Back in Fiore, the sun was already setting on the horizon, and the bustle of the Fairy Tail Guild was beginning to quiet down. However, one little boy, Romeo, sat in the guild hall, staring anxiously at the door.
Makarov, seated nearby with a tankard of ale, noticed the boy's unwavering focus and let out a tired sigh. He knew better than to tell Romeo to go home. The boy's stubbornness rivaled even Natsu's, and any attempt to send him away would only end in failure. With a resigned shake of his head, the guild master leaned back in his chair, silently keeping the boy company as they both awaited Cana and Noir's return.
Just then the creak of the doors cut through the quiet murmur of the guild and all heads turned as the heavy doors swung open, revealing Noir stepping inside with Cana at his side. Draped over Noir's shoulder, bruised but conscious, was Macao.
"Dad!" Romeo sprang from his seat and rushed across the hall, his small arms wrapping tightly around his father the moment Noir set him down. He buried his face in Macao's stomach, his relief spilling over in the form of muffled sobs.
The scattered guild members who remained in the hall rose from their seats and gathered around, a mix of concern and curiosity on their faces.
Macao chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry for worrying everyone," he began, his voice rough but warm. "I managed to take down nineteen Vulcans all by myself, but that last one got the jump on me. Damn thing used a Take Over spell before I knew it. Next thing I know, these two," he gestured to Noir and Cana, "show up and knock some sense back into me—literally. They saved my hide and dragged me back here."
As Macao recounted his tale, the tension in the room eased, replaced by the usual boisterous energy of the guild. Cheers and pats on the back echoed through the hall, and the guild members began trading jokes about Macao's "impressive" record against the Vulcans.
Romeo, however, remained quiet. He finally pulled away from his father and turned to face Noir, his small hands clenched at his sides. With a deep bow, he said, "Thank you, big brother, for saving my dad and bringing him home safely."
Noir blinked, caught off guard by the boy's earnest gratitude. After a moment, he waved a hand dismissively, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "No need for that, kid. It wasn't a big deal. Anyway, go catch up with your father while I wait for the guildmaster."
Romeo straightened, his eyes shining with admiration, before turning back to his father to cling to him again.
Noir took the chance to slip away from the small crowd forming around Macao. He made his way to the bar, where Mirajane stood polishing glasses, her ever-present smile lighting up her face.
"Hey, Mira," he greeted, his tone lighter now. "Got anything to help me unwind? Carrying a full-grown man for miles works up a thirst."
Mirajane chuckled softly, already reaching for a bottle. "Coming right up. You've earned it."
******
Meanwhile, in Makarov's office, Cana sat casually in one of the chairs, her legs crossed and her arms resting lazily on the armrests, as she finished recounting her recent adventure with Noir.
"So, he has a dragon as one of his summons... and he uses it as a mount, you say?" Makarov repeated slowly, his brows furrowing as he leaned forward, clasping his hands together on the desk. His lips pressed into a thin line, and he muttered under his breath, "I'll need to have a word with him about casually wielding that kind of power."
"Anyway..." Makarov shifted his focus back to Cana. "What's your impression of Noir?"
Cana leaned back, tapping a finger thoughtfully on the chair's arm. "He's a nice guy, I guess—though a bit mysterious," Cana replied. "But if we're talking about combat, the guy's a powerhouse. And that's not even counting the dragon. I'd say he could handle high-level missions, no problem—pair him up with Erza or even Laxus, and he'd hold his own."
Makarov's brows lifted slightly, intrigue flickering in his eyes. "That's high praise coming from you."
"I'm just calling it like I see it," Cana said with a shrug. "From what I could tell, he's strong enough to bring down all of Mt. Hakobe with his magic if he wanted to. But here's the thing—his control is incredible. He avoided unnecessary damage entirely. It's not just raw power with him; he knows how to use it. Honestly, the only thing keeping him from being an S-Class mage right now is experience. Give him a year, maybe a little longer, and that won't even be an issue."
Makarov nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "I see. That's valuable insight, Cana. Thank you." He leaned back in his chair, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You're dismissed."
Cana rose from her seat and gave a small nod before strolling towards the door, shutting it behind her with a soft click.
Makarov sat in silence for a moment, staring at the papers scattered across his desk. Then, a low chuckle escaped his lips. "A dragon as a mount..." He shook his head, his smile widening. "These young mages never cease to surprise me."
Letting out a deep sigh, Makarov leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers over his stomach. "Well, I suppose that conversation can wait until tomorrow. No point rushing it." His gaze drifted to the window, watching as the last traces of sunlight disappeared behind the horizon, the stars beginning to twinkle in the night sky.
******
After being informed that the guild master wouldn't be seeing him today, Noir decided to call it a night. However, that's when it struck him—he had forgotten to look for a place to stay and now had nowhere to go.
Just as he was mulling over his predicament, Macao stepped in and offered him a spare room at his house. He explained that it was just him and his son living there, and Noir was welcome to stay as long as he needed.
Grateful for the kindness, Noir accepted the offer and decided to stay with the Conbolt family until he could save up enough money to either rent or buy a decent place of his own.
The three of them left the guild together, and when they arrived at the Conbolt family's house, Macao led Noir inside and gave him a quick tour. The house was modest but cozy, exuding a warm and welcoming vibe.
The spare room was small but comfortable, with a neatly made bed and a window that overlooked the quiet street outside.
"Make yourself at home," Macao said, giving Noir a hearty clap on the back. "If you need anything, just holler."
Noir chuckled softly. "Got it. Thanks again, Macao," he replied as the older man left the room.
Later that night, after sharing a hearty dinner with the Conbolt father and son, Noir retreated to the small but cozy guest room. Now alone, he sank onto the bed and opened his system interface, its familiar glowing panels materializing before him.
Interference in Canon Event Detected!
Calculating the impact... Success!
Result: Adequate
Calculating rewards... Success!
Level 3 reached... processing rewards... Success!
Noir leaned back against the wall, an amused smile tugging at his lips. "Oh, right," he mused aloud. "Natsu was supposed to go with Lucy to save Macao, wasn't he? Guess I kind of jumped the gun by volunteering first. Looks like that small change worked out for me, though—I leveled up. Sweet."
The interface chimed, and a new notification appeared:
Three Rewards Acquired!
1. Acquiring a random Pokémon and move... Success!
- Shiny Metang caught and added to the party.
-Magnetic Magic: Magnet Rise acquired.
-Body Modification Magic: Light Metal acquired.
2. Magic Power and Capacity increased by 25%!
-Resistance to and power of Unnatural and Mind based Magic increased by 25%.
-Additionally, due to the effects of Steel and Psychic types, Physical and Mentel strength increased by 25%
3. Acquiring a random move... Success!
-Forbidden Magic: Perish Song acquired.
"Wow, this is quite the haul," Noir whistled softly, his eyes scanning the glowing text. "A 25% boost in magic power and capacity, plus resistance to mind-based magic? Not bad at all. And a shiny Metang? That's... interesting."
Curious about the physical and mental strength boost, Noir stretched his arms and flexed his hands experimentally. He felt no immediate difference. Frowning, he stood and removed his shirt, stepping over to the mirror on the wall. His Perfect Body—toned, athletic, and unmarred—looked exactly the same as before.
"Huh. I don't feel any different," he muttered, turning side to side. "Maybe the effects aren't physical? Or they're too subtle to notice right away. I'll have to run some tests later."
Shaking his head, Noir refocused on the next reward. His intrigue grew as he summoned the shiny Metang. A metallic shimmer filled the room as the Pokémon materialized. The creature's sleek, robotic form gleamed a pristine white, and its golden spikes caught the light as its two crimson eyes studied him with curiosity.
"Hello, Metang. I'm Noir. Let's get along, yeah?" he greeted with a smile, extending a hand to the creature. Metang's eyes narrowed slightly, almost like a smile in return, and it leaned into the touch as Noir patted the top of its cold, metallic head.
"Well, you're a cool one," Noir chuckled, but his expression soon turned thoughtful. With a wave of his hand, he unsummoned Metang, leaning back on the bed as he rubbed his chin. "Hmm. So, Metang's a second-stage evolution. That explains why I only got a 25% boost and a single move. If I'd started with a first-stage Pokémon like Beldum, I might've gained more incremental bonuses as it evolved," he mulled it over for a moment before shrugging. "Still, having a stronger teammate right away isn't a bad trade-off."
Noir opened his interface again, glancing at the final reward. "Magnet Rise and... Perish Song." he frowned, his gaze lingering on the latter. "I should probably wait until tomorrow to try Magnet Rise. And as for Perish Song... yeah, that one's going straight into the 'last resort' category. That's the kind of move you don't use unless things are really desperate."
Satisfied for now, Noir closed the interface with a flick of his wrist. Letting out a deep breath, he lay back on the bed and within minutes, he drifted off into a deep sleep.
******
The next morning, instead of heading straight to the guild, Noir made his way to the forest near Fiore. His goal was to test Magnet Rise and explore the changes in his physical and mental abilities.
Once he arrived, Noir began by testing his physical strength. He quickly realized there was indeed a difference—his punches and kicks carried noticeably more power. On top of that, he felt improvements in his speed and stamina, allowing him to move and sustain activity with greater ease.
Next, he focused on his mental enhancements. Noir could sense his thoughts were sharper and his perception faster. It felt like his mind operated a fraction of a second ahead of what it used to. Combined with his Six Eyes, this improvement exponentially increased his combat prowess, allowing him to process and respond to situations with unparalleled efficiency.
These improvements lifted his mood, sparking excitement for the prospect of acquiring more Steel- and Psychic-type Pokémon to further enhance his abilities.
Satisfied with the results, Noir turned his attention to Magnet Rise. Activating it, he discovered that he could levitate himself effortlessly—much like Tatsumaki from One Punch Man. What's more, the mana cost was surprisingly manageable. After further testing, he realized that the mana consumption of Magnet Rise was proportional to the weight of the object he was levitating. When paired with Light Metal, which reduced his weight, he could effectively double the duration of his levitation with the same amount of mana.
By the time Noir finished his experiments, the sun was high in the sky. Deciding to wrap things up, he headed back to town, grabbed some lunch, and then made his way to the guild.
******
"Hey, Noir! Good afternoon," Mirajane greeted with her usual warm smile as she spotted him entering the guild. "Woke up late?" she teased.
"No, just had some personal business to take care of," Noir replied with an easy wave of his hand before he walked past her toward the mission board. He spent a few moments scanning the various postings, his eyes flicking over the descriptions and payouts before they settled on one that offered a decent payout. Decision made, he plucked the paper from the board, turned, and strolled back to the bar where Mirajane was polishing a glass with practiced ease.
"Can you tell me more about this mission?" Noir asked, sliding the paper across the counter toward her.
Mirajane paused to read the request, her brow furrowing slightly in thought. "Oh, this one," she said after a moment. "It just came in about half an hour ago. It's an escort mission from The Silver Thread Company. They need someone to accompany their cargo to Oak Town and back. Doesn't seem particularly dangerous, but the client specifically requested at least two escorts for added security." She looked up at him with a soft smile. "I'd recommend taking someone along with you, just to be safe."
Noir tilted his head thoughtfully before grinning. "Why don't you come with me?" he suggested, a playful gleam in his eye as he winked at her, causing Mirajane to giggle behind her hand.
"I'd love to, but someone has to keep the guild running," she replied, gesturing at the bustling hall behind her. Her chuckle was infectious, and Noir found himself laughing along.
"That's a shame," he said with a mock sigh, feigning disappointment. He glanced around the guild, scanning the familiar faces. "What about Cana?"
Mirajane let out a small huff, crossing her arms. "Drunk and passed out in her room," she said, shaking her head in exasperation. "I don't think she'll be of much help today."
Noir rubbed the back of his neck, clearly not surprised by the answer. "Fair enough," he murmured before looking back at her. "So, who would you recommend?"
Honestly, Noir didn't feel he needed anyone to complete such a simple mission, especially when he needed money to both buy a decent place for himself to live and upgrade his dragon. But unfortunately, he wasn't as famous as Natsu or Erza, which would generate enough sense of security in clients that would allow him to do solo missions that included clients themselves. Also, the request had mentioned at least two people as escorts, so there is that.
Mirajane's eyes surveyed the room, tapping a finger against her chin. Her gaze finally landed on a petite girl with short blue hair, who was engrossed in a book at one of the nearby tables. "Hey, Levy!" she called out, her voice cutting through the gentle hum of the guildhall.
Levy looked up from her book, blinking in surprise before setting it down and walking over. "What's up, Mira?" she asked, before her attention shifted to Noir, and a bright smile lit up her face. "Oh, you must be Noir! It's nice to meet you," she said warmly.
"Likewise," Noir replied, giving her a polite nod.
Mirajane wasted no time explaining the mission details to Levy. When she finished, she turned to Levy expectantly. "So, what do you think? Are you free to help out?"
Levy considered for a moment before nodding enthusiastically. "Sure, I'll come with you! Jet and Droy are off doing their own thing, so I've got some free time to spare. Besides, this sounds like fun."
"Great," Noir said, rising from his seat. "Let's meet at The Silver Thread Company in half an hour."
"Got it," Levy replied with a nod, her enthusiasm infectious.
As Noir and Levy headed off to make their preparations, Mirajane watched them with a fond smile. "They'll make a good team," she murmured to herself before returning to her work behind the bar.
To be continued...