Seeing everyone being so proactive, Juvia fidgeted nervously and stammered:
"Um... Juvia wants to withdraw from the S-Class Exam..."
Wendy, sitting beside her, asked in surprise, "Why? It's rare for someone who just joined the guild to get a chance to become an S-Class Mage, isn't it?"
Juvia muttered quietly, "Because... Juvia wants to be... with Gray-sama... as partners..."
Gray didn't catch her mosquito-like whisper and frowned. "What did you say?"
Juvia grew even more nervous, clutching her clothes and murmuring shyly, "I mean... I want... that is..."
Seeing Juvia too embarrassed to speak, kind-hearted Lucy teased Gray, "She means she wants to be your partner!"
"Is that so?"
"Lucy really wants to steal Gray-sama from Juvia!" Juvia tearfully looked at Lucy, her voice growing louder.
Lucy slumped in exasperation. "I'm not doing any such thing."
Gray shook his head with a smile. "Sorry Juvia, I already chose my partner a long time ago."
"Eh?"
At that moment, a familiar figure in a sharp suit appeared right behind Gray, greeting everyone with a smooth smile.
"Yo! Is everyone doing well?"
"Loke?!"
Lucy instinctively touched her key pouch, shocked. "When did you come out?!"
Gray explained proudly, "Loke and I made a promise last year—whoever takes the S-Class Exam first would partner with the other."
Loke bowed apologetically. "Sorry Lucy, during the S-Class Exam period, our contract will be temporarily suspended~"
"But don't worry, I used my own Magic Power to cross over from the Celestial Spirit World, so it won't affect your daily use of Celestial Spirit Magic."
Lucy's eyes widened in confusion.
Her body trembled incredulously as she muttered in despair, "How can there be a Celestial Spirit who acts so arbitrarily?!"
Ankh, carefully carving with his engraving knife while polishing a high-purity Magic Crystal, casually remarked, "Isn't that because you usually spoil your Celestial Spirits too much?"
Lucy retorted defiantly, "You're the same as me though..."
"I don't usually bother Ophiuchus, so it doesn't matter to me."
Ankh's thirteenth zodiac Celestial Spirit, Ophiuchus, had mostly been used as a temporary mount for travel ever since following him, and was rarely called upon for actual combat.
Moreover, Ankh's Magic Power was far more formidable than Lucy's, which granted Ophiuchus considerable freedom in her daily life.
She often lingered in the human world using Ankh's magic, frequently spotted by guild members indulging in desserts at local pastry shops.
Lucy was left speechless, while Gray turned to Juvia and encouraged her, "So that's how it is. You should choose your partner carefully. It's been a while since we had a big battle together!"
"A... big battle... Mmm—"
Juvia's face flushed crimson as she covered her cheeks and began swaying, her mind already conjuring various highly suggestive scenarios.
Lisanna then raised her hand energetically and declared, "Then I'll be Juvia's partner!"
Although Lisanna hadn't experienced the "death incident" in this timeline, she maintained the exact same close relationship with Juvia as she did in the original storyline.
The clever young girl adored teasing this easily-flustered girl.
Juvia, while slightly wary about Lisanna potentially stealing Gray's attention (a concern she held toward literally all females, even Carla), genuinely cherished Lisanna's sunny and lively nature—qualities she felt she lacked herself.
Aside from the strongest team and Gajeel, Lisanna was arguably Juvia's closest friend in the guild.
Thus, the complementary pair of girls formed their partnership, with Juvia and Lisanna officially becoming a team.
Seeing his younger sister suddenly join another team, Elfman anxiously lamented.
"Wait, isn't Lisanna teaming up with me? Does that mean I'll be left alone as a man?!"
"Is that so?" Lisanna feigned confusion with impish charm before pointing at a slender figure nearby.
"But someone over there seems to have been watching you with passionate eyes for quite a while now."
Elfman turned to see Evergreen seated at the bar counter.
Her eyes behind her glasses were fixed intently on him without blinking.
Lisanna whispered mischievously, "She seems quite upset that Freed chose Bickslow as his partner."
Elfman felt goosebumps rising all over his muscular body as he stammered, "Lisanna, how are those passionate eyes?! Those are clearly eyes that can turn people to stone!"
During the Fairy Tail 'War', the two had briefly clashed, though that encounter ended with both being heavily disciplined by Mirajane's rampage.
During the incident, Elfman and Evergreen had indeed been locked in a prolonged embrace, but the overwhelming, terrifying pressure from his sister had overshadowed any potential romantic tension.
Since then, Evergreen would frequently tease and criticize Elfman in daily life, with Elfman suffering petrification whenever he talked back—somehow forming a bizarre, bickering love-hate relationship between them.
Thus, under Lisanna's reminder (and matchmaking), the "Double E" couple officially debuted as a team.
With this, nearly everyone present had found their partners, leaving only Levy quietly playing with her skirt hem, lost in thought.
Beside her, the Shadow Gear members Jet and Droy were heatedly arguing, both vying to become Levy's partner for the S-Class Trial.
Levy let out a sigh, blaming herself for hesitating earlier.
Originally, Levy had intended to ask Lucy to be her partner.
Given their ironclad friendship, Lucy would have agreed far more decisively than she did with Cana.
But... when the words reached her lips, Levy inexplicably hesitated as she thought of another person.
Yes, in the face of a crush, even a best friend had to take a back seat.
After all, the bond with a best friend wouldn't waver, but the status of a crush might just evolve further...
Now, Lucy had been chosen by Cana as a partner, and Levy still hadn't figured out how to approach that person.
"If you want to become an S-Class Mage, I'll help you."
Just as Levy was feeling lost and dejected, a familiar, gruff voice sounded from behind her.
Towering over Levy, Gajeel stood with his arms crossed, his fierce gaze fixed directly on her.
A flutter of excitement stirred in Levy's heart, but it was quickly replaced by a hint of insecurity and self-doubt.
She muttered, "But... I'm so small and not as strong as everyone else. I'll probably get knocked down in no time."
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Levy felt herself floating in the air.
She immediately realized Gajeel had grabbed the back of her collar, lifting her up like a tiny kitten by the scruff of its neck.
"Stop it, let me down..."
Ignoring Levy's whiny complaints and struggles, Gajeel met her gaze and said seriously.
"As long as I'm here, I'll make you strong."
Most people would be deeply intimidated by the intensity of Gajeel's stare.
But Levy's face simply flushed bright red instead.
She poked her index fingers together and let out a soft hum, which probably meant she agreed...
And so, the iron-willed straight man and the bookish girl formed their team.
Panther Lily stood proudly not far away, watching the two with deep satisfaction, as if witnessing his own foolish son successfully wooing a young lady from a noble family!
Jet and Droy looked dejected, staring sorrowfully at the pair as if they had just watched the goddess they had tirelessly pursued ride off in another man's luxury sports car.
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