"You went way too far!!!" Even though they weren't standing right next to him, Makarov, Happy, and the others on the boat all shouted their complaints in unison.
Chu Yan quickly checked on everyone. He found that they had all been knocked unconscious by the vibrations, but they hadn't actually sustained severe physical injuries. Chu Yan breathed a sigh of relief; he had tried his absolute best to hold back.
However, the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was simply too immense. It was a Devil Fruit born at the apex of power, granting massive strength the moment it was consumed—similar to the fruits of the three Admirals—unlike Luffy's Rubber-Rubber Fruit, which started at a lower baseline.
Suddenly, Bang! A gap split open in the ground, and Erza's figure appeared. Her armor was mostly shattered. At the critical moment, she had used her magic to quickly switch into the Adamantine Armor, her strongest defensive set, to withstand Chu Yan's attack.
"Erza!" Chu Yan rushed to her side and supported her.
"I'm sorry. I was reckless with my strength; are you hurt anywhere?"
Erza shook her head with a bitter smile. "I'm fine. You were holding back the entire time while I was attacking with everything I had. I'm the one who should be saying sorry. I knew there was a gap between us, but I didn't realize it was a literal chasm."
Chu Yan replied with a serious expression, "I carry the title of the strongest in the Fairy Tail guild; I cannot afford to lose."
"Also... congratulations, Erza. You are Fairy Tail's newest S-Class Wizard."
Erza froze for a moment. She looked around and saw that every other participant in the trial had been knocked unconscious. According to the rules set by Makarov, she was indeed the winner. She had longed to become an S-Class Wizard, but she never imagined she would achieve it in such a manner.
Suddenly, Makarov's angry voice rang out, "Chu Yan! You brat! Look at what you've done?!"
"Stop! Old man, don't let the destruction of the island scare you. Their injuries aren't serious! They were just knocked out by the shockwaves; they'll wake up in a bit."
Makarov then realized that aside from Erza, everyone else was merely unconscious. Their injuries were actually less severe than those from a typical brawl. It was clear that Chu Yan's control over his Tremor magic had improved significantly compared to last year.
"Even so, this is too much! You almost destroyed the entire island!"
"Uh, I might have picked up a bad habit. Whenever I see an island, I feel a strange urge to destroy it."
Suddenly, Erza hesitated before looking up at Makarov. "Master! I..."
Before she could finish, Makarov interrupted her. "I know what you want to say. Do not think you only passed this S-Class trial because of luck. Even if luck is a part of one's strength, do not think that you only truly pass if you defeat Chu Yan. If that were the case, no new S-Class Wizards would ever appear in this guild again."
"The main reason for appointing an S-Class Wizard as a proctor is to let the newcomers know that becoming S-Class isn't the finish line. It is merely a starting point. Above it lies a broader world and even stronger wizards. It serves to urge you to keep moving forward so you can carry the name of a Fairy Tail S-Class Wizard with pride."
Makarov himself had the highest expectations for Erza. Her strength was sufficient for S-Class, and she was capable of viewing situations calmly. Mirajane had the strength but was too hot-headed and needed more tempering; Cana had great potential but lacked raw power.
Hearing Makarov's words, Erza stopped dwelling on it. "I understand, Master."
Chu Yan whispered into Erza's ear, "Alright, don't worry about it. When Laxus took his S-Class trial, he had it way worse than you. Just... don't go spreading that around."
Soon, Chu Yan and the others brought the unconscious group back to the boat and sailed toward the guild. Midway there, they woke up one by one. Upon learning that Erza was the new S-Class Wizard, although they were disappointed, they all offered her their congratulations.
Then they swarmed Chu Yan with questions. The shock he had delivered was simply too great. When they fought without magic in the guild, Chu Yan would often lose more than he won, but when he used magic, he was like a completely different person.
Having someone this powerful in the guild truly made everyone feel safe.
Chu Yan felt a sense of relief as well. He loved his guildmates and the rowdy atmosphere; it was best that no rift had formed because of the fight. As for Laxus, his pride was too high—Chu Yan didn't know how to handle a problem child like him.
"They're back! The Master is back!"
Before the boat even reached the shore, the entire guild had gathered.
"Master! Who became the S-Class Wizard?!"
"It's Erza, definitely Erza!"
"Mirajane, it has to be Mirajane!"
"Cana might have a chance too."
"What if no one passed?!" ...
Once the crowd quieted down, Makarov announced: "The one who passed the S-Class trial this time is... Erza Scarlet!!!"
"OOOOHHHH!!!"
"It really was Erza!"
"Congratulations, Erza!"
"As expected of Erza! Becoming an S-Class Wizard at only fifteen. If it weren't for that monster Chu Yan, she'd be the youngest S-Class in Fairy Tail history!"
Chu Yan shouted, "Hey! You bastards! I heard someone call me a monster again! Step forward and let's settle this one-on-one!"
Makarov continued, "To celebrate the birth of a new S-Class Wizard, let's have a banquet!!!"
"OOOOHHHH!!!" Everyone yelled in excitement and rushed toward the guild hall.