Joining Forces
The next morning, in the Fairy Tail guild hall.
Everyone tacitly stopped what they were doing, their eyes fixed intently on the familiar wooden railing on the second floor, an atmosphere of tension and anticipation filling the air.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Makarov and Jiang Bai finally appeared on the second floor.
The old man still had the air of a vice president, while Jiang Bai was the same as always, with a cigarette in his mouth, leaning against the railing, smiling as he looked down.
Looking at the expectant faces below, Makarov wasted no time. He cleared his throat, and his loud voice echoed throughout the hall.
"Silence! I now announce the list of candidates selected for this year's S-Class Mage Promotion Exam!"
Everyone held their breath.
"The inductees this time are— Erza Scarlett! and Mirajane Strauss!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur arose from the crowd.
"It really was those two!"
"There are only two people this time too," Macao remarked, taking a sip of his drink.
"Yes, just like that time with Jiang Bai." Wakaba exhaled a smoke ring, his eyes filled with reminiscence.
Erza and Mirajane stood at opposite ends of the crowd, exchanging a glance that seemed to spark intensely in the air.
One was full of fighting spirit, the other had a smile on her lips, but anyone could see the undisguised competitive intent in their eyes.
"Go, sister! Go for it!" Lisanna peeked out from behind Elfman, waving her little fist vigorously.
"Hmph." Mirajane merely snorted softly, but the smile in her eyes softened slightly.
"Old man!"
Natsu shot to the front like a cannonball, raised his hand high, and shouted excitedly, "Do we need any help from our partners this year? I can go!"
Makarov shook his head and answered bluntly, "No need."
Natsu's excitement vanished instantly, but only for a second before his fighting spirit was rekindled, his fists blazing with fury.
"Alright then! Next year! Next year I will definitely rely on my own abilities to be selected for the assessment!"
"Yes! Natsu can do it!" Happy flapped his little wings and shouted in agreement.
"There's no way it could be you, you brainless fire-breathing man."
A mocking voice came from the side. Gray had taken off his shirt at some point, crossed his arms, and looked at Natsu with disdain.
Natsu's anger instantly found an outlet.
"What did you say? You exhibitionist! A streaker!"
"What?! Where are my clothes?!"
Makarov looked down at the familiar chaotic scene and shook his head helplessly.
Fortunately, they didn't start demolishing the house this time, so he didn't bother with it anymore.
He turned to look at Jiang Bai: "Let's go, Jiang Bai."
Jiang Bai stretched and followed Makarov down the stairs. Erza and Mirajane also stopped their standoff and silently followed behind the two.
The four of them walked through the hall and pushed open the door amidst the guild's usual farcical antics.
After a long voyage, they finally arrived at an uninhabited island that was not marked on the map.
The sea breeze carries a salty, damp scent, and the island is covered with strangely shaped rocks and dense primeval forests, exuding an atmosphere of desolation and danger.
The boat had just docked when the four of them stepped onto the soft sand.
Mirajane was already quite impatient; she crossed her arms, raised her chin slightly, and broke the silence first.
"Alright, let's not waste any more time. What exactly is the content of this assessment?"
Erza turned her gaze to the figure lazily walking at the front, her crimson eyes flashing with fierce fighting spirit.
"Is Jiang Bai still one of the examiners this year?"
Jiang Bai stopped and turned around, his lips still bearing that familiar lazy smile, but his eyes held a hint of seriousness.
Yes, it's still me.
He put his hands in his pockets, his gaze sweeping between Erza and Mirajane. "But let me make this clear first. Even if it's just the two of you being tested this time, if you don't meet the standards, I absolutely won't go easy on you."
"Tch, no need."
Mirajane gave a disdainful snort, her long, silvery-white hair swaying slightly in the sea breeze.
Erza was even more decisive; she stepped forward, straightened her back, and stood like a sword about to be drawn.
"I will rely on my own strength to advance to S-Class with honor."
No, I'm the one who advanced!
Mirajane immediately retorted, and before the two even started, the air was already thick with tension and hostility.
"Okay, okay."
Jiang Bai interrupted their argument, stretching as if he were talking about something trivial.
"The rules for this test are simple: the two of you team up and fight me."
He pointed to himself, then to Erza and Mirajane.
"Whoever stays under my wing until the end and performs to my standards will advance. Simple enough, right?"
Erza and Mirajane were both stunned.
Join forces?
Mirajane then raised an eyebrow, a highly provocative smile playing on her lips.
"What if the two of us team up and defeat you?"
Erza's eyes lit up instantly, and she stared intently at Jiang Bai.
It should be noted that ever since Jiang Bai's strength became unfathomable, he has always used various excuses to refuse to spar with him at full strength over the past two years.
I've long wanted to know just how strong this guy has become.
This is undoubtedly the best opportunity.
Faced with their challenging gazes, Jiang Bai smiled, a smile brimming with absolute confidence.
"If you can defeat me,"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears, "Then you two will both advance to S-Class. Is that alright, old man?"
He said those last words while looking at Makarov.
Makarov stood to the side, stroking his white beard.
He knew better than anyone how terrifying Jiang Bai's strength was; even he wasn't sure of his current power.
Having the two of them team up to challenge Jiang Bai? That's a good idea.
"I agree." Makarov nodded, which was considered his approval of the special assessment rules.