POV: Elior
We left Ur's house shortly after sunrise.
The jungle was still covered in morning mist, with rays of sunlight barely making it through the thick canopy.
Gildarts walked ahead while Laxus and I followed behind him.
Ur walked beside Ultear, with Gray and Leon following them.
For a while, nobody said much.
Then Ur suddenly stopped.
"Wait."
Everyone turned toward her.
Ur looked at Gildarts first.
Then Laxus.
Then me.
Her expression was serious.
"I forgot something."
Gildarts raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Ur took a breath.
"Thanking you."
Gildarts blinked.
Ur bowed deeply..
"I'm sorry. I got caught up in my emotions yesterday and completely forgot to thank you properly."
She looked at Gildarts.
"You found Ultear. You brought her to me. And you stayed when everything became complicated."
Gildarts waved his hand.
"Don't worry about it."
"No."
Ur shook her head.
"You deserve to hear it."
She then looked at Laxus.
"And you too."
Laxus looked slightly uncomfortable.
"For what?"
"You stayed when you could have simply walked away."
Laxus shrugged.
"She needed help."
Ur smiled.
"That's exactly what I mean."
She then turned toward me.
"And you, Elior."
I pointed at myself.
"Me?"
"Yes."
Her expression softened.
"You found my daughter lying injured in the forest. You healed her when she could barely survive."
I smiled.
"Anyone would've done it."
Ur shook her head.
"No. They wouldn't."
She glanced toward Ultear.
"And when she believed that her mother didn't want her anymore, you gave her another choice."
Ultear lowered her head.
"You offered her Fairy Tail."
I shrugged.
"That's what Fairy Tail is."
"Family," Ur said.
I nodded.
"Exactly."
Ur smiled.
"I am grateful."
She looked at all three of us.
"I was so overwhelmed yesterday that I forgot to say it properly."
She took a breath.
"Thank you, Gildarts."
Gildarts smiled.
"You're welcome."
"Thank you, Laxus."
Laxus nodded.
"You're welcome."
Finally, she looked directly at me.
"Thank you, Elior."
I smiled.
"Anytime."
Ultear stepped closer.
"Thank you too."
I looked at her.
"For what?"
"For giving me the courage to come back."
I smiled.
"You did that yourself."
She shook her head.
"Maybe. But you helped."
"Then we're even."
She smiled.
Gildarts suddenly clapped his hands.
"Alright! Enough emotional speeches."
Ur laughed.
"What? You're the one who started it yesterday."
"Exactly. And I'm ending it."
Laxus shook his head.
"You're impossible."
Gildarts grinned.
"That's why everyone likes me."
We continued toward the mountains.
The jungle gradually became rougher.
The trees became thinner, the ground more uneven, and signs of destruction began appearing everywhere.
A massive tree had been snapped in half.
Several enormous rocks had been smashed apart.
Deep grooves ran through the earth.
Laxus crouched beside one of them.
"This is recent."
Gildarts looked around.
"Then we're getting close."
I didn't answer.
Something had changed.
The air felt heavier.
My Light Magic was reacting to something in the distance.
I stopped walking.
Laxus noticed immediately.
"What?"
I closed my eyes.
My magical perception spread through the forest.
I felt the ethernano moving through the jungle.
The magical signatures of the people around me.
The tiny creatures hiding beneath the vegetation.
And then—
I felt it.
A massive magical presence.
Dark.
Violent.
Overwhelming.
My eyes opened.
"Deliora."
Everyone became silent.
Ur looked toward me.
"You can sense it?"
"Yes."
"How far?"
I looked toward the mountains.
"Not far."
Gildarts' expression became serious.
"Then we move."
I nodded.
Laxus grinned.
"Finally."
Lightning began crackling around his body.
I smiled.
Light gathered around mine.
Ur immediately spoke.
"Be careful."
Laxus looked back.
"We will."
I nodded.
"We'll keep it away from the settlements."
Gildarts looked toward the mountains.
"That's the first priority."
We moved.
At first, we ran.
Then faster.
And faster.
Until running wasn't enough.
Laxus transformed into Lightning.
I transformed into Light.
The two of us shot through the jungle.
Trees blurred around us.
The distance disappeared in seconds.
Gildarts couldn't match our speed, so he remained behind with Ur and the others.
That was fine.
He knew where we were going.
And we knew what we had to do.
Ahead, the jungle suddenly opened.
A massive valley stretched beyond it.
And there it was.
Deliora.
The monster was enormous.
Its body towered over the surrounding trees.
Its dark magical energy filled the entire area.
I could feel my Light Magic reacting violently to its presence.
Darkness like that was something my magic naturally opposed.
It would be especially dangerous to Deliora.
But that didn't mean this would be easy.
Far from it.
Deliora was an S-Class monster.
One that had survived for years while destroying everything in its path.
Laxus appeared beside me.
He looked at the settlements in the distance.
"We can't fight it here."
"I know."
I looked at Deliora.
"We move it."
Deliora suddenly stopped.
Its enormous head turned.
It had sensed us.
Its eyes locked onto the two of us.
For one brief moment, everything became still.
Then Laxus disappeared.
So did I.
Lightning.
Light.
We crossed the distance in the blink of an eye.
Deliora barely had time to react.
Suddenly, we were directly in front of its face.
Our bodies returned to normal for a fraction of a second.
Our legs were glowing brightly.
Lightning wrapped around Laxus' leg.
Light blazed around mine.
I grinned.
"Have you—"
Laxus continued.
"Ever been—"
I raised my leg.
"Kicked at the—"
Laxus raised his.
"Speed of—"
We shouted together.
"LIGHT!"
BAAAAAAM!
Both of our feet slammed directly into Deliora's head.
A blinding flash exploded across the valley.
The shockwave tore through the surrounding trees.
For one brief moment, Deliora didn't move.
Then its enormous body was launched backward.
BOOOOOOM!
Deliora flew across the valley, smashing through trees and rocks as its massive body was thrown farther and farther away from the settlements.
Miles passed in seconds.
Finally, the monster crashed into the mountainside.
KRAAAAAASH!
The impact shook the entire valley.
Dust and debris erupted into the sky.
Back at the edge of the jungle, Ur stared in disbelief.
Gray's mouth hung open.
Leon looked completely stunned.
Ultear blinked several times.
Gildarts simply grinned.
"Well…"
He laughed.
"That certainly got its attention."
The dust cloud in the distance began to move.
Something enormous shifted inside it.
Ur's expression became serious.
"They're really going to fight that?"
Gildarts folded his arms.
"Yeah."
Gray stared toward the distant mountain.
"That was just the beginning?"
Gildarts' grin widened.
"Yep."
Lightning and Light stood side by side in the distance.
Laxus cracked his neck.
I formed a light sword.
Deliora slowly rose from the crater.
Its roar echoed across the mountains.
The opening strike had done exactly what we wanted.
Deliora was far away from the settlements.
Now there was nothing between us and the real battle.
I looked at Laxus.
He looked back at me.
Neither of us smiled this time.
The game was over.
Now the S-Class examination truly began.