First Battle, the S-Class Exam Begins!

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

Yuri walked along a winding path overrun with vegetation and moss, with branches intertwined in a natural net overhead.

The dense canopy spread out like an umbrella, sunlight filtering through the gaps in mottled patches.

The air smelled of damp and decay, and the occasional roar of a magical beast in the distance sent shivers down his spine.

The chirping of insects, birdsong, and roars blended into a symphony of nature.

This was the site of their S-Class Exam, the Lansala Rainforest, known as the "paradise of magical beasts."

According to the information Levy had provided, this was the largest magical beast habitat in the Kingdom of Fiore, covering an area spanning hundreds of kilometers. It was a true forbidden zone for humans and a paradise for magical beasts.

Several S-Class magical beasts lived here as well, each occupying a different part of the rainforest and vying to rule its own territory.

But a view from above would reveal that the center of the Lansala Rainforest was actually a lake devoid of any greenery. It was said to be the territory of the rainforest's king, and no one dared trespass.

Yuri and Laxus's task for the exam was to start from opposite ends of the rainforest.

Within a single day, they had to find and defeat the magical beasts that had been marked.

Magical beasts of different ranks were worth different numbers of points. Whoever earned more points in the end would be promoted to S-Class Mage.

Honestly, when Yuri heard the rules, he had genuinely wondered whether the old man had taken a commission to hunt magical beasts somewhere and then handed it off to them as their S-Class Exam.

Otherwise, why not let them clear the place out? Was it to protect the ecological balance of the magical beasts?

Yuri grumbled to himself as he looked at the wildly overgrown vegetation and hanging vines around him.

In truth, the rules hardly mattered to them, since Yuri and Laxus had agreed to a duel.

He was someone who disliked trouble, but since he had agreed, he would keep his word.

Besides, as long as one of them defeated the other in the duel, the winner would naturally win the exam.

So neither of them had any intention of searching for magical beasts at the moment. Instead, they headed straight toward the center, as if by unspoken agreement.

Neither cared whether it was the territory of the so-called king of magical beasts, or what they might encounter along the way.

Who cares? We just have to fight our way through!

"Hiss—"

The faint, rapid sound of flicking tongues came from all around. Though it lacked the force of roars echoing through the mountains and forest, it somehow made the hairs on his body stand on end.

Yuri stopped and looked around as gray-green figures pushed through the bushes.

Before he knew it, he was surrounded by a ring of lizards walking upright.

Their slender, forked tongues flicked in and out of their fang-filled mouths like snakes' tongues. Four dinosaur-like digits ended in sharp claws, and their long tails looked as though they grew directly out of their spines.

Deinonychus, one of the most common social magical beasts in the Lansala Rainforest.

Known as ferocious predators, they were only B-Class individually, but by surrounding their prey, they could easily tear even an A-Class magical beast apart.

Their powerful legs gave them speed and agility far beyond those of ordinary people, while their foreclaws, longer and more slender than those of dinosaurs, were the weapons they relied on most.

Most importantly, each of the Deinonychus bore a conspicuous glowing marker. Judging by the fluctuations of magic power, they were probably Makarov's light magic.

"Well, I didn't expect to run into them this quickly."

Looking at the Deinonychus surrounding him, Yuri pointed his thumb at the Red Queen on his back. "Looking for someone to trim your nails? I happen to have nail clippers."

"Hiss—!!!"

The steady, rapid flicking of tongues suddenly grew frantic. As if they had understood Yuri's taunt, the Deinonychus abruptly erupted into action.

The Deinonychus closest to Yuri struck first, its tensed legs launching it forward in an instant.

Yuri turned slightly, letting its sharp claws swipe past his neck. Then he grabbed its hind leg and swung it in a wide circle at the legs of the approaching Deinonychus, sweeping them all into the air.

By the time they hit the ground, Yuri had already drawn the Red Queen and swung it.

The sharp blade met a wall of overlapping bodies. A twist of the handle heated it in an instant, and the enormous thrust and momentum sent Yuri sliding forward as he cut four or five Deinonychus in half in one stroke.

A few crafty ones tried to ambush him as he recovered from the swing, only for Yuri to turn and cut apart their attacking claws with two slashes. He followed with a thrust that pierced three Deinonychus in an instant, pinning them to a tree.

He twisted the handle again, and the roar of the internal combustion engine filled the area. The blade's heat and power multiplied, instantly cutting the tree and the Deinonychus in half together.

Four more Deinonychus sprang out at him at the same time from tree trunks in different directions, trying to cut off every route of escape.

But Yuri leaped into the air and came down upside down, bracing the greatsword with one hand. Its tip pierced straight through a Deinonychus.

The remaining Deinonychus tried to advance, only to see Yuri twist the handle a third time.

"Boom—!!!"

The violent roar was utterly different from before, and the terrifying thrust increased severalfold.

The Deinonychus beneath him struggled as the scorching heat burned it, but the thrust sent it sliding forward at high speed.

Yuri rode it like a skateboard, charging recklessly about and knocking over its remaining companions one by one.

Yuri twisted and leaped up, pulling the greatsword free, then swept it across and cut down nearly ten Deinonychus in one blow.

At the same time, the tottering tree finally fell, crushing the Deinonychus that had just landed and were trying to get up.

With that, all the creatures blocking his path had been dealt with.

After finishing a round of "rehabilitation training," Yuri picked up the Red Queen and examined it from every angle. He nodded in approval. "Not bad. That woman's mechanical skills really are beyond reproach."

With that, he put away the greatsword and revolver and continued deeper into the dense forest.

At the edge of a cliff with a wide view, Makarov and Gildarts gazed toward the nearby Lansala Rainforest.

Even the dense canopy could not obstruct their "sight."

"Yuri and Laxus have both run into the magical beasts I marked. But judging by the direction they're heading, their target is probably the lake in the center..." Makarov said.

"Young people these days are really daring. Are they planning to go straight for the king of magical beasts, the one worth the most points?" Gildarts said with a laugh.

Makarov shook his head and covered his face. "No. Knowing them, they probably just want to have a fight there."

"A fight?" Gildarts froze for a second, then burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Then your plan to earn some extra cash has fallen through, hasn't it, Master?"

"That's not the point." Makarov pressed a hand to his forehead helplessly. "I'm worried that magical beast won't be enough for the two of them..."

"In that case, do you need me to head out ahead of time, Master?" Gildarts asked with a smile.