Every time Natsu saw Gray in the training grounds, they would start fighting before they even finished a few words.
Since it was the training grounds, there was no need to hold back so both sides threw magic at each other with everything they had.
It was clear that both of them were improving. Their mastery of magic and their fighting skills were sharpening with every clash.
In addition to Lyon and Simon, who would sometimes join the fray, Erza would break up Natsu and Gray's fights only to end up battling with Ultear and Sorano herself.
The main reason was that Sorano was mischievous and loved to provoke Erza. With Erza's serious personality, she always rose to the bait. Ultear would try to mediate, but before long she too was drawn into the chaos, turning it into a three-way brawl.
So it wasn't unusual to see groups of young men and women clashing in bursts of noisy magic duels.
Kagura, Yukino, Wendy, and the other younger girls could only sit to the side and watch.
At first, Wendy tried to step in, tears in her eyes, but Kagura and Yukino stopped her, telling her this was just how things were here. Wendy could only blink in disbelief.
After seeing several such battles within a week, Wendy finally accepted that this was normal and stopped being afraid.
To give them space, Noah set aside a special area within the training grounds. If two or more people started fighting elsewhere, he would teleport them into that area so they could go wild.
Sure enough, with all the sparring, everyone's combat skills improved rapidly. Noah, however, noted that endurance was what really grew. After all, when fists and magic struck flesh directly, anyone with poor stamina would collapse right away.
Inspired by the atmosphere, more and more people joined in.
At one point, some suggested that Noah and Laxus take part, but it was obvious they were on a completely different level. If they stepped in, they would sweep everyone aside except for Erza and Ultear.
Only Erza and Ultear could stand against Laxus for a time. Though they lost, it was clear the fight hadn't been easy for him.
Anyone who faced Noah managed to last for a while before being defeated, proof that Noah was holding back.
Even so, everyone was eager to challenge him, because it was a rare opportunity. Not everyone had the chance to spar with someone that strong, especially since Noah would always point out their flaws and help them improve.
Noah didn't mind. He treated the battles as relaxation. After all, studying magic nonstop was exhausting, and a good fight was the perfect way to clear his mind.
This cycle of brawling, laughter, and lessons continued until the end of the year. By then, Natsu and Wendy had both learned the basics of culture and literacy. Deeper study was now up to them.
Wendy was happy to continue learning, but Natsu wasn't as enthusiastic. Noah didn't force him.
Whenever Natsu and the others were fighting, Noah would sometimes sit nearby with Kagura, Yukino, and Wendy, chatting with them about magical knowledge and experiences to broaden their horizons.
It was also worth mentioning that at the end of the year, a new member joined Fairy Tail Jellal.
No, in this world he was called Mistgang, his chosen alias.
After several months, he had gained a general understanding of the world and confirmed what Noah had told him earlier.
So he adopted the pseudonym, always keeping his face hidden from others.
Upon arriving, his first stop was Noah. Through Noah's introduction, Mistgang officially joined the guild.
Of course, Noah explained the situation to Makarov as well.
Makarov, understanding the truth, didn't press Mistgang with questions. One look into his eyes told him the boy wasn't evil, so he welcomed him into Fairy Tail.
After joining, Mistgang demonstrated his strength, took on a few commissions, and then prepared to leave again. Before he could, Noah brought him to his home and introduced him to Wendy.
Wendy was delighted to see Mistgang and eagerly shared with him the happy experiences she'd had since joining the guild.
Noah also offered him a few magic tools, but this time Mistgang politely declined.
Noah thought about it and instead asked him to collect some easy-to-find materials on his travels, after which he would accept the tools.
Mistgang agreed, then departed to continue his journey.
Wendy wasn't nearly as sad as last time. Now that he was officially a member of Fairy Tail, she knew she would see him again soon. This was just a temporary farewell.
And so, the year X777 passed, and X778 arrived.
Not many days into the new year, the guild welcomed a new member: Levy.
She had joined Fairy Tail after hearing that the guild housed an impressive number of books.
Thanks to Noah's habit of collecting texts, Fairy Tail's library had indeed grown much larger than before. When Levy saw it for the first time, her eyes sparkled with joy, and she felt truly glad she had chosen Fairy Tail.
Not long after, Noah noticed three unfamiliar faces inside the guild.
One figure in a black cloak sat quietly at the counter. From the side, he could see a spill of white hair beneath the hood.
The other two were also white-haired, a boy and a girl. The boy, slightly older, wore a sharp blue suit. The younger girl wore a pink dress and was happily playing around with Natsu, Gray, and the others.
Noah quickly guessed who they were, but he still turned to Ultear, who stood beside him, and asked:
"Are these three new members?"
"Yeah. They joined just a few days ago," Ultear replied. "They're siblings. The older sister is the one at the counter, and the other two are her younger brother and sister."
"The sister doesn't look well. Did something happen to her?"
"That's unclear," Ultear admitted. "They haven't said much. Maybe Master knows more."
"Then I'll go ask Grandpa."
Noah walked to the counter where Makarov was seated and asked:
"Did something happen to the three new members?"
Makarov gave a knowing look. "I figured you'd ask sooner or later. But if you really want the details, you should hear it directly from them. Still… it does have to do with the older sister's magic."
"What kind of magic?"
"Requip," Makarov said. "Normally, it wouldn't be a problem. But the girl once absorbed demonic power. She never fully mastered her own magic, so her right arm remains in a demonic state."
"In other words, she's very gifted. She can Requip even the power of a demon. But a demonic arm? To most people, it's an ominous symbol. You can imagine how harsh their lives must have been before they came here."
Makarov's gaze softened. "In the end, it's up to her to open her own heart. If she can't accept her magic, she'll never control it freely and her arm will never return to normal."