"Bam!"
Natsu, "losing all color," collapsed weakly onto the floor.
Although his body remained sprawled, his soul seemed to slowly rise, almost as if it were ascending. The expression on Natsu's face revealed utter despair.
"So decisive in defeat."
Cana, holding Shiro, couldn't help but sigh beside him. Poor Natsu… this was the second time today he'd been knocked flat. How reckless could he be?
However, Natsu quickly got back up, gritting his teeth and twisting his body like a wriggling worm, contorting painfully, his face twisted in agony.
Erza stood with her hands on her hips, striking and confident. She hadn't drawn her sword—just her fists had sent Natsu flying—making him look inexperienced.
In truth, though, Natsu's strength was very solid. Being knocked down by both Moen and Erza didn't mean he was weak. The reality was simply that Moen and Erza's power was overwhelmingly superior.
After joining the Fairy Tail guild, Natsu finally understood the saying, "there's always someone stronger." Previously, he had only dealt with wild animals, but entering human society hit him like a ton of bricks.
"Want to continue?"
Erza brushed her hair behind her ear and asked Natsu. She was willing to fight for as long as necessary.
"Enough, enough, Erza. Let's stop here."
Seeing Natsu biting his lip, unable to speak from pain,Moen smiled and waved to Erza.
"Natsu still needs to study reading and writing."
Patting Natsu's shoulder, Moen gave him an excuse, but the remark only made Natsu's face darker.
"I-I can still manage!"
Natsu lowered his head slightly, raising his hand timidly. Compared to being beaten up, he disliked studying even more. Those characters looked like gibberish to him, giving him a headache just by looking at them.
"Hm? Are you sure?"
Moen smiled but kept his eyes on Natsu. His hand pressed lightly on Natsu's shoulder, twisting his face into a grimace once more.
"I'm sorry, Moen! I'll study properly!"
Natsu grit his teeth, finally surrendering. He realized learning was necessary—otherwise, he wouldn't even understand the quest postings on the guild's noticeboard.
"That's right. Time is precious. Don't waste it. Remember, after finishing lessons, meditation training awaits."
Moen released Natsu, patted his shoulder, and then grabbed him by the scruff of his collar, dragging him away.
"Erza! Just you wait! I'll defeat you someday!"
Natsu, being dragged away, swung his fist at Erza and shouted a bold threat. He truly remembered the beatings but didn't care—he still dared to provoke Erza. He clearly hadn't been fully subdued.
"I'll be waiting for your next challenge."
Erza's reaction was calm; she just nodded, showing little concern.
However, Gray looked visibly moved. Seeing Natsu's stubborn and defiant expression, Gray clenched his fists and jumped forward, pointing at Erza.
"Erza! I want to challenge you too!"
Though he appeared solemn, Gray had finally mustered courage. He wasn't necessarily aiming to defeat Erza but refused to appear weaker than Natsu.
Cana watched Gray spring forward in shock. Why challenge someone he clearly couldn't beat? Did he actually enjoy being beaten?
Cana couldn't understand Natsu and Gray's behavior at all.
Moreover, it seemed—perhaps just her imagination—that Gray had become somewhat unhinged since Natsu's arrival.
Cana was correct. Natsu's presence had fully ignited Gray's competitive spirit.
Before Natsu arrived, Gray held a middle-tier position in Fairy Tail: he couldn't surpass Morn or Laxus, but he could easily defeat Jett and Toby.Naturally, his competitive spirit was rarely provoked.
However, Natsu's appearance gave Gray a truly evenly matched rival. On top of that, their personalities clashed violently, forcing them to constantly compete until a clear victor emerged.
Now, if you want to motivate these two, the method is simple.
"Natsu, learning to read and write isn't that hard. Even Gray can do it easily. You don't want him laughing at you for being an idiot, do you?"
In the study room, seeing Natsu scratching his head in frustration like he had lost his mind, Moen decisively deployed his secret weapon.
"Absolutely not!"
As expected, the secret weapon worked. The moment Moen finished speaking, Natsu literally ignited—fire started flickering above his head, and his entire body bristled with energy.
"If that guy can do it, then I absolutely can too!"
Natsu shouted and began furiously writing. Those previously dizzying, incomprehensible characters no longer bothered him as much. To avoid Gray's ridicule, he had to learn the letters quickly!
Natsu's behavior was almost entirely instinctive, perfectly fitting the definition of a "single-celled organism." Interacting with him required no complicated thinking at all.
"Pfft~"
Watching Natsu scribbling intensely, the blue-haired girl beside Moen laughed, her eyes squinting with amusement.
"Levy, it's your turn. Keep an eye on Natsu—don't let him slack off."
Moen looked at the young blue-haired girl beside him. Levy was two years younger than him, one year younger than Natsu, only ten years old this year. Slightly shorter and petite, she looked adorable. Moen ruffled her hair and instructed her with a smile.
"Okay, Moen, I'll supervise Natsu."
Levy squinted her big eyes slightly, clearly enjoying Morn's head pat. She nodded obediently and answered seriously.
Levy was a literature prodigy. Despite her young age, she had already started learning several ancient languages. Her dormitory was filled with books, and "sleeping on a pillow of books" was her everyday routine.
To help her study, Levy had even purchased a pair of "Gale Force Reading Glasses", a magical item similar to Laxus's "Sound Vessel," which allowed her to read at a speed up to 32 times faster than normal.
Moen felt confident leaving Natsu under Levy's supervision. She might even be more competent than him, capable of making these boring lessons more interesting.
Although Moen had assigned Levy to monitor Natsu, he didn't wander far. Sitting cross-legged on the side, he began his meditation training. Meditation required full concentration, so he couldn't divide his attention to guide Natsu. With Levy oluntarily helping, Moen had much less to worry abstirre
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