"The exact contents of the test will be announced once everyone arrives on Tenrou Island," Makarov declared. "And Erza will be among those standing in your way again."
"Same goes for me!" Mirajane chimed in, flashing a sweet smile.
"Miss Mira?!"
"…She was always so gentle…"
Some of the older guild members wore knowing smiles. Anyone who had joined Fairy Tail more recently had never seen Mirajane in her old battle form. Lucy blinked in surprise. "Wait—Miss Mira can fight?"
Without warning, Mirajane's aura flared.
Boom!!
A surge of intense magic pulsed out from her. Her entire appearance shifted into a demonic form: arms and legs transformed into clawed limbs, a massive scaled tail waved behind her, and her once-lovely eyes exuded a fierce, unrestrained power.
"It's the old Mira!" veterans gasped at the sight.
"Miss Mira?!" Lucy sputtered. This was not at all how she'd imagined Mirajane's magic.
Happy caught Lucy's slack-jawed reaction. "Mira was called the 'Demon' back in the day. Her strength is comparable to Erza's."
"C-cruel!" Lucy gulped, feeling chills. As if Erza weren't scary enough, now there was Mirajane too.
Gildarts folded his arms. "Don't complain. Facing strong opponents is how all of us S-Class mages made it."
Elfman flinched. "Wait, you don't mean—"
A spark lit in Natsu's eyes. "Is Gildarts joining in too?!"
Gray sighed at Natsu's enthusiasm. "Don't look so happy about it…"
Master Makarov's calm voice cut through. "Yes, every active S-Class mage will act to stop you this time."
For a moment, stunned silence. Then a collective outcry:
"What?!"
"Even Su Yan might stand in our way?!"
"If we have to get past him, that's impossible—!"
Everyone looked nervously at Su Yan, the undisputed strongest wizard in Fairy Tail. He just smiled quietly, making it impossible to tell how serious he would be.
Makarov cleared his throat again. "You have one week to prepare and pick your partners. Then, bring them to Hargeon Port. That's all!"
He and the other S-Class wizards left to plan the details of the trial, while the rest of the guild bustled, each competitor mulling over who their partner would be and how they might triumph.
…
Among them, Natsu, Gray, Elfman, Wendy, Lucy, and Lisanna gathered at one table to talk.
Gray folded his arms. "This year's gonna be rough."
Elfman moaned. "Nooo… The path to being a REAL man—an S-Class man—just got even harder!"
"It does sound like a big challenge." Wendy glanced toward Lucy, who was wide-eyed.
"You're all first-timers," Lucy said, surprised. "Is that normal? Natsu and Gray, you two are so strong—I thought you'd done this before."
Lisanna smiled. "We'll just have to do our best, right?"
"Ha! I'm fired up!" Natsu leaped to his feet. "I will become an S-Class mage! This time for sure!"
Lucy watched him fondly. Natsu had always told her that once he became S-Class, maybe he'd get clues about Igneel. That determination burned in his eyes.
"All of you, have you picked your partners yet?" Lucy asked. Partner selection could make or break their success—picking a strong or complementary partner would greatly improve one's odds.
"Of course! I'm teaming with Happy," Natsu blurted at once.
"Aye!" Happy chimed in.
Elfman groaned. "Aw, that's no fair! If it's some kind of race, flying would be such an advantage! Not to mention—"
Gray snorted. "Sure, if the trial is all about speed. Don't get cocky, flame-brain."
"Happy" looked at Gray nervously. "Don't bully me, Gray…"
Then Happy's face became serious. "In any case, I'm gonna make sure Natsu gets S-Class!"
Natsu stood, casting a fierce gaze around the table. "Hey, I know we're all friends, but I can't let any of you beat me at this. I'm off to train!"
"AYE!!" Happy followed him out in a rush.
Lisanna watched them go, propping her chin on her hand. "He hasn't changed at all. Though he's gotten strong enough now to try for S-Class, that same spirit from years ago is still there."
"Yeah… Good luck, Natsu," Lucy murmured.
"Juvia… Juvia might withdraw," Juvia said quietly, looking crestfallen.
"What? Why?" Wendy asked, alarmed. "This is your big chance!"
Juvia blushed, fiddling with her fingers. "I… I wanted to be Gray-sama's partner…"
"Huh? Sorry." Gray scratched the back of his head. "I already decided on my partner."
At that moment, a voice spoke up: "It's been a while, everyone."
"Loke?!" Lucy recognized the suave man in a crisp suit.
Gray nodded toward him. "Last year, Loke and I promised whoever got chosen would pick the other as partner. If it was me, he'd help me; if he was chosen, I'd help him."
Loke threw Lucy an apologetic smile. "I'm afraid I'll be canceling my contract with you for the duration of the exam. Don't worry—you'll still be able to use Celestial Spirits. I've devised a way to manifest my own gate with my magic power, so your keys will be unaffected."
Lucy's eyebrow twitched. "Celestial Spirits sure do what they want, huh?"