Chapter 457: Delightful, Truly Delightful
"Mhm, almost there!" Sorano leaned closer to Noah, nodding continuously as she watched the holographic map.
By now, over fifty nodes had lit up on the screen. Once the remaining nodes activated, the barrier would officially be fully operational.
"Looking at it this way, the outer barrier we set up doesn't actually seem that big," Mirajane remarked thoughtfully, staring at the map.
They had spent a significant amount of time and traveled quite a distance to install everything, yet on the screen, their hard work amounted to nothing more than a few tiny dots. The outer barrier clearly spanned a radius of over 100 kilometers, but on the map, it looked like a perfectly small, simple circle.
"I get that illusion all the time too. Looking at a map always makes the world feel small. It's only when you actually travel through it that you realize just how massive it really is," Noah chuckled.
Mirajane nodded in agreement.
The group gathered around Noah, watching the golden ring on the map expand outward until it reached the absolute edge of their network. Instantly, every single node they had buried flared to life on the screen.
At the exact same moment, they felt a faint tremor pass through the ground beneath their feet, though it vanished as quickly as it came.
"Did the barrier successfully activate?" Ultear asked, looking around.
"Yes. The map confirms all nodes are online. However, it'll take a moment for the physical effects to manifest," Noah replied.
The group nodded. Given the sheer scale of the barrier, it made sense that the environmental changes would take a bit of time to reach them.
"Here it comes!"
After a brief pause, Ur was the first to look out toward the ocean, followed closely by Laxus, and then Ultear and the rest.
From the distant horizon, a massive, howling gale was rushing straight toward the island.
"That is an unbelievable amount of magic power!" Ultear gasped. She immediately realized that this fierce wind was entirely generated by the colossal influx of ambient magic being forcefully funneled toward Tenrou Island.
The sheer density of the incoming magic power pressed down on them, creating a heavy, suffocating sensation in the air.
Everyone ducked their heads and shielded their eyes with their arms to block the flying sand and debris.
When they finally looked up, they were greeted by the sight of a terrifying, ten-meter-tall tsunami surging right behind the gale, crashing toward the shore.
Without missing a beat, Noah raised a hand. Instantly, a towering earthen wall over a dozen meters high erupted along the island's coastline, forming a sturdy barricade.
BOOM!!! CRASH!! BOOM!
The first massive wave slammed violently into the earthen wall, producing a deafening roar. Several smaller waves followed, crashing heavily against the barricade.
Once the chaotic crashing sounds subsided, Noah waved his hand, dispelling the massive earth wall.
The group looked out to sea and saw that while the waves were still rolling toward the shore, they had significantly calmed down. The magic-laden wind blowing onto the island had also steadied, carrying a much more manageable flow of magic than the initial explosive surge.
"It's starting," Noah said, turning around to face the center of the island.
The others followed his gaze. Saturated by the massive influx of magic power, the Tenrou Tree had begun to slowly emit a radiant glow once again.
Sorano and the girls hurriedly whipped out their magical cameras to capture the breathtaking sight.
Under the continuous stream of magic, the Tenrou Tree grew brighter and brighter, ultimately radiating a brilliant yet soothing light that wasn't harsh on the eyes. At the same time, the ground of Tenrou Island began to shimmer faintly. The light spread until the entire island was bathed in a soft, ethereal glow.
Illuminated by this gentle radiance, the flora and fauna across the island looked straight out of a dream.
"So beautiful!" Sorano gasped. This time, she didn't forget to press the shutter, snapping photo after photo.
"Mhm!" Erza nodded repeatedly, her hands equally busy with her own camera.
The rest of the group also captured the rare, magnificent scenery.
"Alright, let's grab dinner," Noah called out once everyone had taken enough photos.
The group put away their cameras and walked over to a nearby table. It was already piled high with various delicacies Noah had prepared earlier. Each dish was encased in a small, localized barrier to lock in the heat and flavor.
Noah dispelled the barriers, and the exhausted group happily dug into the feast.
After Noah finished eating, Mavis floated over to his side. She pointed toward a secluded spot nearby, signaling him to follow her.
"The barrier gathers magic, Tenrou Island stores it, and the system allows you to directly mobilize that power. We are talking about an astronomical amount of magic here. What exactly are you planning to do with it?" Mavis asked once they were out of earshot.
Having provided several modifications to the barrier's blueprint, she naturally understood its full capabilities.
The barrier reinforced Tenrou Island, allowing it to store an unfathomable volume of magic. The outer network funneled energy from a massive surrounding area directly into the island. Within just a few days, the island's reserves would be completely topped off. Most importantly, any member of Fairy Tail could actively command that stored magic through the barrier's interface.
Noah had designed the entire framework himself, with Mavis only tweaking a few minor details. She fully trusted that Noah wouldn't do anything to harm the guild, which was why she hadn't questioned his motives during the construction. But now that everything was finished, her curiosity—and concern—got the better of her.
With such a terrifying amount of magic stockpiled, she genuinely wanted to know what he was preparing for.
"Well... Tenrou Island has an absolute defense now, but it still needs a proper means of attack. We can't just sit here and take a beating without the ability to strike back. Plus, having an abundance of magic naturally improves the island's environment and provides stronger protection for our guild members," Noah smiled casually.
"That's definitely part of the reason, but I get the distinct feeling you're hiding something else," Mavis narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"I honestly don't know if that certain event will even happen, so I'm just making preparations well in advance," Noah shrugged helplessly, offering a vague half-truth.
"I see... Well, if you ever need anything, just tell me. I will do everything in my power to help you," Mavis said seriously, accepting his answer.
"I will," Noah nodded earnestly.
With their private chat concluded, the two returned to the table.
"The day after tomorrow is the official announcement of the exam candidates," Erza informed Noah as he sat back down.
"Oh, right. I didn't realize time had flown by so quickly. The barrier setup actually went a lot faster than I anticipated. I guess that means I made you guys miss out on being examiners for nothing," Noah calculated the dates and offered an apologetic smile.
"It's fine. Not being an examiner is perfectly fine by me," Laxus waved him off carelessly.
"You don't get to say that. You literally dodge examiner duty every single year!" Noah rolled his eyes.
For the past few years, despite being a highly qualified S-Class mage, Laxus stubbornly refused to act as an examiner. He would either conveniently take a long-term request that overlapped with the exam or flat-out refuse, forcing Noah to step in and fill the role.
Laxus offered a sheepish grin and awkwardly looked away.
Noah looked at the others, but they simply waved it off as well. None of them particularly cared whether they were examiners or not.
"I wonder if the candidate list will change this year," Sorano mused.
"Hard to say. It all depends on how hard they've been working. But this is always the busiest time of the year for the guild. We have one day left, so we can go back and watch everyone scramble," Ultear smiled mischievously.
"Indeed. Seeing everyone working so frantically always puts me in a really pleasant mood," Mirajane added with a sweet, almost wicked smile.
"That's just because it reminds you of how desperate you used to be. Now that you don't have to scramble anymore, it's fun watching others suffer through it," Sorano teased her.
Mirajane just kept smiling, offering no denial.
Sorano couldn't deny it either; she also found immense joy in watching the others frantically rush around. Looking around the group, she noticed everyone wore similar, slightly sadistic smiles of amusement.
"Alright, enough of that. We head back tomorrow," Noah announced.
Everyone nodded and began packing up. Before going to bed, Ultear and the girls took a few more photos of the glowing Tenrou Tree and the illuminated island, culminating in a group photo with the radiant background.
The next morning, everyone woke up to find the island had changed once again.
"The magic concentration feels lower, and the Tenrou Tree and the island aren't glowing anymore," Cana noted as she stretched.
"That's the barrier regulating everything normally. An excessively high concentration of magic isn't actually good for the native flora and fauna. Maintaining it just slightly higher than the island's natural baseline is optimal. All the excess magic is now safely compressed and stored deep within the Tenrou Tree and the island itself," Noah explained.
He wasn't entirely sure what unchecked magic saturation would do to the local ecosystem, so he opted for a safer, regulated ambient density. The barrier didn't need a dangerously saturated atmosphere to function anyway.
Everyone nodded in agreement; it was best not to mess with the delicate balance of their holy ground.
Once they finished packing, Noah split off a Thought Projection and left it behind with a pile of specialized equipment. He had promised to examine Mavis's condition, and he fully intended to keep that promise.
With that settled, Noah's true body teleported the rest of the group directly to the front doors of the Fairy Tail guild.
Noah pushed the doors open, only for a guild member to instantly sprint straight at him, screaming, "Outta the way! Outta the way!"
Noah casually stepped aside, and the rest of the S-Class mages smoothly parted, allowing the frantic guild member to barrel out the door.
"Ah, what a lively scene," Sorano sighed nostalgically.
The others nodded in agreement.
Inside the guild hall, the atmosphere was utter chaos. Countless members were sprinting back and forth between the request board and the bar counter. Very few people were casually drinking or chatting; the vast majority wore expressions of absolute, frantic tension.
The group dispersed into the crowd, and Noah walked up to the bar counter.
"Is everything handled?" Makarov asked from his seat on the counter.
"Yep, all done. The barrier is running perfectly and hitting all our projected benchmarks," Noah smiled.
"Good," Makarov nodded.
From behind the counter, the Thought Projection Noah had left to handle the guild's paperwork walked over and smoothly merged back into his real body. Noah seamlessly took his place behind the counter, continuing the administrative work without missing a beat.
"I only saw your Thought Projection here the past few days, and neither you nor Erza were around. Were you guys out on a mission?" Lucy asked, walking up to the counter and confirming this was the real Noah.
"You could call it a mission, yeah," Noah nodded.
"Work! I need a job! Noah, register this for me!" Natsu and Happy suddenly slammed into the counter, slapping a request flyer down with frantic urgency.
"Registered," Noah stamped it in the blink of an eye.
"Let's go!"
"Aye!"
Natsu snatched the flyer, spun around, and bolted for the exit with Happy flying right behind him.
"Wait a second! If we're going on a job, I—" Lucy finally processed what was happening and called out to Natsu's retreating back.
"Sorry! I gotta do this one solo!" Natsu yelled without looking back.
"We'll take jobs with you later, Lucy!" Happy added loudly.
BAM!
Right at the doorway, Natsu collided head-on with Gray, who had just sprinted inside.
"Watch where you're going, you spiky-haired idiot!" Gray barked.
"You're the one in the way, you droopy-eyed stripper!" Natsu roared right back.
"Do you two really have time to fight right now?!" Happy reminded them.
The realization hit them instantly. Without another word, Natsu bolted out the door, while Gray scrambled over to the request board, ripped a flyer off, and dashed to the counter.
"I'm back!" Gray panted.
"Welcome back. Where are your clothes?" Noah asked, eyeing Gray's bare chest.
"No time for that! This is my next job!" Gray shoved the flyer at Noah. The moment Noah stamped it, Gray tore out of the guild hall.
"He's already taking another job?!" Lucy asked, completely bewildered.
"Brother-in-law, I'm taking this one!" Elfman sprinted up, slamming a flyer down.
"Registered. Stay safe out there," Noah stamped it.
"A real man never rests!" Elfman yelled, sprinting out.
"A job! Give me a job!"
"Whoa whoa!"
"I'm taking this one!"
"Hey! You bastard, I grabbed that first!"
"Who cares?! First come, first served!"
"Move it, idiot!"
"Team Shadow Gear is officially disbanding for this period!"
A massive stampede of guild members swarmed the counter, aggressively thrusting request flyers toward Noah.
Terrified by the mob, Lucy squeaked and scurried out of the way to avoid being trampled.
"Alright, alright, don't rush. One at a time," Noah laughed, his hands moving in a blur as he rapidly stamped and registered everyone's requests.
As soon as a member was registered, they turned and bolted out of the guild hall like their lives depended on it.
Once the initial wave cleared out, Lucy cautiously crept back to the counter, looking utterly bewildered. "What in the world is going on here?"
"You'll find out very soon," Noah smiled mysteriously.
"I get the feeling you're really enjoying watching them panic like this," Lucy squinted suspiciously at him.
"Oh, did you notice? I truly am finding this delightful," Noah beamed with absolute joy.
Lucy pressed him for an explanation several times, but Noah simply smiled, refusing to spill the secret.
~~~
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