Half a month had passed since New Year's Eve.
The festive energy in Magnolia had mostly faded, but Fairy Tail's guildhall remained noisy as ever.
"Noah! Fight me!"
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
*Thud.*
In the next instant, Natsu was flat on the ground with a lump on his head. Members of the guild roared with laughter.
"Haha! It wasn't Noah's punch this time!"
"Of course not. It was Erza's. Just one hit."
"Looks like even Erza couldn't stand Natsu pestering Noah every single day…"
"At this point, it's harassment."
…
Noah sighed, looking down at the unconscious Natsu with pity.
This kid.
Although Natsu called out flashy names like "Dragon Slayer techniques," often all he was doing was flailing wildly. But after two relentless weeks of daily harassment, Noah had been forced to spar with him.
At first, he humored the boy with proper fights before knocking him down. But eventually, out of sheer annoyance, he ended bouts with just one punch.
Today, even Erza had run out of patience and sent Natsu to dreamland in a single strike.
Still, through these spars, Noah discovered something: Natsu was absurd.
"God closes doors but opens windows…" That phrase fit him perfectly. His intelligence was questionable—Gray's nickname of *'single-celled organism'* wasn't far off—but his physical instincts and combat sense were frighteningly sharp.
His endurance and recovery were remarkable. Even without dragon magic, his body was already monstrous. With Fire Dragon Slayer magic restoring him through consuming flames, his toughness bordered on inhuman.
"…By the way, is Natsu's father really a dragon?" Noah asked Erza, raising a curious brow.
She shook her head. "I've been here longer than you and never once saw the dragon he claims raised him. His name was… Igneel, I think. He's the one who taught Natsu Dragon Slayer magic."
"Igneel…" Noah muttered the name softly. He remembered Dolan mentioning him before. That blacksmith had said the Iron Dragon their clan awaited was on good terms with *the Fire Dragon King Igneel,* one of the legendary "Three Kings of Dragons."
Coincidence? Or was Natsu's "father" really that Igneel?
---
"Today's newspaper is here—big news!"
Mira slid into the seat between Noah and Erza, fanning out newspapers. The guild subscribed to around twenty every day, covering everything from politics to gossip. Yet today, nearly every front page shouted the same headline:
**"Alternate Holy Ten! Youngest Member of the Council Revealed—Zeke Reina!"**
**"Shocking! Only 19 Years Old!"**
**"Newest Heartthrob Tops the Magic World Boyfriend Rankings?! Who is Zeke?"**
…
The buzz swept across the guild.
A 19-year-old mage—Zeke Rein—had been officially named a candidate to join the "Ten Wizard Saints." Once he passed the Council's stringent tests, he would become one of the strongest ten officially recognized by the Magic Council.
The Holy Ten. Almost synonymous with "top ten strongest mages alive."
But Zeke Rein's renown didn't end there. He was already famous—defeating Lahar, the Council's rising star, and becoming the youngest Councilor in history. With such a résumé, becoming a Wizard Saint was effectively guaranteed.
Whispers buzzed. *This kid might even surpass Makarov himself one day.*
Noah, however, wasn't interested in the honors. His gaze fixed on the man's photograph.
Dark blue hair. A cold expression.
And a resemblance.
Sixty percent similar to Noah's own face. Remove the tattoo on his cheek… and the similarity shot up even higher.
The guild members noticed. Dozens of eyes shifted toward Noah.
Mira's face lit with hope. "Noah! Could he be the brother you've been searching for?"
Before Noah could speak, Erza stirred from her silent thoughts and frowned. "Brother? Noah… you have family?"
Mira blinked, startled. She smiled faintly. "You didn't know? Noah left home looking for his missing brother."
Erza paused. So close to Noah these months… yet he never told her.
Noah only scratched his cheek awkwardly. Of course he hadn't told her—he had almost forgotten the backstory he fabricated to cover his true identity.
Keeping his smile calm, he shook his head. "No. This guy has nothing to do with me. My brother's name is Jellal. And the man in the papers clearly isn't him."
The name landed like a hammer.
Erza's body tensed, hand balling into a tight fist beneath the table.
*Jellal… Noah's brother is… him?*
Memories and scars from her past surged, and for a moment she was too shaken to speak.
---
While the guild was wrapped in lively discussion, movement stirred at the entrance.
Natsu groaned awake from Erza's knockout punch. Blinking blearily, he spotted a figure peeking nervously into the guild.
A blonde girl stood there hesitantly, her eyes wide, voice uncertain.
"Um… hello. My name's Lucy."
Her cheeks pinkened as dozens of curious gazes turned to her.
"…Can I join Fairy Tail?"
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