Time always passes swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, the date was now December 8th, X784.
This day was another important occasion for Fairy Tail, following the Harvest Festival.
In the familiar first-floor guild hall, a temporarily erected stage was blocked by two large white curtains. The hall was packed to the brim with people—some engaged in loud, animated discussions, others whispering to each other, and some even openly displaying affection.
But everyone's expressions were filled with anticipation.
Lucy leaned on a table, completely unaware of what was happening today. "Ah—what is it anyway? Even Natsu and Happy wouldn't tell me, saying I should wait for a surprise..."
Wendy placed Carla on the table. "Big Brother kept it from me too."
"You two weaklings, what are you so worried about?" Carla was as sharp-tongued as ever.
Lilly carried the magical sword he used in Edolas, a weapon capable of changing size, on his back as he followed behind Gajeel, looking around at their lively companions in confusion.
"What's going on? Is today some important day?"
"Not sure."
Gajeel smacked his lips. "But when I walked Levy home yesterday, she mentioned that the Master had something important to announce today. I forgot the specifics."
Lilly's ears twitched from afar. "You can forget that? Gajeel, are you even awake?"
"Ahem... This lord was only focused on escorting Levy home. You don't understand, the nights in Magnolia aren't always peaceful; there are terrorists lurking..."
"That 'terrorist' was clearly you."
Hope, who happened to be passing by, couldn't resist chiming in with a sarcastic remark. "If it weren't for me that day, Levy and her two lick... I mean, her two teammates, would have been bullied miserably by you. How could she possibly have ended up dating you?"
"How dare you slander my good name out of thin air..."
"What good name? That night, I personally pinned you down on that wooden cart and paraded you through the streets."
Gajeel's face flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead as he argued, "Losing to a vehicle doesn't count as... losing! Can a Dragon Slayer Mage's actions be considered stealing?"
This was followed by a series of incomprehensible mutterings, things like "I was careless and didn't dodge" and "It wasn't my fault, Jose corrupted me," which caused everyone nearby to burst into laughter.
The guild hall, inside and out, was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
"Hmph, such a racket."
"What's the old man dawdling for? Why hasn't it started yet?"
Laxus cast a disdainful glance before turning his gaze towards the stage. He had specifically led the Thunder God Tribe on a month of intensive training just for this day.
At the neighboring table, Gildarts, who was drinking with his two old friends Macao and Wakaba, teased, "The time hasn't come yet, Laxus. You're getting impatient."
"I don't need you to tell me that."
Facing the guild's strongest man, Laxus showed no respect whatsoever. "Since the time hasn't come, let's go outside and fight. I've been coveting the title of Fairy Tail's strongest for a long time now, Gildarts!"
Laxus's voice wasn't loud, but it struck like a thunderclap, causing the lively crowd in the hall to turn and look.
Were they going to fight?
Fairy Tail's Strongest vs. Fairy Tail's Strongest of the Younger Generation.
This was explosive. Witnessing it firsthand would be worth the price of admission, even if it meant death.
Fried wanted to dissuade Laxus, but Gildarts spoke first. "Sorry, I'm no longer the guild's strongest Mage."
"Go challenge Hope. He's the strongest now."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall instantly fell silent.
Although everyone had vaguely entertained such thoughts, hearing Gildarts personally admit he was inferior to Hope still delivered a significant psychological shock to the group.
Hope also walked over, sat down with a grin, and slung an arm around Laxus's shoulders. "Hey, Laxus, I hear you want to challenge me?"
"Bastard! Get your hand off me!"
Ever since his public humiliation by Hope, Laxus had developed a psychological shadow towards him. Being forced to ride that rocking horse with his eyes closed in front of the entire guild... it was just too embarrassing.
At that moment, a familiar cough echoed through the hall via amplification magic. The room instantly quieted, and all eyes focused on the stage.
With a *whoosh*, the white curtains were pulled open to both sides.
Makarov stood at the center of the stage, wearing a solemn robe emblazoned with the Fairy Tail emblem, hands clasped behind his back. His gaze swept over every familiar face in the audience.
Standing beside him were Erza, Mirajane, and Mystogan. All five of Fairy Tail's S-Class Mages were gathered together today, a rare occurrence.
"Finally!"
"Master—!"
"Start the announcement!"
"Who are the candidates this year?!"
"..."
"Ahem!" Makarov cleared his throat.
"In accordance with the tradition established since Fairy Tail's founding, we have once again reached this important annual occasion—the S-Class Mage Promotion Exam!"
"Woooooooh—!!!"
Deafening cheers and whistles erupted from the audience below. The roof of the entire guild hall seemed about to be blown off by the sound waves, a testament to everyone's enthusiasm.
Lilly was startled by the sudden outburst, his ears flattening against his head. "The S-Class Promotion Exam... I see."
Lucy and Wendy finally understood what the surprise was. But the exam had absolutely nothing to do with the two of them, as new guild members...
Indeed, the reason almost all Fairy Tail members chose to gather at the guild on this day was for one thing and one thing only.
The S-Class Mage Promotion Exam.
"Quiet!"
Makarov raised a hand to calm the crowd, though a smile played on his lips. "This year's exam will be held at the guild's sacred ground—Tenrou Island!"
Tenrou Island was the place where Fairy Tail's four founders first met. After establishing the guild, to commemorate this wonderful fate, the four founders designated Tenrou Island as Fairy Tail's sacred ground.
For Fairy Tail, this place held immense symbolic significance. Holding the exam on Tenrou Island this time undoubtedly added substantial weight to the proceedings.
Of course, the difficulty of the exam was likely to be the highest it had been in recent years.
"Over this past year, I have witnessed each of your strength, hearts, and spirits."
Makarov unrolled a scroll of parchment in his hand and spoke again, his voice steady. "Now, I shall announce the list of participants for this year's guild S-Class Mage Promotion Exam. There are eight participants in total."
"First, Natsu Dragneel!"
"Wahahaha! It's finally my turn! I'm fired up!"
Natsu was so excited he almost leaped onto the stage. He desperately wanted to become an S-Class Mage. However, his fiery enthusiasm was instantly doused by a single disapproving look from Erza.
"Gray Fullbuster!"
Gray crossed his arms, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Finally, this day has come. I won't lose to you, Natsu."
"Juvia Lockser!" Makarov continued reading.
Juvia looked utterly bewildered. She had been an S-Class in Phantom Lord, that was true, but in Fairy Tail, she was still considered a newcomer. Could she really participate?
"Elfman Strauss!"
Elfman roared, his muscles bulging. "A real man should aim for S-Class!"
"Go for it, Elfman-brother~" Lisanna, his sweet little sister, offered encouraging words.
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