Titania and The Hunter
Chapter 79: Avarice of the Greedy
Man, I've been so bad with my schedule recently. It sucks.
I might just barely manage to make the April Marathon but might have to take off May again. That might become a stable. Taking a month off to rest after a drop like this really helps refuel my energy.
Anyway…
########Hunter########
"LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"AYE SIR!"
The exam participants watched their excitable, annoying pink-haired Dragon Slayer run around like a child at an amusement park. After a week of training, planning, and just generally waiting for the day to travel to come, it was finally here. The examinees and their partners had all arrived in Hargeon to take the boat trip across the sea to Tenrou Island.
Loke whistled while watching Natsu and Happy runaround, "You know when you're not in the guild as much, you tend to forget how loud those two can be." He cleaned out his ear with a hiss, "Not sure if a Spirit can get tinnitus but hanging around this group would test that theory."
"Ah, let them scream and cheer." Gray smirked, "It's just the last time they get to celebrate and have fun before I whoop their butts and steal S-Class from under them - GAH!" Gray's head flew back as Natsu's bag flew straight into his nose. The Maker Mage stumbled back clutching his face and seethed with anger, "OH, YOU BITCH!"
"Yeah, shut up, perv," Natsu smirked confidently and pointed to himself, "The one who's gonna get to the next level is me! And I'll leave the rest of you to eat my dust! Gray, you should probably just let the dust cover you."
"What does that - they're off again, aren't they?" Gray didn't have the heart to look down and see his naked glory. But from the gasps of onlookers, the sighs from the girls, Wendy whining and covering her face, and Juvia steaming while Lisanna caught her, it seemed like it was true, "Dammit all."
"It's gonna be a big scandal if one of our S-Class Mages is an exhibitionist. You should probably quit now."
"Save yourself the embarrassment. You should all quit now and save me the time."
"G-Gray-sama, we shouldn't do this in front of others. O-Oh, but if you want to, then Juvia is happy to-"
"Okay, that's enough kids." Makarov announced as he walked between all the teams, "Natsu, pick up your bag. Gray, pick up your clothes. Lisanna, pick up Juvia and try to cool her down. Everyone, get on the boat!" Makarov shed his heavy jacket and revealed the tropical shirt he wore underneath it, shuddering in the cold for a moment before waving towards the boat, "Okay, everyone get on."
"Master, should you be dressed like that?" Lucy asked in concern seeing the old man wearing such little clothing during the winter season, "I mean I get that Hargeon isn't as cold as Magnolia, but it's still too cold to be wearing that."
########Hunter########
"It's too hot to wear anything!" Lucy screamed in anguish and exhaustion, cooking under the blistering sun and its unguarded rays. She, along with most of the other Fairies, had quickly shed a layer or two before they were baked under the sun's unforgiving heat while traveling to Tenrou Island, "Oh god, I'm sweating in places you shouldn't sweat!"
"This is a crossing where all the warm currents and heat on the ocean are most prevalent." Levy informed, sagging into a table from the heat exhaustion as she whined, "Which is why we're out here baking under the sun!"
"Goddamn, you'd think there'd at least be a wind." Cana complained, pulling on her bikini top to try and circulate some air while making her breasts jiggle, "Master, can't ya conjure up some wind? Or - I don't know - grow big and blow some air into the sails to quicken it? Or just cool us off at least?"
"Cana, this travel and heat is a trial in and of itself." Makarov said while fanning himself off, "You should take this trek through the sea as a lesson on what can and cannot be controlled, even as aspiring S-Class Mages. The only thing that can be done is whether the heat and continue on-"
"Boo! Cop-out!"
He sighed, "Fine, but I should let you know I've only got air coming out of one place at the moment, and I don't think you want me expanding and blowing that out!"
"EWWW!"
"YOU'RE NASTY!"
"MASTER, LOOK AT YOUR CHILDREN SUFFERING!"
"Oh, stop your whining kids," Makarov reprimanded them, "There are times in this exam where you'll have obvious advantages and disadvantages! For example; Natsu has a naturally high heat resistance due to his mastery of fire, so this sweltering heat does nothing to him…"
"Ughhhhhhhhhhhh~."
"But of course, he's at a disadvantage because we have to travel so much." Everyone looked down at the moaning Dragon Slayer in pity as he gagged and dry-heaved the whole ride over, "But them's the brakes."
"W-Wendy~," Natsu weakly reached out to his fellow Dragon Slayer, "Y-You have to heal me. P-Please!"
"U-Um-"
"Don't do it, Wendy!" Gray called out from the other end of the deck, melting under the heat before standing up with ferocity, "As Mest's partner, healing him would be helping the enemy! And that's just not acceptable!" He wiped his forehead, "Until the exam starts, we don't help or hurt each other. That's the rule of this-"
Lisanna raised her hand, "Master, can you punish Gray or something? He says we shouldn't do anything before the exam starts but he's actively psychologically attacking my partner!"
He jumped out of his chair in protest, "What?! What are you talking about?! How am I psychologically attacking Juvia?!"
Gray asked that sincerely but didn't seem to realize he was now buck naked. So when he jumped out of his seat, it made everyone else grimace and turn away before they could get a glimpse of his exposure. Except for Juvia, who was staring at it the whole time and ended up falling back into Lisanna's arms as she overheated, "O-Oh Gray-sama, you're such a tease."
"See!"
"Ugh," Makarov groaned, "If I thought turning this boat around would curb your behavior, I absolutely would do it. Look, instead of bickering with each other or whining to me, why don't you kids take a gander at that!"
The Fairies all looked in the direction their master pointed as a structure started to come into view across the horizon. The group of examinees forgot about the heat and their discomfort as they approached the edge of the boat and looked out at the island they were coming upon.
It was a large and beautiful island, even if it was oddly shaped compared to a normal one. It seemed like a giant tree had grown through the center of the island and dislodged the central mass of it. Even so, a great portion of the island was suspended over the rest, resting on the branches and roots that sprouted up from the center. It almost looked precarious, and if someone had seen it for the first time they'd think the center mass could topple over into the rest of the island…yet the Faries knew with just one look that it would never happen.
"That's Tenrou Island?"
"It's so beautiful."
"It's kinda freaky."
"But I feel so much power from that place."
"It is the place where Fairies are born." They all turned and looked up at Makarov as the old Wizard Saint looked out at the island, "That is the legend passed down through our guild for ages. Whether Fairies are real or not I can't say, but there is another fact about this island which I do know for certain. Tenrou Island is the place our first master, Mavis Vermillion, was born…and now rests."
"Whoa, the first master."
"Jii-San's been around for so long it's easy to forget he's the third master our guild has had."
"Yep, we got a long and illustrious line of greats taking up this title." Makarov said smugly before sitting up and standing on the railing, looking down at the others, "Now listen up! I'm gonna explain the first part of the exam! You'll be taking several tests one after another to determine who is worthy of the title S-Class, but let's just focus on that first part!"
He pointed to the island and they all followed his gaze, "See that line of smoke coming up from the coast?" They noticed a steadily rising plume, "That's the starting point for the first test! Once you arrive there, you'll find a bunch of different paths and entrances for you to take. After a pair has walked through one, it will close off and be barred from entry for any other pairs. And when you enter," Makarov closed his fan and swiped his arm, "You'll be faced with one of these obstacles!"
The others watched as a graph was displayed for them to read. It looked like an illustration with all the pathways displayed for them. Four paths lead into each other with the tagline 'BATTLE' and four paths lead into bubbles with pictures of the other S-Class Mages that read 'Extreme BATTLE' instead. Oddly enough there seemed to be a ninth path that intersected with some of the others but shifted on the projection every few seconds.
"Now, you should have a pretty good idea of what's waiting for you when you reach that island. Four paths lead into each other. Two teams will meet in a central location, and the path forward will not open until one team is rendered unable to continue forward. I know you kids are used to fighting and roughing each other up, so just do it within reason and you'll move forward."
"And those other paths?"
"Others have passed this test before and now they'll be here to test your mettle." Makarov said with a cheeky smile, "The S-Class Mages of Fairy Tail will see if you are worthy to share the title."
"W-We might have to fight Erza?!"
"Or Mira-nee?!"
"I-I don't think I can handle the idea of fighting Naruto-San."
"So if you run into Gildarts, it's pretty much forfeit on sight, right?"
Levy raised her hand, "Master, what is that ninth path that keeps changing?"
"That would be the 'Luck' path! The path that grants you guys passage through the first part of the test without having to worry about any fighting or confronting the terrifying pillars of strength that call our guild home." He waved his hand out towards the illustration, "That is what is being tested in this first portion of the S-Class Exam; strength, teamwork, and luck!"
…
T-They were being tested on their luck? How were they supposed to utilize luck?!
"So at best, six teams could make it through this first part."
"And at worst three. Two if no one finds that lucky path."
"Now that you know what the exam has to offer, I wish you the best!" Makarov plopped down on the railing before waving his hand towards the island, "Let the S-Class Exam begin!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
Lucy looked over her shoulder and saw Tenrou Island still a distance away, "Um, Master, did the boat just stop moving? Aren't you gonna drop us off?"
"No." He shrugged, "Getting to the island is part of the exam too. Have fun guys!"
…
The Fairies instantly scrambled to grab their belongings and clothes off the deck as they suddenly felt the pressure and fear of being too late to take action. Everyone except-
"Woohoo! Let's go, Happy!"
"Aye sir!"
The blue Exceed swooped in and grabbed his partner before instantly taking off. Gray and Elfman quickly started to panic, "Oh dammit, this is what we were worried about!"
"A race or flying and that damn cat suddenly becomes the best partner ever!"
"Bye guys!" Natsu grinned as they flew, "I'll wave after I become an S-Class – GAH!"
Everyone flinched and grimaced when Natsu and Happy suddenly slammed headfirst into an invisible wall surrounding the railing of the ship. As they watched the Dragon Slayer and Exceed slowly slide down the invisible wall, they looked around in confusion, "W-What just happened?"
Lucy looked up and spotted words in the sky, "Up there!"
Rule: Those within the confines of this ship may not leave until 5 minutes have passed
"AHHHH! IT'S THE GODDAMN RUNES AGAIN!"
"Sorry," They looked up and spotted Freed flying with the help of his Dark Écriture to form wings while Bickslow stood on some of his babies, "But we'll be taking the lead. Just wait a few minutes and you'll catch up!"
"Bye guys!"
"Bye-bye!"
"Eat our dust!"
"I'd say we'd remember you but I've already forgotten your names!"
"You're screwed!"
"Aww c'mon!" The others started beating against the invisible wall but to no avail, "Master, is this shit fair?!"
"It is Freed's technique so there's not much to complain about. And it's just temporary so no harm no foul." Makarov shrugged, "After you spend a day locked inside the guild with them restricting your movement you'll be satisfied with a short time limit."
"But what if he sets up a bunch of traps on the other paths and stops us from going any further?!"
"Then he's got a pretty good start to claiming S-Class, doesn't he?"
"What are you all freaking out about?" Everyone looked over as Evergreen started to unravel some of the runes with her pen. The bespectacled beauty gave a confident smile, "I know Freed well enough to recognize his writing style and habits. A little change here and there and I've opened it up for us."
"Woohoo! Go Ever!" Natsu quickly got back up on his feet and Happy picked him up again, "OFF WE - GAH!" He slammed into another wall and covered his face, "Shit!"
"Oh sorry, did you think I meant all of us?" Evergreen gave a haughty laugh before sitting up on the railing, "I meant only my gorgeous self and my meathead partner. Come on, big guy! Let's move out!"
Elfman stood still in the middle of the deck around the others. He sighed and shook his head, "On one hand; this is decidedly too underhanded for a man like me. But on the other hand," He dashed forward and dove off the side, "HERE COMES S-CLASS!"
"Ciao," Evergreen winked to the furious others and dove off the side, "Wish us luck!"
"GO TO HELL!"
"I HOPE YOU SWALLOW A TROUT!"
"Hey," Loke got their attention before he looked to the other side of the deck, "Did anyone else hear a few other splashes after those two traitors ditched us?"
Cana rushed to the other side and looked down, "Shit! Gajeel and Levy got through too!" She flinched as Natsu slammed into the invisible wall beside her and slid down again, "Dude! Stop doing that!"
"L-Levy-chan, are you leaving us behind?!"
"Sorry, Lu-chan," The petite little blue-haired woman smiled sweetly up at the others, "But we'll be going on ahead! Good luck when you can finally get out!"
"Or just fuck off!" Gajeel added with a middle finger, "You cross our paths we'll kick your asses!"
"DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU ALL!"
Makarov took a sip of his drink and chuckled, "Man, these exams are always a riot."
########Hunter########
"Well, the boat is here so they've arrived." Mira looked over at Naruto as he looked through some binoculars, "What's happening over there?"
"Well, Freed and Bickslow are flying over, Elfman and Ever are swimming with Levy and Gajeel, and Natsu ran face-first into an invisible wall three times." He shrugged, "So I guess things are going about as well as we expected."
Mira and Naruto jumped down from their perch on the hill and met up with Erza and Gildarts, "They're coming?"
"The others are held up at the moment but yeah they're on their way."
The S-Class Fairies looked at each other with cheeky smiles. Even though they wanted to take this sacred duty seriously, there was something about being able to face their friends in battle that they couldn't help but feel excited about.
"Well guys," Gildarts started heading down, "Let's go greet these hopeful kids."
########Hunter########
After the wall had finally come down, the S-Class hopefuls made their wild dash to Tenrou Island. Natsu and Happy immediately flew off the ship and didn't crash into the wall this time. Juvia and Lisanna splashed in the water, transforming with the waves and turning into a fish to speedily reach the shore. Gray froze part of the sea and skated over it with Loke following up right behind him. And Mest and Wendy disappeared before anyone could realize what happened to them. Which just left-
"Ah!" Lucy groaned as she crawled up on the shore and tried to catch her breath, "H-Holy crap, that was so far away! I-I've never swam that far before!"
"I-I know, but just catch your breath!" Cana dragged her feet through the sand, trying to make her lungs stop burning and shaking all the salt water off her body, "Damn! N-Now that was a workout!"
"Are we going to be okay? I mean we haven't even started the exam yet and we're pretty much exhausted!"
"Look we just gotta press on and hope for the best." Cana and Lucy made their way over to the smoke signal, stopping just beside it as they stared at the pathways that were opened for everyone to take and all but one that had been shut when they arrived. The Card Mage held the bridge of her nose and sighed, "Dammit. Of course, we get here last. So we're not exactly overflowing with choices right now."
"Then let's not worry about it and just go right ahead!" Cana looked over at her partner in surprise as Lucy grinned and winked, "You might not know this but I'm super lucky! When Master told us this first test involves luck, I knew we were set!" She bumped Cana's shoulder, "Don't you worry about a thing! I said I was gonna make you the next S-Class Mage and I'll keep that promise!"
"Lucy," Cana was surprised by her partner's earnest words but smiled and nodded confidently, "You're right. We're already in this. Better just push through to the other side."
"Right!" The girls cheered and charged into the last open path to the next part of their trial. They walked through the faintly dim path in the cave and spotted the brighter light at the end of the tunnel. They pushed on and arrived in a larger space. And when they did they noticed…
"You're finally here."
"Hello Lucy-San, Cana-San,
Mest and Wendy stood on the other side of the space ready to face them. Cana and Lucy walked up and stood across from them, nervous tension in the air as the enormity of the moment started to settle over them all. Whoever won this fight would earn themselves the right to move on to the next part of the exam.
Lucy gulped before looking at her partner, "You ready?"
Cana grinned and drew some cards, "You know it."
########Hunter########
"Ice Make: Ramp!"
"Gray, hurry!" Loke and Gray slid along the sudden incline of ice and narrowly avoided the blasts of magic that followed after them. They slid and twisted around, light gathered around Loke's hand before he threw them out, "Take this!"
"HA!" Freed covered his eyes and whipped his blade around, spelling out an attack and sending it forward to reach the opponents through the blinding light. Gray and Loke narrowly avoided the attack as Freed called out, "Bickslow!"
"On it! C'mon, babies!"
"Rush 'em!"
"Crush 'em!"
"Grind their bones!"
"Turn to dust!"
"Those damn things are sounding creepier and creepier!" Gray noted as he and Loke stopped evading to stand across from the male members of the Raijinshū Trio. As Freed raised his blade and Bickslow cackled a little harder, Gray slammed his fist into his palm, "Didn't think we'd be facing these guys right off the bat!"
"Maybe we're not doing so well on that lucky aspect, huh?"
"Maybe not," Gray smirked, "But I'm not letting that get in the way of me getting to the next trial."
########Hunter########
"N-Natsu," Happy trembled in unbearable fright, "T-This isn't a good idea!"
"We came here to become S-Class, Happy." Natsu's body burst with flames, "What better way to test ourselves than this?"
"Oh, I'm your benchmark now, am I?" Without even using any magic or skill, the sheer presence Gildarts gave as he stood across from Natsu made the entire cave feel like the air was made of stone. The strongest S-Class threw his arm out before urging Natsu on with a wave of his fingers, "Then come on, Natsu. Let me see how you've changed in three years."
With an inferno rushing off his body, Natsu roared, "AYE SIR!"
Happy sighed, "Well, it was a good run while it lasted. I guess our luck sucks."
########Hunter########
"Oh crap," Evergreen gulped, stepping back on the sand of the beach as cold sweat ran down her face, "We can pick a different route to take, right?"
"A man never retreats," Elfman couldn't stop the tremble in his voice as he shuddered, "B-But I think a little fear is natural."
A tail slammed into the sand and a dark chuckle slowly echoed out over the beach. Standing across from them was a scaly, alluring demon that filled the air with malice and contempt.
"Well," Mira's demonic voice had a more gruff and confident verbosity to it as she tilted her chin, "I'm waiting."
"Our luck sucks!"
########Hunter########
"AAAHHHHHH!"
"IYYYAAAHHHH!"
Juvia and Lisanna slammed into a shattered rock and were left groaning on their sides after the severe attack they just suffered. With a hiss, both women started to pick themselves and tried to figure out the best move they could make. Juvia's arms started to become water and Lisanna glowed in preparation to transform-
A powerful slash cut through the water of the underground tunnel and both girls found themselves getting blasted away by the force.
"I am not just going to stand by and let you catch your breath. If you are here at this stage, I expect both of you to be able to fight and act more decisively in the heat of battle. This is a test; a show of skill to prove that you can claim the title of S-Class! Lisanna, I know Mira must have been especially pushy to get you prepared for battle after the incident years back. And Juvia, as one of the former Elemental Four of Phantom Lord, your skill should only have sharpened and improved since joining Fairy Tail."
Both women struggled and looked up at the intimidating redhead as she stood further down the tunnel, dressed in her Sea Empress Armor and with a blade in hand. Erza exuded power and pressure, "Show me what you've got!"
"Juvia's luck sucks."
"It does!"
########Hunter########
"No! No! No!" Gajeel looked around frantically, pushing apart bushes and looking behind trees to find someone waiting for them in the path they took. As more time passed and Gajeel still found nothing, he started to panic, "This can't be happening! There's no way! We-"
"We found the Luck path!" Levy cheered with joy as she looked around and breathed a sigh of relief, "We don't need to fight anybody! How great is that?"
"It's not great! It's not great at all!" Gajeel lamented, the Dragon Slayer devastated by the lack of opponents for them to face once they arrived. He pulled his hair, "What was the point in taking this path if there's no one to fight?!"
"But that means we can go into the next section without any trouble! That's great!" She grabbed his wrist and giggled as Gajeel huffed in annoyance, "Three cheers for us! Hip hip!"
"No."
"Hip hip!"
"Screw you."
"Hip hip-"
"HOORAY!"
Gajeel and Levy blinked in surprise before looking over their shoulder. They saw the whiskered blond Mage raise his arms with a cheer before he pulled them back down with a smile, "Man I love a good celebration! What are we celebrating?"
"My luck sucks."
Naruto looked down at the crestfallen Levy as she dropped to her knees, "Is that something to be celebrating?"
"NAH! BUT THIS IS!" Gajeel manically smirked as he cracked his knuckles, "THIS BORING TRIAL IS STARTING TO PICK UP! I GUESS FOR US TO GO FORWARD, ALL WE GOTTA DO IS KICK YOUR ASS!"
With a confident smirk, Naruto shrugged, "That's the general idea…but c'mon, we both know that ain't gonna happen."
"WANNA BET?!" Gajeel leaped off the ground and right at Naruto, his hands shifting into blades as he rapidly swung them at the blond S-Class with vicious intent. But without missing a beat Naruto stepped back and swiftly weaved around the Dragon Slayer's attacks, "STAND STILL!"
"Nah. If I did that then I'd get hit."
"THAT'S THE IDEA!" Naruto ducked under the serrated blade of Gajeel's arm before the Dragon Slayer changed direction and swung it back at him. Naruto's hand easily caught his elbow and then threw a swift punch into Gajeel's nose that knocked his head back, "SONUVA - HA!" Naruto released Gajeel's arms when the blade changed into metal scales that would have torn through his palm, "IRON DRAGON'S," Naruto flipped away as Gajeel's chest puffed up, "ROAR!"
A tornado of scrap metal released from Gajeel's mouth and shredded everything in its path. Gajeel roared for several more seconds before bringing his attack to a halt. A trench through the ground that pierced through stone and bark that stood before him. But no sign of the blond Mage left Gajeel on edge as he stayed guarded and started looking around. The bastard probably jumped up into the trees while the attack blocked visibility.
"Hey Gajeel," He looked back at Levy as the little blue-haired Mage lowered her head and spoke defeatedly, "This might be over. There's no way we'll beat Naruto-"
"You idiot! Look out!"
Levy blinked and turned her head in the other direction, looking up and seeing Naruto standing over her. He smiled, "Hey Levy," He gently placed his foot under her chest, "Should you be the one freaking out?"
"Huh- AAAHHHH!" Naruto swiftly flicked his leg up and sent the petite girl flying across the clearing. He didn't hurt her but the speed she went flying was staggering. And Gajeel had to brace himself to catch her before she flew any further. After a moment to steady herself, she looked up, "T-Thanks Gajeel-"
"Stupid! Don't get distracted!" The pierced man barked, "We need to beat this guy!"
"Yeah, I'm the one in the way. So come on…" Naruto smiled and challenged the two of them to come at him, "Let me see what you can do."
########Hunter########
The moment they realized who they were up against and what their fight would entail, their opponents made a move. Mest vanished from sight, teleporting away from Wendy's side and appearing behind Lucy and Cana before they could properly react. Cana pulled out her cards, "Lucy, get back!"
The blonde Celestial Mage squealed and jumped aside as Cana aimed her cards at Mest, "Thunderbolt's Fate!"
Mest had to quickly teleport and avoid the bolts rushing in every direction from Cana's card. As he dodged her attacks, Cana pulled out several more cards to follow up her assault.
As Cana and Mest engaged behind her, Lucy picked herself up. Sparing her partner's battle a glance Lucy turned and found herself facing her opponent. With a small bead of sweat running down her cheek, she put on a confident smile and reached for her keys, "Now don't go easy on me, Wendy. This isn't a time to be holding back."
"Y-Yes!" Wendy firmly nodded, "I'm going to give it my all, Lucy-San!" The young Dragon Slayer raised her hands, wind starting to rush and gather around her arms as she put her training to good use, "HYAAAHH!"
Lucy had to somersault aside as Wendy threw a torrent of wind in her direction that formed like a cylinder of wind. It didn't have the sheer destructive force of one of Natsu or Gajeel's attacks, but she knew better than to underestimate the young Dragon Slayer. She had been training with Naruto for a while now and that wasn't something to overlook.
Lucy's intuition was right as the stream of wind circled above her head and then barreled back down towards her. Wendy guided the stream of wind, coiling back around and dragging it towards Lucy as the blonde woman jumped back and avoided her attack. She kept dodging until she pulled out a key, "Gate of the Ram, open! Aries!"
Aries popped into existence, the pink-haired sheep woman holding out her hands and creating a barrier of fluff between them and Wendy's wind funnel. The Celestial Spirit mumbled, "I-I'm sorry, but are you fighting your friends now? I-I don't think that's a good thing."
"Oh no, we're fine, Aries. This is for a test. We're not angry at each other."
"T-That's right!" Wendy quickly assured the equally skittish Celestial Spirit, "You don't have to worry about us!"
"O-Okay. Then I'll be off. Please stay safe."
Aries popped back out of existence as Lucy drew another key, "Gate of the Archer, open! Sagittarius!"
"Moshi, Moshi!" Sagittarius appeared with a salute and his bow at his side.
"Sagittarius, open fire! B-But don't hurt her or anything!"
"Of course!" Sagittarius notched several bolts on his bow, "Young lady, prepare yourself!"
"Right!" Wendy took his warning and started gathering wind around her. The young Mage spun on her foot, gathering even more wind faster with her movement before Sagittarius let loose his arrows. They flew at Wendy and were swept up in the current of wind building around her. They flew off their marks and landed sporadically before Wendy threw out her arms and sent the wind out like blades, "HA!"
"Look out!" Lucy called across the space as she jumped aside and avoided the rough but powerful slices Wendy sent her way, "Close!" She sent her Celestial Spirit back and watched Wendy take a breath for her next attack. If it was a roar, Lucy smirked, "Gate of the Scorpion, open! Scorpio!" Her next spirit arrived beside her, "Kick it up!"
"We are!"
A burst of sand rushed out of Scorpio's tail and across the field. Dust and sand were kicked up wildly with the attack and started floating in the air. The particles started catching on the currents of wind flying into Wendy's mouth and made the young Dragon Slayed gasp and cough roughly. As she covered her mouth with tears pricking her eyes, Lucy smiled triumphantly. Without her roar, Lucy could leave Wendy incapacitated-
"Lucy, look out!"
The blonde girl was tackled to the ground by Cana before Mest could blindside her. As the two partners landed in the rocks and dirt, Mest teleported over to Wendy's side and made sure she was okay as she caught her breath, "Can you keep going?"
"I-I think so, but you need to handle things for a moment, Mest-San. Here," Even with her eyes shut, Wendy waved her hands around and pointed towards Mest, "Arms Armor!" A glow covered the scar-faced Mage's body as he felt his strength and defense rise sharply with her enchantment, "Make them count!"
"Aw crap!" Cana cursed as she tossed several cards along the ground, conjuring bolts of lightning to shoot up sporadically between them and Mest's team. But the lone male in the confrontation started to rapidly teleport around the cave, narrowly avoiding the bolts jumping up from the ground, "Crap again!"
"Gate of the Maiden, open! Virgo!"
"Hello," The pink-haired Celestial Spirit greeted as she popped into existence beside them. Coincidentally she was out of her normal maid attire and dressed in a bikini as well, "This is my fanservice attire, as I believe I should be dressed in line with you and your associate, Princess-"
"Not now! Just dig!" Virgo dropped down through the ground and Lucy pulled Cana into the hole before Mest could catch them.
The scar-faced Mage slid to a stop once his opponents disappeared under the ground. He clicked his teeth and looked around for wherever they could emerge next.
"Here!"
Cana burst out of another hole and tossed a card, forcing Mest to dodge the fireball dialing towards him. She fell back in and emerged from another hole to throw another card and release another element. Mest kept jumping and teleporting to avoid each new card and attack she unleashed as he waited for a moment to present itself.
He heard the ground crack behind him and looked back to see Cana jumping out of the ground completely with a card in hand. Before she could make a move Mest teleported to her side and landed a devastating kick to her side. The brunette woman gasped with pain, flying back through the air and letting go of her card in the process.
Only for Cana to suddenly burst and reveal the Gemini twins having taken her shape.
"NOW!"
Cana popped out of another hole and threw another card in the air. It glowed and caused the other cards around the cave to glow in unison. Mest and Wendy stared in shock as they were engulfed in the light.
After a moment of the space above their hole glowing like crazy, the light subsided and everything seemed to return to normal. Cana quickly shimmed out of the hole and Lucy struggled to pull herself out after her before finally managing, "Um, they're not hurt, are they?"
"Nah, just dazed." Cana assured her partner while looking at the starry-eyed Wendy and Mest splayed out over the ground, "Give them a few minutes and they'll be right as rain. But as for us…"
The girls looked over and saw the path through to the next location had opened for them. Cana and Lucy grinned and did a grand high five, "We did it!"
########Hunter########
"Ice Make: Cannon!"
An avalanche of ice and snow rushed out of Gray's bazooka and burst towards Freed and Bickslow. The two men quickly jumped aside as the attack rushed between them and exploded. Wings grew from Freed's back and Bickslow jumped on two of his babies as they took flight.
"Gotcha!"
Loke chambered his fists before punching, releasing blasts of light at the Mages that forced them apart. Once they were, Loke rushed to chase after Freed while Gray quartered off Bickslow with a slope of ice. The half-naked Mage slid along the ice and dodged the attacks the babies fired at him. Slamming his hands together he jumped off the ice and over Bickslow's head.
"Ice Make: Cage!"
A frozen cage dropped down over the tall, masked man and locked him in. But with a smirk Bickslow closed his hand and his dolls closed in to shatter the bars and collapse the whole thing. He stuck out his tongue, "C'mon Gray, you gotta do better than that! Ain't that right, babies?!"
"Right!"
The totems circled and started to glow before they fired a powerful beam straight at the half-naked Mage. He dodged and let the beam cut through the icy partition so it shattered and collapsed into particles of ice.
The moment it fell, Loke dove through the separation and joined Gray's side. He released a blast of light towards Bickslow and his totems - disorienting them for a moment as the two partners joined sides, "Freed set up a few traps along the ground, but I broke them so we probably won't have to worry about that."
"Thanks, bud!"
"Clever," Freed floated over with wings made of Runes, joining Bickslow's side as the masked man dusted himself off and stood up, "You've certainly learned from the mistakes made in the fighting festival."
"And I wasn't about to run head-first into it like that charcoal-brained idiot." Gray looked up at Freed, "I've been getting ready for this test for a long time, Freed. Not gonna let anything get in my way."
"I can understand that." Freed drew his blade, "I want to reach the stage of S-Class so that one day I can stand on equal footing and maybe welcome Laxus back."
"Heh, I can respect that…but that's where we're different, Freed. You do this for Laxus' sake…but me?" Gray slammed a fist into his palm and released a rush of cold air, "I'm doing this for myself!"
########Hunter########
Lisanna changed her arms into wings in hopes of gaining some altitude and attacking from the flank.
Erza effortlessly grabbed her ankle before she could reach the air and tossed her into the wall.
Juvia tried to rush at the redhead's back while she was distracted.
She raised her blade behind her back and blocked the torrent of water from getting anywhere close to her.
With a vicious swing of her sword, Juvia was sent flying back and skipped off the water of the aqueduct like a stone. Erza valiantly swung her sword down at her side, "Come, Juvia, I expected more out of you than this. You too, Lisanna. I doubt Mirajane would approve of your skills lacking like this."
"Well, Mira-nee is pretty lax. We haven't gone training in a while." Lisanna's body glowed with her Take-Over, her form becoming more cat-like as she got on all fours and prepared to lunge, "But that doesn't mean I haven't been getting stronger! And ready for battle! HYAAAA-"
Erza blocked her claws with a single-handed sword. She looked up into the youngest Strauss sibling's eyes, "I can tell…but for the S-Class Exam…" Erza knocked Lisanna back and then jumped by her side, "YOU HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO!"
"AHHH!" Lisanna screamed as Erza kicked her and sent her flying. Before she could hit anything, Lisanna found herself hitting a bubble of water. The bubble popped and the young Take-Over Mage dropped to the ground, catching her breath and wiping a hand through her hair, "Thanks, Juvia."
"No problem, Lisanna-San." The Water Mage assured her partner, "We need to reconvene. Juvia is worried about our chances of victory if we don't figure out what to do next."
"Maybe if I turn into a fish, you could use your water to get me close? Or I can charge at her and attack while you gather up all the water? Or-"
They heard a whoosh of something through the air as a sword flew between their faces and embedded itself down to the hilt in the wall behind them. Both girls looked back with a sweat drop before they turned to its origin.
"If you two won't come to me…" Erza floated out of the shadows in her Heaven's Wheel Armor, "Then I'll come to you."
The two girls screamed in abject horror as the redhead descended on them like a plague.
Erza glowed for a moment as she returned to her standard Heart Kreuz set and sent her weapons back into her Requip. She looked down at her feet, "So what will you do now?"
"N-No more."
"W-We surrender."
Juvia and Lisanna were splayed out over the debris and rocks floating half-submerged in the aqueduct. The two partners had been on the receiving end of one of the most vicious dismantling of their lives. And the scarlet-haired Mage standing as the cause of it simply sighed and nodded her head, "Very well. Juvia Lockser, you are hereby disqualified from the S-Class Exam. Good luck next time."
"Awwwwwwwww~."
########Hunter########
Elfman and Evergreen struggled to get up on their feet after the severe ass-kicking they had received at the hands of the Demon of Fairy Tail. Ever hissed and tried to regain her strength as Eflman grit his teeth and punched the sand, "Dammit, this can't be the end! W-We can't stop here!"
"Yeah, I know! I don't want to either!" Ever complained before sweating and looking across from them, "But we're not exactly in a position to complain here."
"If you don't like the result, change it with your own hands. That's what it means to take the title of S-Class with your strength." Her tail swung down with remarkable force and caused both examinees to flinch in fright. Mirajane in her Satan form looked down at them pitiably, "But if this is all you can muster, Elfman, then it might have been too soon for you to attempt this stage."
"Not yet." Despite his condition, the large Fairy forced himself back on his feet and pumped his arms, "This man isn't done putting up a fight yet! WRRAAHHHH!" Using his Take-Over magic, he turned into his beast form and rushed at his older sister, "HYYYAAHHHHHHH!"
Mira easily swatted his fist away with a single hand. And again with his next fist. The giant beast man threw punch after punch that could floor and debilitate just about any monster they came in contact with. Yet Mira casually swatted and stopped them with her hands, using her monstrously superior power to overwhelm and stop his advance before it could gain any power.
Pushing his hands away, Mira jumped up and spun to slam her tail into Elfman's temple. And as he hit the ground from the force of her attack, her leg kicked out and struck his chest, sending him skidding across the beach before finally slumping to a stop. As he lay on the shore struggling to catch his breath, his body glowed and he returned to normal. He forced himself to sit up with the last dredges of strength, "D-Dammit."
"Sorry, Eflman," He paled as a shadow descended over him and towered over his beaten form. Looking up he started to realize why so many people feared his sister in her prime, with such strength and ferocity to not even show any mercy during an exam. She looked down at him, "Maybe next year will prove more beneficial for you, Elfman." She raised her hand, "But this year, your exam has-"
"Wait!" They stopped and looked over as Evergreen spoke up and held out her hand, "Mirajane, hold on! Don't be too hasty! Think about what you're about to do!"
"I'm about to disqualify Eflman." Mira said coldly, "He might be my brother but the dangers of S-Class will not treat him kindly just because we're blood."
"I-I know that!" Ever gulped, "I know…you won't go easy on him just because he's your brother…but…if anything…" Ever lowered her hands and gently cradled her stomach, "Please show the father of my unborn baby some mercy!"
…
…
…
Mira blinked with eyes as wide as plates, "Huh?"
Elfman's jaw hung low, "A-Ah-"
"That's right!" Ever announced proudly, "I'm knocked up and you're gonna be an aunt!"
"W-W-Wha-" Mira looked erratically between Evergreen and Elfman, trying to wrap her head around what she was hearing. She glowed for an instant before returning to normal, "A-Are you serious? H-H-How did that happen?! E-Elfman, I didn't know you and Evergreen were-"
"N-No, Nee-chan, this isn't-"
"I mean this is cause for celebration!" Mira tried to be supportive but couldn't hide her worried expression, "But you aren't even dating! A-And you aren't married! B-But you shouldn't be held down by old traditions if you're truly in love. A-And we need to think about the child first and foremost!"
"N-Nee-chan-"
"Elfman, I want you to know that you have my full support! Mine and Lisanna's! So don't be afraid to lean on us if you need our help-"
That was the last thing Mirajane remembered before Evergreen clocked her in the back of the head and knocked her out.
########Hunter########
"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"
"FIRE DRAGON'S WING ATTACK!"
"FIRE DRAGON'S BRILLIANT FLAME!"
"FIRE DRAGON'S SWORD HORN!"
Flame attack after flame attack burst against Gildarts as he blocked the Dragon Slayer's assault. Happy retreated in fright of being caught up in the rush of flames and Natsu roared at the top of his lungs as he launched attacks that could end most enemies.
But Gildarts easily weathered the barrage of attacks by expertly parrying and countering the attacks with either his sheer strength or Crash magic.
The Dragon Slayer had been predictably excited and rushed in at the chance to fight the strongest S-Class in their guild. For years he took every opportunity he could find to challenge Gildarts in fights to test his mettle and grow stronger. They normally ended with a single swat of the older man's hand and Natsu going flying into or through a wall.
But now this was his chance to get into a fight with Gildarts and not have to be warned or negged by anyone watching. This was a part of his test. A hitch in his road to reaching S-Class. It was an obstacle he needed to overcome and Natsu was more than willing to meet the challenge head-on.
Gildarts was tough. He guarded and knocked aside all of Natsu's attacks at the start. At one point Natsu had been diced into a hundred pieces from the Crash magic, falling apart and becoming an army of tiny Natsu clones that swarmed Gildarts. He'd been so agitated that he reformed Natsu into his singular powerful state and the Dragon Slayer took advantage of that moment.
Hence why he was throwing attack after attack in quick succession at the senior Fairy.
After a moment Natsu landed to catch his breath and stopped his assault. The pink-haired Fairy lightly panted and looked up at the mix of smoke and dirt kicked up from the flurry of attacks. From the center of the cloud, he spotted the broad form of Gildarts standing tall and strong after the barrage.
But there was a skid along the ground where Gildarts had been pushed back by the flurry of attacks.
"Haha! Yes!" Natsu cheered and laughed, "Happy, did you see that?! I forced him back! I did it! Finally!"
Happy…didn't have the heart to tell his best friend he shouldn't be celebrating too much about just pushing Gildarts back a few feet.
But surprisingly it was the hearty laugh from Gildarts that drew their attention after the dust had settled. The powerful Mage chuckled and dried his eyes before grinning, "Man, Natsu, you weren't kidding about how much stronger you've gotten. I guess all those crazy fights and jobs you've had to deal with over the last few years have helped make you a lot tougher."
"Duh! That's what I was tellin' ya!" Natsu indignantly announced, "I'm not just the hotheaded kid that challenged you to fight all the time! I'm a powerhouse Mage who can stand with the rest of you!"
"Heh, I guess you are." Gildarts nodded proudly, seeing the man that cocky little brat he used to know had grown up into. He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, "You did great, Natsu. I hereby approve you to move onto the next stage of the exam."
"Seriously?!" Happy smiled widely, "Natsu, did you hear that?!"
"Hold your head tall after-"
A flaming fist came flying at him and Gildarts caught it on his palm. Natsu smirked up at Gildarts, "No way."
"N-Natsu, what're you doing?! Gildarts said you can go forward!"
"I'm supposed to fight and beat the S-Class in my way! And that's what I'm gonna do!" Fire burst off his body, "You hear that, Gildarts! This doesn't stop until the fight is over!"
Gildarts scoffed, "Heh, guess the cocky part of you still hasn't changed." He shook his head, "I guess I'll have to end this…the hard way."
Natsu and Happy froze…as they were overwhelmed by a gargantuan force of magic power that nearly crushed them.
########Hunter########
Naruto disappeared in a flash of speed and appeared between Gajeel and Levy mid-jump. He spun and kicked out, knocking both of them in separate directions. He planted his feet on the ground and gathered Armor around his fists before throwing a Flying Gauntlet to chase after both of them.
Gajeel gritted his teeth and coated his body in metallic scales as he slid to a stop and punched the flying magic attack to counter it.
Levy opted to write the word SHIELD in front of her to guard against the attack.
Naruto rushed forward and slammed his shoulder into Gajeel's guard. As the Dragon Slayer hit a rock and cracked it, Naruto charged in with a flurry of punches. They slammed into Gajeel's metallic scales over and over, pushing him further into the rock before with one last punch he sent the pierced man flying back through the stone.
"FIRE!"
Naruto looked back at the incoming attack and leaped over it, looking down at the words imprinted into the flames before landing and rushing at the other Fairy. Levy quickly summoned a pillar of STONE in front of her to try and impede Naruto's advance, only for the blond to fly forward with a sidekick and obliterate the stone creation right over her head.
Levy bunched up to avoid getting hit with the debris. As stone pieces rained around her, Levy saw a shadow hang over her and looked up as Naruto stood looking down at her. The little blue-haired Mage raised her hand in preparation to fend the whiskered Fairy off. She gulped and narrowed her eyes at him…
She saw him just staring down at her silently.
…
"Naruto," Levy spoke up, "What did you mean a second ago? That I shouldn't be the one freaking out? I'm sorry but if you've never had to find yourself facing – well, you – then you don't get a say about not freaking out."
"Well, I did face myself before. It was a crazy experience - and I can see why everyone is freaked out about fighting me. I'm kind of a badass monster." He said with a chuckle before bending his knees to face Levy a little better while she was on the ground, "What I meant is that you shouldn't have to be worried or freaking out. Gajeel might be an absolute idiot but he's got the right idea - now's the time for you to be focused and determined, not fretful about making a move."
"Y-Yeah, I know," Levy muttered, her gaze downcast as she bit the inside of her cheek in frustration, "But I'm so much weaker than everyone else. If I'm not careful…this could all be over in an instant."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Naruto agreed with a nonchalant shrug, causing Levy's doubts to double for a moment. But he quickly followed up, "But, you know, when Jiji offered your name up for the participants…not one of us disagreed with him."
She blinked a few times before her eyes gently widened in surprise, "R-Really?"
"Yep. You might not have a crazy amount of power, but you're smart, resourceful, reliable, and talented. Even if you aren't gonna match me in power, I came in here expecting to be matched by your skill." Naruto pushed off his knees and stood back up, "You were picked to take part in the exam for S-Class, Levy. It's time to show everyone just what it is you can do."
…
Shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath, they opened again with a rekindled fire. Even in the face of her much stronger friend, the petite blue-haired Mage looked defiantly at Naruto, her pointer finger extended out in preparation to conjure and create whatever she'd need to combat the whiskered blond. The heterochromatic Mage smiled proudly and nodded, "Good, now let's-"
"HAAA!" Gajeel's leg swung out into Naruto's temple where he had vaulted over the broken stone pillar. Naruto's arm just barely raised in time to block it as he was sent flying away from them, "HAHAHA, HOW'D YOU LIKE THAT, YA SONUVA BITCH!" As Naruto landed in a skid and shook the tingles out of his arm, Gajeel clicked his teeth, "Shit. Hey Shorty, you alright? He didn't get ya, did he?"
"No, I'm fine." Levy assured her partner, "Come on, Gajeel, we can't waste any more time." The tip of her finger glowed with magic, "We need to get past him to reach the next stage!"
…
She noticed him staring intently at her, causing her face to flush, "W-What?"
"You were all unmotivated and subdued a second ago, but now you look revved up and ready to shove your foot up his ass. What happened? Did he say something that pissed you off and you wanna get revenge on him? I get that if that's the case."
"No, he didn't," Levy shook her head, "But he did give me some words of encouragement, and I don't want to disappoint his expectations."
"I did that!" Levy flinched at the loud and surprisingly raw reaction from Gajeel, the former Phantom Mage furiously pointing at himself, "I was the one who was trying to encourage you first! I dragged your self-esteem out of the mud and told you we had to do this! It doesn't - it doesn't count!"
"Are you serious right now?"
"His words don't count!"
"What are you, 5?"
"Hey! Hey, Hunter," Gajeel angrily called out to the blond and pointed at him, "Your words of encouragement don't count! I did them for Shorty first! They don't count!"
"Eh, sounds like sour grapes, Gajeel."
"SHOVE YOUR GRAPES UP YOUR ASS!"
"Gajeel!" She slapped his arm several times, dragging his attention back to her before she nodded forward, "Can we focus on the fight again, please? We can't lose focus now of all time! Listen," She whispered so only he could hear her, "I need you to hold him off just a little longer. I'll get something set up and give you an opportunity. When you do, land a blow that will put him in the ground, got it?"
A wicked smirk stretched across Gajeel's mouth, "Pfft, no problem. But don't come complaining to me if I end up beating him before you get a chance to do anything!"
Levy rolled her eyes skeptically before her hand whipped forth. In a blur, she drew the next word and sent it out, "SHINE!"
A bright shine of light filled the area and Naruto had to squint to shield his eyes. In that moment Gajeel rushed in, the light at his back and not blinding him as he reeled his fist back, "Got you, Hunter!"
He punched and Naruto deftly turned so the fist sailed harmlessly by his face. He grabbed Gajeel's wrist, "Hey when you blind a guy, don't waste the surprise by yelling." Naruto dropped his stance and buried his elbow in the Dragon Slayer's gut. Gajeel's eyes strained and he grit his teeth in pain before Naruto pulled his wrist and threw him away, "HA!"
"IRON DRAGON'S LOGS!" Even as he was thrown, Gajeel launched a barrage of iron spikes at the S-Class Fairy. Naruto smiled as they came flying at him, sidestepping and weaving through the flurry of projectiles. He caught one of them and used them to parry and divert some of the others off their path. Gajeel grits his teeth and turns in the air, his feet slamming into a tree to stop his path before he launches himself back at the blond, "BASTARD!
With a smile he tossed the spike in his hand into the ground, summoning his cleaver from his Requip space before slamming it into the ground, "Rumbling Earth!" Slabs of rock and earth jutted out around him, causing Gajeel to barrel through one of them unexpectedly and leave the Dragon Slayer dazed for a moment. A moment Naruto took advantage of to grab his collar and slam him bodily into the ground, "I think at some point you gotta realize this is dumb."
"F-Fuck you."
"Okay, doesn't matter to me. I can kick your ass all-"
A powerful gust of wind washed over them both and Naruto had to steady himself before he was blown off his feet. As the wind petered out he looked back and saw the source of the phenomenon. Levy stood on one of the stone pillars that shot up from his defense. Floating in front of her was a Solid Script word for WIND. She had some dirt and smudge on her, probably from being dragged in by the attack Naruto made, but she wiped her cheek and looked at the blond with a challenging smile, "I thought you were supposed to be testing me, right?"
Naruto smirked, letting go of Gajeel's wrist as he turned to the blue-haired Mage, "Glad to see you've got some confidence now. Ready to stop throwing the chaff at me and see how you measure up to S-Class yourself?"
Levy steeled herself and nodded, "I'm ready to win." Naruto smiled and enjoyed her assuredness before he leaped up after her. She jumped back and fell off the pillar as Naruto landed on the top and quickly jumped after her. But as he fell he saw Levy had created several SWORD words that launched at him. Kicking off the pillar he barely avoided the flying blades and landed, looking around and spotting Levy's foot as she ducked behind another slab of stone.
Naruto sprinted over to catch her and rounded the corner to find another word, BLAST, waiting in his path. An even stronger burst of wind nearly knocked him back before he could find his footing. With a roar Naruto charged forward, summoning his black blade and slicing through the form of the Solid Script word to dispel it completely. He landed on the other side and looked around…
He spotted Levy looking his way, her back pressed into a rock after she had retreated into a dead end while running from him. He sent his blade back into his space and turned to her, "Any other plans, Levy?"
The blue-haired girl gulped nervously before holding up her fingers, "I guess I'll just have to beat you like this." She steeled herself, "Come at me, Naruto! And don't hold anything back!"
She might have been a little too eager, but she was challenging him directly and he couldn't turn her down. He was going to respect her wishes even if it meant disqualifying her. He channeled his magic, forming a coat of Armor over his fist as he rushed towards her. Levy tried to keep her composure as Naruto slid in to punch her-
The ground underneath him suddenly disappeared. The blond's eyes widened as his footing vanished and he suddenly lost balance. Despite falling, Naruto's eyes shot up to see the cheeky and relieved smile on Levy's face as he fell. The cheeky brat had coaxed him into the trap by making it a challenge. Devious but damn was he impressed.
His hand and foot swung out, catching the circumference of the hole before he could fall in. He kept himself level and let out a sigh of relief before craning his head back to look up at Levy, "Nice try, Levy, but you're gonna need to do more than trick me if you wanna-"
"IRON DRAGON'S-"
"Shit."
"ROAR!"
Gajeel jumped up over Naruto and the hole before releasing his breath attack. Levy ducked and protected herself as the whirlwind of metal shards and scrap barreled into the hole his partner had dug to catch the S-Class off guard. The attack raged for several seconds before finally coming to an end. Once it was over, Levy lifted her head hesitantly and saw the shredded edges of the hole that Naruto had been in.
Gajeel landed and cracked his knuckles, "Okay, I think we got the bastard cornered! Let's get down there and beat him a little-"
"No!" Levy rushed over, grabbed his hand, and pulled him along, "Come on! Let's go!"
"What?" Gajeel stopped her from pulling him, "What are you talking about? He's not beat yet!"
"But it worked! Look!" Levy pointed back to the pathway that had been blocked by a magical barrier just moments ago. Now it was open for them to pass through, "We can go to the next stage! So let's go!"
"Hell no! I'm not satisfied yet!" Gajeel grumbled, "I wanna get down there and-"
"Gajeel, we barely won this way! I'm not wasting this opportunity sending you down there so Naruto can kick your ass!" The short blue-haired Fairy barked, startling the Dragon Slayer, "Now shut up! Take my hand! And let's get out of here to the next stage!"
…
They started moving, even though Gajeel pouted like a baby the whole way. Levy just had a content smile as she dragged her partner along, glad to know that they had beaten their foe enough to earn a pass and hoped Naruto wasn't too badly hurt.
From his spot atop a branch, Naruto watched the two partners proceed to the next area of the exam. The blond Mage was scuffed up after taking the brunt of Gajeel's attack with his Armor, but just barely escaped before it could hit him dead-on.
He smiled and flicked some pieces of metal out of his hair, "Good luck, Levy. You deserve it."
########Hunter########
"Levy-chan!"
"Lu-chan," Levy panted as she and Gajeel walked into the clearing at the end of the path, finding several other teams waiting for them on their arrival. Cana and Lucy greeted them first, with Gray and Loke a few feet away and Natsu seated on a rock with Happy by his side, "I guess you all made it here ahead of us."
"Yep, bested you two by quite a bit." Cana said, "Lucy and I got here first after we won against Wendy and Mest. Natsu and Happy showed up a little after, but he's been sitting over there down in the dumps since he arrived." The brunette nodded in his direction, "Apparently he passed against Gildarts but won't say anything about it."
"He passed against Gildarts?!" Levy looked completely stunned while Gajeel was fuming hearing his fellow Dragon Slayer won against the strongest member in the guild, "T-That's amazing."
"It was!" Happy eagerly said before looking up at his partner, "So cheer up, Natsu. Please?"
"And before you, we had Gray and Loke here limping in." The two men were about as scuffed up as Levy and Gajeel were, "Looks like they just barely eked out a win against Freed and Bickslow."
"Nothing barely about it! We won and that's all!" The Maker Mage defensively yelled with a scowl as his partner sighed and patted his back.
"What about you, Levy-chan?"
"Oh, we ran into Naruto." The others grimaced and cringed at their terrible luck, "Yeah, it was - it was pretty bad."
"Pfft, speak for yourself!" Gajeel guffawed and palmed his fist, "I beat that bastard's ass like it was nothing! One good hit was all it took to put him down! And I'm not sulking in the corner about it either!" Even as Gajeel stood proudly, the others immediately noticed how scuffed and beaten he was, "We might as well be crowned S-Class now, because if fighting him was the hardest part then-"
"Ah, good," Makarov interrupted the boasting as he walked over to the center of their grouping, "I'm glad to see so many of you have made it here already. Levy, I think you might have moved onto the next stage a little too quickly." The little Mage turned pallid with shock before he smiled, "But don't worry, Naruto passed you."
"H-He did?"
"Yep. Said it all in this note he sent me before you got here." Makarov held up a piece of paper, "Levy McGarden's team is hereby approved to participate in the next round of testing. She showed remarkable fortitude and resourcefulness. She also showed great grit and determination in having to carry around a terrible handicap and put him to use for her. Seriously, her partner was nothing but a problem for her to manage. It goes to show her capabilities if she could rein in-" Makarov blinked, turning the letter over in his hand, "Well, that goes on for another page but suffice to say you pass."
Levy let out a nervous laugh but was pleased to hear she passed.
Gajeel on the other hand was seething and about to pop a blood vessel.
Makarov pocketed the letter and looked around, "Well, I think that's about everyone this round. It's time to-"
"Wait!" They all looked over in time to see Elfman and Evergreen emerging to join them, the larger man leaning on the woman's shoulder for support as they walked in, "Don't count us out just yet. A man couldn't give in before reaching the end!"
Makarov nodded in amusement, "Now that's a surprise. Didn't you two end up against Mirajane? How the hell did you manage that?"
"W-We…" Elfman's face fell dejectedly as he looked aside, "I-I don't wanna say."
Ever's glasses glinted as she smirked deviously, "We won, that's all that matters. Let's go ahead."
"Right, right," Makarov jumped onto a rock and looked around at the gathered groups, "Well done, my children. Though all of you have proven your skill and fortitude by arriving on this island, you lot have proven something even greater by overcoming your opponents and clutching victory, however small it may have been. The truth is there was no Luck route in this first section of the test. The greatest luck that could have shined upon you was coming across an opponent you were compatible with in the heat of battle. And now you all have proven just that; Natsu, Gray, Elfman, Cana, and Levy, I welcome you to the next stage of the exam!"
A fierce clap resounded through the clearing that drew the attention of everyone. Natsu drew his hands off his cheeks, standing up from his spot and taking a deep breath, "Gray! Cana! Elfman! Levy!" He turned around, a big smile on his face as he was reinvigorated to take the exam, "This next part, I'm gonna prove that I'm the one who's gonna be S-Class! I hope you're fired up!"
The other participants nodded in acceptance as Makarov chuckled, "Good, now let's all head out. Onto the second part!"
Gray quickly raised his hand, "Uh, Jii-San, what about Juvia's team?"
…
"Jii-San?"
Their master looked at his children sadly with faint tears building in the corners of his eyes. He sniffled and wiped them away, "My children, never forget the most important lesson of the part of the exam; while your luck may have shined through and helped you…some are not so fortunate."
They were confused by his melodramatic answer before realization started to hit them.
If Mest and Freed's teams had been in the versus sections, and the others had been with Gildarts, Naruto, and Mirajane, then by process of elimination-
"Oh…"
…
"That makes sense."
They wished their fallen comrade the best of luck and followed the old man to their next destination.
########Hunter########
"We're finally here but we lose sight of him!"
"I-It's Azuma-sama so we shouldn't have to worry about his safety! BCAWK!"
"It isn't his safety I'm worried about! We're the vanguard squad! If they figure out we're here, the invasion is shot!"
He could still hear Yomazu and Kawazu arguing with each other as he slipped further into the island's greenery. For being so concerned with keeping a low profile they sure were being loud.
He on the other hand was focused on other matters.
He could feel them. Strong and extraordinary magical powers littered the space of this island. And among them had to be some people who could provide him a magnificent fight.
The battle maniac nodded and fused with the trunk of a tree. He'd sample a few of the fighters for himself before the rest of the guild arrived.
And when they did…the new world would finally begin.
########Hunter########
Done
I'm making more ideas for this arc and it's got me excited about what to do next. Plus the anime is coming back soon! Hooray!
I'm always happy to get more Fairy Tail!
ReadxReview
Thank You and Bye