The morning sun struggled to pierce through the thick atmosphere of dust, sweat, and spilled beer that hung over the Fairy Tail Guild hall. The guild hall is chaotic.
It wasn't the usual "Natsu fights Gray" kind of chaos. This was desperate. It was a stampede.
"Out of my way!" Macao shouted, diving over a table.
"That quest is mine!" Wakaba yelled, grabbing a piece of paper from the request board.
"I saw it first, you smoke-breather!"
"I need five more C-ranks! Just five more!"
The request board, usually a place of casual browsing, was now a war zone. Mages were tackling each other, ripping posters off the wall, and begging Mirajane for validation on job completions. The air was thick with the scent of competition.
Blake sat on the second-floor railing, sipping a cup of black coffee. He looked down at the writhing mass of humanity below with a mixture of amusement and pity. Beside him, Erza Scarlet was polishing a sword, though she too was watching the madness.
"It's that time of year again," Erza noted, her voice calm amidst the storm.
"The running of the bulls," Blake deadpanned. "Look at them. Nab is actually considering doing a job. That's how you know it's serious."
The Celestial Mage had just walked in, expecting a nice breakfast, only to be nearly trampled by a stampede of low-level mages. She hugged her bag to her chest, dodging a flying chair.
"Happy! What is happening? Did the price of beer go up? Is there a sale on magic items?"
Happy hovered above the fray, munching on a fish. "Aye! It's the season, Lucy! The Master is going to announce the S-Class Wizard Promotion Trial soon!"
"S-Class?" Lucy blinked. She looked up at the second floor, where Blake, Erza, and Laxus stood.
"Yeah S-Class!" Happy explained. "Only a few get picked to participate. The Master chooses based on strength, character, and... quest completion count! Everyone is trying to jam in as many last-minute jobs as possible to get noticed!"
Lucy looked at the board, which was now bare wood. "Wow. That explains why Jet and Droy just ran out the door carrying a lost dog, a grocery list, and a goblin head."
---
The frenzy eventually died down as the deadline passed. The atmosphere in the guild shifted from chaotic to tense. A heavy silence hung over the hall as the Master gathered everyone.
The drapes were pulled. The lights were dimmed.
Master Makarov stood on the stage, his small stature casting a long shadow. Beside him stood Erza, Mirajane, Laxus, and Blake—the current active S-Class mages.
The guild grows excited at the announcement of the annual S-Class Mage Promotion Trial.
"The time has come!" Makarov's voice boomed. "I have reviewed your records. I have watched your growth. This year, the competition was fierce. But I have selected eight participants."
The crowd leaned in. Hearts pounded.
Blake looked down at the crowd. His eyes locked onto Cana. She was sitting at a table, clutching a tankard of wine, but she wasn't drinking. Her knuckles were white. He knew what this meant to her. Not as serious as leaving the guild like in the anime.
"This year, the trial will take place on our holy ground... the island of the Great Tenrou Tree!"
A gasp went through the hall. Tenrou Island was legendary. It was the place where Mavis Vermillion, the First Master, slept. It was a place overflowing with Ethernano.
Makarov pulled out a scroll.
"The participants are..."
"Natsu Dragneel!"
Natsu pumped his fist, fire erupting from his mouth. "I'M ALL FIRED UP!"
"Gray Fullbuster!"
Gray smirked, already half-naked. "About time."
"Juvia Lockser!"
"Juvia will do her best for Gray-sama!" the water mage squealed.
"Elfman Strauss!"
"A REAL MAN BECOMES S-CLASS!" Elfman roared.
"Cana Alberona!"
Cana let out a breath she had been holding. She slumped slightly in relief, then looked up at the balcony. She met Blake's eyes. He gave her a subtle, firm nod. You got this.
"Freed Justine!"
Freed flipped his hair. "For Laxus. I will reclaim the honor of the Thunder Legion."
"Levy McGarden!"
Levy pointed at herself, shocked. "Me?! Are you sure, Master? I'm not really a fighter..."
"Knowledge is power, Levy," Makarov said wisely.
"And Mest Gryder."
A silence followed.
"Who?" Natsu asked.
A man with dark hair and a generic face was eating a strange fruit in the corner. "That's me. I've been in the guild a long time, guys. I just... shadow operations. You know."
"Oh, right, Mest!" everyone pretended to remember.
"Do not get comfortable!" Makarov warned. "Passing the selection is just the beginning. The trial will be grueling. And only one of you will ascend to the second floor."
"To test your ability to lead and cooperate, you must choose a partner," Makarov announced. "However! To ensure fairness, you cannot choose a current S-Class wizard. That means Erza, Mirajane, Laxus, Gildarts, and Blake are off-limits."
Cana cursed under her breath. "Damn it."
Blake smirked from the balcony. He mouthed, 'Sorry, babe.'
This was the crux of the challenge. They needed someone strong, but not too strong.
Later, every contestant successfully chooses their partner.
The guild hall turned into a matchmaking session. The strategies were flying.
Natsu and Happy.
This was never in question.
"We're gonna crush it, Happy!"
"Aye, sir! We'll become S-Class and afford all the fish!"
Gray and Brandish.
Gray was cornered. He needed someone strong.
"Need a hand?" Brandish asks.
"Brandish?" Gray puzzeled. "You've never showed interest in fights are you sure?"
"I want to see the holy ground of Fairy tail once," Loke adjusted his glasses. "So Do you want me as your partner or not?"
Gray and Brandish shake hands and become partners.
Juvia who saw that from behind the pillar was furious seeing that and her water body is boiling and vowed to defeat her love rival.
---
Juvia and Lisanna.
"Juvia needs to beat Gray-sama and her love rival, so he will respect Juvia!"
"I'll help you, Juvia!" Lisanna smiled. "My Animal Soul is versatile!"
Elfman and Evergreen.
This was pure comedy.
"I need a partner!" Elfman shouted.
Evergreen, desperate to ensure she wasn't the only Thunder Legion member left behind, and perhaps seeing a useful meat shield, grabbed him. "You! Oaf! Be my partner!"
"What? A man doesn't partner with a fairy!"
"Shut up! We're doing this!"
Freed and Bickslow.
The Thunder Legion stuck together.
"With your runes and my dolls, our defense is impenetrable," Bickslow stuck out his tongue.
Levy and Gajeel.
Levy was panicking. "I can't do this! Everyone is a monster!"
Gajeel, leaning against a pillar with Panther Lily, scowled. He walked over and bonked her on the head.
"You're pathetic, shrimp."
"Gajeel!"
"I'll make you big," Gajeel grunted. "I'll be your partner. Don't drag me down."
Levy blushed, hugging her book. "Really?"
Mest and Wendy.
Mest approached the young Dragon Slayer. "I need someone with support magic. You're the best healer in the guild, Wendy."
Wendy was flattered but hesitant. "Me? But I'm just a kid..."
Carla narrowed her eyes at Mest, but Wendy agreed. "I'll do my best!"
Cana and Lucy.
This was the hardest pairing. Cana sat alone at the bar. She had looked at the S-Class roster. She couldn't ask Blake. She needed someone smart. Someone who could think on their feet.
She cornered Lucy in the bathhouse later that night.
"Lucy," Cana said, her voice serious. "I need you."
"Me?" Lucy pointed at herself. "But... I'm not that strong compared to Natsu or Gray."
"I don't need raw power," Cana said, looking at her cards. "I need luck. And I need brains. And... I need a friend."
"Okay," Lucy nodded. "Let's win this thing."
The week leading up to the departure was a blur of training.
Blake spent his evenings with Cana and Mira. The dynamic had shifted slightly. Mira was supportive, packing food for Cana. Blake helped Cana refine her Carush Magic, sparring with her in the forest, pushing her reflexes to the limit without using his full power.
"You're ready," Blake told her the night before they left. They were lying on the grass near his house. "You have the power. You just need the confidence."
"If I fail..." Cana whispered.
"You won't," Blake kissed her forehead. "And even if you do, you're still S-Class to me."
"That's cheesy," Cana laughed, but she squeezed his hand tight. "I'll see you on the island. Don't go easy on me if you're an examiner."
"I'm strictly observing this year, Erza and Mira are the ones you have to worry about."
One week later, the contestants go to Hargeon Port and board a ship.
The heat was oppressive. The sun beat down on Hargeon Port, turning the cobblestones into frying pans.
The Master's ship was docked—a modest vessel compared to the magic prowess on board.
"It's so hot!" Lucy complained, fanning herself.
"Focus, Lucy!" Natsu was vibrating with energy, despite the motion sickness already setting in.
Blake stood on the upper deck with Master Makarov, Erza, and Mira. He wore his coat despite the heat, looking cool and collected.
"They look ready," Makarov observed.
"They look like they're about to kill each other," Blake corrected. "Natsu is trying to fight Gajeel, and Gray is stripping."
The ship set sail. The journey to Tenrou Island was long. The tension on the deck was palpable. No one was talking. Everyone was sizing each other up.
Friends became rivals.
Cana sat by the rail, shuffling her deck nervously. Lucy sat beside her, whispering encouragement.
Finally, the silhouette of the island appeared on the horizon.
It was massive. The Great Tenrou Tree towered over the landscape, its canopy spreading like a cloud. The magic radiating from the island was intense; even the non-sensors could feel the hum in the air.
Makarov stood at the bow of the ship.
"Listen up!"
The contestants gathered.
"The first trial begins... right now!"
"Hah?" Natsu blinked.
"Do you see the smoke rising from the island's shore?" Makarov pointed. "There are eight paths. Only one team can enter each path. Some paths lead to battle. Some lead to hard tasks."
He grinned a mischievous grin.
"But first, you have to get there."
The trial commences and the contestants race to get off the boat.
"GO!" Makarov shouted.
Pandemonium erupted.
"I'm first!" Natsu yelled, leaping onto the railing. But before he could jump, an invisible wall slammed into him.
"What the?!"
"Runes!" Freed laughed, standing calmly on the deck with Bickslow. "I set them up five minutes ago! 'Those who cannot rewrite the runes cannot leave the ship for 5 minutes!'"
"Dirty play, Freed!" Gray shouted, banging on the invisible barrier.
"It's strategy!" Freed flipped his hair. "Farewell!"
Freed and Bickslow jumped off the boat, using Bickslow's floating dolls to fly toward the island.
"Dammit!" Gajeel punched the air. "We're stuck!"
"Wait," Levy adjusted her magical glasses. "I can rewrite this. Give me ten seconds."
"Go, Shrimp!"
Levy wrote in the air. The barrier shattered.
"We're free!"
"Everyone, let's go!"
Natsu and Happy launched into the sky. "Happy, max speed!"
Gray turned the ocean surface into an ice slide. "Brandish, let's slide!"
Juvia dissolved into water, taking Lisanna with her.
Elfman and Evergreen jumped... well, Elfman jumped, and Evergreen flew.
Blake watched from the bridge, arms crossed. "Freed's getting clever. But Levy is faster."
"They are all spirited," Mira smiled beside him. "It's going to be a good trial."
"Let's hope," Blake muttered, his eyes tracking Cana and Lucy as they jumped into the water to swim. "Let's just hope the island doesn't chew them up."
The race was on. The blue sea churned as eight teams desperately scrambled toward the sandy shores of Tenrou Island, unaware that this trial would soon become a battle for their very survival—and the survival of the guild itself.