Big News

The New Year's Eve celebrations had ended half a month ago.

The lively atmosphere in Magnolia had gradually died down, but there was one place in the city where the revelry never stopped.

"Noah! Accept my challenge!"

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Thump.

The pink-haired boy, who had been brimming with fighting spirit just moments ago, was now sprawled on the ground with a bump on his head, drawing laughter from the guildmates watching nearby.

"Natsu actually didn't get knocked out by Noah in one punch this time."

"Of course not. Erza was the one who stepped in today. But it still only took one punch."

"Even Erza finally couldn't stand Natsu constantly challenging Noah..."

"That's more like harassment."

"..."

Hearing the chatter around him, Noah looked pityingly at Natsu, whom Erza had just knocked unconscious with a punch.

Although Natsu had used a Dragon Slayer Magic move, he'd really only borrowed its name.

After Natsu had relentlessly pestered him, Noah had finally agreed to spar with him using hand-to-hand combat. But once he'd agreed, it had been hard to put a stop to it.

Natsu had challenged Noah tirelessly for two weeks, keeping to a schedule of one small fight a day and one big battle every three days. He'd practically worn Noah down.

At first, Noah had humored Natsu and exchanged a few blows before knocking him down. Later, growing impatient, he started ending each fight with a single punch.

Today, even Erza had finally had enough and served Natsu a full helping of her knockout treatment.

Still, after sparring with Natsu for a while, Noah had realized the boy was a perfect example of the saying, "When Heaven closes a door, it opens a window."

Natsu wasn't very bright, and calling him an idiot wouldn't have been much of an exaggeration. But his combat instincts were excellent, and his physical strength was downright astounding.

Even setting aside Fire Dragon Slayer Magic's ability to restore his condition by eating fire, Natsu had the strongest recovery of anyone Noah had ever seen.

"By the way, is Natsu's father really a dragon?"

Noah asked Erza curiously. She shook her head.

Natsu had joined the guild before Erza, but she'd never met the dragon father he talked about. All she knew was that his dragon father was named Igneel, and that he had taught Natsu Dragon Slayer Magic himself.

"Igneel..."

Noah murmured the name. He'd heard it before from the master blacksmith Doran. The Iron Dragon his people were waiting for had been on good terms with the Fire Dragon King, Igneel, one of the Three Dragon Kings.

Natsu's dragon father had the same name as the Fire Dragon King. Was it a coincidence, or were they the same dragon?

"Today's newspapers are here. There's big news!"

Mira carried a stack of newspapers over and firmly sat down between Noah and Erza, handing them out to the guildmates around her.

The guild subscribed to many newspapers each month and received more than twenty a day. Some were serious, while others were for entertainment, but almost every paper today had the same person on its front page.

The Ten Wizard Saints' Candidate! And a Councilor!

Shocking! The Youngest Councilor Is Him!

<The Magic World's Newest Heartthrob Takes the Top Spot!>

Just Who Is Jellal Fernandes?

What a huge story to start the new year.

Jellal Fernandes, a nineteen-year-old mage, had become a candidate for the Ten Wizard Saints at such a young age. If he passed the Magic Council's various assessments, he would officially become one of the Ten Wizard Saints.

That title was practically equivalent to being recognized by the Council as one of the ten strongest mages.

If he really became one of the Ten Wizard Saints, then given Jellal Fernandes's potential, surpassing an established Saint like Makarov seemed only a matter of time.

But the phrase "only a matter of time" might not have been quite right for this rising powerhouse of the magic world.

Because Jellal Fernandes's current standing was already no lower than Makarov's. In some respects, it was even higher.

He had defeated Laharl, the person with the strongest support within the Council.

He had become the youngest councilor in the history of the Magic Council.

That was Jellal Fernandes's other identity.

With the authority of a councilor behind him, Jellal Fernandes becoming one of the Ten Wizard Saints was practically a foregone conclusion.

But Noah wasn't interested in intimidating titles or positions. He was only interested in the dark-blue-haired man pictured in the newspaper.

The guildmates who saw the paper couldn't help turning their eyes toward Noah.

Jellal Fernandes looked remarkably like Noah—perhaps six or seven parts similar. If the tattoo on the right side of Jellal Fernandes's face were removed, they would look even more alike!

Mira looked at Noah excitedly. "Is he the older brother you're looking for?"

Before Noah could answer, Erza, who had been staring at the person in the paper, came back to herself and asked in confusion, "Your older brother? Noah, do you have family?"

"Looks like you didn't know. Noah left his secluded home and came out into the world to look for his older brother."

When Mira saw that Erza didn't know, she felt a little pleased. Erza had been spending so much time with Noah lately, yet he hadn't told her about this.

Of course, Noah hadn't told Erza. He'd nearly forgotten that this was the story he'd used to disguise his identity in the first place.

"This promising young mage has nothing to do with me."

Noah gave Mira his answer, then turned to Erza to explain. "My older brother's name is Jellal. It's obvious that the man in the paper isn't him."

What Noah didn't know was that, when he said Jellal's name, Erza clenched the hand beneath the table into a tight fist.

Noah was that man's younger brother!

For a moment, Erza's feelings were a tangled mess.

The lively discussion woke Natsu. Still lying on the floor, he noticed a girl he'd never seen before peeking through the guild's entrance and furtively surveying the inside.

When she realized someone had noticed her, the blonde girl awkwardly stepped forward.

"Hello. My name is Lucy."

"Um, could I join Fairy Tail?"