Chapter 466: Using Your Own Grave as an Exam Objective... That Feels Weird
"It seems Gildarts still acknowledges Natsu's spirit," Noah smiled, watching the screen as Gildarts offered his encouragement and left the cavern, giving Natsu and Happy some time to calm down and process the trial.
"Indeed," Laxus nodded. The fact that Gildarts had intentionally held back, taking the time and effort to carefully teach Natsu such a vital lesson, proved as much.
"Alright then. With that, three teams have officially settled their trials," Noah announced, checking the status of the holographic screens.
"Three teams?" Yukino asked, slightly confused. She had been so engrossed in the intense battles that she hadn't kept track.
"Freed and Levy, Natsu and Happy, and Simon and Kagura. Simon's team chose the 'Peace' route, meaning they didn't have to fight at all," Noah explained.
"Oh, right there," Wendy pointed to one of the screens. Yukino followed her finger and saw Simon and Kagura walking calmly down a completely empty tunnel.
"Ah, I see," Yukino nodded in realization. The explosive fights on the other screens had completely stolen her attention, making her overlook the peaceful route.
"How is the exam progressing?"
Lucy walked over from a distance, accompanied by one of Noah's Thought Projections. As they approached, the projection seamlessly merged back into Noah's true body.
"Lucy! You're here too?" Wendy exclaimed in pleasant surprise.
"Mhm. I came to help out," Lucy smiled.
"I asked Lucy to come. I needed her specific magic to help modify the barrier around Tenrou Island," Noah explained to the group.
Earlier that morning, Noah had dispatched a Thought Projection to fetch Lucy and bring her to the island. If the specific contingency protocols they had designed needed to be activated, her magic was the key. Ever since she arrived, Lucy had been meticulously double-checking her assigned portion of the barrier, wanting to be absolutely certain there were no errors. She had only just finished her final sweep.
"Good work out there. Come sit and rest for a bit," Mirajane offered her a cup of warm water with a sweet smile.
"Thank you," Lucy accepted the cup gratefully.
"Hm? Someone... no, a cat is approaching," Noah suddenly muttered, looking off into the distance. He raised his hand, and an instant later, a muscular black cat with a large sword strapped to his back materialized out of thin air right in front of them.
"Lily?! What are you doing here?" Carla gasped in surprise.
Startled by the sudden teleportation, Panther Lily instinctively reached over his shoulder, drawing his newly purchased sword and dropping into a defensive stance. Once he realized he was surrounded by the S-Class mages and the rest of the support team, he slowly sheathed his weapon.
Putting away the map he had been holding, Lily looked around in confusion. "This must be Tenrou Island... but I was just flying over the open ocean. I shouldn't have been this close yet."
"I sensed your magic signature approaching with a map, so I just teleported you the rest of the way," Noah explained.
"I see. That's an incredibly vast sensory range," Lily noted, impressed. He then looked at the group seriously. "It seems my suspicions were correct. Something is happening."
Wendy looked at Noah nervously.
"Tell us what you found," Noah prompted Lily.
"Over the past few days, I noticed that Carla seemed incredibly on edge. Wendy and the others as well. This anxiety only started after the S-Class exam was announced.
"Furthermore, the atmosphere around you S-Class mages felt incredibly familiar. It felt exactly like the tension of an army preparing for war. But this is just an internal guild exam—there is absolutely no reason to prepare for war. Concerned that something dangerous was looming, I decided to follow you," Lily explained his reasoning.
"Ah, I forgot you used to be a high-ranking military commander. Your instincts for this sort of thing are much sharper than most," Noah nodded in realization. "You are correct. We have reason to believe that a major incident might occur during this exam, so we've been making extensive preparations in advance. Since you're already here, I'd like to ask a favor: if things do go south, please help look after Wendy, Yukino, Meredy, and Carla. They are strong, but they lack real-world combat experience against lethal threats."
Since Lily was already here, Noah decided to put him to good use. A seasoned, battle-hardened veteran like Panther Lily was the perfect person to cover the younger girls' lack of practical experience.
"Understood. I will protect them," Lily agreed firmly.
"Also, the candidates taking the exam do not know about this. Keep it that way," Noah instructed.
Lily nodded solemnly.
"Alright, it's about time I head to the finish line to wait for them," Makarov announced, standing up after seeing that all the tunnel trials had concluded on the screens.
"I'll teleport the eliminated candidates and the examiners here to the base camp first, then I'll take you to the finish line, Grandpa," Noah said. He then turned to Mavis, who was hovering nearby. "First Master, do you..."
"There's no need to hide my presence from them. Everyone here is permitted to know I exist," Mavis shook her head with a smile.
"I still can't believe the First Master exists in a form like this. It's truly amazing!" Wendy gasped, looking at the ethereal girl in awe.
"Mhm!" Yukino nodded vigorously. When they had first been introduced to the petite girl and told she was the legendary First Master of Fairy Tail, they had been absolutely terrified and utterly shocked. It took them quite a while to process the reality of the situation.
"First Master?" Lily asked, thoroughly confused by the conversation.
"We'll explain everything once I bring the others over. I'm sure they're going to be just as shocked. Honestly, I'm really looking forward to seeing their faces," Noah smirked mischievously.
With a wave of his hand, everyone currently inside the tunnels—both the eliminated candidates and the examiners—were instantly teleported to the base camp.
Leaving a Thought Projection behind to enjoy the sheer panic and confusion when the newcomers learned of Mavis's existence, Noah's true body grabbed Makarov and teleported directly to the end of the first trial's designated path.
The teams that had successfully passed their respective tunnels were already gathered there.
"It looks like everyone is here," Makarov announced as he and Noah materialized before the successful candidates.
"I will now announce the results of the first trial.
"Gray and Loke successfully broke through Sorano's fierce trial. Pass!" Makarov declared.
"Incredible!" Levy gasped in awe.
"Haha... we only passed because Sorano didn't completely annihilate us," Gray winced, rubbing his aching sides with a bitter smile.
"Yeah, that really hurt," Loke groaned, massaging a particularly nasty bruise on his shoulder. They had been subjected to a brutal, one-sided beatdown by Sorano's angelic summons. Fortunately, despite her foul mood, she hadn't forgotten her role as an examiner. Once she confirmed their strength and teamwork met the threshold, she let them pass.
"Freed and Levy defeated Elfman and Lisanna on the 'Battle' route. Pass!" Makarov continued.
"I'm actually not surprised by that one," Gray noted.
"Indeed. Having the time to lay down a runic trap beforehand guarantees a massive advantage," Loke nodded in agreement.
"Hehe!" Levy smiled proudly.
"Natsu and Happy overcame Gildarts's fierce trial. Pass!"
"BULLSHIT!" Gray roared instantly, his eyes bugging out of his head. The others stared in sheer, unadulterated disbelief.
Natsu, however, didn't react at all. He simply sat on a nearby rock, resting his chin on his hand, unusually quiet.
"Simon and Kagura luckily selected the 'Peace' route. Pass!"
"Our luck was incredible today," Kagura smiled warmly, and Simon nodded in agreement.
"Dammit!" The other candidates glared at them with fierce envy. They had fought tooth and nail, suffering painful beatings just to pass, while those two literally took a leisurely stroll! Such unfair luck!
"Lyon and Meredy defeated Bickslow and Evergreen on the 'Battle' route. Pass!" Makarov finished.
"We only won because of Meredy," Lyon said, looking at his partner with deep gratitude.
"No, no, I was just doing my job as your partner," Meredy blushed, waving her hands humbly.
Lyon didn't press the issue, but he knew perfectly well how crucial her contribution had been. Without Meredy's sensory links and powerful buffs amplifying his magic, he would never have won that fight. Bickslow and Evergreen were an incredibly formidable duo.
"Wait... Juvia was eliminated?" Gray asked, noticing her absence. Lyon also looked at Makarov in surprise.
Makarov's expression instantly darkened into a look of profound grief, startling both ice mages.
"Wh-What happened, old man?!" Gray took a step back, suddenly terrified.
"Juvia and Gajeel... ran into her... the female knight who knows no mercy," Makarov said grimly.
"Ah." Gray instantly understood.
"Juvia and Gajeel fought brilliantly, but Erza is simply too strong. There was nothing they could do," Noah chuckled from the sidelines.
"As expected of Erza..." The present candidates wiped the cold sweat from their brows, silently thanking the heavens they hadn't run into her. If they had, they would have undoubtedly suffered the same fate. Given Juvia and Gajeel's combined strength, the fact that they were eliminated proved just how terrifying Erza truly was.
"Ahem. In conclusion, the teams advancing past the first trial are: Gray & Loke, Freed & Levy, Natsu & Happy, Simon & Kagura, and Lyon & Meredy. Five teams in total," Makarov announced, while holographic portraits of the passing teams materialized in the air beside him.
"We will now commence the second trial."
"Natsu, how long are you going to stay depressed?" Happy asked, flying over to his partner. Natsu had been sitting completely still, resting his chin on his hands, totally silent—a stark contrast to his usual hyperactive self.
"I'm not depressed. I'm just thinking about some things," Natsu replied calmly.
"NATSU IS... THINKING ABOUT THINGS?!" Happy shrieked in absolute, world-shattering panic.
"Natsu might be an idiot most of the time, but you shouldn't underestimate him that much," Noah laughed, overhearing the dramatic reaction.
Suddenly, Natsu shot to his feet. He pointed a fiery finger at the other candidates and roared, "Gray! Freed! Simon! Lyon! Let's settle this right here, right now! Let's see who's going to become the S-Class mage!"
"Bring it on! I absolutely won't lose!" Gray accepted the challenge instantly.
"I have no intention of losing either," Lyon stated firmly.
"Then let's test our mettle," Freed smiled confidently.
Simon crossed his arms and returned Natsu's fiery grin.
"I'M ALL FIRED UP!" Natsu roared, igniting both his fists.
"Aye, sir!" Happy cheered loyally.
"I'll do everything I can to make sure you become S-Class, Brother!" Kagura looked at Simon with unwavering resolve.
"I'll support you with everything I've got, Freed!" Levy promised.
"I'm counting on you," Freed nodded.
"I'll do my best!" Meredy told Lyon.
"With your support, I have nothing to worry about," Lyon smiled.
"With my help, you're guaranteed to become an S-Class mage," Loke smirked at Gray.
"Thanks, man," Gray grinned.
"Alright, listen up! I will now announce the objective of the second S-Class Promotion Trial," Makarov declared, seeing that everyone's fighting spirit was at its peak.
The candidates instantly fell silent, hanging onto his every word.
"The objective of the second trial is to search this island and locate the grave of Fairy Tail's First Master, Mavis Vermillion!" Makarov revealed.
"The First Master?" "Mavis's grave?" The candidates exchanged confused glances.
"What? That sounds super easy!" Natsu laughed, completely unfazed.
"The time limit is exactly six hours! Remember, you only have six hours! I will be waiting for you at Mavis's grave," Makarov stated. With that, he turned and began walking away.
"Do your best, everyone! Oh, and try not to harm the local wildlife!" Noah smiled, waving at them before following Makarov.
"Alright! Let's go, Happy!" Natsu roared, instantly sprinting off into the dense jungle.
"Aye!" Happy flew after him.
"Let's move out." The other teams exchanged wary glances before scattering in different directions to begin their search.
"I didn't expect you to use the First Master's grave as the objective for the second trial," Noah remarked as he caught up to Makarov.
He hadn't involved himself in designing the trials; Makarov and Mavis had finalized the details in private over a week ago. This was the first Noah was hearing of it.
"It was actually the First Master's idea. I didn't expect it either," Makarov admitted. "According to her, any candidate who reaches her grave within the time limit will be granted a one-time use of the grand magic, Fairy Glitter."
"A single use of Fairy Glitter as a reward? That's quite generous," Noah nodded approvingly. The version of Fairy Glitter sealed within Mavis's grave was a highly optimized, modified variant; its power was immense. A single cast was more than enough to serve as an ultimate trump card in a critical battle.
"Let's head back to the base camp for now. I'll monitor the grave from there. Once someone arrives, I'll teleport you over, Grandpa," Noah suggested.
"Sounds good," Makarov agreed.
Noah raised his hand, and the two instantly teleported back to the base camp.
Upon arriving, Noah saw Wendy actively casting healing magic on a heavily battered Juvia and Gajeel. Nearby, Laxus was comforting Bickslow and Evergreen, both of whom were covered in fresh bandages.
On the other side of the camp, Mirajane was gently consoling Elfman and Lisanna. Being eliminated so quickly without even putting up a real fight had clearly dealt a massive blow to their pride. Fortunately, under Mirajane's soothing words, their expressions were already looking much better.
"Using your own grave as an exam objective... that feels so weird," Lucy muttered. She had just learned the details of the second trial and was utterly baffled that it was Mavis's own idea.
"It makes perfect sense if you think about it. Look around—where are we? Tenrou Island, the holy ground of Fairy Tail. As the First Master and founder of the guild, her grave is essentially the most significant landmark on the island. When you view it as the ultimate symbol of our guild's history, it doesn't seem weird at all," Noah chuckled.
"I guess you can look at it that way..." Lucy's mouth twitched, still finding the whole concept incredibly bizarre.
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