"When are we leaving? And what city are you talking about, exactly? Don't tell me it's Magnolia."
Gray popped out from some corner or other and, without warning, fired off a whole string of questions.
It was worth noting that this shameless exhibitionist—who normally acted like he wanted to strip down to his underwear at every opportunity—was actually wearing proper thick trousers and a dark winter coat today, wrapped up neatly from head to toe.
This, of course, wasn't because Ultear had spare energy to care about what this idiot wore.
It was simply because Ur herself had been forced into warm clothes, felt unfairly burdened by it, and therefore insisted—under the excuse that "master and disciple should look presentable together"—that Gray had to dress like a normal human being too.
"How could it be Magnolia? Of course it's another city."
Shane casually glanced around the hall, then let his gaze settle on the clock hanging on the wall as he replied,
"As for where exactly… you'll just have to wait and see until everyone gets there."
"Hmph. I'm here."
A voice, noticeably deeper than before, came from the guild entrance.
Everyone turned toward it.
Laxus was striding into the guild.
A year apart had stripped away some of the open arrogance that used to cling to the lightning mage, leaving him looking more restrained and mature.
The restless lightning that once crackled around him whenever his emotions even slightly shifted was now perfectly contained within his body.
Though his youthful edge had softened, it had been replaced by a quiet pressure that made him seem imposing without even trying.
Unfortunately, that impressive aura of steady, intimidating maturity lasted for less than three seconds.
Once everyone looked properly, they saw that this newly transformed Laxus looked extremely annoyed.
Not at his lousy relationship with his grandfather, for once.
No—he was annoyed at the pink-haired boy currently hanging off his leg like a koala and being dragged into the hall.
"We're already at the guild."
Veins pulsed on Laxus's forehead.
"Let go already! What are you, a leech?!"
"I'm not letting go!"
Natsu's whole face was black and blue, his eyes swollen down to slits.
With his monster-level recovery ability, the fact that bruises that obvious were still on his face made it pretty clear just how badly he'd been beaten over the last few days.
And even so, he still clung tightly to Laxus's leg and stubbornly shouted:
"Laxus! If you don't agree to let me be your assistant in the exam, I'm never letting go!!"
"You…"
Laxus took a deep breath, his fist cracking ominously.
With the exam about to begin, there was no way he could actually drag a hundred-plus-pound "human ankle weight" into battle.
"Fine!"
Pestered beyond endurance, Laxus finally pinched the bridge of his nose and gave in with a look of utter disgust.
"I'll take you. But let me make one thing clear first…"
"Don't slow me down! Otherwise I'll hang you from the top of Kardia Cathedral's bell tower and use you as a weather vane!"
"Ohhhhhh!!"
The moment he heard that, Natsu let go and bounced upright like a spring.
"I'm fired up now!!"
He slammed his fists together, sending a burst of fire scattering from the impact, instantly back to full energy.
As for the threat in the second half of Laxus's sentence?
What was that? Could you eat it?
"Tch, getting beaten into a pig's face just to beg Laxus…"
Right then, a teasing female voice sounded from just behind them.
The moment Mira stepped through the guild door, she didn't spare anyone else a glance. Her eyes locked straight onto that crimson figure, and, as if completing a daily routine, she opened with mockery:
"Erza, you really are bad at being a person."
By now, Erza was almost getting used to this kind of formulaic provocation from the silver-haired girl.
She didn't get angry. She simply turned around and calmly looked Mira over.
Though Mira's tone was light and mocking, deep in her brown-blue eyes was a seriousness and composure so deep it almost looked bottomless.
The pressure she gave off was completely different from the girl who had made a fool of herself in that dress a few days earlier.
"Oh, Mira."
Shane smiled and waved a hand in front of her face, trying to make his presence known.
But Mira ignored him completely and walked straight to one side of the group, silently adjusting her breathing.
"So serious?"
Shane arched a brow, honestly surprised.
He had assumed she'd care at least a little about the camera incident, or would be here to settle the score for that humiliating day.
But looking at her now…
Mira had clearly taken all of that shame, anger, and frustration and twisted it into a single rope called the will to win.
Interesting.
He just hoped that after the exam, win or lose, she could hold on to this state of mind.
Putting away his joking attitude, Shane clapped his hands and raised his voice:
"Since everyone's here, let's not waste any more time."
No pointless buildup.
"Lancer."
With a thought—
Boom—
an enormous burst of magic exploded behind him, forming a pair of dragon wings vast enough to blot out the sky.
As the wind pressure rolled outward, his feet left the floor, and he hovered in the air, looking down at everyone from above as he said coolly:
"Keep up."
"Does this count as part of the exam too?"
Natsu threw back his head and shouted eagerly.
Shane thought about it for a moment and decided that was actually fair.
A selection process starting right now did sound reasonable.
So he nodded, an evil smile curling at his lips.
"Then let's call this the first round."
"If you can't keep up with me… you're eliminated!"
Before the words had even settled—
BOOM!!!
A ring of white sonic vapor exploded in the air.
The violent gust instantly swept through the entire hall, forcing everyone to shut their eyes.
By the time they opened them again, Shane had already blown straight through the guild doors and become nothing more than a tiny black dot in the distance.
"You're not shaking me off!!"
Mira and Erza reacted the fastest, already prepared for how absurdly fast Shane could move.
The instant he finished speaking, both girls launched after him without a second's hesitation.
"Take Over—Satan Soul!"
"Requip—Black Wing Armor!"
One purple streak and one black streak shot into the sky, immediately biting onto Shane's trailing path.
"Tch. What a pain."
Laxus snorted coldly, then turned into a burst of violent golden lightning and vanished with a crackling roar.
"Well then, I'm off too, Gray."
Ur snapped her fingers. A layer of ice spread instantly beneath her feet, and she sped away like she was riding a snowboard along a frozen track.
"Wait! They're way too fast!!"
Watching the entire front group disappear in the blink of an eye, Natsu and Gray stood there dumbfounded.
"That's cheating!!"
Natsu screamed, blasting fire from his hands as he desperately gave chase.
Gray created an ice path beneath his feet and slid after them in despair, but it was obvious that the two of them simply couldn't match the speed of the monsters up ahead.
The exam hadn't even officially begun yet, and the raw difference in ability was already being laid bare.
As the group of "monsters" vanished into the distance, the wood splinters floating through the air finally settled.
Macao and Wakaba, who had ducked behind cover, cautiously poked their heads out and looked at the wrecked doorway and the huge hole now letting wind straight through.
"These idiots! Why can't they ever just open the door properly?! Now Laki's going to have to fix this again!"
…
Outside the guild, the dust gradually cleared.
Only Ultear and Makarov remained, neither of them moving.
They watched the others vanish into the distance, both of them looking remarkably calm.
"You're not going after them?"
Makarov folded his hands behind his back and glanced curiously at the black-haired girl beside him.
"I thought you said you were going to 'observe'? If you keep dawdling like this, aren't you worried you'll lose them?"
"There's no need."
Ultear calmly lifted a finger, where a faint thread of magic was coiled around the tip.
"I put a marker on Mother. No matter where she goes, I'll be able to find her."
Then she turned her head, looking at Makarov with a faintly amused smile.
"Though on the other hand, Master Makarov… as the guild master, you're technically one of the judges for this exam too, aren't you?"
"If you don't start moving soon, you really are going to lose them."
"Haha, I'm not worried."
Makarov laughed and pointed ahead at the two figures in the distance who were still chasing desperately despite having swallowed a mouthful of dust.
"Those two brats are terrifyingly stubborn. So as long as I follow them, that's enough."
"They'll catch up."
"Oh?"
Was this him quietly protecting them? Or did he truly trust, without reservation, that they could do it?
Ultear couldn't quite read the short old man.
The only thing she felt was that the people in Fairy Tail all seemed to possess a strange sort of charm—one that made it hard to dislike them completely.
"Then let's go."
She nodded and said nothing more, following behind Makarov in silence.
…
Not long after everyone had left—
the air in a dark alley near the guild rippled faintly.
A man with a silver pompadour and black-framed glasses slowly emerged into view.
Rustyrose pushed up his glasses and stared darkly in the direction the others had gone.
"So she really is that close with Fairy Tail's guild master…"
"As expected, Ultear… you're a real problem."
A gleam of excitement flashed in his eyes, as though he had just discovered an incredible secret.
But then, suddenly remembering something, the image of the short-haired woman who had ridden away on an ice trail flashed through his mind.
That resemblance…
Rustyrose looked off into the distance suspiciously.
"That woman… that Ur woman, she looks way too much like Ultear."
"Some kind of relative?"
"But…"
He frowned and muttered to himself,
"Didn't Master Hades say that Ultear was an orphan with no family left in the world?"
~~~
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