"I'm back."
I kicked open the guild doors. But instead of the usual loud chaos, shouting, overturned tables, and magical explosions…
It was dead silent.
Everyone inside the guild turned to look at Noel—staring at him with eyes full of sympathy.
It was quiet. Too quiet.
Something felt… off. A chill ran down his spine.
A sense of foreboding loomed.
"Noel's kicking the guild door now too, huh? Haven't I told you all a thousand times—don't kick the guild door? Did you not hear me?"
A voice—almost terrifyingly calm—whispered in Noel's ear.
It was a voice he very much did not want to hear.
Mechanically, Noel turned his head. Crimson red hair. A fair and stern face. Gleaming armor.
Erza Scarlet.
"You're back, Erza. The mission went well, I take it?" Noel tried to make small talk.
"It went smoothly. The client was very polite…" she said casually.
"Oh. I see." Noel instantly understood.
If the one taking the job was the Fairy Queen, of course the client was going to be polite.
They had to be.
"…Forget it. I'll let you off the hook today." Erza sighed, then added,
"Come help me out. Meet me at the train station tomorrow morning. Don't be late."
Noel's mouth twitched. "Don't be late" meant he had to wake up early—there goes his plan to sleep in.
"Mm." He had no choice but to agree.
But it was rare for Erza to invite others on a job.
The fact that she invited him genuinely surprised Noel.
This would be his first time teaming up with Erza, and he hoped nothing would go wrong.
The guild, however, exploded with excitement.
Just moments ago, Erza had also invited Natsu and Gray to the mission, which had already stunned everyone.
Now with Noel joining, they had Fairy Tail's strongest support member on board—this was shaping up to be a dream team.
"Whoa! What's going on? Is this an S-class mission?"
"Are they going to war with another guild or something?"
"I want to go on a mission with Erza too… so jealous…"
"This is probably Fairy Tail's strongest team yet," Mirajane commented from the side.
"Oh, right! For tomorrow's job, Lucy—you should head to Marushi too," Mira said, pulling Lucy aside.
"Wait, isn't this the strongest team? Why would you need me?" Lucy asked, puzzled.
"There's a reason," Mira said with a sigh.
"Erza and Noel both tend to take jobs alone. If neither of them is there to supervise, Natsu and Gray will definitely end up fighting."
Mira's expression darkened. "And if those two get into it… they could easily destroy an entire town."
Lucy glanced over at Natsu and Gray, who were currently sitting quietly.
But yeah... it wasn't a joke.
Last time, just one of them wrecked half a town.
If it were both of them? Total annihilation.
---
Early morning.
Noel was still in bed.
The journey had exhausted him, and he was sound asleep.
Erza's words from yesterday? Completely ignored.
"Zzz…"
BANG!
Noel shot awake.
What the—? An ambush? Enemy attack??
A black figure clad in armor stood silently at the foot of his bed.
Wind blew in from the massive hole in his wall.
"…My room…" Noel looked at the giant hole that had been blown into his wall.
Should've gotten up earlier.
After patching up the damage, Noel and Erza headed to Magnolia's train station.
---
"Wha—why the hell are you here too?!" Natsu shouted the moment he saw Gray at the station.
"I should be saying that to you!" Gray shot back. "If we're helping Erza, then just me and Noel are enough. You can head home now."
"…"
They'd barely arrived and were already arguing.
Natsu had at least come prepared this time.
He'd heard it was a long-distance mission and had actually packed gear for the road.
Of course, Gray had brought his own supplies too.
Meanwhile, Lucy was sitting awkwardly on a bench, cradling a small white dog in her arms, doing her best to look like she didn't know the two idiots fighting in front of her.
That "white dog" was actually Plue, her Celestial Spirit from the Canis Minor Gate.
Plue had a soft white body, a yellow nose, stubby black mitten-like hands, and a tiny tail.
He looked just like a stuffed toy—adorable and innocent.
"Why are they fighting again?" Noel asked, walking up.
Lucy threw up her hands. "Beats me. They started the moment they showed up."
"It's fine. This is just how Fairy Tail wizards are," Noel said, sounding more amused than anything.
"But… Lucy, why are you here? I don't think Erza invited you to this mission."
Lucy gave a bitter smile. "It's Mira. Yesterday she said—"
Noel instantly understood.
Mira just wanted someone around to act as a mediator if Natsu and Gray started fighting again.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Erza finally arrived.
Hearing her voice, Lucy immediately relaxed. Finally—her savior had arrived.
"Erza-sa—"
Lucy froze mid-greeting.
Behind Erza was a mountain of luggage.
Lucy glanced down at her own pack—barely anything.
"W-What's with all that luggage?! Isn't that a bit excessive?!" she exclaimed.
Natsu and Gray immediately fell silent at the sound of Erza's voice.
Just moments ago they were on the verge of throwing hands, but now? They suddenly became best friends.
"Let's all get along today," Gray said with a smile.
"We're good friends," Natsu echoed.
Then they wrapped their arms around each other, hugging tightly.
Noel's face twitched. Seriously? That's so fake it hurts.
Erza, however, looked quite pleased.
She nodded approvingly. "Harmony is what matters most. A guild isn't about fighting—it's about bonds between people."
Natsu and Gray nodded in sync. "We're good friends!"
Erza then turned to Lucy.
"And you are...? I think I saw you in the guild yesterday."
Lucy's heart skipped a beat.
The Fairy Queen just talked to her!
This was a golden opportunity to make a good impression.
Holding Plue in her arms, Lucy greeted her properly:
"Hello! I'm Lucy, a new member of the guild. Mira asked me to come along—please take care of me!"
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