Spiritual Pressure, Erza Wins

The battle has been going on for quite some time.

Erza and Mirajane were both panting heavily, their magic power mostly depleted, but the boy standing in the center of the battlefield hadn't moved an inch from beginning to end.

"Damn it..." Mirajane clutched her knees, breathing heavily, sweat streaming down her face. "Is it... that I can't even make him move an inch?"

Erza leaned on her sword with one hand, the tip of which was deeply embedded in the ground to support her body.

She looked at the unharmed figure in the distance, and for the first time, a deep sense of defeat appeared in her crimson eyes.

"So, the gap between us... has it already gotten this big?"

Jiang Bai looked at the two girls opposite him who were almost unable to stand, and finally lowered his hands from his pockets.

"Alright, that's enough."

He spoke, his voice still carrying that lazy tone.

"Our guild's S-Class Exam is actually more rigorous than that of other guilds."

"Its purpose is not just to test your strength, but more importantly, to make you understand one thing—the path for a mage is endless."

Jiang Bai first imitated Makarov's tone and delivered a high-sounding, official speech.

But the next second, he changed the subject, and his eyes, which had been half-closed, suddenly burst forth with unparalleled brilliance and arrogance.

"Of course, that's the old man's idea. In my opinion, from now on, there will only be one mage ahead of us."

His gaze swept over Erza and Mirajane, his voice not loud, but carrying an arrogance and confidence that seemed capable of shaking the world.

That's me!

In that instant, the spirited aura emanating from Jiang Bai captivated Erza and Mirajane.

They seemed to see not a young boy, but a king who had already reigned supreme and looked down upon all living beings.

However, this moment of distraction lasted only a moment.

Mirajane was the first to react, an unnatural blush quickly spreading across her cheeks. She immediately looked away and forcibly changed the subject.

"You, you monster! You've been fighting for so long, and you haven't even shown a hint of magic depletion!"

Jiang Bai shrugged, and that terrifying aura vanished instantly, turning him back into that lazy young man.

"Alright, that's about it. Your strengths are roughly equal; you've both met my standards."

Upon hearing this, Erza immediately asked, "Then how will the final result be determined?"

"Simple."

Jiang Bai's lips curled into a mysterious smile.

"Wait a minute, it'll be a test between the two of you to see who can last the longest."

Erza and Mirajane didn't quite understand what he meant by that.

Jiang Bai didn't explain, but simply closed his eyes slowly.

The next second, he had a thought.

An invisible yet terrifying pressure, almost tangible, descended upon Jiang Bai with a deafening roar!

This Spiritual Pressure was an unintentional byproduct that Jiang Bai discovered while racking his brains about how to create the "Unlimited Void."

Although the true domain skill "Unlimited Void" is too complex and has not yet been fully developed, it at least gave him another technique similar to Conqueror's Haki.

It's perfect to use now.

This oppressive force was invisible and intangible, yet it was more terrifying than any substantial attack.

It does not act on the physical body, but rather crushes directly on the mind and will.

Erza and Mirajane felt a buzzing in their heads, as if an invisible mountain had descended from the sky and pressed down hard on the depths of their souls.

The surrounding scenery remained unchanged; the sea breeze and the waves were still the same. But in their world, only that suffocating, terrifying will remained, as if it wanted to crush everything.

"Ugh..."

Mirajane gritted his teeth, his legs began to tremble uncontrollably, and a fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

The Satan energy within her Roar wildly, trying to resist the oppressive force, but it was like an ant fighting against the entire sky—utterly futile.

Erza was in slightly better condition; her iron will was on full display at that moment.

Her feet were firmly planted on the sand, her eyes burning with an indomitable flame despite the pain, as she stared intently at the boy with his eyes closed in front of her.

This is the final test.

It's not a contest of magic or skill, but of whose will is stronger.

This assessment method truly allows them to compete and determine who is better, without suffering any real harm; it's practically perfect.

Time passed by, second by second.

Mirajane's body was already swaying precariously, his vision was beginning to blur, and his ears were filled with a buzzing sound.

She could feel her consciousness being gradually eroded by that terrifying pressure, pushing her towards a deep abyss of unconsciousness.

"I... cannot... lose..."

She held on with her last breath, managing not to collapse, but her body had reached its limit.

Finally, her knees buckled, her vision went completely black, and she collapsed backward, utterly powerless.

Just as Mirajane was about to fall to the ground...

A blur flashed by.

Jiang Bai had appeared behind her without her noticing, and steadily pulled her soft body into his arms.

He opened his eyes and looked at Erza, who was still struggling not far away, her whole body soaked in sweat, but she hadn't taken a single step back, and slowly spoke.

"Congratulations, Erza, you've won."

As soon as the words fell, the terrifying Spiritual Pressure that had enveloped the heavens and earth receded instantly like a tide.

Erza, who had been on edge resisting the oppressive force, felt all her strength drain away the moment the pressure disappeared.

Her body suddenly went limp, and she couldn't help but fall forward.

Jiang Bai, holding Mirajane in his arms, moved again and appeared in front of Erza. He stretched out his other arm and caught the equally limp Erza, letting her lean against his other shoulder.

Did I... win?

Erza leaned against Jiang Bai's arm and asked weakly, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yes, congratulations, Erza." Jiang Bai looked down at her, his tone gentle.

After receiving an affirmative answer, Erza's tense nerves finally relaxed completely. She could no longer hold on, and her vision went black as she fainted.

Jiang Bai looked around at the two unconscious girls in his arms, and for a moment he was at a loss.

At this moment, Makarov, who had been watching from a distance, walked over, stroked his beard, and observed the scene.

"It seems the results are in."

"Mm." Jiang Bai responded, carefully picked up the two girls with his Telekinesis, and turned to walk back towards the ship they had come from.

The group returned to Magnolia.

However, to Jiang Bai's surprise, Erza and Mirajane showed no signs of waking up from the moment they disembarked until they walked back to the guild.

For the first time, a look of anxiety appeared on Jiang Bai's perpetually lazy face.

He stopped strolling leisurely and quickened his pace, carrying the two of them, and rushed straight towards the forest on the edge of the town.

"Grandma! Grandma Porlyusica! Help!"

Jiang Bai hadn't even arrived yet, but his anxious shouts had already echoed throughout the cabin.

The door to the cabin was suddenly pushed open, Porlyusica walked out impatiently. When she saw that it was Jiang Bai, her brows furrowed even more.

She ignored Jiang Bai's shouts and simply stepped forward to check on Erza and Mirajane.

"Stop yelling here!" Porlyusica scoffed. "That's why I hate humans."

Seeing that she didn't seem nervous after the examination, Jiang Bai breathed a slight sigh of relief and hurriedly asked, "Grandma, what happened to them? Why haven't they woken up?"

Porlyusica glanced at him and said irritably, "They're just in a deep sleep because they were under too much mental stress; they're physically fine."

Upon hearing that it was caused by his own Spiritual Pressure, Jiang Bai felt a surge of regret.

"Will this... cause them any harm?"

"No," Porlyusica shook her head, her tone softening slightly. "On the contrary, it will be beneficial for them. By pushing themselves to their limits in this extreme state, their magic power will increase slightly after they wake up."

Jiang Bai finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his guilt lessened considerably.

Sure enough, not long after, Erza and Mirajane's eyelids twitched one after the other, and they slowly woke up.

The group returned to the guild.

Makarov had been waiting for a long time. He jumped onto the bar, raised his glass high, and loudly announced the final result to the eager crowd below.

"This year's S-Class Mage is -- Erza Scarlet!"

After a brief silence, the entire guild erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Wow! Erza is amazing!"

"Cheers to the new S-Class Mage!"

"The banquet is starting!"

"Tch! I'll become S-Class next year too."