After arriving on the next ship, Noah asked Laxus to support the attack on the island's stronghold while he took a moment to recover.
Raising his hand, Laxus sent a crackling bolt of lightning crashing down on the Black Magic Cultists along the shore, instantly knocking several of them unconscious.
He was about to leap forward into close combat, but Noah's words echoed in his mind:
"You don't know what kind of magic traps are set up on the shore. Your strength isn't enough yet to ignore everything. If you charge in recklessly and get caught, do you really want to make others say that Makarov's grandson needed rescuing?"
Not wanting to make Noah's warning come true, Laxus restrained the urge to rush forward. Instead, he unleashed powerful long-range lightning spells from the deck of the ship.
Even with only ranged attacks, Laxus's power was overwhelming. Bolts of thunder split the sky, enemies collapsed one after another, and the assault team's pressure was instantly eased.
Shouts went up among the soldiers: Who is helping us? Who's attacking? Before long, the name Laxus began to spread. Though some still said Makarov's grandson, more and more simply called him Laxus.
With his sharp hearing, Laxus caught every word. Excitement surged within him, his magic flaring even stronger as he continued striking down enemies.
When Noah saw that Laxus had already cleared most of the battlefield, he called him back. Noah's body glowed as he began gathering power for his super magic.
"Fairy Law!"
Light blazed across the battlefield, and when it faded, every last cultist lay defeated.
From then on, the pattern repeated. Noah's teleportation brought them to each of the seven teams in turn. Laxus would strike first, tearing through the enemy ranks, then Noah would unleash Fairy Law to finish the fight.
With each battle, the enemies dwindled, the victories came faster, and morale rose higher.
When stubborn enemies tried to hide in fortified buildings, Noah wiped them out with another Fairy Law, clearing the way for the assault teams to advance.
Finally, after defeating the last of the Black Magic Cult, Noah and Laxus joined the final team to free the captives.
Noah projected a thought-form back to Hargeon Port, instructing the Kingdom Army and the Magic Council to send ships to retrieve the freed prisoners and captured cultists. His true body stayed to heal the wounded, while Laxus escorted prisoners, freed captives, and helped load survivors onto ships.
When the work was nearly complete and preparations for departure began, Noah glanced at Laxus's face. His usual scowl was gone, replaced by a rare, genuine smile.
"How does it feel to help others?" Noah asked. "Feels good, doesn't it?"
Laxus froze, then nodded quietly.
"When you help others with your own strength, their gratitude comes naturally," Noah continued. "Look around how many people still call you Makarov's grandson? Most just call you Laxus. That's because you've earned it. The more achievements you stack up, the more your grandfather's shadow will fade. One day, your name alone will shine."
Laxus stayed silent but nodded again, eyes firm.
Then Noah's expression shifted as he remembered something.
"I'll send you back to the guild first. I have something else to take care of."
"What is it?" Laxus asked. "Can I help?"
"This isn't suited to you. I want to sweep the seas again. My instincts tell me there are more outposts than just seven."
Laxus thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Fair enough. My magic won't help with that. Send me back, then."
Noah found the officer in charge, exchanged a few words, and with a flash of magic teleported straight into Makarov's house Laxus at his side.
The guild master blinked in surprise, beard twitching. "Well, this is unexpected…"
"Aren't you still helping with the attack on the Black Magic Cult? Why are you back so soon?" Makarov asked in surprise.
"Grandpa, the battle is over. The captives have all been rescued. I'm planning to search the seas again to make sure we didn't miss anything. So I brought Laxus back first. You can ask him about the details. I'll be heading out now."
Makarov nodded at Noah's words, and in the next moment Noah teleported away, leaving Laxus behind to recount everything to his grandfather.
After returning to the fleet, Noah approached the person in charge and requested a boat, explaining that he had a commission to search the seas.
The man immediately arranged for someone to lend him a small vessel and instructed Noah to return it to Hargeon Port once he was finished.
Noah thanked him, took the boat, and set off on his own.
He studied the map and navigation tools provided, then propelled the boat with his magic while maintaining a steady flow of detection spells. He balanced his magic consumption and recovery, tirelessly scanning the waters for any sign of another enemy outpost.
Two days passed without result.
Noah finally admitted defeat. By his estimation, if there was a final stronghold, it was either concealed by powerful magic or hidden deep beneath the sea beyond his ability to locate for now.
He returned the boat at Hargeon Port, then instantly teleported back to Magnolia, appearing outside the guild gates.
Pushing open the doors, Noah was greeted by the usual bustle of Fairy Tail. The familiar lively atmosphere quickly lifted the gloom of his fruitless search.
As he made his way inside, he exchanged waves with Cana, Erza, and a few others. When Noah pointed toward the counter, they nodded in understanding, letting him go first.
At the bar, Makarov sat waiting. He looked up at Noah.
"Well? Did you find anything?"
Noah shook his head. "No. I searched for two days but couldn't find another base. Either it's hidden by magic, deeper under the sea, or maybe it was just my imagination."
Makarov stroked his beard. "No… it's not just your imagination. Strong mages often have sharp instincts. But if you can't find it now, all we can do is remain vigilant in the future."
"That's true," Noah agreed with a sigh. "Anyway, I'll go check in with Cana and the others."
"Go ahead," Makarov replied.
Noah crossed the hall to the table where Cana, Erza, Simon, and Kagura were sitting. After pulling out a chair, he asked curiously:
"You all know each other already?"
Cana smiled. "My dad and I came back yesterday. When we saw people our age around, of course we had to come and introduce ourselves."
"Oh? Where has your father taken you these past few months?"
"This time we went on a mission in a neighboring country. The scenery there was beautiful."
Ever since Gildarts had acknowledged Cana as his daughter, he had taken her along on missions for the past two years. The jobs he chose were never too dangerous, and with his overwhelming strength, he could always keep her safe.
"Not bad," Noah said with a grin. "Did Gildarts teach you his Crash Magic yet?"
Cana pouted. "No. Dad says I'm not strong enough to learn Smash Magic yet. For now he's just laying the foundation training my magic power and putting me through daily physical training."
"That's not a bad thing either," Noah said encouragingly. "So, how does it feel traveling with Gildarts everywhere?"
"It's nice… but honestly, Dad's a little too clingy," Cana admitted helplessly.
Noah chuckled, glancing toward Gildarts across the hall. The man was surrounded by guildmates, bragging nonstop about how amazing his daughter was.
Noah sighed. "He really is a doting father through and through."