"That was amazing!" Wendy said, her eyes wide with awe as she watched the fireball explode and felt the wave of heat wash over them.
"You've gotten stronger, Natsu," Noah said with genuine praise. Natsu's power was clearly greater than the last time he had challenged him. Natsu had a habit of challenging Noah every chance he got; he'd lose every time, but he never, ever got discouraged.
Natsu landed on the ground, took a deep breath, cupped his hands in front of his mouth, and then exhaled all his magic and air in a single blast. A magic circle flared to life.
"Fire Dragon's ROAR!"
A violent torrent of flame shot from the magic circle, heading straight for Noah.
Noah simply held up his hand, and a shield emblazoned with the Fairy Tail mark appeared, effortlessly blocking the fiery deluge. The flames splashed against the barrier and washed harmlessly around it. Carla grabbed Wendy-kun and flew up, with Happy doing the same, to avoid the flames. The fire licked at the shield, but it didn't leave a single mark.
Natsu stopped his roar, crouched low, and wreathed both arms in flames, forming two blades of fire. He spun his body and charged, becoming a violent cyclone of fire.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!!"
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
The blades of fire hammered against Noah's shield, making a series of clear, ringing sounds, but they failed to make a dent. The shield remained unshaken.
Natsu, on the other hand, was now panting heavily from the effort, sweat pouring down his face. But his expression was one of pure, unadulterated joy. He stood his ground, clenched his fists, and roared.
"Full Magic Release!"
A violent, chaotic aura of fire exploded from his body, swirling around him and shattering the ground at his feet.
"Taught by Igneel! Dragon Slayer Secret Art! Shiranui Style: Crimson Lotus: Phoenix Sword!!"
The flames swirling around Natsu suddenly converged, engulfing his body in a massive fireball. He kicked off the ground and shot forward like a rocket, his entire body becoming the fiery tip of a sword.
He slammed head-first into Noah's shield.
BOOOOM!!!
Natsu's flames and Noah's shield struggled for dominance. Suddenly, there was a faint sound.
Crack!
A hairline fracture appeared on the shield, right where Natsu was pushing. The crack spiderwebbed across the barrier, and in the next second...
SHATTER!
The shield broke apart, dissipating into motes of light.
But Natsu, having used the last of his magic in that one attack, fell from the air. Noah caught him and gently set him on the ground.
"Not bad," Noah said with a smile. "Last time, you couldn't even scratch my shield. You broke it this time. That's real progress."
By now, Happy, Carla, and Wendy-kun had landed and walked over.
"You were definitely holding back, Noah!" Happy declared. "There's no way Natsu could have broken your shield that easily! You always beat him in one hit!"
Even though Natsu had given it his all, Happy still refused to believe it. Carla nodded in agreement. Noah just smiled and said nothing.
"See! I broke it!" Natsu panted from the ground, covered in sweat but grinning from ear to ear. "Next time, I'll hit you! And after that, I'll win!"
"Noah, Noah! Please snap this daydreaming idiot back to reality," Happy pleaded, tugging on Noah's pants.
"Haha, just let him have this," Noah said. He then turned to Wendy-kun. "So, did you learn anything?"
"I... I think I understand," Wendy-kun said. "But I'm not sure if I'm right."
"No rush. You can just try it out slowly. Speaking of which... I can roar, too."
"!!!" Both Wendy-kun and Natsu stared at him in shock.
"Brother Noah, I thought you said you didn't use Dragon Slayer magic!" Wendy-kun asked.
"I don't. But watch this. Is this a roar?"
Noah took a small breath, tilted his head back, and then exhaled, pushing his magic from his lungs.
"ROAR!"
A massive, pure-white beam of magic shot from his mouth, ripping into the sky and blasting a hole straight through the clouds. The resulting shockwave was so strong it sent Happy and Carla tumbling backward, forcing them to grab onto Natsu and Wendy-kun as they flapped wildly in the wind.
Natsu and Wendy-kun's hair was blown straight back. They were completely stunned.
After Noah finished, Natsu finally found his voice. "THAT'S NOT A ROAR!" he yelled. "YOU JUST SHOT MAGIC OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!"
"But isn't that what a roar is?" Noah replied. "Your 'Fire Dragon's Roar' is just you gathering Dragon Slayer magic in your lungs and spitting it out, right? I'm just gathering my own magic and spitting it out. The principle is the same. Mine just doesn't have the fire property. But in terms of form, it's a roar."
Natsu looked completely baffled. He felt like something was wrong with that logic, but he had no idea how to argue against it.
Wendy-kun, however, was lost in thought. "Gather magic in the lungs... and spit it out..." she murmured. "So that's a roar..."
"Exactly," Noah said, turning to her. "Your Sky Dragon Slayer magic lets you eat the air. So, just breathe in. A lot. Take all the air and magic in the sky into your lungs, compress it, and then release it all at once. That's your roar."
Wendy-kun's eyes lit up. Even if Noah's version felt different, she understood the principle.
"Okay," she said, her voice full of new determination. "I'll try it!"
~~~
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