Rest Area on Tenrou Island.
"What? Elfman and Evergreen are getting married?" Erza asked in shock after hearing Mira's explanation.
Mira touched the spot on her face where Elfman had hit her and smiled wryly. "That's right. So, while I was shaken, they took the opportunity to land a hit on me."
"This method... it must have been Evergreen's idea, right? Should I call it clever or cunning? Well, she really did exploit your weakness, Mira." Noel scratched his cheek, feeling both amused and helpless.
Meanwhile, Erza had already taken the news seriously.
With a serious expression, she asked, "Wait, when is the wedding? And since when were they even in that kind of relationship?"
"No, I think they just made it up to scare me. I really am too easy to fool." Mira shook her head.
"Are you sure they just made it up?" Erza pressed on.
(Mira, you really don't need to worry, because there's already someone here who's even easier to fool.) Noel thought to himself as he looked at Erza's serious expression.
"I really don't think there's anything going on between them," Mira replied. "But if they did get married and had children..."
"..."
Mira fell into deep thought, then suddenly seemed to realize something terrifying.
Covering her face, she threw herself into Noel's arms.
"There, there, Mira. Try to look on the bright side," Noel said, twitching at the corner of his eye as he patted Mira's hair.
Erza crossed her arms, her expression slightly strange as she said, "Right, don't cry, Mira. If things were really as you imagined... it would actually be kind of cute."
"Erza, I'm really interested in your definition of the word 'cute,'" Noel commented sarcastically.
Off to the side, Lisanna rested her hands under her chin, her face full of admiration as she softly murmured, "Elf-nii and Evergreen... They might actually make a pretty good couple."
"Ch-children..." Juvia seemed to realize something, and her face instantly turned red.
"By the way, where are Freed and the others?" Lisanna suddenly remembered that Freed and Bickslow, who had also been eliminated, were nowhere to be seen.
"Oh, they went back to the guild with Gildarts. But speaking of them, have you seen Wendy and Mest?" Noel asked.
"They're really taking their time," Mira also looked puzzled.
"Could they have forgotten the meeting place?" Lisanna speculated, then looked up.
"Mest... I never met him in Edolas, so I don't know anything about him. Did he join the guild during the two years I was away?"
"Now that you mention it, I think he joined while I was gone for a while," Noel said thoughtfully.
Erza touched her chin, frowning in confusion. "That's strange… I remember him joining a long time ago."
"WHAT?!"
Hearing Erza's words, Noel's body stiffened.
Then, he suddenly stood up from his chair, placed both hands on Erza's shoulders, and stared at her face with sharp eyes as he asked, "Are you serious, Erza?"
"Uh… yeah. At least, that's how I remember it," Erza replied hesitantly.
"What's wrong, Noel?"
The others were all confused as to why Noel had suddenly become so agitated.
"Something's wrong!!"
Noel released Erza's shoulders, his expression grave. "Because I can say with absolute certainty—there was never anyone named Mest in our guild before."
"WHAT???"
Noel clenched his fists. "I initially thought Mest joined during the time I was away after the Tower of Heaven incident, so I never questioned it. But from what you all are saying, you remember him having joined a long time ago. That's impossible! If that were true, there's no way I wouldn't remember him. That leaves only one possibility…"
"Could it be!!"
Mira was the first to react, her pupils contracting in shock.
"That Mest must have used some kind of memory manipulation magic to infiltrate our guild… Damn it, Wendy!!"
A flash of white light streaked across the room, and in the blink of an eye, Noel had disappeared, leaving behind only a few slowly dissipating light particles.
"Noel!"
Erza opened her mouth to say something, but Noel was already gone.
With no other choice, she turned to the others. "Mira, your wounds haven't healed yet. You and Lisanna stay here. Juvia, you're coming with me to find Mest and Wendy."
"Understood!"
The three of them nodded, their expressions serious.
Meanwhile, Noel, now completely transformed into white light, flew at high speed across the island, his face filled with urgency.
(Damn it, I let my guard down! I never expected someone to infiltrate the guild just to take part in the S-Class exam. Wendy, please be safe!)
"[Insightful Radiance], activate!!"
A wave of transparent energy pulsed outward from Noel's body, rapidly expanding in all directions.
...............
At the same time, in the sky some distance from Tenrou Island, a battleship was steadily advancing toward its destination.
This battleship belonged to Grimoire Heart, one of the ruling factions of the dark magic world and a cornerstone of the Balam Alliance.
"We've finally found him… Though it seems he is still in slumber. The timing appears to be just right, Master Hades," Ultear said with a playful tone, twirling a crystal ball in her hand that reflected the image of Tenrou Island.
Hearing Ultear's words, the elderly man sitting at the head seat, his hair and beard completely white, smiled and muttered to himself,
"That man… The one who descended upon the western continent, wielded black magic, created thousands upon thousands of demons, and plunged the world into chaos. The most powerful and most evil man in the history of the magic world—The Black Wizard, Zeref…
Has the time finally come to claim him? The abyss of magic… That moment is finally upon us—the day of Zeref's awakening."
Hades, the master of Grimoire Heart, looked down at his gathered guild members and coldly declared,
"We shall awaken Zeref's true self."
Standing closest to Hades, Ultear added, "But there's one problem. Right now, in the Kingdom of Fiore, the guild sitting on the throne as the strongest—Fairy Tail—has already defeated another faction of the Balam Alliance, the Oracion Seis. And Fairy Tail's core members… are all gathered on that island."
"Tch, what's the big deal?"
A wild, arrogant voice interrupted Ultear.
The voice belonged to a man with golden hair and dark red eyes.
Grinning wickedly, he sneered at Ultear,
"That's not a problem at all. Those weaklings…"
Violent black flames, radiating an overwhelming aura of malice, suddenly erupted from his body.
"I'll burn them all to ashes! Hahahahaha!"
Ultear frowned as she watched the scene unfold. "It's too hot, Zancrow. And you're underestimating Fairy Tail too much. Just Noel Rutherford, who holds a seat among the Ten Wizard Saints, is not someone you can handle."
"What did you say?" Zancrow glared at Ultear in defiance. "That 'Wizard Saint' title is just a bunch of self-important fools clinging to their reputation. There's no way I'd lose to someone like that!"
"Ultear is right."
Hades slowly stood up, his tone solemn as he addressed Zancrow. "Do not be arrogant, Zancrow. Noel Rutherford is an extremely powerful opponent. You must not underestimate him. If any of you encounter him alone, your best option is to retreat."
"WHAT?!"
Everyone present was visibly shocked upon hearing this.
Hades then turned his gaze toward a figure hidden in the shadows. "Bluenote, I will handle Makarov myself. Noel Rutherford is your responsibility. Keep him occupied for as long as possible—at least until we find Zeref. Can you manage that?"
"As you command. I will engage Noel Rutherford and hold him back."
The man named Bluenote nodded, his expression just as serious. "Someone who defeated the Fifth and Seventh Thrones of the Demon God's Soul, as well as two Wizard Saints… Truly a troublesome foe."
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