Fairy Tail Space Mage

Their progress made Kana frown. In comparison, she and Mira, apart from improved combat coordination, showed no other significant improvement.

In the week leading up to the S-rank exam, Sora certainly didn't just focus on training Erza's swordsmanship. He also devised other ways to enhance Erza's strength. For example, teaching Erza a new spell, "Teleportation"!

Sora believes that Elsa, who can use "movement," will undoubtedly become the strongest warrior!

Always keep your opponent within your sword's reach... If Erza can truly achieve this, her strength will naturally increase dramatically!

But the reality is that Elsa couldn't learn the "movement" magic!

Kong looked utterly incredulous! It was as if the whole world had deceived him!

He taught Elsa several more times, seemingly in disbelief, but Elsa just couldn't learn the magic.

"I'm sorry, Sora! It's rare for you to teach me so earnestly... But I really can't get any clue... You mentioned those spatial layers like different depths of the ocean, I just can't sense them at all..."

Seeing Sora's excessive surprise, Elsa began to doubt whether he lacked the talent for other forms of magic. In the end, no matter how powerful Elsa was, he only knew one spell: "Changing Clothes."

“That’s impossible. Elsa’s talent is absolutely fine! And your magic attribute is perfectly suitable. What’s wrong with you? Could it be that ‘Movement’ is actually a spell with hidden talent requirements? The guild’s magic book doesn’t mention anything like that…” Sora still refused to believe it.

Kong suddenly realized that even though he had read so many books, learned so much magic, and even created two new spells... he still knew nothing about the essence of magic.

"Emptiness, perhaps it has nothing to do with talent. Although it's just my own feeling, I think the warrior within me is preventing me from learning this magic... A warrior should be grounded and charge step by step towards the opponent. Before that, all the attacks, pain, and obstacles faced are tests for the warrior! I think if I easily overcome these, I will not be able to become a first-class warrior!"

Elsa seemed to have her own understanding of the matter. But her explanation was unacceptable to Sora.

"The warrior within," what exactly is that? Another personality, or a manifestation of a psychological disorder? Kong doesn't know, nor does he believe that these psychological phenomena could have such power.

Ultimately, Kong's limited life experience hadn't involved any significant hardships. Naturally, he couldn't understand the profound impact Elsa's past had on her.

"If you can't learn it, then so be it. Elsa doesn't really need to rely on magic; swordsmanship is your foundation."

Since things are beyond saving, Sora won't dwell on this matter any longer. Besides, the S-rank exam is just around the corner, and even if Erza learns "Movement" now, it might not be of any use.

Of course, Sora couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. As a friend and family member, Sora truly loved Erza!

I admire her earnestness, responsibility, caring nature, strength, courage... Erza possesses so many qualities that make her shine. In fact, among the younger generation, everyone, including Natsu, Gray, and Mira, deeply admires Erza!

Sora truly hopes that Erza can become stronger. This is not only for Sora's own sake, but also so that Erza's future will be spared some suffering.

Elsa is the kind of person who wouldn't willingly accept protection from others. Therefore, even if Sora becomes stronger, he cannot protect Elsa.

Elsa always unconditionally shoulders the pain of others. The only way to truly protect someone like her is to empower her.

……

The S-Class Exam was held on Tenrou Island, the sacred ground of Fairy Tail.

Many members of the guild may never have the chance to visit Sirius Island in their entire lives. Kong hasn't even qualified for the S-rank exam yet, but this is already his second time here. It's truly an honor.

On Sirius Island in winter, the giant Sirius tree remains evergreen. But the leaves of the other trees on the island have already turned yellow. Some have even begun to create a scene of "falling leaves dancing in the air"...

Elsa and Kana stood at the bow of the ship, watching Sirius Island gradually become clearer ahead, both feeling a little nervous.

Being an S-rank mage not only symbolizes strength and status, but also represents the glory of the guild! Only the most outstanding mages in the guild can be granted this qualification!

This is a very important thing for Erza and Kana, who love the guild as much as they love their own home!

Actually, if this exam were Sora's S-rank exam, Sora would also feel nervous right now. It has nothing to do with personality; in an atmosphere where everyone is so solemn and working so hard, no one can remain unaffected. Besides, Sora now also harbors a deep love for "Fairy Tail."

When he came to take the exam with Laxus, Laxus was the same. Almost from the moment he stepped onto the sailboat, the sparks flying from his body never stopped. Normally, Laxus would only let the lightning on his body go out of control when he was extremely emotional.

"First of all, welcome to Fairy Tail's holy land—Tenrou Island!"

"Getting here means you're only one step away from becoming an S-Class Mage! But don't get cocky. Fairy Tail's S-Class exam is never easy. If you don't pass, no matter how famous you are, you'll still just be a nobody in Fairy Tail..."

As they approached Sirius Island, Chairman Makarov stood on the bow of the ship and, as usual, began his routine speech.

This wasn't the first time anyone except Mira had witnessed this scene. But each time, they couldn't help but be moved. Perhaps this was the unique charm of this small mage, a charm belonging to the light-elemental mage.

Sorry for the late update today!

Chapter 029: Key Points of the Exam

"...This exam is different from previous years. In previous years, there was only one examinee for each exam. But this year, there are two!...Congratulations! Truly congratulations! As the third guild master of Fairy Tail, I am truly moved..."

Only halfway through the exam's content was explained when Makarov, looking at the four candidates before him, suddenly couldn't help but pull out a handkerchief and begin wiping away tears. This sudden change startled everyone. They panicked, unsure of what to do.

Makarov's feelings were something Kong and his group could never understand.

Makarov has been in charge of Fairy Tail for many years, but the number of S-class mages in the guild has never exceeded two. Every year, the S-class exams either have no participants or are destined to fail. Both the participants and the organizers are disheartened.

Other guilds would choose to lower the standards of the S-rank exam to increase the number of S-rank mages. But Makarov and Gildarts stubbornly adhered to their principles and refused to lower the standards!

As a result, for a long time, Fairy Tail only had Gildarts as an S-class mage. When some promising mages finally joined, they were immediately scared off by the difficulty of the S-class exam after just one attempt.

Therefore, Makarov was already extremely excited when he saw this scene of "a hundred flowers blooming and a hundred birds singing". It was as if his years of patience and hard work had suddenly paid off.

"The S-rank exam doesn't limit the number of successful candidates, but only the most outstanding can become an S-rank mage in the guild. You must approach this exam with a competitive mindset. Remember, your opponents aren't just the examiners, but also the other candidates you're competing against!"

Having recovered from his earlier lapse in composure, Makarov finally got to the point. And just as Kana and Sora had anticipated, competition among the examinees would be a new addition to this S-rank exam.

Hearing the president's words, Mira glanced at Elsa on the other side of the sailboat, then at Sora, her eyes filled with complex emotions. Kana came over and patted her on the shoulder, saying nothing.

The two had already agreed on this the day before the exam. Feelings are feelings, and an exam is an exam. On Sirius Island, anyone who crosses paths is a competitor, and no mercy will be shown!

"President, we know how to face this test. And we are all prepared!" Elsa glanced around, and after seeing that Mira's eyes had returned to calm, he conveyed everyone's determination to Makarov.

"Alright! Now, I will announce the details of this test! ... Listen, there are two paths to choose from on the beach of Sirius Island ahead. You can choose either one, as long as you reach the destination—the meeting point where I am—you will have passed the first round of the test! Note that you are prohibited from using 'teleport' magic to directly reach the destination!"

Makarov glanced at the empty space at this point before continuing:

"Here's a reminder. The obstacles, the content of the tests, and even the difficulty are completely different on the two paths. If you happen to choose the one that's unsuitable for you, or one that's too difficult, then it's just your bad luck! ...I hereby declare the Fairy Tail S-Class Exam to begin!"

The sailboat was still hundreds of meters from the shore, yet Makarov had already declared the race started. The most astute of the four, Kana and Sora, understood the reason in an instant.

"Mira, take me flying... no, I should say stop the air!" Kana's words came too late.

Sora grabbed the still somewhat dazed Erza and "moved" her to two stone doors on the shore. After discovering that the two doors were identical, Sora randomly chose one and pulled Erza inside.

Strangely, after the two entered one of the stone doors, the door slowly merged with the rock wall and disappeared. Clearly, each stone door allowed only one group of people to enter at a time.

At this moment, Kana and Mira finally arrived. Instead of immediately entering the other stone door with Mira, Kana sat on the ground and began to use cards to perform divination.

"what!!!"

After the divination ended, Kana let out a piercing scream that carried far and wide! Even Elsa, who had already entered the depths of the road with Sora, couldn't help but shudder.

"Ku, is the other path really that dangerous? Cana, she..." Erza and Ku had already broken through several traps that were trying to stop them. Although these traps were troublesome, they were definitely not to the point that they would cause Cana to scream like that.

"I don't know. However, Kana's screams shouldn't be because of the mechanism. In fact, they shouldn't have entered the other path yet." Kong stopped and answered while observing the stone gate with the puzzle pieces attached.

“She hasn’t entered the other path yet… If that’s the case, why did she scream like that?” Elsa couldn’t understand.

Less than five minutes have passed since Makarov announced the start of the exam. Everything that has happened in that time has gone by incredibly fast.

Elsa was simply dragged here by Sora. But Elsa couldn't understand the reasons behind Sora's actions and Cana's screams during this time.

"Elsa, haven't you noticed yet? The key to this exam actually lies in the few minutes before it begins."

Kong didn't seem confident enough to completely assemble the puzzle on the stone gate within the limited number of steps. So, he stopped for the time being and focused on talking to Elsa.

"The key to the exam? The first few minutes?" Elsa didn't understand.

“Yes. As the president just said, the two paths in this exam are not the same in difficulty. You should understand what that means, right?” Kong asked Elsa.

"Hmm. In other words, choosing the easier path increases the chances of passing the exam." Elsa had certainly considered this as well.

"Not only that, you've probably heard, haven't you? Gildarts and Laxus, the guild's only two S-rank mages, have already arrived at Tenrou Island. Considering the different levels of difficulty on the two paths, we can basically make this guess:"

The easier path involves facing Laxus, while the more difficult path involves facing Gildarts… In this situation, wouldn't choosing the right path become crucial?

Sora explained his guess to Erza. He was quite confident that his guess would be accurate.

“Your guess is quite possible. Sora, you’re right, ‘choosing the right path’ is indeed crucial… However, Sora, I also looked closely just now, and the two stone gates on the shore are completely identical. In that case, doesn’t the outcome still depend on luck?”

After chatting with Sora for a while, her thoughts began to flow more smoothly. She was ultimately affected by the S-class exam, her mind filled with tension. Therefore, her thinking had become somewhat sluggish.

“For us, it might be luck. But for Kana and the others, it’s not like that…” Sora shook his head after hearing Elsa’s question.

"Not for them... I see, I understand now—Kana's divination!" Elsa finally realized.

Chapter 030: Good Luck

“Yes, Kana can use divination to find out the outcome. That way, she can determine which of the two paths is easier and which is more difficult.” Kong nodded.

"I see. So we must get to the two doors before Kana and Mira and make a choice first." Elsa now fully understood.

"Yes. It seems that the first few minutes of the test were deliberately designed to suit the characteristics of our two groups. The two key points in choosing the route are, firstly, reaching the door first, which is advantageous to us. The other key point is choosing the right route, which is advantageous to Kana."

Sora is well aware of how much Guild Master Makarov values ​​the S-rank exam, so it is entirely possible for him to have gone to such lengths.

"Hmm, Sora, you're really smart! It was definitely the right decision to team up with you!" After hearing Sora's analysis and explanation, Elsa couldn't help but be convinced.

"No need to praise me like that... Although I understand the key point. In reality, whether we can choose the easier path ultimately depends on our luck. I originally considered standing guard at the two doors, waiting for Kana to find the easier door through divination, and then seizing it."

But ultimately, only Kana knows the outcome. If we finally manage to fight our way through a tough battle and seize the gate, only to fall for Kana's trick and choose the more difficult path, we'll be utterly devastated.

Kong shook his head, somewhat helpless about the situation. Clearly, while the two key points in choosing the path were advantageous to both groups, Kana's side was obviously in a more favorable position.

Sora understood the president's "favoritism." After all, Cana and Mira's group was clearly much weaker than Erza and his group. If they weren't given a chance, they would be in a very pitiful situation.

“That’s right. If the obstacles we face next are Laxus and Gildarts, maintaining good condition is essential. Fighting Cana and Mira in front of the stone gate is not a wise move. The most likely outcome would be mutual destruction. Both sides would be eliminated by the S-rank mages we encounter later. Sora, your choice is correct, there’s no problem!”

Erza reaffirmed Sora's choice. While the opponent they would face next was entirely a matter of luck, Erza and Sora, in their prime, wouldn't be entirely without a fighting chance even against Gildarts!

Erza now is no weaker than Laxus was two years ago, even before he used Dragon Slayer Magic. Most importantly, Sora is no longer the Sora who had only recently learned magic two years ago!

"Oh right, Kong. You just said that Kana hasn't entered the door yet. If that's the case, was the reason she screamed like that because the divination results came out?" Elsa only remembered Kana's scream now, though she already knew the reason.

"Perhaps. If Kana's divination reveals that the path left for them is the more difficult one, screams are inevitable. However, this could also be Kana's strategy, deliberately trying to lower our guard." Sora didn't take the matter to heart.

Actually, Sora was slightly worried about how much suffering Mira would endure if she, who was with Cana, chose the more difficult path. In that case, Sora would rather choose the more difficult path herself. Although that would be a little unfair to Erza beside her.

Unbeknownst to many, Mira's position in the hollow heart became increasingly important.

Although he didn't show it at all, even Kaoru, who lived with him, thought that Sora was a bit slow in this regard. But that was just Sora deliberately hiding it.

Sora felt a little apprehensive. In this world where he knew nothing of the past or the future, Sora dared not indulge in pleasures until he gained sufficient strength. He had already died once and knew that sometimes losing everything was actually a very easy thing.

Sora is so happy now that she's almost afraid of losing it. Until the sturdy treasure chest is finished, Sora dares not put her most precious jewels into her possession. That would make her feel anxious and uneasy.

Within the guild, probably no one knew that the man they considered the most reliable and reassuring was actually the most insecure and anxious person.

Sora was in a daze for a moment. After regaining his senses, Sora took a deep breath and calmed down. Then, very carefully, he began to manipulate the puzzle mechanism on the stone door in front of him.

Seeing Sora's cautious and careful demeanor, Elsa was also infected by it, and didn't even dare to breathe loudly, for fear of disturbing Sora in front of him.

He was cautious and meticulous in everything he did, considering all aspects thoroughly. Elsa greatly admired this trait.