As Dean Cornas predicted, the competition moved quickly, with the first round wrapping up in no time.
Over twenty stages operated simultaneously, each hosting four competitors at a time. The exams were remarkably efficient—within half an hour, a quarter of the kids had finished, and they were promptly ushered to either the advancement zone or the revival zone.
Kira, Cornas, Gran, and Hyberion sat in the stands, casually chatting and commenting on the kids below. "That one's got potential," they'd say, or "That one's not quite there." Time ticked by as they observed.
This batch of kids was genuinely impressive. Kira noticed several with unique magic styles, and a few even managed to take on three opponents at once, dispatching them with ease.
"Hm? That girl…"
Kira's gaze settled on a red-haired girl with twin pigtails. She looked familiar, around seven or eight years old, but her wind magic was already formidable. In terms of raw talent, she was probably on par with Rufus.
Noticing Kira's interest, Cornas remarked, "That girl… she's the one Chairman Gran brought, isn't she?"
Kira glanced at Gran, who nodded. "Yes, her name's Sherria. She graduated from a beginner magic academy in just one year last year—a true prodigy!"
Their conversation drew Hyberion's attention. He'd been watching Sherria for a while too. "Her magic power is as unique as the rumors say. This is actually my first time seeing magic like hers."
Gran, reminiscing, added, "Because of her outstanding performance, I gave her a rare book on wind magic from my collection as a keepsake. To my surprise, she taught herself that magic from it. It's almost unbelievable."
Cornas chuckled, her tone carrying a hint of deeper meaning. "Perhaps it's fate! You had that book for years with no results, Chairman, but she unlocked its secrets in no time. Talent and compatibility play a role, but luck's a big factor too. What do you think, little Kira?"
"Well… different eras use different languages and ways of recording magic. Most wizards today learn from modern transcriptions," Kira mused. "To comprehend and self-teach God-Slaying Magic from an ancient text? Her talent, compatibility, and luck are all way above average."
"Oh? So you've seen this kind of magic before, little Kira?" Cornas looked at him, surprised he recognized God-Slaying Magic.
"Yeah, I ran into someone using Ice God-Slaying Magic during a mission in the Zonia Mountains. Another young girl, though a bit older than Sherria," Kira said, glancing at Sherria, who was healing others after her match. He thought of Wendy, currently off traveling, and added, "She's also… a lot more outgoing."
His words caught the others' attention.
They knew Fairy Tail had two Dragon Slayers, so it wasn't surprising Kira was familiar with Dragon-Slaying Magic. But God-Slaying Magic too? Is this just what you get with Fairy Tail?
Hyberion murmured, "Zonia, huh? I've heard rumors of demons there…"
"Demons?" Cornas smirked. "The most famous tale from Zonia is the Black-and-White Maiden, isn't it?"
"The Black-and-White Maiden… that's definitely a big reason for Zonia's fame. Just not sure how much of the legend is true," Gran said.
Kira chimed in, "I actually know a thing or two about that story…"
"Oh? Do tell!" Cornas's eyes sparkled with curiosity, and Gran and Hyberion turned to him, waiting eagerly.
Didn't expect these two grown men to be so into gossip…
So Kira recounted the tale of the Black-and-White Maiden he'd heard in Zonia. He left out minor details, like how he'd brought a demon back to sell to Mirajane or his escape from a black dragon.
"In the end, Wendy took on the Black-and-White Maiden's soul and learned Ice God-Slaying Magic," he concluded. "The Maiden was long dead, and her soul lingered in Zonia for ages. I doubt it could stick around much longer—probably faded by now. But the Ice God-Slaying Magic might live on."
The three reacted differently to the story.
Gran kept his usual stern face, as if he hadn't heard a thing, though his expression suggested, I'm above this, but I'll listen anyway. Hyberion seemed troubled by the mention of demons, even if Kira said the Ice Demon King was dealt with—there could be others. Cornas, meanwhile, looked disappointed, like a worker realizing their paycheck was far less than expected.
---
At Stage 4, Ika fought with flames swirling around him, mimicking Natsu's moves. His form was about 60% accurate, but his power was barely a tenth of Natsu's—expected, given the massive gap between them.
"Bone-Chilling Spirit Flame!"
"Blue Lotus Core Flame!"
"Falling Heart Flame!"
He shouted one chuunibyou name after another, pairing them with barely passable combat moves. Still, he managed to make the four-person melee feel like a forty-person brawl.
His opponent, getting pummeled, complained, "What's with this guy? He's fighting so chaotically, like he's just swinging wherever he feels like!"
"No clue. Those moves he's shouting sound familiar, though, like I've heard them somewhere."
"You think so too? Are they some powerful fire magic? But they don't even seem that strong…"
"Hahaha! Scared yet, you three? Surrender now, or it'll be too late when I unleash my ultimate move!" Ika taunted.
His cockiness startled the three kids, who exchanged hesitant glances.
"What's there to fear? The teachers are watching! Let's take him down!"
The three charged, but…
Ika smirked. "Combine the flames of my left and right hands… Take this—Buddha's Wrath Fire Lotus!"
"Aaagh!" ×3
The trio was blasted back, crying out, "We surrender!"
"Ika advances!" the referee announced.
The supervising teacher watched impassively, jotting down their numbers. As Ika strutted off, the teacher rolled their eyes and muttered, "Are kids these days all this chuuni?"
---
At Stage 7, Little Red Riding Hood Akas, channeling Kanna, took a swig of juice before pulling out a set of shiny, sparkling cards to face her opponents.
Her three rivals initially thought her cute outfit meant she'd be an easy target to deal with last. But Akas quickly overwhelmed them with a relentless barrage.
"Heavy Strike!"
"Elemental Surge!"
"Fatal Poker!"
"Repentance Cross!"
Boom! Thud! Crack! Bang!
Four cards, four clean hits, and her three opponents were down. She advanced!
"Akas advances!"
"Awesome!" she cheered.
---
At Stage 13…
Thanks to years of training, twelve-year-old Sanmaru looked more like a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old. On the stage, he threw punch after punch, each infused with unique magic.
"Gravity Fist!"
Wham!
A heavy blow sent one opponent flying.
"Sleep-Inducing Fist!"
Thud!
Another punch knocked a second opponent out cold.
"Magic-Breaking Fist!"
Bang!
He shattered an incoming spell with a fist, then charged forward, landing a final blow on the last opponent's head.
"Your training's not enough! Keep at it!" he advised.
"Sanmaru advances!"
---
At Stage 20…
"Flame Construct: Fire Bow!"
"Lightning Construct: Thunder Spear!"
"Storm Construct: Wind Blade!"
Rufus conjured three distinct, highly destructive spells, leaving three cracks in the stage. For someone his age, this was exceptional magic.
If that hit me…
His three opponents exchanged glances, realizing they were outmatched. They instantly caved. "We surrender!"
"Rufus advances!"
---
As time ticked by, the second round of exams neared its end. Outside, a crowd stood on tiptoe, eagerly awaiting the official results.
Finally, a list was delivered to the VIP area. Cornas gave it a quick scan, stood, and announced the details of the third round.
read my new story
FT i m just support