Chapter 513: The Worst-Case Scenario Did Not Occur
"That's right! Aunt Ur, you look absolutely gorgeous!" Mirajane beamed, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Ur's rejuvenated appearance.
"It's true! Standing next to Ultear, you two look exactly like sisters!" Sorano agreed wholeheartedly, nodding vigorously.
"Mhm!" Erza nodded solemnly in agreement.
The rest of the girls quickly crowded around Ur, showering her with genuine praise.
"You girls aren't looking too shabby yourselves! You're all glowing!" Ur laughed warmly, returning the compliments.
It was true. The oldest among Ultear's generation was only twenty, and the youngest, Wendy, was eleven. They were already in the prime of their youth and possessed peak physical health. Consequently, the starlight purification didn't produce the same dramatic, visibly age-reversing effect on them as it had on Ur.
However, the changes were still undeniable. Their skin was smoother, more radiant, and visibly healthier. Their complexions glowed with a profound, internal vitality, making them look even more stunning and energetic than before.
Ur looked at the glowing, vibrant girls around her, then glanced over at the boys in the distance.
The boys had also undergone significant changes. Their physical presence felt heavier, their posture was straighter, and they exuded a sharp, robust vitality. It was glaringly obvious that every single member of the guild had reaped massive, life-altering benefits from the starlight purification.
While the girls huddled together, happily discussing their physical changes, the boys were busy flexing their muscles and testing the flow of their newly enhanced magic.
A short while later, the starlight pillar surrounding Makarov gradually dimmed. A terrifying, oppressive aura suddenly erupted from the array, only to be instantly reigned back in.
Makarov slowly stepped out of the runic circle. Having spent nearly eight decades mastering magic, his control was absolute; he had adapted to his suddenly expanded magical capacity almost instantaneously.
"How do you feel, Grandpa?" Noah's Thought Projection asked, a satisfied smile spreading across his face as he observed the Guild Master.
Many of the deep wrinkles lining Makarov's face had smoothed out, and his pale, aged skin had regained a healthy, robust color. He looked significantly younger and carried himself with the vigor of a man decades his junior.
"I feel incredible! My body is practically bursting with energy. I feel like I've shed twenty years, and my magic power has definitely increased," Makarov answered, clenching his fists and stretching his revitalized limbs.
"That's perfect," the Thought Projection nodded in satisfaction.
Noah had spent years secretly adjusting Makarov's diet and brewing specialized medicinal liquors to manage the old man's declining health. Because of Noah's constant care, Makarov's baseline constitution had remained remarkably strong for his age. Now, completely purified and rejuvenated by the starlight, his physical condition was flawless.
While monitoring the arrays, Noah had kept a close eye on everyone's vitals. However, given Makarov's advanced age, the Thought Projection still conducted a secondary, thorough diagnostic scan just to be absolutely certain.
Confirming Makarov was in perfect health, the Guild Master wandered over to Natsu and the boys, keeping a watchful eye on them to ensure they didn't accidentally destroy the celestial plaza while testing their new strength.
Now, only Gildarts and Noah's true body remained inside their respective pillars.
The rest of the guild relaxed, chatting animatedly or testing their magic, though they all kept stealing glances at the two remaining pillars, eager to see how much the guild's absolute monsters would improve.
Time passed. Eventually, the blinding light surrounding Gildarts began to fade.
The Thought Projections hovering near Gildarts's array instantly tensed. They simultaneously raised their hands, casting multiple complex runic arrays that formed a multi-layered, spherical containment barrier entirely enclosing Gildarts's pillar.
A split second later, the dimming starlight within the pillar was violently overwritten by a blinding, catastrophic white light that rapidly expanded outward. The moment the white light touched the residual starlight within the pillar, the starlight literally shattered into tiny, glowing cubes before disintegrating into nothingness.
The expanding white light slammed into the first layer of Noah's containment barrier. The barrier held for exactly one second before it was completely pulverized, vanishing into thin air.
However, a second barrier was immediately erected behind it, absorbing the brunt of the advancing destruction.
Working in perfect synchronization, Noah's Thought Projections continuously cast and replaced the shattered barriers, desperately holding back the apocalyptic white light and preventing it from bleeding out into the celestial plaza.
Seeing the terrifying display, the Fairy Tail mages broke out in cold sweats.
They all knew exactly what was happening. Due to his absurdly massive magical capacity, Gildarts was temporarily unable to control his sudden surge in power. The apocalyptic white light was his Crash Magic leaking uncontrollably.
Thank God Noah was there to contain it. If that raw, unadulterated Crash Magic had expanded into the Celestial Spirit World, the collateral damage would have been catastrophic.
Makarov and Mavis simultaneously wiped thick beads of sweat from their foreheads, letting out massive sighs of relief. If Gildarts had accidentally destroyed a chunk of the Celestial Spirit World, they wouldn't even know how to begin apologizing, let alone paying for the damages.
The guild watched nervously, waiting for Gildarts to reign in his power.
After several tense minutes, the blinding white light slowly retracted, finally revealing Gildarts.
He was currently hovering a few inches above one of Noah's secondary containment barriers. Noah had specifically placed it beneath him to prevent Gildarts from accidentally stepping on—and instantly pulverizing—the priceless purification array carved into the ground.
"Stay right there. I'm going to place a temporary limiter seal on your magic until you can fully adapt to your new reserves," the Thought Projection instructed, raising a hand to stop Gildarts from moving. The moment Gildarts had shifted his weight, the barrier beneath his foot had cracked.
"Hahaha... sorry about that," Gildarts rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, freezing perfectly in place.
Noah's Thought Projections surrounded him. They extended their hands, projecting dozens of intricate, overlapping runic arrays that slowly merged into Gildarts's body. Finally, the arrays consolidated, forming a complex circular seal directly over the Fairy Tail crest on his hand.
"This seal acts as a dampener. It temporarily locks away the excess magic you just gained. By consciously channeling magic into the seal, you can slowly release the dampener, allowing you to gradually acclimate to your new maximum output without accidentally destroying everything you touch," the Thought Projection explained.
"That's incredibly convenient. Thanks," Gildarts smiled, flexing his arms and legs.
With his volatile magic safely sealed, he could finally appreciate the physical changes. He felt incredible. His body was significantly stronger, and a deep, lingering sense of heaviness—the cumulative toll of decades of brutal combat—had completely vanished. He felt like he had shed a massive suit of armor.
"Looking good, old man! You've definitely got more color in your face," Cana noted approvingly, walking up to him.
"And you've gotten even more beautiful, my sweet Cana!" Gildarts's eyes instantly turned into hearts, and he lunged forward to hug her.
"Get away from me, you creep!" Cana dodged smoothly, shoving her hand directly into his face to keep him at arm's length. The father-daughter duo immediately fell back into their usual, chaotic banter.
"How much longer is your true body going to take?" Sorano asked one of the Thought Projections, tilting her head curiously.
"Yeah. It's been an incredibly long time," Ultear noted, walking over.
Erza and Mirajane also approached, their expressions laced with mild concern. The time discrepancy was becoming genuinely alarming.
"Don't worry. The purification process is proceeding flawlessly. All vitals are optimal," the Thought Projection reassured them. He then turned to the Celestial Spirit King.
"I'm going to re-integrate now. Can I leave the final channeling to you?"
"Of course, my friend. Consider it done," the Celestial Spirit King nodded immediately.
The Thought Projections dispersed, walking one by one into the swirling pillar of starlight surrounding Noah's true body.
Right before the final clone entered the array, the Celestial Spirit King sat down heavily beside the matrix and pressed his massive index finger against the primary activation console, taking over the channeling duties.
With the system secured, the final clone merged into the pillar.
The King continued to channel his magic into the console. With his free hand, he gestured toward the heavens, summoning an even more massive, concentrated river of starlight that poured directly into Noah's pillar. The blinding column of light flared with unimaginable intensity.
Ultear and the girls had assumed the process would end quickly once the clones returned. But as more time passed and Noah still hadn't emerged, they turned to the Spirit King with questioning looks.
"My friend's physical and magical foundation is unfathomably profound. Previously, the starlight was focused primarily on purifying his physical body and a fraction of his core. Now that his clones have returned, his magical capacity has been restored to its absolute maximum. The starlight must now purify and saturate that newly returned volume of magic. However, the process is nearing its end. He will emerge shortly," the King explained gently.
Hearing the explanation, the rest of the guild crowded around the final pillar. They were all incredibly curious to see exactly how much stronger Noah had become after enduring the absolute longest purification session.
They didn't have to wait long. The blinding starlight gradually began to dim.
As the light faded, a terrifying, suffocatingly heavy aura erupted from the center of the array, expanding outward at lightning speed. The sheer atmospheric pressure forced the Fairy Tail mages closest to the array to stumble backward several steps.
But the apocalyptic aura was reeled back in almost instantaneously. The pillar of light completely dissipated, revealing Noah.
Because he had suffered the consequences of poor magical control in his youth, and because his highly complex enchantment research demanded absolute, microscopic precision, Noah had trained his magical control obsessively every single day of his life.
Despite the absolutely massive, unprecedented spike in his magical capacity, he only needed a fraction of a second to adapt and forcefully suppress the volatile output. While he would still need a few days of rigorous meditation to regain his absolute, microscopic surgical precision, he was fully capable of preventing catastrophic leaks.
However, even fully suppressed, the sheer density of the magic contained within his body naturally radiated a heavy, imposing pressure that everyone present could palpably feel.
"How do you feel?" Mirajane asked softly, stepping forward.
"Incredible," Noah nodded, clenching his fists and testing his physical responsiveness.
The starlight purification had exceeded his highest expectations. Not only had the absolute quality and total volume of his magic increased drastically, but his already monstrous physical durability had been refined and enhanced even further. The ritual was an absolute success.
"So... what's the next step?" Ultear asked.
"Line up. I'm going to install the conceptual concealment barriers on your guild marks now," Noah instructed.
He manifested several Thought Projections, forming a neat line. The guild members quickly queued up in front of the clones.
Noah and his clones pressed their index fingers directly over each member's Fairy Tail crest. A glowing golden runic array materialized at their fingertips and smoothly sank into the crest. The guild mark flared brightly for a second before returning to normal.
"You all understand the mechanics now, correct? I've integrated the conceptual barrier as an active function within your guild marks. You don't need to do anything while living your daily lives. The barrier will passively draw on your ambient mana to mask your signature. However, if you engage in intense combat and start outputting massive amounts of magic, you will need to consciously channel a fraction of your power into the crest to strengthen the concealment," Noah explained once everyone had been processed.
As the clones merged back into his body, the guild members nodded in understanding. When Noah had installed the barrier, he had seamlessly transferred the operational knowledge directly into their minds via his Archive magic.
"Wait, if Acnologia can track our scents, shouldn't we go back and sanitize the guildhall in Magnolia? Our scents are all over that place!" Lucy realized, her eyes widening in panic.
"That won't be necessary," Noah shook his head. "If we had to sanitize every place we've ever been, it would be an impossible logistical nightmare. Besides, because of the time discrepancy, we've technically been absent from the guildhall for over two months in Human World time. Our residual scents and magical signatures there have already faded naturally. As long as we keep the concealment barriers active when we return, Acnologia won't be able to pick up a fresh trail."
"Oh, thank god," Lucy sighed in relief.
"Alright. I'm going to teleport back to the Earthland coordinates now to inspect the navigational beacons. Once I confirm everything is operational, I'll return here, and we'll initiate the transfer," Noah announced.
"Be extremely careful," Makarov warned, his expression turning serious.
"I will. I'll be back before you know it," Noah promised.
He raised his hand and swiped at the empty air. A massive, complex golden array materialized. Noah closed his eyes, tapping into the array to actively scan for the magical signatures of the accumulator nodes they had planted on the ocean floor near Tenrou Island.
Because the devices were specifically designed to act as spatial anchors, they resonated strongly with his tracking magic.
Within ten seconds, Noah established a solid lock on the coordinates.
Before teleporting, he cast multiple layers of high-density defensive barriers over himself. Only then did his figure vanish from the Celestial Spirit World.
When he materialized, he was hovering hundreds of feet above the open ocean in Earthland.
The moment he arrived, Noah went into absolute tactical lockdown. His eyes darted across the horizon, his hyper-enhanced senses sweeping the environment. Aside from the endless, churning expanse of the blue ocean, the sky was completely empty.
Not taking any chances, Noah expanded his sensory net. He started by meticulously scanning the immediate airspace, before slowly pushing his perception outward, covering dozens of miles in every direction.
He pushed his senses to their absolute maximum limit. Nothing.
Noah finally let out a small sigh of relief. One of his worst-case scenarios—that Acnologia had recognized his teleportation signature and was actively camping the coordinates waiting for his return—had not occurred.
With the immediate threat cleared, Noah manifested nine Thought Projections. Together, they dove into the ocean, rapidly descending into the crushing depths to inspect the submerged accumulator nodes.
After a thorough inspection, Noah was pleased to find that every single device was operating flawlessly.
Because they had planted the devices incredibly deep on the ocean floor, and because Acnologia's magical bombardment had been concentrated entirely on the surface, the devastating shockwaves hadn't penetrated deep enough to compromise the localized barriers protecting the nodes.
Having confirmed the structural integrity of the navigational array, Noah dismissed his Thought Projections, keeping only one stationed on the ocean floor to monitor the area.
His true body pulled out the golden Pisces Key—which he hadn't yet handed over to Yukino—and channeled a pulse of magic, signaling the twin fish Spirits to open the gate and pull him back into the Celestial Spirit World.
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