Chapter 183: Year X782
The guild erupted in a massive cheer at the announcement.
Mirajane and Sorano, however, stood frozen, unable to believe what they had just heard. They remained motionless, trying to process Noah's words. It wasn't until their siblings started shaking them that they finally snapped out of their stupor.
"I... I'm an S-Class wizard?" Mirajane asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Even though she had trained relentlessly and fought with all her might to achieve this goal, now that it was real, she felt a strange sense of detachment, as if she were dreaming.
"You did it! Big Sis Mira, you're an S-Class wizard!" Lisanna exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement. Elfman was just as thrilled.
They knew how hard their sister had worked for this. The previous year, when her rival Erza had made it and she had fallen just short, she had been devastated. After that, Mirajane had practically lived at the guild's training grounds. When she wasn't on a job, she was training. Then she started the intense sparring sessions with Noah alongside Erza and the others, often coming home covered in bruises. It broke their hearts to see her push herself so hard, but they couldn't bring themselves to tell her to stop. All they could do was help her with things at home so she could focus completely on her training.
Now, seeing her dream finally come true, they were overjoyed for her.
"I'm an S-Class wizard!"
The reality of it finally sank in, and Mirajane's daze was replaced by a wide, triumphant grin. Her whole demeanor lit up with excitement. She planted her hands on her hips and let out a booming laugh.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Her laughter was wild and proud, echoing through the guild hall. It went on for so long that the other members started to back away, afraid her manic energy might be contagious.
"Okay, Big Sis Mira, that's enough laughing! You're getting a little too excited!" Lisanna said, trying to calm her down before she laughed herself silly.
Eventually, Lisanna managed to get her to stop. The wave of intense emotion passed, leaving Mirajane feeling much calmer. She looked at Lisanna and Elfman, her expression earnest.
"I did it. I really became an S-Class wizard."
"Yes, you did, Big Sis Mira! Congratulations!"
"Congratulations on achieving your goal!"
The three Strauss siblings huddled together, sharing in the happy moment.
"Congratulations on your success, Sister!" Yukino said, beaming at Sorano.
Sorano wasn't as stunned or overtly boisterous as Mirajane, but she was trembling with excitement. This was the culmination of so much hard work, a feeling of satisfaction that was hard to describe.
"Congratulations, Sorano!" Wendy and Carla added their own congratulations. Thanks to Wendy's healing, Sorano was feeling much better physically. She pulled Yukino into a tight hug, rubbing her cheek against her sister's.
"Thank you, my adorable little sister!" she cooed. Then she turned to the others. "And thank you, too, Wendy-kun, Carla."
"Sister!" Yukino blushed, trying to push her away, but Sorano's grip was too strong. She was trapped in the affectionate, face-squishing hug.
"Man, the S-Class trial is no joke," Cana remarked. She wasn't surprised by the results, just impressed by the difficulty.
"Well, S-Class jobs are incredibly dangerous, so the trial has to be tough," Erza said from beside her.
Cana nodded. "That's true. I ran into some really dangerous situations when I was out on jobs with my old man. If you're not strong enough, you can easily get killed."
Cana's desire to become S-Class was mostly driven by a casual thought: 'Dad is S-Class, so I guess I should be too, if I can.' As such, she wasn't too hung up on the results and was content to continue chatting with Erza.
"Don't be sad, Brother," Kagura said softly, trying to comfort Simon.
He shook his head. "I was prepared for this result, Kagura. You don't need to worry about me."
"Okay," she said, saying nothing more as she sat quietly by his side.
"How pathetic. You failed to become S-Class again," Gray said to Lyon without a hint of sympathy.
A vein throbbed on Lyon's forehead. "You think you could do better?!" he snarled.
"Aww, I'm so sad for you that you didn't make S-Class," Gray said, his words dripping with mock pity while his face was split in a wide grin.
That was the last straw for Lyon. He leaped up from the ground and tackled Gray. Having recovered a good deal of his stamina thanks to Noah's potion and the rest, he caught the unsuspecting Gray completely off guard. The two of them started wrestling on the ground. Ultear just shook her head and walked away, unable to watch their childish antics.
The rest of the guild was in high spirits. With two new S-Class wizards, the guild was growing stronger and stronger. They were all filled with pride.
"Noah! I'm gonna be an S-Class wizard, too!" Natsu declared, running up to Noah with his eyes blazing.
"Sure you can," Noah replied calmly. "All you have to do is beat me."
The guild members around them immediately scattered.
"Alright, I'm all fired up now! Take this, Noah!" Natsu's fist ignited, and he threw a punch.
Noah casually sidestepped and brought a hand down in a swift chop on top of Natsu's head, dropping him to the ground in a heap.
"Okay, everyone, let's pack up. Time to head back." Noah turned and began helping to clear the campsite.
Happy flew over to his fallen partner. "Natsu, are you okay?"
"Noah's so strong," Natsu groaned from the ground, his voice trembling. "But I swear... I'm gonna become an S-Class wizard one day."
"Aye! I know you will, Natsu!" Happy cheered, ever supportive.
After everyone worked together to clean up the site, Noah waved his hand, and they were all teleported back to the guild hall. The members dispersed, but they all gathered in their usual groups, buzzing about the S-Class trial.
The guild's newest S-Class wizards, Mirajane and Sorano, were first taken to Makarov to have their promotions officially processed. Afterward, Ultear and Erza sat them down to explain the responsibilities and important things they needed to know. They decided that for their first few S-Class jobs, all four of them would go together until the new promotions were more familiar with the higher difficulty.
Seeing that everything was being handled, Noah didn't linger. He returned to his own daily routine.
With a few days left before the end of the year, the four S-Class women took on a job and left together. They were gone for over ten days before they finally completed the request and hurried back.
Soon, it was the last day of the year X781. The entire guild gathered for a massive New Year's celebration. Laxus and Ur, who were often away, had both returned, making the atmosphere in the guild even more lively and chaotic.
They partied late into the night, and in the end, everyone simply passed out and spent the night at the guild.
The next morning was the first day of Year X782. A new year had begun.
~~~
Get early access to 50+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn