Magnolia Town.
"Finally back, huh?"
Just as Kenichi, Erza, and the group were walking on the street, a figure suddenly stood up on the roof of a nearby building and leaped down.
When the figure got close to Kenichi's group, he threw a punch in the air.
Whoosh-
The next second, the person's fist stretched out directly, like rubber.
"Who's there?"
Seeing someone attack, before Kenichi could even act, Natsu over there moved his feet and charged forward.
Soon, Natsu's fist collided head-on with the stretching fist.
Bang-
After a sound of metal clashing echoed through the air, Natsu's body was forced back two steps.
"Such a hard fist! It's just like iron!"
While Natsu was exclaiming, the stretching fist retracted.
Finally, a man with long black hair landed before everyone.
Looking at the person before him, Kenichi's expression shifted slightly.
This person was none other than Gajeel, the one Kenichi had sent flying with Enchantment Magic that night.
Perhaps Kenichi knew Gajeel.
But Natsu did not.
After all, Gajeel had been taken down by Kenichi before he could even make a proper appearance.
This was the first time Gajeel had appeared before Natsu, Erza, and the others.
"Natsu, look at his arm!"
Just as Natsu was staring at Gajeel, Happy beside him suddenly spoke.
Hearing Happy, Natsu, Kenichi, and the others all looked at Gajeel's arm.
"That is... our guild's symbol!"
Seeing the Fairy Tail's guild symbol tattooed on Gajeel's arm, Natsu exclaimed in surprise.
"Is this guy from our guild?"
"Why don't I have any impression of him at all?"
"He must be a newcomer who joined recently!"
Gray and Erza looked at Gajeel and analyzed.
"You! If you're from our guild, why did you ambush us?"
Natsu shouted in annoyance.
"The person I'm looking for isn't you. I'm looking for him!"
Gajeel raised his arm and pointed at Kenichi.
Hearing Gajeel's words, Kenichi's eyebrows raised.
Kenichi wasn't surprised at all that Gajeel would join Fairy Tail.
After all, mages needed to eat too.
After Phantom Lord disbanded, Gajeel was essentially unemployed.
Most official guilds were unwilling to take in Gajeel, given his origins in Phantom Lord.
Only Makarov was willing to accept Gajeel.
"I never thought you'd still be alive."
Kenichi looked at Gajeel and spoke in a teasing tone.
Although Kenichi hadn't used his full strength when attacking Gajeel that night, that strike was enough to pulverize an ordinary mage.
"An attack of that level isn't enough to take my life!"
Gajeel said this, but in reality, he had lingering fear.
Gajeel knew that if it weren't for the protection of his iron dragon scales, he would have been killed on the spot by Kenichi's move.
Furthermore, although he survived, it took a long time for his injuries to heal.
He had never been so severely injured before.
"Kenichi, do you know each other?"
Hearing the exchange between Kenichi and Gajeel, Erza looked at Gajeel and asked Kenichi.
Kenichi didn't immediately answer Erza's question.
But considering that Erza and the others would find out Gajeel's identity sooner or later, he said: "He is the former Iron Dragon Slayer of Phantom Lord."
As soon as Kenichi said this, the faces of both Natsu and Gray changed dramatically.
"He's the one who destroyed the guild and injured Jet and Droy?"
"Calm down, Natsu! Phantom Lord has disbanded. He's a member of our guild now!"
Seeing Natsu's angry expression, Erza immediately reminded him.
"I refuse to become companions with a guy like this!"
With that, Natsu moved his feet, and his body shot towards Gajeel like an arrow from a bow.
Once close to Gajeel, Natsu clenched his fist, and a circle of crimson flames instantly coiled around it.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Without any hesitation, Natsu threw a punch directly at Gajeel.
"This is... Dragon Slayer Magic?!"
Seeing Natsu's fist attack, Gajeel's face changed. He immediately raised his arm to block.
Bang-
The next second, Natsu's fist hit Gajeel's arm.
Instantly, a sound of metal clashing echoed through the air.
And Gajeel's body was forced back several steps, putting some distance between him and Natsu.
"I see. So you are the real Salamander of Fairy Tail!"
Gajeel glanced at Kenichi over there, then shifted his gaze to Natsu before him.
That night, when Gajeel fought Kenichi-
Kenichi had also used Fire Dragon Slayer Magic.
Gajeel had once thought Kenichi was the rumored Salamander.
But Kenichi had denied it.
Now, seeing Natsu use Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, Gajeel tentatively asked.
Seeing that Natsu didn't deny it, Gajeel confirmed that the Natsu before him was the real [Salamander].
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
After having his first strike blocked by Gajeel, Natsu didn't stop. He activated his Dragon Slayer Magic again and launched another attack on Gajeel.
"Iron Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Facing Natsu's attack, Gajeel immediately used his Iron Dragon Slayer Magic to harden his arm and blocked Natsu.
Clang-
Soon, Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic was blocked by Gajeel's Iron Dragon Slayer Magic.
"So this is Iron Dragon Slayer Magic?"
Gray, seeing Gajeel's arm turn to iron, commented.
At this time, a series of system prompts also sounded in Kenichi's mind.
[Ding, congratulations Host, obtained Magic Power attribute +5]
[Ding, congratulations Host, obtained Combat Power attribute +0.3]
…
[Host, would you like to collect the attributes?]
'Collect!'
With Kenichi's command, the Magic Power and Combat Power attributes dropped during Natsu and Gajeel's fight all turned into golden tadpole-like runes and converged directly towards Kenichi.
After those attributes merged into Kenichi's body, both the Magic Power and Combat Power attributes on the virtual screen in front of him continuously rose.
"You Phantom Lord scum, you only know how to bully the weak, don't you?"
Just as Kenichi was collecting attributes, an abrupt voice came through the air.
Hearing the voice, Kenichi, Erza, and the others all looked towards the sound.
And Natsu also stopped and looked up.
They saw Laxus in his overcoat walking towards them, his face filled with killing intent.
Clearly, he was targeting Gajeel.
"Laxus?!"
Seeing the expression on Laxus's face, Erza's expression changed immediately.
Sure enough, Laxus raised his hand, and a golden lightning bolt struck Gajeel.
Gajeel's body collapsed to the ground with a thud.
At this moment, the system prompt sounded again in Kenichi's mind.
[Ding, congratulations Host, obtained Lightning Magic attribute!]
Hearing this system prompt, Kenichi's eyebrows raised.
Laxus possessed both Lightning Magic and Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic.
Currently, the system had only dropped Laxus's Lightning Magic attribute.
But what Kenichi wanted was Laxus's Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic attribute!