Chapter 156: FTRJ: Chapter 156

Panther Lily cocked his head, looking at Gajeel. “I’ve heard from others that your standing within the guild… isn’t exactly what you’d cal

Panther Lily cocked his head, looking at Gajeel. “I’ve heard from others that your standing within the guild… isn’t exactly what you’d call trustworthy.”

“That’s not true! There’s a complicated reason, I really want to explain, but I can’t…” Gajeel began, attempting to refute the statement.

However, the memory of his true identity—an undercover agent planted within Fairy Tail—immediately silenced him. He’d been forced to maintain a distance from his fellow guild members, a necessary precaution to avoid suspicion.

With a sigh of resignation, Gajeel chose to remain silent.

Carla shook her head. “Honestly, I can’t stand it. This guild is unbelievably noisy!”

“!!!” Suddenly, Carla’s body stiffened, her eyes widening in a look of stark terror.

“What’s wrong, Carla?” Nancy, noticing Carla’s sudden change, asked with a concerned tone.

“No… nothing…” Carla stammered, shaking her head in an attempt to dismiss her apparent distress.

“Really?” Nancy’s gaze remained fixed on Carla, her expression conveying a healthy dose of skepticism. However, she decided against pressing the matter further.

“What was that… just now…” Carla murmured to herself, her voice barely audible, her expression serious and troubled.

A flood of fragmented images surged through her mind, a chaotic jumble of disconnected scenes. There was no discernible narrative, no clear sequence of events; only a series of seemingly random snapshots, like illustrations ripped from a storybook.

A colossal tree, splintered and broken. Cana, weeping uncontrollably, her sobs echoing through the fragmented visions. Natsu, his face etched with terror and despair. A man, his body radiating a malevolent, dark aura. And…

A colossal figure, its immense form blotting out the sun, its very presence exuding an overwhelming sense of hopeless dread and impending doom. And, juxtaposed against this terrifying behemoth, a minuscule figure stood defiantly, engaged in a desperate confrontation.

The figure in the vision was frustratingly blurry, its identity completely obscured, as if deliberately concealed from view. It was as if… something was deliberately obscuring the figure’s identity.

Fortunately, Carla’s unusual behavior went largely unnoticed by those around her. She quickly regained her composure, her expression returning to normal. After all, the visions were merely fragmented glimpses into the future, and Carla herself couldn’t be entirely certain that these events were destined to occur.

The noisy chatter of the crowd continued unabated. On stage, Makarov proceeded to outline the upcoming guidelines and regulations for the S-Class trials.

“Some of you are participating for the first time, so I need to explain the rules,” Makarov announced, his voice clear and resonant.

Mirajane took over, her voice smooth and confident.

“The eight selected must choose a partner during the week of preparation.”

“There are two rules for choosing partners,” Finn announced, his gaze sweeping across the assembled guild members.

“First, your partner must be a member of Fairy Tail. Second, you cannot choose a current S-Class mage as your partner.”

“Team battles, then?” Lucy mused, her brow furrowed in thought.

“That’s why the rules change every year,” Warren remarked, his voice laced with a hint of familiarity with the ever-shifting dynamics of the S-Class trials.

“So, we can’t choose from the five on stage, then,” Panther Lily stated, his gaze fixed upon the five S-Class mages standing on the stage.

After a moment of thoughtful consideration, Wendy spoke. “Actually, that makes perfect sense. After all, if anyone were to team up with Finn and the others, they would essentially be forming the strongest team imaginable.”

“The details of the exam will be revealed upon your arrival at Tenrou Island,” Makarov announced, his voice resonating with authority. His gaze then shifted towards the other S-Class mages standing behind him on the stage.

“And this year, you will be facing a formidable challenge—a total of five S-Class mages will be acting as examiners!”

“Eh?!”

A chorus of gasps and exclamations rippled through the crowd, a clear indication of their astonishment at the unprecedented difficulty of this year’s trials.

“It’s usually just Finn and Erza as examiners,” one guild member remarked, their voice laced with surprise.

“But Gildarts and Laxus have returned this year, and Mirajane has regained her magical abilities, so it makes sense that they would be serving as examiners,” another guild member offered, attempting to rationalize the unusual situation.

“And there are far more candidates this year, so they’ll need more examiners. The Master’s likely considered that,” another guild member added, offering a plausible explanation for the increase in the number of examiners.

“But this year’s trials are going to be incredibly difficult, beyond anything we’ve ever experienced!” one guild member exclaimed, their voice filled with both apprehension and excitement.

“Indeed,” another guild member agreed. “There’s even the possibility that a single S-Class mage might be tasked with individually assessing a single candidate.”

A lively discussion erupted amongst the guild members, their voices filled with a mixture of anticipation, apprehension, and speculation.

…

“So, we have to beat Finn and the others to become S-Class mages?” Lucy exclaimed, her voice laced with a mixture of disbelief and terror, her hands flying to her mouth to stifle a gasp of shock. This was the first time she had heard of such a rule.

“They’ll probably go easy on us…” Warren offered tentatively, attempting to alleviate Lucy’s growing anxiety.

“Besides,” Marcus added, recalling past trials, “in previous years, it was always one S-Class mage assessing multiple candidates simultaneously.”

“I doubt anyone will actually become S-Class this time,” Macao ventured, his voice laced with a hint of pessimism.

“It’s practically hellish!” Wakaba agreed, his face paling visibly at the prospect of such an arduous challenge.

“Stop complaining,” Gildarts interjected, his voice firm and authoritative, silencing the murmuring crowd. “This is the unavoidable path one must tread to achieve the esteemed rank of S-Class mage.”

Observing the ongoing discussion amongst the guild members, Gildarts decided to address the crowd directly, his voice cutting through the air.

“The eight selected candidates, along with their chosen partners, are to assemble at Harujion Port precisely one week from today!”

With the announcement of the assembly point complete, the individuals on stage began to disperse, the crowd slowly beginning to break up. Even after the official announcement had concluded, the guild members continued to buzz with excited discussion regarding the upcoming S-Class trials.

Gray sat slumped in a chair, his face etched with a mixture of worry and apprehension.

“I never imagined this year’s S-Class trials would be so incredibly difficult,” Gray murmured to himself, his voice laced with a hint of despair.

“I’m fired up! I’m absolutely determined to become an S-Class mage!” Natsu declared, his voice ringing with unyielding confidence, his fists clenched tightly.

Elfman groaned in frustration, clutching his head in his hands. “Elfman, the manliest of men, why does the path to becoming S-Class seem to grow ever more distant?”

“Everyone, let’s give it our all!” Wendy cheered them on, her voice filled with encouragement and support.

“Finn, you’re here,” Nancy said, her gaze falling upon Finn as he approached their table.

Finn nodded in acknowledgement, effortlessly accepting a glass of milk offered by a young woman named Kinana, thanking her politely.

Finn had heard Makarov recount Kinana’s story; she was a young woman who had been cursed to transform into a snake, specifically the large purple serpent that had once served as Cobra’s familiar within the Oración Seis.

Makarov had discovered her unusual condition during a meeting of the Magic Council and had subsequently helped to lift the curse.

Having lost her memories as a result of the curse, Makarov had taken her under his wing, offering her a position as a waitress within the Fairy Tail guildhall.

Finn settled into a nearby chair, his gaze sweeping across the faces of his companions. “So, how is everyone’s preparation coming along?” he inquired, his voice laced with a hint of concern.

Nancy responded with a chuckle. “Aside from Natsu, who’s practically bursting with excitement, everyone else seems to be feeling rather… desperate.”

Upon hearing Nancy’s assessment, Finn’s expression turned serious, his voice taking on a more solemn tone.

“The S-Class trials are not something to be taken lightly. It is not merely a symbol of exceptional strength and skill; it also represents a significant level of danger!”

“Therefore,” Finn continued, his voice firm and unwavering, “to ensure the safety and well-being of each participant, it is imperative that the trials maintain a high level of difficulty.”

Finn cast his gaze across the entire kingdom, considering all of the various mage guilds within its borders.

“The S-Class mages of Fairy Tail possess the highest level of skill and expertise within the entire kingdom,” he stated, his voice laced with pride.

“This is a direct result of Master Makarov’s unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest standards for S-Class mages,” Finn explained, his voice filled with respect and admiration for his guild master.

“This is also the reason why the number of S-Class mages within Fairy Tail remains relatively small,” Finn added, his voice laced with a hint of understanding.

He offered an example, drawing a comparison between the standards of Fairy Tail and other guilds.

“For instance, both Juvia and Gajeel held the esteemed rank of S-Class mage within the Phantom Lord guild. However, to be perfectly frank, their abilities are still far from reaching the level required to achieve S-Class status within Fairy Tail.”

“Therefore, I urge each of you to prepare yourselves diligently,” Finn concluded, his voice laced with a mixture of encouragement and caution. “The path to achieving S-Class status is far from simple.”

Finn then shifted his gaze towards Freed, who sat at a nearby table. “Freed has already selected his partner for the upcoming trials,” Finn remarked, his voice laced with a hint of curiosity.

Freed’s chosen partner was none other than Bickslow.

“They seem like a formidable team,” Lucy commented, a hint of apprehension evident in her voice.

Lucy then turned her attention towards the group seated around her. “Speaking of which, have the rest of you chosen your partners for the trials?” she inquired.

“My partner, of course, is Happy,” Natsu declared, his gaze fixed upon Happy, his voice brimming with confidence.

“Aye! I’ll make sure Natsu becomes an S-Class mage!” Happy declared enthusiastically, extending his paw in a gesture of unwavering support.

“Excellent spirit,” Finn commented, nodding in approval, his voice laced with admiration for the unwavering bond between Natsu and Happy.

Natsu then pointed directly at Finn, his voice filled with a mixture of determination and playful rivalry.

“Finn! Just you wait, I’m determined to defeat you in these trials!”

“Aye! We must defeat Finn…” Happy began, his voice filled with enthusiasm, before a sudden realization dawned upon him, causing him to pause mid-sentence.

“Natsu… perhaps we should set our sights on a different goal,” Happy whispered softly, his voice laced with a hint of apprehension.

Natsu shook his head vehemently, his voice resolute and unwavering.

“Absolutely not! I’ve been eagerly anticipating a rematch against Finn for a considerable amount of time!”

“But I still vividly recall your last encounter with Finn; you were defeated in a single blow,” Lucy muttered under her breath, her voice laced with a hint of amusement.

“That was the old me,” Natsu retorted defensively, his voice laced with a hint of defiance.

“Enough talk! We need to focus on our training and prepare ourselves thoroughly for the upcoming trials!” Natsu declared, his voice filled with renewed determination, before rushing out of the guildhall with uncharacteristic haste.

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