In a corner of Tenrou Island, by a temporary camp built alongside a clear river.
Though Chase and Gildarts's battle was far from this location, the violent clash of their magic powers was still conducted through the ground, causing tremors.
"Honestly. They're supposedly authoritative examiners, and they start fighting during the trial? Are those two idiots?!" Erza said indignantly, looking into the distance.
One was a respected older man, the other was a card nerd she liked. Even the terrifying disciplinary committee member of Fairy Tail felt quite helpless and exasperated.
Just moments ago, Makarov had contacted the camp to inform them of the situation.
"Oh my, oh my. Looking at it from another angle, a little liveliness isn't so bad~" Mira, ever optimistic, laughed, not caring about the chaos.
The eliminated Juvia and Lisanna sat quietly behind her. Beside them, the battered and bruised Gajeel looked quite displeased.
Compared to him, Levy, as a participant, took it much better. Losing to Freed and Bickslow wasn't a disgrace.
"Come to think of it, Mira, how did Elfman manage to defeat you?" Erza asked curiously.
Mira touched the band-aid on her cheek. "Evergreen said she was going to marry Elfman soon. I got distracted, and he hit me."
The moment she heard the word "marriage," Erza instantly became stressed. Her face turned red as she stammered, "M-m-marriage? When did that happen?! Have their feelings already progressed that far?!"
"Hmm... it was probably just a strategy to pass the trial," Mira said, propping her delicate chin on her hand in a thoughtful pose. "Just imagine... if those two actually got married and had children..."
Before her eyes appeared a baby wearing glasses and a diaper, with Elfman's face.
"Boo... boohoo..."
As if disgusted by her own imagination, Mira covered her face and started sobbing.
"Don't cry, Mira. If you ignore the face, it's actually quite cute~" Erza walked over and patted her shoulder.
"Come to think of it, Elfman-nii and Evergreen in Edolas have been a couple for a long time," Lisanna added.
Mira was indeed comforted by the two. She cried even harder.
The topic of marriage was still a bit too over the top for the girls of Fairy Tail.
Levy lowered her head, lost in thought. Juvia was so excited that she had fainted, murmuring strange things like "children," "nine boys and ten girls."
The only male present, and made of pure iron at that, Gajeel had no interest in any of this.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he couldn't help but shout at Erza, "Who cares about that kind of stuff?!"
"What I want to know is how the hell that Fire Dragon managed to beat you! You threw the match on purpose, didn't you?!"
This was what had been bothering him the whole time.
More than his own loss, his rival Natsu's smooth passing made him feel worse.
"Oh? Are you questioning me?" Erza gave a fierce glare, and Gajeel immediately snapped to attention. "Sumimasen, hontou ni sumimasen! "
"So, how exactly did Natsu earn Erza's approval?" Mira stopped crying.
No one in the guild knew Erza's style was better than her. There was no way she would go easy during the trial, especially against Natsu.
Hearing this, the previously cold and murderous Erza paused. Recalling Happy's praise, she suddenly became shy and coy. "Well... Happy complimented my flower."
"That's it?!" xN
"Oh my, oh my. That really is... a finishing move~" Mira's reaction was calmer than the others.
Of course, the reality wasn't quite that simple.
While compliments were super effective on the love-longing Erza, they would only make the usually selfless her show "great mercy" once. And that was only if Natsu's performance had barely reached the passing mark.
The simplest comparison: if it had been the Natsu from the original story who hadn't mastered Destruction Flame Dragon Mode, no amount of compliments from Happy would have made a difference!
Under the Tenrou Tree trunk.
Makarov stood on a high point, his gaze sweeping over Natsu, Lucy, and the others ahead. He couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
In his expectation, there shouldn't have been this many people passing the first test. Normally, there should have been only two teams from the encounter battles and one from the "Quiet" path.
He never expected that all four "Intense Combat" teams would advance!
As he inwardly lamented, Makarov was also pleased by the children's unexpected growth.
"Well then, let's move on to the rules for the second round!"
The chatting participants immediately perked up, their enthusiastic eyes filled with anticipation for the S-Class mage title.
Makarov was quite satisfied with their reaction. He raised his hand and waved.
BOOM.
In the four cardinal directions of Tenrou Island, red pillars of light shot up into the sky simultaneously.
"You see those four light pillars? Inside each is a stone tablet inscribed with a different period of our guild's history. Collect all four tablets, piece together the complete history, and the path leading to the first master Mavis's grave will appear."
Saying this, Makarov deliberately paused. A fleeting, sinister smile appeared on his face before he continued in a deep voice, "Finding the first master's resting place... that is the content of the second round!"
This strangely familiar rule was, of course, an idea Chase had borrowed from One Piece, proposed during the earlier exam meeting.
After all, it was the S-Class Trial. Just finding Mavis's grave was a bit too monotonous. Setting traps for the participants who passed the first test was much more interesting.
Makarov had seen through his real intention immediately and had accepted the proposal on the spot.
It would not only test more things but also allow the children to learn about the guild's developmental history. Truly wonderful.
"Historical Text tablets?"
"Searching for the first master's grave?"
"I see. This time, it's about who can collect more landmarks faster?"
"Ooh! I'm fired up!"
The participants buzzed with discussion, looking at the four light pillars as they began to strategize.
"Ahem, everyone, quiet down."
Makarov cut off the commotion and added supplementary rules for the second round.
"During the trial, battles between teams are allowed. You may form temporary alliances with other teams. Of course, going solo is fine too."
"There are only four landmarks, but there are seven teams. So, this round tests your judgment, execution, planning, and control over the overall situation in a complex environment with intense internal competition and external perils."
"The time limit is three hours. I will be waiting for you at the first master's grave. The first person to arrive will successfully advance and become a new S-Class mage!"
***
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