The scene shifts to Zorn's side.
Natsu was lying in the pit, struggling to stand up. He was too impatient, and as soon as he got up, he swung his fist and charged at Zorn.
He didn't even listen to Zorn's advice, and as a result, Zorn only needed to deliver a whip kick, and he was already in such a sorry state.
"Natsu, you've wasted a whole week of training! If that's the case, then your path to S-Class Exam ends here."
Zorn patted the dust off his clothes and stood up.
After coldly finishing his statement, he pretended to have made his decision and walked away resolutely.
"How could this be..." Happy hearing this, Happy burst into tears.
It knew Natsu's dedication and dream for the S-Class Exam, and it also knew that Natsu was thinking of Igneel. If he didn't pass the S-Class Exam this time, who knew how long it would take to fulfill that dream.
"It's not over yet! How can it end like this?!" Natsu clenched his fists, flames erupted from his body once more, and the temperature in the air rose sharply.
The area where Natsu stood had been partially liquefied by the flames, which were slowly spreading outwards.
His eyes followed Zorn's every move, and his fists were immediately covered with Armament Haki.
Zorn's lips curled slightly. He felt the temperature around him and realized that Natsu had finally calmed down. Natsu's excitement just now had completely ignored the most important thing: calmness.
This is also the biggest taboo when carrying out S-Class Missions. For missions above S-Class, even the slightest negligence can be fatal.
"It seems you understand!" Zorn's lips curled up slightly as he finished speaking happily, but he had only just turned around when...
"How was that strike!"
A whooshing sound came from above.
"The Fire Dragon's Claw"
The explosive force of the orange-red, blackish flames slammed down from above.
Zorn's Armament Haki covered his right arm, and he raised his hand to block the attack, simultaneously deflecting the force onto the ground.
"Crimson Lotus Fire Dragon's Fist"
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack"
The ground collapsed instantly. Natsu's first attack failed, and a barrage of subsequent attacks came crashing down on him in an instant.
The two attacks flickered left and right within the passage, but Zorn managed to keep the aftershocks within a certain range.
Zorn easily dodged left and right, using Physical Arts and Haki to block, and even had the leisure to further tease Natsu: "Natsu, your Physical Arts have improved a lot, but unfortunately, you still need to fight with the intention of killing me, otherwise you're not up to par!"
Zorn blocked Natsu's punch with his left hand, and then unleashed a burst of light with his right foot, delivering a lightning-fast kick.
Just as Zorn's right foot touched Natsu's abdomen, he paused for a moment, but Natsu was still sent flying backward at high speed.
"Bang!"
It smashed through the mountainside, followed by a massive explosion, burying it in countless rubble.
"Natsu ~" Happy cried out in worry, tears welling up in his eyes.
Natsu did not respond for a moment, and Happy's shouts could be faintly heard echoing in the passage.
"Don't worry, Happy, Natsu is fine." Zorn couldn't bear to see Happy so worried, so he comforted him, his tone full of relief.
That sudden pause in his foot wasn't Zorn holding back; it was Natsu's incredibly fast reaction. He fully covered his abdomen with Armament Haki and compressed the flames, concentrating them at a single point on his abdomen.
This level of response can already be considered a subconscious bodily reaction.
"The Roar of the Fire Dragon"
Just as Zorn had predicted, Natsu punched away rubble, his belly bulging high, and a powerful burst of flame erupted from Natsu mouth.
Zorn remained calm as he faced the flames that completely engulfed the entire cave.
With a outstretched hand, Magic Circle instantly unfolded, unleashing a beam of equally powerful light.
The moment the two attacks collided, a burst of white light filled the entire cave passage.
Just then, Natsu's triumphant laughter rang out from behind Zorn.
"Haha, my chance has come! This is the result of all these years!"
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art—Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Blade"
Zorn's hands were wreathed in orange-red flames tinged with black, and Natsu slowly imbued the flames with Armament Haki, the red and black flames radiating an extremely dangerous aura.
As Natsu spun at high speed, the attack landed squarely on Zorn.
"Boom!" The cave ceiling was scorched and exploded, falling down completely. Combined with the damage from the previous attack, the passage was now practically an open-air area.
A fireball, like a miniature sun, enveloped Zorn, but Natsu was blasted away by the aftershock and landed on Happy. With Happy's help, he slowly stood up.
Smoke billowed up.
"Did it succeed? This test should be..." Happy asked doubtfully. Although the attack was very powerful, they were facing Zorn, and they just hoped that this attack could gain Zorn's approval.
"Well done! Barely qualified in terms of ability."
Upon hearing the sound, Natsu and Happy stared in disbelief at the unharmed Zorn beside them, muttering, "Impossible, such an attack... at such close range."
"Damn it, what's the point of me becoming S-Class Mage if I don't beat you up!" Natsu heard Zorn about to say "pass." He clenched his fists and his body trembled. In his mind, only by defeating the examiner could he prove that he met the standards of S-Class Mage.
"Sigh, I knew you'd say that! Oh well! Looks like I'll have to test you a bit more to see if you possess that same thing."
Zorn was helpless upon hearing the roar. He first took a deep breath, and then gradually released the Magic Power within Zorn body.
Under the vibration of this pressure, all the surrounding rubble slowly floated up, and the passageway cave began to tremble.
"Hmph~" With a cold snort from Zorn, Magic Power surged into the sky.
The hurricane caused by the Magic Power made Natsu and Happy unsteady on their feet, and they trembled with fear, crying out, "Ahhh~ This... kind of Magic Power..."
Natsu stared at Zorn in the golden pillar of Magic Power light, barely suppressing his fear, but his body was already beyond his control, frozen in place.
The other S-Class Mages, Laxus, Ur, Gildarts, and others, also sensed Zorn's Magic Power. They only paused slightly, but instead used even more force against the examinees. In an instant, all the examinees were sent flying backward.
Makarov had been sitting comfortably at the finish line, eagerly awaiting the arrival of those who had passed the test, when he sensed Zorn's Magic Power in an instant.
He quickly stood up, his expression stunned, and then a trembling voice came out. "This... this... no way, does it mean that only one team will pass the first assessment?!"
On Zorn's side.
Natsu was still trembling, but he was desperately trying to suppress the fear in his heart.
"Ah~ I... I won't..." Natsu took a deep breath, held it in, and shouted out, about to continue throwing punches at Zorn.
Zorn glared at Natsu with murderous intent, Natsu's feet seemed to freeze in place, as if death was about to engulf him. In the pillar of light, Zorn instantly transformed into a terrifying humanoid figure, his demonic red eyes staring at him.
The air seemed to have been sucked out; no matter what Natsu did, he couldn't breathe. His pupils dilated, cold sweat covered his entire body, and his legs slowly bent down, his hands supporting him on the ground.
Seeing this, Zorn slowly withdrew his Magic Power.
Natsu gradually regained his breathing, but his body was still trembling uncontrollably. He said fearfully, "I... I give up!"
Happy's face was covered in tears; it truly felt sorry for Natsu...
Zorn's lips curled up:
"Incredible! To be able to continue challenging me despite this fear, and even to withdraw your challenge, is truly remarkable."
"Fear is not a sin. It means you've come to understand your weaknesses, which will make you stronger and kinder—one of the conditions for becoming S-Class Mage."
"As I said before, you passed!"
"But... but... I..."
"The examiners all say you've passed. There will be even tougher tests waiting for you. I believe in you, Natsu!" Zorn squatted down and patted Natsu's head to comfort him. He had indeed frightened Natsu a bit.
"Go and become S-Class, Natsu!"
I believe in you; you will definitely surpass me!
Natsu's shoulders were still trembling, and tears were falling drop by drop. It was unclear whether he was happy to have passed the test or because Zorn recognized his abilities.