The True Power of Fairy Tail's Current S-Class Mages (Part 1)
...
BOOM!!
The terrifying Azure Dragon transformed into the power of a Collapsing Fist, wrapping around Evan's left arm. With a mighty swing, he hurled it toward the massive united roar coming his way.
A single punch calmed the storm…
The combined roar, unleashed by a true dragon, a Dragon Slayer, and an artificial dragon, shattered like fragile glass, then burst apart completely.
"Ah! That's our Brother Evan!"
"Master's power is beyond comprehension!"
"Sorry, Master Wisdom… looks like your Super Dragon Knight PLUS is going to explode again…"
Natsu, Kurnugi, and Mystogan all looked up at the ever-growing fist headed their way… and smiled brightly.
And then,
BOOM!!
The entire Tenrou Island trembled from Evan's punch. Countless magical beasts collapsed to the ground, trembling.
Even those ranked S-Class, typically only hunted by Fairy Tail's elite mages, instinctively prostrated themselves in Evan's direction.
Their instincts screamed, that being over there… is the king of magical beasts, a dragon, the supreme and mythical apex creature in this magical world.
Even Lustrous Arc wielder Lustyros didn't need to overthink. His sole goal was simple, make his summoned creatures resemble dragons as much as possible.
Because aside from gods who had long left the human world, dragons were the strongest living beings in existence, bar none.
Moments later…
Natsu, Kurnugi, and Mystogan (now out of his Super Dragon Knight PLUS) lay unconscious in the sand.
Evan had absolute control over his strength. He ensured all three were knocked out equally, without actually injuring them.
"Guess I'll wait here for the others~"
Evan casually used gravity magic to float a stone block over, took a seat, and quietly waited for the rest of the examiners to finish.
"I wonder how many will pass the S-Class Exam this year…"
He muttered thoughtfully as he sat under the sun.
Elsewhere…
"Get up! If that's all you've got, then don't even dream of becoming an S-Class mage."
The scarlet-haired knight stood before two battered young men, wearing a translucent crystal-like suit of armor, sword in hand. Her expression was cold and commanding.
"Huff… huff…"
"As expected of Erza, but we won't give up…"
Gray and Lyon, both breathing heavily, stared with determination at the beautiful girl before them.
Yes, this unrelenting warrior was none other than Evan's beloved sister, Erza Scarlet.
"Gray!"
Lyon gave Gray a subtle wink, signaling their next move.
"I got it, Lyon!"
Gray nodded, he understood perfectly.
"Unison Raid! Ice Make, Infinite Holy Sword Armor Dragon!"
The two of them clasped hands. Then, with their free hands, they ripped off their shirts like basketball anime protagonists, unleashing a blinding glow of unity.
"Erza! Take our strongest attack!"
At that moment, the two eccentric ice mages became perfectly synchronized.
"Huh?!"
Unseen until now, Erza had already swapped into a dazzling new armor, far more ornate and otherworldly than anything from this realm. Ribbons fluttered around her like divine streamers, making her appear like a celestial maiden descending from heaven.
"Celestial God Form, Star Radiance!!"
With fury, Erza unleashed her most powerful magic, worthy of a Ten Wizard Saint.
SPLAT!!
In the blink of an eye, both Gray and Lyon collapsed, completely unconscious.
"Put some clothes on, you perverts! DAMN IT!"
"Seriously… ugh!"
"I'm leaving you two here to reflect. I'm going to find my brother."
Erza roared at the two unconscious mages, then stomped off in a huff in the direction of Evan.
Like Evan's group, Erza's team had been completely wiped out…
In the forest…
"Oh? So after Evan, Erza's side is done too?"
"Well then, lovely ladies, how about we stop fighting and have a nice cup of tea?"
Gildarts stood casually in the forest, sensing the shift in magical energy. He looked at the two exhausted beauties, Kagura and Seilah, with gentle sympathy.
Really now… with so many examiners to choose from, why him?
He was not someone who could go easy in battle…
In fact, he'd done his best not to seriously hurt them.
"I won't give up… scum like you must die!"
Kagura's white stockings were torn, but she still gripped her katana tightly.
"Why… don't you obey me…?"
Seilah sat collapsed on the ground, staring weakly at Gildarts.
The reason she had chosen Gildarts was simple, Evan and Kurnugi weren't even human, they were dragons. Her Domination Curse didn't work on those monsters.
So they were off the list.
Erza was Evan's sister, and likely a monster herself, her domination magic probably wouldn't work either.
Laxus was a Dragon Slayer, and Seilah wasn't even sure if that counted as human… eliminated.
As for Mirajane, Seilah knew her well, Mirajane used Take Over, Satan Soul, and had absorbed both Hellhound and Mard Geer's powers.
Battle against Mard Geer's soul? No thanks. Her domination spell wouldn't work, and she might get brainwashed in return!
So in Seilah's eyes, there were very few actual humans in Fairy Tail. Only Ur and Gildarts seemed viable.
Unfortunately, she missed the chance to choose Ur.
Which left her with just one, Gildarts, the only other "human."
But she miscalculated.
Her curse magic failed completely, not neutralized, but instantly shattered the moment it entered Gildarts' body.
"Ahh… sorry, beautiful demon lady~"
"When I was young and training in Crush Magic, I made a tiny mistake… accidentally merged it with all of my internal magic."
"As a result, everything inside me carries the crushing trait. Even when I'm not trying, my magic automatically destroys whatever enters me."
"So whether it's poison, curses, or anything else, my body just grinds it to dust~"
"Your spell wasn't nullified. It was just crushed."
Gildarts smiled gently, explaining it patiently.
"Crush Magic?! That dangerously unstable, upper-tier destructive spell, Crush?! You… actually merged that with your own magic?! Weren't you afraid of destroying yourself?! How the hell did you succeed?! What kind of monster are you?!"
Seilah was stunned. Cold sweat slid down her face.
"Haha, plenty of people call me a monster on this continent~"
"But honestly, compared to Evan, Selene, or Irene, I'm clearly still human~"
Gildarts stroked his beard and chuckled softly.
"Don't kid me, you monster!"
"I give up. There's no point continuing against someone like you. We can't win."
Seilah shook her head. She'd underestimated Fairy Tail. There were no humans here. Only monsters wearing human skin.
"Miss, maybe if you'd held out a bit longer, you could've beaten me~"
"Are you sure you don't want to try again?"
Gildarts smiled kindly at Seilah.
"No. I, Seilah, surrender."
"Kagura, you should surrender too! We can't handle this man…"
Seilah looked over at Kagura and instinctively activated her curse.
"I… sur… render!"
Kagura trembled. Cold sweat streamed down her face. She realized, she couldn't control her body.
"Huh?! My spell actually worked?!"
Seilah blinked in disbelief. For the first time since joining Fairy Tail, her curse magic had finally succeeded, sadly, on her own teammate.
And with that… Gildarts' team was completely wiped out.
"Oh ho! Half of the S-Class candidates have been eliminated already!"
"Honestly… Evan, Erza, Gildarts, do none of them understand the meaning of holding back?!"
"Let's hope the other three groups can succeed…"
Makarov, using his Magic Crystal, monitored the matches across Tenrou Island.
With Evan's, Erza's, and Gildarts' teams eliminated, only Laxus, Mirajane, and Ur's groups remained.
...
The True Power of Fairy Tail's Current S-Class Mages (Part 2)
...
BOOM!!
Just as Makarov placed his hopes on those three, a blast of thunder erupted, and another group's fate was sealed.
"As expected… Laxus…"
Amid the falling thunder, Fried exited his Dark Écriture, Forbidden Mode, collapsing to the ground.
He'd gone all-out, but still couldn't match Laxus.
"Huff… huff…"
Nearby, Cana leaned against a tree, panting heavily. Her scattered cards lay all around her, she too had given everything she had.
But Laxus was just too strong.
"You both did your best."
Laxus stood with hands in his pockets, back turned to them.
He didn't want to see them like this. If it weren't for his role as examiner, he never would've unleashed his thunder on his own comrades.
And so, Laxus' team was wiped out.
Now only Ur's and Mirajane's teams remained…
"Was I crazy to expect Laxus to hold back even a little?!"
Makarov stared silently at Laxus, who kept up his cool demeanor even after Fried fainted, his "cool guy" image more intense than ever.
"Mirajane, those are your younger brother and sister! You could've gone a little easier on them~"
Makarov turned his Magic Crystal to observe Mirajane's match.
Compared to Laxus's intense and ruthless battle…
Mirajane's side seemed to be drawn in an entirely different style~
"Big sis, we're coming at you~"
Elfman and Lisanna had already activated full Beast Soul Take Over, Elfman receiving the Soul of the Brown Bear, and Lisanna receiving the Soul of the Cheetah, the fastest hunter.
One was power and endurance, the other speed and stealth.
Elfman and Lisanna had the best teamwork of any team, after all, they were siblings, perfectly in sync.
Unfortunately for them… they were up against their equally in-sync big sister.
So, whatever strategies they thought of, Mirajane anticipated them.
With a single movement, Mirajane, in her Satan Soul form, dodged Lisanna's sneak attack and countered with even greater speed, sending her flying.
In the next instant, she appeared in front of Elfman and used his own signature strength to slam him face-first into the ground.
"Lisanna's still not fast enough~"
"Elfman, once we're back, you better up your strength training."
Mirajane crossed her arms sternly and looked down at her siblings with authority.
"Yes, big sis~"
Elfman and Lisanna slowly got up and nodded.
Unlike the other matchups, this one looked more like a big sister training her younger siblings, pointing out flaws and making corrections mid-fight.
"No surprise, Mirajane is nailing what the S-Class exam is really about, testing candidates while also guiding them. She's far ahead of the others in that regard…"
Makarov smiled slightly as he watched.
"Sigh… you two are hopeless."
"Guess I'll show you what real power looks like!"
Seeing how her little brother and sister couldn't take the fight seriously, Mirajane sighed and released her Satan Soul form.
"Huh?!"
Elfman and Lisanna blinked in confusion, they didn't understand why she'd suddenly drop her full-body Take Over.
"With the magic I've got left, I can only maintain this for a minute. So keep your eyes open!"
Mirajane gave them a sweet, gentle smile.
"Okay, big sis~"
Still clueless, the two nodded happily.
"Full Body Take Over, Demon King Mard Geer!"
Suddenly, Mirajane's expression darkened. Violent magical energy crackled around her as a massive magic circle burst beneath her feet.
Her white hair turned black. Her athletic outfit transformed into a fitted dark coat. Her once radiant aura turned grim and menacing.
Most importantly, her magical aura changed entirely.
"What is this?!"
Both Elfman and Lisanna were frozen. Their sister suddenly felt like a stranger, a completely different person.
"Thorns~"
Now wielding the Demon King's Soul, Mirajane raised a pale finger and flicked it.
The ground split open. Thick black vines erupted from below, artistically binding Elfman and Lisanna.
Then, they drained their magic completely.
"Ugh…"
In an instant, the two lost the ability to resist.
"You two… train for a few more years before trying the S-Class Exam again~"
Mirajane said softly, smiling down at her siblings, now emptied of magic. Then, sensing something, she looked up.
"Uhh…"
Makarov, watching through his crystal helm, froze, then immediately switched channels.
"Mirajane is terrifying…"
He wiped his sweating forehead and muttered to himself.
"Sigh…"
Mirajane glanced off to where Makarov had been watching, then calmly released her Demon King Take Over.
Elfman and Lisanna fell from the air, landing gently on the soft earth below.
And with that, Mirajane's team was wiped out!
Only one group remained, Ur's.
But unlike the others… Ur was in deep trouble.
"That sensation… is that really Mard Geer's magic?"
"Hahaha! To think that idiot's power is still being used after death, how ironic!"
"Now then, Senior Ur, you should surrender. You know your magic is useless against me."
Silver, clad in armor, laughed as he felt the demonic energy in the air. He was fully aware it was the Curse Power of the Demon King, and laughed sincerely at how Fairy Tail had absorbed even that into itself.
He turned to Ur, who stood across from him, panting and sweating.
"Huff… huff…"
"This is completely one-sided…"
Sweat beaded across Ur's brow. Unlike the other examiners, who overwhelmed their opponents, Ur was being countered.
Her magic was entirely ineffective against both Ultear and Silver…
Silver used Ice Demon Slayer Magic, allowing him to devour all ice-based attacks, he could literally eat Ur's ice.
And Ultear used Arc of Time, which could erase Ur's Ice-Make creations outright.
In short, Ur was hard-countered.
"Mom, give up! Your magic doesn't work on us~"
Ultear, holding a magic crystal and looking conflicted, gazed at her mother with reluctant pity.
"I see. My magic really is ineffective against you both, huh?"
Ur smiled faintly, calm despite her cornered position. She kept her stance ready for Ice-Make Magic.
"Please stop, Mom! No matter how many times you cast it, I'll just erase it!"
Ultear pleaded.
"Is that so? Then let's give it a try, Ice-Make, Blood Rose Garden!"
Ur's eyes gleamed. Her hands joined and crossed, and a burst of crimson frost exploded from her body.
By pushing herself against her daughter and Silver, Ur broke past her limit, ascending to the 5th seat of the Ten Wizard Saints.
"Pointless!!"
Ultear's eyes glowed, Arc of Time activated.
But this time, it didn't work.
The blood-colored roses bloomed freely, ignoring Ultear's interference. In the blink of an eye, she was frozen inside them.
"Why?!"
Ultear clutched her magic crystal, her face full of confusion.
"Ultear… your magic only works on non-living matter, right?"
"These roses… were formed from my own blood. They're alive. Your magic can't touch them, my foolish daughter~"
Ur gently caressed Ultear's frozen cheek and smiled.
"Don't worry, Ultear! I'll save you!"
Silver rushed to help, trying to devour the ice.
But, his Ice Demon Slayer Magic failed.
"What?! Why can't I devour this?!"
Silver froze, staring at the blood-red ice.
"Because this isn't ice…"
"It's my life."
"Silver, I remember you said you're dead, right?"
"Do you know the one thing that can defeat the dead?"
"The answer… is the life of the living."
Ur turned to Silver, her body radiating crimson frost. She unleashed it at him with terrifying force.
"Crap! I let my guard down!"
Silver panicked. He knew, if she froze him, it was all over.
All six teams defeated?!
This… is the power of Fairy Tail's current S-Class Mages…