The interior of the cave on Path E air was superheated, shimmering with waves of distortion that made the rock walls look like melting wax.
"ROAR OF THE FIRE DRAGON!"
Natsu Dragneel unleashed a torrent of crimson flame, a spiraling vortex of heat that filled the entire cavern. The fire was intense enough to turn sand into glass, a testament to how much Natsu had grown since the battle with the Oración Seis and the Edolas incident.
He didn't stop there. He lunged through his own fire, his fists wreathed in flame.
"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!"
BOOM.
Natsu's fist collided with an open palm.
Gildarts Clive stood rooted to the spot. He hadn't moved a single inch. He caught the punch—a strike capable of shattering a castle wall—with the casual ease of a man catching a slow-tossed ball.
"Not bad," Gildarts noted, his cape barely fluttering in the shockwave. "You've got more heat behind your punches, Natsu. But you're telegraphing your left hook."
Gildarts twisted his wrist. With a simple, fluid motion, he flipped Natsu over his shoulder.
"Whoa!" Natsu yelped as the world spun.
Gildarts didn't slam him; he just tossed him. Natsu hit the cave ceiling, bounced off, and landed on his feet like a cat.
"I'm not done yet!" Natsu screamed.
He charged again.
"FIRE DRAGON'S WING ATTACK!"
He generated dual streams of fire, whipping them at the S-Class mage. Gildarts raised his hand.
"Disassembly."
A white grid of light appeared for a split second. Natsu's fire spell was instantly broken down into harmless sparks that drifted away like confetti.
"Too straightforward," Gildarts chided, looking like a teacher grading a paper. "Magic isn't just about output. It's about application."
The fight raged on for another twenty minutes. Natsu threw everything he had. He used his secret arts. He used the environment. He tried to speed-blitz him.
Gildarts blocked, parried, and deflected every single strike without breaking a sweat. However, he was watching. He saw the tenacity. He saw the tactical adjustments Natsu was trying to make mid-fight. He felt the sheer density of Natsu's magic power.
Finally, Natsu landed a glancing blow on Gildarts' cape, singing the fabric.
Gildarts stopped. He lowered his hands.
"Alright," Gildarts said, dusting off his shoulder. "That's enough."
Natsu panted heavily, steam rising from his skin. "Enough? I'm... just getting started... old man!"
"No, you're done," Gildarts smiled, a genuine, warm expression. "You pass."
Natsu blinked, confusion overriding his exhaustion. "Huh?"
"I said you pass," Gildarts pointed to the exit tunnel behind him. "The goal of this stage is to test your combat readiness. You're strong, Natsu. Stronger than I expected. You have the power to protect your friends. You can go to the next stage."
Silence filled the cave. Natsu stared at the exit. Then he stared at Gildarts.
"No," Natsu said, his voice dropping an octave.
Gildarts raised an eyebrow. "No?"
"I didn't beat you," Natsu growled, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles cracked. "If I walk past you now, it's just pity. I don't want a handout! I want to be S-Class because I'm the strongest! And to be the strongest, I have to beat the strongest!"
"Natsu," Gildarts sighed, scratching the back of his head. "This isn't a death match. It's a test. You proved you have the potential."
"POTENTIAL ISN'T ENOUGH!" Natsu roared, his magical aura flaring up, turning the orange flames into a deeper, angrier crimson. "FIGHT ME FOR REAL, GILDARTS! DON'T LOOK DOWN ON ME!"
Gildarts looked at the boy. He saw the reckless pride. He saw the arrogance that came with never having truly hit an immovable wall. Natsu had lost battles, yes, but he always believed he could win if he just tried harder. He didn't understand the concept of a gap that effort couldn't bridge.
"You want me to fight you for real?" Gildarts asked quietly.
"YES!"
"Very well."
Gildarts closed his eyes.
The air in the cave suddenly vanished.
It wasn't that Natsu couldn't breathe; it was that the atmosphere itself was terrified to exist near the man.
Gildarts opened his eyes.
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
There was no explosion. There was no fire. There was just pressure.
Pure, unadulterated magical power exploded outward from Gildarts. It was heavy. It was suffocating. It felt like the sky was falling. The ground beneath Natsu's feet pulverized into dust instantly. The water in the waterfall evaporated. The stalactites on the ceiling shattered from the vibration alone.
Natsu froze.
His flames died out. Not because he extinguished them, but because his magic was too terrified to manifest.
He looked at Gildarts.
He didn't see a man anymore.
He saw a titan. He saw a mountain that reached the stars. He saw a monster that could destroy him with a thought.
For a split second, Natsu hallucinated. He saw himself being torn into a thousand pieces. He saw his head rolling on the floor. He saw his own death.
"Ah..." Natsu gasped, his pupils dilating to pinpricks.
His knees gave way. He collapsed to the floor, trembling uncontrollably.
Instantly, the pressure vanished.
The heavy atmosphere lifted. The birds outside started singing again.
Gildarts walked over to the trembling Dragon Slayer. He knelt down and placed a large, warm hand on Natsu's head.
Natsu looked up, shaking. "I... I lost. I'm weak."
"You are not weak," Gildarts shook his head. "But you are not invincible."
Gildarts smiled, and this time, it was the smile of a father teaching his son a hard lesson.
"Natsu, it is important to know your own weakness. To know that there are walls you cannot break. To know fear."
"Fear?" Natsu wiped his eyes.
"Yes. Fear isn't evil. It isn't a defect," Gildarts explained, tapping Natsu's chest. "Fear tells you where your limits are. And once you know your limits, you can learn how to defeat them. You can learn to be gentle. You can learn to be smart."
Gildarts stood up and offered Natsu a hand.
"The S-Class trial isn't just about power. It's about knowing when to fight, and when to retreat. It's about surviving to protect the guild. You learned fear today. That makes you stronger than you were five minutes ago. You pass."
Natsu took the hand. He was still shaken, but the arrogance was gone, replaced by a new, somber resolve.
"Thanks... Gildarts."
---
The atmosphere in Path C was crackling with static electricity. The cave walls were scorched black.
"You think you can stand against me?" Laxus Dreyar stood with his coat draped over his shoulders, lightning arcing between his fingers. "I'm the Lightning Dragon Slayer. I'm in a different league."
Opposite him stood Cana Alberona and Lucy Heartfilia. They were battered, their clothes singed, but they were standing.
"We don't have to beat you, Laxus," Cana said, shuffling a deck of glowing cards. Her eyes were sharp, focused. "We just have to show you we belong here."
"Open, Gate of the Lion!" Lucy shouted, holding a golden key. "LOKE!"
With a flash of light, the spirit in the suit appeared. "Ready for a spark, Lucy?"
"Let's go!"
Laxus moved. He dissolved into a bolt of lightning, zipping across the cave in a millisecond.
"Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!"
He aimed a massive punch at Lucy, identifying the summoner as the support unit.
"Not on my watch!" Cana shouted.
"Soru!"
Using the high-speed movement technique Cana vanished from plain sight. She reappeared in front of Lucy, intercepting Laxus.
She held up three cards.
"Card Magic: Thunderbolt Shield!"
A barrier of electricity formed. Laxus's fist hit it. Lightning met lightning. The shield shattered, but it bought them a second.
"Loke! Regulus Impact!" Lucy commanded.
Loke bathed his fist in light and slammed it into Laxus's side while he was recovering from the impact.
Laxus grunted, sliding back a few feet.
Cana smirked, adopting a combat stance that was a mix of fluid card weaving and rigid martial arts.
"Don't get cocky!" Laxus roared. "Raging Bolt!"
A massive pillar of lightning descended from the cave ceiling.
"Gemini!" Lucy switched keys rapidly. "Copy Cana!"
Two Canas appeared.
"Card Magic: Mirror Wall!" both Canas shouted.
They created a reflective surface that diverted the lightning bolt into the walls, causing a massive cave-in on the left side.
"Nice one, Lucy!" Cana yelled.
"I can't keep this up forever, his magic power is monstrous!" Lucy cried, her breathing heavy.
Laxus decided to escalate. He engaged Cana in hand-to-hand combat.
He threw a lightning-infused jab.
Cana didn't just dodge; she danced on the air.
"Kami-e (Paper Art)!"
Cana's body went limp, fluttering like a leaf in the wind, avoiding Laxus's furious strikes by millimeters.
"Stop dodging!" Laxus shouted, sweeping her legs.
Cana jumped. She kicked the air.
"Geppo (Moonwalk)!"
She launched herself toward the ceiling, gaining high ground.
"Card Magic: Explosion!"
She rained down exploding cards like a carpet bomber.
Laxus swatted the explosions away, annoyed. "You're annoying!"
He launched himself into the air to meet her.
"Rankyaku (Tempest Kick)!" Cana swung her leg, generating a blade of compressed air.
Laxus blocked it with his arm, but the force pushed him down.
Laxus landed and prepared a Dragon Slayer Roar. He took a deep breath.
Cana landed in front of him. Her expression changed. The playfulness was gone.
She held out her hand, palm open. No cards.
"I didn't want to use this," Cana whispered. "But against you, I have no choice."
White energy gathered in her palm. It wasn't card magic. It was raw, destructive, shattering power.
Laxus's eyes widened.
"CRUSH!"
Cana slammed her hand into the empty air.
CRACK.
The space in front of her shattered like glass. The shockwave hit Laxus mid-breath. It didn't cut him; it smashed the very magic he was gathering into pieces. His Lightning Dragon's Roar fizzled out, disassembled into harmless static.
Laxus stumbled back, coughing.
He looked at her with new eyes. The connection. The determination. It clicked.
"Now, Lucy!" Cana shouted, the recoil of the Crush magic hurting her arm.
"Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! AQUARIUS!"
Lucy summoned her powerhouse. Aquarius appeared, looking furious (mostly at Lucy).
"Don't order me around!" Aquarius screamed, but she unleashed a massive tidal wave.
Laxus yelled as the water threw him towards the wall.
The water receded. The cave was soaked.
Laxus stood there. He was wet, his coat was ruined, and he had a bruise on his cheek. He wasn't defeated—not by a long shot—but he was breathing hard.
Opposite him, Cana and Lucy were barely standing. They were out of mana. They had thrown their absolute best combo at him.
Laxus wiped the water from his face. He looked at Cana. He saw the fire of a parent protecting their child, the fire of someone desperate to prove their worth. He saw the shadow of Gildarts in her Crush magic, and the shadow of Blake in her martial arts.
He looked at Lucy. He saw the loyalty and the cleverness to use her spirits not just for power, but for tactical advantage.
Laxus powered down. The lightning stopped arcing around his body.
"That's enough," Laxus grunted.
Cana flinched, raising her fists wearily. "We can... still fight..."
"I said that's enough," Laxus walked over to them. He towered over the two women.
He looked down at Cana.
Laxus smirked. It wasn't his usual arrogant sneer. It was a smirk of approval.
"I'm not going to beat up my guildmates when they've already proven they aren't weaklings. You made me sweat. You made me use defensive magic. And you survived my lightning."
He pointed a thumb at the tunnel behind him.
"Get going. Before I change my mind and decide to fry you for ruining my coat."
Cana's legs gave out. She sat down on the wet rock, laughing hysterically. "We... we did it."
Lucy hugged her, crying tears of relief. "We survived Laxus! We actually survived!"
Laxus watched them gather themselves. He crossed his arms, leaning against the cave wall.
"Hey, Cana," Laxus called out as they started walking toward the exit.
Cana stopped. "Yeah?"
"Best of Luck" Laxus paused. "And if you encounter natsu in future fights give him an extra punch from me."
Cana smiled. "I will."
As they disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel leading to the Second Trial, Laxus let out a long sigh.
---
One by one, the teams emerged from the tunnels into the humid jungle of Tenrou Island's interior.
Natsu and Happy stumbled out, looking traumatized but determined.
Gray and Brandish walked out, Gray looking exhausted, Brandish looking bored.
Levy and Gajeel emerged, Gajeel complaining about boredom.
And finally, Cana and Lucy emerged, soaking wet and smelling of ozone.
Master Makarov was waiting for them in a clearing, sitting on a stump.
"Congratulations!" Makarov announced. "You have survived the First Trial! But do not rest yet. The Second Trial begins now!"
He looked at the battered faces of his children. He saw growth. He saw fear overcome.
"The next task," Makarov pointed to the massive tree. "Is to find the grave of First Guild Master of Fairy Tail, Mavis Vermillion."
The wind howled through the branches of the Tenrou Tree. The trials were far from over, and unbeknownst to them all, a dark shadow was approaching the island—a shadow far darker than any examiner they had faced in the caves. The Black Wizard Zeref was awake, and the Grimoire Heart guild was setting its sails toward their holy ground. The real battle was just beginning.