"Waaah! You idiot! ICE-MAKE: SHIELD."
Gray, scared out of his wits, instantly unleashed his magic, raising a thick ice barrier between himself and Natsu.
The filth splattered all over the wall.
"Damn you, Natsu. Do you want to die?" Gray's face turned green as he looked at the mess on the ice, his fists cracking.
"Ugh... I feel so sick... Gray... I'm gonna..." Natsu seemed to feel a little better after throwing up, but his eyes were still unfocused as he reached out to grab Gray's leg.
"Get away from me. ICE-MAKE: ICE GEYSER."
Gray completely lost it.
He kicked Natsu away and simultaneously created a small ice geyser under him, sending Natsu tumbling across the deck several times before he crashed into the mast and passed out completely, a small lump of ice on his head.
"..."
The onlookers who had witnessed the entire event were speechless.
Happy flew over while crying, "Natsu! Are you okay, Natsu?"
"Hah... finally, some peace and quiet." Gray dusted the non-existent dirt from his hands and walked back to his sunbathing spot with a look of disgust, as if he had just disposed of a bag of trash.
Watching the unconscious Natsu and the rampaging Gray, Elfman let out a huge sigh of relief and shot Gray a look that might have been gratitude.
The process was a bit violent, but the result... was good.
After this farce, a brief calm returned to the deck, leaving only the sound of the wind and the waves.
Just then, Master Makarov, who had been gazing out from the bow, turned around.
His small frame now exuded an unquestionable authority. He coughed lightly, and though the sound wasn't loud, it carried clearly to every corner of the deck.
Everyone fell silent, their focus shifting to him.
"Had enough fun, have you, boys and girls?" Makarov's gaze slowly swept over each young face, pausing for a moment on the unconscious Natsu.
The corner of his mouth twitched, but he quickly regained his serious expression.
"Since you are all prepared, I will now announce the final rules for this year's S-Class Exam."
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
The playful smiles vanished, replaced by focus and solemnity.
Erza straightened her back, Mirajane's smile faded, Cana put down her wine flask, and Ace and Lisanna stood tall.
Even the unconscious Natsu seemed to groggily half-open his eyes as Happy shook him.
"The location of the trial, as you have been told, is our guild's sacred ground—Tenrou Island." Makarov's voice carried a heavy gravity.
"Upon landing, all candidates and their partners will undergo trials guided by the will of the First Master, Mavis Vermillion, and the island's own ancient rules."
He paused, his sharp gaze feeling almost tangible. "It is fraught with peril, and there will be no room for luck. Failure means elimination, and you may even face mortal danger."
The deck was silent, save for the whistling of the sea wind.
"The sole objective is to reach the 'Sacred Ground' in the deepest part of the island. Only those who reach it and are acknowledged by the First Master's will shall be qualified to advance to S-Class," Makarov continued.
"Along the way, competition is not forbidden, cooperation is not forbidden, and... combat is not forbidden. The choice is yours. But remember, you are all mages of Fairy Tail. Know your limits and where to draw the line."
"The final rule," the Master's voice suddenly rose, carrying an ironclad force, "is that you must not take a companion's life, nor intentionally cause permanent injury. Violators will be disqualified, expelled from the guild, and held accountable for life. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master!" everyone answered in unison, their voices echoing across the open sea.
"Very good." Makarov nodded, his stern expression softening slightly as a trace of concern and expectation appeared in his eyes.
"Then, I wish you good luck, children of Fairy Tail. May the glory of the First Master be with you."
He turned and pointed toward the horizon.
There, the silhouette of an island shrouded in light mist was gradually becoming visible.
The sailboat began to slow down, eventually coming to a gentle stop a few hundred meters from the shore.
The water was too shallow for the large ship to get any closer.
Natsu had somehow struggled to his feet.
Though his face was still pale, his eyes burned with a blazing fire.
"Aye!" Happy activated his magic, sprouting a pair of white wings from his back.
He grabbed Natsu's collar and flapped vigorously, flying unsteadily toward the island.
"Finally... I feel fully revived! Here I come!" Natsu's roar was filled with the excitement of renewed vitality.
"Hmph, show off." Gray walked to the ship's railing, looked down at the azure water below, and placed one hand on the wood.
"Ice-Make: Floor."
A blast of cold air erupted, and a wide, crystal-clear ice slide extended from the side of the ship, pointing straight to the beach of Tenrou Island.
The surface of the slide was as smooth as a mirror.
Without hesitation, Gray leaped, landed steadily on the ice, and slid forward, moving at an incredible speed with a stylish posture.
Ace's mouth twitched as he watched.
This move... it gave him a strong sense of déjà vu, like something straight out of Admiral Aokiji's playbook.
"Let's go too, Lisanna," Ace said to the girl beside him.
"Okay." Lisanna nodded, took a deep breath, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and chanted softly.
"Animal Soul: Fish."
Crystalline fin-like structures appeared where Lisanna's ears were, transparent webbing formed between her fingers and toes, and several thin gill slits appeared on the sides of her neck, opening and closing slightly as she breathed.
Her figure became more streamlined, and her skin seemed to take on a protective sheen that shimmered in the sun.
"Ace-nii, hold on tight."
In her aquatic form, Lisanna extended a hand to Ace, her smile bright.
She had less of her usual girlish charm now and more of the agility and exotic beauty of a creature of the sea.
Ace took Lisanna's hand—the touch was cool and slick—and wrapped his other arm around her slender yet strong waist.
The lines of her body felt even more fluid in this form.
Lisanna's face reddened slightly, but she quickly adjusted her posture.
"Here we go. Water Slicer."
Lisanna called out lightly and leaped into the sea with Ace.
The moment they hit the water, Ace felt a gentle force envelop him as Lisanna's speed suddenly surged.
She seemed to merge with the ocean, darting through it with ease, pulling Ace along as she broke the surface and sped toward the beach of Tenrou Island, leaving a long white wake behind them.
The water rushing past his face was cool and comfortable; it didn't feel like being dragged, but more like experiencing a high-speed dive.
"Amazing," Ace praised sincerely.
Her speed wasn't much slower than Gray's ice slide.
Soon, all four teams of eight people (plus one cat) had set foot on the beach of Tenrou Island.
Beneath their feet lay fine white sand.
Ahead loomed a primeval jungle so dense they couldn't see inside.
Towering trees nearly blotted out the sky, and tangled vines exuded an ancient and mysterious aura.
The air was thick with a mixture of scents: earth, decaying leaves, and distinct magical particles.
From the depths of the island, the faint howls of unknown beasts and the sound of birds flapping their wings echoed toward them.