S-Class Mage Promotion Exam

When the six people standing on the stage were clearly seen, the entire guild Boil in cheers!

"Oh!"

"It's finally here!"

"President! We've been waiting for you for so long! Hurry up and announce it!"

Will I be included this year?!

The crowd erupted in deafening shouts and cheers, their faces filled with fervor and anticipation.

Makarov stood in the center of the stage, enjoying the thunderous roar. He cleared his throat, and his aged yet resonant voice instantly drowned out all the noise.

"Uh-huh!"

"In accordance with the tradition established since the founding of Fairy Tail, I now formally announce—"

He paused for a moment, and every word he spoke resonated deeply with everyone present.

"List of participants for the S-Class Mage Promotion Exam!!"

"S-Class... Mage Upgrade Qualification Examination?!"

Upon hearing this word, Lucy instantly understood everything.

No wonder, no wonder the atmosphere in the guild has been so strange these past few days!

"I'm fired up!"

Natsu, standing beside her, was now uncontrollably engulfed in flames.

Makarov stretched out a finger and pointed into the distance.

"This year's exam will be held on Tenrou Island, which is our guild's sacred ground!"

Immediately, someone in the audience shouted, "President! What are the exam questions?"

"The content changes every year, but it's always just as difficult."

"Nonsense! Because passing the test makes you S-Class Mage!"

Makarov looked with satisfaction at the energetic children below the stage and continued, "Throughout this year, I have witnessed the abilities, hearts, and souls of each and every one of you. This year, eight contestants have been selected!"

"They're here!"

Everyone held their breath.

Makarov took out the first list and loudly read out the first name:

Natsu Dragneel!

Yoshi!

Natsu roared excitedly, but after shouting, he miraculously calmed down, his eyes burning with an unprecedented seriousness.

"Great, Natsu!" Happy even more excited than him, hugging his neck and jumping up and down.

Makarov picked up the second list:

"Gray Formpasta!"

"The day has finally come." Gray clenched his fist, a confident smile playing on his lips.

"Juvia Rox!"

"Huh?" Juvia was stunned. She pointed at herself, her face full of disbelief.

"Can Juvia... participate too?"

She had only been with Fairy Tail for a short time, and she never expected to get such an opportunity.

"Elfman Strauss!"

"A real man should learn from his brother-in-law and become S-Class Mage!"

Elfman pounded his chest and made a bold declaration.

"Go for it, Elfman!" Lisanna cheered him on from below.

"Cana Alberona!"

Upon hearing her name called, Cana visibly stiffened. She lowered her head, obscuring her expression, but the way she gripped her wine glass betrayed her inner turmoil.

"Freed Sting!"

"I will be the one to inherit Laxus's will!" Freed, the captain of the Thunder God Tribe, took a half-step forward, his eyes resolute.

"Levy MacGarden!"

"Huh?!" Levy, who was reading a book in the corner, looked up in surprise.

"I actually made it this year!"

The other two members of the Team Shadow Gear next to her were even happier than she was. "Great! Levy selected!"

Makarov read out the last name:

"Mest Glad!"

"It's Mest!"

"What a pity about last year," someone in the crowd whispered.

The list has been announced, and some are happy while others are sad.

"Ugh! I failed to be selected again this year!" Alzack knelt on the ground, his face contorted in pain.

"There's always next year, don't be discouraged, Alzack!" His partner, Bisca, gently comforted him from the side.

Many others, however, were excited about the selection process.

"Natsu is in it this year!"

"Gray got selected too!"

Natsu and Gray's strength within the guild is evident to all; they have always been among the best of the younger generation.

However, for various reasons, this was the first time they had qualified to take the S-Class Exam.

Looking at everything before her, Lucy finally pieced together all the clues.

I see.

That's why everyone has been working so hard these past few days, frantically completing tasks, all in an effort to impress the guild leader and make it onto the final selection list.

She finally understood that Cana's bad mood was probably related to this assessment.

With his hands behind his back, Makarov announced the final and most brutal rule in his usual authoritative tone.

"This time, only one person out of these eight will pass!"

"The exam is scheduled for one week from now, so everyone go back and prepare properly and get yourself in the right mindset!"

The last sentence was like a bomb dropped into the crowd.

"It's just one person again this time!"

I wonder who will ultimately emerge victorious?

"I think Natsu and Gray have a very high chance! They should have joined a long time ago!"

"The others aren't weak either; Freed and Elfman are both veteran powerhouses."

The guild hall erupted in excitement as everyone began discussing and speculating about who the ultimate victor would be.

However, amidst this commotion, Gajeel seemed out of place.

He stood alone in the corner, his face a mixture of embarrassment and resentment, his clenched fists so tight that his knuckles turned white.

Why...?

Gajeel's voice was filled with resentment and confusion.

"Juvia got selected... but I didn't?"

This was too embarrassing for him.

You should know that in the former Phantom Lord guild, he was an absolute ace, surpassing even the "Element 4"!

Juvia, however, is merely one of the Element 4.

But now, the situation has completely reversed.

She was selected for the S-Class Exam, while I wasn't even nominated.

"It's alright, Gajeel."

Panther Lily patted him on the shoulder and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "It's probably because... you're not very popular in this guild."

"..."

Lily's soul-searching remark instantly broke Gajeel's defenses.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word; he felt an even greater pain in his heart.

On the other side of the guild, the clamor of the crowd seemed to be isolated in a small corner.

Wendy and Carla were sitting together, sharing a slice of Mirajane's special strawberry cake.

Suddenly, Carla's hand holding the fork froze in mid-air.

Her pupils lost focus for a split second.

Countless chaotic and fragmented images flooded her mind like a tidal wave.

She saw it.

In the sky, Jiang Bai's expression was solemn. He raised his right hand, and a giant sword made of pure energy, a thousand meters long, slowly condensed and took shape above the clouds, exuding a terrifying aura capable of destroying everything.

She saw it.

One by one, the guild members lay on the ground, covered in wounds, their faces filled with pain.

She saw it.

Some people even wore expressions of despair.

Finally, all the images froze on the back of a man.

He stood alone on the edge of the cliff, dressed in a long, black robe. Just by standing there, he exuded a suffocating stillness and an ominous aura.

"What's wrong, Carla?"

Wendy noticed her partner's unusual behavior and asked with concern.

Carla suddenly came to her senses, her forehead covered in a fine layer of cold sweat. She was panting heavily, her chest heaving violently.

"N-nothing... it's nothing."

She shook her head, forcing a smile, not wanting Wendy to worry about her.

But that tiny white heart was gripped tightly by immense fear and unease.

Who is Jiang Bai? He looked very serious when I first saw him in battle.

What is that?

Who... is that person?