One week later, Harujion Port.
The S-Class Exam of the Fairy Tail Guild was officially underway.
The eight participants, filled with confidence, gazed at the sailboats bound for Tenrō Island. After a grueling week of training under Kael, their confidence had grown, though memories of Kael's harsh drills still made them sweat slightly at the thought.
As the sailboat began moving, Gajeel and Natsu simultaneously leaned over the railing, violently vomiting. The rest of the group followed suit in their own ways, visibly separating themselves from their partners.
The closer the boat got to Tenrō Island, the hotter the weather became due to the sea currents, prompting everyone to shed layers of clothing.
"So hot~"
"Why is it getting hotter when it's supposed to be winter? But luckily Kana brought popsicles!"
Lucy, wearing a swimsuit, fanned herself with one hand while enjoying a popsicle with the other, her legs crossed lazily. Thanks to Kana's foresight, the heat wasn't unbearable.
"Little Lucy, you look awful like that!" Levy, also enjoying a popsicle, quietly admonished Lucy, noting her reclining posture.
The males on the boat couldn't help staring, particularly Natsu, who was practically drooling. Kana had only distributed the popsicles to the females, leaving the men envious.
"Haha, sorry! Since we're in a competitive situation, you guys will have to endure on your own!" Kana said cheerfully, finishing her popsicle and immediately picking up another.
"This heat… it's nothing… just… dizziness… ugh~" Gajeel clenched his fists, trying to appear fine, but the spinning sensation in his mind defeated him, and he vomited over the railing again.
"I… I…" Natsu tried to insist he was fine, but barely managed a few steps before staggering toward Roki.
"Hey, Natsu! Can you not come over here?" Roki waved his hands frantically, worried that Natsu would throw up on him.
"Blame Wendy for not letting me use the Troy Magic~ ugh~"
"Well, that's because Wendy is Meister's partner now!" Wendy apologized awkwardly.
Juvia, dressed thickly as a Rain Mage, was unaffected by the temperature. Instead, her heart burned with intensity as she pressed herself against the naked Gray, eyes filled with hearts.
"Everyone, look! Tenrō Island!"
Leaning against the railing, Roki pointed out the towering trees—the landmark of the island. Everyone followed his gaze toward the island.
Gray, still naked with Juvia draped over him, stared at the island with hope. He yearned to face his master and earn his recognition.
"That's Tenrō Island!" Lucy exclaimed, astonished.
"So strange!"
"But from here, I can already sense the magical energy surrounding the island!" Wendy said, inhaling deeply. "Truly a sacred place!"
On the island, Kael, Gildas, Uluru, Laxus, Erza, and Mirajane, the examiners, spotted the sailboats from afar.
"Alright, let's enter our respective channels," Gildas said. "Let's wish them luck."
He twirled his cloak and led the way into the "E" channel. The others followed with faint smiles, entering their own channels.
Kael walked through his passageway with a determined expression, recalling what Shalulu had told him:
"A shadow that blocks the sky, a majestic figure that holds the heavens… When the two strike, the earth will shatter."
On the sailboat, Master Makarov stood on the upper deck.
"It is said that fairies once lived on this island—the resting place of Mavis Famirion, the first master of Fairy Tail," he said solemnly. "Now, I will reveal the content of the first exam…"
"What? The exam has phases?" Gray exclaimed. The previous guild exams had all been one-on-one battles.
"This was decided after careful discussion to test multiple aspects of your abilities," Makarov explained.
He waved his fan, and a screen appeared to his left, showing seven channels, each marked with the portrait of an S-Class Mage.
"See the smoke rising from the island? First, you must reach that point, then select a channel, and defeat the examiners inside."
"The combat evaluation is simple: only those who break through and reach the end qualify for the first exam!"
He pointed to the endpoint icon. The participants quickly understood the rules, studying their likely opponents and memorizing the routes on the map.
"Alright, get ready. The exam begins!" Makarov declared, snapping his fan. The screen vanished, officially starting the S-Class exam.
"Huh? But we're still on the sea!" Gray and Roki exclaimed in confusion.
Meanwhile, Freed and Bigus Law secretly wrote spell runes on the boat and activated magic to fly toward Tenrō Island.
Makarov saw this and smirked, letting the others realize the trick.
"Hahaha, did you hear that? Happy, let's go!" Natsu proudly looked at Happy, who immediately understood and flew off, charging toward the island.
"Bang!" They collided with an invisible barrier.
"That's a… spell! Freed, damn, they've already run!"
Kana noticed immediately, scanning the distance to locate Freed and Bigus Law.
Freed's voice echoed from afar: "Sorry! The spell will lift in five minutes. You'll have to wait until then!"
"Old man, they're cheating!" Gray shouted at Makarov, who only laughed: "It's not a speed test, so it doesn't matter."
During the protest, Levy and Abagren, skilled in ancient texts and familiar with Freed's techniques, deciphered the spell in just a minute, allowing their teams to depart first. The rest endured, watching Levy and Elfman leave ahead.
After five minutes, the spell finally lifted with a resounding bang. Everyone unleashed their abilities, racing toward the island.
Kana leapt into the air, carrying Lucy, moving as fast as anyone else. Her power was fully displayed—no holding back.
"Gildas… Father, wait for me."