Internet Magic in Fairy Tail

Black, mist-like magic surged around Zeref, forming a dome-shaped barrier.

Nate used his Six Eyes to observe the peculiar power closely.

In that instant, the magic within Zeref's body became extremely unstable. At its lowest, his magic power dropped to less than half a star—essentially that of a powerless, ordinary human. At its peak, it soared far beyond nine, even ten stars. The fluctuations occurred at an incredible speed, with dozens of violent shifts within fractions of a second.

Even Nate's Six Eyes couldn't accurately assess it.

"It's Death Predation! Go… leave now!" Zeref shouted in pain.

As his voice fell, the dark aura exploded, sweeping out in a shockwave that engulfed a radius of over ten meters. Everything in its path withered—grass and trees turned to dust and disintegrated. Even the stream turned black, its surface littered with the corpses of fish and shrimp.

After the power dissipated, Zeref seemed to recover slightly, breathing heavily as he looked up at Nate. To his shock, Nate was holding out his right hand, suppressing a swirling ball of black, misty magic in his palm.

"You… you're unharmed?" Zeref asked, stunned.

"This level of curse energy is nothing," Nate replied calmly. He suddenly clenched his fingers, and with a loud pop, the black mist was crushed into oblivion.

Death Predation was indeed a power capable of stealing life from all living things. But Zeref was currently very weak, and the technique's power was relatively mild. For Nate—or even other S-class mages in the guild—it wasn't too difficult to block.

"You're strong," Zeref said with a sigh of relief. "I'll leave now. Sorry for disturbing you."

Well, he's surprisingly polite, Nate thought to himself. Zeref was indeed a tragic figure, cursed by Ankhseram. The more he valued life, the more he spread death.

"I'll follow you until I'm sure you've left the island," Nate said, walking behind Zeref.

The two walked through the island without any clear direction until they reached the shore. Zeref didn't have—or need—a boat. He simply stepped onto the water and walked away from Tenrou Island.

As he watched Zeref leave the sacred ground, Nate considered for a moment and then took out a first-generation Magic Net ring.

"Wait."

Zeref turned back and saw a silver ring flying toward him.

Nate smiled and said, "Take this as a gift—and don't come back."

Zeref caught the ring and looked at it in confusion. He had just trespassed on someone else's guild territory and nearly killed Nate moments ago, yet Nate was giving him a gift.

Moved to tears, Zeref said, "Thank you, Nate. Farewell. I won't come near this island again."

After expressing his gratitude, Zeref turned and disappeared across the sea. Nate didn't care where he went, as long as it wasn't on Tenrou Island.

"With this, the black dragon shouldn't show up here anymore," Nate murmured, mentally reviewing the situation to ensure he hadn't missed any details. Everything seemed in order. Satisfied, Nate turned around and began setting up teleportation arrays for the S-Class Advancement Exam—essentially placing several Flying Thunder God coordinates.

And then…

…

The day of the S-Class Advancement Exam finally arrived.

Early in the morning, Nate arrived at the guild. The atmosphere in the guild was tense. Even those not participating in the exam looked nervous.

Nate couldn't understand what they were so worked up about.

"Huh? Big Sis, why are you here too?"

Upon entering the guild's tavern, Nate spotted Lucy sitting with the other "Big Sis" Lucy. It had been over a month, and this girl still showed no signs of leaving. She'd even rented a cheap apartment in Magnolia. Despite being far from the guild, the rent was only 58,000 J per month.

"Good morning, Nate," Lucy Ashley greeted him before complaining, "I'm Lucy Ashley! Can you stop calling me 'Big Sis'? It's embarrassing, you know?"

"Are you planning to stay here for good? Why not just join our guild already?" Nate teased.

"It's more fun here! I heard you guys have an exam today. Can I watch the broadcast?" Lucy Ashley said with a grin. "I'll be cheering for you!"

Lucy Heartfilia interrupted, "He's an examiner. You should be cheering for me!"

At that moment, Guild Master Makarov entered the guild alongside Laxus and the other participants.

"Time to depart!"

The little old man scanned the tavern and nodded at Nate before announcing loudly, "All exam participants, gather at Magnolia Station!"

"Oh~!" Elfman raised his arm enthusiastically.

"Let's go!" Happy cheered as he flew into the air.

"This time, I have to pass!" Cana muttered, psyching herself up.

The rest of the guild members sent their best wishes to the participants.

…

Magnolia in December was getting colder by the day. Fortunately, the weather was pleasant, with a warm winter sun shining overhead.

The group for the S-Class Promotion Exam consisted of 23 people, including the examinees, examiners, the Guild Master, and three accompanying cats. This lively crowd would take a magic train to the port city of Hargeon before boarding a Fairy Tail ship to cross the sea to Tenrou Island.

Nate had suggested using his Flying Thunder God magic to transport everyone to the island in one go. However, the old man firmly rejected the idea, citing "tradition" and calling it a "sacred ritual" that needed to be respected. Thus, they stuck to the traditional plan: train first, then boat.

…

On the train, the examinees and their partners sat in pairs scattered throughout the car. As an examiner, Nate sat with the other examiners. There were six in total: Erza, Mirajane, Laxus, Mystogan, Gildarts, and himself—four men and two women.

Nate found himself seated between Erza and Mirajane. To his left was his girlfriend; to his right, the waitress. Sitting between the two women, Nate couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, the three examiners across from him—Laxus, Mystogan, and Gildarts—remained silent.

Breaking the silence, Mirajane suddenly suggested with a smile, "Should we watch the latest episode of the anime?"

Erza nodded. "I haven't seen it yet. Nate, how about you?"

How can I say no when both of you want to watch? Reluctantly, Nate opened the Magic Net and started streaming the newest episode.

The three of them huddled together to watch, while Gildarts and the others exchanged glances and decided to open the Magic Net themselves to play games.

…

After a few minutes, Gildarts suddenly froze, his eyes widening in shock.

"What's wrong?" Nate asked, noticing his unusual expression.

"N-nothing…" Gildarts exhaled deeply. "I just encountered a strong opponent in the Arena and lost again."

Mirajane's eyes widened in surprise. "You lost, Gildarts?"

"Yeah, it's the third time I've faced her, and I've lost all three." Gildarts nodded, his tone light but slightly defeated. "Not just me—she's currently the number one ranked player, undefeated so far."

"The number one player? I don't play the [Magic Arena] that much, so I don't know. Is she a female mage?" Mirajane asked curiously.

As a devoted Arena player, Erza immediately chimed in, "I've never been matched against her, but I know of her. Her nickname is Scarlet Empress."

Gildarts looked at Erza with a strange expression. "Erza, do you have a sister or any relatives?"

"No," Erza replied, looking puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

"You look a lot like the Scarlet Empress. I thought you might be sisters." Gildarts sighed. "That woman is incredibly strong. The magic world is truly vast."

That's her mother, Nate thought. Recently, Irene had become obsessed with the Arena, playing ranked matches 24/7 without sleep. She was the very definition of an online gaming addict.

~~~

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