Ignoring the brawl that had already broken out between Macao and Wakaba, Moen greeted some of his other companions before heading to the back of the guild hall. Behind the building stretched a wide open training ground, reserved specifically for guild mages to practice their magic.
Boom!
The ground trembled with the roar of thunder. Lightning burst across the clearing as violent magical energy surged, and a tall, broad-shouldered figure stood in the raging storm.
"It's Laxus…"
The sight of that lightning-wreathed figure was all too familiar to Moen. It was none other than his elder brother, Laxus Dreyar—the same one he had quarreled with earlier at home.
Laxus's magic was also a form of Dragon Slayer Magic, specifically Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic. However, unlike true Dragon Slayers who learned directly from dragons, his power came from the Dragon Lacrima embedded in his body.
The Dragon Lacrima was a priceless treasure—rare beyond compare. Implanting it into a human body was an extremely dangerous undertaking.
The reason Laxus risked it was because his body had been too weak to withstand the overwhelming magical power he inherited from his grandfather, Makarov. His body had always been frail. The Lacrima was a desperate gamble, but a necessary one. Fortunately, the procedure succeeded. Otherwise, Makarov surely would have lived with regret for the rest of his life.
What happened to Laxus proved that having immense magical talent wasn't always a blessing. Sometimes, a body simply couldn't endure that power. And not everyone could rely on something as rare as a Dragon Lacrima to strengthen themselves.
Laxus's twisted personality was, in no small part, shaped by this ordeal.
The Lacrima that changed his destiny had been purchased at a high price by his father, Ivan Dreyar. Yet Ivan himself had been expelled from Fairy Tail.
Laxus could never accept that. He was deeply dissatisfied, since his grandfather had never given a reason convincing enough in his eyes.
In truth, Moen didn't fully understand it either. While he vaguely recalled that Ivan had never seemed like a good man, outright branding him as "a danger to the guild" and banishing him completely felt a little far-fetched. Perhaps there were things that happened which they simply didn't know.
Crackle!
The lightning faded, and Laxus turned his gaze toward Moen.
"Moen, I heard you defeated some guy who uses Dragon Slayer Magic?"
Surprisingly, it was Laxus who initiated the conversation. Normally, in his rebellious stage, he shut himself away from everyone, as if the entire world were his enemy. For him to approach first was very unlike his usual behavior.
"…Wait, how do all of you know about that already? It wasn't even a big deal."
Moen looked puzzled. All he did was flatten Natsu—yet somehow, everyone was talking about it. Did Natsu come with some kind of protagonist's aura that drew attention?
"How did his Dragon Slayer Magic come about?"
Laxus ignored Moen's question and pressed on. This was the point that concerned him. Natsu was the first Dragon Slayer he had ever encountered.
Back when Natsu had joined Fairy Tail, Laxus had been away on a job. Until now, the two had never met.
"He said his dad taught him."
Moen answered evenly.
"…Huh?"
Laxus froze, completely dumbfounded. Was Dragon Slayer Magic… something that could be passed down like a family heirloom?
"He said his dad was a fire dragon."
Moen added calmly. His words left Laxus staring blankly in shock.
"...A… fire dragon?"
For once, Laxus's fierce face looked almost goofy, as if he was seriously trying to process the possibility.
"There are two possibilities. One—he's completely out of his mind. Two—he really did grow up with a fire dragon, and that dragon taught him Dragon Slayer Magic. Which do you think is more likely?"
Moen rubbed his forehead and posed the question back. But thinking it over carefully, even the second option didn't seem entirely impossible.
The biggest reason was this: Moen found it hard to believe that an orphan like Natsu—who had appeared out of nowhere and couldn't even clearly explain his origins—would just so happen to have a Dragon Lacrima inside him.
Dragon Lacrima were unimaginably rare. Even if one was obtained, it would be treasured, never wasted on some wild child running around like a savage.
"...Do dragons… really still exist?"
Laxus looked slightly dazed. Even though he himself had mastered Dragon Slayer Magic, he still doubted whether true dragons existed in this era. After all, no one had ever actually seen one.
"It'd be way more fun if dragons really did exist," Moen joked with a grin. "They say dragons love hoarding treasure. If we could defeat an evil dragon, wouldn't that make us rich? We'd never have to take on jobs again!"
Moen chuckled as he teased. He hadn't watched this anime, so he had no idea whether dragons still roamed the world. For now, he was just speaking casually. Still, if a dragon really did exist, he genuinely wouldn't mind becoming a dragon-slaying warrior, especially now that he had his own special "cheat" power. With that kind of strength, would he really lack the courage to slay a dragon?
"Hmph."
Hearing Moen's words, Laxus let out a cold snort. His expression hardened, and without saying another word, he turned and walked away—almost as if he suddenly realized he had let his tough image slip.
"???"
Moen blinked, completely baffled. Just a moment ago they had been joking around, and now Laxus was storming off as if nothing had happened. Did he say something wrong without realizing it?
These problem children… and problem youths… none of them ever made life easy.
Bang!
Thud!
Just as Laxus turned to leave, a fiery figure came charging toward him and crashed straight into his broad frame.
This time, however, Laxus was prepared. His body didn't budge an inch, while the one who collided with him was the one knocked back, falling flat onto the ground.
Towering above the kid, Laxus looked down. The first thing he noticed was the boy's cherry-pink hair.
"Natsu?! You're already awake?!"
Moen leaned forward to take a look and instantly recognized him. Wasn't this the "Fire Dragon" Natsu he had knocked unconscious earlier?
This was the durability that came with Dragon Slayer Magic—the body was unbelievably resilient. Sure enough, Natsu was already back on his feet, lively as ever.
"Oh? So you're the so-called Dragon Slayer Mage that Moen defeated?"
Hearing the name "Natsu," Laxus narrowed his eyes. He crouched slightly, glaring down at the bewildered boy with a ferocious look.
"To think you're such a pathetic waste… you're a disgrace to Dragon Slayers."
Laxus's face twisted with disappointment. The kid before him looked like a complete fool—not someone who could ever become strong.