Ankh moved swiftly.
He raised his hand, summoning a gravity repulsion shield that blocked Laxus's lethal punch.
BOOM.
Taking advantage of the momentary lull, Ankh grabbed Erza's hand and pulled her back to a safer distance.
Laxus saw Ankh return alone and smirked.
'So Cana is dealt with.'
It didn't matter.
He never expected that weak girl to do anything anyway.
From the very beginning, Laxus intended to defeat both of them single-handedly.
"Enough playing around!"
A thunderous explosion shattered the ground beneath Laxus's feet.
But he didn't stop there. He raised both hands, and consecutive composite Magic Circles flared to life, stacking on top of each other like the barrel of a cannon.
He aimed directly at Erza.
"This will do."
The light magic compressed, transforming into a meteor-like torrent of pure destruction.
'I'll take out the troublesome woman first, then settle the duel with Ankh!'
Ankh's eyes widened.
'He's losing control.'
Laxus's fatal flaw was his inability to manage his emotions. This attack was way over the line for a friendly exam—it could kill her.
Ankh stepped forward to shield her again.
But just as he moved, he felt Erza squeeze his hand tightly.
"Wait," she murmured, her voice sounding strange. "I feel... different."
Before Ankh could process his confusion, an unprecedented black glow began to radiate from Erza's armor.
At the same time, the hand he was holding felt like a vacuum.
The immense Magic Power within Ankh—his gravity, his god-slayer energy—began to flow automatically into Erza's body!
[How is this possible?!]
Seram, who had been silent, shouted in Ankh's mind.
[Why can she use your Magic Power?!]
Ankh had no time to answer him. The Erza before him was transforming.
Her smooth, fair skin turned a deep, obsidian-gold hue.
Glowing silver patterns swirled across her limbs like tribal tattoos. Her crimson hair shifted color, turning into a gradient of silver and gold that floated in the air as if she were underwater.
The Magic Power radiating from her skyrocketed.
The valiant knight had vanished.
In her place stood something terrifying.
The overwhelming dread she emitted felt less like a mage and more like... a god.
Erza's eyes gleamed with divine light, devoid of joy or sorrow. She faced the oncoming torrent of Light Magic without flinching.
Slowly, she clenched her free hand into a fist.
Vwoom.
A chilling, sinister energy shot into the sky.
The storm clouds, previously gray with rain, were instantly dyed ink-black. The falling raindrops froze in mid-air, suspended by the sheer density of her aura.
It was as if nature itself was bowing before an enraged monarch.
Erza opened her palm.
Shadowy magic coalesced, forming an invisible blade of pure pressure.
She raised her hand toward Laxus's fatal blast and gave a gentle, almost lazy swing.
Slash.
A simple motion, and an impossible result.
Laxus's magic wasn't blocked; it was erased.
The invisible slash cut through his attack, through the air, and through the forest itself.
Laxus's eyes filled with fear.
Even at full power, he was powerless against that sword.
BANG!
His body was launched backward like a dry leaf in a hurricane.
He crashed through countless ancient trees and boulders before finally burying himself in a crater, motionless.
Ankh stood there, dumbfounded.
'What in the world was that? Just one swing?'
'Laxus got one-shotted?'
Suddenly, Erza's grip on his hand loosened.
The black markings faded.
Her hair turned red again. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed.
Ankh caught her before she hit the ground. He checked her pulse and gasped.
Her Magic Power was almost completely drained. If the fight had lasted one second longer, the drain might have killed her.
[She channeled your power through her body to unleash that force]Seram noted, his voice shaken.
[But the burden on her physical body is severe.]
Ankh nodded, scooping Erza up into a bridal carry.
He wanted to check on Laxus, who had been sent flying, but at that moment, a short figure appeared before him.
"Master?"
Makarov was struggling to drag the unconscious Laxus by the collar.
He looked grave.
"Don't worry," the Master huffed. "Laxus is alive. He just... broke a few ribs, ruptured some internal organs, and has a severe concussion."
'Yikes.'
'Well, he's a Dragon Slayer. He'll walk it off in a week.'
Makarov gave Ankh a strange look.
He glanced at the unconscious Erza in Ankh's arms and chuckled oddly.
"I thought you were closest to Mirajane... but it seems you and Erza are even more intimate. To think you two can already use Unison Raid..."
'Unison Raid?'
Ankh frowned.
In the original story, combined magic required perfect synchronization of souls.
Was Erza's transformation just their version of a combo attack?
"The difficulty of Unison Raid is extremely high," Makarov teased, looking like an old gossip. "Not only must the magic be compatible, but your personalities, thoughts, and beliefs must align perfectly. I never expected you two to be so... in sync."
Ankh ignored the Master's teasing because Seram was shouting in his head again.
[Bullshit! That wasn't a Unison Raid!]
[For a mortal to synchronize with the power of the God of Life and Death? The quality of their magic must be equal! Only a god can cooperate with a god!]
[Unless...]
Seram's tone softened, turning thoughtful.
Ankh raised an eyebrow.
'What? Did you figure something out?'
[Unless... this girl has divine blood.]
"Is that possible?" Ankh whispered, surprised. "Are there other gods besides Ankhseram?"
[Our predecessor was unique, but other gods have entered the mortal world before. Those who leave behind bloodlines are rare... but they exist.]
Ankh looked down at Erza, sleeping peacefully in his arms like a tired lamb.
It seemed that in the original story he hadn't finished reading in his previous life, there was probably content about Erza's origins.
Ankh shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
He looked at the Master.
"So... what about the exam? Do we need to retake it?"
Makarov looked up, surprised. "Retake it? Why?"
"Cana was defeated by you. Laxus was knocked out by your combined attack with Erza. And Erza collapsed from exhaustion."
Makarov grinned broadly.
"You're the last one standing, Ankh. You've passed!"
Ankh's eyelid twitched.
'Is it really that simple?'
'Did you even ask Erza if she's okay with this?'
'Then why the hell do you make the Tenrou Island exams so complicated later on?!'
In truth, Ankh realized his earlier reasoning was slightly off.
In Makarov's mind, the exam wasn't rigged for Ankh and Laxus.
It was rigged for Ankh alone.
Makarov saw Laxus's arrogance and emotional instability.
He wanted Laxus to fail, to humble him. Erza and Cana were simply too young.
But Ankh? He was powerful, level-headed, and got along with everyone.
In Makarov's eyes, Ankh was already the perfect S-Class Mage.
The exam was just a formality to make it official.