On the first day of X779, three days later, at Tenrou Island, the sacred ground of Fairy Tail, most of the Guild Members had come here, perfectly completing the camping plan Zorn had thought of earlier.
"Damn it, he's too strong..." Laxus, covered in injuries, lay on the ground, panting heavily, his face filled with unwillingness, as he gritted his teeth.
"Hahaha, you're still far from it, Laxus, you brat." A scruffy uncle with orange slicked-back hair, a stubble beard, and wearing a dark green cloak, stood with his hands on his hips, laughing heartily.
Upon hearing this, Laxus became even more unwilling, punching the ground with his right hand to express his frustration, "Damn it, I can't pass this year?"
"Hahaha, well, I don't like to go easy, and to be able to fight me like this, you've passed, kid." Gildarts sat next to Laxus, patting Laxus's shoulder with his right hand, acknowledging his strength.
"Tch, hmph, old man, one day I'll defeat you and become the strongest in the Guild," Laxus said, turning away unhappily. He propped himself up with his hand and managed to stand, limping towards the coast.
"Ah, he's really an uncooperative brat. The cute Laxus from before is gone." Gildarts, from behind, didn't forget to tease Laxus playfully, causing Laxus to turn his head unhappily towards Gildarts, only to cry out softly in pain as he twisted his shoulder injury. Gildarts forcibly supported him from behind and brought him back to the coast.
The camera zooms out... The battle scene between the two shows the ground directly collapsed by one layer, with large and small smoking craters everywhere, and a crater in the center of the battlefield, as if struck by a meteor, also indicating how intense the battle had just been.
At the coast, Guild Members were busy. Some were gathering firewood, some were setting up fires for barbecues, some were pitching tents, and some were fishing. It hardly looked like they were here to observe the S-Class Exam; this was clearly a standard camping trip.
Zorn and Cana, who were cutting ingredients, suddenly exchanged glances. With their Observation Haki, they both sensed two powerful presences approaching them from the forest, and knew that Laxus's examination had officially concluded.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Don't worry, I've thought it through. I'll make sure that old man remembers his daughter well during my S-Class Exam." Cana looked at a slightly worried Zorn, patting his shoulder like a good friend, and said playfully.
"Yo, they're back." One of the sharp-eyed Guild Members saw the two emerge from the forest and shouted, causing Everyone else to stop what they were doing and look at them.
"Did he succeed?" The Guild Master stood on a rock, looking at Laxus, who had a confident smile on his face. A big smile also appeared on the Guild Master's face.
...
"So you're the other brat participating in the S-Class Exam. Did you teach Laxus his Observation Haki? It's a really good power." Gildarts reached out to touch Zorn's head, but Zorn grasped his hand. "Hello, Gildarts, I'm Zorn. Please guide me in the upcoming examination." Zorn looked seriously at the smiling Gildarts.
"Oh," Gildarts retracted his playful expression and looked at Zorn seriously. The atmosphere was a bit subtle, but the seriousness lasted less than three seconds before he quickly reached out and rubbed Zorn's head a few times again. "What excellent eyes. Good luck with the examination tomorrow." He returned to his playful, eccentric uncle demeanor, acting as if, 'if you don't let me touch, I'll touch anyway,' with a willful personality.
For a moment, Zorn was helpless. He turned to look at Gildarts, who was already far away, jumping around, sometimes praising Cana for growing up, and then running to the bonfire to grab roasted meat and eat it.
"Yo, Laxus, did you pass the examination?" Zorn asked, looking at Laxus, who walked over and sat down to rest, but Zorn didn't stop his own work at all.
"Mm, I passed... Don't let your guard down tomorrow. That man is very strong, ridiculously strong." Laxus paused slightly, then frowned and warned him.
"Mm, got it. When did you become so hesitant? It's not like you at all, Laxus." Zorn put down his chopping knife, his face full of teasing as he looked at Laxus.
"No way."
"Zorn, Cana, are the ingredients chopped? It's time to put them in the pot." Lia, a Guild Member, shouted to the two of them.
"Here, help us take these over. If you want to eat, you have to help, even if you're injured." Zorn placed a large basin of chopped ingredients directly into Laxus's still-awkward hands, pulled him up, and pushed him towards Lia, urging Laxus to hurry, indicating that the pot was waiting.
Cana laughed as she watched Laxus limp away, still looking back at them in disbelief.
Zorn also burst into hearty laughter.
At night, bonfires lit up on Tenrou Island, and Everyone was noisy and boisterous. Natsu and Gray were also playing around with Gildarts, even if they were instantly defeated, they didn't get discouraged and kept getting up to attack Gildarts. Zorn and Cana quietly watched, holding bowls of soup, as Erza and Mirajane fought over the last bowl of soup.
The Guild Master stood beside Laxus, watching this scene, and a strong sense of happiness welled up inside him. This was Fairy Tail, where happiness was shared by Everyone.
Laxus looked at the scene before him, then at his grandfather's happy face, and it seemed he finally understood what his grandfather was protecting.
"Jii-chan, I'll protect it with you..." Laxus suddenly said to his grandfather.
"Is that so? Then keep working hard."
To be continued~