A magic merchant infiltrating Fairy Tail

In Lucy's mind, Gray's strength was about the same as Natsu's, and Juvia was also very strong. She didn't really have much confidence that she could defeat the two of them.

"I guess I'll get the lowest score in this assessment..."

Just then, an arm with a wheat-colored complexion, holding a large wooden wine glass, wrapped around Lucy's neck from behind and hugged her tightly. The glass was about 70% full, and as the arm shook, a few drops of wine spilled onto Lucy's white clothes, leaving a few suggestive wine stains.

"Don't underestimate yourself, Lucy! You're very strong too!"

The familiar smell of alcohol and the warmth of her body wafted over, and Lucy turned around to see Cana smiling at her.

"Also, people who say 'I'm definitely going to fail this exam' before the test usually end up with surprisingly high scores!"

Where did you hear this rumor from?!

"Really?!" Lucy clapped her hands in front of her, her eyes sparkling.

She didn't care where Kana's rumors came from; as long as it benefited her, that was all that mattered.

"Of course! This is the curse of 'spear and shield'!"

Kira suddenly popped out from the side, grinning, and explained in a serious tone, "The more you worry about not doing well on a test, the better your grades will be; the more you want to win in a battle, the faster you'll lose... The First Generation and Zeref were victims of this 'curse'!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?!"

"This just doesn't make sense! Is the 'spear and shield' curse something so ridiculous?!"

Amidst a chorus of curses and complaints, the competition began.

Gray vs. Lucy, Natsu vs. Juvia, both matches will be played simultaneously.

"I say, Senior August, why do we need to do it simultaneously?"

"Save time!"

Are we in a rush?

"No, but the key to using magic is efficiency! To become an excellent mage, you must use every bit of magic power where it's needed, and the same goes for time."

"But I don't think Kira has ever considered the issue of mana allocation?"

That's because you didn't see the effort he put in behind the scenes!

"Really, Kira?"

Everyone turned to look at Kira.

Kira let out a long sigh of relief and calmly said, "Of course!"

Everyone suddenly realized, and their gazes towards Kira instantly changed: Oh!! No wonder this guy is so strong, he was secretly competing behind our backs! Bah! King of Competition!

Augustus smiled faintly and nodded slightly: I knew it...

"Not only did you not see it, but I didn't see it either! Because I wasn't involved in any infighting at all! I, Kira, would never stoop to such underhanded tactics!"

"Huh?!" ×N

August: What?!

"Then... then Kirasan, how did you train?" Wendy couldn't help but ask.

Now, not only young people like Lucy and Levy, but also older people like Precito, and guests from the Western Continent, all became curious.

How do you possess such immense charm at your age without the pressure of involution?

Kira pondered for a moment and said, "Very well, then I'll teach you some useful methods!"

"Mmm!!" Everyone eagerly awaited.

"My secret to being so strong is: eat well, exercise well, rest well, play well, study well, and live happily every day!"

Kira once again invoked Master Roshi's teachings.

Everyone was stunned and didn't react for a moment.

This was the first time they had heard Kira share his 'training methods'. Although they knew it would be bizarre, they didn't expect it to be this bizarre.

"Um...so you mean..."

"It all comes down to talent!"

Chapter 612 The Battle Resolved Instantly

It's all about talent?!

After all that talk, this is the answer you're giving us?

Everyone looked disappointed: "We knew you wouldn't give a proper answer!"

"That's an inappropriate answer!"

Kira's expression darkened. "That very phrase has nurtured many powerful martial artists!! Like 'King of Rice' Kakarot, 'King of Sacrifice' Krillin, and 'Tea God' Yamcha..."

The crowd didn't know who these so-called kings and gods were, but judging from Kira's expression and tone, they probably weren't real kings or gods. However…

"Martial arts master?"

"Ah, it's a title similar to mage, adventurer, alchemist, mercenary..."

"By the way, the 'Witchcraft Tournament' that the guild started holding last year was also inspired by the 'World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament'..."

Makarov looked puzzled: "Where is this competition from? I've never heard of it before?"

"Don't worry about that kind of thing..."

After giving a brief evasive answer, Kira finally turned his attention back to the two battles.

"Natsu vs. Juvia is a battle of fire and water, while Gray vs. Lucy is a battle between a demon and a celestial spirit in another sense. Both should be very interesting to watch."

August nodded in satisfaction; that was what he thought too.

He originally intended to have the battles be drawn in a two-on-two format, but considering the difference in strength between the four and the training they needed, he ultimately changed it to a one-on-one scoring system.

On the other side, someone started making a fuss when they saw the order of the matches.

"Ugh... I can't just stand by and watch Lord Gray and Lucy be alone together! I don't want that to happen!!"

Two lines of tears streamed down Juvia's face as she bit her collar tightly, clinging to Gray and boldly expressing her love, "Lord Gray, you must promise Juvia that you won't do anything to betray her with Lucy when she's not around!!"

"Stop overthinking things. All I want to do right now is pass this year's assessment!"

Gray pushed Juvia away, exasperated and impatient, grabbed his hair, and walked toward the designated clearing.

"Did you hear me, Lucy! Lord Gray isn't interested in you! Remember to stay away from Lord Gray, and don't you dare sneak around getting intimate with him while Juvia's not around!!"

"I would never do such a thing!!"

"Really? That's very suspicious..."

"Good luck in your battle with Natsu, Juvia!"

Gray's voice rang out, and Juvia's face instantly lit up with joy, her eyes turning into hearts: "Yes!! Lord Gray!! Juvia will definitely not let you down!!"

As it turned out, Gray's encouragement was the most successful stimulant for Juvia.

Seeing Gray cheering for Juvia, Natsu wasn't to be outdone: "Lucy, you should do your best too! It would be best if you could defeat Gray and surprise everyone!"

"Eh...that kind of thing..."

"Don't worry, Lucy is very strong! Compared to her, Gray is..."

Natsu spread his hands and shook his head as he spoke.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Natsu's meaning was quite clear. Gray couldn't hold back any longer and squeezed his way to Natsu in three quick steps.

"Natsu, what do you mean by this?"

"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong? Didn't you already lose yesterday?"

"Today is different from yesterday! If we could do it again, I wouldn't lose!"

Natsu picked his nose sarcastically: "What's the difference? It's only been a day, and you haven't gotten much stronger..."

"Ugh, I can't stand it, those two are at it again..."

Harpy sighed helplessly, and with his precocious manner, he complained about the passionate youth of the two nineteen-year-olds.

"In that case, let's have a competition to see who can pass this year's assessment and who will emerge victorious!!"

"Alright, let's start with the first match and see who finishes first!!"

Natsu and Gray's gazes collided in mid-air, sparks flying, making Lucy tremble: "Um...why do I have a bad feeling..."

Boom!Boom!Boom!Boom!

"Ouch!!" ×4

Fists the size of sandbags rained down, followed by Makarov's furious roar: "What are you guys doing?! Get ready!!"

"Yes!!" ×4

The blazing flames ignited the air, forming a red cloak of fire around Natsu. The flames danced and leaped, and suddenly the temperature soared. The flames evaporated the moisture in the air, producing thick, white-tinged-with-black smoke.

"Aaaaaah!! I'm fired up!!"

Natsu stood with his feet firmly planted on the ground, his hands clenched into fists, and his eyes fixed on Juvia's every move. He looked incredibly determined to fight, and more and more flames were erupting from his body. His intense fighting spirit shocked all the onlookers.

"Wow... Natsu looks so energetic today."

"Natsu doesn't seem to be going easy on us... even though Juvia is a girl!"

"Of course, right? After all, Juvia isn't Lucy..."

That's right, Juvia isn't Lucy, so Natsu won't hold back. Although Juvia is also a guildmate, she's now more of a rival.

Natsu will not hold back against any opponent—except Lucy.

What's more, he's also currently burdened with a bet with Gray.

Upon hearing this, Kira noticed that several other people were smiling kindly at him, their expressions of gossip and maternal affection mirroring his own.

'So... is everyone in the guild a Natsume/Luna shipper?'

Across from Natsu, Juvia was equally passionate, her boundless love seemingly erupting like a volcano, her magical power surging: "Lord Gray is cheering Juvia on, so Juvia won't fall easily!!"

"Juvia seems quite confident too..."