Chapter 222

Chapter 222: Chapter 222

"YES! Finally, it’s my turn! Marshall, I’m counting on you! I’m gonna become the strongest in the guild! I’m all fired up!!!"

Natsu had gotten lucky in today’s draw and immediately came running to Marshall for Origin Opening.

"This is going to hurt a little, so bear with it."

Aside from the girls Marshall had already privately placed in the "future girlfriend" category, he treated most of his guildmates more or less equally.

He would provide some basic guidance, but the majority of the pain was theirs to endure.

"Bring it on! I’m not scared!"

Marshall first inscribed the necessary spell formulas across Natsu’s body.

Then, just as he was about to use Link Magic to guide Natsu’s Magic Power from his First Origin toward the Second Origin, something completely unexpected happened.

The moment Marshall’s consciousness tried to reach the Magic Power inside Natsu’s First Origin, a powerful force abruptly threw him back out.

"?"

Marshall froze.

Refusing to believe it, he tried several more times.

Every attempt ended the same way.

Whenever he tried to touch Natsu’s First Origin, some mysterious power intercepted him and prevented him from drawing out or guiding the Magic Power stored within.

"What’s wrong, Marshall?"

Seeing his strange expression, Natsu looked over curiously.

After several failed attempts, Marshall finally gave up.

He circled Natsu twice, examining him from different angles before helplessly shaking his head.

"Natsu, there’s something unusual about your body. I don’t think I can guide you through the process."

He considered it for a moment.

"So either you give up on Origin Opening for now, or you let the spell do everything on its own and endure the full process yourself."

"Uh... what happens if I do that?"

"It’ll hurt like hell."

"That’s it?"

Natsu grinned.

"Do it!"

"All right. You asked for it."

"AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH—!!!"

Natsu’s screams filled the room.

Marshall wasn’t exactly sitting idle while Natsu suffered, either.

He tied the idiot down so he wouldn’t thrash around too violently and took the opportunity to conduct a full physical examination.

All of Natsu’s basic bodily indicators were perfectly normal.

In fact, he was absurdly healthy—almost like an actual dragon.

His vitality remained far ahead of nearly everyone else in the guild.

The brat genuinely had some ridiculous natural talent.

The only abnormality was his First Origin.

Something mysterious seemed to be protecting it, preventing Marshall from seeing or interfering with what lay inside.

Interesting.

Marshall was tempted to turn Natsu into a dedicated research project.

If this had happened a few days earlier, his curiosity might genuinely have driven him to establish a brand-new Natsu Research Program!

Unfortunately, he had far too much to deal with right now.

So Marshall mentally placed a marker on the mystery and set it aside for later.

Natsu screamed for nearly half a day before finally surviving an Origin Opening performed without any assistance.

The results were spectacular.

His Magic Power more than doubled, rising to roughly 40,000.

So far, that was the largest increase Marshall had recorded after Origin Opening.

Apparently, having an absurdly strong body really did make a difference.

"Hah... hah... Marshall..."

Natsu was drenched in sweat, yet he didn’t seem remotely bothered by the agony he had just endured.

Instead, he was completely intoxicated by the feeling of his newfound strength.

"I feel like... I got way stronger."

Then his eyes immediately lit up.

"Marshall! Fight me!"

"Go fight Gildarts."

Marshall waved him away.

"I’m busy."

And just like that, he sent Natsu packing.

...

Marshall didn’t think much more about the incident.

At least, not until several days later, when Gajeel also won an Origin-Opening slot and showed up in front of him.

"Oh?"

Marshall looked him over.

"You actually managed to get ten people to approve your membership?"

"I joined the Thunder God Tribe."

Marshall blinked.

"Nice. Guess I underestimated Laxus’s tolerance."

He didn’t dwell on it and began preparing the standard Origin-Opening procedure.

Then...the exact same thing happened.

Just like Natsu, Gajeel’s First Origin was completely inaccessible.

Marshall was speechless.

"What the hell? You too?"

Gajeel frowned.

"Is there a problem?"

"Your constitution is unusual. I can’t help guide the process."

Marshall folded his arms.

"If you still want to proceed, you’ll have to endure all the pain yourself."

"...Fine."

Gajeel paused, suddenly becoming strangely serious.

"But can I ask you something?"

Marshall raised an eyebrow.

"Go ahead."

Gajeel stared directly at him as though he were about to ask the most important question of his life.

"Where did you guys find all those cats?"

"?"

Marshall ultimately learned nothing useful from examining Gajeel either, so he sent him off to scream through the procedure on his own.

Still, the situation finally caught Marshall’s attention.

One case could be coincidence.

Two identical cases?

That was a pattern!

The common factor between Natsu and Gajeel was painfully obvious.

Both were Dragon Slayers who had been raised and taught directly by dragons.

And Fairy Tail happened to have a third Dragon Slayer with exactly the same background.

To verify his theory, Marshall specifically called Wendy over.

"Just as I thought..."

Marshall narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"Marshall-nii, is something wrong?" Wendy asked softly.

Her gentle personality was practically a breath of fresh air inside Fairy Tail, and nearly everyone in the guild doted on her.

Marshall was no exception.

He affectionately patted her head.

"You, Natsu, and Gajeel are all hiding the same kind of secret inside your bodies."

Wendy blinked.

"I think it has something to do with the fact that you’re Dragon Slayers."

"Eh? R-Really?"

She hesitated.

"But Marshall-nii, aren’t you a Dragon Slayer too?"

"I’m different from you."

Marshall shook his head.

"No dragon ever personally taught me. I suspect whatever power is hidden inside the three of you was deliberately left there by your dragons."

"Really?!"

Wendy immediately brightened.

It had been a very long time since she heard anything that might be connected to Grandeeney.

"Unfortunately, I’m still not strong enough to investigate whatever it is."

Marshall sighed, then looked down at Wendy with some hesitation.

"Also, you don’t need to rush into awakening your Second Origin."

"You’re still very young, and right now I can’t reduce the pain for you the way I normally would."

He spoke more firmly.

"I think you should wait. There’s no reason to rush."

"Okay. I’ll listen to Marshall-nii."

Wendy obediently nodded.

Marshall couldn’t resist patting her head again.

"Good girl. Wendy really is adorable!"

Wendy’s face immediately turned red.

She shrank her neck slightly and nervously looked away.

"M-Marshall-nii... don’t do that... I-I’m still little..."

’D-Does Marshall-nii finally want to make a move on me?’

’I-I’m not ready yet...’

"?"

Marshall’s smile froze.

What the hell?

Had Wendy completely misunderstood him somehow?

Why was she thinking something that strange?!

"Wendy, what are you imagining?"

Marshall immediately protested.

"I’m an incredibly upright person! I would never bully a little girl!"

Wendy hesitated.

"...But Marshall-nii and Levy-nee and Juvia-nee... in the guild... kissing..."

"Wait!"

Marshall’s face changed.

"H-How do you know about that?!"

"M-My hearing is really good..."

Wendy lowered her head guiltily.

"I heard it by accident. Sorry."

"..."

At that moment, Marshall realized that his glorious image in Wendy’s heart had completely shattered.

Still, he tried to save what little dignity remained.

"Wendy, you’ve misunderstood! The girls and I genuinely love each other!"

"I-I know! That’s not what I meant!"

Wendy hurriedly waved her hands.

"Actually... I just wanted to ask Marshall-nii for a favor."

"Eh?"

Marshall stared at her flushed face, suddenly feeling suspicious.

"What exactly do you want...?"

Wendy nervously glanced left and right.

She had been waiting for an opportunity to speak to Marshall alone for a long time.

Today, she was finally going to tell him her "wish."

"Marshall-nii can do practically anything, right?"

She hesitated.

"So... is there any way you could help me..."

Wendy stood on tiptoe, leaned close to Marshall’s ear, and whispered,

"...grow a little bigger?"

"..."