"Don't lump me together with my worthless old man."
After dropping that line, Laxus—maybe because he thought it was funny—copied what Shane had done before. He gave Shane's shoulder a light, not-too-hard punch, shoved his hands in his pockets, and sauntered off.
"So that was… a challenge?" Shane scratched his cheek.
Laxus was the only companion in Path of Kindling who'd been officially recognized as "meeting the strength requirement" so far.
"That guy… might even be stronger than Ivan."
Shane warned himself not to get careless. There was only one S-Class slot each year—if he flipped, he'd have to wait another whole year.
"…So you can take the exam solo?"
Erza's focus was completely different. She stroked her chin, thinking it over.
"If the rules allow it, and I can't team with Shane… then I'll take it alone too."
She nodded, feeling that going solo would better test the results of her training lately.
"Fair point."
That reminded Shane as well. "In that case, I won't team up either."
With his current overall strength and toolkit, having a partner didn't really change much.
"Hey, hey, hey! Aren't you brats getting a little too full of yourselves?!"
Watching three young monsters all choose to go solo finally made Macao and Wakaba snap.
"Looks like us senpais really need to teach you what teamwork means—in the exam!"
Macao waved his fists, looking fierce as he yelled, "Yeah! Looks like we need to give you a proper taste of society's 'tough love'!"
But the "veteran authority" faces they were so proud of wore looked like pure arrogance to everyone else.
"Hahahahaha!"
The guild burst into laughter.
"Macao, stop posturing!"
"Yeah! Talking this big now—if you get flattened the moment you meet them, you'll never be able to brag in the guild again!"
Clearly, compared to veteran Macao and Wakaba, the crowd had more faith in the three young ones with "monster potential": Laxus, Erza, and Shane.
Seeing the peanut gallery already getting ready to open bets, Shane could only shake his head.
He turned and called to Erza, "Come on. Let's go back and prep."
"No."
Erza shook her head, eyes blazing. "I'm heading to another city to top up my 'anti-Laxus countermeasure armor'."
"New countermeasure armor?" Shane blinked, surprised. "From the sound of it… you already had more prepared?"
"Mm." Erza nodded and started counting on her fingers, dead serious.
"Since I might have to fight you, I spent these two months preparing:
Black Feather Armor that can fly, to counter your aerial advantage;
and Flight Armor that dramatically boosts speed, so I can close the distance and stop you from kiting me with arrows."
"…."
Listening to those extremely targeted names, Shane's mouth twitched.
So she'd planned tactics specifically for him.
He complained, half annoyed, "You're that eager to close the distance… what, you think if it turns into melee you'll have a chance to beat me?"
"Yes. I'll have a chance."
Erza nodded instantly—so clean and straightforward it was impossible to be mad at her.
"…Wow. I'm really being underestimated." Shane rubbed his head, helpless.
He sighed, wearing a "what can I do with you" look. "Fine. Since you're making new armor, you probably don't have matching weapons yet, right? Bring the magic crystals and materials—I'll forge everything for you."
Erza stopped and reminded him, completely serious: "I'm your enemy right now. You're supplying the enemy."
"Can't help it. We already agreed." Shane waved it off like it was nothing. "And anyway… I don't believe a little 'enemy funding' is enough for you to beat me. You're getting kind of cocky lately, aren't you?"
"Mm…" Erza puffed her cheeks, unconvinced.
But she didn't refuse. She turned and started sprinting for the door.
"Wait!"
Shane grabbed her sleeve, his earlier nonchalance evaporating instantly. He rubbed his hands together.
"Uh… since we're 'funding the enemy'—can you fund me first?"
He still wanted that shameless "high-altitude suppression" strategy.
He planned to use Arash's Arrow Construction to handcraft a powerful bow and pair it with Lancer's mechanical dragon wings for aerial strikes.
Problem was…
He was millions in debt. His pockets were cleaner than his face—he didn't even have money for materials.
So he had to shamelessly borrow from the rich girl.
"…."
Erza looked at his pitiful expression and couldn't stop the corners of her lips lifting.
Holding back her laughter, she kept a straight face, pulled out a wad of cash, and slapped it into his palm.
"Take it."
Then she left humming, in a great mood.
Shane counted the money.
"Two hundred thousand J… wow. A real sugar mama."
More than enough for materials.
He didn't waste time—went straight to the materials shop and bought what he needed.
Back home, he immediately switched his Heroic Spirit card to Arash.
"Arrow Construction!"
With materials ready and that Heroic Spirit "sublimation" at work, it took only half an hour.
A jet-black strongbow, its limbs reflecting a muted sheen, was born in his hands.
"It's no match for Arash's crimson bow that can draw a national border… but among mortal-made bows, this is top-grade."
Still…
Shane plucked the string and listened to the crisp, pleasant twang—and felt oddly depressed.
"I've got the strongest archery… but I can't use it together with the wings…"
It felt like holding a fully kitted sniper rifle, only to be told you're allowed to charge with the bayonet—nothing else.
…
The next day, Erza came back in a rush.
She'd apparently already ordered the armor, and it would be finished in a few days.
That kind of custom speed made even Shane click his tongue.
The Giant Armor he'd seen before came from the same shop—if they could keep that quality and move this fast…
That shop's craftsmanship was practically "Heroic Spirit-grade."
Over the next few days, Shane followed Erza's plan and forged:
a lightning-conducting thunder spear for her anti-Laxus lightning-resistant armor;
a long-handled greatsword to pair with Black Feather Armor for dive attacks;
and two light, razor-thin rapiers to boost the mobility of Flight Armor.
Finally, a week passed in a blink, and the gathering day arrived.
Magnolia Station that morning was bitterly cold.
When Shane and Erza arrived, they found they were the last ones there.
Makarov, Macao, Wakaba—even Laxus—were already waiting.
And surprisingly, Gildarts was there too, backpack on, leaning lazily against the platform while yawning.
"Gildarts?" Shane raised a brow. "You're going too?"
Erza, clearly more familiar with guild rules, explained from the side:
"S-Class mage exams are extremely strict. Besides the Master, each year they also require one active S-Class mage to accompany them as an examiner."
"I see."
Shane finally understood.
No wonder Gildarts vanished the moment the Harvest Festival ended—and now came back specifically.
Since Ivan had been expelled, Fairy Tail currently had only one S-Class mage: Gildarts.
If he didn't come, the exam literally couldn't happen.
"Alright," Makarov waved the tickets in his hand. "Everyone's here—let's go!"
He led the way into the station.
Since the tickets were bought in advance by the Master, everyone except Gildarts had no idea where they were going.
They tried to ask, but the old man just kept a smug, mysterious silence.
The train raced onward.
Outside the window, green grew sparse; barren plains took over the view.
Then, several hours later—
As they looked out at the massive, crisscrossing canyons stretching into the distance, Macao—who'd been there before—blurted out in shock:
"This… this is the Clover Canyon, isn't it?!"