On the first day of X779, three days later, the guild members had all but come together to Fairy Tail's sacred ground, Tenrou Island, fulfilling the camping plan Zorn had thought of earlier.
"Damn it, he's too strong..." Covered in wounds, Laxus lay on the ground, panting heavily. His face was full of frustration as he spoke through gritted teeth.
"Hahaha, you've still got a long way to go, Laxus, you brat." A sleazy-looking middle-aged man with slicked-back orange hair, some stubble on his chin, and a dark green cloak stood with his hands on his hips, laughing loudly.
Hearing this, Laxus grew even more frustrated. He pounded the ground with his right hand to express it. "Damn it, am I not going to pass this year?"
"Hahaha, well, I'm not one to hold back. Besides, you managed to fight me this far, so you passed, kid." Gildarts sat down beside Laxus and patted him on the shoulder with his right hand, acknowledging his strength.
"Tch, hmph. Old man, one day I'll beat you and become the strongest in the guild." Laxus turned his head away in annoyance, then pushed himself off the ground. He barely managed to stand and limped toward the shore.
"Ah, what a stubborn brat. Whatever happened to that adorable Laxus?" Gildarts called after him, still teasing him playfully. Laxus turned to look at Gildarts with an annoyed expression, only to twist his injured shoulder and cry out softly in pain. Gildarts insisted on supporting him and took him back to the shore.
The view pulled back... The ground where the two had fought had collapsed by a whole layer. Craters of all sizes still smoked everywhere, while the crater at the center of the battlefield looked as though it had been struck by a meteorite, showing just how fierce the battle had been.
Meanwhile, on the shore, some guild members were gathering firewood, some were roasting food over a fire, some were pitching tents, and others were fishing. It hardly looked like they had come to watch an S-Class Exam; it was a standard camping trip.
Zorn and Cana, who were chopping ingredients, suddenly exchanged a glance. Using their Observation Haki, they both sensed two powerful auras approaching them from the forest and knew that Laxus's exam had officially come to an end.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Don't worry, I've figured it out. During my S-Class Exam, I'll make that lousy Pops remember he has a daughter like me." Seeing that Zorn looked a little worried, Cana patted him on the shoulder like a good buddy and spoke playfully.
"Hey, they're back." One of the guild members spotted the two emerging from the forest, and his shout made everyone else stop what they were doing and look at them.
"So you passed?" The master stood on a rock, looking at Laxus, who wore a confident smile. A broad smile appeared on the master's face as well.
"You're the other kid taking the S-Class Exam? You taught Laxus that Observation Haki? It's a pretty impressive power." Gildarts reached out to pat Zorn's head, but Zorn caught his hand. "Hello, Uncle Gildarts. I'm Zorn. I look forward to learning from you in the exam." Zorn looked seriously at the grinning Gildarts before him.
"Oh?" Gildarts dropped his grin and looked seriously at Zorn. The atmosphere grew a little delicate, but he stayed serious for less than three seconds before quickly reaching out and ruffling Zorn's hair a few times. "That's a good look in your eyes. Do your best on tomorrow's exam." He returned to his grinning, strange-old-man self, acting as willfully as if to say that if Zorn wouldn't let him touch his head, he would do it anyway.
Zorn could only look on helplessly as Gildarts went bounding away, praising Cana for growing up one moment and running over to the fire to grab some roast meat and eat it the next.
"Hey, Laxus, did you pass the exam?" Zorn asked as he watched Laxus walk over and sit down to rest nearby, without pausing the work in his hands.
"Yeah, I passed... Don't let your guard down tomorrow. That man is strong, ridiculously strong," Laxus warned with a frown after a brief pause.
"Yeah, I know. Since when did you become so hesitant? That's not like you at all, Laxus." Zorn put down his cleaver and looked at Laxus, his face full of mischief.
"Shut up."
"Zorn, Cana, are the ingredients chopped? It's time to put them in the pot," a guild member named Liya called to them.
"Here, help us take this over. If you want to eat, you have to help, and that includes injured people." Zorn put a large basin of ingredients straight into the hands of the still-sulking Laxus, pulled him to his feet, and pushed him toward Liya. He urged Laxus to hurry over, indicating that the pot was waiting.
"Pfft~" Cana laughed as she watched Laxus limp away, looking back at them in disbelief.
Zorn watched and burst out laughing too.
That night, a bonfire lit up on Tenrou Island, and everyone made a ruckus together. Natsu and Gray were roughhousing with Gildarts nearby. Even when he took them down in a single move, they didn't lose heart, getting back up and charging at him again. Zorn and Cana each held a bowl of soup and quietly watched Erza and Mirajane fighting over the last bowl.
The master stood beside Laxus, watching the scene as a deep sense of happiness welled up inside him. This was Fairy Tail. Happiness was something everyone shared.
Laxus watched the scene before him, then looked at his happy grandfather. He seemed to understand a little of what his grandfather was protecting.
"Grandpa, I'll protect it with you..." Laxus suddenly said to him.
"Is that so? Then keep working hard."
To be continued~