"You can't say that," Cornas stepped forward, stating seriously. "If I don't figure out your objective, this place might become a frequent target for unwelcome visitors."
Cornas took off the black leather glove on her right hand. Age-Apotheosis Magic seeped out, transforming into a black mist that diffused into the air around Azuma. "Tell me, what is your purpose? If you won't speak, there's no reason for you to remain intact!"
The scene was horrifying. Kira actually felt that the black mist was more terrifying than a dagger held against his throat.
Defeat must be accepted. Azuma wasn't the type to value loyalty above everything else; in his mind, fighting strong opponents was paramount. It was precisely this trait that made him easily become an "insider" after being defeated.
In the original timeline's Tenrou Island arc, he destroyed the Tenrou Tree to reduce the Fairy Tail mages' Magic Power, but he didn't steal Erza's magic because he wanted to duel her. After being defeated, he kept his promise and returned the Magic Power to the Fairy Tail members, even giving Erza some intelligence on Grimoire Heart.
Based on these points, even if his actions weren't entirely honorable, they at least showed integrity.
"Our objective... was to steal the magic books hidden in Demesol Academy that contain the Lost Magic Memory-Make and Lightning God Slayer Magic."
Azuma's words stunned Cornas and the two men other than Kira. They all looked at Cornas, their meaning clear: Is this true?
Cornas nodded, her expression grave, confirming the presence of the books. She frowned and asked, "Both of those books are in the academy's most secret library. Besides the past Headmasters, only students who were allowed to study there could possibly know about them. Why would you know those two books are here?"
Azuma shook his head, indicating he didn't know. "I don't know that. That was the Master's order; we were only following instructions."
Having said his piece, Azuma completely relaxed, leaning against the giant tree with his eyes closed to rest.
Unlike when he was defeated by Erza in the original timeline, his fight with Cornas had been a one-sided defeat, meaning he hadn't overexerted his magic. Therefore, he wouldn't suffer the side effect of the Great Tree Arc and turn into a tree—a small mercy in his misfortune. But now, severely injured and captured, he would likely be spending his future days in a Council prison.
Hyberion warned, "I am not even entirely familiar with the magic texts in the academy library. It seems the Master of Grimoire Heart is not a simple individual!"
Cornas took the hint, nodding. "I understand what you mean. When I get back, I will investigate every possible suspect."
Grimoire Heart has existed for a very long time. Before the Balam Alliance was formed this year, they were the biggest threat to the magical world. Now, finding out that the master of this threat might have originated from Demesol, the most respected magic academy in the Fiore Kingdom, left Cornas feeling utterly frustrated. If this matter were to become known and spread throughout the magical world, the academy's centuries of accumulated reputation would be completely ruined.
Of the people present, only Kira's mind wasn't entirely focused on this.
Kira knew about Hades: He started as a treasure hunter, and in his twenties on Tenrou Island, he met Mavis, Yuri, Warrod, and others. The group fought against the guild 'Phantom Lord' (Twilight Ogre in the raw text, but Phantom Lord is more contextually accurate for the era), learned magic from Zeref, and together founded Fairy Tail, becoming mages.
In X736, Hades left the guild to pursue the origin of magic. He was around seventy years old at the time. He fell into darkness during this pursuit, founded Grimoire Heart, and sought to "awaken" Zeref. He neither attended nor was Headmaster of Demesol Academy at any point in his life.
Kira speculated that Hades might have been invited here as a guest, like himself, which is how he knew about the Lost Magic, and perhaps even "borrowed" the Lost Magic he taught the Seven Kin of Purgatory from here.
In reality, Kira was just passing the time, thinking things over, as there was no harm in guessing.
Kira couldn't possibly say to Cornas and the others, "Their Master is Precht, our guild's Second Master. You can check the academy records for any visits from him." The new Council Chairman, Grandeeney (Grandma in the raw text, but more contextually accurate to the character and setting), was right there watching! So, he could only hope Cornas could genuinely find something out herself.
Twilight had fallen, and the setting sun painted the sky with blood-red evening glow.
Kira, Cornas, Hyberion, and Grandeeney stood high on a hill overlooking the large crowd running from a distance. The short figures cast long shadows, which grew shorter as they approached.
"By my count, there are only about twenty people, less than half," Kira pressed down the Magic Hat being blown by the evening wind, turning to ask Cornas, "We have less than an hour until sundown. If the numbers are too low, will we add more people until we reach fifty?"
Cornas's answer was firm and without hesitation: "No."
"I thought so..." Kira gave an embarrassed smile. It dawned on him belatedly that this was the academy's entrance exam, not an internal guild competition like Fairy Tail's, so there's no reason to pad the numbers with extras if not enough people make it.
Running at the very front was the boy who had called Cornas "old hag" yesterday. He must have succeeded with his Theft Magic quite a few times during the second half of the course, judging by the number of people chasing him. It also looked like he had been clumsily caught.
Kira sneaked a glance at Cornas beside him and saw a smirk of schadenfreude on her face.
Noticing Kira's gaze, Cornas immediately composed herself, her expression returning to normal as she commented, "These kids are doing well!"
'Are you saying they did well in the competition, or did well in chasing that boy down...'
Kira grumbled silently but dared not speak it aloud. He now knew this woman's personality: she looked gentle and kind on the surface, but she held a fierce grudge and was extremely sensitive about her age. Azuma's severed leg was bloody evidence of that.
He continued looking back. Among the people behind the thieving boy, there were several familiar faces: Ika, Akas, Sanmaru, and Rufus were all present. Sherria, the little girl Grandeeney endorsed, was also there. Aside from them were some other familiar background characters he had observed before, who were slightly weaker than the others.
The first 20 people were the initial wave. Kira glanced at each one; every candidate had a unique skill and a promising future. About 300 meters behind them was the second wave of candidates sprinting toward the finish line.
This group was large, nearly 200 people, and they were currently in the middle of a chaotic fight. They had stretched the battlefield quite far. This area was close to the valley, and undoubtedly, this was the final ambush of the entire competition. All the candidates still able to move were engaged in a final scramble for the magic stones.
Without a doubt, this was the last chance to grab a magic stone for the exam. All the candidates were using every trick they had, with no relaxation, sneaking attacks whenever possible, and running as fast as they could once they had succeeded—it was tense and thrilling.
Magic was flying everywhere. Elements of water, fire, wind, and earth scattered about, turning the once-flat ground into a mess. Multi-colored magic circles bloomed and withered one by one like spring flowers.
Soon, the first batch of candidates entered the valley's narrow pass. This area usually had traps, but they had been removed specifically for the entrance exam. The pass was much narrower than the open ground outside, wide enough for only about three or four people side-by-side. However, for the frantic candidates, being able to run two abreast was the absolute limit. Their small bodies dashed through rocks and side paths, finally reaching the finish line with just 20 minutes left.
By now, Kira and the other three had descended the hill and were waiting at the finish line for the candidates about to pass through. Seeing him, Ika and the others excitedly greeted him, and Kira gave each of them a comforting pat on the head.
By the time the sun went down, a total of 24 candidates had reached the finish line, handing over their black, white, or black-and-white magic stones to the judges, thus securing their spots in the academy.