Chapter 18: Trial Passed! Makarov's Wicked Sense of Humor!
"So you're finally willing to make a move!"
Seeing Ren call Zeus and Prometheus back, Laxus's eyes burned with fighting spirit, lightning flickering over his body.
He slammed his fists together, and a burst of lightning crackled between his knuckles.
Ren smiled, not taking the fired-up Laxus seriously at all.
Then Ren's expression settled into calm.
With a violent boom, Laxus's pupils shrank sharply.
Ren's figure vanished from his sight.
Not far away, Gildarts shook his head and said in boredom, "It's over, it's over. I'm heading back."
He stood up, stretched, and didn't even bother watching how the fight ended.
Laxus hurried back toward a corner by the rock wall, scanning the area with full caution, trying to find Ren.
In the next moment, Ren appeared right in front of him.
Laxus's pupils contracted violently as he tried to raise his arms to guard.
"Too late."
A calm voice echoed by his ear.
A moment later, intense pain arrived with that voice—right in his stomach.
Ren clenched his fist and drove a heavy punch into Laxus's abdomen.
The brutal impact blasted the rock wall behind him apart. Laxus's eyes rolled back, and his body went limp as he collapsed to the ground.
Not far away, Erza was struggling to withstand Freed's attacks.
Erza had only awakened her magic for less than half a year, and she was no match for Freed.
The cavern still rang with the shockwaves of battle.
Freed glanced over and saw Laxus lying on the ground with his eyes rolled back.
Freed's heart jumped. He shouted toward Laxus, "Laxus! Are you okay?!"
"Stop yelling. He's out cold. He won't wake up anytime soon."
Ren scratched his head and yawned, watching Erza and Freed fight without a clear winner for the moment.
Freed could pressure Erza the whole time, but with Laxus defeated, Freed couldn't keep his calm, and he couldn't fully focus on fighting Erza.
"Alright. Stop. You lost."
After Erza was knocked flying by Freed, Ren stepped out in front of Freed and said calmly.
Freed looked at the motionless Laxus on the ground. Even though he wasn't willing to accept it, he silently acknowledged the result.
He bowed slightly to Ren, then passed by him, supporting the unconscious Laxus as he headed out of the cavern.
"Hah…"
Watching them leave, Ren asked Erza, who was breathing hard, "Are you okay?"
Erza shook her head, her mood low. "I'm not his opponent."
"You've only been using magic for a short time. You'll definitely get stronger."
Ren ruffled Erza's hair, took the tenth flag, and continued forward.
Since Gildarts hadn't declared the trial over, that meant there was still a test ahead.
Riding on Zeus's back, Ren sped through the cavern passages.
A glow appeared in the distance. Zeus immediately said to Ren, "Master, there's an exit up ahead."
Ren lifted his head. Seeing the light getting closer and closer, he straightened up as well.
Zeus shot out, and outside was a vast ocean.
They had come out on the far side of the island.
The exit connected to a cliff.
The instant Zeus burst from the cave mouth, a rumbling crash sounded overhead.
Ren turned and looked back.
Chunks of rock collapsed from above the cave entrance, completely sealing it shut.
Ren couldn't make sense of what the final test was supposed to be.
Just then, Erza pointed at the pile of fallen rocks and shouted, "Look, over there!"
Ren looked where she pointed.
A note was pinned on the rocks.
It read:
"Ren, you should have taken the last route, right? Then the final test begins now."
"The final test: get back to Magnolia from here. I'm leaving first—good luck!"
At the bottom, Makarov even left a playful smiley face.
Ren's face darkened as he held the note, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Erza stared at the note, still not fully processing it, and asked Ren, "What does the Guild Master mean? Did he abandon us?"
Ren shrugged helplessly. "The trial's over. I passed."
The so-called final test was basically just Makarov's nasty sense of humor.
Whoever passed in the end, Makarov would've already left anyway.
Ren looked down at Zeus beneath him. "Take us back to where we landed on the island."
Receiving the order, Zeus immediately shouted, "Understood, Master!"
Then he sped up, flying straight toward their landing point.
Sure enough, the boat Makarov had brought was gone.
But at the landing point, a small boat was left there.
On the beach, the now-awake Laxus and Freed were staring at the boat in confusion.
Laxus in particular had a dark expression as he looked at it.
"Hey, want a ride?"
Ren had Zeus stop. Sitting cross-legged on Zeus, he called down to Laxus and Freed on the sand.
Laxus looked up at Zeus in the sky, snorted, and turned his head away stubbornly.
"Laxus, let's go back with him."
Seeing Laxus turn away, Freed hurriedly tried to persuade him.
After struggling with it, Laxus finally gave in.
The unwilling Zeus descended and stopped on the beach.
Just as Laxus and Freed were about to step onto Zeus, Ren suddenly said to Laxus, "You can ride, but I have one condition."
Hearing that, Laxus instantly flared up and shouted at Ren, "Don't think I can't get back without you. I'm not riding!"
He turned and was about to head for the small boat.
Freed quickly stopped him. Because of the fight with Ren, Laxus was already injured.
And as a Dragon Slayer mage, Laxus had trouble handling vehicles.
"Fine. What's your condition?"
With a dark face, and under Freed's urging, Laxus asked Ren unwillingly.
"It's not a big request. When we're at the guild, if you've got time, feed Zeus a bit of lightning."
Ren grinned, pointing at Zeus beneath him.