In three months, the Grand Magic Games, the grand festival that will determine the number one guild in Fiore, is set to take place.
It is a "magic" competition where participants engage in various magical contests.
Over the past seven years, Fairy Tail has fallen to become the weakest guild in Fiore.
Determined to reclaim their former glory and make Fairy Tail the number one guild, its members decide to participate in the Grand Magic Games.
However, due to the seven-year gap experienced by the core members of the Tenrou Team, they recognize the need to strengthen themselves.
With only three months remaining before the festival, the Tenrou Team resolves to undergo intensive training separately to enhance their power.
.............
In the far north of the continent lies a land covered in ice and snow, infamous for its extremely low temperatures and frequent blizzards.
Due to its harsh environment, this region is nearly uninhabited, making it a haven for many dangerous magical creatures.
For a long time, it has been regarded as a forbidden land by many.
Amidst this harsh landscape, three figures slowly advanced.
"In an environment like this, Gray-san, are you really fine exposing your body like that?" Ed turned his head and asked Gray, who was walking at the back, wearing nothing but a pair of pants.
"N-No problem... I've been u-used to this... since I was a kid... A-achoo!" Gray struggled to finish his sentence before sneezing, his body trembling slightly from the cold.
It was obvious to anyone that he was forcing himself.
Although Gray had undergone training as a child under Ur, where he practiced moving through snowy environments while barely clothed, the temperatures back then were far milder than those of this frozen northern region, known as the "Prison of Ice and Snow."
Here, the temperature approached minus forty degrees.
Even as an Ice Mage, Gray was finding it extremely difficult to endure.
Just as Ed was about to say something, he felt a gentle tug on his hand.
Turning his head, he saw Noel giving him a look and shaking his head slightly.
Ed sighed softly, nodded in understanding, and refrained from saying anything further to Gray.
Halfway through their journey, the distant snow suddenly stirred.
A massive black beast, standing over ten meters tall, emerged and let out a thunderous roar toward Noel's group.
"Gray," Noel called out.
Gray nodded and immediately charged toward the beast, launching an ice spear that struck the dark creature.
Watching Gray engage in battle with the monster, Ed turned to Noel and asked, "That beast is quite powerful. Gray-san might have a hard time handling it alone. Should I go and help him?"
Noel shook his head. "When he asked to train with me, I gave him two choices. One was a safer, more moderate training method. If he stuck with it for three months, given his foundation, his strength would improve significantly. The other was extremely dangerous—one misstep, and he could die. But if he survived, in three months, he would reach an entirely new level of power."
"Gray-san chose the second option?" Ed asked.
Noel nodded. "At that time, he asked me which method would allow him to catch up to 'Demon God's Soul' in the shortest time possible. I told him that the second method would be the fastest. So, based on that, he made his decision."
"I see... Gray-san really is an incredibly competitive person," Ed said with a helpless shake of his head.
Noel chuckled. "I don't think you're in any position to say that. You used to be just as competitive as Gray."
Hearing this, Ed scratched his head awkwardly.
.............
The massive beast's corpse collapsed with a thunderous crash, disintegrating into gray-black dust.
Gray, covered in wounds, leaned on his knees, panting heavily.
Noel stepped forward, and a white holy light enveloped Gray.
Soon, the wounds on his body began to heal.
However, while Noel's magic possessed powerful healing abilities, it could not restore stamina or energy.
Even after the spell ended, Gray still felt waves of exhaustion washing over him.
"Let's keep moving. We're almost at our destination." Noel adjusted his cloak, his calm voice betraying no emotion.
After nearly half a month of travel, Noel and his companions finally crossed the extreme north and arrived at their initial destination.
"Hey, is this real? It's not some kind of illusion, right?" Gray's eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the scene before him.
Even the usually composed Ed couldn't help but marvel. "This is unbelievable..."
Stretching out before them was a vast, lush grassland teeming with life.
Under normal circumstances, Gray and Ed wouldn't have found it remarkable.
But after traveling through the extreme north—the coldest region on the entire continent—reaching a place like this was nothing short of astonishing.
"Don't overthink it. This isn't naturally formed. It's the result of an ancient magical barrier that was set up long ago..." Noel's tone carried a hint of complexity.
"Creating an isolated paradise like a prison in such a frozen wasteland—only that kind of family would do something like this."
"Noel, is this our destination?" Gray asked.
Noel nodded and gestured for them to follow.
His voice dropped into a serious tone.
"Not quite yet. Follow my footsteps exactly, and don't stray. The magical barrier here has a counterattack mechanism. If it identifies you as an enemy, it will unleash an attack powerful enough to rival the Saint Ten. I doubt either of you would enjoy experiencing that."
At Noel's warning, both Gray and Ed immediately suppressed their curiosity and focused on following closely behind him.
.............
After traveling for several dozen minutes, Noel suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Caught off guard, Ed and Gray nearly bumped into his back.
They hurriedly steadied themselves and shifted their gaze forward.
Before them lay a vast, desolate land.
If that was all, it wouldn't have been particularly surprising.
However, what stood out was the starkly defined boundary between the barren wasteland and the lush grassland.
The dividing line was so unnaturally precise, almost like it had been deliberately carved.
This alone was strange, but what unsettled Ed and Gray even more was the chaotic magic energy emanating from the desolate land.
Just approaching it made them feel as if they were suffocating.
"Ten years, and it's still the same? Heh..." Noel let out a laugh, filled with both mockery and sorrow.
"Noel, what is this place?" Gray couldn't hold back his question any longer.
Noel didn't turn around.
He simply tilted his head back and remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking.
"...This place was once my home. The place where I... used to live."
Gray and Ed both caught the unmistakable pain in his voice, and neither of them dared to break the silence.
Suppressing his emotions, Noel extended his arm.
A blade of white light magic formed in his hand, and with a gentle stroke, he made a small cut on his arm.
Crimson blood dripped down onto the ground.
The moment the blood touched the earth, a faint glow spread across the barren land, followed by a subtle tremor.
By the time Gray and Ed regained their balance, the tremors had ceased, and a hidden entrance leading underground had appeared before them.
"This is...?"
"This is a passage leading underground," Noel answered as he stepped forward toward the entrance.
"And also—our destination."
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