On the road from Harms City to Demisore Magic Academy, small figures darted through the wilderness. The terrain was varied—plains, hills, meadows, forests, rivers—each spot a perfect ambush point, making it an ideal hunting ground.
But today, the prize wasn't game. It was the magic stones that granted entry to Fiore's most prestigious magic academy, Demisore.
Among the examinees, another figure moved through the hunting ground: a woman with long black hair, dressed in a breezy white outfit, her tall, graceful frame holding a crystal ball.
Ultear, one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory from the dark guild Grimoire Heart!
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High above on a flying carpet, Jura and Hyberion watched the examinees below.
Not all the students traveled in large groups. Many, like Ika and his friends, formed small teams of similarly skilled individuals, moving in twos or threes, cautiously scanning the terrain and guarding against ambushes. Of course, there were also bold lone wolves—either too confident in their skills or unable to fit into a group.
The teams stayed relatively close, some within twenty or thirty meters, others up to a hundred meters apart. They likely figured, "As long as we've got numbers, the dropout group won't dare attack."
Farther off, a few academy instructors kept watch over the examinees, ensuring no one used magical transportation or called in outside help.
Hyberion sat beside Jura, casually swirling a glass of milk, looking relaxed. But inside, he was anything but calm. His mind was heavy with worry.
That morning, Konas, the academy's headmistress, had warned him of an impending attack on Demisore by Grimoire Heart. Since then, he hadn't been able to focus.
By the time Konas got the news, the exam was already underway. Half of the 120 students carrying magic stones had left the city, and the "dropout group"—those who'd failed earlier rounds—had been lying in wait along the road since the previous night. Canceling the exam was impossible.
They didn't know Grimoire Heart's exact goal or how they'd strike. Given the dark guild's reputation for having no limits, they had to split their forces.
As the academy's headmistress and one of the Ten Wizard Saints, Konas had to return to the academy. Gran, a hardliner on the Magic Council with a notorious zero-tolerance policy toward dark guilds, was equally duty-bound to confront the threat.
That left Hyberion to protect the examinees. Since none of them knew Jura's full strength, they assigned him the relatively safer task of guarding the students. They also kept the Grimoire Heart threat from him, fearing his youthful impulsiveness might lead him to charge straight to the academy, leaving the examinees vulnerable.
"They're here!"
Hyberion, lost in thought, snapped to attention at Jura's voice. He thought Grimoire Heart had actually dared to attack the kids. His face darkened, his eyes glowed red, and his magic power surged as he instantly shifted into battle mode.
"Senior, what's wrong?" Jura asked, noticing his reaction.
Hyberion realized he'd overreacted and shook his head. "Nothing. What did you say was here?"
Jura pointed below. "Those kids from yesterday—the dropouts. They're here!"
Hyberion looked down and saw a small group emerging from the other side of a hill as the examinees passed by. It was the dropout team, ready to strike.
"Let's go!!"
Someone shouted, and the dropout crew charged, scattering the main group of examinees in an instant.
They'd clearly been waiting and watching for a while, maybe even coordinating under someone's command. They moved like seasoned bandits, targeting lone examinees or smaller groups with precision.
In no time, the hillside erupted into chaos, with spells flying in every direction.
"Tch, tch, tch… This is wilder than Fairy Tail's usual guild brawls," Jura muttered to himself, a playful grin on his face as he unconsciously clenched his fists. "Go… go for it…"
Hyberion glanced at Jura's clenched fists, assuming he was worried for the examinees' safety. Jura's more level-headed than I thought, he mused. If Makarov were here, he'd probably be cheering like a kid watching a show.
The thought of Makarov's childish, chaos-loving antics made Hyberion shake his head in disbelief.
Guess not every Fairy Tail wizard is like Makarov…
If Jura knew what Hyberion was thinking, he'd probably burst out laughing and give him a thumbs-up for his keen insight.
On the chaotic hillside, bright magic circles flickered to life in the hands of young examinees, appearing and vanishing before their small frames. Their shouts echoed, shaking the heavens.
The vibrant clash of colors and sounds stirred something in Jura's heart.
After a while, a voice rang out: "We can't hold them! Fall back!"
At the command, about half the dropout group started retreating in one direction.
"Oh? They've even got a retreat plan. Looks like there's a strategist in that group," Jura said, his face lighting up with interest. "Though some of these 'bandits' seem a bit lost."
He noticed several kids running the wrong way, losing their teammates' support and getting caught. They were quickly taught a lesson by the examinees.
The first ambush of the third exam ended abruptly—likely just a test run. But the strategy worked. Some dropouts managed to snatch magic stones, and then…
Allies became enemies, and enemies became allies.
The tides shifted in an instant!
For these kids, with little real-world experience, adapting to such rapid changes was a tall order. But blending into the crowd and following the majority was always the safest bet.
The kids who nabbed stones were like wolves hiding among huskies, biding their time. They waited for the next bandit raid to bare their fangs and strike at their chosen prey, aiming to steal yet another magic stone.
The examinees who'd lost their stones had no choice but to chase down the thieves. They needed their stones to pass the exam, so they clung desperately, standing up again and again only to be knocked down—until they couldn't get up anymore.
When they realized the person they were chasing didn't have their stone, some kids snapped, turning into wild dogs, attacking anyone in sight until their opponent revealed their stone—or lack thereof.
"Poor kids," Jura sighed, feeling the cool high-altitude breeze. "Must be crushing to see the person you're chasing doesn't have your stone."
He felt a pang of sympathy for the examinee thrashing around like a rabid dog.
Hyberion stayed silent, his focus elsewhere. His crimson eyes, sharp as a vampire's, scanned the ground below, watching for any sign of Grimoire Heart. He didn't miss a single blade of grass that might conceal a dark guild member.
It's been over three hours since we left Harms City, and I haven't seen anyone suspicious besides the examinees and instructors, Hyberion thought. Could Grimoire Heart really not be targeting the students? If so, that's the best news we could hope for!
But that would mean their main force is at the academy. Can Konas and Gran hold them off alone?
As his mind raced, the examinees below reached the next treacherous terrain: a river.
"According to the map I bought yesterday, once we cross this river, we're halfway to the finish line!" the leader called out, turning to their teammates. "The river's wide and deep, so be careful crossing the bridge. Those guys are probably waiting nearby, ready to ambush us as we cross!"
In this world, formal military tactics weren't common, and these kids likely wouldn't know them if they existed. But they instinctively understood which terrains were dangerous.
One kid piped up, "You said we're crossing where?"
"The bridge!" the leader repeated.
The kid pointed at the empty river behind them. "What bridge?"
There was no bridge. Or rather, since last night, there hadn't been a bridge.
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