Chapter 254: Ur's Return
Noah glanced at them once and then ignored them. This was pretty much how their usual training went, just slightly more intense this time.
Erza had also calmed down considerably. She glanced at Noah, blushing a little, before heading to her own section of the training ground. She knew how strong Noah was and didn't want to fall too far behind.
Watching Erza leave, Noah turned his attention to Wendy and the others. He figured it was a good opportunity to check on their progress.
He started with Wendy. Her offensive Dragon Slayer magic was coming along nicely. Every attack she launched was imbued with Dragon Slayer power, giving her strikes impressive force.
"Good, good. Just like that," Noah said, catching her wind-wrapped punch with one hand. "Don't get too hung up on specific 'moves.' Just make sure every attack carries the power of your magic. Your body is your strongest weapon. That's what Dragon Slayer magic is all about."
"Got it, Brother Noah!"
"Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!"
Wendy stepped back, retracted her right hand, and lashed out with her left, her fingers curled into claws wreathed in wind.
"Dragon Slayers have bodies far stronger than normal wizards. You can beat most people just with your physical strength," Noah instructed, easily catching her wrist. "Especially with the training you get in Fairy Tail. So don't forget to use your body to its fullest."
He twisted her wrist and tossed her into the air. Wendy flipped, adjusting her posture mid-flight, took a deep breath, and roared.
"Sky Dragon's ROAR!"
A violent tempest erupted from her mouth, blasting toward Noah.
BOOM!
Dust and wind scattered everywhere. The roar hit Noah dead-on, but Wendy kept her eyes glued to the dust cloud, not daring to relax.
"Not bad. The roar is the signature Dragon Slayer move, and you've trained it well."
The dust cleared, revealing a golden shield with the Fairy Tail emblem floating in front of Noah. It had completely blocked the attack.
"Everything looks good. You've been training hard. Just keep it up."
"Okay, Brother Noah!" Wendy beamed, happy with the praise.
Next was Meredy. She was learning Light Magic from Noah. Over the years, Noah had studied, researched, and improved his Light Magic significantly, incorporating knowledge from various Lost Magics.
It could now heal, dispel status effects, passively boost physical strength, provide buffs to himself and others, and be shaped freely for powerful attacks. It was an incredibly versatile magic—healing with one hand, destroying with the other. Because of its complexity and power, it was difficult to learn.
But Meredy was talented. She had already learned all the basics. While her power wasn't overwhelming yet, she was stronger than most. Now she just needed practice to master using the right spell for the right situation.
After testing her, Noah saw she had diligently completed her tasks and sent her to spar with Wendy.
Meredy had started learning magic later than Wendy (having been rescued by Noah in X780, while Wendy started before X777), so Wendy had a few years of experience on her. However, Meredy was a year older, and Noah's improved Light Magic was on par with Dragon Slayer magic, so the gap between them was small. They often sparred together, so they fell into a rhythm quickly.
Noah watched for a moment to ensure they were safe, then began his own training.
The day passed quickly. By evening, Noah and the group left the training grounds. Ultear and the others were still a little flushed, but their emotions had settled down thanks to the intense workout.
Gray, Elfman, and the others weren't so lucky.
Noah glanced back at them. Yukino-kun looked fine; Sorano loved her sister and had gone easy on her. Lisanna was also okay; Mirajane had a soft spot for her little sister.
But Gray and Elfman looked like they'd been through a war. Their faces were swollen and bruised. Ultear and Mirajane had shown them absolutely no mercy.
They glared at Noah with resentment. In a way, they had taken the punishment meant for him. Noah felt a little guilty under their gazes.
He raised his hand, and a golden magic circle appeared above the group. Golden light rained down, and everyone felt their fatigue and injuries fading.
"Your Light Magic is amazing no matter how many times I see it," Ultear said, clenching her fist and feeling her strength return.
"I referenced a lot of different magic to improve it," Noah explained, glancing at Wendy. "Especially for the healing aspect. Wendy's Sky Dragon magic was a huge help."
"I'm glad I could help, Brother Noah!" Wendy said happily.
With their bodies restored, Gray and Elfman's glares softened, and Noah breathed a sigh of relief.
They didn't go back to the guild but headed home. Gray, Elfman, and the Lisannas went their separate ways, while Noah's group went back to his house.
Dinner was a group effort. Originally, it was just Noah, Erza, and Sorano in the kitchen. But Ultear and Mirajane, seeing the harmonious atmosphere, weren't about to be left out. They joined in, making it a five-person cooking team.
Wendy and the younger girls thought about helping, but seeing how perfectly the five of them worked together, they decided to stay out of the way and wait for food.
Even with two more people, the rhythm wasn't disrupted. They had known each other for years and lived together for a long time. They knew each other's habits and moved with a natural synergy. And now that their feelings were out in the open, the atmosphere was even better.
When the food was served, they realized they had made too much.
"Can we finish all this?" Wendy asked, eyeing the dozen or so dishes. Usually, they made just enough.
"Ara, I guess we got a little carried away," Mirajane giggled, covering her mouth.
"It's fine. We can save the rest for tomorrow. I'll freeze it," Ultear said.
"I built a food storage device for that," Noah added. "Erza keeps her cakes in it."
"It works very well," Erza confirmed seriously. "The cakes stay perfect."
The device was basically a magical refrigerator Noah had designed based on his past life's knowledge, complete with temperature control and vacuum sealing.
"That's good," Ultear said, relieved. They all sat down to eat.
"This is good. Try it," Sorano said, putting some food in Noah's bowl.
"This... is good too," Erza added, doing the same.
Ultear and Mirajane's eyes narrowed. They immediately put food in Noah's bowl as well.
The four women looked at each other, sparks flying. Wendy and the others felt the tension spike and buried their faces in their bowls.
Noah quickly put food in all four of their bowls. "Alright, alright. You don't have to keep feeding me. I can't eat that much."
The tension broke, and the dinner proceeded peacefully. Wendy and the others peeked up, relieved the danger had passed.
After dinner, the younger girls insisted on washing the dishes since they hadn't helped cook. Noah and the others sat in the living room, chatting. Aside from the openly acknowledged feelings, it felt just like old times. They had found their rhythm again.
When the dishes were done and everyone had rested, they took turns showering and then relaxed in the living room until bedtime.
The next day, they went to the guild together. The members were still teasing them, but Noah and the others ignored it. Eventually, the guild got bored and moved on.
"You bastard! You dragged me into doing paperwork yesterday! I haven't settled that with you yet!" Laxus stomped over to Noah, looking furious.
"That work was yours to begin with," Noah retorted, rolling his eyes. "You just skipped out on it because you were 'busy' with missions. Now that you're back, you have to do it. You've done the least amount of work out of all the S-Class wizards."
"Didn't Mystogan do less?"
"He has special circumstances. You're just lazy. No excuses. You're doing it for a while."
Noah grabbed the fleeing Laxus and dragged him behind the counter, dumping a stack of papers in front of him. "Make up for lost time."
"Fine," Laxus grumbled, picking up a pen.
"Great. I can finally relax for a bit. Good luck!" Noah waved and turned to leave.
"Get out of here. Just looking at you annoys me," Laxus snapped. Noah didn't mind and teleported away.
Noah went to the training grounds and trained until evening. When he returned to the guild, he found that Ur was back.
She had been gone for a while on a job and had just returned to hear the news about Ultear and the others. Her first instinct had been to track down Ultear and Noah and demand an explanation. But she stopped herself. Her daughter was an adult, with her own thoughts and judgments. And Noah was someone Ur had practically watched grow up.
She decided to wait for Noah to return. But when she saw him, she suddenly didn't know what to say.
Noah, seeing her, actually felt nervous. It felt like meeting the parent.
Seeing Noah nervous made Ur relax. In the end, she didn't interrogate him. She just patted him on the shoulder.
"I can't control what happens between you all," she said. "But just remember... treat Ultear well. Understand?"
"I understand," Noah said seriously.
Ur smiled and nodded. She didn't know how their complicated relationship would work out—they were all S-Class wizards with strong personalities. As an elder, all she could do was wish them well. Relationships were something only the people involved could figure out. But knowing them, and how deep their bonds were, she trusted they wouldn't let things end badly.
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