Don't Leave My Side Again!

Tenrou Island, in a secluded forest.

When Jiang Bai reappeared, he was already back beside Makarov.

"How about it?"

When Makarov saw him return, he immediately asked.

"It's temporarily resolved." Jiang Bai shrugged, his tone relaxed.

"However, another problem is about to arise."

"What?!"

Makarov's eyes widened upon hearing this.

"Hey, guild master," Gildarts couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Is there some hidden magic at work in our sacred place? It feels even more bustling than the market outside the guild gates today."

"Even concealment magic can't stop someone with a purpose from searching for you!"

Makarov scratched his white beard in frustration, then looked sharply at Jiang Bai and asked:

"You brat, do you know who it is?"

"Hmm, it's one of the three major dark guilds of the Balam Alliance, 'Grimoire Heart'."

When Jiang Bai uttered this name, it was as casually as if he were talking about what to have for dinner.

Upon hearing this, Makarov's brows instantly furrowed into a deep frown.

The Grimoire Heart?

That's the strongest dark guild right now!

Why did they come to Tenrou Island? And how did they know its exact location?

A series of questions flooded my mind, but now was clearly not the time to think about them.

The most urgent task is to ensure the safety of the guild children on the island!

Without further thought, Makarov immediately gave Jiang Bai the following instructions:

"Jiang Bai! Quick! Take a signal flare out of your four-dimensional pocket! Launch it into the sky! Notify everyone, the assessment is suspended!"

"Received~"

The next second, a blinding red column of smoke shot into the sky, exploding into a giant rose-shaped firework in the azure sky, lingering for a long time.

Almost simultaneously, the group searching for the tomb of the first chairman across the island all saw the signal in the sky.

"This signal means... the assessment is suspended?!"

An uninvited guest has arrived!

Natsu, who was still excited about knowing the location of the First Generation's Tomb, saw the signal and his smile vanished instantly, replaced by a solemn and wary expression.

All the teams still undergoing assessment stopped and headed towards the direction from which the signal flare had risen—the assembly point for the main force.

Meanwhile, Lucy and Cana, who were being chased and left breathless by the monster, also saw the signal.

"Cana! It's an emergency assembly signal!" Lucy shouted as she ran.

Even before seeing the signal, they had already guessed from various clues that the first president's grave was likely located under the largest ancient tree on Tenrou Island, and the two of them were making their way in that direction.

Upon seeing the signal, Lucy's first reaction was to quickly regroup with everyone.

However, Cana suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Lucy, you go back first!"

"What? And what about you?" Lucy asked, puzzled.

"With my abilities, even if I rushed back now, I wouldn't be of much help." Cana's eyes became unusually firm.

"But I heard my father say that one of our guild's three Super Magic, 'Fairy Glitter,' lies dormant in the grave of the first guild master!"

"Only those who have gained the approval of the first chairman can obtain that power!"

She looked at Lucy, her eyes filled with determination.

"I'm going there! I'm going to get that power! Lucy, you go first!"

Lucy looked at Cana's unwavering gaze and knew she couldn't persuade her.

"I understand! You must be careful!"

After saying that, Lucy didn't hesitate any longer and turned to run as fast as she could towards the meeting point.

Cana, however, took a deep breath and resolutely continued running towards the giant Tenrou Tree.

At this point, the camera pans to two minutes before the signal flare was launched.

"What the hell?! We haven't even had a single fight on this route!"

Gajeel kicked aside a dead branch by the roadside. Ever since the start of the second assessment, his mouth hadn't stopped, and he had been complaining the whole way.

"Is the S-Class Exam just about taking a stroll in this godforsaken place?"

Levy, who was following behind him, was so tired of hearing it that she was practically sick of it.

"It's so noisy!!" Levy finally snapped.

Gajeel completely ignored her protests and continued, "I came to take this exam because I wanted to compete with that Fire Dragon and Erza. This is pointless."

Hearing this, Levy puffed out her cheeks and asked, somewhat aggrieved:

"Is it... that my affairs are so insignificant?"

"Huh?" Gajeel was taken aback.

I didn't say that, did I?

"But! But Gajeel, you're only thinking about fighting everyone else, you haven't thought about me at all! You haven't..."

Levy spoke, her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a mosquito's buzz.

Gajeel finally realized something was wrong.

He stopped, turned around, and looked down at Levy, who was much shorter than him, with a playful smile on his face.

"Oh, I see. You want me to care about you, little one."

As he spoke, Gajeel stretched out his massive steel hand, gently patting Levy's head while laughing and saying:

"Heh heh heh, since that's the case, then you'd better work hard to become stronger, strong enough to face me head-on!"

Gajeel had thought this was a word of encouragement.

Hearing him say that Levy feel even worse.

She lowered her head, her voice trembling with a sob. "Anyway... anyway, I'm weak and small..."

Gajeel, this clueless straight man, was completely unable to understand the girl's delicate feelings, and only thought that she was being difficult.

"Honestly, there's no time for you to be frustrated here. We have important things to do."

That sentence completely ignited Levy's anger.

The next second, Levy raised her head, turned around, and with all her might, slammed the small backpack on her back hard into Gajeel's face!

Then, he ran away without looking back!

As she ran, she shouted in a tearful voice, "I'm never talking to you again! Gajeel is a big idiot!"

"Huh?! What did you say?"

Gajeel stared blankly at the petite figure that quickly disappeared into the depths of the jungle.

"What the heck..." Levy wiped away her tears as she ran through the woods.

"I thought... I thought he had gotten a little better..."

After running for a while, feeling a bit tired, Levy and leaned against a tree, panting heavily.

Just then, a rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes nearby.

Levy thought it was Gajeel catching up and instinctively spoke:

"Gajeel?"

However, the figure that emerged from the bushes was not one she recognized.

Instead, there was a humanoid monster with a rooster's head and a dog-headed orc wearing Japanese samurai armor and wielding a katana!

Fairy Tail?

The rooster monster let out a grotesque laugh, and without saying a word, it instantly bound Levy tightly before she could even react.

"Take care of her."

Upon receiving the order, the samurai orc's eyes flashed with ferocity. He raised his katana high and brought it down fiercely on the immobilized Levy!

Levy's eyes were filled with fear and despair.

Am I going to die?

However, the expected excruciating pain did not come.

"Clang--!"

A piercing metallic clang rang out at the last moment!

A tall figure blocked her way.

The sharp katana struck Gajeel's thick arm made of steel, and the enormous recoil caused the blade to shatter into pieces!

Gajeel didn't even glance at the orc. His other hand, which had transformed into Iron Dragon's Pillar, became a heavy hammer and slammed it into the rooster monster's face, sending it flying.

The hands that had been binding Levy loosened.

Finding you, little one, was really tiring.

Gajeel turned his head and looked at Levy, who was slumped on the ground, looking completely shaken, and complained.

Upon hearing this, Levy lowered her head even further.

I... I've caused Gajeel trouble again...

She thought Gajeel was complaining about her.

Unexpectedly, Gajeel's next words made her heart skip a beat.

"So," Gajeel said to her in an unquestionable, domineering tone,

"Don't leave my side again!"