"Happy, we're almost there! Let's hurry!"
"Love~"
Natsu, high in the sky, looked at the smoke in the distance and shouted excitedly, but also a little anxious.
Cana just darted past him at a speed that even Happy couldn't catch up to at full sprint.
"Bang!" Natsu landed gracefully.
Happy floated in the air, his expression slightly serious. "This island... one can feel powerful Magic Power right from the earth!"
"Ah, yes." Natsu, with the same determined look in his eyes, agreed with the remaining passageway in front of him.
Natsu, which path do you want to take?
"Well... route E has been chosen, so I'll take that route."
"Haha, let me see who's on this road!"
Natsu glanced at the already chosen Route E, then his gaze fell on a seemingly deep passage to the side. Finally, he clapped his fists together and excitedly led Happy inside.
The road was then immediately blocked.
A few minutes later.
The last pair, Wendy and Mest, also arrived at their designated positions.
Wendy looked at the other seven routes, which had all turned into X's, leaving only the last one. She chuckled wryly and said, "Looks like we're the last ones here, Mr. Mest."
"It's alright, we can now focus all our efforts on breaking through this path!"
After the two entered the passage, all routes were selected.
Guild Master Makarov was also at the finish line, eagerly waiting to see which team would cross first.
Zorn, who was inside the passage, illuminated the entire passage brightly, and looked on with amusement as he gazed at the dark passage in the distance.
The sound of running figures grew louder and louder in the passageway.
The kitten's voice followed. "Natsu, look ahead, it's so bright, and there's... a warm feeling in the Magic Power."
Happy seemed to understand something, and immediately lay on top of Natsu's head, trembling as he continued, "This... it can't be what I'm thinking, can it?"
"Ah~ that's him!" Natsu's eyes were full of excitement. He pushed off with his feet and charged forward with Happy.
"Zorn!"
Sprinting into the wide passage, Natsu saw the familiar figure appear and his body erupted in blazing flames as he constantly observed Zorn's subtle movements, hoping to find a weakness.
Zorn looked at the spirited Natsu and nodded. It seemed that his seven days of special training had not been in vain, and Natsu had also learned not to act rashly beforehand.
"Natsu, come on, let me see just how strong you are!!"
Zorn didn't waste any words. He assumed a fighting stance, exuding an imposing aura, and gestured for Natsu to attack first.
Natsu, however, was sweating profusely. Just the moment Zorn assumed a fighting stance, he felt as if he had been targeted by a ferocious beast, and a chill instantly enveloped him.
An inexplicable pressure pressed down on him, rendering him unable to move.
"Natsu..."
Happy also spread his wings and took flight in an instant, instinctively soaring high in the sky, looking worriedly at Natsu below.
"I... I'm on fire!" Natsu's flames trembled in waves, and with the vibrations, the temperature inside the passage rose.
With a final roar, it broke through Zorn's suppression, flames soaring into the sky, its eyes fixed firmly on Zorn.
Juvia and Lisanna, however, did not encounter Gray and Loke as expected.
But she encountered someone who would absolutely not hold back— Erza.
"Ah~" Two screams rang out.
Juvia and Lisanna were sent flying backward, turning and landing safely on two huge boulders in mid-air.
"Wow, she's amazing! I didn't know she was this strong!" Juvia said, sounding slightly somber.
The smoke dissipated in the distance.
Erza, clad in the Sea King Armor, looked at Juvia with a serious expression and an unusually cold tone. "What's wrong, Juvia? You can't become S-Class Mage like this."
"The Sea King Armor is designed to completely block Juvia's water, effectively suppressing it!" Lisanna analyzed, her brows slightly furrowed.
Upon hearing this, Juvia clenched his fists and said in a deep voice, "Juvia, I... I will definitely defeat you!"
After saying that, his body immediately transformed into a stream of water, spinning rapidly as he rushed towards Erza, turning into countless torrents the instant he got close.
"Water Laser"
Seeing this, Erza smiled and unleashed her full Observation Haki, moving her body only a few steps to the left and right.
All attacks were dodged.
"How is this possible? Such a dense attack, impossible!" Juvia had taken shape in the water, exclaimed in shock.
"Juvia, find the right moment~" Lisanna's gaze did not darken as she spoke to Juvia, and then her body flashed with light.
"Take Over: Cheetah Soul"
Lisanna's feet, hands, and ears all transformed into the shape of a cheetah, and she pushed off with her feet.
"Six Styles - Shaving"
Armament Haki - Cover, Beast Claw
Extremely fast, in the blink of an eye, Lisanna dashed in front of Erza and swung her claw.
Even with his Observation Haki activated, it only barely covered Erza's Erza Observation Haki, preventing her from sensing his attack.
However Erza, as expected of S-Class Mage, swung her sword forcefully and blocked the attack.
"Bang! Boom!"
The boulder beneath Erza's feet shattered instantly, and Lisanna used the momentum to leap behind Erza and continue her attack.
The two fought several rounds, but Erza also applied Armament Haki.
Lisanna, however, was sent flying backwards.
"That's quite an improvement, Lisanna! But you still need a little more strength; you won't pass like that!"
Erza was also knocked backward by the force of the attack.
"Now!"
"Water Flow: Rising Rosy Clouds" - Beneath Erza, a powerful stream of water surged into the sky, and two slightly dark streams of water directly bound Erza's hands.
"Water Flow: Twin Fangs!" Juvia emerged from the water, her hands conjuring a high-pressure, spinning drill, which she then launched at Erza.
On the other hand, Elfman and Evergreen were also unlucky enough to encounter someone they really didn't want to see.
"How unlucky I am to have run into..." Elfman said, his mouth agape and his voice trembling.
"Sister-- Mirajane!"
"Oh! Since it's you, too bad. Even if you're my brother, I won't show you any mercy, Elfman!"
Black Magic Power swirled around Mirajane, her black tail slapping the ground, the aura of Satan Soul constantly oppressing the two of them.
Elfman and Evergreen both swallowed silently, feeling immense pressure as they looked at Mirajane's serious expression.
On the other side.
Cana and Lucy also encountered Gildarts, who had been waiting for them for a long time.
"This... this, how could it be, it's Gildarts!!" Lucy stared at Gildarts's smiling face, her body trembling, and she stammered.
Cana, on the other hand, had already instinctively assumed a fighting stance.
"I didn't expect it to be two girls! Sorry, but for your safety in future missions, I won't go easy on you!"
Gildarts looked at the two girls, unsure of what to do, but considering the danger of the S-Class Mission, he had no choice but to fulfill his duty to assess their abilities.
"No need to turn on the water! I've been waiting for a whole day!"
With a "whoosh," Cana launched all the cards from her waist into the air at once, her body sinking slightly as she clenched her fists, an inexplicable aura emanating from her.
This change surprised Lucy, who also took out a key and waited for the right moment.
"Oh~ that's good, hahaha, but I feel like I'm getting a familiar feeling from you!" Gildarts had been serious for less than fifteen minutes, suddenly burst into laughter, scratching the back of his head as he said embarrassedly.
Upon hearing Gildarts's words, Cana's eyes flickered slightly, and her fists clenched.
To be continued~