believe you don't", she replied.

Yuno smirked as sweat fell from his forehead. "I guess you do know me well, huh?" He swung the sword downwards at Bell which was about to hit her this time. Since the first strike, he was continuously putting more of his wind around the weapon to increase its speed and it looked like this time would be enough.

"Oops, can't let you win that easily!" Bell smiled before seemingly disappearing out of sight. She crossed her arms over her body and twirled, leaving a lone green sparkle where she just was.

"Wind Spirit Magic: Derechos!"

She quickly sped herself up tenfold and hit the sharp end of Yuno's wind blade with her feet, kicking it away into the distance. After her disappearance, she had reappeared near the weapon to attack with another, green sparkle that acted somewhat as a connection.

As the Heavy Wind Blade went the distance and dispersed with a strong gust of wind, Yuno dropped his shoulders and his grimoire closed. He shook his head and tightened his palms which Bell frowned at.

After the training session, Yuno walked across the training yard and towards the courtyard where his room was nearby. He was silent for the majority of the walk but Bell broke the silence.

"So… Are you going to comment about what happened or just leave it?" She asked, folding her arms. "I figured I'd say something about the little sparring session since you don't want to", she sighed.

"That… was something different", he finally said to Bell who floated closer to him.

"Oh, the new spell I had? I thought you'd never ask!" She giggled.

"You basically told me to bring it up", Yuno replied with a shake of his head.

Ignoring her host's comment, she continued. "Well, I learned it after the whole Kiten attack", she explained. Sylph then sat on her host's shoulder and turned her head to his. "As you get stronger, I do too. Like I always say, we're linked and your power is my power. If you improve, so will I", she explained.

"I need to get stronger though. This… isn't enough", he said as he looked away.

"You keep repeating the same thing. What's really going on?" Bell asked, tugging on his cheek with her hands.

However, leaving Bell questioning, the doors to the common room opened slowly and out came a familiar face.

"Lucas?" Yuno said as he walked over.

"Oh, hi there, Yuno", Lucas waved with a smile. "How come you're still up so late?"

"Just a bit of extra training. What about you - where did you run off to earlier?" Yuno asked.

"Ah, Captain Yami basically kidnapped me in front of Captain Vangeance and took me to the Black Bulls' HQ for dinner. We had a barbeque and it was nice, though not entirely comfortable since their squad is quite the crazy one. Still, I had a good time", he replied with a chuckle as he thought back to a few hours ago.

"I see. You should have told us somehow, Mimosa was in a mood the whole time", the black-haired teen said.

"I couldn't have. It all just happened so quickly, but why would Mimosa be upset?"

"You've got to be kidding me…", both Yuno and Bell thought as they rolled their eyes.

Lucas then thought about everything that happened with Asta and realised that Yuno didn't know the full extent. All he knew was that the Anti-mage was injured and that was it.

"Say, Yuno, you should probably know this…", he began explaining.

A good few minutes passed as the Dual mage relayed the new information to his squad mate. He told him about the ancient curse that was on Asta's arms as well as his bones being shattered. When he told him that Doctor Owen couldn't cure them, Yuno gulped ever so slightly and his eyes strained with shock.

"I was talking to the captain about the same thing and the Black Bulls and I are going to gather some leads and try to find a way to get around this problem", Lucas added.

"I… see. Well, let me know how that goes for you", he said before turning around.

"H-Hold up. You could probably come with us, Yuno. If you just let the captain know I'm sure he'll give you permission. As soon as I mentioned all the leads I had, he seemed to change his mind into letting me go", he said as he thought back to when he brought up Vanessa to which the World Tree mage conceded.

Bell flew over and sat on Lucas's head. "Why don't we go as well? It'll be nice to see another whole country!"

Not reciprocating the tiny fairy's enthusiasm, Yuno shook his head. "No, we'll be fine here. I'm sure you'll find a way without us. Besides, we've got something to do in the morning", he explained.

Bell just tilted her head, knowing something was wrong. "Hm…".

Lucas did the same but what he felt was different. He usually isn't that good with Ki but whenever he focused on Yuno, all he got was the same, mysterious feeling that he gave off constantly. It was hard to read him.

"I think something's up with him but… it's not like I can force him to do anything", he admitted to himself. "Well", Lucas began again. "I'll be off tomorrow in the early morning so I won't be around for the briefing. I hope you have a good day".

The Dual mage kept walking forward towards his room whilst Yuno turned to go right towards the other side of the HQ. Again, he was silent until Bell asked him why.

"What was that blatant lie for, Yuno?"

"I don't feel like being in a big crowd like that", he replied.

Then, a big pinch came from Bell on Yuno's cheek, leaving it red. Yuno quickly put his hand to the redness on the right side of his face.

"Okay, fine… I really can't keep anything from you", he said. "I… had a feeling something was up when I saw Asta's arms in Kiten all damaged and wrapped up. I know he sustained the injury recently but if it was something normal, he'd already been moving his body up and down like nothing was wrong, despite it hurting him. Seeing him like that was… well, it was odd".

"I mean, yeah, it would be odd considering it's an ancient curse", Bell replied.

"That's exactly what I mean. If it's something that even the doctor who works under the Wizard King can't fix then… what does that mean for Asta?"

"I see what you mean. You're worried about him, just say it", Bell replied with a smirk as she gently nudged the mage with her elbow.

"I'm worried".

Bell stopped her antics and slowly retreated away from his cheek, instead opting to just float in front of him. Her eyes were wide for a few seconds but they calmed down and she just sighed.

"I've known you for a good few months now and I didn't expect you to admit how you felt just like that. But… something tells me there's more to it", Bell said pointing at her host.

Yuno shrugged but nodded. "Like I said, there's no point in hiding anything from you. Of course, I'm worried about Asta, he's someone I've grown up with and he's my rival. Another thing that worries me is that if he doesn't get healed, I won't have him to push me as he does".

"I don't know the kid as much as you but it's clear he's a huge influence on you. I… I honestly don't know what to say but what else can we do?" Bell scratched her head.

That was when Yuno stopped walking and stared down at the floor for a few seconds. A shadow covered his eyes before he looked back up to talk to Bell. His golden eyes looked determined and a smirk formed on his face.

"We're going to find something to help him!"

FLASHBACK - END

"I see. That's why you brought me over to talk", Hamon smiled as he folded his arms and nodded. "It's a shame all of that happened to the lively kid. If Doctor Owen is stumped then what you requested makes sense", he said as he looked at Bell who was pouting since she was flicked away. He turned back to Yuno. "Although, if you still want to help Asta, why didn't you go along with Lucas? It sounded like he had quite the concrete lead", he asked.

"I mean… we could've gone to that other country Lucas mentioned. Who knows if they had something to help?" Bell said, giving the side-eye to her host.

Yuno sighed. "I… didn't exactly ask Lucas for the location".

"Now that you mention it, that was quite the lead. If we didn't see Hamon, we'd just be left here guessing around", Bell added, further annoying her host.

"Well, be glad that didn't happen", Yuno said with his eyes closed. A small but visible vein started to pop out the side of his head as he knew the spirit was trying to get under his skin since he flicked her away.

Two silent sighs ensued from the ones that were staring at Yuno.

"Yeah, I wonder who's the one that's actually glad?" They thought in unison.

"Anyway…", Yuno said as he raised his voice. "Shall we get back to business? What do you know of this place, Hamon?"

Hamon, distracted because of the time, was repeatedly tapping his foot on the ground. "Sorry, if I try to explain it, I'll be here for a while".

"Well, we don't know much else about it", Yuno replied.

"The name doesn't sound all too inviting either", Bell gulped as she re-focused.

"It's named that because of the sheer amount of foreign nutrients that you can find there. I assure you though, it's fine since I've been there before and nothing bad has happened", Hamon smiled. "There have been rumours about something new that's been spotted over there but I'm not entirely sure what it is", he said, scratching his head.

"How will we get there if you're not coming with us?" Yuno asked.

"What I can do is draw you up a map that guides you there. Hang on a minute, please", he said before turning around.

The host-and-spirit duo had stopped Hamon just as he was leaving his room and they hadn't even moved an inch since talking to him. He unlocked his room again and walked inside.

"Let me grab some paper and a pencil and I'll be out".

Bell used her wind to hold up a map that was drawn quite roughly with the pencil markings being all over the place. There were certain shapes that were irregular and the writing itself wasn't very neat to make out what it was saying.

"Hamon and his writing…", she groaned. "Well, it's good enough since…".

She lowered her arms and used her wind to fold the piece of paper and then guided it towards Yuno's grimoire satchel. As she looked up, she saw a thick fog around the area but, most importantly, there was an entrance in between two, thick walls of black trees that stretched across as far as they could see. Each individual tree was full to the brim of colourful, yellow-spotted mushrooms.

"We're here", she said as she turned to face Yuno.

Rays of fragmented sunlight shone through the dark-grey skies of the area. The swampy water on the floor trickled with dewdrops that fell from the green leaves on the tall trees.

"This definitely looks like a 'Cursed Bayou' as Hamon described", Bell said as she flew over to examine the mushrooms on the tree. Yuno was right next to her but she escaped his grasp.

"Hey, don't touch that, they might be poisonous. We should only look for what he told us to look for", Yuno warned.

"Oh, please, they look kind of cool". Bell ignored the warning and touched the soft fungi with her tiny hands. The mushroom shook in place for a second before releasing some yellow spores. The spirit smelled the scent of it. "Wow, that smells quite nice. Maybe the medicine we seek is actually here!"

Yuno had a worried look on him. The spores then travelled to him and he had no choice to smell it as he breathed some of them in without wanting to.

"They may smell nice but I'm not sure about them…", Yuno said as he felt his nose.

"Now that I've proven they're fine, shall we head in?" Bell asked but didn't wait for an answer as she flew forwards.

"Remember to keep your eye out for the red mushroom with white spots!" Yuno instructed and all Bell did was wave her hand to signal that she heard the mage.

"That's quite the unique combination of colours and patterns. It should be easy to spot", Bell replied.

The Golden Dawn duo made their way in through the entranceway but, as they moved past the first set of trees, the spotted mushrooms that Bell got close to grew bigger until they released two larger sets of spores which happened to disappear as the three walked in.

They moved past slimy tree trunks that were on either side, stepped through the sinking, muddy surfaces that tried to engulf their feet, and traversed the constantly changing temperatures.

The skins of the two were filled with plenty of sweat that kept forming near each gland on the body. Their arms were heavy with the tiredness they already felt as they walked through.

"How did… Hamon get through this area?" Yuno asked, scratching his head as he felt something land on it from above.

"A red mushroom with white spots… I'll need to keep my eyes peeled".

Then, he turned around as he heard no reply from Bell who was supposed to be behind him. However, instead of seeing her there, perhaps too tired to speak, he saw the rest of the bayou with no trace of Bell.

"Where are you?" Yuno shouted, looking around. He ran back to where they started but he still couldn't find her. To make things worse, Yuno realised another thing. "The entrance… it's not there anymore!"

Back where they came from, it looked like the entrance had been sealed with the same, black trees that they saw on either side. The yellow-spotted mushrooms were all over the dark bark, constantly releasing their yellow spores.

"Wind Magic: Crescent Moon Sickle!" Yuno fired out a condensed slash of wind at the trees but they didn't budge at all. Even the fungi on the bark didn't fall.

"Even that's not working?" Yuno said aloud, sighing heavily. He shot a few more attacks at the target but nothing happened.

He wasn't able to rest though as he heard two footsteps coming from behind him. They walked over a few of the deep puddles which made them scream for a second since they had begun to sink.

The Wind mage already had his grimoire ready and was going to attack so, as he turned around, he started generating some magic. Though, as he did that, he saw just who it was. It was a familiar face but not quite the one he was expecting.

"It's… my meal-saving Prince!" The voice called out.

"Charmy?" Yuno couldn't believe his eyes.

The little Black Bull was treading through the uneven ground and was about to fall face-first as her foot was caught underneath her. Just as she fell, Yuno bent down to grab her so that she'd be safe.

"Ahaha… saved again, huh?" She smiled.

Yuno poker faced as he set the small glutton down. "How come you're here?"

"La, haven't you heard? The Black Bulls are searching for a cure to help Asta's arms, la!" She said as she punched the air.

"Wait, so they're all here?"

"No, no, we all chased different leads. I'm here with Grey but…", she turned around as she finally realised. "She's not here with me!" Charmy realised as held her hands to her face in horror.

Yuno sighed. "It happened to you too? Hamon told us it was safe here but just what's going on?"

Charmy tilted her head. "It is safe here. Grey and I got separated because a bug touched her face and she went racing off. Was it not the same for you?"

"No, I don't think so. I would've heard a scream if an insect or anything like that got too close. Are you saying the reason I'm alone is because of something else?"

"This area is safe as long as you don't smell the yellow-spotted mushrooms too heavily. They never used to grow around here but, for some reason, they started popping up a week ago", Charmy explained.

Yuno thought back and knew there was something wrong with them. "Bell… I told you not to mess with them…".

Charmy got up close to the Wind mage. "I smell traces of the mushroom on you. You…", she sighed. "... You're already under the mushroom's influence, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Yuno was worried.

"Only foodies like Hamon and I know about the dangers of the yellow-spotted mushroom. Once you inhale its spores, it influences your mind and the way things work around you. The bayou has reacted to what your body and mind is feeling and it must have forcefully separated you", Charmy explained.

Yuno was not impressed. "A whole area can't just change because of a mushroom that I happened to smell".

"Look. Who's the one with the knowledge about food? It's me", she said sternly. "Are you going to believe me or just go on without understanding what it is you're up against".

The golden-eyed teen conceded. "Fine. You do know a lot about these things judging by how serious you are about food".

Charmy smiled. "Thanks for the compliment, la! Right, shall we be off?"

"I wasn't exactly trying to compliment you…", Yuno rolled his eyes. "Wait, do you know where to go? I'm here to find a white-spotted, red mushroom".

"You're in luck! I'm here to find that very same thing. I also know my way around the place like the back of my hand!" Charmy chuckled before walking off.

As Yuno followed the small chef, he didn't see what was behind him. The reflection in the water below his feet showed that there was a faint, yellow glow that was constantly following him and it looked like it was attached to his head.

"Okay, nice prank, Yuno!"

Bell screamed at the top of her lungs, flying all around the gloomy bayou. The sparkles that came falling off her fluttering wings landed on the swampy grass beneath her.

"I hate being on my own!"

As she screamed again, the sound of some footsteps came closer. The fairy looked closely but, instead of seeing her friends, or even a human, it was a large, purple wolf that towered over her quite easily.

"You've got to be kidding me…", she said under her breath.

The wolf growled and saliva came drooling down the side of its mouth. The fangs at the front and back of its mouth were red towards the lower end and they seemed to light up even further.

"Um, nice doggy…", Bell said as she slowly floated backwards.

The wolf growled again and then jumped forwards with an open mouth. It tried to bite the wind spirit but she easily dodged it. Then, seeing as a normal bite didn't work, its fangs brightened until they were white and, when it growled again, a white flame emerged from each fang.

"Of course you have fire powers", Bell moaned. "However, it's not as if I'm a pushover!"

The angered animal jumped again with the flames being fired out from each fang. The heat from its mouth was disorientating Bell as her wings started to slow down.

"I guess I'll use it. Sorry for the animal cruelty!" Bell twirled in space, leaving a tiny, green sparkle in place before she disappeared.

"Wind Spirit Magic: Derechos!"

She reappeared near the body of the purple wolf and used her legs to kick through the animal, sending it hurling towards a fallen log on the floor. It cried in pain as it landed and then eventually scurried off into the depths of the foggy swamp.

"Now, look at me…", Bell moaned as she examined herself. There were strands of purple fur over her body because of the recent attack and, because of the hot temperature, they were sticking onto her. "This… is not what I expected from this place!"

Opting to leave the fur on herself since she couldn't be bothered to overexert herself even more because of the heat, she carried on flying but made sure to keep an eye out for any more problems.

"Wait, If I use my connection to Yuno, I can find where he is!" Bell realised as she slammed her fist with the palm of the other hand. "Okay, so…", she closed her eyes and felt the link start to connect.

In her mind, there was a thick, green line that came off her head and was travelling in one direction. From the other direction, another line was coming towards her which signalled Yuno's willingness to create that link once more.

"Okay… now connect!"

A few seconds passed and nothing. The wind spirit was left without contact and, when she examined what was wrong, it looked like there was some sort of blockage which prevented the spirit and host from communicating.

"I guess I really am on my own!"

She shouted as a force of strong wind left her mouth, rustling the low bushes and the wet leaves around the area. As she finished her tiny tantrum, she felt a chill on her skin which would be the first time since coming here because of the high heat.

"Huh?" She said as she felt her arms. "What was that… chill?" She didn't notice but the yellow glow near her head was slightly brighter now.

Then, the chill happened again, and again, and again. Bell was flying all over the place to warm up her body but the cold sensation persisted. It only stopped when Bell went to rest on a singular branch in one of the trees but then there was utter silence. The insects that were on the floor stopped making noises, the birds in the air stopped tweeting, and the lizards on the tree trunks stopped hissing. This terribly eerie feeling she got was replaced by a whisper in her ears. It was a raspy voice that spoke very slowly.

"They're coming…".

"Who's coming?!" Bell reacted with a fright, covering her ears.

The voice still continued to taunt and haunt the green spirit. It was now inside her head so covering her ears wasn't going to do anything.

"The ones that counter the Great Four…".

Bell's eyes lit up with fear. She felt an overwhelming amount of dread in her body but she didn't do anything to resist it. Instead, she chose to keep listening to the strange voice.

"Soon... In the near future…".

The voice slowly quietened until there was pure silence all around. She opened her eyes but then all she saw was darkness around her. It didn't seem real but, then again, it was very real considering there was nothing else. She repeatedly opened and closed her eyes to check if she was in a dream or something but there was no change.

Suddenly, a bright flash of white light shone through which replaced the sheer darkness with a strong white colour.

"What… is this? I… I recognise this!" Bell said as she watched the changed scenery.

A spinning sphere came into view that was made of four different colours with each of them unique to the other. They were red, blue, yellow, and green.

"Those colours…", she whispered, squinting her eyes as she felt a familiarity with them.

The sphere closed in on Bell and she recognised what was inside of the four colours. Each was sectioned off into its own area of the sphere and then started to open up. First, the red colour opened up with a burst of flames, revealing what was within it. A small, red lizard appeared and the same, raspy voice that spoke to Bell earlier described it.

"The Flame Spirit, Salamander…".

Then, the blue section opened up with a flood of water dripping down onto the blank floor down below. A humanoid figure of a woman with flowing hair appeared with a blank stare.

"The Water Spirit, Undine…".

The next section to open up was the yellow colour. Debris and dust fell from its capsule with a large thud as it hit the ground.

"The Earth Spirit, Gaia…".

Finally, the last section to open up was the green one. A burst of wind came through as the capsule opened up and a green sparkle formed as it did. Within, was the mirror image of Bell.

"The Wind Spirit, Bell…".

Bell, who was watching all the four spirits in front of her, didn't say anything. Instead, she was watching with great intrigue.

The spirits in front of her had no faces. Instead, they were like blank canvases with only their bodies being the most detailed. They couldn't hear, see, smell, or speak so they were essentially just statues.

"Born from the Elemental Cocoon, come the Four Great Spirits. But… the ones that their powers kept sealed for so long will arise once again…".

Bell clutched her head in pain. "The Elemental Cocoon. I haven't heard that name… since the day I was born…", she thought to herself, wincing. "The ones we've sealed? I have no… idea what that means".

Then, the image in front of the tiny fairy started to change. The powers of all the four spirits shot out into a singular point and dropped down towards the floor, revealing one small, black case of blood that was bubbling and rising.

After seeing that, Salamander disappeared in a burst of flames which severed the four-way shot that held the blood case in place. As the Flame Spirit disappeared, the box started to rise up high, shaking as it did. Then, it opened but that was the extent of the image that Bell saw as the black darkness returned once again.

"The Sealed Ones will rise… The ones that are already around will get stronger…".

Then, the bayou reappeared in front of Bell. Whatever she was seeing or witnessing had gone away and the spirit was back where she was. Again, she clutched her head and everything she just saw seemed like a bad dream judging from her pounding headache.

Quickly, the flashes of the scenes she saw in her head went through her mind again but they were quickly fading away.

"I… I have to tell Yuno about whatever's coming. If I… don't find them soon then…", she held her head once more as each memory was starting to blur. "... I'll forget it completely!"

"So, what you're telling me is that this mushroom is linked to the bayou itself?" Yuno asked the small Black Bull who was leading the way.

"Of course. Food is powerful - Even things like fungi are strong in their own sense. The white-spotted, red mushroom is strong and that's why we're here, so it goes to say that the yellow-spotted mushroom is also strong, even though it's annoying to be under its influence", she explained.

"How did that mushroom affect you then, considering you know a lot about it?" The tall teenager asked.

"It influences you in different ways. You can have premonitions that may end up true, which is usually a sign that the land connected to the mushroom is trying to warn you about something. Sometimes, it shows you your worst fears since the inhaled pores connect to your brain, but other times it doesn't do anything if the affected person has a strong mind. For me, it removed food from my mind completely. I had no memory of food, no taste for food, no scent for food. It… was the worst thing ever. It was horrible, la!" She shouted, closing her eyes as tears fell down her eyes.

Yuno thought about the small woman's explanation. "I can only hope it's nothing serious. I cannot be bothered to go through something deep", he sighed. "Well, it's not like much can hurt me".

As the two walked deeper, Yuno kept trying to link with Bell to ask where she was but, every time he tried, it wouldn't work. He could feel her there but it was just that - a faint feeling.

"I can't connect with Bell", he said.

As he realised this, the environment around the two mages quickly shifted. A tall, mud wall rose up from the swampy waters which separated Yuno and Charmy from each other. The Wind mage was on the left, whilst the Cotton mage was on the right.

"Is this also part of the mushroom's spores? Did it react to my mind or something?" Yuno shouted so that his voice would reach Charmy.

"You have to figure out what part of yourself the mushroom is trying to expose! If you do, then it won't affect you anymore since you'll have a conscious wall against it!" Charmy shouted back.

"How can I…?" He started to think but a powerful magical slash came towards him, sending him to the floor.

The two looked ahead and saw that there were two humanoid beings with the faces of a lizard. They had green skin that was full of mouldy and broken scales. Their arms were normal but the fingers were quite long with black nails. There was also a tail attached on both their bottoms with a large spike on the end.

"Lizardmen…", Charmy said as she backed up ever so slightly. "They're usually quite small like any other lizard but two of them must've grown since the last time I came here".

"What kind of dangerous place has Hamon sent us to?!" Yuno exclaimed.

Still, he stared at the one opposite him and analysed its movements. It hissed with its red tongue sticking out of its long mouth and then it slithered forwards on all fours. It quickly rushed ahead and tried to slam Yuno back with a swipe of its tail as it spun around right next to him.

"Wind Creation Magic: Wind Blades Shower!" Multiple blades of wind came down from above to pierce through the Lizardman's skin. They all hit its body but Yuno realised something was wrong. "None of them… are hurting it?"

All the small weapons just bounced off its skin as if they were made of rubber. Yuno's eyes widened as he couldn't believe it but, just before he tried to understand what was wrong, he got hit backwards and slammed his back into a tree.

He fell to the floor but didn't wince in pain. Instead, his mind was fully focused on his own magic. "It's not that I didn't put my all into that spell. It's more like… my mana is weaker than usual!"

Before he could really understand what that meant, the Lizardman stood on its two hind legs and then rolled in place like an armadillo. With that, multiple green scales shot out and all headed for the black-haired teen.

"Cotton Creation Magic: Strike of the Sleeping Sheep!"

A sheep made out of cotton and which was the same height as the Lizardman opposite Yuno came out of nowhere. Charmy had summoned the spell to protect Yuno since it sounded like he was in trouble. It tanked the barrage of scales and they all fell down on the floor beside it.

"Ch-Charmy, focus on your own battle!" Yuno shouted, slowly getting up.

"I already am, la!" Charmy replied. She turned to her own Lizardman with another cotton sheep in front of her. "This spell is usually for one, large sheep but I split it into two so that one could help you! I felt your mana just now… It's not supposed to be that weak so maybe the answer to figuring out how to break through this predicament lies in that!"

Her own sheep reeled back its hand to strike at the incoming Lizaman on her side. It looked like she was dealing well with it as she just stood back with a smirk, letting her sheep do the work.

Although Charmy had helped Yuno, he was not happy with what she did. He put his hands on his knees to prop himself up and looked at the sheep in front of him in anger. "I… need to do this by myself but… I hate to admit it. She helped me since I was too weak to do it myself. I need to… get my mana back to normal!"

He closed his eyes and thought about the yellow-spotted mushroom and how it was likely that it's the reason his mana is like this.

"Charmy told me that the mushroom influences people in different ways. It's made me weaker so… is that how it is with me? But… why did it choose to make me weak?"

The Lizardman charged, knocking the sheep over with its sharp nails stabbing through it. However, the cotton creation stood its ground and acted like a shield that stopped it getting through to Yuno.

Yuno gritted his teeth as he wasn;t able to help but still thought back to any solution. He heard Charmy's words in his mind once again.

"For me, it removed food from my mind completely. I had no memory of food, no taste for food, no scent for food. It… was the worst thing ever. It was horrible, la!"

He sighed. "Why am I thinking of that?! Wait… hang on a minute. The mushroom attacked her fear which was removing food from her life. If you take that point for me, then the mushroom attacked a fear of my own!"

Another sigh. He couldn't hide it anymore when it was as clear as day what was going on right in front of him.

"I'm… scared of being weak. If I'm not strong, then there's no point in the things that I'm working towards. If I'm not strong, how will I be the Wizard King? How will I gather merit if I don't have the strength to win?"

He opened his eyes and saw that the sheep that was guarding him had been completely destroyed by a flurry of slashes from the Lizardman.

"But… How exactly can I be strong without Asta backing me?" He said to himself as he closed his eyes again.

He pictured his first rival in his mind, smiling at him. However, once he looked down, his arms were wrapped in bandages with the ancient curse still in effect.

"If Asta can't compete with me for the title of Wizard King, I won't get challenged for it. I know Lucas is a rival but… Asta was the first one who I swore to surpass at every opportunity. If that's gone - If he's gone… then is achieving my goal worth it?"

After seeing Asta, Lucas replaced him. He was smiling and using both of his attributes at the same time. Light Magic came from his left side and Time Magic from his right. Both powers converged in the centre to create a big explosion.

"And then there's Lucas who throws a spanner in the works. I know he's a top rival for me and he's made me question my own strength in the past, so I know he'll challenge me. If I wallow in my self-pity, then he'll no doubt surpass me! Is that… enough for me to justify challenging for the title of the Wizard King? Or do I need to have Asta challenging me as well?"

He then felt a sharp slash near his stomach and opened his eyes at once. The Lizardman was right where he was and its nails were starting to dig into his flesh. Upon instinct, Yuno reacted.

"Wind Creation Magic: Heavy White Blade!"

A large blade of wind appeared next to Yuno and he used his wind to throw the enemy back where it started. If he had his normal amount of mana, he'd be able to cut through it with ease. He looked at his new spell and remembered how he had the idea for it. He closed his eyes again for the last time.

FLASHBACK - VS RHYA:

He used Wind Blades Shower against the one who represented disloyalty in the Temple of Valchronos.

"Now… I'll try this!" Yuno got in closer and while the last wind blades fell, he grabbed onto one of them and used them to counter Rhya's strike.

FLASHBACK - VS LAGUS:

"That new spell works like a charm, Yuno!" Bell smiled. "But you never did tell me the inspiration behind it".

"That's true. Using one of the blades from my Wind Blades Shower during the fight with Rhya gave me the idea to use more of a hands-on type of weapon. My magic works well at long-medium range so I was wondering how a short range weapon would work", Yuno explained.

FLASHBACKS - END

"My back was pinned against the wall but I've managed to surpass that problem. I created the new spell because I wanted a new way of fighting. I faced a potential setback but, instead of letting it control me, I controlled the situation!"

Finally, he opened his eyes and wanted to go on the attack.

"If there's a setback, then I'm going to work harder to realise my dream!"

"Wind Magic: Whirlwind Gusts!" Yuno conjured a strong amount of wind from his grimoire and sent it towards the Lizardman. He encircled it within his wind and sent it up to the sky at a high speed.

"Asta wouldn't even give up if he lost every limb on his body so why am I giving up because of him? My dream is worth way more than what I've been deluding myself into thinking! That's… not what a rival does. That's… not what the future Wizard King does!"

He turned the Heavy White Blade around so the sharp point was facing upwards. He motioned his arm towards the falling Lizardman and the large weapon followed at a high speed and it finally cut through its green, scaly body by stabbing it in the chest.

The mud wall that separated Yuno from Charmy finally broke apart and the Cotton mage walked over. Behind her, was the defeated body of her own Lizardman that her sheep was now sitting on top of with one of its legs crossed over.

"Well, that was quite the fight, Yuno!" Charmy smiled.

"Did you.. hear any of that?" He asked, embarrassed since he realised he was shouting out everything towards the end.

"Of course I didn't!" Charmy lied as she smirked soon after. "Only a few bits here and there…", she turned around quickly. "Shall we go further in? We're close now, la", she said quickly before walking off. "Wow, Yuno, you figured out what was bothering you... just like that?"

Yuno stood in place for a few seconds, staring at the enemy he had beat. He felt his mana start to come back and he also felt a sense of relief.

"I came to this place to find something for Asta's arms since I needed him to be better. But… I never actually believed in Asta being better without it. My worries of not having him as a rival plagued my mind and made me weaker. My dream to be the Wizard King is worth more than what all the self-doubt was tricking me into. Heh, for all the times I tell myself that I don't need help from other people… I actually need them the most to better myself", he chuckled to himself before following the Black Bull further in.

In the depths, the fog in the bayou was thinning and more of the problematic area was revealing itself. There were birds nesting in the trees all around and singing as they basked in the sunshine from above. There were other types of birds around like the colourful peacocks that were resting and the pink flamingos that were swimming in the deeper waters of the swamp.

Yuno and Charmy had finally reached the end area of the Cursed Bayou and saw that there was a bright light in the middle of the swamp that was further ahead. Surrounded by water, there was a small, little island with another set of mushrooms growing from its soil.

"Is that…?"

"It is".

They finally found the white-spotted, red mushroom and they were in a pair. Only two of them were growing and it looked like the duo would be able to acquire them after all the trouble they went through to get here.

Yuno looked around carefully but sighed, dropping his shoulders. "Bell isn't here either. I'm… worried about her".

"La, are you still not able to link with her?" Charmy asked.

"As we got deeper, the link on both ends started to strengthen but that was it. There was still something blocking it and I'm not sure what it is", he replied. "My mana still isn't 100% which means I need her for it to be full again".

"Well, I can help you look for her. Grey isn't here either so I hope those two at least found each other", Charmy said.

"Hopefully", Yuno said with a nod. "Actually, there is another question that I wanted to ask. Why is it that this bayou is so… odd? Why does it react to a person's body if they've inhaled spores, why do they have these weird creatures living here, and why are they quite strong?"

"It's because this is the last area before the sea that separates the Clover Kingdom and the Heart Kingdom. Some places along the border are influenced by what they're near to. Near the border to the Spade Kingdom, some areas witness terrible snowstorms and other such events. With the Diamond Kingdom, there are a lot of dry areas and places hit with droughts. Here, since the Heart Kingdom is rich with nature and natural mana, it's managed to reach all the way to the bayou".

"Rich with nature", Yuno repeated. "I guess that's why the nature here is quite intense", he added as he thought back to how the Lizaman and the various different plants, fungi, and the overall environment was. "You know a lot of things, don't you?"

Charmy giggled as she put her hand to the back of her neck, embarrassed. "Haha, nah… The search for food brings me to a lot of different places, la! Maybe… I can show you them one day", she said softly, twiddling her index fingers together.

"Yeah, that'd be nice", Yuno smiled.

Just then, the ground started to shake quite furiously. The water in the swamp ahead was bubbling in response to it and the animals around the area scurried away with fear. Out of nowhere, the shadow of a very large animal was plastered on the ground.

"If there's a shadow here…", Charmy gulped.

"Then that means…", Yuno slowly looked up and saw a giant figure crashing down on the two.

Yuno tried to cast a Towering Tornado to create some resistance between the falling creature and himself and Charmy, but it wasn't strong enough.

"Damn it!" He shouted. "A Heavenly Wind Arc won't work either since I need a bit more time…!"

The two closed their eyes but all they felt was a strong gust of wind coming from behind them.

"Yuno, use your spell alongside mine! Wind Spirit Magic: Sylph's Breath!"

Not even hesitating, the mage did as he was told. "Wind Magic: Wind Eagle's Refuge!"

A barrier was created around himself and Charmy whilst Bell's attack slowed down the large figure from above. Yuno's spell then shot out sharp, aggressive winds at the target, making it go further away from them until there was more than enough space for the Magic Knights to hop out of harm's way.

"Now, Charmy!" Yuno shouted as he went to summon another spell. He felt his original amount of mana return now that the link with Bell was complete.

"Wind Spirit Magic: Heavy White Blade!"

"Cotton Creation Magic: Strike of the Sleeping Sheep!"

Yuno used his wind to make the blade float over to the single, large sheep and the woolly animal grabbed it with both of its hands. The Wind mage surrounded the sheep in a layer of protective wind while it charged ahead to attack the figure.

"I didn't even realise in the heat of the moment but it's you again!" Bell shouted at the enemy they were planning to hit.

It was the same, purple wolf with flaming red fangs that the spirit had beaten up earlier. It had a few bruises on the side of its body but now it was ready to complete its battle no matter what.

"Of course it was because of you that this wolf attacked us…", Yuno rolled his eyes. He wasn't even surprised at this point.

Bell's mouth was opened with shock. She was embarrassed but this wasn't the time to go further into her mistake since they were in the middle of a battle.

The sheep with the white sword swung its arm which was about to hit the purple wolf. However, it jumped and spun in a circle, using its spiky tail to counter the initial strike.

Yuno floated ahead and casted a Crescent Moon Sickle through the sheep and towards the wolf. "I know how this sheep works so I hope you don't mind, Charmy!"

"Not at all, la!" She smirked. She was happy that she got to fight alongside her meal-saving Prince. She looked at the sheep whose torso just took Yuno's magic spell and let it pass through, repairing the temporary hole in its body with more cotton.

The sharp wind attack hit the wolf on the head which made it whimper. There was blood on its face now but it still charged ahead but the cotton sheep used the wind blade to hit it away from itself.

"Hey, let me get in on the fun!" Bell shouted but it sounded like she was further away this time.

Yuno turned around but his eyes were met with quite the scene.

There was another copy of Bell that emerged from behind the first one and came into view. It was a carbon-copy of the Wind Spirit and there was nothing to set the two apart.

"Um", Yuno said as he pointed, grabbing the small glutton's attention.

"Oh", she replied, realising what was happening.

The two Bells were now flying in a circle, chasing one another. The one at the front was calling for Yuno's help whilst the one at the back was calling for Charmy's.

"This… inferior version of me has been following me for a few minutes now! I don't know where she came from!" The first Bell complained.

"Now's not the time for this!" Charmy shouted, focusing on the newly-arrived Bell in particular who also stopped her screaming as she felt the daggers from the Cotton mage's eyes.

As the four were now distracted, the purple wolf found an opening to exploit. It condensed the fire in its fangs that he had started to generate into a white flame and shot it out at the sheep who fell from the impact. Due to the Magic Knights not focusing, they couldn't control either the Heavy White Blade or the large sheep.

The sheep fell on its back which made the floor beneath the mages shake for a few seconds, putting them off balance. The wolf then headed straight for them from above after jumping, just as it had done when it first attacked Yuno and Charmy.

It shot out another attack but it was only one, singular flame this time. However, it was the largest one since it concentrated all of its flames together.

The second Bell who arrived floated all the way up and she exploded, leaving a large cloud of smoke where she was.

"Bell?!" Yuno shouted but the remaining Bell tugged on his cheek. "H-Huh…?!"

The smoke cloud subsided and the shape of a woman was revealed. She had bobbed, blue hair with a few strands on the top of her head. She was wearing a white, sleeveless shirt and a pair of dark-blue, high-waist pants with flower patterns on them.

"Who the…?" Yuno trailed off. He even rubbed his eyes as he couldn't believe this.

The woman in the sky pointed her hands at the white flame that was heading down on the three down below and shouted.

"Transformation Magic: Magic Conversion - Flame to Thread!"

The flame attack from the purple wolf started to change its property to a large ball of pink string.

Yuno and Bell fell over comedically in utter awe. Charmy was still standing and she was smiling with her arms raised up high.

"Nice one, Grey!" She cheered.

"That's Grey…?" Yuno asked himself, sweating from such an event above him.

The changed magic then fell to the floor, bouncing as it did since the threads were quite soft. It took a few seconds for it to stop bouncing but, when it did, Grey fell graciously on top of it, using its soft texture to break her fall and land completely unscathed.

"That was… insane", Yuno gulped.

"Just… Wow", Bell said, shaking at how crazy that was.

Even the wolf had stopped attacking as its jaw was wide open and its eyes were in shock. It shook its head and backed away, jumping into the distance and far away from the four in front of it. It let out a sad growl as it disappeared.

"What a unique battle…", Yuno said, still staring at Grey. Bell was doing the same and the Transformation mage saw both of them when she turned around.

She raised her hands and she went completely red. She used her fingers to cover most of her face and zoomed past them to hide behind Charmy.

"N-N-N-N-Nice to m-meet you…", she tried to say but ended up turning her head away.

"Wait. The one who just saved us… is like that?" Yuno, again, couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Haha", Charmy laughed. "This is the Black Bulls' very own Transformation mage! She may have a cool type of magic but it's what's in here that counts!" She said as she pointed towards the left side of the shy mage's chest.

"Boobs?" Bell asked, completely nonchalantly.

Yuno flinched from what she just said. He turned around slowly and raised his eyebrows at her.

"S-Sorry, I mean your heart, obviously", Bell said with a sweatdrop.

"Oh, st-stop it… Ch-Charmy…", Grey blushed but also panicked as she curled up into a ball.

"Thanks for the save, um, Grey, was it?" Yuno waved and smiled. "I never thought I'd ever see something like that", he added.

Charmy helped pick the blue-haired woman up. "She's a bit on the shy side but she's very reliable. It was actually her idea to come here in the first place".

"Y-Yeah… Charmy had other… l-leads for a c-c-cure, but I felt like this place w-would be the best", Grey replied.

Now that everyone who entered the Cursed Bayou was together at the end, they turned their focus to the pair of mushrooms on the centre island. They were still there, despite the battle with the wolf just earlier.

"I'll just…", Yuno began to say but thrust a blade of wind forwards to cut the two fungal items from their soil. He brought them over quite quickly and gave one to Charmy and kept the other one.

"Yuno", Charmy said. "With this… I hope we can help Asta with his arms", she smiled.

"How do you know it will work?" Bell asked.

Charmy picked up a stick from the ground and poked her hand with it which drew blood from a small wound. Then, she bit a tiny bit of the mushroom with her teeth, swallowing the piece of fungus quickly. After that, the wound closed up with not even a trace of her skin being pricked.

"Well, that answers my question", Bell said with wide eyes.

"Will he need both?" Yuno asked, tossing the mushroom in the air and using his wind to catch it as it fell.

"No, but I will let you know through a Spatial Owl when he returns", the glutton replied. "Also, if you don't mind… We can keep in contact like that… n-normally", she said, blushing.

"Yeah, it'll be nice to have someone else to talk to", Yuno smiled back.

After their mission was completed, the group all headed for the exit and then separated into two parties. The two Black Bull's opted to walk back since they had some other places to stop at, whilst the two Golden Dawn members flew on Yuno's Heavenly Wind Arc.

"What happened to you when we weren't together?" Yuno asked, sitting comfortably on his creation spell.

"Oh, right, I wanted to tell you about it but we were in the middle of that huge battle! Basically, I was shown something and…", she paused. "And… Uh, what I saw was…", she paused again.

"I can't… seem to remember! My memories of what I saw started to blur as soon as I headed out to find you. I know it was something important as well!"

Bell pounded her head in hopes of remembering but it didn't work. All she had was the faint chill on her body from the voice she heard but, at this point, she didn't even know if it was a voice that caused it or something else.

"You don't remember? I guess it wasn't all that important then", Yuno teased.

Bell pouted, enlarging her small cheeks. "Hmph! Well, what did you see then, hotshot?"

"I… I didn't see anything", he replied quickly.

Bell floated over and was mere inches away from her host's face. "Again… we're connected so whatever you think, I know. Oh, that's right! The mushroom showed you what it was like to… what's that… not have enough strength? No, it was much deeper than that!"

Yuno grabbed the spirit and a vein on his head was close to bursting. "Let's not talk about that, okay? Instead, let's talk about the fact that you're the one responsible since you got too close to those yellow-spotted mushrooms".

Bell's face turned pale from fear. "Um… Urgh. H-Hang on… Let's blame Hamon instead! He sent us here and didn't think there was anything dangerous in the first place! If you think about it, it's his fault that I got too close to those things!"

"Hm, you're right".

"I am?"

"No, you're still at fault. Well, at least, partially", Yuno smirked.

The two kept bickering amongst themselves but their overall mission was a success. They had a potential way of healing Asta and, if only one mushroom is needed to heal his wounds, they have a spare one with them.

NOTES:

URGH!

I'm happy with this chapter but I'm so disappointed that I couldn't finish the 5-day update schedule! This is the first time that I've failed in that and it will definitely be the last!

Most of my problems in the Disclaimer above so I won't repeat them here.

Anyway, what did you think of this chapter? At first, it was just going to be a nice one with Yuno exploring and finding some treasure etc, but then I wanted him to actually be affected by Asta's injury. I think I portrayed it well?

In canon, we always get such cool fights, moments with Yuno but his character side is left lacking (During the Elf Saga. The Spade Saga has done wonders for his character but we're not there quite yet in this fic!) So, with how I felt about Yuno during this part, I tried to give him more character moments where he feels troubled or upset so that we can see how he grows.

I know I usually end chapters with a cool fight that's battle-heavy but I wanted a bit of comedy here so I gave Grey some time to shine. It was just a bit of a quirky one, really, but I enjoyed writing it.