Chapter 260: Strength Comparison
Natsu slammed his fist onto the table. "So it was those bastards from Phantom Lord!"
He then looked confused. "Wait, Ultear and Sorano fought him, right? Two S-Class wizards couldn't take him down? Is this Iron Dragon guy really that strong?"
The other guild members nodded, equally puzzled. Their S-Class wizards were monsters. Two of them should have been able to crush anyone.
"I asked them to hold back," Noah explained. "We have a plan, remember? We needed to drive him off, not capture him yet."
"Ah, right!" Alzack Connell spoke up. "You said something might happen soon. Was this it?"
Alzack and Bisca Mulan were immigrants from the Western Continent who had joined Fairy Tail a few years ago. Alzack used Guns Magic, and Bisca used "The Gunner" magic.
"Yes," Noah said. "Our relationship with Phantom Lord has always been bad. Their master, Jose, is a jealous and greedy man. Six years ago, he clashed with Gramps at a Guild Master meeting and lost. He hasn't attended a meeting since. Now that Lucy has joined us, given his personality, it was highly likely he would make a move. So we prepared. And as expected, they took the bait."
The guild buzzed with discussion. Then, Max Alors, a Sand Magic user who loved to chat, asked, "So what do we do now? They've already attacked us."
"For now, we do nothing," Noah said calmly. "For the next two days, avoid going out alone. Stick together in groups when you travel, and stay with friends at night. Gajeel is still prowling around Magnolia. It's very likely he'll try to attack individual members."
Hearing that they were still being targeted, the guild erupted in anger.
"We can't just let this slide! He's still trying to attack us?!"
"Let's go wreck their guild!"
"Calm down! Let's see what the Master says."
Everyone turned to Makarov. He took a sip of his drink and said, "Do as Noah says."
"But Master! They attacked our guild! And now they're hunting us—"
"Do we look like the kind of people who take a beating and don't hit back?" Noah interrupted, clapping his hands for attention. "Don't worry. We're prepared. They will be punished. Just endure it for two more days.
"Stick together. I'm monitoring all magic fluctuations in and around Magnolia. If there's a spike, I'll be there instantly. So even if you are attacked, don't panic. Just hold out for a few seconds, or flare your magic, and I'll find you.
"Right now, the most important thing is to rest and save your strength. Be ready for the battle to come."
Hearing Noah's assurance, the guild relaxed. If Noah said they were prepared, they believed him. They began to disperse, forming groups and making arrangements to stay together.
"I didn't think they'd actually go this far," Makarov sighed once the crowd had thinned.
"It can't be helped. Given Jose's personality, this was inevitable," Noah said.
"War between guilds will disrupt the order of the magical world. I wanted to avoid it if possible. And I'm worried about the children's safety. Phantom Lord isn't weak."
He looked at Noah. "You said you can monitor magic fluctuations around Magnolia?"
"Yes. I'm monitoring 24/7. If a fight starts, I'll know." Noah opened his Archive screens and began typing.
"Can you handle the strain? That must take a lot of magic."
Ultear and the others walked over. "Master, you don't need to worry about this monster," Sorano said. "He's monitoring the entire kingdom right now. He's tracking Jose and all their elites."
"What?! The whole kingdom?!" Natsu and Gray gasped.
"She's not joking," Noah confirmed. "I've been tracking them since last night. It's not difficult. I've also set up a monitoring net around Magnolia."
A map appeared on his screen. A white ripple spread from Magnolia, covering the entire kingdom. Several red dots and many green dots appeared.
"The big red dot is Jose. The four around him are the Element 4. They're at their headquarters. This isolated red dot near Magnolia is Gajeel. The green dots are our guild members. These scattered green ones are Laxus and the others still on missions. I'll call them back."
"Whoa! That's their base? Jose and the Element 4 are all there?" Natsu pointed at the cluster of red dots, excited.
"Yes. But remember, do not charge in alone. We need them to come to us," Noah warned.
"I know," Natsu grumbled, disappointed.
"Don't worry. When they get here, you can go wild."
"With Noah watching, we'll know exactly where their heavy hitters are," Gray said, looking at the map. "That gives us a huge advantage."
"I... I feel like this is all my fault," Lucy said quietly, looking down. "I've caused so much trouble for everyone. I'm so sorry."
Even though her parents and Noah had reassured her, she couldn't shake the guilt.
"This isn't your fault, Lucy," Ultear said gently. "Our conflict with Phantom Lord goes way back. Your arrival was just the spark. Even without you, with the way they act, a war was inevitable sooner or later."
"Exactly!" Sorano chimed in. "Jose hasn't come to a meeting in six years because he's a petty sore loser! They've been picking fights with us for years. Don't think about it like that. You're a member of Fairy Tail now. If they want to touch you, they have to go through us!"
"Sister, you're so cool!" Yukino and Meredy cheered.
"Hehe! And you're so cute!" Sorano immediately ruined the moment by grabbing Yukino and rubbing her face against hers.
Noah ignored them and turned to Natsu and Gray. "You guys need to rest. Don't burn yourselves out before the fight even starts."
"No way! I want to fight now!" Natsu jumped up, but Noah pushed him back down. "Sit. Rest. You'll get your chance."
"By the way," Lucy asked, realizing something. "I don't actually know how strong they are. No one told me."
"Eh? You don't know?" Sorano asked, surprised.
"No one told me!" Lucy said, exasperated.
"I'll explain," Ultear said. "Their master is Jose Porla. Like our Master, he is one of the Ten Wizard Saints."
"Ten Wizard Saints?!" Lucy gasped. "The ten strongest wizards on the continent chosen by the Council Chairman?! Wow!"
"Jose and the Master are equals in rank. Phantom Lord also has the Element 4, who are S-Class level wizards. And the most troublesome one is Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer who attacked us last night. I fought him briefly; even holding back, I could tell he's strong."
"Dragon Slayer?! Besides Natsu and Wendy? He eats iron?" Lucy asked, shocked.
"Yes," Noah confirmed. "Dragon Slayers eat their element. Iron Dragon Slayers eat iron." He turned to Ultear. "Your assessment is a bit off, though. Gramps is stronger than Jose. And while the Element 4 are S-Class by normal guild standards, they aren't comparable to our S-Class wizards. Gajeel is strong, but only decent. Natsu, I'm leaving Gajeel to you."
"Alright! I'm gonna smash him!" Natsu yelled, fired up.
"So Natsu and Gajeel are about the same strength?" Lucy guessed.
"No, Natsu is stronger," Noah said. "I just think it would be good for two Dragon Slayers to... exchange ideas."
"Exchange ideas..." Lucy sweatdropped. She then asked, "So our Master will fight their Master?"
"What are you thinking? Why would we let Gramps fight?" Noah laughed. "I'll handle Jose. Actually, I was thinking of letting the other S-Class wizards take a crack at him first. To let them feel the pressure."
Lucy froze. "But... didn't you say he's one of the Ten Wizard Saints? Can you handle him?"
"That title is just a reference," Noah said. "People with the title are strong, yes. But people without it aren't necessarily weaker."
"But if you're strong enough, why don't you have the title?"
"Simple. I've never shown off my strength. I'm too busy studying and training. Who cares about being a Wizard Saint? If I don't show off, they don't know. I don't need a title to validate my power. Besides, the title isn't just about strength; there are politics involved."
"So... you're as strong as the Master?" Lucy asked, finally understanding.
"No. I surpassed Gramps a long time ago," Noah said matter-of-factly. "It's normal for the new generation to surpass the old."
"It is not normal to surpass him that young!" Ultear retorted. "You were stronger than him years ago. You're just a freak of nature." Sorano nodded in agreement.
"Is he really that strong?" Lucy looked at Noah with wide eyes.
"I'm alright," Noah waved his hand. "Still a bit weak. Need to work harder."
"Weak?!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Yeah, he always says that. He has zero sense of security," Sorano sighed.
"Alright, don't worry about strength," Noah said. "I'll assign opponents based on ability when they get here. Just make sure you're rested."
"Understood!"
Most of the guild members stayed in the hall that day, chatting and waiting. Even when they went out, they moved in groups.
The day passed peacefully, with no incidents.
~~~
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