Cana and "Little White"

He opened his eyes, and there it was again—that unfamiliar ceiling.

Noah yawned. He had stayed up too late reading last night, but he had also absorbed a wealth of knowledge from a book called Common Knowledge of Magic, so he no longer had to worry about drawing attention by being completely clueless.

His gaze shifted to another book on the nightstand: General Dark Magic: Amaterasu Style. Last night, when Noah had asked Makarov what magic he could learn to boost his combat power, this was the answer Makarov had given him.

"Dark Magic" referred to magic that manipulated dark-attribute magical elements in battle; it was not the same as evil "Black Magic."

Amaterasu Style contained a total of 108 spells. Makarov had told Noah to pick just two of them to study and master, warning that forcing himself to learn more would only harm him.

At first, Noah suspected Makarov was exaggerating, but the moment he opened the book, he understood why the old man had said that.

The magic circles used to cast Amaterasu Style were different from those of other spells.

The "Runic Magic Circle," engraved with profound runes, was not only the most crucial foundation of Amaterasu Style but also the fundamental reason for the magic's immense power.

To inscribe runes onto a magic circle with one's own magic power in the instant of casting—this was something only a mage with absolute control over their magic could accomplish.

Moreover, "runes" represented one's understanding of magic. Amaterasu Style required a vast number of runes, and without an enormous reservoir of knowledge, it was simply impossible to complete.

Consuming mental energy, requiring vast knowledge, demanding precise magic control.

These three essential factors sent the difficulty of learning Amaterasu Style skyrocketing. Only a genius of unparalleled wisdom could master it.

Even Makarov himself only had a basic understanding of this magic and had chosen not to practice it. To this day, the only person in the guild who knew the complete Amaterasu Style was its creator.

And the one who created Amaterasu Style and passed it down was Makarov's most respected teacher, one of the founders of Fairy Tail, the guild's second master—the man of astonishing wisdom, Precht Gaebolg.

"This second master's knowledge is terrifyingly profound," Noah muttered.

He picked up the Amaterasu book. Last night, it was precisely because he had read the book's abstruse magical theories that he had been able to sleep soundly until morning.

He wondered what that second master, who was now traveling the world, would think if he knew his life's work had such a powerful sleep-inducing effect.

But that had nothing to do with Noah. Even if the second master found out, the first person he'd come after would be his unfilial disciple Makarov, who had left his master's books piled up in a warehouse gathering dust.

Still, Makarov was already over eighty now. Whether that second master, who had been wandering the world without a trace, was even still alive was a question in itself.

Amaterasu Style was a struggle for Noah to learn. His foundation in magical knowledge was so weak it was practically nonexistent. Even studying a single spell from it alone felt as hard as reaching the heavens.

"What a waste," he sighed.

Noah knew that unless he could immediately land a Prayer order with a reward of "vast magical knowledge," there was no way he could learn even one move from Amaterasu Style anytime soon.

[Ding]

[You have a new Prayer commission. Please check it.]

The chime in his mind made Noah's heart race.

Could it be exactly what he was thinking? After completing four Prayer commissions, had his turn for "wishes coming true" finally arrived?

Even though he knew from the moment he awakened "Prayer" that this magic couldn't grant his own wishes, he couldn't help clinging to a sliver of hope.

What if?

He couldn't wait. He unfurled his pure white magic power, and a page-like Prayer commission appeared before him.

[Local Prayer Commission]

[Cana Alberona's beloved family member "Little White" has passed away. The grieving girl prays for a miracle, prays that "Little White" will not leave her.]

[Reward: Mastery of "Card" magic]

[Time Limit: 24 hours]

Staring at the Prayer commission, Noah frowned deeply.

It wasn't the magical knowledge he had been hoping for, but thinking of that cheerful, boozy girl crying over the loss of a loved one, Noah couldn't help but feel a pang of empathy.

If one day his old father Faust passed away, he would probably cry for him too.

But did he have the ability to help Cana?

He should go check on her first. Right now, she needed someone by her side.

Fortunately, Noah lived in the girls' dormitory. He didn't know which floor or room Cana was on, but he did know where Mira's room was.

He knocked on Mira's door and explained Cana's situation to her.

"It's urgent. I'm worried Cana might do something rash in her grief. Come with me to see her, Mira."

Mira, still in her pajamas, looked puzzled. She had known Cana for a long time and only knew that Cana's mother had died when she was five.

She had never heard Cana mention any other family, let alone someone living with her.

But trusting Noah, Mira still led him to Cana's door.

They knocked several times with no response. Calling out to Cana yielded nothing. Mira frowned. "Even if she drank a lot last night, with Cana's constitution, she should be awake by now..."

"Unless—!"

Noah and Mira exchanged a glance. The latter instantly activated part of her "Satan Soul" power, and a demonic hand thrust forward, smashing the lock on the door.

In an emergency, Mira had chosen a violent entry.

Noah stepped quickly into the room. Cana's dorm wasn't exactly tidy, but contrary to his expectations, there was no overwhelming smell of alcohol or bottles scattered everywhere. Instead, there were even some cute decorations that a young girl might have.

They found Cana soon enough.

In the bedroom, Cana hugged a small white dog tightly, her body curled up in the corner.

"Cana, are you alright."

Mira crouched beside Cana, and when she touched the dog's stiff body, she understood everything at once.

This small white dog named "Little White" had been with Cana since before she joined Fairy Tail at age five, truly worthy of being called Cana's "family."

"Mira... Little White... it's... it's..."

Cana was heartbroken, unable to warm the little dog that had already lost all its warmth in her arms.

When Cana was very young, her mother had been terminally ill with little time left. Worried that her daughter would be lonely after she died, she took little Cana to a pet store and bought an adorable white puppy.

Cana loved the puppy and named it Little White.

Less than a year later, Cana's mother succumbed to her illness and passed away.

In the twelve years that followed, Little White stayed by Cana's side every single day. Even when it grew too old to move around much, it still waited at the door every day for Cana to come home.

Until last night, when Cana opened the door and came home—there was no happy bark from the little dog, only a cold, stiff body lying at the doorstep, as if keeping watch over something.

At the end of its life, Little White was still waiting for Cana to come home.

Cana regretted it deeply. If only she had come home a little earlier last night... would she have been able to see Little White one last time...

Mira held Cana close. She too had lost her parents at a young age, but at least she still had her younger siblings to rely on.

But Cana—she had lost her last family member.

"Cana, don't be sad. Little White lived for twelve years, which is quite long for an ordinary dog."

Mira tried her best to comfort Cana. "Little White died of old age, never suffering from any serious illness in its life. That's fortunate. You should be happy for it..."

Seeing Cana remain silent, Mira sighed. She knew how painful it was to lose a loved one, and turned to Noah, hoping he would say something to comfort her too.

But instead, Noah was staring at Little White with a serious expression.

"Cana, Mira, can you two confirm that Little White is just an 'ordinary' creature?"

Mira didn't understand why Noah would ask that at a time like this, but she answered anyway. "Yes, Little White is just an ordinary pet dog, nothing special. Not like those pets with magical beast bloodlines that can live a long time."

"I see."

Noah spoke in a low voice. "Cana, if you had the power to bring Little White back to life, would you do it?"

"Yes! I'd do anything!"

Cana grabbed onto that thread of hope, looking eagerly at Noah, waiting for what he would say next.

Letting out a relieved smile, Noah vaguely sensed the meaning behind the "Prayer" magic.

It wasn't just about "commissioned transactions" on the surface.

So what was he waiting for?

He reached his right hand behind his back. A flash of pure white light, and a card appeared in Noah's hand—most of its face a vivid magenta.

A card modified by "Prayer," its effects adapted to this world—Soul Resurrection!

Noah held the card out to Cana.

"Cana, this is a power only Card Mages can use, but it requires an enormous amount of magic. I don't know exactly how much."

"Whether you can awaken Little White depends on you in the end."

Cana took the card in a daze. The moment she held it, she understood how to use it. A glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.

She recalled what old man Doran had said to her. If her magic power really was that strong...

The girl's gaze turned resolute. She poured all her magic power into the card, pushing it with everything she had, until the card began to glow red.

"I target Little White with Soul Resurrection—activate!"

The card dissolved between her fingers, turning into a gentle mist in the shape of a woman, opening its arms to embrace Little White.

The next moment.

"Woof!"