"He didn't talk much to begin with, so why the glares? Besides, you're the one who thrashed him so badly during his trial." Makarov recalled the last S-Class trial where Laxus, full of confidence, challenged Chu Yan—or rather, didn't even take him seriously. The result was Laxus being utterly "educated" by Chu Yan without any room for retaliation.
Chu Yan grumbled, "Hey, hey! You were the one who told me to teach him a good lesson, to crush his arrogance and show him that there's always someone better. Now you're pinning it all on me."
Makarov immediately played dumb. "Did I? I don't remember. My memory isn't what it used to be. Right now, you're the only S-Class Wizard in the guild; if you don't do it, do you expect this old man to go?"
"Once this is over, I want a month-long vacation."
"Deal!" Makarov reached out and shook Chu Yan's hand, looking like they had just reached a shady agreement.
On the day of the trial, everyone involved took a boat to a remote deserted island. This was a decision Makarov made after witnessing the duel between Chu Yan and Gildarts—whenever Chu Yan makes a move, it must be as far away from civilization as possible.
"Ugh... bleh!!" Natsu was leaning over the side of the boat, vomiting incessantly and looking completely drained.
"Are you okay, Natsu?" Happy asked.
"How pathetic! A wizard getting motion sickness. Cana really chose the wrong partner." Taking the opportunity, Gray mocked Natsu without mercy.
Chu Yan remarked, "Dragon Slayers are helpless against transport. I still don't quite understand the principle behind that."
On the boat, Makarov began explaining the rules for this S-Class trial. "This trial is very simple: a survival game!"
"A survival game?" Many eyes turned to Makarov in confusion, including Chu Yan's, as the Master hadn't disclosed the rules to him beforehand.
"That's right! A survival game. You now have one hour to head to that island. Within that hour, you can set traps, attack each other, or eliminate other candidates. After one hour, Chu Yan will land on the island and begin eliminating you. You can choose to hide or fight; as long as you don't leave the island, any choice is yours to make."
"The last one standing will become the guild's new S-Class Wizard!!!"
Gray looked at Makarov. "Master, isn't there another way? Like... defeating Chu Yan!" Erza, Mirajane, and the others looked at Makarov as well; they all had the same thought.
Hearing Gray's words, Makarov showed his teeth and smiled nonchalantly. "If you can manage that, all three of you can be promoted to S-Class Wizards."
"Really?!" Everyone's eyes widened. Three S-Class Wizards at once? The guild only had three S-Class Wizards in total right now.
"Ready! START!!!"
"I'm off!"
"Ice-Make: Floor!" Gray created a path of ice on the sea and immediately slid toward the island.
"Requip: Black Wing Armor!" Erza's body erupted in golden light. As the light faded, she was clad in black armor with a pair of bat-like wings on her back. With a flap of her wings, she soared into the sky toward the island.
"Don't run, Erza!"
"Satan Soul: Take Over!" Mirajane quickly took over her Satan Soul, transforming into her demonic state and flying toward the island.
"Sister, wait for me!" Elfman jumped from the boat into the water and swam vigorously toward Mirajane.
Natsu and Cana were left at the very back.
After they left, the four people remaining on the boat started playing cards.
Chu Yan said to Makarov, "Master, these rules are pretty unfair to me. You're basically telling them to team up against me."
"Ah! Within that hour, if they forced a fight among themselves, they might win, but they'd lose too much magic power. By the time Chu Yan lands, they'd be at a disadvantage, which benefits no one. But if they unite, they have to worry about being backstabbed. The Master has actually set a difficult puzzle for everyone," Levy pondered aloud. She had come along to watch and to provide emergency healing with her Solid Script magic if needed.
"Sister Mirajane has always seen Erza as her rival; the chance of them teaming up isn't high." Lisanna, worried about her siblings, had followed along as well.
Happy, flying in the air, added, "Natsu also sees Gray and Erza as rivals!"
Makarov laughed loudly. "Ohohoho! That's what makes it interesting! Faced with a powerful enemy, will they choose to unite, fight alone, hide, or betray? An S-Class Wizard isn't just about strength; they need a strong heart."
"But Master, aren't you afraid that if they all unite, they'll actually defeat Chu Yan?" Levy asked curiously.
"What do you think, kid?"
Chu Yan looked distressed. "I'm just thinking about the gentlest way to defeat them."
"You're quite confident, brat. Honestly, I'd rather see you get your comeuppance."
As they played cards and chatted, the hour flew by. No commotion came from the island. Clearly, the people there hadn't started fighting, though whether they had united or were acting individually remained unknown.
"Time's up. It seems they didn't fight; it would have been much simpler to settle it among themselves! In that case, let me give them a little greeting."
Chu Yan stood up and walked to the bow. He crouched down, crossed his forearms in front of him, and clenched his fists. Pale white spherical halos appeared around his knuckles—the exact posture Whitebeard used when triggering a Sea Quake at Marineford.