Chapter 506: Remember, You Are Mages of Fairy Tail
"So, what you're saying is that Acnologia's flesh and blood are actively hindering your body's ability to heal?" Ultear deduced, instantly grasping the gravity of Noah's situation.
"Is that why our healing magic was completely ineffective?" Meredy asked, her hands still hovering near Noah's arm, continuing to channel her magic despite knowing it wasn't working.
"Yes. Acnologia's power is fundamentally absolute and overwhelmingly invasive. Because its flesh physically fused with mine during the strike, my arm's natural regeneration has been completely halted," Noah confirmed, looking around at his deeply concerned guildmates.
"Then how do we fix it?!" Mirajane asked, her voice tight with panic.
"Can't you use your own healing magic to speed up the process?" Cana questioned, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"I can't. In fact, I have been actively casting my strongest self-healing spells this entire time, but the effect is practically negligible," Noah admitted.
He pointed to the golden glow radiating from his right bicep. Everyone leaned in and squinted. Now that he pointed it out, they could clearly see that the golden light was constantly, aggressively trying to push down toward his elbow.
However, right above the elbow joint, the golden light crashed into a violent barrier of dark-blue magical corruption. No matter how hard the golden light surged, the blue corruption held its ground, completely halting the healing process.
The atmosphere among the Fairy Tail mages instantly turned incredibly grim.
They had all personally experienced the miraculous, reality-defying potency of Noah's healing magic. He could routinely heal catastrophic, near-lethal injuries in a matter of seconds. For his magic to be completely deadlocked by mere residual flesh clinging to his arm...
It gave them a profound, terrifying new perspective on Acnologia's incomprehensible power. Just the severed, dead flesh of the Dragon possessed enough invasive power to paralyze the strongest healer they knew.
"So, does that mean your only option is to wait? To just let your magic slowly grind away Acnologia's residual power over time until your arm can finally heal?" Ultear asked, her expression grave.
"That's the gist of it," Noah nodded.
"But you just said its flesh is highly corrosive and invasive! If you leave it attached to your arm for that long, won't it permanently damage your body?!" Sorano immediately spotted the fatal flaw in that plan, her voice rising in alarm. The others instantly tensed, looking at Noah with wide eyes.
"I considered that risk as well. That's why I immediately isolated the corrupted area the moment it happened," Noah reassured them.
The group looked closely at his right arm again. They finally noticed that while the dark-blue corruption was viciously fighting the golden light at his bicep, a very faint, almost imperceptible layer of golden magic completely encased the shredded flesh on his forearm and hand, locking the corruption in place and preventing it from seeping into his bloodstream.
"I actually have a suggestion. Why don't you just physically amputate the corrupted flesh?" Laxus suddenly spoke up from the back. "While it would drastically worsen the immediate physical injury, removing Acnologia's flesh entirely would instantly eliminate the magical deadlock. With your regeneration, you could easily regrow the missing flesh much faster than trying to purify the corruption."
The others blinked, then their eyes lit up in realization.
Because they had been so horrified by the gruesome sight of his shredded arm, their immediate instinct had been 'heal the wound.' None of them had considered the brutally pragmatic option of 'cut off the infected parts and start over.'
"I obviously thought of that. And you're right, it would allow me to heal significantly faster," Noah chuckled, shaking his head. "However... opportunities like this are astronomically rare. I want to study Acnologia's flesh and blood while it's still actively interacting with a living host. Since it's already stuck to my arm, I might as well use my own body as a petri dish for a while before I amputate."
The entire guild stared at him in absolute, exasperated silence.
Of course. That was the most 'Noah' response possible. Encounter a terrifying, world-ending biological contaminant? Better let it fester on his own arm so he can run some science experiments.
"My old friend, while I admire your thirst for knowledge, leaving Acnologia's flesh attached to your body for a prolonged period is incredibly dangerous. It will absolutely bring about catastrophic consequences. I strongly advise you to dispose of it immediately," the Celestial Spirit King suddenly spoke up, his booming voice echoing with profound seriousness.
Having existed for countless millennia, the Celestial Spirit King possessed vast knowledge regarding the ancient, hidden truths of the world—including the terrifying nature of Dragons.
A Dragon's magic is fundamentally absolute and overwhelmingly dominant. If a normal human is exposed to a high concentration of true Dragon magic, the magic will violently invade and corrupt their body. If their mind and soul cannot withstand the corruption, they will be driven entirely insane, consumed by mindless, draconic rage.
Furthermore, the invasive magic will forcibly rewrite the host's biology, causing their body to involuntarily mutate and transform into a Dragon. This was the true, terrifying origin of the Dragon Seed.
And that was just the consequence of exposure to a normal Dragon.
Noah was currently infected by the flesh and blood of the Dragon King—the apocalyptic monster who had bathed in the blood of its entire race to achieve absolute supremacy. The potential for catastrophic, irreversible mutation was astronomically high.
Even if Noah had temporarily isolated the corruption with his own magic, there was no guarantee it wouldn't eventually breach the containment and violently rewrite his entire existence.
Knowing this terrifying reality, the Celestial Spirit King couldn't simply stand by and let Noah treat his arm like a casual science experiment.
Hearing the absolute gravity in the Celestial Spirit King's voice, the Fairy Tail mages instantly panicked, turning to Noah with terrified, pleading eyes.
"I understand," Noah nodded, his expression turning serious as he acknowledged the King's warning. He looked around at his terrified guildmates and offered a reassuring smile. "I'll limit my research to twenty-four hours. Tomorrow, I will surgically amputate all the corrupted flesh and fully heal my arm. I promise."
He knew exactly what the Celestial Spirit King was warning him about (Dragonification), and he had no intention of letting things escalate to that point. Twenty-four hours was his absolute limit for data collection.
"As long as you understand the gravity of the situation, my old friend," the Celestial Spirit King nodded approvingly. He then paused, his massive mustache twitching upward as a booming smile spread across his face. "Now then! Since you and your comrades have graced the Celestial Spirit World with your presence, it would be terribly rude of us not to host a grand banquet in your honor!"
"I think that sounds like a fantastic idea. What about you guys?" Noah turned to the guild, a genuine smile on his face.
After surviving an invasion, a grueling war, and a literal apocalypse, a massive feast was exactly what they needed. Besides, since they couldn't return to Earthland immediately anyway, they had plenty of time to kill while Noah managed the aftermath of his overarching plan.
"HELL YEAH! I'M IN!" Natsu roared, instantly raising his hand. He enthusiastically licked his lips, his stomach growling loudly. Having completely emptied his magic reserves during the battle, he was literally starving.
The others were in exactly the same boat. No one in their right mind would ever turn down a Fairy Tail banquet, especially not one hosted by celestial beings. They all cheered in unified agreement.
"Excellent! I shall instruct my subjects to prepare the feast immediately! I will summon you once everything is ready!" the Celestial Spirit King boomed joyfully before vanishing from the starry void.
"It must be incredibly painful... maintaining your arm in that state," Mirajane whispered, her eyes glued to Noah's mangled arm, her heart aching for him.
Ultear, Erza, and the other girls looked at him with similar expressions of deep, unspoken sorrow.
Having known Noah for over a decade, they understood his eccentric, intensely curious personality perfectly. They knew that once he decided to research something, trying to talk him out of it was completely pointless. Therefore, they didn't try to stop him.
But accepting his decision didn't mean it didn't hurt them to watch him suffer.
"It's really not that bad. After the initial shock, the pain dulls significantly," Noah smiled softly, offering them a comforting look before his expression turned deadly serious.
"Acnologia is an enemy we will have to face again in the future. We cannot avoid it. Since I currently possess an active, living sample of its biology, I have to take this opportunity to study it thoroughly. I need to understand its exact composition and vulnerabilities so that the next time we meet, we can actually defeat it, instead of running for our lives."
He couldn't lie; his right arm was in agonizing, throbbing pain. The flesh was literally shredded to the bone.
Technically, he could easily cast a localized sensory block to completely numb his pain receptors. However, doing so was incredibly dangerous. Pain was the body's primary warning system. If he numbed his arm, he wouldn't be able to immediately detect if the draconic corruption suddenly mutated or breached his magical containment, which could result in catastrophic, irreversible damage.
Therefore, he had to endure the constant agony to ensure he remained in absolute, conscious control of the corruption.
Hearing Noah's solemn reasoning, the entire guild fell silent.
Today was supposed to be a day of absolute victory. They had successfully defended their holy ground and completely crushed Grimoire Heart—the strongest Dark Guild in history. They should have been celebrating like kings.
Instead, the sudden, apocalyptic arrival of Acnologia had brutally shattered their pride.
Their ultimate, coordinated attacks—their absolute strongest magic—hadn't even left a scratch on the Dragon's scales. The only reason they were currently alive was because Noah had thrown himself into a suicidal stalling battle, buying enough time for them to flee into the Celestial Spirit World.
While Makarov obviously didn't care about retreating—the survival of his 'children' was the only thing that mattered to him—the mages themselves couldn't help but feel a suffocating sense of inadequacy and humiliation.
Natsu and Gajeel were particularly devastated. They were Dragon Slayers. They wielded the singular magic designed specifically to kill Dragons. Yet, when faced with a true Dragon, their magic had been completely, utterly useless. The realization was a crushing blow to their pride.
Laxus, while also a Dragon Slayer, didn't tie his entire identity to the magic like Natsu and Gajeel did, so his existential crisis wasn't as severe. Wendy, knowing she was still young and inexperienced, didn't feel the sting of failure as sharply either.
But they all shared the same bitter, agonizing frustration. They had been forced to stand by helplessly, watching Noah put his life on the line to intercept an invincible monster because they were too weak to help him.
And now, knowing Noah was forcing himself to endure a full day of agonizing pain just to research a way for them to survive the next encounter... their hearts felt incredibly heavy.
"Surviving... is the ultimate victory," Makarov suddenly spoke up, his calm, steady voice cutting through the heavy silence. Everyone turned to look at the Guild Master.
"Failure is not something to be feared. As long as you survive, you always have a chance to try again. If you fail, you train harder. You push your limits until you ensure you never fail again.
"Remember this well: You are mages of Fairy Tail! We do not stay defeated!" Makarov declared, his voice ringing with absolute, unshakeable conviction.
Faced with a literal apocalypse, surviving was the greatest triumph possible. As long as they maintained the right mindset, this crushing defeat would serve as the ultimate crucible, forging their resolve and driving them to achieve unprecedented heights of power.
"I'M ALL FIRED UP! NEXT TIME WE SEE THAT OVERGROWN LIZARD, I'M GOING TO BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF IT!" Natsu roared, his eyes burning with renewed, ferocious determination as flames erupted around his body.
"Damn right! Next time, I'll make sure it remembers the taste of my iron!" Gajeel smashed his fists together, a vicious, predatory grin spreading across his face.
"Exactly!" Sorano nodded vigorously. She stared at Noah's mangled arm, her eyes filled with absolute, unwavering resolve. She was going to train until she bled.
The rest of the guild quickly rallied, their previous despair evaporating, replaced by a burning, unified determination to grow stronger. They all swore that the next time they faced Acnologia, they would make it bleed.
Seeing the fiery spirit return to his 'children,' Makarov couldn't help but smile radiantly. This was the true, unbreakable spirit of Fairy Tail.
Gildarts and Ur also smiled warmly. Watching the younger generation bounce back from the brink of despair with such ferocious energy made them feel incredibly proud.
Noticing that Ultear and the girls were still stealing worried, pained glances at his shredded arm, Noah sighed softly. He channeled a gentle wave of golden magic, completely encasing his entire right arm in a soft, opaque golden glow, effectively hiding the gruesome injury from sight.
It was a small gesture, but it instantly eased the tension in their expressions.
"By the way... how exactly did we block Acnologia's final attack? And how did we end up in the Celestial Spirit World?" Ultear asked, voicing the question that had been burning in everyone's minds since they arrived.
"Do you guys remember the massive barrier matrix I had you all help me set up around Tenrou Island a few days ago? That matrix is what made all of this possible," Noah answered.
"The barrier? But I thought that was just a standard defensive shield to protect the island from attacks," Sorano said, tilting her head in confusion.
Erza and Mirajane nodded in agreement. When Noah had instructed them to plant the magical nodes across the island, they had simply followed his orders without fully understanding the underlying mechanics. They had assumed it was just a really strong shield.
"It does function as a shield, yes. Tenrou Island already possessed a natural, ancient barrier that kept it hidden from the outside world. The matrix we installed massively amplified that concealment effect, making the island virtually undetectable to standard sensory magic," Noah explained.
"If the island was hidden, how did Zeref manage to find it and get inside?" Juvia asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Zeref is the absolute pinnacle of magical genius. He is, without exaggeration, the strongest and most knowledgeable mage in human history. It isn't surprising in the slightest that he managed to bypass an ancient cloaking spell," Noah replied calmly.
Even though Zeref constantly suppressed his own power—rendering his active combat strength relatively low—his subconscious understanding of magic was unparalleled. He had likely bypassed the barrier effortlessly without even realizing it.
Furthermore, Grimoire Heart had spent decades searching for him without success. This proved Zeref was actively utilizing high-tier concealment magic to hide his presence from the world. If he could hide from the strongest Dark Guild in history for fifty years, slipping onto a cloaked island was child's play.
The guild members nodded slowly. Given Zeref's legendary status, his ability to casually bypass a barrier made perfect sense.
"So, what else does the barrier matrix do? How did it block Acnologia's Roar and teleport us to the Celestial Spirit World?" Erza pressed, eager for the full explanation.
"Through Carla's prophetic visions, combined with classified intelligence I gathered through my own networks, I knew with near absolute certainty that a catastrophic, apocalyptic event was going to interrupt our S-Class trials.
"Therefore, when I designed the barrier matrix, its primary function was never meant to be purely defensive.
"Why? Because a shield, no matter how absolute, will eventually shatter if the enemy attacking it is overwhelmingly powerful. Relying solely on defense against an apocalypse is a guaranteed death sentence. I needed a completely different approach to ensure our survival.
"And that approach... was the Celestial Spirit World," Noah revealed.
"Are you saying... you realized that if an invincible enemy attacked, a shield would eventually break, so your solution was simply to remove the target from the battlefield entirely so the enemy couldn't attack it anymore? But teleporting an entire island into a different dimension? Isn't that a bit too exaggerated?"
Mirajane asked, having finally calmed down enough to open her eyes, looking at Noah with a mix of awe and sheer disbelief.
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