My eyes are open wide…

Feel like I'm finally unbroken…! Feel like I'm back from the deeeead!

My strength back and confidence growing! CAUSE I'M BACK! I mean…I meant to upload this sooner, but I had issues with the website…

So… What say you? Welcome back to the Null Fairy, all of you endearing and fricking patient people! The second chapter of the Tenrou Island Arc is now here! We have a lot to discuss!

AnimeMasterDub: While other timelines may not be in exact synchronization, as stated in Ben 10 Omniverse, because Edolas and Earthland are parallel universes, and that Ben's Universe is a pretty…major plot point in this, time is pretty much flowing equally for all of them. Meaning that if the 7 Year Timeskip were to occur, it would probably affect all three.

RedDragonforce1: Having Ben becoming a candidate would be too soon for someone like him. While the likes of Erza and some other characters have achieved the S-Class status, I feel like it would just be…rushed. Bringing him along for the Trials is a definite.

dinoalien: Well know, that's certainly a spicy way to get Gajeel and Levy up and running! *wink* *Insert Lenny Face*

Sb2282490: Thanks again for your continued concern and support! A funny scene regarding Meredy? Wait, how old is she? I don't wanna get to distracted by age differences, heh.

Regarding the Ankhseram Black Magic, I have some mixed ideas about that. While I know that Terraspin has invulnerability to mana, meaning magic to an extent, Ben himself has to become aware of the ability. Well, either that, or he can use the The Worst. Sure, it'll be painful as hell, but it might work.

Regarding the few other reviews regarding my story as a whole, I take no offence to those who dislike or try to correct it. That's what the review section is for, ya know? Like I even get offended from reviews. And the shit storm from people arguing with each other, lovely!

So, that's it for now. Let's get straight into the story then, shall we? Once again, thanks for all of your continued support. As usual, I own nothing related to the subject of Ben 10 nor Fairy Tail. Please support the official releases, and happy reading to you all! I would like to thank you all for waiting for this chapter and my return as a whole! Many thanks for over 1,470 Reviews, over 500 Favorites and Follows, and over 280,000 views! Cheers!


Chapter 49: Let the Trials Begin! (Tenrou Island 2)

"…It's soooooooo hot…!" Lucy moaned as she tried to fan herself. "It was Winter when we left…so why is it so hot?"

Practically everyone who had joined on board the ship was suffering from the heat that the area around the island exerted. Even changing into swimsuits did not help the girls. Especially for the likes of the Dragon Slayers and Happy, whose sensitive bodies were affected worse for wear than the others, they were already almost to their limits as the boat went on.

Cana chuckled a little as she waved a fan towards Wendy, who was face first on a table, twitching in agony as sweat poured off from her entire body. Levy tried to use her magic to create ice, but to her dismay, most of the construct began to melt quickly within the minutes.

"…I'm going to melt before I meet back up with Ben…" She murmured.

"Well, at least you're over your barfing moments, unlike Natsu…" Levy countered.

"I'll turn into ice cream and get eaten by Happy then…!" Lucy added. The cat sighed a little as he laid next to the blonde.

"That doesn't sound very appetizing…" He admitted. Cana merely smiled as she patted Wendy's head.

"Well, that's how this place is. Because of the currents that flourish constantly, this part of the world always has the same, hot and excruciating environment all-year round. Kinda makes sense to make this place a testing ground of sorts if you ask me." She explained.

"…I just want to get wrapped up in Arctiguana's mouth and take a nap in there…" Wendy drooled deviously as her face began to heat up. She chuckled weakly as she fell to the wooden deck.

"…She needs another ice block, Levy. I think the little one's starting to have delusions about her guy." Cana snickered. Levy giggled a little as she spawned in another ice block over Wendy's head.

"Sheesh, you guys are all weak." Gajeel rolled his eyes as he leaned his arm against his chin. "This is heat is nothin'."

"I-I didn't think it would be this hot though…" Lisanna sighed as she leaned the cold glass of a drink against her cheek. She then noticed with shocked eyes of the sight of Juvia, fully dressed with her coat and hat. "…Juvia, aren't you hot in that bundle of clothing?"

"…No, I am not hot… However." Juvia merely responded, before drooling at what she was looking at. Lisanna and the other girls frowned upon looking over as well.

"GREY-SAMA'S NAKED BODY IS HOT THOUGH!"

"…It's damn hot…" The ice mage groaned, his body fully exposed. Even though he and Loki knew of the island's heat, the ice mage was still forced to strip. Natsu barfed into a barf bag while lying next to him.

"…I'm feeling sick…" The pink haired mage gagged. As he rolled over to Loki, who was simply wear a green shirt and white trousers, the Lion spirit shuddered as his mouth began to fill up with puke again.

"Loki, you got a bag to barf in…?"

"N-Natsu, keep it away from here, alright?" He nervously rose his hands. "Didn't Wendy cast that spell on you?"

"Wendy didn't cast Troia on me… *GURGLE* OH MAN!" He gagged again, before turning to over the deck and hurling another load out. Loki chuckled a little.

"Well, you can't blame her. She's Mest's partner, after all." He then looked over to said duo, only to sweat drop at the still agonized Wendy.

"…No, I'm just too sick and too hot to cast it on him." She whimpered. Mest blinked as he shrugged.

"Guess the heat's really getting to some of us." He simply said.

Evergreen huffs a little as she fans herself. Elfman was seen trying to avoid her and was slowly tip-toeing out from her area, only to get grasped back by a pinch to his back. He yelped girlishly as she rolled her eyes.

"You know, I don't really see the need for this chumminess when all of us are going to become enemies. We need to make sure we past these trials, and with Ben of all people doing so, things are going to get hectic." She explained.

"L-Like a man… His trappings are evil…" Elfman squirmed for a second after she let him go. Mest rose an eyebrow as he glanced in her direction.

"I've only met him a few times, but not directly in person. Who is Ben Tennyson like as a person?" He asked.

"Oh, cheery kid…" Lucy muttered. "But devious when it comes to pranks…"

"Also, he's an adaptable fighter." Grey added. "You should see him fight one of these days. Heck, we'll all probably be fighting him when the time comes on this trial."

"Whatever… I just want to turn into an ice cream bar…" Lucy moaned again.

"…Me too, but if I do, don't eat me…" Happy replied.

"…I can't even imagine you as ice cream, Happy." Lucy then leaned back, only to see a huge island suddenly in her sights. "Wait, guys, look!"

"Ah, it's finally in sight." Loki and Lisanna leaned over to get a better look. "Seems like it'll be minutes until we finally arrive on dock."

Grey, now subjugated to something other than the nauseating heat, stands up, with Juvia staring lewdly on his rear as he leans over as well. "…So that's the island, huh? Tenrou…"

"So that's Tenrou Island…" Lucy stands up from her seat.

"What a freaky shape!" Elfman blinks, squinting his eyes in an attempt to get a better look from afar.

"…Is that an island on top of top of an island?" Levy tilts her head. Wendy moaned a little, but as the ship got within a certain distance from the island, her eyes widened as she stood up, as if she were getting rejuvenated just from being near it.

"…Wow, even from here… I can feel the powerful magic power radiating in the air. This island is practically leaking out energy…" She stood amazed.

"Indeed." Mest agreed.

From atop the deck, Makarov chuckles as he overshadowed everyone. "…It was said, that long ago this island used to house fairies as their residents. And in reference to Fairy Tail's first Master, the island is also the location for Mavis Vermillion's Resting Grounds."

"Master?" Lisanna looked up.

"Oi, what's with the summer clothes, old man?!" Grey points at Makarov, barking.

"Well, it's hot!" He replied in a rhetorical matter, chuckling while fanning himself. "Even I have to dress for the occasion, no matter how important this is."

"Grey, CLOTHES!" Lucy welps out. "Don't show Wendy your naked body!"

"Geh, damn it all!" Grey squirms around, running back into the ship to get into his bag. While everyone watched the ice mage dander inside, Makarov looked forward towards Tenrou Island.

The island itself stood alone in the middle of the sea, with no other isles visible in the surrounding area. It was a mildly small, rocky and steep island covered by lush vegetation, both bright yellow and green in color. One side of the island was shown to be particular rocky, possessing large formations jutting outwards from the ground, one near the shore, protruding above the sea, and the other near the center of the island, overlooking it; the latter has a pair of waterfalls falling down from it in a small lake below.

Topping such second rocky formation stood the most distinctive element of the island: the Great Tenrou Tree, a gigantic tree with a gnarled, mildly curved trunk, ending in a number of large branches which sustain something that has been described as being similar to "an island on top of an island" as Levy pointed out, being a large, flat section composed of earth and crowded by a multitude of normal-sized trees. Such gargantuan plant possessed a multitude of similarly large, curved and twisted roots, which right below the trunk sustain massive lumps of earth; something which creates some sort of covered area right below the tree itself.

Makarov clears his throat after eyeing a certain indicator on the island. "Alright! Everyone listen up!"

Everyone turns to look back up at the old man, with Makarov crossing his arms. "Now then, I shall be announcing the First Trial that the eight teams will be participating in."

"Well then, give us the scoop!" Grey called out.

"I wonder what it is." Freed cupped his chin in interest.

"A first trial…" Wendy hummed. "So there's multiple?"

"Yeah. Usually, the test is separated into different levels, different scenarios for certain levels of activities by difficulty." Mest first explained as he turned to her. Makarov nods, pointing out to one of the rocky ends of the island. Out there, a rising smoke signal stood out.

"Right. Everyone, you see that smoke over there by the shore? We'll be heading over there first. For the time that we spent traveling to the island, no doubt that Ben has completed his preparations for the first activity, as indicated by the smoke. Over yonder at that place, you'll find eight different locations, one for each team."

"So, only one team per passage?" Evergreen guessed.

"Indeed. And at the end of each passage, the following will happen." Makarov then snapped his fingers, a nearby lacrima projecting a screen next to him.

As every turned to look, various worded descriptions appeared on screen. The likes of "Battle", "Calm", "Pitched Battle", and other images began to appear. Everyone gulped as the images of Fairy Tail's three S-Class mages then showed up.

"…Battles with each other, battles with our S-Classes, or free-to-go's." Lucy observed.

"Yes, but take another look." Makarov then smiled. Looking up again, dozens of other bubbles began to pop up, with pictures of Ben appearing everywhere.

"Haaah?!" Natsu and Happy's jaws dropped. "Why is Ben everywhere for?!"

"I'll be getting to that." Makarov coughed, before folding a fan up to a stick. He then pointed at the start.

"First and foremost; only the teams that manage to get through to the end of the path they choose will be allowed to pass the first trial and proceed to the second." Makarov started.

"Battles and Pitched Battles?" Grey alerted. "What do those mean?"

"For the "Battle" routes, two teams from the eight here will engage in combat. The team that wins in this skirmish will be allowed to pass." He answered, before grinning. "As for "Pitched Battles", these will be the most difficult routes."

"…I'm afraid to ask why." Levy gulped.

"Right you should. After all, in these three routes, you must defeat the corresponding S-Class wizard to proceed." Makarov revealed. Most of the cast shuddered, but Natsu seemed to have gotten pumped up from it.

"So if you encounter Gildarts, it's practically a game-over…" Bickslow murmured.

"You can't count out Erza-san or Mira-san though." Wendy reminded him. "Those two are still powerful fighters."

"Yes…" Makarov nodded, before continuing. "For the other one, "Calm", this is a route in which the team going this route will encounter…no serious fighting, but obstacles nevertheless."

"…Is that what the squirt is for?" Gajeel spoke out.

Once again, the old man grinned. "Heh. In this first trial, you'll best tested in the categories of "armed might", "survivability and adaptation"…and "luck" as well."

"…Luck?!" Everyone gasped. "What the hell has Ben got in store for us?!"

"That…heh, you'll find out yourself." Makarov sweat dropped. "For even I don't know what he plans on doing to hinder all of you."

"…Well, if it's luck, we might still have a chance, right, Cana?" Lucy turned to her partner.

"It's pretty low though. A 1/8 chance of getting the easiest route. And even then, Ben's going to be interfering with everyone regardless of the path we take." Cana replied with an unsure look.

"Meaning that theoretically, six teams can pass the first trial." Evergreen summarized. "Since…"

"I-Impossible! If we get Erza or Gildarts, we'll never pass!" Elfman gulped as his body shook a little.

"Ah come on, you big lug. Don't be such a sissy. You're a man, aren't you?" The brunette turned to her white haired partner, nudging his rib with her elbow.

"Well, since three routes contain 3 S-Classes, that means at the worst possible outcome, three teams will pass the first trial…" Levy sighed. Gajeel grinned as he patted her head.

"Interesting… I'll platter them good then." He boasted.

"Hah…Gajeel please…" Levy chuckled sarcastically. Makarov strokes his beard, before pointing to the island.

"Alright then everyone, it's time to start! Get out there and do your best (at surviving)!"

"But we're still at sea though." Loki blinked, before frowning. "Wait, Natsu…!"

"Happy!" The Dragon Slayer yelled out. "Let's get a move on!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy cheers, grabbing his back.

As Natsu leaped off from the highest point, Happy began to head towards the island, leaving everyone behind. Loki and Grey ran forward in astonishment, only to see the duo face plant against some glyphs.

"Wait, runes?" Cana blinked. Around the entire rim of the ship, Freed's runes glowed as Happy and Natsu began to slide down.

"Then that means…!" Wendy turned, only to cover her eyes as Bickslow and Freed began to go off, Freed using Dark Écriture: Wings, and Bickslow using his dolls as a platform to fly on. Natsu and the others watched as the pair began to fly off beyond them.

"Oi Freed, you little…!" Elfman roared.

"Don't worry everyone, they'll disappear in five minutes!" Freed smirked. Bickslow snickered as he watched Natsu and Grey slam their fists against the barriers.

"Ya should've sealed them off for longer, Freed!" Bickslow suggested.

"Now then, where would all the fun go then, Bickslow?"

Lisanna and Lucy growled as Grey turned back to Makarov. "Oi, Gramps! Is this even allowed?!"

"Well, it's not a race…" Makarov shrugged.

"Then…" Lisanna and Grey narrowed their eyes. "They'll be setting up runes all over the place by the time we get there!"

"Oh, what about Levy th—AHHHH!" Happy was about to become hopeful, only to see the light blue headed girl smirk with her tongue out as she rewrote the runes, but only for Gajeel and herself.

"WHAT?!" Everyone else looked over in shock as the Letter Mage created a platform of wood.

"Gajeel, if you would!" She asked. Gajeel grinned as the two landed, with the Dragon Slayer turned back towards the ship. Everyone watched as he took a deep breath, before recognizing the signature magic circle of his.

"Iron Dragon's Roar!" Releasing a Roar, he began to propel the platform of wood forward, blasting them onwards at an alarming rate.

"Shit, now what do we do for—HEY! GOD DAMN IT ALL!" Natsu barked as he turned around, only to see Evergreen do the same thing.

"Evergreen?!" Cana and Lucy gawked at the brunette.

"I've known Freed for a while! While a more complex rune might've stooped me, this is a simple one." She explained as she opened it up for her and Elfman.

"Nice, Evergreen!" The white haired man grinned.

"Let's go, Elfman!" The two then dove off from the ship, joining the other two pairs as they began to swim off.

"Four minutes left…" The rest of the crew sighed.


"…Alright, done!" Ben sighed as he wiped off sweat from his forehead.

Exiting out from one of the paths, he walked down to the middle area, in which the smoke signal stood. It consisted of a four by four stack of wood, with charcoal in the middle that radiated a pleasant smoke that rose into the air. Taking a seat on a stone in front of it, he looked up to see Bickslow and Freed.

"Heya, kid!" The visor mage grinned as the two landed. "You're done with your preps?"

"Yep, just finished. I suppose Freed wrote some runes to keep the others on the ship? Probably so that you guys can get the best route." He guessed.

Freed and Bickslow turned to one another, before shrugging a little. "I guess you can say that."

"Well, good luck then. See if you're able to get through my traps and what not." Ben then folded his arms with a grin. "You'll be in for a big surprise."

"I hope so. I wanna have some fun!" Bickslow laughed as he and his partner began to run pass him, dashing into path Number 7, otherwise known as Gallery C. As they left his line of sight, Ben's face immediately contorted into a devilish grin as he heard the two whelp.

"AHHHH! What the hell!" He heard Bickslow roar out as something seemed to had exploded within the cave entrance. "DAMN YOU, BEEEEEEEN!"

"For the love of—what is this?!" Freed shrieked like a girl. Ben began to snicker, almost falling off his stone as the entrance was sealed off by a barrier. The entrance to Gallery C was now cut off.

"Oh… I think I'm gonna have waaaaay too much fun with this…!" He chuckled for a minute, but not before spotting a familiar Iron Dragon Slayer jumping onto the shoreline with Levy in toll.

"Hey, Ben!" The blue haired teen waved at him, before noticing his excited face. "What's wrong?"

"…I think those two fell into some traps of his. Ha, the squirt's probably having a laugh off. Just take a listen, shorty." Gajeel grinned. The two stayed silent for a bit, only to hear Bickslow and Freed scream again once another explosion came by.

"…Oh." She then gulped. "I can assume that the rest of the paths are also littered with things then?"

"Ahahahah… Oh, yeah! Better watch out and pick carefully, you two!" Ben held his stomach in an attempt to calm his laughter. "Cause those two are currently getting stink bombed!"

Gajeel and Levy shuddered a little as he cackled again, falling to the floor. "Well, shit."

"…I shall forgive that moment of swearing." Levy sighed. "Well then, which path shall we go through?"

Gajeel looked around, sniffing the air. After a moment, he grinned as he pointed towards another entrance, the one to Number 5, or Gallery F. Nodding, the two began to walk up the slightly sloped pathway. As they entered and the entrance sealed itself off, Ben sighed a little, before clicking his tongue.

"…Aw. They got the safe route… Or so he thinks." He then smiled deviously. He waited around a few more seconds, to hear the yelling of a familiar Fairy Tail member come by.

"MAAAAAAAAAAAN!" Elfman roared as he ran up to Ben. "Evergreen!"

"Sheesh, you don't swim fast, but you can sure run like heck." The glasses wearing brunette panted a little as she placed her glasses back on. "Hey, Ben. I guess Freed'S and Levy's pairs already came by and chose a path?"

"Yep." Ben then gestured behind them while crossing his legs. "So, which shall you take?"

Noticing his twisted smile, the two turned to one another, gulping a little. They knew that knowing Ben, he was a harsh prankster. And saying that was an understatement. His eyes narrowed in delight as he watched them decide on a path after a few moments, choosing Number 8, or Gallery A. Elfman could've sworn he saw Ben giggle a little as they entered their path.

'…Is that something I should be worried about?' He blinked. Turning around though with Evergreen, the two widened their eyes immediately as they stepped on a pair of tiles.

"Huh?" The two look up as a wave of mechanical sounds begin to make themselves known. Eyes popping out as a row of lights turned on, a large, transparent container stretched through the beginning portion of the cave they were was filled with Wildvine seeds.

"Ah, HFIL…" Elfman cursed as it opened up a portion right above the duo. "RUN FOR IT!"

"What the hell is HFIL?!" Evergreen barked as the two began to run like hell after diving away from the first wave. However, it just proved to be the start as the duo landed one the next pair of tiles. "Wait, shit!"

"Nee-chan doesn't like it when Lisanna and I swear!" He answered as he yelped away.

"Well, forget it! She's not here, so swear all you want, you damn big baby!" She yelled. "At least until we get out of here!"

Hearing the four growl, bark, shriek and yell, Ben chuckled again as he turned to the Omnitrix, tapping a few buttons until a digital projection of a clock appeared.

"Four more minutes." He noted. "Now then, who's next?"


Four minutes later…

The last pair, Cana and Lucy, groaned as they finally reached land. Shaking themselves off before walking to the middle of the starting area, Ben smiled as he crossed his arms once again.

"Hey, you guys finally made it." He greeted them. "Looks like you guys are going to have to go through path Number 6, to Gallery C."

"Figures we'd be last. I didn't think that Mest and Wendy would be us though…" Lucy sighed.

"That was a bit of a surprise…" Ben's eyes actually turned serious for a second. "…Listen, you two."

"Huh?" The blonde and brunette blinked.

"That Mest guy… You guys seem to have a clear idea about him, right? I mean, at least you do, right, Cana?"

"Yeah? What about it?" She tilted her head. He leaped off from his stone, walking to his ear. Whispering into her ear, she frowned a little in surprise. "…Really?"

"Yeah. Just keep an eye out, alright? I'm getting a gut feeling right about now." He replied, sitting back down.

"Well, alright then. Lucy, let's go." Cana shrugged and then turned to her partner. Lucy wondered what Ben said, but nonetheless enthusiastically nodded as the two began to go through to Gallery C. Watching the entrance way close off, Ben's expression remained in that suspicious look as he sighed.

"…I guess only some of us are really the only one's interested in this? I wonder how Carla would think of this." He wondered. Standing up, he watched as the ship began to come to the shoreline, with Makarov waving at him with a goofy smile.

"…Well, I guess we'll find out in a bit."


In Route A…

"…I swear to God, that kid is so going to get it after this…" Evergreen grumbled as she and Elfman exited the cave. The two were plastered in various colored liquids due to the nature of Wildvine's seed bombs containing several different types of properties.

"At least you didn't get a—ACHOO!" Elfman sneezed. "…A pollen bomb straight onto your face.

"…I guess that's the worst for someone like yourself." She acknowledged. "I remember Mirajane telling me that you have a pollen allergy."

"Yeah…" He sniffed. "Now then, I wonder what's going to happen. Since we're out here in a beach, there's too many places to cross, so it's not a Battle. So it's either the Calm area or…"

"…Or what, my little brother?" A gentle, yet evil voice echoed through the beachside. Evergreen and Elfman shrieked, huddling together despite the nasty seed liquids on them as dark clouds formed around the area.

Runes suddenly appeared in a giant circle, trapping them inside as Mira teleports into the area through a dark purple magic circle. She had a scary smile as she looked over in their direction, wearing a pure pink swimsuit dress.

"N-Nee-chan!/Mirajane!" The two stated as the eldest Strauss sibling licked her fingers.

"Why hello there, you two. I take it Ben gave you two the royal treatment before you came over to little old me?" She presumed. "From the looks of it, I'd say he did a damn good job…!"

"…Uh-oh." Elfman croaked.

"What?" Evergreen glanced at him.

"Nee-chan normally never swears… I mean, she used to do so all the time back before Lisanna was transported to Edolas, but since then, she's never sworn once. She must be reverting back to her old personality if she's starting now." He explained.

"Well, that's just fricking great then." Evergreen sweated a little as another magic circle formed underneath Mira's feet.

"Out of all people though… The She-Devil…" She adjusted her glasses as the effects of Take-Over magic began to surround Mira. "Get ready, Elfman."

"R-Right…" He nodded nervously as Mira grinned.

"Take-Over: Satan Soul!" She then roared, releasing a powerful wave of energy as her transformation was completed. Elfman and Evergreen took a step back as the familiar Take-Over showed itself to the duo.

"Now then, shall we begin?" She grins. "Come at me! I won't be holding back, even if it's against my little brother."

Elfman and Evergreen remain motionless for a second, before the brunette reached for her glasses to activate her Eye Magic. "Well you know what they say! She who strikes first wins!"

"Evergreen?!" Elfman gasped.

"Stone Eyes!" She yelled out as her eyes began to glow. Expecting the female Take-Over mage to fall for her trap, she merely grinned as she dashed forward after sprouting her wings.

"Baah! It won't work again, Evergreen! As long as I don't look at you in the eyes directly, that magic won't have any effect!" She yelled as she avoided looking straight at her eyes. Growling, Evergreen sprouted her own wings as she leaped back.

"Fine then! But can you dodge my attacks while not fully looking at me?!" She barked as she threw her arms out.

"Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!" Releasing her volley of light bullets, Elfman watched as they began to spring forward. However, to both their misfortune, Mira simply smirked as she drew her palms together.

"Pathetic." She grunted as a magic circle spawned in front of her.

"Demon Blast!" Forming a dark ball of magic, it soon released itself in Evergreen's direction in the form of a beam, disintegrating Leprechaun and hitting Evergreen and sending her crashing towards a boulder. Evergreen was about to make contact, but Elfman quickly intervened.

"Partial Take-Over: Bear!" He yelled, morphing his right arm into that of a brown bear's. Using his body as a cushion, he caught Evergreen in his arm, letting her down as she groaned in pain.

"Oh?" Mira smiled. "Partial Take-Over? Are we still playing kiddy games?"

Elfman gulped, looking onto his sister's face. "…You really are serious about this, aren't you, Nee-chan?" As a bead of sweat dropped from his face, he stepped forward. "Fine then…"

Stomping the ground, a yellow magic circle engulfed Elfman as he roared. Pumping his fists together, his body began to glow as he glared at Mira. "Full-Body Take-Over…"

"…Good. Come at me at full force, little brother." Mira smirked as his transformation finished. Shattering a wave of energy out, Elfman roared as he went down on all fours.

"BEAST SOUL!" He finished. "I'm coming at you, Nee—no, Mirajane!"


In the C Route with Cana and Lucy…

"…I forgot that Master mentioned that Ben instilled traps…" Cana sighed, swatting off a piece of gooey sludge from a bomb made of Stinkfly goop. Lucy chuckled miserably as she did the same.

"Well, he doesn't hold back with security, that's for sure." The blonde added.

Like Bickslow and Freed, the moment that they entered the Gallery, they, like and Evergreen and Elfman, stepped on a tile stone. Immediately afterwards, inside the hole covered and fire-fly expanding area, several slots upon the ragged edges of the walls slotted open, slipping out catapults ready to launch at the girls.

Unfortunately for them, they were filled to the brim with explosives filled with Stinkfly goop, Goop's…goop, as well as other nasty products. Slinging them along in record speed, Cana had no time to draw up a Magic Card, and she and Lucy were resulted to a barrage of stink bombs, all while screaming in desperation to run through.

"Well, this place is brighter than expected." She noted.

"Yeah. The Light Bugs, or fireflies I suppose, glow constantly in this bright, energy filled Summer environment. The holes in the ceiling also allow the area to be filled with light." Cana explained. As they walked on with sticky footsteps, Cana immediately stopped herself and Lucy as Bickslow and Freed showed up.

"Jesus… See, I told you I smelled the same, rotten stink of Stinkfly bombs!" Bickslow barked while pointing at Freed. "And look what it brought us, people! Like I said it would!"

"I never denied your statement, I was only saying that we would identify the opponent by their voices. This scenario includes from the likes of Lucy and Cana in this case." The green haired man explained.

"Bah, whatever. Anyways, welcome to one of the "Battle" Galleries, girls!" The Spirit mage grinned. "Cana and the cosplayer, right?"

"LUCY! L. U. C. Y!" The blonde corrected him. She and Cana looked up to see a banner with the corresponding word labeled on it. "So, we're supposed to fight you guys, I guess?"

"…Fuck." The two sheepishly backed up. Bickslow chuckles as he gestures over to a lone path, one with a large gate of metal revealing itself with a bunch of flashy lights made by Ben.

"Only one pair can pass through that gate. That means we have to fight, hah-heh!" He explained.

"Hah-heh!" His dolls repeated.

"So, sorry Cana. This is as far as you and Lucy go." Freed gripped his sword. "I shall be the one to fill in the gap of Laxus."

Cana glares at him, biting her lip. "Grr… Fine then! I have my own reason for becoming S-Class, so it's on!"

"C-Cana?!" Lucy posed nervously as she slipped off her back pack. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah… But…" Freed blushed a little as he avoided looking at the two directly. "Can you two, you know, before we start…put on some clothes?"

"…Huh? But this is better, Freed!" Bickslow countered, the dolls agreeing with him. Lucy shuddered a little as Cana narrowed her eyes.

"What? No, it's distracting!" The Glyph mage argued. Cana responded with an amused smile as she drew four cards. Throwing it towards him as it glowed, she grinned.

"Alright then… In that case…!" She grunted with a rolled of the tongue. "Magic Cards: Sexy Laaaaaaaadies~!"

"Alright, what the hell." Bickslow face palmed. As they flew at Freed, girls in bikinis came out from them, which stopped him and began to hold him down. The green haired man gawked as his face turned redder than it was before.

"The blasphemy—ladies out of cards?! Y-You vile woman!" He stuttered.

"Ah, come on… Freed, keep it together, man!" Bickslow groaned. He sighed as Freed continued to be entranced by the fake ladies. Cana grins in success, while Lucy tilts her head in confusion.

"Wait, what?"

"He's a sucker for women." Cana gave the run down explanation. "Now all that's left is Bickslow!"

"Don't take me for granted though, Cana! Those won't work on me, you know!" Bickslow took a stance. "Babies!"

"Lucy!" Cana called out. Lucy gives a shout out in response as she went for her key ring, taking Virgo's out.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden!" She yelled as she swiped the key. Summoning Virgo within a flash of light, Freed's nose spurted blood as the Spirit came in, though not in her natural look.

"For hell's sake…!" Bickslow slapped his face again.

"…Huh." Cana sweat dropped.

Virgo landed on her toes, posing like an ice skater as she bowed in front of her contractor. "Good day, princess. I came in my "Totally Fan Service" garb. How do I look?"

As much as the average male expected, the voluptuous pink haired spirit appeared with what seemed to be a maid-version of a swimsuit, fashioned in a black and white color with white frills.

"A-Another one…!" Freed muttered in helplessness.

"Well, doesn't work on me!" Bickslow barked. "Go, babies!"

Lucy pointed out towards the flying dolls. "Virgo! Please perform your duty!"

"Hai, Princess." Virgo posed. Cana and Lucy expected the Spirit to perform physical combat, but instead of that, she merely posed while attempting to dodge the dolls. "Virgo's duties are—"

"V—"

"Wait, wha—"

"—Making grime and mold Vanish away from the disgusting depths of the bathroom~!" She started. Lucy's jaw dropped in response as the Spirit slapped away a doll.

"IR—"

"Hold still, you—" Bickslow attempted to control his dolls manually, only for Virgo to spin on her toe as she dodged a rush from them.

"—Serving Lucy-sama faithfully and without question, even if she may be acting IRresponsibly~!" She continued to list off.

"…How long is this going to go on?" Cana sat down.

"…I'll let her finish, and then bring out another one that can actually help." Lucy cried a little, as if wanting forgiveness from her partner.

"GO—"

"Bickslow, behind you!" Freed warned. Bickslow gasped as she suddenly threw herself behind him, appearing behind his back.

"GOing outside to disembark the trash. Separation!" She yelped, swatting his rear with a roundhouse kick. Bickslow growled as he flipped from his hands, turning back around and actually throwing his dolls.

"And the final part is…"

"Just drop already!" Bickslow yelled.

"…Is Onee-san—" Virgo suddenly puffed away, leaving the wizard confused as Lucy swiped another key.

"Open, Gate of the Ram!" Summoning Aries, the lovely Spirit sends off a Wool Bomb. Conjuring a massive amount of Magical wool surrounding their opponents, Bickslow struggled to stay on toes, due to Aries' wool forcing him into a relaxed state.

"So…fluffy." Freed murmured.

"Oi! Pay attention to what's important, Freed!" Bickslow struggled, but stuck to his sanity. He continued to try and get his dolls and himself out of the wool, but as he looked forward.

"Wait, oh sh—"

"Lucy… Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick~!" Lashing out towards Bickslow, Lucy performed her silliest, but deadliest attack, striking his chin with added momentum. Bickslow did a spit take as the wool then dispersed, leaving the mage seemingly passed out on the floor.

"…What the hell." He muttered, before falling silent.

"Hell yeah!" Lucy clenched her fist. "The Lucy Kick wins again!"

"All that's left is Freed now!" The two then turned to Freed as Aries vanished. The green haired mage was still entwined in the heart of the cards, but after a few more seconds, they puffed away. "Wait, oh shit! The effects wore off!"

The ladies returned to their card forms, floating down onto the ground as Freed sighed heavily. "…Good lord. You girls caught me off guard and fogged my mind with impure thoughts…but no longer!"

Grasping his sword, Cana and Lucy stepped back as he quickly slashed a line of glyphs. In an instant, his familiar wings appeared on his back as he took to the air. Cana quickly slots a dozen cards into her hands and flings them in his direction. Slashing them with ease however, he quickly dove down towards the mage, knocking her back with the scabbard of his sword.

"Cana!" Lucy yelled out in worry.

Skidding on the ground for a second, Cana grunted as she regained her footing, sliding on her heels as she continued to travel back for a little while longer. "That all ya got?!"

Taking another card out, she poured magic into it as she slapped it down onto the ground with her palm. The card glowed, flashing into a torrent of water as Freed attempted to zoom in.

"Magic Card: Prayer's Fountain!" Beams of water began to flow out in every direction. Freed however quickly slashes his way out, leaving the brunette slightly shocked. "Shoot…!"

"Wait, this is water, right?" Lucy's eyes suddenly widened. Cana gasped as she attempted to get closer to the core. "Then that means…!"

"Lucy, wait! This water is meant for attacking! It's dangerous to touch!" She warned. Lucy however ignored it as she slowly crawled in, taking out another gold key and stabbing it into the water.

"Open, Gate of the Water Bearer!" With another flash of light, Aquarius appeared, with her unpleasant expression once again all over her face. "Aquarius, please!"

"…HaaaaaAAAaah?!" The female Spirit merely scowled at the duo, slapping them across their heads with her pot.

"Another swimsuit?!" Freed squeaked.

"You've got a lot of nerve trying to distract men with swimsuits, ya damn RUNTS!" Aquarius barked, creating a massive wave of water. Gawking at the sheer size of it, everyone was doomed to get swept up. Lucy quickly turns to a sturdy piece of earth, dragging Cana along with her.

"Ow, ow, ow… Cana, better hold onto something!" She yelled. After being submerged in the tsunami like attack for several seconds, Aquarius huffs in response, puffing away.

"…Geez, what's with her?" Cana sighed as she breathed for air. Looking out though, her eyes widened in surprise. "Hey, look! Freed's down!"

"…Ow." Freed simply muttered, splattered against the wall. He then fell to the floor next to Bickslow, seemingly unconscious as well. Lucy and Cana then looked over to the gate to see it finally lifted, and the lights changed to "You Passed", or some other resorted kind.

"ALRIGHT!" The two high five each other as they entered the gate.


Bickslow and Freed remained lying on the floor for a little, before getting up like nothing happened. The spirit mage scratched the back of his head as Freed tried to wring the water out of his hair.

"You're fine with this, Freed?" Bickslow turned to his partner.

"…Yeah. If it had been anyone else, I would've gone all out." He admitted. "But those two, I owed them a little something. I decided that if we were to meet with that pairing on the "Battle" routes, I'd throw the match."

"Throw the match, huh? I think ya kinda went a little overboard with your weakness for women, buddy. A little over the top, don't you think?" Bickslow chuckled.

"Heh heh, right?" Freed chuckled as well.

"Ahhh… And here I was thinking we could take Laxus' spot." Bickslow cracked his neck. Freed merely smiled as he looked up out of the sun light cave.

"That's not the important thing. This is for the better of Fairy Tail as a whole, my friend. And besides, we all know that Laxus will eventually return to us. The Master still has a soft spot for him, after all." Freed explained.

"Yeah… Anyways, those two, Cana and Lucy. I didn't actually figure we'd run into them of all people, huh? Guess they're really lucky." Bickslow then grinned as he stood up.

"Yep… Now then, how about we go towards camp?" Freed stood up after taking his hand. "It'll be interesting to see what's in store for the next trial."

"Yeah… But first…" Bickslow and Freed then covered their noses.

"…We need to get cleaned up. This smell is killing me…"


In the other "Battle" route…

"Looks like we got ourselves a fight finally." Gray grins. "Mest and Wendy, huh?"

"G-Gray, hold up a second!" Loki pants a little. "How can you just stroll around wearing half an underwear?! At least cover yourself up!"

"…I might need to have Ben do something like this afterwards…" Wendy mumbled to herself, allowing no one to hear. "G-Gray-san and Loki-san."

"The Ice Mage and Celestial Spirit, huh?" Mest stepped up. "…I see you've been horribly involved with the trappings we just endured as well."

"Tell me about it! He had pillars of fires that almost roasted my rear!" Loki barked. "All of our clothes are charred! You don't look so well yourself, puff-face."

"…I'm going to ignore that." Mest said. Everyone turned up to see his hair practically smoking out though. "Wendy, prepare for battle."

"R-Right!" The Dragon Slayer stepped back. While she was also affected by the ridiculous traps that Ben had laid out, Mest had taken most of the brunt force, leaving her almost unscathed, save for a few tears on her dress. Galleries H and G were fire traps for your information.

The pairs were currently positioned alongside the edge of a cave. Rocky spikes and a large opening allowed one to get a clear view of the skies as Loki rushed forward with a Regulus-powered fist. Raising his arms, Mest blocked the attack and skidded back a few feet. As the two leaped back, the receiver landed on a rock spike near Wendy.

"Loki, get back!" Gray yelled as he began to sculpt out an object. Jumping back, he then released his palms out as a magic circle spawned.

"Ice Make: Hammer!" Launching out a giant mallet made of ice, Mest and Wendy avoided the blow by diving to their sides. Immediately afterwards, Mest suddenly appeared behind Gray, locking the two in CQC for the mean time.

Loki looked around in an attempt to find Wendy, but saw no sight of the young girl. After the hammer landed, Wendy quickly dashed behind it, prepping a spell.

"O swift wind that dashes through the heavens…" She began to chant. Spawning the familiar circle, Loki gawked at the sight of her as she suddenly zoomed out.

"What the—"

"—Vernier!" She roared out, making a run towards the Spirit. Engulfing her fist in wind, Loki surged magic into his arms as he prepared to block the attack.

"Regulus Hold!"

"Sky Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Wendy's attack collided with Loki's. The lion Spirit grunts a little, but smirks upon blocking it successfully as Wendy leaped back. "Been learning from Natsu, I see?"

"You could say that." Wendy replied. "Then, how about this?"

Loki watched as the young Dragon Slayer began to engulf her entire body in rapid winds and then propelled herself against the opponent at high speed, hitting them with a powerful head-butt. Grunting as he performed Regulus Hold once more, Wendy growled as she began to grin.

"Sky Dragon's Sword Horn!" She yelled as she tried to get through.

"R-Really learning from Natsu, I see!" Loki chuckled nervously. "Gray, a little help?"

"I-I got it!" The Ice Mage yelled back as he blocked off another attack from Mest. Grabbing his arm and throwing him away towards a boulder after spinning him a dozen times, the mystery mage grunted as he smashed into it, falling unconscious. Taking this moment to turn back, he quickly gathered magic and slammed his palms down onto the floor.

"Ice Make: Floor!" Creating a layer of ice, the spell began to slither its way towards Wendy. Noticing it out of the corner of her eye, she disengaged her attack and leaped backwards.

"Nice!" Loki sighed.

'Mest-san is down for the count…so how about this?!' The Dragon Slayer breathed in the air, replenishing her magic and prepping for another spell.

"Ah, crap! Watch out!" Gray slapped his palms down again.

"Ice Make: Shield!" Spawning a giant shield, Wendy grinned as she released her Roar.

"Sky Dragon's Roar!" The two spells collided once more, this time with Wendy on the winning end due to receiving a little pick me up. Seeing the shield beginning to crack, Loki and Gray dove out of the way as the Roar shattered through the shield. As Wendy ended the attack, she stood in a stance as the two mages in front of her drew closer.

'What are they going to do now?' She wondered as she eyed them. Loki and Gray turned to each other, before grinning as they went for their bags.

"…This is it, Wendy." Loki started. Wendy was unsure of what they were about to do, but with a sniff of the air, she frowned a little as Gray took out a jar of pickled plums.

"Killing Blow: Eating the Sourest of PICKLED PLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMS!"

Grabbing a fistful of plums, he jams them into his mouth, the delectable and sour treats causing his mouth to pucker up in self-esteemed agony. Immediately, Wendy shuddered as she held her cheeks in horror. Moving his face to allow the girl to witness the horrific effects in full glory, she stepped back a few times.

"AAAAAHHH!" She yelped, covering her mouth. "I-I'm not even eating those horrendous things, but just watching is causing my m-mouth to pucker up! Is this some kind of Transmission Magic?!"

'I-It's working!' Gray grinned inwardly. 'Lucky for us Ben accidentally slipped out that she's afraid of sour stuff! Loki!'

"RUUUN!" Wendy cried out sheepishly, turning to run in the opposite direction.

Glancing at his partner, Gray instructed the Spirit to initiate the second wave of assault. Grabbing his own jar out of his bag, he slid in front of Wendy while using Regulus to light the plums up. Immediately once again, the young Dragon Slayer yelped as she stopped.

"REGULUS AT FULL BRIGHTEST!" Loki yelled, before pouring the plums into his mouth. As Wendy started to shake and sweat immensely in comical fear, his whole face lit up as his mouth puckered to a greater extent than Gray's.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" She screamed, taking out the Omni-Tool and slapping it on. "Stay away, sour monsters!"

Switching to its Power Gauntlet, she squirmed as she suddenly slapped them across the face, sending them to the other side of the cave, right next to the gate before fainting herself. Gray and Loki twitched in pain as she slowly stood up, hearing the little girl utter Ben's name as she curled up to a ball.

"Sour monsters… Pummel, too sour…" She uttered. Loki and Gray glanced at each other, shrugging a little.

"…I guess that's a win?"

"…I suppose?" The two decided as the gate opened. Limbing out, the two exited the area, leaving as the winners. From back at wherever Makarov was, Ben sneezed.


Back at Route A…

"Ow. Ow! Ooow! Stop it! Nee-chan, you're embarrassing me. Ow! Stop! Ah! Hey, are you gonna sit a—ah—you gonna help me or not? Stop it!" Elfman squirmed around. Mira was currently holding him by his fur around his neck, beating his face comically with a boulder.

"Nope, buddy I think you got everything under control. I'll just hang back here." Evergreen muttered while clenching her injured arm. "Just stall her a little longer!"

"How lo—OW!" Before he could answer, Evergreen held her breath as she used all of her strength to tackle him out of his sister's grasp. Diving out of the way, Mira watched with an amused eye as the two stood up.

"You alright?" Evergreen asked.

"Besides feeling dull in the horn? Yeah." The Take-Over mage responded. "What do you have in mind for us?"

Turning to Mira, Evergreen then looked behind her, noting the small rocky wall standing tall behind her. Going for his ear, she then whispered a few things. After explaining, Elfman's eyes widened a little as he nodded. Standing a few feet away from each other, Elfman then charged at Mira again while Evergreen sprouted her wings. As expected, Mira caught his fist, but watched as the other mage began to fly around her.

"Fairy Machinegun: Leprechaun!" Firing another round of light bullets, Mira merely smiled as she sprouted her wings, using them as a shield as she slugged her brother away and began to fly after him.

'I hope this works!' He yelped as Mira kicked him in the rib, causing him to gasp.

As Elfman proceeded to get himself beat up, Evergreen continued to plaster her with Leprechaun, but also began to do something else near the wall. Several seconds passed, and Mira slapped her tail against Elfman's face as she did a backflip.

"E-Evergreen! Are you done yet?!" He barked.

"Just finished! Hit it, Elfman!" Evergreen yelled back. As Mira landed on her toes, her eyes widened ever so slightly as she watched her brother proceed to engage her in a bear hug.

"Aw, you're a nice brother to give your sister a hug." She smirked, before folding her hands together and smashing down on his back. Whelping from the sudden pain, she pushed him forward, causing him to stumble and fall back. Grabbing his leg, she pulled him back and punched him to the ground so hard he created a crater in the sand before bouncing off due to the force.

"Ahoww, ow…!" He whimpered, holding his cheek. "E-Evergreen…!"

Flying and landing next to him, Evergreen stretched her arms in front of him in an "attempt" to protect him. As Mira rose an eyebrow, she simply held a hand out as she prepared to release another Demon Blast.

"Any last words, Evergreen?" She asked. Evergreen remained silent, before grinning.

"As a matter of fact… YES!" She then said, snapping her fingers.

Behind her, a bunch of bright circles lit up, before detonating. Evergreen grinned as she then snapped her fingers again, causing them to blow up. "Katsu!"

To their surprise, Mira actually looked back and gasped a little. The detonated parts of the wall soon collapsed against her, creating a field of rubble. After a few more seconds, the duo opened their eyes to see nothing but rocks on the sand.

"Di…Did we win?" Elfman looked over, exasperated by what just happened. Evergreen adjusted her glasses, before grinning.

"I can believe we did it! We woo—"

"…Soul Extinctor."

*BOOOOM!*

"…Won?" The two then huddled together again. Out from the rubble, the familiar massive blast of purple blew apart all the debris, with Mira standing in the middle, albeit with a few scratches surprisingly.

"Ah, crapbaskets…" Evergreen and Elfman both gulped as the She-Devil stepped up to them, aiming another Demon Blast at them.

"So, like I said; any last words?" She asked again. Elfman was motionless, but Evergreen gulped as she thought of a last resort option. Sweat dropping a little as she looked at Elfman's face, she then turned to Mira as she slightly opened her mouth to speak.

"…You see, Elfman and I are actually getting—"


"Is that all you got, Juvia, Lisanna?" A familiar red headed swordsman called out as she stabbed her sword into the ground.

"N-Not yet…!" The youngest Strauss uttered.

In Path Number 4, or better known as Gallery D, Lisanna and Juvia unfortunately managed to encounter the wrath of Fairy Tail's Titania, Erza Scarlet. The path was full of water, barren pieces of large debris, and the overall area resembled that of a sea tunnel, similarly to that of some of the rooms from the Tower of Heaven.

"I didn't think we'd encounter one of our S-Classes…" Lisanna panted. "And that armor…"

"Juvia has difficulty in penetrating Erza-san's defenses… What armor is that?" The water mage landed next to her.

"That's her Sea Empress Armor. It pretty much nullifies all affected abilities of Water Magic. It's like a counter for everything water-related." Her partner explained.

The Sea Empress Armor was that, an armor decorated with details relating to various sea creatures. First and foremost, her under armor consisted of a skin tight suit that resembled black, thinly covered scales. The main breastplate, as well as other pieces like her gauntlets, were deep green in color, taking a look similarly to seaweed. The breastplate was linked to the pauldrons, composed of green plates and decorated by prominent fin-like ornaments. The gauntlets covered only Erza's forearms, leaving her biceps exposed, and possess decorated elbow guards with prominent ornaments jutting out in whirl shapes, reminiscent of seashells. The armor lacks a waist guard; instead possessing a number of additional seashells resembling throwing knifes. A long cloth, with its edges yet again reminiscent of fins, circled her waist on the back and the sides, being connected to the shorts by a pair of fasteners shaped like sea stars. The greaves possessed fin-shaped protrusions in correspondence to Erza's ankles, and extended up to her knees. Lastly, a headgear, with a large metal part covering her forehead, bearing a whirl-shaped wave on it, and large fin-shaped protrusions siding her head completed her outfit.

To compliment the armor, it came equipped with a long sword which seemed to be made of crystal, with many small crystals jutting out in every direction from the hand guard. The crystal sword was portrayed to match the armor's motif, as the hand guard has been replaced by two symmetrical fins centered by a green jewel. The blade of the sword was colored a faint shade of green with three protrusions shaping the blade. The sword also featured ornamental navy-colored lines along the blade's center that appears to glow a translucent blue.

"S-She really is powerful though…" Juvia glared at her foe. "What should we do?"

"Come now, Juvia! You intend to become an S-Class with this level of strength and skill?" The swordswoman pointed her blade at the duo. "Ben could take you both on if he had to do so!"

"Ben?" Lisanna frowned. "What does he have to do with—crap, dodge!"

Swinging her blade, it blasted off a sharp string of water, slicing in half the boulders the two jumped off from like silk. Leaping off from her own position, Erza clenched her free hand as she gathered a mass of energy. A moment later, water from the surrounding area gathered within, forming itself into a water silhouette of the Sea Empress.

"A water clone?" Juvia's eyes widened. "That…that is indeed impressive."

"No time to be impressed now, Juvia! It's coming right at you!" Lisanna barked as her body flashed. A magenta magic circle formed underneath her as she initiated a Take-Over.

"Partial Take-Over: Harpy!" She yelled. As the transformation phase dissipated, her arms and lower body parts took on the form of a green and pink colored avian. Diving at the real Erza, she quickly swung her blade to block her talons.

"…You've indeed gotten stronger, Lisanna." Erza held firm. "But not enough! You still have many weaknesses!"

"Grr…" She continued to pressure her weight onto her opponent, but with a swiftly used swing using added strength, the white haired teen was flown back towards the curved wall. Cracking the bricks behind her, she quickly reverted back, her legs and hand balancing her as she began another Take-Over.

"Full-Body Take Over: Rabbit!" Transforming into a giant purple rabbit, the only remaining features of her human form that remained was that of her blue eyes. Blasting off, she rushed towards the red head, smashing her face into the boulder she stood on. At the last minute however, Erza leaped out of the way.

"A trouble with distances as always, Lisanna." Erza noted.

"Geh… A lecture at a time like this." The Take-Over mage gawked.

With Juvia, the duo fell to a standstill. Because the water clone's body was entirely made of liquid, there was no sure method of eliminating it for Juvia. As much as she tried to freeze, heat, or slice apart the body of water, it merely regenerated from scratch. And for the fact that Erza instilled quite the amount of magic power into the clone, it would last for a while.

"Water Slicer!" The Water Mage blew off scythes of water towards the clone, but it quickly dodged, before bludgeoning its blade against her, forcing her back towards the Take-Overed Lisanna. "Juvia is having difficulties…"

"What will you do now?" Erza perched her blade in her arms as her clone appeared next to her. Glancing at it, she commanded its form to vanish, returning her magic power back to the original body. "At least we know that you have to learn how to deal with other Water Magic users, Juvia."

"…Juvia is also getting lectured as well."

The duo stared at the redhead, wondering on what to do next. Pondering as she reverted back to her human form, she turned to Juvia. "…I have an idea. I'm not sure it'll work, but we can at least give it a try."

"…By all means, Juvia is willing to try anything." The Water Mage gulped. Erza rose an eyebrow in interest as Juvia stood in front of Lisanna, prepping a spell as she summoned a large magic circle. Closing her eyes, she began to glow slowly, a sign of a Take-Over initiating.

'A combination attack of some sort? Whatever the case, I'll stand my ground against this.' Gripping her blade, her eyes stared at the circle as a torrent of water blasted through.

"Hydro Scorn!" Pushing against her blade, she let the blunt force of the attack be absorbed through the bladed end of her body, before pushing back with her own feet. As Juvia grunted, continuing the spell as she and Erza were in a momentary lock, Lisanna's eyes opened as she slapped her palms onto her circle.

"Take-Over Omnium—" She yelled. From the circle, wisps of green energy swapped over, mixing along her magenta aura and causing a bright flash to blind Erza. As she deflected Juvia's spell, she quickly leaped back as the Water Mage fell to her knees in exhaustion.

"What's this?" As the light dimmed down, she readied her blade for this seemingly new transformation. She had never heard her call this one out, so she was indeed a bit curious to what this form was. As she looked over though, her eyes widened more than she expected them to be.

"That's…!" Smiling a little, Juvia turned around as well, having a similar reaction as Lisanna suddenly blasted forward. With the zip of her movement, her new form revealed itself as Erza blocked her attack with her blade.

"—Diamondhead!" The clashing of familiar sounding crystals found themselves in a battle of durability against the crystal sword of Erza. From her side, Lisanna opened her hands, releasing a crystal that immediately exploded. Backing up, both combatants drew back, a field of smoke clearing a few seconds later.

In this newly made form, Lisanna's hair turned into mint-green crystals, and her arms and legs had transformed into larger, crystalized versions as well, garnering sharp-bladed ends on her elbows and knees. Wearing a jumpsuit of white and blue, she also gained two spiked crystals onto her back like said alien.

"A Take-Over based on one of Ben-kun's aliens?" Juvia was astounded. "How is that possible?"

"…Well, I've been wanting to keep it a secret until a later moment, but I had no choice but to show you right now, Juvia. Come on, coordinate with me!" Lisanna grinned, her arms expanding out as she began to release a flurry of crystal shards. Erza twirls her blade in amusement, grinning herself as the duo begins to charge at her.

'This year really has gotten interesting…!' She noted as her body flashed. A large explosion could be heard through the island as they continued to fight.


Sometime later…

'…This doesn't feel right.' Ben murmured to himself as he rested high in a tree.

Thinking about this entire exam, Mest as a whole came into his head at every turn. His very figure was a mystery. For as long as he was in Fairy Tail as a member, and even before that, the name "Mest" never came around. If he were as strong as people said, why didn't he partake in the many events that had transpired since he arrived? The war against Phantom granted him the opportunity to learn practically the entire foster of the guild. Lucy, Natsu, Loki, Gray, Elfman, Levy...the names came and stuck with him, but Mest.

'…"Mest", huh?' He was very suspicious. '…I better make sure that Wendy's safe.'

As he looked down, a few various pairs had already gathered to the end of the First Trial. Gajeel and Levy were the first to arrive, as they had entered the "Calm" route, despite the Omnitrix wielder setting up traps in the supposed safe route. The next pair was that of Natsu and Happy. The Dragon Slayer seemed to be sulking, despite miraculously getting passed Gildarts. To how he did so, he would definitely have to ask afterwards. He felt a surge of energy coming from that Gallery after all.

The next were that of Lucy and Cana. He learned that the duo had taken their time to relax at a nearby waterfall, even cleaning their clothes in the meantime, which made Ben a little amused. Analyzing their kit, Cana and Lucy were probably tied with being the weakest team, next to Wendy and Mest, at least in his mind.

Fourth was that of Elfman and Evergreen. The duo was a little beat up, though it was understandable due to them facing off against Mira. The eldest Strauss hardly understood the word "restrain", so it was natural that the two were roughed up a little. Evergreen had to support Elfman despite having an injury of her own on one of her arms as they arrived through the woods.

And lastly, the last pair that entered was that of Loki and Gray. The two didn't seem to be quite injured, which came as a slight surprise though. When Wendy got into the heat of battle, she, like Natsu, would usually start to act more irrationally yet improve in attack and defense as the fight went on. Since he didn't take into consideration of what Mest could do, the power scales were pretty uneven between the pairs that fought.

Taking another glance down, the newly arrived pair began to chatter with the others. Taking this opportunity, he activated the Omnitrix, flashing into Echo Echo. It would be a little while until Makarov arrived, so he had some time for reconnaissance. Luckily for him, the trees managed to avert the flash as Echo Echo divided into three. One would stay here to accompany the next trial's debriefing, another would look after Wendy, and the third would go to the Rest Space, the location that the pairs that failed would proceed to go to. That meant that it was…

"Lisanna and Juvia, and Freed and Bickslow…" Echo Echo 2 noted.

"I guess that one of them encountered Erza and lost." Echo Echo 3 shuddered a little. "I almost feel bad."

"Yeah. Anyways, you know what to do, right?" Echo Echo 1 glanced at his clones. Nodding, they each tapped their dials, Echo 1 reverting back to human, and Echos 2 and 3 transforming into Ghostfreak and Big Chill respectively.

As he watched his two invisible fliers go off, he began to hear the footsteps of Makarov arrive near. Checking the time, he narrowed his eyes as he heard the Master begin to speak.

"Alright, I think everyone's here." The old man announced himself as he arrived from another path. "Well, I'm quite surprised to see this many pairs."

"I'd say…" Elfman chuckled weakly. "We somehow beat Nee-chan, after all…"

"Heh heh." Makarov also snickered. "Well then, it's time to announce the results of the First Trial. Ben, if you would!"

"Right!" Ben huffed a little as he leaped down from his spot, landing next to him. Everyone was a little surprised by his sudden appearance as he took out a small lacrima. Tapping it, a screen projected out, revealing the Paths and the corresponding Galleries.

"From the arrivals first off: We have everyone present who got through my traps!" Ben snickered. Loki and Gray clenched their fists in anger.

"Ya little turd!" The Ice Mage barked.

"Yeah, yeah… Anyways, onto the results." Ben waved himself off. "First of all…"

"Arriving first was the Levy and Gajeel pair, who entered through Path 5, Gallery F. That was the "Calm" route, a safe zone with no fights. How lucky."

"You saying I rarely have luck, squirt?!" Gajeel barked as well. Levy chuckled a little as she tried to calm him down. "Bah, whatever…"

"Arriving second was the Natsu and Happy pair, who traveled through Gallery E. Somehow they managed to get passed Gildarts, but that's none of my business."

"Wait, WHAT?! How the hell did they get pass him?!" Practically everyone retorted. Turning to said pink head, Natsu merely turned away, remaining silent.

"Now, now… Let Ben continue." Makarov calmed the crowd, before gesturing Ben on.

"Lucy and Cana were the third pair to arrive, their battle against Bickslow and Freed being successful after they entered through Gallery C."

"Wait, they got pass them?! Really?" Gray blinked.

"Ha?! You got a problem, Gray?" Cana smirked, earning herself a mixed grunt of surprise and anger from the Ice Mage. "Kek, I thought so."

"Arriving fourth was that of Elfman and Evergreen. Defeating Mira was the condition to pass through, so it's impressive in how they did so."

"How did you guys win against her?" Lucy turned to them. To the blonde's surprise, the duo averted their gazes as they sweated a little.

"Well, as a man… I don't want to answer…" Elfman muttered.

"Let's just say we took advantage of an opening…" Evergreen simplified. Lucy and the others tried to interpret their message, but nevertheless went back to Ben.

"And lastly, we have Gray and Loki, who entered through the other "Battle" route, and defeated Mest and Wendy. Here's to hoping to their safety if they dared to hurt a certain someone during that match…"

Gray and Loki remained silent, not daring to incur Ben's wrath. As Ben finished, the screen disappeared. Makarov then nodded as he stood in front of everyone.

"So, to conclude the results, those who passed are: Levy and Gajeel, Natsu and Happy, Cana and Lucy, Elfman and Evergreen, and Gray and Loki. Congratulations, you five pairs!"

"So, what's next then?" Gray asked.

"That, my friend, is coming up next. The Second Trial will soon commence! Master Makarov will announce the details for the second test of the S-Class Advancement Trials!" Ben grinned. "And you better buckle up guys…"

"…Why?" Everyone gulped in horror.

"Because for this Trial, I've set traps that are three times as worst, and I planted three times the amount of them… Good luck~!"


So, been a while since the last update.

I've taken a good time to rest, since this is Summer Vacation for myself. I have time to write, so I'll be going at a steady rate, but not too fast. I think I'm planning to get a summer job, so I think I'll be a little busy in that regard.

Anyhow, the 2nd part of the Tenrou Island Arc is complete. Many ideas from you guys are coming in, so I have a question; how should Ben interact with both Zeref and Mavis? Think about that, yeah?

Also… This is probably the most important decision I'll be making. Regarding the Timeskip, Ben and Wendy will be staying on the island. What happens during that time though, I want to hear what your ideas are. I was thinking of perhaps having them being kinda…I don't know, either mentally aware of what's going on or physically there, kinda like they're trapped but aren't aging due to Fairy Sphere? Lemme know what you guys think.

So, with that all said and done, I'll be signing off! Please R&R, and have a great rest of your day! Thanks for reading! I'll see you guys in the next chapter!