Silent Town

It looked like a small town with not a soul in sight.

But if you paid a little attention, it was easy to spot signs of human life everywhere.

This was Silent Town.

A town where every resident knew the Concealment spell.

Because they had refused to cooperate with a mad scientist's evil experiments, the scientist had flown into a rage and made it impossible for all the residents to break out of their "Concealment" or leave the town.

That was how Silent Town got its name.

The residents had thought about asking for help, but anyone who agreed to help them would mysteriously forget their experiences there after leaving town.

The group of five handsome men and women, two kittens, and a hamster looked completely out of place in the town.

As soon as Noah entered Silent Town, he sensed a vast spell enveloping the whole place, formed by a mass of similar magic power.

After analyzing the magic, Noah understood why Natsu had forgotten the residents' request.

The Concealment spells had gathered here in great numbers. Their sheer volume had caused them to undergo a qualitative change, expanding their original effect of "hiding one's appearance and voice" to the point where they could affect memories and make people forget the town existed.

However, the residents weren't exactly experts. Even with everyone's magic power combined, Concealment's effect on memory went no further than causing forgetfulness.

If someone had a strong enough will, or received a crucial reminder, they would immediately remember Silent Town.

It was hard to say which of those two conditions had brought Natsu back.

"Noah, have you found anything?"

Mira looked at Noah. She was holding Snowy the cat, who in turn was holding the hamster, Cheese. They looked like a family out for a walk.

Noah didn't hide what he'd discovered and explained it to them.

"I see. I knew that single-celled idiot couldn't possibly be stupid enough to forget something as important as a request."

Gray nodded, agreeing with Noah.

As for why Gray had joined them, part of it was to help Natsu solve the problem, but mostly he wanted to mock Natsu mercilessly afterward under the pretense of having helped him.

After all, they were "water and fire"—Gray was always worried Natsu might be doing badly, while also fearing he might be doing too well.

Natsu knew that perfectly well. But he'd made a promise to the residents of Silent Town years ago, and if he could deal with the mad scientist and return the town to normal, he'd put up with Gray's teasing afterward.

Compared to his four calm companions, Lucy was having a much harder time.

Walking along the empty streets with unseen eyes watching her made Lucy feel uneasy. She knew the town was full of living people who'd been forced to turn invisible, but there was still something creepy about not being able to see them.

The blonde girl hugged Happy even tighter, completely unaware that the blue cat was being squeezed until his tongue lolled out.

Natsu didn't notice Happy's tiny paws waving for help. Instead, he suddenly shouted up at the sky:

"Everyone in Silent Town! It's Natsu! I've come back to keep my promise!"

Noah facepalmed. He hadn't even found the enemy yet, and Natsu had already announced himself. That was Natsu for you.

But the people who heard him first weren't the evil scientists. They were the residents who still remembered Natsu. So many people who'd agreed to help the town had forgotten it existed and never returned after leaving.

They couldn't believe that the pink-haired boy from years ago had come back—and brought his companions with him.

Though several years had passed, Natsu's appearance was undoubtedly a beacon of hope for the people of Silent Town.

A note drifted out from a house beside the road. The Concealment spell had grown so strong that the residents could no longer communicate with outsiders by voice, and had to use writing instead.

Noah caught the note. It told them where the mad scientist was, and mentioned that a group of preachers had recently brought a blood-soaked person to the scientist's home.

At the word "preachers," Noah's feelings grew complicated.

Every time he left Magnolia, he ran into members of the Dark Magic Cult.

The first time, he'd gone to buy magical items with Cana and run into two Dark Priests. A blast from the Dragon Knight had blasted them to dust.

The second time, he'd investigated the Black Bird for Rena and run into another Dark Priest, whom he'd turned into a puddle of mush with an explosive punch.

The third time, he'd gone to Mount Hakobe and stumbled upon a five-man squad under the Dark Magic Cult. They were ice chips beneath the snowy mountain now.

That group of preachers was very likely another band of Dark Magic Cult members. They must have struck some kind of deal with the mad scientist.

As for the blood-soaked person the townspeople had described, Noah couldn't yet tell whether he was one of the cultists or an unfortunate victim.

Following the directions in the note, Noah led the group to the entrance of an unremarkable two-story inn tucked away in a corner of Silent Town.

The inn looked old, but it took up a sizable area.

Mira recognized at once that the inn's appearance was an illusion formed by distorting space.

Having fought Erza so many times, Mira had memorized the spatial magic fluctuations that occurred whenever Erza changed her armor. That was why she spotted something wrong with the inn immediately.

"Everyone, be careful. There are probably about fifteen enemies."

"Three each. No stealing someone else's share."

Thanks to Malice Perception, Noah could sense the hostility of the people inside the inn, even through the door.

Natsu, who had been itching for a fight, didn't care about any of that. He burst through the door with a flaming flying kick.

But in the next instant, his fiery figure came flying back out.

A loudspeaker suddenly appeared above the inn, followed by a woman's voice. "What an impatient guest. The shop isn't even open yet."

Hearing her strange verbal tic, Natsu got back to his feet and shouted, "You evil scientist! Undo the magic on the townspeople!"

"Yeees, yees, yeees! I can't. They didn't believe me, and they refused to cooperate with my experiments. This is their punishment."

"That still doesn't give you the right to oppress the residents!"

At her words, Natsu's anger surged. Blazing magic gathered around his right arm, and the air grew scorching.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

The massive, furious strike slammed into the inn. The powerful surge of magic sent ripples of distortion through the space around it.

With a crack from the loudspeaker, the false image created by the distortion shattered, revealing fourteen preachers. Their leader wore a white robe that looked familiar to Noah.

Also revealed were a gigantic, dragon-shaped mechanical creature and a black-haired woman in glasses, dressed in white. She stared at Natsu with a feverish expression.

"Yeees, yees, yeees! Wonderful! You're a Dragon Slayer Mage! We've finally found the most crucial power source for the Artificial Lifeform—Dragoon!"

"Natsu, the Fire Dragon! Become fuel for Dragoon!"

"Let the dragon's form return to the world!"

As the black-haired woman raved, the enormous dragon-shaped mechanical creature behind her let out a roar that shook the heavens and earth.