Chapter 2 – The Kids
Moen wasn't exactly a diehard Saint Seiya fan—he genuinely had no memory of there ever being a Bronze Cloth like this one.
Upon closer inspection, it did resemble a horse, and yes, it had wings... but the wings were comically small.
Also, the color scheme and design didn't quite match the Pegasus Bronze Cloth he vaguely remembered. So maybe the system didn't mess up after all.
"Is he dead?!"
Just as Moen was puzzling over how Pegasus had turned into Miniature Horse, a shout came from under a tree nearby. The only boy in the group suddenly sprang to his feet.
His eyes were wide with panic, and the question was clearly directed at Natsu, who was lying on the ground completely motionless.
The boy had spiky, dark blue hair styled like a hedgehog, wore nothing but oversized blue shorts, and for some reason, his shirt was nowhere to be found—even though he definitely had it on a minute ago.
"Whack!"
Before the boy could say more, a fist landed squarely on his head.
He grimaced in pain, a large bump visibly swelling from the impact—proof that it wasn't a light punch.
"Dead?! Don't talk nonsense, Gray!"
The culprit was a red-haired girl standing beside him. Her face was striking, with sharp features and a confident air. She wore full armor and carried a sword at her waist. She was taller than Gray and had a commanding presence—sure to become a beauty in the future.
After scolding Gray, the red-haired girl—Erza—rushed over to the fallen Natsu, her expression tinged with worry.
Even though she was sure Moen had held back, seeing Natsu so still made her uneasy.
"Let's check on him too, Cana."
Seeing Erza move, Gray followed right behind and called out to a nearby girl holding an adorable white puppy.
"Coming!"
The girl—Cana—nodded sweetly and hurried after them, still hugging the little dog.
Cana had long chestnut-brown hair tied into a ponytail and wore a bright orange sundress. She looked gentle and cute, the picture of innocence.
"By the way, Gray—where's your shirt?"
Cana asked while running, shooting a side glance at her half-naked friend.
"Huh?! When did that happen?!"
Gray looked genuinely baffled, as if only just now realizing he had stripped again.
Natsu temporarily forgotten, Gray frantically began searching for his clothes. Cana put down her puppy and helped him look. The result was complete chaos—two kids and a dog scrambling around in a flurry of confusion.
All this commotion finally snapped Moen out of his shock. He turned away from the strange-looking Cloth and glanced over at Natsu.
Although the kid looked like a corpse, Moen wasn't actually worried.
He knew exactly how hard he'd hit—and more importantly, Natsu's body was absurdly sturdy, far tougher than any normal human. You could tell just from how his punches had landed.
That toughness came from Dragon Slayer Magic, a type of magic that literally transforms a person's physiology into that of a dragon. Moen had already asked Grandpa Makarov about it.
In short: Natsu was durable. No way a few punches would kill him.
Besides, the [Saint Seiya System] had made it clear—Natsu was an important plot character in this world. Just like the "Bronze Five" from Saint Seiya, he had that same cockroach-level survivability. No way he was dying this early.
Moen now fully understood where he was: a world called Earthland, the setting of an anime called Fairy Tail.
…And that's where his knowledge ended.
He had only heard the name Fairy Tail. He'd never watched it. Total blank slate. Zero meta advantage.
But that was fine. He had the Saint Seiya System, and that meant as long as he trained hard, he could punch his way through anything fate threw at him. If the world brought water, he'd bring fire. If the heavens blocked his path, he'd blast open a road with his fist.
Even though he didn't know the story or characters, one thing was obvious—he was now directly tied into the main plot.
After all, the name of the guild he'd joined was literally Fairy Tail. There was no way that was just a coincidence.
Think about it—most anime are named after their core theme or characters: Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, Saint Seiya… same logic. Fairy Tail had to be the same.
With Natsu showing up and the earlier quests from Gray and Erza, everything was confirming Moen's theory: the guildmates were key characters in this world.
As Moen watched, Erza knelt beside Natsu and grabbed his shoulders.
"Natsu! Are you okay? Wake up!"
She gave him a firm shake.
Natsu winced, frowning in pain as he struggled to open his eyes. It looked like he was slowly coming to.
Erza, determined to help, shook him even harder.
She lifted him completely off the ground and shook him like a ragdoll. Natsu's limbs flailed helplessly in the air like a deflated balloon, his face ghostly pale.
"Whoa, whoa, WHOA! Erza! Put him down! You're making it worse!"
Moen couldn't take it anymore. He clutched his forehead in disbelief.
Was this supposed to be saving someone? It looked more like she was trying to finish the job!
"Oh."
Obedient as ever, Erza let go.
"THUD."
Natsu hit the ground like a sack of bricks.
Still no signs of waking up.
But Erza wasn't one to give up easily. Her clever mind spun again—she had another idea.
She raised her hand.
"SMACK!"
A sharp slap echoed through the air, leaving a vivid red handprint on Natsu's face. His condition now looked even worse.
"Okay, STOP! STOP!"
Moen practically screamed.
Just as Erza raised her hand again, Moen quickly stepped in and grabbed her wrist, stopping her from landing another slap on Natsu's already swollen face.
Yep, definitely trying to finish him off now...
Moen sighed inwardly. Of course, he was just being sarcastic — he knew Erza had no intention of actually hurting Natsu.
She was just... well, still a bit of a mess.
Erza had only joined the guild a year ago, and she was very much a "problem child" herself. A girl with deep emotional scars.
Back when she first arrived, she was even more withdrawn and strange than Natsu — who kept claiming he was raised by a "fire dragon dad." Erza had been cold and reclusive, barely interacting with anyone in the guild.
It was only after going through some things that she finally began to let her guard down and form real friendships here.
Moen understood this about her. Despite the tough front she always put up — the armor she literally wore — she had a genuinely gentle and kind heart.
"Let go, Moen."
Erza tried to shake off his grip. He released her, but kept a close eye in case she tried anything else — poor Natsu had clearly had enough punishment.
Moen glanced at Natsu again and, for the first time, started to feel a bit concerned.
He had been careful when hitting Natsu earlier. But Erza... she didn't know how to hold back.
This poor kid had only been part of Fairy Tail for a couple of days — he couldn't just drop dead like this, right?
If something did happen to Natsu, Moen had no idea how he'd explain it to Master Makarov. As the unofficial "big brother" figure in the guild, it was his job to keep the other kids safe.
"Moen, that wasn't right. This was just a sparring match. Natsu's part of the guild too. You shouldn't have hit him so hard. He's a newcomer. He's nowhere near your level!"
Erza didn't strike again. Instead, she stood tall, hands on her hips, cheeks puffed out like angry buns. Clearly, she was not happy with how Moen had handled things.
"Pfft."
Before she could continue scolding, Moen reached out and poked one of those puffed-up cheeks with his finger, deflating it like a balloon.
"Moen!!"
Now he'd really done it. That single poke was like kicking a hornet's nest. Erza had been trying to have a serious talk, and here he was joking around!
"Calm down, Erza. Before you showed up, Natsu was actually about to wake up. Didn't you notice?"
Moen raised a hand, motioning for her to settle down, quickly redirecting the conversation back to Natsu.
"Huh? Really?"
Erza paused, confused.
"Of course! He was just starting to come to. It's your over-the-top 'help' that knocked him out again!"
Now that Erza seemed to be calming down, Moen pressed on, his voice firm and confident, as if delivering an irrefutable truth.
Erza was the kind of person who took responsibility seriously — not someone who would deflect blame. She valued fairness and logic. Now that Moen had framed it like this, she couldn't help but start reflecting.
Wait a second… Was it really me? Did I actually mess things up and delay Natsu's recovery?
She thought back. When she first ran over, Natsu had looked like he was about to open his eyes. He definitely didn't look as half-dead as he did now.
So... maybe this was her fault?
"I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to!"
Realizing her mistake, Erza apologized immediately — not just to Natsu, but to Moen as well for having scolded him so hastily. She felt terrible.
Thanks to Moen's influence, she'd grown a lot over the past year. She still had her awkward, stubborn side, but she'd learned to admit her faults and even say the words: "I'm sorry."
"If apologies could heal people, we wouldn't need doctors! Natsu's barely hanging in there. We need to get him to Porlyusica — now!"
Moen shook his head and took charge. He told Erza to carry Natsu and get moving — they had to find a healer immediately.
Porlyusica was the guild's resident advisor — sort of a grumpy old woman version of the Grim Reaper. Thankfully, she lived nearby, deep in the forest.
"Got it!"
Erza didn't hesitate. She hoisted Natsu onto her back and sprinted after Moen, disappearing into the woods.
As she ran, she kept apologizing out loud — for hurting Natsu, for accusing Moen, for everything. Her face was full of guilt and worry.
Moen, walking ahead, just smiled warmly and reassured her.
He told her it wasn't her fault. She had acted out of care for her guildmates. That meant she was truly part of the Fairy Tail family. His words clearly moved Erza.
"…Wait a sec,"
"Wasn't it Moen who knocked Natsu out in the first place? How did it suddenly all become Erza's fault?"
Kanna and the now fully dressed Gray watched the whole thing unfold from the sidelines, exchanging confused looks.
"Gray! Kanna! Hurry up!"
Before they could process what just happened, Moen's voice called out from up ahead. The two kids quickly picked up their pace and followed.