The autumn sky was bright, and a gentle breeze swept through Magnolia.
As a seaside city, its climate did not vary much throughout the year, other than winter.
Behind the guild's tavern-like building stretched a large open field connected to a lake. Fairy Tail actually held ownership over quite a wide territory. Unfortunately, years of tight finances meant most of it had gone undeveloped.
On that field, now wild with weeds, a man and a woman stood face to face.
At the edge of the grounds, a small crowd gathered. Word had spread that Erza herself had invited the guild's new recruit to a sparring match—one focusing purely on physical skills. With nothing else to do, their curiosity led them to spectate.
"It's strange, isn't it? Erza *inviting* Noah for a spar? Poor Natsu would be crushed if he heard," said a man with brown hair and sunglasses, smirking knowingly.
"After all, Natsu challenged Erza countless times, but she either beat him down in a few moves or ignored him completely. A 'friendly spar' was out of the question."
Gray scowled. "Loke, you're using Natsu to take a jab at me, aren't you?"
The truth stung. Like Natsu, Gray had fought Erza since childhood. And like Natsu, his win rate was a perfect zero. They never lasted more than three moves.
Nab, who had yet to find any commissions for himself, raised a brow curiously at Loke. "Loke, you just joined the guild this year too. How do you know so much about their duels?"
"Hey, hey, Nab! Are you underestimating me? Only by fighting stronger opponents can you grow! You wouldn't understand."
"Hah. Spoken like two idiots who *don't* learn," Gray snapped back.
Loke added with a sly grin, "Still, he's right. After all the beatings, you and Natsu have grown thick-skinned. Otherwise, how else could you run around stark naked in the guild all the time, Gray?"
"Indeed. Gray doesn't even blink at stripping in broad daylight," Nab chuckled.
Gray suddenly turned red—realizing, far too late, that once again only his underwear remained.
"Loke! Where are my clothes?!"
"No idea," Loke answered smoothly.
From the field, Noah exhaled heavily. He had been staring at naked Gray for several minutes. The guy only just now realized? …Only after being told by others?
*Unbelievable. He strips without thinking. Perverts are one thing—but perverts who don't even realize they're perverts…*
Even Erza looked embarrassed. *Could these fools not behave properly for once, especially in front of a new member?*
Trying to salvage the situation, she said, "Don't worry, Noah. Stripping is just a habit Gray picked up while training Ice-Make magic."
…How does taking your clothes off relate to ice magic?
Noah said nothing, but his expression made his doubts obvious. Even Erza knew her excuse sounded weak.
"…Forget them. Let's begin."
She summoned a small magic circle at her feet and drew a wooden sword from her Requip space. "If you need weapons, tell me. I have plenty."
Noah shook his head. He was confident enough in his martial skills to face her barehanded if needed. Still, he was intrigued by her magic.
Requip: The Knight.
Unlike his expensive space ring, worth six hundred thousand jewel, Erza's Requip magic allowed her to instantly access a limitless arsenal of weapons and armor. A true self-created "dimensional armory." By comparison, his ring was laughable.
*It really is unfair to compare yourself to others…*
"Don't get distracted!"
Her voice cut through the air as fast as her strike. The wooden sword swung straight at his head.
Noah barely tilted aside, strands of his hair nearly cut off.
"A wooden sword wielded to that degree, huh? Not bad," he said bluntly.
The comment irked her. Though it was a friendly match, she hated being underestimated. Her sword blurred through six, seven strikes in the blink of an eye.
Sharp force unfurled like flower petals.
But Noah didn't counter. He moved with effortless grace, brushing past each deadly arc like a drifting leaf.
Steady. Precise. Ruthless.
Those were the words that defined Erza's swordsmanship. Yet Noah found it crude. Self-taught, perhaps—no one in the guild had guided her.
As the exchange ended, Erza noticed something unsettling: her blade never reached him. Always a sliver short—as if there was an uncrossable gulf separating them. This wasn't luck. This wasn't mercy.
Her opponent had anticipated every move.
*What kind of martial training… does he have?*
She halted, tightening her grip on her sword. There was no doubt—his hand-to-hand ability surpassed hers. In martial arts, no one in Fairy Tail could match him.
"…Then this isn't sparring anymore," she murmured to herself. "This is asking for guidance."
Another magic circle opened. Erza drew out a second wooden sword and tossed it toward him.
Noah caught it, smiling knowingly. *She wants instruction… the same as her counterpart did back in Edolas.*
He remembered being asked to train the Erza there in spearwork, under Faust's orders. He had surpassed her quickly.
And now, here, fate gave him the chance to guide this Erza in swordsmanship.
"Erza, your strength and speed are more than enough. But your technique is a mess. Forget the fancy flourishes. Just remember—eight basics. Nothing more."
Without further preamble, Noah lunged.
Her blade moved to block, but his strike twisted—what appeared to be a vertical thrust became a swift horizontal slash, bypassing her guard and stopping at her throat.
Her breath caught. Never had she thought a simple thrust could split into two variations. One vertical, sharp and straight. The other horizontal, agile and deceptive.
Such a small adjustment—but it changed the entire move.
Her eyes shone. A new door had just opened before her.
From there, he demonstrated each core technique in turn:
- **Sword-point** – A downward wrist tilt, concentrating strength entirely at the tip for a sudden strike.
- **Breaking sword** – An upward lift to deflect and split the enemy's weapon aside.
- **Cutting sword** – A diagonal upward guard to nullify heavy attacks.
- **Hanging sword** – Circular swings at the side for both offense and defense.
- **Sword interception** – A low sweep designed to attack legs or break rhythm.
- **Sword twist** – Rotating the wrist, transmitting force into circular motion through the blade.
Each motion was simple—yet devastating when used properly.
After several exchanges, sweat poured down Erza's face. His final twisting strike sent her wooden weapon flying.
Her chest heaved as her eyes widened.
*So refined… Compared to this, my past strikes really were just wild swings.*
If she mastered these techniques and incorporated them into her Requip arsenal, Mira wouldn't stand a chance.
She clenched her teeth in exhilaration. Like Natsu with Gray, her rivalry with Mira had always burned brightly. One day, she would surpass her.
Off to the side, the spectators were slack-jawed.
"Did we just see that right? Erza got completely… *outclassed*?"
Loke no longer smiled. Even without knowing swordsmanship, the gulf between Noah and Erza had been painfully clear.
"…And Erza herself specializes in swords," he muttered.
Gray crossed his arms silently, mulling over what he had just witnessed.
Then—Nab stepped forward.
"Noah! Besides swordsmanship, what else do you know in martial arts?"
Confused at his eagerness, Noah shrugged. "A bit of boxing, spearwork… all about the same as my swordsmanship."
Loke and Gray nearly spit blood. *A bit?!*
"Master Noah!" Loke suddenly cried, eyes blazing. "Please teach me boxing!"
The sudden "Master" caught Noah off guard. Then… he smirked inwardly.
Back in Edolas, magic-less humans relied only on weapons and props. Forced by his father Faust, Noah had mastered countless martial disciplines: sword, spear, halberd, blade.
Now, that training was paying off.
Still—teaching was time-consuming. Not something he wished to spend on just anyone. Noah had only given Erza pointers because of her talent; a little guidance had already worked wonders.
But the others? …He wasn't sure.
Then—
[Ding! You have received a new local prayer commission]
[Client: Nab Lasaro, troubled for years by his weakness. After seeing you, he realized where he must improve. Please guide him in a basic set of boxing techniques.]
[Reward: Mastery of "Take-Over: Beast Arm" magic]
[Duration: Indefinite]
Noah's eyes widened. A grin stretched across his face.
He clasped Nab's shoulder warmly. "Don't worry. I'll make you into a true master of boxing."
Nab nearly wept. "But… I have nothing valuable to give you…"
"Don't say that. We're comrades."
Overcome, Nab fell to his knees. "Master, please! Accept me as your disciple!"
"Ah?! Seriously?!" Noah quickly dragged him up. "I'll teach you, but don't call me Master. If you really have to, call me… Coach."
"…Yes, Master!"
Noah twitched. It took him a while just to hammer the word "Coach" into Nab's head instead.
Then—
"Noah—no, Coach—I want to learn too."
It was Gray.
Loke blinked in surprise. "You, too? Your magic doesn't need martial arts. Why learn?"
"My teacher told me… Ice-Make magic must be combined with taijutsu."
Gray turned to Noah, awaiting his verdict.
Noah hesitated. Minutes ticked by before he sighed. *I was waiting, Gray… waiting for you to offer me a wish request. But since you didn't…*
Without reward, his heart wasn't in it.
And yet—he had just grandly declared to Nab that Fairy Tail companions need no payment. Rejecting Gray now would feel shameful.
*Crap. I've dug my own grave.*
Then Erza spoke up. "Noah, how about this? I'll recommend to Master that you teach physical training to guild members officially. Everyone's skills would grow, and Master could pay you a salary."
His eyes narrowed. *A thin wallet for Master… but steady pay for me.*
She didn't understand guild management. As an S-Class, Erza earned plenty on her own. But Makarov had to bear all the guild's expenses.
Well—what was that to Noah?
And as Erza predicted, when she suggested it that very day, Makarov frowned at the cost. Yet he knew better than anyone the importance of martial foundations.
Even in a world dominated by magic, many spells required strong bodies to wield, and in battle, magic flowed best through honed movement.
For the guild's future… it was worth the expense.
And so, Fairy Tail's new recruit, Noah, found himself reborn as the guild's official **Physical Training Coach**.
A monthly salary of 200,000 jewel in hand.
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