How About We Have a Match?

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Under Noah's senses, Natsu's magic power was like some kind of chemical substance. Every element that made up that substance seemed to be clearly laid out before Noah's eyes, imprinted within his perception.

So while everyone else in the Fairy Tail guild was still half-convinced by Natsu's words, Noah had already almost completely believed him.

To a certain extent, a person's magic power could also be regarded as that person's own aura.

If magic power were compared to water, then every individual with magic power would be water with a different flavor. Yet water was still water; that would never change.

But in Noah's perception, Natsu's magic power felt different from everyone else's.

How should he put it?

If he had to make an analogy, Natsu's magic power was probably like ink.

Ink could also be considered a kind of water, and unlike other water, it certainly had its own flavor. However, it could not be drunk, had a scent ordinary water lacked, and was even black in color. At a glance, one could tell it was different from water.

That was how Natsu's magic power felt to Noah. Though it was still water, it was clearly different from an ordinary person's magic power—very special.

Of course, there was nothing strange about being special. After all, Natsu had learned Lost Magic, magic passed down from ancient times and now lost. It was only natural for his magic power to differ from others and be exceptionally unusual.

But Noah could not help caring about it.

There was only one reason.

Natsu's magic power felt far too similar to the magic power Noah had sensed from Laxus!

They both possessed magic power that seemed to conceal a savage beast within their bodies!

And Natsu, who possessed that kind of magic power, was a user of Dragon Slayer Magic!

Could Laxus...

Just as a certain suspicion arose in Noah's heart, an aged voice rang out from the guild entrance and echoed throughout the entire guild.

"Everything Natsu said is true!"

Under the gazes of every Fairy Tail guild member, Makarov walked in from outside and spoke words that stunned everyone.

"Natsu is indeed a mage who has learned Fire Dragon Slayer Magic. In other words, Natsu is a Dragon Slayer Mage!"

"Dragon Slayer Mage..." Everyone stared in astonishment at Natsu, who had looked like he was about to cry just moments ago but now wore a smug expression.

"Is that for real?"

"A Dragon Slayer Mage?"

"I never thought such an ancient kind of mage would really appear in Fairy Tail..."

"And he's just a kid..."

Besides the mages of Fairy Tail, Erza also spoke to Noah beside her with great interest.

"That child named Natsu seems quite formidable."

"Fire Dragon Slayer Magic?" Gray, still lying on the ground, fixed his gaze on Natsu and grinned.

"Interesting. He's someone worth fighting!"

"Heh heh!" Natsu planted his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest like a little man whose nose had grown long, and burst into laughter.

"Well? Scared now?"

"Isn't this perfect?" Erza stepped forward with a smile, looking eager to give it a try.

"How about we have a match?"

"A match?" Everyone present immediately erupted into commotion, looking as though they feared the world was not chaotic enough.

"Not bad, not bad!"

"How about it, kid named Natsu? Want to spar with Erza?"

"Let us see the power of a Dragon Slayer Mage!"

"With you?" Natsu's eyes lit up, and he jumped out with a face full of excitement.

"Fine! I'll beat you! Then I can prove that I'm even stronger than that **!"

"Idiot!" For once, Gray did not pick a fight. Instead, he looked at Natsu with pity.

"You'll soon find out just how terrifying Erza really is!"

Urged on by all the Fairy Tail guild members, Natsu agreed without surprise. Erza also looked somewhat impatient, apparently having truly developed an interest in Dragon Slayer Magic.

Unfortunately, Erza was destined not to take the field today.

"Erza!" Noah suddenly raised his head and said something unexpected.

"How about you let me take this match?"

The entire place abruptly fell silent.

"Noah?" Erza looked at Noah with a face full of confusion.

"Are you an idiot?!" Gray looked utterly dumbfounded.

"Even if that spiky-haired idiot is weak, he's still a mage! Noah, you haven't even learned magic yet, so why are you jumping out now?!"

"You haven't learned magic?" Natsu was even more shocked.

"If you haven't learned magic, how are you going to fight me?"

Not only Erza, Natsu, and Gray, but everyone in the Fairy Tail guild looked completely baffled.

"Little Noah, don't be impulsive!"

"Even if you want to compete with someone, you should wait until after you've learned magic, right?"

"That's right, that's right!"

"Wait until you've learned magic first!"

Hearing that, Noah merely smiled without speaking. His gaze met Natsu's somewhat confused expression directly.

"Well? Want to give it a try?"

Seeing that Noah had no intention of backing down, everyone except Erza began discussing it among themselves.

"Natsu!" Makarov spoke up then.

"Give Noah a try!"

"Fine!" Though he had no idea what was going on, Natsu still clenched his fists with fiery enthusiasm.

"Since Guild Master Grandpa says so, don't regret it later!"

Noah said nothing in response to Natsu's words. He simply nodded slowly, a glint of interest flashing through his eyes.

Just as Erza had said, Noah had indeed become interested in Dragon Slayer Magic.

Though that was not simply because Dragon Slayer Magic was Lost Magic, nor merely because it was powerful magic meant to combat dragons.

On the open ground before the entrance of the Fairy Tail guild, quite a few people had formed a circle around two young boys.

"Go, Little Noah!"

"Don't lose either, Dragon Slayer Mage!"

"Fight! Fight!"

"Alright!" Standing opposite Noah, Natsu looked at Noah, who stood casually with one hand resting on the scabbard of the Knight Sword at his waist. Natsu raised a fist, his face filled with excitement.

"Here I come!"

As soon as he spoke, a rather impressive surge of magic power slowly rose from Natsu's raised fist. Flames suddenly ignited over it, and beneath everyone's watchful eyes, he shouted and charged straight at Noah.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist—!"

When Natsu closed to within less than two meters of Noah, he leaped into the air. Raising his fist high, he slightly condensed the flames around it and viciously punched toward Noah's chest.

A light breeze blew Noah's bangs aside, exposing the pair of ink-black, unfathomably deep eyes beneath them to Natsu. Noah watched the flame-covered fist, and only when it was about to reach his chest did he calmly shift one step to the left.

Three months of training had already honed Noah's reflexes to an exceptional level.

And in Noah's eyes, Natsu's punch was practically slow compared with Erza's lightning-fast slashes.

Thus, that perfectly measured step allowed Noah to evade Natsu's incoming flaming fist. Noah turned slightly, and his palm slipped through Natsu's arm like a needle through a seam, lightly striking Natsu's shoulder as he followed his fist forward.

"Bang—!"

With a dull thud, Natsu, struck by Noah's palm, seemed to have been hit by lightning. He let out a muffled groan and flew backward even faster than he had charged in. Finally, he crashed onto the ground some distance away, cried out in pain, and landed flat on his back.

All sound around them vanished in an instant.