Erza

X782, September 6th.

Second day after joining Fairy Tail.

Magnolia's bustling central street.

Noah was now deeply regretting turning back and accepting Natsu's team invitation.

"Help! Natsu! Noah!"

The blue kitten was tearful, scrambling and tumbling as a "fierce beast" chased him from behind.

Facing Happy's cry for help, Natsu was nowhere to be seen, and Noah watched coldly, because the fierce beast in Happy's eyes was actually a slightly goofy big dog.

The dog wanted to play with Happy, but the cat was clearly terrified by the dog's size.

It wasn't until the cat and dog had circled around Noah's feet twenty-odd times—Happy already panting heavily while the big dog still brimmed with energy—that Noah finally sighed and spoke up.

"Happy, Happy, use that cute little brain of yours. You can fly."

"Oh, right!"

With Noah's reminder, Happy finally remembered his Aera magic, snapping out of the panic of being chased by the dog.

A pair of small wings spread from his back, flapping hard to lift the gasping Happy off the ground, wobbling as he landed on Noah's shoulder.

Exhausted, tongue lolling, Happy unceremoniously flopped down, gradually melting into a cat strip draped over Noah's shoulder.

Noah tapped the kitten's head, then looked down at the lively big dog bouncing on its hind legs in excitement.

The dog's ears were triangular, its thick, dense fur layered in two tones—gray-black on the outside, white inside—and a pair of ice-blue eyes shone with pure, stupid innocence.

"Erha, be good. I'll take you home."

Noah grabbed the dog named Erha. Though Erha kept shaking his head, his forty-plus-pound body twisting along with it, he couldn't escape Noah's grip.

Putting on the collar was the fate every pet dog had to accept.

Noah pulled out a small pack of jerky, broke it into two pieces—one for Happy, one for Erha. This was given by the client, who said it was her dogs' favorite snack and might help find both of her beloved pets.

After Noah's test, it was completely useless, though Happy got a little benefit.

Looking at Erha, finally calmed down, Noah's expression was helpless. Because where there was Erha, there had to be Daha—and that dog Natsu had gone after.

This was what Natsu called a "decent job."

Help the client find her two lost pet dogs, "Daha" and "Erha," reward 30,000.

Noah was a bit disappointed with this job. It was too plain.

Half of the jobs accepted by a magic guild came from ordinary people, and with Fairy Tail's current reputation, plenty of wealthy merchants also posted requests here.

Jobs requiring combat—like exterminating monsters or hunting bandits—made up less than a third of the guild's total. They weren't just dangerous; the pay wasn't always great either.

A job like Noah's now, just finding two ordinary pet dogs for 30,000, split three ways between two people and a cat, was already high compared to similar pet-finding jobs.

"Happy, if you've rested enough, fly up and look for Natsu."

"Aye!"

Happy barely took off before landing again, an awkward expression plain on his kitten face. Before Noah could ask, he heard a clattering crash growing closer and closer.

Following the sound, Noah immediately understood where Happy's awkwardness came from.

A big dog, slightly larger than Erha and of the same breed, was weaving through the crowd at a sprint, panting heavily.

The cherry-haired boy chasing it wasn't nearly as agile as the dog, crashing into quite a few vendor stalls along the way—that clattering noise was exactly that.

Just catching a dog, and it had to be like this...

Noah seriously doubted whether the 30,000 reward would even cover the damages.

"Happy! Noah! Help me stop Daha!" Natsu's eyes lit up when he saw his companions.

But Noah pretended not to know Natsu, one hand holding the cat, the other leading the dog, planning to slip away like a bystander.

However, the dog named "Daha," chased by Natsu around Magnolia for two full laps, was already exhausted. Spotting Erha, it instinctively stopped at Noah's feet.

Natsu took the chance to dive and grab the tired dog, then turned to give Noah a thumbs-up.

"Nice work, Noah!"

"It's not going to be nice work anymore... Natsu."

Noah retorted, because the vendors whose stalls Natsu had recklessly smashed had already surrounded them in a tight circle, clamoring for compensation.

Though Noah wanted to claim he didn't know Natsu, the guild mark on his arm had already exposed them as a team. No amount of denial would help.

Even if Noah could easily escape with his physical skills, the vendors' complaints would probably reach Makarov's hands soon enough.

For his first job, Noah hoped to resolve things peacefully.

After talking with the vendors, Noah roughly tallied the compensation needed—exactly 30,000, not a cent more or less.

Well. All for nothing.

Now Noah finally understood why Natsu and Happy ended up starving at home with no energy. With Natsu's reckless behavior, not losing money on a job was already a blessing from heaven.

Looking at the simple-minded, cherry-haired hothead, Noah knew his pockets were cleaner than Happy's face. Helplessly, he paid out of his own pocket to cover it.

Just as Noah was about to pay, a calm yet authoritative voice rang out.

"Natsu, you've caused trouble again."

Hearing that voice, Natsu's body couldn't help but tremble, which surprised Noah greatly.

Who was this strong presence that could make even the thick-skinned Natsu afraid?

The two dogs at Noah's feet prostrated themselves on the ground, as if sensing an aura that made them cower, forcing their lively selves to lie down in submission.

The crowd of onlookers and the merchant demanding compensation parted to either side, clearing a path for the newcomer.

A figure stepped unhurriedly into Noah's line of sight.

It was a spirited girl with a commanding presence.

Her upper body was clad in armor bearing the Fairy Tail crest, covering everything below her neck tightly, while her lower half combined a short skirt with black thigh-high boots.

Crimson-red hair cascaded down her back, and a diagonal fringe covered her right eye, yet it couldn't block her sharp gaze.

"Erza."

The same aura, the same face, the same pressure. Noah finally met a parallel world counterpart of someone he knew in Earth-land, and he blurted out that name without thinking.

The girl walking straight toward Natsu stopped when she heard the young man beside him call her name. She turned to look at him—a stranger.

"You know me?"

"Of course. I'm a new member who joined the guild yesterday. I've heard everyone talk about you."

Noah revealed the crest on his arm and extended his right hand toward her, continuing, "My name is Noah."

Seeing her guild's crest, the girl's tone softened considerably. She grasped his hand with her right. "Welcome to Fairy Tail. I'm Erza Scarlet."

Noah silently repeated Erza's name. Scarlet... only the surname is different.

In the world of Edolas, the commander of the human kingdom's Second Royal Army was named "Erza Knightwalker." She was Erza's counterpart, and she had a good relationship with "Fairy Tail" in that world.

He hadn't expected that Erza of Earth-land was actually a member of Fairy Tail.

A strange twist of fate.

He wondered if this world's Erza was also skilled in weapon combat.

Noah's gaze dropped, fixing on Erza's sword.