"Happy, we're almost there, let's hurry!"
"Aye~"
Natsu was in the sky, looking at the smoke not far away, excitedly shouting out, also feeling a little anxious.
Just now, Cana had rushed past him in an instant, and that speed was so fast that even Happy's full sprint couldn't catch up.
"Bang~" Natsu landed coolly.
Happy floated in the air, his expression slightly serious: "This island... I can feel a powerful magic power from the earth!"
"Ah~ indeed." Natsu also looked at the remaining passage in front of him with firm eyes, agreeing.
"Natsu, which path do you want to take?"
"This... well, route E has been chosen, so I'll take this path."
"Hahaha, let me see who's on this path!"
Natsu glanced at the already chosen route E, then his gaze fell on a seemingly deep and secluded passage beside it. Finally, he bumped his fists together and excitedly rushed in with Happy.
This path was immediately sealed off.
A few minutes later.
The last group, Wendy and Mest, also reached their designated positions.
Wendy looked at the other seven routes, all marked with an X, leaving only the last one. She said with a slight wry smile, "It seems we're the last ones here, Mest."
"It's fine, next we just need to break through this path with all our might!"
After the two entered the passage, all routes had been chosen.
Guild Master Makarov was also at the finish line, eagerly waiting to see which team would pass first.
Zorn, inside the passage, illuminated the entire passage brightly. He watched the distant, dark passage as if enjoying a good show.
"Thump-thump-thump" The sound of running figures inside the passage grew louder.
The voice of the little cat also came: "Natsu, look ahead, it's so bright, and there's a warm feeling in the magic power..."
Happy seemed to understand something, and he suddenly lay on Natsu's head, trembling as he continued, "This... it can't be what I'm imagining!"
"Ah~ it's him!" Natsu's eyes were full of excitement. He pushed off the ground, accelerating forward with Happy.
"Zorn!"
Dashing into the wide passage, Natsu saw the familiar figure that appeared. His body erupted with scorching flames, and he constantly observed Zorn's subtle movements, hoping to find a weakness.
Zorn looked at the spirited Natsu and nodded. It seemed his seven days of special training hadn't been in vain, as Natsu had learned not to act rashly beforehand.
"Natsu, come on, let me see what level your strength has reached!!!"
Zorn didn't say any more nonsense. He took a battle stance, and an oppressive aura emanated from him. He gestured for Natsu to attack first.
Natsu, however, was sweating on his forehead. The moment Zorn took his battle stance, he felt as if he had been targeted by a fierce beast, and a chill instantly enveloped him.
An inexplicable pressure held his entire body motionless.
"Natsu...."
Happy also instantly spread his wings and flew up, subconsciously soaring high above, looking down at Natsu with worry.
"I.... I'm burning up!" Flames flickered on Natsu's body in waves, and with the vibrations, the temperature inside the passage rose.
With a final roar, he directly broke through Zorn's suppression. Flames shot skyward, and his gaze remained firm on Zorn.
...
Juvia and Lisanna, however, did not encounter Gray and Loki as expected.
Instead, they met someone who would absolutely not hold back—Erza.
"Ah~" Two screams rang out.
Juvia and Lisanna were sent flying backward. They twisted in the air with force, landing steadily on two large shattered rocks.
"So strong~ So her strength was this powerful!" Juvia said with a slightly heavy tone.
The smoke not far away dissipated.
Erza, wearing her Sea King Armor, looked seriously at Juvia, her tone unusually cold: "What's wrong, Juvia? Like this, you can't become an S-Class Mage."
"The Sea King Armor is designed to completely block Juvia's water, restraining her tightly!" Lisanna also frowned slightly as she analyzed.
After hearing this, Juvia clenched her fists and said in a deep voice, "Juvia, I... I must defeat you!"
After speaking, her body immediately transformed into a high-speed rotating current, rushing towards Erza. The moment she got close, she turned into countless torrents.
"Water Laser!"
Seeing this, Erza smiled slightly. Her Observation Haki fully activated, and her body only moved a few steps left and right.
All attacks were dodged.
"How is that possible~ Such dense attacks, it's impossible!" Juvia formed in the water, saying in shock.
"Juvia, find your timing~" Lisanna's gaze deepened slightly. After saying this to Juvia, her body flashed with light.
"Take Over: Cheetah Soul!"
Lisanna's feet, hands, and ears all transformed into a cheetah's appearance. She pushed off the ground with force.
"Six Powers - Soru!"
"Armament Haki - Coating, Beast Claw!"
Her speed was extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, Lisanna dashed in front of Erza and unleashed a claw strike.
Her Observation Haki simultaneously expanded, barely managing to cover Erza's Observation Haki, preventing her attack from being perceived by Erza.
But Erza was indeed an S-Class Mage. She swung her sword with force, blocking the attack.
"Bang~ Boom!"
The massive rock beneath Erza's feet instantly shattered. Lisanna also used the momentum to leap behind Erza, continuing her attack.
The two fought for several rounds, but when Erza also coated herself with Armament Haki...
Lisanna was sent flying backward.
"You've made significant progress, Lisanna! But your power is still a bit lacking; you can't pass like this!"
Erza also moved backward from the force of the attack.
"Now!"
"Water Stream Ascending Mist!" Beneath Erza, a powerful stream of water shot skyward, and two slightly dark water currents directly bound Erza's hands.
"Water Stream Twin Fangs!" Juvia appeared from the water, her hands condensing a high-pressure rotating drill, attacking Erza.
...
On the other hand, Elfman and Evergreen unluckily encountered someone they really didn't want to see.
"How can we be so unlucky, to actually encounter..." Elfman said, his mouth wide open and trembling.
"Sister—Mirajane!"
"Oh! Since it's you two, it's a pity, but even for my little brother, I won't hold back, Elfman!"
Black magic power surrounded Mirajane, her black tail striking the ground. The aura of Satan Soul constantly pressured the two.
Elfman and Evergreen both silently swallowed their saliva. Looking at Mirajane, who was so serious, both of them felt immense pressure at this moment.
...
On the other side.
Cana and Lucy also met Gildarts, who had been waiting for a long time.
"This... this, how can it be, it's actually Gildarts!!!" Lucy looked at the smiling Gildarts, her body already trembling, and her words stammering.
Cana, however, had subconsciously already taken a battle stance.
"I didn't expect it to be two girls! My apologies, but for the safety of your future missions, I won't go easy on you!"
Gildarts looked at the two girls, feeling a bit unsure what to do, but considering the danger level of S-Class missions, he had no choice but to responsibly assess their strength.
"No need to hold back! I've been waiting for this day for a long time!"
"Swish~" Cana threw all the cards from her waist into the air at once. Her body sank slightly, her fists clenched, and an inexplicable aura emerged from her body.
This change made Lucy, who was standing by, look on in surprise. She also took out a key, waiting for the right moment.
"Oh~ that's good, hahaha, it's just that I seem to feel a familiar sensation from you!" Gildarts couldn't stay serious for even a quarter of an hour. He suddenly burst into laughter, scratching the back of his head, and said apologetically.
After hearing Gildarts' words, Cana's eyes flickered, and she clenched her fists.
To be continued~
----------------------------------
I've already posted 70 new chapters on Patreon!
If you like the story and want to reaad more, please visit my patreon. Every support is very meaningful!
[patreon.com/Kazenova223]
Thank you very much!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"