Chapter 225: The First Stage
In the evening, heavy snow began to fall from the sky, draping the bustling town of Magnolia in a pristine, white veil.
The temperature had dropped significantly, turning the breath of pedestrians into white mist that dissipated into the cold air.
Ren and Mirajane Strauss walked along the riverbank street together, the crunch of fresh snow under their boots the only sound accompanying the gentle flow of the canal.
The magical streetlamps cast a warm, orange glow, illuminating the snowflakes dancing in the wind.
"You seem a little uneasy, Ren-kun, ever since you learned about the S-Class Exam," Mira said softly, her blue eyes fixed on Ren's profile. Her arm was linked tightly with his, her body pressing close to share warmth.
Ren was slightly startled, pulled from his thoughts. "Huh? Is it that obvious?"
Mira shook her head gently, her white hair swaying with the motion. "No, it's that your lack of obvious concern is what's strange. Usually, you're composed, but there's a tension in your shoulders today. Is there anything you need to worry about?"
She knew Ren's strength better than anyone. He was a monster, a powerhouse who had stood toe-to-toe with the Ten Wizard Saints and emerged victorious. In terms of raw power, he was already top-tier on the Ishgar Continent. An internal guild exam shouldn't be enough to disturb his peace of mind.
"Hmm, I've just been feeling a bit restless lately. Like a storm is coming," Ren admitted, looking up at the gray, snow-laden sky. He couldn't tell her the truth—that he knew the chaotic events awaiting them on Tenrou Island. The Black Wizard Zeref, the dark guild Grimoire Heart, and the Dragon King, Acnologia. These names weighed heavily on his mind, shadows looming over the future of the guild. "Don't worry, though. Whatever comes, I'll handle it."
Mira stopped walking and turned to face him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. "No matter what happens, I will be by your side. We'll face it together."
Her voice was muffled but filled with an unshakable resolve. Ren felt a surge of warmth spread through his chest, dispelling the chill of the winter night. He hugged her back, his arms encircling her slender frame, his chin resting on top of her head. The scent of vanilla and winter air filled his senses.
"I know, and I will always be by your side too," he whispered into her ear, his voice low and affectionate. He tightened his embrace, pulling her flush against him, savoring the softness of her body and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. For a moment, the looming threats of the future faded, replaced by the tranquil reality of their bond.
On the opposite bank of the river, Wendy Marvell stood holding Carla, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of crimson as she witnessed the intimate scene.
"Ren-nii and Mira-san really suit each other," Wendy murmured, a shy smile gracing her lips. The sight of the two powerful Mages sharing such a tender moment felt like something out of a fairy tale.
Carla crossed her arms, her tail twitching. "Wendy, you're still too young. Don't learn these things. Romance is a distraction."
Wendy giggled, hiding her face in her scarf. "What are you talking about, Carla? It's beautiful."
Not far away, Lucy Heartfilia was walking home, her celestial spirit pet, Plue, trotting beside her. She, too, caught sight of the couple embracing in the snow.
"A boyfriend? That really makes me envious!" Lucy sighed, a cloud of white breath escaping her lips. She wrapped her coat tighter around herself, feeling the bite of the lonely winter wind.
"Pururu?" Plue tilted his head, his round eyes blinking.
"No! I definitely don't want a boyfriend right now. I have to focus on my writing and my jobs!" Lucy declared defensively, though her gaze lingered on Ren and Mira.
"Pururu pururu!" Plue seemed to vibrate with skepticism.
"Fine! I do want a boyfriend! Is that so wrong? It's normal for a 17-year-old girl like me to want to date, right? Someone handsome, strong, maybe a writer..." Lucy grumbled, kicking at a pile of snow.
"Pururu!"
"Alright! Let's go home! It's freezing out here."
Lucy quickened her pace, eager to reach the warmth of her apartment. However, just as she arrived at her doorstep and fumbled for her keys, she noticed a lump in the alleyway adjacent to her building. It was covered in snow, but the faint smell of alcohol was unmistakable.
"Eek!! Where do you think you are, collapsing here?!"
Lucy rushed over, brushing away the snow to reveal a familiar head of brown hair. It was Cana Alberona, sprawled amidst a pile of empty liquor bottles, shivering violently.
"Cana?!" Lucy gasped. Without hesitation, she hauled the heavier girl up, dragging her into the warmth of her apartment. If she had left Cana out in this heavy snow, the Card Mage would have frozen to death overnight.
Inside, wrapped in blankets and holding a cup of hot tea, Cana finally stopped shivering. Her face was flushed from the alcohol, but her eyes held a deep, melancholic sadness.
"Ah, thank you, Lucy. You really saved my life. If no one had noticed me, I'd be dead now," Cana mumbled, staring into her tea.
"Is something wrong, Cana? Didn't you qualify to participate in the S-Class Exam? Why are you completely drunk?" Lucy asked, sitting opposite her. "This should be a happy occasion."
"Yes! If it were anyone else, they'd be happy to get a spot in the exam, but me..." Cana's grip on the cup tightened, her knuckles turning white.
"What's wrong?"
"This is my fifth time participating," Cana whispered, her voice trembling. "I've already failed four times. I truly am a disappointing Mage!"
"Four times? How did you fail four times?" Lucy was shocked. She knew Cana was strong—one of the veterans of the guild—but four failures seemed excessive.
Cana laughed bitterly, taking a swig of the tea as if it were booze. "The first failure was when Mystogan became an S-Class Mage. I couldn't even touch him. The second failure was when Erza became an S-Class Mage. She was a monster even then. The third failure was when Mira became an S-Class Mage... and the fourth failure was when Ren became an S-Class Mage..."
"Uh..." Hearing the list of names, Lucy couldn't help but feel speechless.
Mystogan, Erza, Mirajane, Ren.
Indeed, the few S-Class Mages in the Fairy Tail Guild were all monster-level entities. It wasn't that Cana was weak; it was just terrible luck to encounter opponents like them in succession. Ren, in particular, had risen through the ranks like a shooting star, his power eclipsing almost everyone.
"Well, well! There's nothing you can do about it. Those guys are all monsters! Everyone understands," Lucy tried to comfort her.
"I'm the only one who has failed four times," Cana interrupted, her voice dropping to a whisper. Tears welled up in her eyes. "So I'm treating this as my last chance. If I can't become an S-Class Mage this time, I will leave Fairy Tail."
"Why?!" Lucy stood up, shocked. "Leaving the guild? Just because of an exam?"
"Because I must succeed!! If I don't become an S-Class Mage, I won't have the qualifications to meet that person..." Cana's voice broke.
Under the dim light of Lucy's apartment, Cana poured her heart out. She told Lucy about her father—the strongest Mage in the guild, Gildarts Clive. She spoke of how she had joined the guild to find him, but fear and a lack of confidence had kept her from telling him the truth. She had convinced herself that she needed to reach the rank of S-Class, to stand on equal footing with him, before she could reveal she was his daughter.
"If I can't become an S-Class Mage this time, I'm leaving the Guild. I can't bear the shame of seeing him anymore. I've already decided."
Lucy looked at Cana, seeing the vulnerability beneath the bravado of the heavy drinker. Her heart ached for her friend.
"I'll be your partner, Cana!!" Lucy slammed her hands on the table, her eyes burning with determination. "I absolutely won't let you quit the Guild!! I will definitely make you an S-Class Mage."
A week quietly passed.
The scene shifted dramatically from the snowy streets of Magnolia to the shimmering, sweltering expanse of the open ocean.
"It's so hot!!" Natsu Dragneel groaned, hanging over the side of the ship, his face a shade of green that matched the algae on the hull. "And I'm gonna hurl..."
"It's supposed to be winter, so why is it like this..." Lucy fanned herself frantically with a magazine, sweat trickling down her neck.
A ship was sailing on the sea, carrying all the participants of the S-Class Mage Promotion Exam. The sun beat down mercilessly, turning the deck into a frying pan.
"I'm about to melt, like ice cream being eaten by Happy," Lucy slumped weakly in her chair, her energy drained. It was still snowing heavily in Magnolia Town when they left, but after sailing into this region, the temperature had soared above 50 degrees Celsius. The sudden climate shift was brutal.
"That sounds disgusting," Happy muttered, sprawled out on the table next to her, his tongue lolling out.
Cana, looking more composed but still flushed, explained, "Due to the magical convection in this area, the climate is like this all year round. We're getting close to the holy ground."
Lisanna Strauss, who had partnered with Juvia Lockser, sipped a cold beverage. She looked at Juvia, who was unbelievably still wearing her thick winter coat and hat.
"Juvia, aren't you hot dressed like that?" Lisanna asked, concerned she might suffer heatstroke.
"I'm not hot, but if I had to say, Gray-sama's nudity is making me very hot!!" Juvia's eyes turned into hearts as she looked excitedly at Gray Fullbuster nearby.
Gray had stripped down to his boxers, unaware of his own indecency as usual. He leaned back against the railing, panting. "So hot..."
As an Ice-Make Mage, Gray wasn't afraid of the cold, but extreme heat was his worst enemy. It sapped his stamina faster than anything else.
Loki, who had been summoned to partner with Gray, adjusted his glasses. "If you're hot, just use magic to conjure some ice blocks. Wouldn't that cool you down?"
"I'm not going to let these guys freeload off my air conditioning," Gray grumbled, glancing at Natsu.
"Seriously, they're about to become rivals, yet they're still so close," Evergreen commented from the other side of the deck. She fanned herself with a feathered fan, looking regal despite the heat.
She had teamed up with Elfman Strauss to participate in the assessment. For Elfman, although Evergreen was a bit scary and bossy, she was undoubtedly strong. Teaming up with a member of the Thunder God Tribe significantly increased his chances of becoming an S-Class Mage.
Suddenly, Lucy, who had been staring listlessly at the horizon, sat up straight.
"Ah! That is!"
Through the shimmering heat haze, a silhouette appeared.
Everyone in the Guild quickly looked over, rushing to the bow of the ship.
"Have we arrived!!"
"Is that Tenrou Island?!"
"What an incredible shape! An island on top of an island!"
Looming before them was a massive geological wonder. A gigantic, flat-topped island rose from the sea, and centered upon it stood a colossal, tree-like rock formation that spread out into a second, higher tier of the island. At the very center stood the Great Tenrou Tree, its immense roots and branches dominating the skyline. The air around it buzzed with ancient, potent Ethernano.
Master Makarov's voice rang out, drawing their attention. He stood at the helm, looking solemn. "Legend says that spirits once resided on that island, and it is also the resting place of Fairy Tail's First Master, Mavis Vermillion."
The atmosphere on the boat shifted from exhaustion to nervous anticipation. This was it. The Holy Ground of their guild.
"Now, for the contents of the first stage of the public exam."
Hearing Makarov's words, all the examinees—Natsu, Gray, Juvia, Cana, Elfman, Freed, Levy, and Mest—became serious.
"You all see the smoke rising from the island's shore, right? Go there first. There are eight paths marked by caves, and only one team can pass through each path. The end of the paths looks like this."
A Magic Circle panel appeared beside Makarov, displaying a simple diagram of the route structure.
"There are eight paths," Makarov explained, pointing to the diagram. "Some paths lead to an encounter where teams will fight each other. There are two such 'Battle' nodes. If you end up there, two teams enter, but only one leaves."
He paused, letting the tension build.
"There are also three 'Fierce Battle' icons."
The hologram shifted to reveal three menacing portraits blocking three of the paths. The faces were unmistakable.
Gildarts Clive.
Erza Scarlet.
Ren.
"Besides these, there is also one 'Silence' path."
A ripple of fear went through the candidates. Fighting each other was one thing, but facing the current S-Class monsters?
Makarov continued, his voice stern. "The path marked 'Battle' means two out of the eight teams will meet, and one will win and pass. 'Fierce Battle' is the most difficult checkpoint, requiring you to defeat—or survive against—an active S-Class Mage. And looking at the lineup this year... you have my sympathies."
Natsu grinned, flames igniting on his fists. "Ren is there?! I'm all fired up! I'm gonna pick his path!"
"Don't be an idiot, flame-brain!" Gray snapped. "We want to pass, not get killed."
"'Silence' is the path where you don't need to fight anyone and pass directly through the first stage," Makarov finished. "It is the route of pure luck."
"The first stage tests 'Might' and 'Luck'." Makarov's gaze swept over his children, his eyes twinkling with challenge.
"Only the teams that clear this stage will be qualified for the first stage!!"
[Akarin Note:
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