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The voice was soft, yet it rang out like a clap of thunder, silencing all the surrounding noise. Everyone was so shocked by Noah's words that their jaws dropped.
Loke the Lion?!
That guy who was always either chasing girls or on his way to chase girls?! It was hard to imagine one of the twelve zodiac Celestial Spirits, Leo, looking like such a playboy.
"Wait... that can't be right, can it?"
Natsu scratched his head. "Loki can't even beat Cana. How could he be Leo the Celestial Spirit?"
Before he could finish, a wooden beer mug smashed into Natsu's head, and before he could react, Cana's follow-up flying kick sent him sprawling.
"You jerk! What do you mean by 'can't even be beaten by me'?! Am I really that weak?!"
Natsu was thick-skinned—he got kicked down but stood up like nothing happened. He wasn't bragging, but he could take hits like that all day long.
However, what Natsu said was actually true. Before learning Haki, Cana and Loki's strength had been pretty much equal. But later, Loki didn't actively learn Haki, so naturally he couldn't keep up with Cana.
The two were about to start bickering when they suddenly felt a chill. Having grown up in the Guild, Cana and Natsu both knew exactly what was making them uneasy, and they immediately shut up.
This was the power of Erza's disapproving glare!
Withdrawing her gaze, Erza looked at Noah. "What did you mean when you said 'if Loki had Magic Power replenishment'? Is he constantly in a state of Magic Power depletion?"
Noah didn't answer Erza directly, only glancing at the pale Aries and the silent Loki.
"You know what happens when Celestial Spirits stay in the human world without Magic Power support from a contractor? Their lives go on a countdown."
"Ordinary Celestial Spirits can last a few months at most before they die. But Gold Key Celestial Spirits... they can last at least two years. After all, Loki, you're still alive now."
Noah pulled over a chair and sat down, staring intently at Loki. "As expected of one of the strongest among the twelve zodiacs. But without a contractor and unable to return to the Celestial Spirit World, how much longer can you last? One year? Two years? Or maybe just a few months left..."
Loki's expression was complicated. He didn't know how Noah had seen through his condition, but one thing he'd said was right—his life was already like a candle in the wind... At this point, Loki didn't want to hide it anymore. At the very least, he didn't want his guildmates to worry about him.
Loke the Lion and Aries the Ram had both belonged to Karen Lilica, a Celestial Spirit Mage from Blue Pegasus, two years ago.
She was an extremely selfish person who treated Celestial Spirits as tools, Leo and Aries as house slaves. She'd formed contracts with Celestial Spirits only because it benefited her.
Karen not only used Aries as a human shield in battles, always forcing Aries to return to the Celestial Spirit World in a tragic state, but also frequently abused her in private, which drew Leo's anger.
But Celestial Spirits can't unilaterally break contracts.
After several failed attempts at communication, Leo chose an extreme approach.
He used his own power to force open the Celestial Gate and came to the human world, threatening Karen to break Aries's contract—because the cost of Celestial Spirits' activities in the human world was borne by the contractor.
Karen was selfish—how could she give up a rare Gold Key Celestial Spirit? Moreover, there was a rule in the Celestial Spirit World that Celestial Spirits weren't allowed to harm contractors, or else face severe punishment.
The two sides were at a stalemate, neither willing to back down.
Three months later, Karen, despite Guild Master Bob's objections, privately accepted a Job but encountered an insurmountable enemy during the mission. She died from Magic backlash after a failed "Dual Gate" summon. The Aries Key also went missing.
Leo had violated the Celestial Spirit World's rules and was punished by being unable to return to the Celestial Spirit World. Leo hadn't expected Karen to die because of him—that wasn't his intention.
Feeling guilty about this, Leo assumed the alias "Loki" and remained in the human world, waiting for death to atone for what happened to Karen.
This was Loki's story.
A tragic story.
Having vented the darkness in his heart, Loki looked apologetically at Gray. "Sorry, Gray. I might not make it to the day you take the S-Class exam..."
"You're gonna break your promise?!"
Gray slammed his fist on the table. "What kind of bullshit Celestial Spirit World rules are these—just endure and never resist? How's that any different from a slave contract?!"
However, no matter how angry he was, it couldn't hide the grief in Gray's eyes. Was he going to watch another companion die... That helplessness he'd felt watching his master sacrifice herself came flooding back.
Just then, Natsu piped up, his mind unusually sharp. "Wait, I've got it! Why doesn't Loki just contract with Lucy? Once he's contracted, he should be able to return to the Celestial Spirit World, right?"
"That's right! Even if he can't return to the Celestial Spirit World, with my Magic Power supporting him, Loki can still survive!" Lucy saw hope and looked at Loki happily.
The sincere eyes of the blonde girl and the concerned gazes of his guildmates brought warmth to Loki's heart. He was touched to have such companions, but he still refused Lucy's kind offer.
"A Celestial Spirit like me, who caused a contractor's death... I'm not worthy of an excellent Celestial Spirit Mage like you. Besides, I was banished by the Celestial Spirit World. The Leo Gate is sealed—I can't contract again."
"I can't accept that!"
Lucy forcefully interrupted him. "Don't you think it's strange?! Why is Karen's death blamed on you?! She didn't even listen to Guild Master Bob's warning—her death was entirely her own fault!"
"Lucy..."
Loki lowered his head. He knew what Lucy said was true, but he still couldn't get past his own guilt. If he hadn't stayed in the human world, if he'd responded to Karen's summons, then Karen probably wouldn't have died.
Lucy wanted to help Loki. As long as he could return to the Celestial Spirit World, Loki would regain his vitality. "Since the Leo Gate can't be opened, then let's use another Celestial Spirit's gate..."
"Use my Celestial Gate."
Aries's voice came, but this time it wasn't weak—only determined. Loki had done so much for her. Now it was time to repay him.
"Aries..." Lucy nodded vigorously, picked up the Aries Key, and drew it forcefully through the air. "Open, Gate of the Ram! Aries!"
With a chime, the Aries Gate connecting to the Celestial Spirit World reopened. Lucy and Aries, with perfect understanding, each grabbed one of Loki's arms and pulled him toward the open Gate.
Loki wanted to resist, but being outwardly strong yet inwardly weak, he was already too feeble to shake off Aries, let alone Lucy, who'd trained in Armament Haki.
In a flash, Loki was pushed toward the Gate, but bursting starlight blocked his entry. That powerful starlight Magic collided with Lucy, and her figure momentarily became ethereal.
"Stop, Lucy! Without strong enough Magic Power support, you'll be absorbed by the starlight!"
However, before Lucy could insist on continuing, several streams of Magic Power pressed against the starlight gushing from the Gate.
Erza, Natsu, Gray, Juvia... everyone present in the Guild, even Happy, Carla, and Cheese, all unhesitatingly released their Magic Power to help Lucy resist the erosion of that brilliant starlight.
However, even with everyone united, they could only barely help Lucy resist the starlight's erosion, let alone shake the starlight formed by the Celestial Spirit World's rules, much less push Loki back into the Celestial Spirit World.
Just then, Natsu suddenly noticed the only person in the room who wasn't doing anything, and couldn't help but shout:
"Noah! Why are you just standing there?!"
"Don't you want to save Loki?!"
Called out by Natsu, Noah casually fed Snow on his shoulder a nut and silently sighed.
Fairy Tail was great in every way, except for one thing—when a guildmate was in trouble, everyone got too worked up, and when they got worked up, they lost their heads. Even Erza wasn't immune.
In Loki's current condition, his life force could last another year or two without a problem. There was still time to discuss a proper plan to help him. Why had this group suddenly rushed in now?
Couldn't they see Loki being pressed against the starlight barrier with his face all distorted? Was this saving him or torturing him?
Noah shook his head and tucked Snow into his pocket.
Forget it. Might as well consider this early practice connecting with the power of another world, to prepare for dealing with the Demon Gods of War from the Black Abyss in the future.
His figure shifted, and Noah instantly appeared before the Celestial Gate. His magical radiance—a blend of azure and light green—surged forward, and the surging starlight Magic seemed to encounter an irresistible force, being forcefully pushed back by this overwhelming Magic Power.
So strong!
Lucy, who'd seen it clearly, widened her eyes. That was the power of the Celestial Spirit World's rules—even with her guildmates' Magic Power protecting her, she could only barely shield herself.
But the moment Noah made his move, he forcefully pushed back the power of those rules.
Just how strong was he?! Was he even human?
How strong was he? To be honest, Noah didn't know either. Snow's 『Life-Magic Interdependence』 talent had brought him such immense improvement.
Even Zero, using the Demon God of War's Magic Power, couldn't make Noah fight at full strength.
"It's no use. I'm rejected by the Celestial Spirit World's rules..."
Loki was still giving up, and his stubborn attitude made Lucy furious. "If these rules are so unreasonable, then I'll change them myself!"
As Lucy's angry declaration rang out, the originally bright Aries Gate suddenly dimmed, turning into pitch-black night that instantly spread, bringing everyone present into another scene in the blink of an eye.
Stars twinkled, starlight glittered.
Under the boundless starry sky, a colossal figure—clad in armor and a cape, massive as a mountain—stood silently among the surrounding stars, radiating an overwhelming presence.
Seeing this towering figure, Loki's eyes instantly filled with disbelief.
"The Celestial Spirit King!"