"The second test?"
Master Makarov looked at Caesar.
"Yes, we have completed the first assessment, so the second assessment is next, right? What are we going to do? We can complete it first."
Caesar was eager to give it a try. Even though his magic power had not yet recovered, he felt that it shouldn't be a big problem.
"Don't rush. Wait until Laxus comes back."
Makarov waved his hand toward Caesar and said, "When he comes back, you'll know what the second test is."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Caesar was stunned, not understanding what Makarov meant.
Makarov showed an enigmatic smile and said, "You'll know when the time comes."
Caesar: …
That's why I hate riddlers the most!
Luckily, Caesar didn't have to wait too long. After more than an hour, Laxus and Max returned, both looking disheveled as they carried a massive fang.
They placed the fang on the table, and Laxus pulled out the flag.
Both had passed the first test. But when they looked at Makarov, they realized he had no intention of explaining anything.
Staring blankly at Makarov, Caesar and Laxus were both confused.
Caesar recalled the first assessment and then looked over at Mirajane. She shrugged, clearly unsure of what was happening either.
Seeing this, Caesar suddenly remembered Makarov mentioning a "big gift" he had prepared for them.
Initially, Caesar thought the "big" referred to an S-class monster.
But now it seemed it was probably related to the second assessment!
Thinking of this, Caesar walked over to the horn he had cut off. After pondering for a moment, he extended his hand and let his magic seep into the horn like a probe.
Soon, Caesar discovered he had guessed correctly!
There was a hollow space inside the horn!
Caesar immediately took out the Rasengan, cut a slit into the horn with a blade, then broke it open with all his strength.
Crack!
The horn split, revealing a small box hidden inside.
Laxus saw what Caesar was doing and immediately began inspecting the fang he had brought back.
Caesar was surprised as he took out the small box. Upon opening it, he found a pendant inside.
"This is a small magical item that can absorb magic power and store it. When needed, it can be used to replenish your magic."
Makarov suddenly spoke. "As for the second assessment, you can read it yourself."
Caesar found a piece of paper at the bottom of the box and pulled it out.
Mirajane also leaned in to read it.
But the moment they read the message, both were stunned.
It read: "If you managed to open this box first, it means you have successfully passed the second assessment! Congratulations. From this day forward, you are a true S-class mage. Keep pushing forward toward your future!"
Caesar and Mirajane looked at Makarov.
Makarov stood tall and said, "The first test was to evaluate your execution skills and raw strength. The second was to test your thought process and your understanding of the situation. Caesar, you passed both. Congratulations. You are now a true S-class mage."
"Noooo!"
On the side, Max suddenly wailed, while Laxus looked dejected upon finding nothing in his fang.
"Master, why didn't I pass?"
Laxus looked at Makarov with a pitiful expression.
"Hmph."
Makarov snorted and looked at Laxus. "Let me ask you, how many fangs does a Fire Poison Demon Lion have?"
"Four."
"I told you to bring back a fang. Did I ever say which fang?"
"..."
"You didn't use your brain. You only know how to brute-force your way through things. You lost your opportunity, and you didn't reflect or adapt. Your performance disappointed me, Laxus. Go back and reflect on this. Come back next year."
In the past, Laxus might have argued back at this point.
But now, a changed Laxus silently accepted Makarov's words and took them to heart.
It was clear that a more mature Laxus would achieve even more in the future than he had in the original timeline.
Although…
"This still feels a little unreal."
Caesar scratched his head and looked at Makarov. "I thought it would be harder."
"That's because your strength is far beyond the standard."
Before Makarov could respond, Mirajane smacked Caesar lightly on the back of the head.
"I've never heard of anyone seriously injuring an S-class monster in just a few moves. Your strength is just too overpowered, so it naturally seems easy to you. If it were me, I'd probably have to fight that thing for a long time."
As Mirajane complained, everyone stared at Caesar.
"Well, it's not that exaggerated."
Caesar tried to keep a low profile. "The strength of my heroic soul depends on the sun. It's very weak at night."
"So the closer it is to noon, the stronger you get?"
Makarov looked at Caesar and suddenly recalled the previous complaints he'd received—something about excessive destruction.
However, Caesar had usually repaired the damage afterward, so Makarov hadn't paid much attention to it.
Now it seemed it really was dangerous.
"Yes, but I can only maintain it for three seconds. After that, my magic is completely drained."
Caesar held up three fingers to emphasize his limit.
"How strong are you during those three seconds?"
Laxus looked at him seriously.
Everyone's attention turned to Caesar. Embarrassed, he scratched his head and replied, "About even with Master Makarov, I guess."
Makarov: ?? Am I a unit of measurement now?
Everyone looked at Caesar like he was some kind of monster.
Makarov spoke earnestly, "Don't use that heroic soul randomly. The destruction it causes leads to a lot of complaints."
"Oh okay, I understand."
Caesar nodded in agreement.
But what they didn't know was that Caesar wasn't telling the full story.
After acquiring Escanor's noon form, Caesar could only maintain it for three seconds. The time was too short and the magic drain too intense, so he couldn't unleash the card's full power.
Realistically, Caesar was only using about 10% of the true strength of the Noon card. He simply didn't have the magic capacity to unleash more.
With that, Laxus and the others returned to the guild.
Caesar, however, was stopped by Makarov.
The promotion of an S-class mage required registration with the Magic Council. Additionally, a special ceremony was held by Fairy Tail to officially mark the occasion.
Tenrou Island!
Caesar and Makarov set sail for Tenrou Island.
Only in front of Mavis's grave, under her watchful gaze, could one officially become an S-class mage of the Fairy Tail Guild.