When Erza returned to the camp, Levy and Bickslow were already resting quietly.
Cana and Panther Lily also wanted to rest, but they were being harassed by two overly worried "parents."
Gildarts crouched in front of Cana with a devastated expression. "Damn it, who dared hurt my daughter like this? I won't forgive them!"
Meanwhile, Gajeel held Lily in his arms, his tough façade cracking as tears welled in his eyes. "How could Lily get hurt this badly?! Who did this to you?! Who did you two run into?!"
"Calm down, Gajeel." Lily grimaced as Gajeel's grip pressed against his wound. "It wasn't even that serious to begin with. You're making it worse by squeezing me."
Cana shoved Gildarts' face away with a scowl. "Give me some space, will you? Do you think I'm still a kid? This is the S-Class Exam! If you lose, you don't go crying back to your parents."
"But even if it's an exam..."
The two men bickered like flustered guardians, while Cana and Lily sighed helplessly, trying to calm them down.
At the same time, under the awning beside the tent, Mira had tied her hair back and donned an apron, busy preparing food.
Standing next to her, Freed had also tied back his long green hair and put on an apron. Judging by his skilled chopping, his cooking ability might even rival Mira's.
From a distance, Erza spotted the figure with green hair and, for a moment, thought Bisca had quietly joined them. Looking closer, she realized it was Freed.
"You're late, Erza. Did you run into someone troublesome?" Mira greeted her with a warm smile.
Erza was dressed in a swimsuit, with a band-aid on her face and several bandages wrapped around her waist and arms.
Mira paused, calculating. At this point, the only groups they hadn't heard from were Mest and Lucy, Gray and Loke, and Rhodes and Wendy.
Which of them could have left Erza in this state? It was hard to imagine.
Erza admitted without hesitation. "I fought against Rhodes and Wendy. They completely overwhelmed me. I needed some healing afterward, so I came back late."
Rhodes passing wasn't unexpected, but Mira still felt a wave of happiness.
Looking at Erza's condition, she wiped her hands on her apron and offered an apology on Rhodes' behalf. "I'm sorry. Rhodes never holds back when he fights."
Erza shook her head. "No. If he hadn't held back, I would've been the only examiner carried back to camp. I don't mind these injuries. The S-Class Exam should be exactly like this."
Freed set the chopped vegetables aside and turned to Erza. "You've done enough. Go rest inside, the food will be ready soon."
"No need. I'll help with the cooking too," Erza replied without hesitation, activating her Requip magic.
In an instant, her scarlet hair was tied up neatly, and an apron appeared over her swimsuit.
It was a shame that aside from Mira and Freed, no one else was there to appreciate the sight.
Erza naturally joined the two of them in their work, skillfully preparing ingredients as she asked, "How are the others?"
"Other than Gray and Mest, whose results we still don't know, everyone else is back in the tent," Mira answered. "The Master said the last passage had opened, and then he hurried off with Carla to check the end point."
"Even you lost, Freed? Who were your opponents?" Erza asked. She had honestly expected Freed to make it through this stage.
Freed gave a small, resigned smile. "Elfman and Evergreen."
"So it was them…" Erza nodded, unsurprised by the outcome.
At that moment, Mira suddenly realized something amusing.
She, her brother, her sister, and her beloved, every single member of the Strauss family, had all won their matches today.
Was this the Strauss family's lucky day?
"Oh, that's right." Mira looked up from the cutting board. "The Master mentioned there's a healing spring nearby. Soaking in it speeds up recovery and prevents scars. Want to go with Levy and Cana later?"
"I don't need it," Erza replied calmly. "Rhodes and Wendy already healed me. There won't be any scars."
"Ah, true. That does sound like something Rhodes and Wendy would think of."
Mira puffed her cheeks in mild annoyance. She had been frozen and blasted with lightning earlier, and no one had treated her injuries, though thankfully, she hadn't been hurt too badly.
Still… why didn't she get to run into Rhodes?
She felt a little sulky just thinking about it.
"Ah-choo!"
Far away, Wendy looked up at Rhodes in surprise. "Are you catching a cold? Should I heal you, Rhodes-nii?"
Rhodes waved a hand dismissively. "No need. Mira must just be thinking about me."
"We're here!" Wendy's voice brightened. After walking through the narrow, suffocating cave for so long, the light spilling from the exit filled her with relief and excitement.
Stepping out of the cave, the sudden sunlight stung their eyes, and both Rhodes and Wendy instinctively raised their hands to shield them.
What greeted them was the sight of familiar guildmates smiling in relief.
"They're here!" Elfman exclaimed.
"It's Onii-sama and Wendy!" Lisanna cheered, her face lighting up. "I knew Onii-sama wouldn't be eliminated that easily."
"Aye, sir!" Happy chimed in.
Evergreen, meanwhile, hid shyly behind Elfman, doing her best to shrink her presence.
"Um, Mr. Rhodes," Juvia asked nervously, wringing her hands, "your opponent wasn't Master Gray, was it? Juvia was so worried."
"Hello, everyone." Rhodes gave them a casual wave. "We weren't too lucky, we ended up running into Erza."
At once, the group froze. They all looked full of energy, but their expressions shifted into a strange silence, shoulders slumping as they sat on nearby rocks with their heads lowered.
"Eh?!" Happy gasped, clutching his cheeks in disbelief. "You beat Erza?! That Erza?!"
Lisanna smiled, her eyes sparkling with pride. "I'm not surprised at all."
"But, Lisanna," Elfman pointed out seriously, "Erza never holds back in a fight."
"It was fine," Rhodes reassured. "She didn't even use her Adamantine Armor. And besides, I had Wendy with me. You don't even know how amazing Wendy's magic is."
"N-no, it wasn't anything special." Wendy flushed red and fidgeted, but the shy smile on her face showed how happy she felt being praised.
"So that means Master Gray's opponents must have been Mest and Lucy…" Juvia murmured. Her handkerchief was already clenched between her teeth, her eyes shimmering with worry. 'Master Gray wouldn't… he wouldn't be charmed by that kind of woman, would he?'
Lisanna blinked, baffled. "What are you even talking about? And besides, Gray and the others might have run into Mira-nee."
At that, Juvia froze, eyes going wide. "Oh no, I forgot about Miss Mira! If Master Gray faced Miss Mira… he's in mortal danger! Juvia must go save him!"
"Wait, wait!" Lisanna quickly grabbed her from behind, hugging her tightly. "Don't panic! Mira-nee has good judgment, she wouldn't go overboard."
While they wrestled, Rhodes leaned down and beckoned Happy over with a small wave. He whispered, "So, what happened to Natsu?"
Happy lowered his voice as well. "Nothing big. He just ran into Gildarts and got a good beating."
"Then how did you…" Rhodes stopped mid-sentence, suddenly remembering Carla's earlier prophecy. He changed his question instead. "He didn't cry, did he?"
Happy blinked at him in surprise. His silence was answer enough.
'So he did.'
Rhodes let out a quiet sigh of relief. 'As expected, nothing to worry about after all.'
Last year's exam had ended without any real problems. With the guild here together, what kind of accident could possibly happen this time?