*Boom boom boom*
The final team was still locked in an intense battle.
Gray and Juvia were facing off against Laxus.
This fight wasn't easy, but Gray wasn't about to give up or slack off—he was giving it his all.
Though he could be reckless at times, Gray wasn't a mindless brute. He had always been more of a tactical fighter.
As the battle heated up, Gray began to form a plan.
"Juvia," he glanced at her, hoping she'd flawlessly coordinate with him.
Juvia understood the intent behind his gaze and nodded solemnly.
They couldn't communicate verbally—Laxus would overhear them. And they couldn't rely on Jehfrit's Deception Magic for internal communication either.
It all came down to Juvia's intuition and their chemistry.
"Gray, is wasting your magic like this really worth it?" Laxus taunted as he dodged another attack.
"Of course it's not a waste, Laxus," Gray replied.
"Then what's the point of attacks that can't hit me?" Laxus smirked.
*Boom boom boom*
Suddenly, Gray shifted his strategy, unleashing larger-scale Ice-Make spells, which naturally ramped up his magic consumption.
Without hesitation, Juvia followed suit, amplifying her water magic to match his scale.
*Boom boom boom*
Faced with such wide-ranging attacks, dodging became harder for Laxus, so he retaliated with his own magic.
*Boom*
A torrent of water crashed onto the ground, only for Gray to freeze it solid.
Gray skated across the ice effortlessly, while Laxus, though capable, clearly wasn't as practiced.
"So this is your plan? Turning this place into an ice rink," Laxus remarked.
"Maybe," Gray said nonchalantly.
*Swish swish swish*
Instead of jumping, Laxus also opted to skate while fighting. However, limited by his skating skills, his attacks weren't as fluid or powerful as before.
Still, the gap in strength remained.
Under these conditions, Gray and Juvia could only manage to keep the fight at a 4-to-6 disadvantage—Laxus holding the upper hand.
Gray and Juvia retreated while counterattacking sporadically.
Laxus pursued relentlessly.
Until one moment—
Juvia stumbled, exposing an opening!
Gray grabbed her, but the smoothness of his movements faltered, leaving him vulnerable as well.
Seizing the opportunity, Laxus struck decisively!
"Thunder Dragon's—Crushing Fist!"
Laxus charged at them, throwing a punch.
"Juvia!"
At that instant, Gray shoved Juvia out of harm's way.
*Boom*
Gray was sent flying by Laxus' blow.
"It's over, Gray," Laxus said, looking at Gray embedded in the wall.
"Yes, it's over, Mr. Laxus," Juvia responded.
But instead of attacking Gray directly, Juvia lashed out with a water whip aimed at Laxus' feet.
Laxus frowned and stepped back.
*Boom*
The whip shattered the ice, revealing the blackened earth beneath.
"Huh?"
Laxus froze, glancing at his feet and then ahead.
Through the ice, he realized—he was already standing outside the ring.
"Cough cough." Gray chuckled weakly. "Didn't expect that, did you, Laxus?"
"Alright," Laxus nodded.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia rushed over, worried.
"I'm fine. I'm not weak enough to get taken out by one punch from Laxus," Gray assured her.
"Phew—" Juvia relaxed, her worry quickly turning to joy. "We did it, Gray-sama! We passed!"
"Yeah…" Gray looked at the ecstatic girl in front of him, a smile involuntarily spreading across his face.
This was *his* S-Class trial.
She had no stake in it.
Yet she had willingly stepped up to help him, trained hard alongside him for days, and even without saying a word during the fight, she had perfectly understood his intentions.
"Thanks to you, Juvia," Gray said.
"Hehe…" Juvia covered her blushing face. "Being able to help Gray-sama makes Juvia so honored!"
Laxus: …Why does the stench of romance follow him wherever he goes?
Gray and Juvia made their way to the finish line.
"The results are in," Makarov announced. "Natsu, Gray, Elfman, Cana, and Levy—all five teams have passed."
"Oooh—" Cheers erupted from those who had succeeded.
"Now, let's move on to the second exam," Master Makarov said seriously.
Everyone listened intently.
"The second test is to find the grave of our first master, Mavis. You have six hours," Makarov explained.
"Just finding it?" Gray raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds easy," Natsu commented.
"What if everyone finds it at the same time?" Cana asked.
Makarov clarified, "When time's up, whoever remains standing will become S-Class. Everyone else fails."
So finding the grave wasn't the main objective.
The real challenge was the chaos that would ensue afterward.
This was the ultimate test of comprehensive strength.
"No restrictions. Begin!" Makarov declared. "I'll wait for you at the finish line. Jehfrit, come with me."
"Yes, Master," Jehfrit nodded.
With that, both figures vanished, thanks to Jehfrit's magic, ensuring no one could follow them.
"Let's go!" Natsu, impatient as ever, grabbed Lucy and ran off.
"Juvia, let's move."
"Yes, Gray-sama." Juvia created a water path, which Gray immediately froze into an ice slide. Hand in hand, they glided past Natsu and Lucy, who had started earlier.
"We should hurry too. Whoever finds the grave first will have the advantage in the ensuing chaos," Cana reasoned.
"Right," Ikuto agreed.
Evergreen added, "Once we find the grave, we can assess the surroundings and rest while others arrive in a disadvantaged position. Elfman, we don't have time to spare."
"Got it," Elfman nodded.
"Gajeel, let's go this way. I know a bit about burial customs," Levy suggested.
"Alright."
Everyone set off.
"Let's head to the meeting point," Mirajane told Lisanna.
"Okay, Mira-nee."
"I'll go find Happy and the others," Laki decided.
"Alright," Mirajane nodded.
Mest had just regained consciousness when he saw Wendy approaching him apologetically.
"I'm sorry, Mest-san. I couldn't help you pass the trial," Wendy apologized.
"No, it's fine," Mest smiled. "I expected as much. Natsu and the others are strong. Even if I became S-Class, I'd only tarnish the title with my current abilities."
Mest seemed surprisingly accepting, which put Wendy at ease.
"By the way, Wendy, do you know why Tenrou Island is considered Fairy Tail's sacred land?" Mest asked.
"Huh?" Wendy thought for a moment. "Because it's where the First Master rests, right?"
"That's true, but there's more to it," Mest continued. "This island has always been hidden by an invisible barrier that conceals its existence. No magic can easily locate it."
Mest smiled. "Do you think it's just because Mavis's grave is here?"
"I don't know," Wendy shook her head.
Happy munched on his fish, occasionally glancing at Carla, feeling smug as his appetite increased.
Carla, arms crossed and brows furrowed, grew increasingly wary of Mest.
What was he getting at?
Was he trying to stir something up?
Mest spoke, "There's a great secret about Fairy Tail hidden somewhere on this island."
"What is it?" Wendy asked curiously.
"I don't know either," Mest stood up. "Wendy, want to explore with me?"
"Huh?" Wendy's curiosity piqued.
"Wendy…" Carla tried to intervene, but Azazel's voice rang in her ear. "Miss Carla, Master says it's okay to agree."
"Alright."
---
Jehfrit hadn't used his full magical power, so he couldn't monitor events from too far away. But Carla carried a compact mirror, allowing her to summon Azazel at any time.
As Jehfrit walked with Makarov, he received a message from Azazel.
"Master, I've found him—Zeref."
"Hmm, will he notice us?" Jehfrit asked.
"I dare not act," Azazel replied. "My calculations show that any rash moves could provoke him—and endanger you."
"Alright, stop analyzing him for now."
"Yes."
Meanwhile, Elfman and Evergreen had just defeated a magical beast and entered an open clearing.
They spotted a strange figure.
"Who are you?" Elfman demanded.
Both tensed up—it was Tenrou Island, Fairy Tail's sacred land. Outsiders shouldn't be able to find it.
"A person?"
The dark-haired youth turned around, exuding a melancholic aura.
"This island… someone has come?"
"This is our guild's island! Who are you, and how did you get here?!" Evergreen demanded.
"I mean no harm," Zeref said softly.
"Answer my question!" Evergreen stepped forward.
"No, don't come near me!" Zeref panicked, backing away. "I understand… I'll leave. Don't approach me."
"There's something off about this guy. Be careful," Elfman pulled Evergreen behind him.
"I-I can't!" Zeref suddenly clutched his head, trembling.
"It's coming!"
"Run! Run!"
*Boom*
An ominous presence surged.
"Get down!" Natsu, who had just arrived, instinctively sensed the danger and tackled both of them to the ground.
In that instant—
All three vanished!
*Buzz*
The ominous energy spread, and within a hundred-meter radius, everything withered and fell silent.
"What the heck?!"
Lucy stared at the desolation that stopped just two meters away.
"That was close," Horologium, the Clock Spirit, appeared just in time to save her.
"Thank you, Horologium," Lucy said gratefully.
"It's my duty," Horologium replied. "Lucy-sama, I advise you not to go closer."
In the Mirror World, Azazel sighed in relief but felt a pang of guilt. He had acted as fast as possible, yet he was limited by needing a reflective surface to interfere with the outside world—far less convenient than Horologium.
"Hmm?" Zeref suddenly noticed Evergreen's glasses on the ground, his expression shifting slightly.
*Crack*
The glasses shattered, and so did the space around them.
Natsu, Elfman, and Evergreen reappeared on the ground, still in the same crouching positions.
Azazel frantically withdrew the Mirror World while reporting to Jehfrit in a panic. "Master, Zeref saw my Mirror World!"
"A demon ?—" Zeref began to investigate further but caught sight of familiar pink hair.
"Natsu…" Tears welled up in Zeref's eyes.
"You bastard! Using dangerous magic like that on my comrades!" Natsu growled, hostility radiating from him.
"You've grown, Natsu," Zeref said, tears streaming down his face as he smiled faintly.
"Huh? You know me?" Natsu frowned in confusion.
"How regrettable…" Zeref sighed. "The current Natsu isn't strong enough to stop me."
"What nonsense are you spouting? I'm warning you, leave now!" Natsu instinctively felt danger—a primal, suffocating kind of fear. It wasn't like facing Gildarts, where you felt like you were staring down a boss with a health bar. This felt more like being an unarmed civilian cornered by a colossal predator.
Even impulsive Natsu stayed unusually calm.
Fighting Zeref wasn't bravery—it was suicide.
If they could drive him away, that would be the best outcome.
"Fine…" Zeref said. "I'll leave… No, it's coming again!"
"You… run!"
The ominous energy surged once more.
"Run!" Natsu shouted, turning to flee.
But the ominous aura spread rapidly!
*Gulp*
A giant frog burst out of the ground, swallowing all three whole. Before it could burrow back underground, the ominous energy swept over it, killing it instantly.
"Damn it!"
The trio crawled out of the frog's belly, looking for the strange man—but he was nowhere to be seen.
"What the hell was that?!" Natsu exclaimed.
He glanced at the dead frog.
"One of Jehfrit's artificial demons," Evergreen murmured, stunned. "Don't they usually have three layers of invincible defense? To be killed in one hit…"
"If we'd been touched by that thing…" Elfman shuddered.
Somewhere in the forest—
"Artificial demons…" Zeref's expression was complex.
"Is someone dabbling in forbidden magic again?"
Outside Tenrou Island—
A magical airship slowly approached.
"I've found him. He's on Tenrou Island."
A beautiful woman gazed at the magical crystal ball in her hand.
She turned to the man seated on the throne. "It seems the timing is ripe, Master Hades."
"Hmph." The white-haired, bearded man sitting on the throne exuded a sinister aura.
One corner of the Balam Alliance—the dark guild Grimoire Heart.
The man on the throne was none other than the guild's master, Hades.
Hades spoke, "That man descended upon the ancient earth, mastered dark magic, and created tens of thousands of demons. He became the closest being to god."
"He brought chaos to the world and is known as the strongest, most evil figure in magical history—the Black Mage, Zeref."
"We're nearing the abyss of truth."
"I've waited for this day for a long time."
The woman added, "There are some troublesome people on the island—Fairy Tail."
"No matter. We've bided our time for years," Hades said. "Time has eroded Makarov. The rest are nothing but rabble."
"Exactly!" His words were met with fervent agreement from his subordinates.
Hades commanded, "Crush those naive fools."
"Yes!" His followers roared enthusiastically.
"Will it really be that simple?" the woman muttered under her breath, staring at the crystal ball. A familiar face appeared on it—Jehfrit.
After a moment's thought, she turned to the pink-haired girl beside her. "Meredy, if you encounter this man, do not engage him in battle."
"Why, Ultear?" Meredy asked curiously.
"This man—" Ultear struggled to explain Jehfrit's capabilities succinctly. "Just remember what I say. You can fight anyone—even Makarov—but not him. If you sense anything unusual, surrender immediately."
Not only was Jehfrit incredibly powerful, but Meredy's magic was completely countered by his. How could anyone outplay Jehfrit in sensory-based magic?
"Huh?" Meredy blinked in disbelief.
They were going to fight Fairy Tail. How could she possibly run into this unassuming man and surrender without even trying?
"Ultear, are you feeling okay?" Meredy asked.
"Just remember what I said," Ultear's tone turned serious.
"Alright, I'll remember," Meredy said.
Remembering didn't mean obeying.
If anything, seeing Ultear act this way only made her more curious.
Ultear clearly knew this man. Could it be… had something happened between them?
Wait!
Could it be…
Meredy's eyes widened.
Ultear knew her strength—how could any ordinary mage possibly defeat her?
Unless Ultear didn't want the man to get hurt!
Could that man be…
Ultear's ex-boyfriend?!
Meredy glanced at Ultear, noticing the melancholy in her eyes.
That's it!
He must've broken Ultear's heart, yet she still cared about his safety.
Meredy's eyes burned with determination. She vowed silently: I'll beat the crap out of that jerk for Ultear!