Chapter 185: The Beast King
But Noah also saw how hard Makarov worked. He wasn't young anymore, yet he constantly had to write apology letters because of Natsu and the others. Even though Makarov supported their "live-as-you-please" attitude, Noah figured it would be good to lessen his burden. So, Noah agreed.
Seeing Noah accept his proposal, Makarov couldn't help but beam. This would make his life so much easier! He wouldn't have to stress over how to word the reports anymore. A heavy burden felt like it had been lifted, and he was visibly more relaxed. His smile never faded, and he even took several large swigs of his booze, looking a bit tipsy.
Noah smiled along with him. But if he was going to be writing the reports, he should probably prepare.
Noah accessed his Archive, pulling up all of Makarov's previously written apologies. They were run-of-the-mill, at best. A large portion of the content was just repeated. It was obvious Makarov had run out of things to say and had just started copying his old work. After reviewing twenty or thirty of them, Noah had a good idea of what to do.
But with magic, who would bother writing by hand? Noah took out a pen and paper, cast a spell, and the pen began to automatically write out the report he had just composed in his mind. It was finished in moments. He handed it to Makarov for review.
Makarov read it and nodded repeatedly, proclaiming it was much better than his old ones. By using his Archive to pull and synthesize data, Noah could write high-quality reports at high speed. Since his work was approved, Noah didn't give it a second thought. Writing a few reports was nothing to him.
However, to reduce his future workload, Noah decided he would try to correct some of their bad habits—at the very least, get them to control their destructive power. He laid out a future training plan for them, then returned to his own studies, occasionally asking Makarov about things he didn't know.
About an hour or two passed like this when, suddenly, the guild's communication lacrima flared with a distress signal. Both Noah and Makarov instantly became serious.
Ever since Noah had added a protective enchantment to the guild marks—one that would automatically send a distress signal upon activation—this was the first time they had ever received such a signal. While members had sent manual alerts before, an automatic one was a different story. It meant a guild member was in such extreme danger that the protective magic had been forcefully triggered.
"Gramps, I'm going to check it out," Noah said, waving his hand to store his materials. He walked quickly to the communication lacrima.
"Alright. Be careful," Makarov nodded, his expression grave.
Noah confirmed the coordinates on the lacrima and vanished in a flash of light. Makarov walked over to the device, staring at the signal's location. "Isn't that where Mirajane went for that emergency request?" he muttered. "She went with her brother and sister. Who could be hurt?"
The few other members in the guild had also seen the signal. They relaxed slightly knowing Noah was on his way, but they still stared anxiously at the lacrima, waiting for an update.
Meanwhile, Noah teleported to the vicinity of the distress signal. He immediately expanded his detection magic, located the strongest guild member's signature, and teleported directly to her side.
He found Mirajane sitting on the ground. Her eyes were wide, pupils dilated, her mouth agape. Her left arm was stretched out in front of her, her expression one of pure terror. She was clearly in a state of shock.
Standing before her was a giant monster. It had the claws of a beast, wore a pair of tattered trousers, and its upper body, aside from its chest and neck, was covered in thick red fur. Two large horns curved backward from its shoulders, with two smaller horns pointing up from its head. It had a mane of white hair and a white beard. Its aura was astonishing, and it was staring intently at the frozen Mirajane.
Noah glanced at the monster. He could tell it wasn't a threat to him, but it clearly wasn't a good idea to leave it be. He raised a hand, and a "Light-Make: Cage" instantly formed, trapping the creature. He then turned to Mirajane.
"What happened here? Mira, are you okay?" He saw she was covered in cuts and bruises, though she didn't look like the one who had triggered the protective magic. He handed her a healing potion and simultaneously expanded his detection magic to search the surrounding area.
"Noah... is that you?!" Mirajane's mind was blank from the shock. When she heard his voice, she subconsciously said his name before it registered. "Noah! You have to save Lisanna! Quick, save her!"
The shock had been too great. Noah's presence always brought a powerful sense of security to everyone in the guild. He was the one who either had the answers or could help you find them. Everyone trusted him implicitly. In this moment of absolute, life-shattering despair, his arrival was a lifeline. She grabbed onto him, her voice frantic, only able to repeat, "Quick, save Lisanna!" but couldn't explain what had happened.
Noah could see she was incoherent, that the shock was severe. He didn't press her for details. Instead, he simply teleported them both to the location of the other guild member his magic had just pinpointed.
They appeared to find Lisanna lying motionless on the ground, enveloped in a shimmering barrier embossed with the Fairy Tail emblem. The sight of her sister snapped Mirajane partially out of her shock. She let go of Noah and scrambled over, half-crawling, half-running, to Lisanna's side, only to be stopped by the barrier. She whipped her head around to look at Noah, her voice sharp with panic. "Noah, what's going on? What's wrong with Lisanna?!"
Noah quickly walked to the barrier, dispelled it with a touch, and knelt to examine Lisanna.
Mirajane knelt beside him, watching his every move with unbearable tension. When he finished, she stared at him without blinking, her expression a painful mix of hope, fear, and desperation, terrified of what he might say.
"Lisanna's just unconscious," Noah said, his voice calm and steady. "There are no life-threatening issues, but she has some external wounds and some internal injuries. She needs treatment."
Hearing the news, Mirajane audibly exhaled. The tension drained out of her body, and she went limp, sagging against Noah for support.
Noah remained perfectly still, letting her lean on him. He took a potion from his pocket and used his magic to float it to Lisanna's lips, carefully administering the liquid. This potion would accelerate her body's natural healing and was especially effective for internal injuries.
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