Destined to Become the Strongest

The afternoon sun shone brightly in Magnolia Town, but an unusual tension permeated the Fairy Tail guild hall.

The air seemed to solidify into a tangible substance.

Macao's enormous wooden goblet had been suspended in mid-air for a full twenty minutes, yet the murky ale inside hadn't even caused a ripple.

The pipe that Wakaba was holding in his mouth had long since gone out, leaving only a wisp of black tobacco.

Even Natsu and Gray, who are usually the most boisterous, are now sitting on opposite sides of the same table, staring at each other, saving themselves the energy to provoke one another.

All eyes were fixed on the weathered guild gate, as if they had taken root there.

Today marks the end of the S-Class Exam.

Last year, there was only one candidate: the aloof and arrogant Laxus.

This year, not only was Jiang Bai added, but the final examiner even became the man whose presence caused the entire town to split open in his wake.

In the general perception of the guild members, Gildarts's role as the examiner was tantamount to a one-sided humiliation.

Finally, a faint sound of footsteps came from outside the door.

"Squeak--"

The wooden door opens inwards.

Jiang Bai, with his hands in his pockets and yawning, slowly strolled into the hall. His hooded sweatshirt was so clean that there wasn't even a speck of gray footprints.

Jiang Bai walked into view with his hands in his pockets, a long yawn, drooping eyelids, and his signature lazy gait.

Erza followed closely behind.

Her long, crimson hair swayed with each step, her chin held high, as proud as a victorious queen.

Makarov and Gildarts were at the very back.

The moment he saw the last two people clearly, Macao slammed his glass on the table with a "clatter," splashing beer all over Wakaba's face.

Wakaba didn't even bother to wipe it; the pipe in his mouth fell directly onto his thigh.

Gildarts was shirtless, his upper body wrapped in thick bandages, from which blood was faintly seeping.

A collective gasp filled the hall.

Everyone's gazes darted back and forth between the unharmed Jiang Bai and Gildarts, who was wrapped up like a seriously injured patient, their minds frantically conjuring up horrific images.

Natsu was the first to break down.

A burst of flame suddenly erupted from the soles of his feet, and his figure transformed into a crimson cannonball, instantly breaking through the stalemate and crashing straight down in front of Jiang Bai.

"Hey! Jiang Bai! What's going on?!"

Natsu's eyes widened like saucers, his face almost touching Jiang Bai's nose, his hands flailing excitedly in the air, jumping up and down in a panic, "Who won?! How did you and Uncle fight?! Tell me!"

Gray also sprang out from behind the table, shirtless, his eyes fixed intently on Jiang Bai's face, trying to find a trace of something.

Cana hid behind a huge oak barrel, peeking out half her head and looking at Gildarts was wrapped in bandages, with a complicated expression.

Jiang Bai was startled by Natsu's shout and picked at his ear, leaning back in disgust. He was about to complain that the kid was too noisy.

Erza swiftly stepped in front of Jiang Bai, blocking his path.

Her crimson eyes swept across the entire arena like sharp swords. With her hands on her slender waist and her chest puffed out, she dropped a bombshell in her clear voice that was enough to devastate the entire guild.

"Of course Jiang Bai won!"

Erza's clear voice echoed through the empty hall, "Jiang Bai and Gildarts are evenly matched!"

Her tone was so proud, as if Erza herself had fought to a draw with the strongest man in the guild and almost wiped a piece off the map.

The sound echoed in the hall.

The entire guild fell silent, not even the sound of breathing could be heard.

Macao pinched his thigh hard, causing him to wince in pain.

Wakaba rubbed his eyes frantically.

He fought to a draw with the strongest man in the guild? And even severely injured him?

"Are you kidding me..." Macao swallowed hard. "Is this kid some kind of monster?"

"That's awesome! He actually fought Gildarts to a draw!" Natsu exclaimed, his nostrils flaring with orange flames. "I'm fired up! Jiang Bai! Come and fight me!"

"Are you going to your death, you idiot?!" Gray slapped Natsu's nose shut. "You think you can fight that monster to a draw? You'd just get annihilated in a second!"

Just as everyone was caught up in a frenzy of imagination and worship, a discordant groan came from the shadows in the corner of the bar.

"Hmph, it's just good luck."

Mirajane walked out in studded Doc Martens, arms crossed, deliberately avoiding Jiang Bai's gaze and staring at the wooden pillar beside her.

"Although you passed by luck, you're still pretty good. Congratulations!"

While she was sharp-tongued, her eyes kept glancing at Jiang Bai.

Upon hearing this, Erza's eyebrows shot up instantly, and she was about to retort to her mortal enemy.

"Sister, why is your face as red as a monkey's bottom?"

A short, fluffy head popped out from around the corner of the stairs.

Lisanna blinked her big eyes, her face full of innocence, and mercilessly exposed her older sister's pretense.

The air suddenly cooled down.

Mirajane froze, her fingers, which were twirling her hair, instantly stopping.

That face, which had been trying to appear cool, turned red from the base of her neck all the way to the tips of her ears at a terrifying speed that could be seen with the naked eye.

"Li--Shan--Na!!"

A piercing scream of shame and anger shattered the guild's ceiling.

Mirajane couldn't even maintain her delinquent act anymore. She covered her burning cheeks with her hands, like a wildcat whose tail had been stepped on, and pounced on the petite figure fleeing around the corner of the stairs like a madwoman.

"Don't run! Stop right there! Who's blushing! You're mistaken! It's just hot! You damn little brat, I'll tear your mouth apart!"

Lisanna giggled and weaved between the tables and chairs, while Mirajane chased after her wildly, the two sisters turning the hall into a chaotic mess.

Jiang Bai watched this scene and helplessly rubbed his temples.

"Cough cough!"

A loud, clear cough drowned out the noise in the hall.

Makarov had somehow already jumped onto the most conspicuous wooden railing on the second floor.

Holding a wooden beer mug in his hand, a proud and unrestrained smile spread across his face. He took a deep breath, gathered his magic power, and roared down.

"You guys! Listen up!"

Everyone froze instantly, tilting their heads back in unison.

"Jiang Bai! From today onwards, you are Fairy Tail's newest S-Class Mage!"

Makarov raised the huge beer mug high above his head, his cloudy eyes gleaming with excitement, and swung his thick arm with a sudden movement.

"To celebrate the birth of the new monster! Bring out the best wines from the guild cellar! Let's have a feast!!"

After a brief pause.

"Whoa whoa--!"

A deafening roar of cheers, loud enough to lift the roof off, erupted.

Natsu unleashed a burst of dragon breath directly onto the ceiling, igniting the hanging banners.

Gray quickly created countless ice blocks and smashed them into the barrel.

Barrels flew through the air, tables and chairs were once again turned into weapons, and cheers, crashes, and magical explosions intertwined to create a symphony unique to this group of madmen.

This is Fairy Tail.

A smile, unnoticed even by himself, appeared at the corner of Jiang Bai's lips.

Just as I was about to find a secluded corner to take a good nap, my gaze inadvertently swept over the small door at the far edge of the hall that led to the backyard.

Laxus, wearing a fur-trimmed coat, walked silently out the door with his hands tightly in his pockets.

Jiang Bai raised an eyebrow, casually scooped up an unopened bottle of juice from the flying table, dodged the scattering flames, and swayed through the wood chips to the back door.

He leaned his shoulder against the door frame, opened the bottle cap with one hand, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp.

"Leaving already? Won't you come over for a drink?" Jiang Bai's voice was nonchalant. "I don't even have the strength to walk in a straight line right now, so I can't drink with you, but I can easily down a glass of juice."

The footsteps ahead suddenly stopped.

Laxus's back was ramrod straight, and it took him a while to slowly turn half of his face to the side.

The arrogance had long since vanished from his golden eyes, leaving only pure obsession and the fire of resentment.

His knuckles cracked in his pocket, and a wisp of electricity flickered irritably at his temples.

"There's nothing good to drink."

Laxus's voice was hoarse, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, "Losers don't deserve to enjoy a feast. I'm going back to training."

His chin was slightly raised, and a terrifying glint flashed in his eyes as he stared intently at the languid figure leaning against the doorframe.

"Next time we face each other, I will definitely not lose to you again."

Leaving behind this vow, which seemed to have exhausted all his strength, Laxus abruptly turned around and strode into the depths of the night.

The three members of the Thunder God Tribe appeared out of nowhere, silently following behind the tall figure, and quickly disappeared from sight.

Jiang Bai looked at the empty street, shook his head helplessly, and let out a long sigh.

"Why is he so stubborn?"

He tilted his head back and drank the remaining juice in the bottle in one gulp, then casually and precisely tossed the empty bottle into the trash can by the door.

Jiang Bai turned around and looked at the chaotic carnival hell behind him, where Natsu had burned through the roof with a single fire. The laziness on his face faded slightly, replaced by an arrogant smile of absolute confidence.

"Well, who told me I was destined to be the strongest?"

The whispers, though insignificant amidst the noise, carried a powerful weight.

"No matter how far you run, no matter which dead end you get into, I will drag you back with my bare hands. Laxus."