3 year later
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sharp sound of leather boots hitting solid stone echoed down the endless, pitch-black corridor. Merlin walked through the darkness, his hands tucked loosely inside the wide sleeves of his white robes. He didn't carry a torch. Instead, as he strolled past the ancient stone walls, numerous iron torches bolted to the masonry ignited on their own, bursting into ghostly, pale white flames that illuminated his path with an eerie, freezing glow.
He was absentmindedly humming a lazy, disjointed tune, his mind drifting back to the massive magical anchors he had hidden deep within this vault centuries ago.
This entire sub-dimension was his creation. A sealed pocket of reality he had carved out during the ancient war era, a private sandbox tucked completely away from the eyes of the rest of the world.
Merlin stopped. Right in front of him stood a colossal iron door covered in intricate geometric carvings that pulsed with a faint, dormant energy. He stood quietly for a second, his expression turning neutral as he looked at the frost forming over the iron handles.
He placed a single hand against the surface and pushed.
HISSS!
The massive door groaned open, and a thick, freezing wave of bone-chilling white mist violently erupted from the crack. The fog rolled across his boots like a liquid wave, instantly turning the stone floorboards behind him into slick, glittering ice.
Merlin stepped through the vapor, his white robes rustling as he entered the frozen heart of the dungeon.
ROOOR!
A deafening, primal roar ripped through the cavern, the sheer concussive force of the sound wave violently cracking the thick icicles hanging from the ceiling.
Sitting in the center of the colossal ice cavern, anchored by heavy, glowing runic chains, was-
Kryos, the Frost Dragon Queen.
She was absolutely humongous, her breathtaking body covered in pristine white frost scales that looked like shards of shattered glass. Her sharp reptile eyes glowed with a deep, merciless ocean blue as she glared down at him, her massive chest heaving with ancient malice.
Long before Igneel had ever preached about peace and coexistence with humans, Kryos had been the absolute zero of the north. She was a warlord queen who ruled over the ice and commanded hordes of lesser dragons, leading ruthless crusades to hunt down and erase the human plague from the face of the continent.
"You dare step into our domain again, outsider?" Kryos rasped, her voice like grinding glaciers as she thrashed against her bonds. "Unchain us, or we will freeze the very soul out of your chest!"
Merlin didn't mock her. He simply leaned against the gold top of his staff, his eyes serious as he looked up at her massive form. "Your era ended four hundred years ago, Kryos. The dragon kingdoms are gone. The world out there has moved on, and nobody even remembers the frozen north."
"Because you locked us in this pathetic cage!" Kryos screamed, her white claws ripping deep, freezing gouges into the stone floor. "The fire king Igneel hid like a coward, but we represent the true majesty of our blood! We will never bow to your weak, fragile species!"
"I didn't come here to argue history," Merlin said flatly. "I came to let you know your long isolation is finally over. The gateway is opening tomorrow morning. I've selected a challenger to face you. A real test of power."
Kryos let out a harsh, screeching laugh that shook the cavern. "A challenger? A mortal? We will tear them limb from limb before they can even draw their blade! No human can withstand the absolute zero!"
"She isn't a normal human," Merlin stated, his gold eyes locking onto her glare. "She happens to be the daughter of an old friend of yours. Irene Belserion."
The name hit the frozen cavern like an absolute shockwave.
Kryos froze for a single millisecond, her ocean-blue eyes widening before turning a terrifying, blood-red color with absolute, mindless fury.
ROOOR!
An even louder, more violent roar tore through the sub-dimension, the pure magical pressure causing the surrounding ice walls to shatter into a thousand pieces. She thrashes against her runic chains so violently that the heavy iron links groaned under the strain, her jaws snapping wildly as she spat chunks of pure frost into the air.
"IRENE!" Kryos shrieked, her voice a raw, screeching wave of pure hatred. "The foul witch who birthed that parasitic magic! The traitor who allowed pathetic, crawling humans to taint our sacred dragon blood! You dare bring her spawn to our feet?!"
Merlin watched her thrash, his face remaining perfectly calm.
"We will snap her spine!" Kryos roared, her massive fangs bared as she lunged against the chains. "We will crunch her gold armor, shatter her bones, and chew her flesh to pieces! She will pay the ultimate debt for her mother's sin against our kind! Bring her to us, Merlin! We will show her what happens to the line of the High Enchanter!"
Merlin turned around, his white robes shifting as he walked back toward the exit, his footsteps heavy against the fresh ice.
"Keep that energy for tomorrow morning, lizard queen," Merlin said quietly, not looking back as the massive iron doors slowly slid shut behind him, sealing her screaming rage back into the dark.
Thousands of miles away, the Magnolia guildhall was a total madhouse.
The air inside the tavern was completely frantic. Senior mages were running wild across the floorboards, screaming, shoving, and knocking over tables as they fought to grab the last remaining request flyers off the main bulletin board. The annual S-Class eligibility deadline was closing in a few hours, and everyone was desperate for points.
Right at the center bar counter, fifteen-year-old Erza Scarlet sat in complete contrast to the chaos.
She had grown beautifully over the last three years, her posture perfectly straight and regal. She didn't wear her old, rusted beach armor anymore. She was clad in a sleek, custom-fitted set of polished silver-and-gold armor that perfectly hugged the mature, full curves of her chest and slender waist. A beautiful, pristine silver longsword hung cleanly from a leather belt on her hip, its pommel reflecting the tavern lights.
"The village elders were very cooperative, Master," Erza said, her voice steady and mature as she handed a signed parchment to the short old man sitting next to her. "The canyon beasts have been cleared from the valley, and the trading route is completely secure."
Master Makarov let out a long, heavy sigh of relief, wiping a tear from his eye as he stamped the A-rank token. "Thank the stars... Bless your heart, Erza. At least I can count on one single person in this building to complete a high-tier request without a single report of property damage. I swear, if I have to pay for one more broken bridge this week, my heart is going to—"
BANG!
The front doors of the tavern were violently kicked wide open, bouncing off the stone walls with a deafening crash.
Mirajane Strauss strutted into the room, completely radiating her peak, fifteen-year-old goth-punk attitude. She was breathtakingly stunning, her white hair tied up in a cocky, high front ponytail, her fair skin contrasting sharply with her dark makeup. She wore a tight, low-cut black dress with lace linings that tightly framed her full, curvaceous hips and distinct hourglass figure.
She marched down the center aisle like she owned the place, casually tossing a crumpled B-rank mission leaflet right onto the bar counter in front of Makarov's juice glass.
"Mission accomplished, Gramps," Mirajane said, her voice smooth and dipping with a smug, mocking tone as she shot a dirty look straight at Erza. "You can mark that dark guild off the list. They won't be bothering anyone ever again."
Makarov's forehead instantly sprouted a massive, throbbing anime vein. His head comically expanded to ten times its normal size as he leaned over the counter, his face turning bright red. "BY DESTROYING THE ENTIRE CENTRAL PLAZA AND FLATTENING THE LOCAL CLOCK TOWER, IF YOU MEAN!"
Mirajane winced slightly at the roaring voice, but she quickly recovered, crossing her arms confidently over her chest.
BOING!
The sudden, aggressive movement caused her full breasts to give a prominent, heavy jiggle against the tight black fabric of her dress.
She leaned against the counter, giving Erza a lazy smirk. "Hey, the bad guys are in jail and the guild got paid. That's what matters. It's called being efficient. Unlike some armored tin cans who just sit around the bar all morning looking pretty on a cheap stool."
Erza's single brown eye instantly narrowed into a terrifying, icy glare.
"What did you just say to me, you goth demon?!" Erza hissed, her chair flying backward as she stood straight up, her silver sword clinking against her leg.
"You heard me, scrap-metal!" Mirajane snapped back, her eyes flashing with a dangerous dark pressure.
The two fifteen-year-old girls instantly slammed their foreheads straight together in the middle of the floorboards, sparks literally flying between their eyes as they barked insults back and forth, their aggressive magic containers vibrating against each other.
In the far corner of the bar counter, Master Makarov was curled into a ball, weeping with massive, comical anime streams of tears shooting straight out of his eyes.
"My wallet... my poor, empty wallet..." Makarov sobbed into his sleeves.
Eleven-year-old Lisanna stood right behind his stool, her face sweet and innocent as she gently patted his bald head with a comforting smile. "There, there, Master. Don't cry. Look at the bright side, at least nobody burned the roof off today."
Lisanna paused, her blue eyes looking around the rowdy, table-smashing crowd as she blinked curiously. "Hey, Master? Where did Natsu and Happy go? I haven't seen them since breakfast."
Makarov sniffed loudly, wiping his nose. "Those idiots ran out to snatch a last-minute B-rank hunting job in the western valley. They were screaming about points."
"What about Gray?" Lisanna asked.
Makarov groaned, nodding his head toward the door. "He took the exact same contract. He was trying to beat Natsu to the board."
BOOM!
Right on cue, the front doors were kicked open for the second time. Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster scrambled through the entrance, their clothes completely torn, their faces covered in soot as they aggressively pulled at each other's collars, a two-year-old blue flying cat named Happy flapping his wings above them.
"I crossed the town line first, ice-stripper!" Natsu roared, fire licking at his teeth.
"Shut up, matchstick! My foot hit the wood before yours did!" Gray yelled back, completely shirtless as usual.
"Aye, sir! Natsu was totally faster!" Happy cheered, munching on a fish.
Before Makarov could even yell at them, a frantic senior mage ran straight up to the bar counter, leaning over to whisper urgently into the Master's ear. "Master! We just got a magic communication from the western valley! Natsu and Gray successfully caught the monster, but they completely leveled a three-block residential street while doing it!"
Makarov's jaw dropped. His soul literally began to float straight out of his mouth in a comical white ghost, his crying turning ten times louder as he slammed his forehead against the wood. "I'm going to retire... I swear I'm going to jump in the river..."
Suddenly, with a violent, massive WHOOSH of swirling pink flower petals, Merlin materialized straight onto the second-floor balcony.
He leaned his wooden staff casually against the railing, looking down at the absolute chaos of the brawling kids, the crying Master, and the rolling chairs. He let out a low, genuine chuckle, shaking his head.
Merlin cleared his throat, his voice suddenly amplifying through a subtle runic echo that resounded with absolute, booming authority through every single square inch of the building.
"Ahem. Ahem!"
The effect was instantaneous. The flying chairs dropped. Natsu and Gray froze mid-punch. Erza and Mirajane slowly pulled their foreheads apart, their breathing ragged as the entire tavern dropped into a dead, absolute silence. Every single member of the guild turned their eyes upward, looking at the white-robed magus with total, undivided attention. The atmosphere completely shifted.
Merlin spread his arms wide, a grand, theatrical smile hitting his face as he let the suspense build, his gold eyes scanning the serious faces of the young generation.
"Members of Fairy Tail!" Merlin shouted, his booming voice echoing through the wooden rafters. "It is that time of the year again! The ultimate moment where your wits, your heart, and your raw power are put to the ultimate test!"
He paused, letting the silence stretch for three heavy seconds. The teenagers held their breath, their knuckles turning white.
Merlin threw his right hand straight toward the ceiling, his voice erupting in a massive, ecstatic shout.
"I ANNOUNCE THE START OF THE S-CLASS PROMOTION TRIAL!"
The entire guildhall violently exploded into a deafening, roaring cheer, mages jumping onto tables and throwing their mugs into the air as the curtain slammed down on the start of the tournament.