On the high ground, away from the trio's battle zone.
"Even though she's gotten stronger, silly Lucy is still silly Lucy. Summoning Aquarius in a situation like this..." Loke sighed helplessly as he watched Lucy struggling in the waves.
"By the way, is it really okay for us to just stand by and watch like this? Should we fight too?" Éclair asked.
When the three-way battle between Natsu, Gray, and Lucy began, they, as their respective partners, had withdrawn from the battlefield.
"Forget it. I can't bring myself to hit a pretty girl like you. Let's just keep things as they are," Loke said calmly.
That was one reason. Another was...
Though their contract was temporarily suspended, he was still ultimately Lucy's Celestial Spirit. He couldn't bring himself to attack Lucy.
Whether by coincidence or some irresistible force, the ones fighting here happened to be all members of the strongest team.
Let them sort out among themselves who would become the S-Class mage.
"You're quite the gentleman. I didn't expect there to be someone like you in Fairy Tail," Éclair said softly, with a touch of emotion.
Having grown accustomed to the guild's old perverts, freaks, and battle maniacs, she felt a strange sense of unreality.
When she had joined the guild, Loke had already returned to the Celestial Spirit World with the Celestial Spirit King's permission. So, there hadn't been much interaction between them.
And judging by his quietly relieved expression, Éclair actually had no intention of fighting Loke either.
She had only asked to confirm his intentions.
Though Silent Magic was very powerful, her own combat ability was quite limited. A real fight would introduce too many unpredictable factors.
"As long as the situation stays as it is, Lucy absolutely won't lose!" Éclair thought to herself.
"Aye~ Since you two aren't fighting, I, Happy-sama, will reluctantly spare you this time!" Happy said, feigning concern with a frown. "When I go berserk, I'm super scary, you know~"
Momon couldn't help but roll his eyes. Saying that as if you could change the outcome if you fought.
"By the way, Éclair..." Loke completely ignored him. He turned and took Éclair's hand, his eyes turning into hearts as he dropped the act. "After the S-Class Trial ends, may I invite you for a cup of coffee at the café in the west side of town?"
The corner of Éclair's mouth twitched. The sense of unreality she had felt moments ago vanished completely.
There really isn't a single normal person in Fairy Tail!
"Hey! Who just starts touching someone the moment they meet?!"
Momon jumped up and knocked away Loke's wandering hand, standing in front of Éclair like a mother hen protecting her child.
Happy spread his paws and delivered a timely cutting remark. "If there was a ranking list of players in the guild, Loke would be tied with Gildarts for first place~"
"Player? I just want to give every girl a warm home," Loke said.
Just as the group was relaxing and chatting, down on the battlefield below.
The devastating tidal wave finally subsided. Natsu was hanging from a southeastern branch, Gray was stuck upside down in a mud pit. Both looked quite embarrassed.
As for Lucy, completely soaked...
"Just this once. If you ever summon me out like that again, you'll regret it when I get back to the Celestial Spirit World!" Aquarius said, her face stern, issuing a death threat.
"Yes! Aquarius-sama, Aquarius-sama. Have a safe trip."
Lucy was so scared her every nerve was on edge. She dared not disobey, bowing repeatedly.
Only after the other party disappeared into the fading golden light did this "master" dare to comment. "Besides making a mess of the place, she didn't really seem to help much, that awful woman—"
BOOM!!
A suddenly exploding destructive aura cut off her muttering.
Natsu was bathed in crimson flames. Dragon scales appeared on his body. He had entered his strongest Destruction Flame Dragon Mode.
"I didn't want to use this power against Lucy, but you've gotten so much stronger."
Having liberated his Dragon Force, the corner of his mouth turned up. A surging fighting spirit bloomed from deep within his sharp eyes, enveloping the entire battlefield, pointing directly at Lucy. "Well then, let's give it our all and have a good fight!"
"So it also had the backlash of enraging my opponent!!"
Lucy shouted in complain.
"So, don't forget about me, you damn candle."
Gray approached from another direction. Icy cold air swirled around him. Every step he took left ice on the ground.
Unlike ordinary Ice-Make magic, the ice crystals he left behind were as pitch-black and deep as if dyed by darkness!
"This magic power?!" Natsu and Lucy were both startled.
"I'm not the only one who's gotten stronger, you know. In the week before the trial, I went through hellish training just to barely master this magic..." Gray clenched his black ice fist, very satisfied with their reactions. "Its name is Ice-Make: God Slayer Mode!"
Here's what happened.
After Grimoire Heart was destroyed, on the night Chase went to the Card Space to check on the progress of the "Heart" with Dark Magician and the others, he unexpectedly discovered, in Hades's magic library, an Ice God Slayer Magic that corresponded to Fire God Slayer Magic.
Though the properties suited Gray perfectly, God Slayer Magic usually came with strong side effects.
So, as soon as the "Heart" magic was parsed, the all-powerful Dark Magician immediately devoted himself to reconstructing the Ice God Slayer Magic.
That was the fundamental reason Dark Magician Girl had been complaining about being tired during that time.
Fortunately, just before the S-Class Trial candidate list was announced, the improved version of Ice God Slayer Magic was finally handed to Gray.
After expressing his gratitude, Gray had immediately taken Loke and hurried to Sabertooth.
With the foundation laid by the previous training guide, plus Ur's Day and Night Devil training as his teacher, he had finally mastered "Ice-Make: God Slayer Mode," intending it to be his trump card for the S-Class Trial!
"Interesting. I'm fired up!" Natsu clashed his fists together, his fighting spirit rising again.
With only five minutes left until the end of the trial, there was obviously no time to figure out what was up with Gray's black ice. Not that there was any need.
No matter how strong Gray or Lucy became, he just needed to use even stronger power to crush them!
"Hey, you two. Let's decide who becomes the S-Class mage with our strongest moves!"
This proposal immediately received a enthusiastic response from Gray. "No problem! I'll beat you both down!"
Lucy, caught between the increasingly violent dragon flames and black ice, didn't respond immediately.
After glaring once more toward the direction of the first master's grave, she stirred up her magic power and looked at the two. "Bring it on!"
A Celestial Spirit array glowed. The soft Aries appeared beside her.
"Aries? The strongest move?"
Watching from a distance, Loke frowned. He couldn't understand Lucy's strange choice.
Shouldn't she be going all out with a triple gate opening, switching to her Aquarius Celestial Spirit Dress, summoning Gemini, and activating the Ultra-Magic Urano Metria?
Had she used up too much magic power in the previous fight?
No. Within the scope of the Tenrou Tree, that wouldn't happen!
Wait. Wait, wait, wait!
As if guessing something impossible, Loke's eyes went wide, and his breathing became rapid.
The entire course of Lucy's fight against Natsu and Gray surfaced before his eyes. From beginning to end, she hadn't seemed to summon Gemini at all. And certainly not a triple gate opening!
Also, though Aquarius's attitude toward her was as rough as ever, thinking about it carefully, that line "you'll regret it when I get back to the Celestial Spirit World" seemed strange!
Could it be that...
"So you've noticed? But it's already too late~"
Éclair noticed the change in Loke's expression. Very rare, she covered her mouth with a light laugh.
This statement directly confirms Loke's suspicions.
Not bothering to appreciate the Phoenix Priestess's smiling face, he quickly turned his head and shouted loudly at Gray, who was preparing to unleash his ultimate move on the field. "Gray! You can't waste any more time here!"
"Quick! Get to the first master's grave!!"
Not just Gray, even Natsu was a bit confused by his shout.
Being his partner, after a brief moment of daze, Gray chose to trust him without hesitation. He lifted his magic and sprinted away.
"Hey! Don't run, you bastard Gray!" Natsu chased after him, very displeased.
But, as Éclair had said, it was all too late.
BAM!
A magnificent display of colorful fireworks exploded above Tenrou Island.
Makarov's deep voice, filled with a mix of relief and surprise, rang out across the entire island.
"This trial has ended successfully. The winner who has emerged from this brutal competition, the guild's new S-Class mage, is—"
"Lucy Heartfilia! "
***
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