Chapter 2: The Children

Mo En wasn’t a die-hard fan of *Saint Seiya*; he genuinely didn’t remember there was such a Bronze Saint Cloth in existence.

Upon closer inspection, this Saint Cloth indeed resembled a horse, and it did have a pair of wings—but the horse’s wings were extremely small.

Moreover, its color scheme and design were clearly different from Mo En’s memory of the “Pegasus Bronze Saint Cloth,” so it wasn’t a system error.

“Dead?!”

As Mo En was stunned by the “Pegasus” turning into “Pony,” the only boy under the tree shade suddenly stood up.

He asked in utter terror—this question was clearly directed at Natsu, who lay motionless on the ground.

The boy had spiky blue-black hair, bare arms, and wore only a pair of blue shorts; his clothes had vanished somewhere, though they’d been on him just moments ago.

“Thud!”

The blue-black-haired boy took a punch to the head.

The blow made him grimace; the spot struck visibly swelled, proving the punch’s immense force.

“How could he be dead?! Gray, don’t talk nonsense!”

The one who punched Gray was the red-haired girl beside him—her face delicate, clad in armor with a sword at her waist, noticeably taller than Gray, radiating a fierce spirit; she would surely grow into a stunning beauty.

After scolding Gray, Erza sprinted toward the unconscious Natsu, her face filled with concern.

Though Erza believed Mo En had held back, seeing Natsu so utterly still, she couldn’t help but worry.

“Let’s go take a look too, Cana.”

Seeing Erza move, Gray quickly followed, calling out to the girl nearby holding a cute white puppy.

“Okay.”

Cana obediently replied, clutching the puppy and hurrying after them.

The girl had long brownish hair tied into a ponytail at the back, wearing an orange strap dress—she looked sweet and innocent.

“By the way, Gray, where’s your clothes?”

While running, Cana reminded Gray of his sudden undressing.

“Huh?! When?!”

Gray looked utterly shocked, as if just now realizing his clothes were gone.

So Gray forgot about Natsu and frantically searched for his clothes; Cana set down the puppy and helped him search—both of them, plus the dog, were in a frantic scramble.

The commotion pulled Mo En out of his shock—he stopped examining the “Pony Bronze Saint Cloth” and turned his gaze to the fallen Natsu.

Watching Natsu lie motionless, Mo En wasn’t worried—he knew his own strength well.

Besides, Natsu’s body was incredibly tough, far beyond normal humans; he could tell from the impact of his punches.

This was one effect of “Dragon Slayer Magic,” a magic that transformed the user’s body into a dragon’s. Mo En had already learned this from Master Makarov.

In short, Natsu was durable—he wouldn’t be killed by a few punches.

Moreover, his [Saint Seiya System] had already confirmed Natsu as a key plot character in this world—he’d surely be like the “Five Bronze Warriors,” possessing the “indestructible cockroach” trait; how could he die so easily?

Mo En knew the world he now inhabited was the anime world of *Fairy Tail*.

And that was it—he’d only heard the name *Fairy Tail*; he’d never watched it, completely clueless, with zero foresight.

But it didn’t matter—he had the [Saint Seiya System]; all he needed to do was train hard. Water comes, I block with earth; I strike with one punch and carve a vast, heavenly path!

And though he didn’t know the plot or characters, Mo En was certain he’d already connected to the main storyline.

After all, the name of the mage guild where he grew up was “Fairy Tail”—could that possibly have nothing to do with the main plot?

Think about it: common sense suggests an anime’s title is deeply tied to its core plot—like *Naruto*, *One Piece*, *Bleach*, *Saint Seiya*—so *Fairy Tail* must be the same.

Natsu’s appearance, along with past quests triggered by Gray and Erza, kept confirming Mo En’s theory: the guild members were all key plot characters.

Under Mo En’s watch, Erza reached Natsu’s side.

“Natsu! Are Itachi okay? Wake up!”

Erza grabbed Natsu’s shoulders and shook him hard.

Natsu, violently shaken, grimaced and struggled to open his eyes—he seemed on the verge of waking.

Seeing this, Erza shook him even harder.

She lifted Natsu entirely off the ground and shook him violently; his face turned pale, his body flailing like a ragdoll, limbs swinging wildly in the air.

“Hey hey hey! Erza! Put Natsu down! Itachi’re just making him faint worse!”

Watching Erza’s actions, Mo En couldn’t hold back—he shouted to stop her, pressing his forehead in exasperation.

Wait, is this even saving him? Isn’t she afraid he’s not dead enough?!

“Oh.”

Erza obeyed instantly, letting go—Natsu landed with a “thump” on the ground.

Seeing no sign of Natsu waking, Erza’s clever mind spun again—she decisively raised her hand.

“Slap!”

A palm strike landed—Natsu’s pale cheek bore a clear red handprint; his condition looked even worse.

“Stop! Stop! Stop!”

Seeing Erza’s move, Mo En rushed forward, grabbing her wrist just in time to prevent another slap that would give Natsu a matching red mark.

*Confirmed—this is a coup de grâce.*

Mo En mentally scoffed, but it was just a joke—he knew Erza didn’t mean to harm Natsu.

Erza, who’d only joined the guild a year ago, was also a troubled child, one who’d suffered severe psychological trauma.

Last year, when Erza first arrived at the guild, she was even more abnormal than Natsu, who constantly claimed he had a “Dragon Dad”—she was deeply withdrawn, barely speaking to anyone.

Only after going through certain events did Erza gradually lower her guard and become friends with the guild members.

Mo En knew that this girl, who outwardly appeared strong, rough, and always wrapped in a hard armor, actually had a very soft heart.

“Let go of me, Mo En.”

As Mo En held her wrist, Erza struggled to break free.

Mo En released her, but remained alert—she might strike again; poor Natsu couldn’t take any more punishment.

Looking at Natsu, Mo En now began to worry too.

Though he knew his own strength, Erza truly had no sense of restraint!

This poor kid had only joined “Fairy Tail” a couple days ago—don’t let him die now!

Otherwise, Mo En wouldn’t know how to explain to Master Makarov. As the guild’s de facto leader of the kids, he had the duty to protect their safety.

“Mo En, what Itachi did is wrong. This was just a sparring match—Natsu is a guild member. Itachi shouldn’t have hit him so hard. He’s a newcomer, not as strong as Itachi.”

Erza didn’t strike again; she stood up, hands on her hips, glaring at Mo En, cheeks puffed out like two little buns—clearly displeased with his actions, thinking he’d gone too far.

“Puff!”

No sooner had Erza finished speaking than Mo En stuck out a finger and poked her cheek—popping the little bun right off.

“Mo En!”

That was like poking a hornet's nest—Erza became even angrier. She was seriously discussing a problem with him, yet he was fooling around!

“Calm down, Erza. Before Itachi came over, Natsu was already about to wake up—didn’t Itachi notice?”

Mo En gestured for her to calm down, quickly shifting focus back to Natsu.

“Huh? Really?”

Mo En’s words made Erza pause—she forgot her anger and asked, puzzled.

“Of course! Natsu was nearly awake! It was your actions afterward that made him like this!”

Seeing Erza had calmed and was reflecting, Mo En pressed on, speaking with absolute certainty—settling the matter once and for all.

Erza wasn’t the type to dodge blame; quite the opposite—she had strong responsibility and a strong sense of fairness. Once guided by Mo En, she began to reflect.

*Did I really mess up? That’s why Natsu hasn’t woken up yet?*

Erza carefully recalled—when she first arrived, Natsu had indeed shown signs of waking, not like this half-dead state.

Natsu’s current condition… was it really her fault?

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!”

Realizing her mistake, Erza immediately apologized—not just to Natsu, but also for accusing Mo En. She’d been too hasty!

Now, under Mo En’s influence, though Erza’s personality remained slightly awkward, she could already admit her mistakes and say “I’m sorry” sincerely.

“If ‘sorry’ worked, why do we need doctors? Natsu’s barely hanging on—take him to Porlyusica right away.”

Mo En shook his head, ordering Erza to carry Natsu on her back—right now, getting him to a doctor was the priority.

Porlyusica was “Fairy Tail”’s advisor, a female version of “Soul Reaper,” who lived deep in this forest.

“Okay!”

Erza perked up, hoisted Natsu onto her back, and sprinted after Mo En into the forest’s depths.

As she ran, she kept apologizing—admitting she shouldn’t have hurt Natsu or unjustly blamed Mo En; her face was full of remorse, guilt, and worry for Natsu.

Mo En, meanwhile, generously comforted her, saying it wasn’t her fault—she’d only acted out of concern for guild members, not malice. This was her way of integrating into the guild—it deeply moved Erza.

“.”

“If I remember right, wasn’t it Mo En who knocked Natsu out? Why does it all seem like Erza’s fault?”

Cana and Gray, who’d found their clothes, watched this scene, exchanging glances—something felt off.

“Gray! Cana! Hurry up!”

Before they could figure it out, Mo En’s voice called from ahead—they hurried to catch up.

New book seeking support! Seeking reads! Thank Itachi!

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(End of chapter)