(Thank you very much to 'Teflon Pad,' 'Yongjiang Yiku,' and 'Long Lian Qingxue' for the tips!)
The entire banquet lasted until evening.
Noah spent the whole time enjoying the feast alongside the guild members.
He accepted Natsu and Gray's challenge, set up an impromptu ring, and took both of them down within one or two moves.
He accepted Erza and Kana's challenge, competing with them in a drinking contest and downing enough alcohol to be measured in barrels.
He accepted Laxus and Elfman's challenge, holding an eating contest and chewing through an unknown number of chunks of meat.
He accepted the other members' challenge as well, though this one was a contest of intimacy between couples. In front of everyone, he seemed to let go completely, pulling Mira and Lisanna into his arms and kissing them fiercely. The sisters flushed crimson, their companions raised a ruckus, and Wendy and Yukino looked on in immense envy.
The boisterous banquet did not end until the sky was nearly dark. One drunken guild member after another was helped out of the guild hall and sent home.
In the end, the only people who remained in the guild were Noah's closest companions.
Every one of them had chosen, without any prior agreement, to stay. They chatted and laughed, but as though they had eaten too much to stand, they slumped across the tables one after another, unable to move anymore.
Only Mira, Lisanna, Wendy, Yukino, and the other girls could still bustle around, bringing water to those who had drunk too much and patting the backs of those who had overeaten. They seemed to be enjoying themselves as well.
Looking at his companions, Noah suddenly spoke.
"There's something I want to tell everyone."
At those words, all his companions fell silent and turned to