Fairy Tail: Strongest Creature

"Mira?!" 

Several guild members murmured in surprise. Mirajane wasn't exactly the type to volunteer as a partner, especially in such a competitive situation.

"Yeah, I want to take that smug Laxus down a peg," Mira huffed, crossing her arms. "He's only a few years older than us, but he's always acting like he's so much stronger. I can't wait to teach him a lesson when I'm older."

Su Yan grinned. "You just can't stand him being more arrogant than you are, can you?"

"Got a problem with that?" she shot back, eyes narrowing playfully.

"Nope, not at all."

"Well, you haven't actually said if you agree or not," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course, I agree," Su Yan replied.

With that settled, Erza simply gave Su Yan a nod, acknowledging his choice of partner. Natsu, who had wanted to be Su Yan's partner at first, gave up as well, knowing he wasn't a match for Mira just yet.

Meanwhile, Laxus stormed out of the guild, his usual crew—the Thunder God Tribe—following close behind.

"That Su Yan is so full of himself!" Bickslow growled.

"How dare a kid like him even think he could compete with Laxus for an S-Class rank?" Evergreen added, her voice laced with irritation.

Freed, however, was calm. "Don't underestimate Su Yan. He's defeated both Macao and Mira since joining the guild."

Laxus scoffed, his expression smug. "Macao and Mira? They're hardly worth mentioning. Su Yan may be strong, but I'll show him what a real wizard of Fairy Tail can do."

"Let me be your partner, Laxus!" Bickslow said, a dark grin spreading across his face. "I'll show that brat a thing or two."

Evergreen quickly chimed in, "No, Laxus, choose me! I'll turn him to stone and crush him."

Laxus considered them briefly before turning to Freed. "I'll take you, Freed. We don't know the details of the exam yet, but if we run into him, I want you to use your enchantments to keep him locked down. I'll teach him what happens when he crosses me."

Freed nodded, his expression serious. "Understood."

---

A week passed quickly, and the day of the S-Class assessment arrived.

"This year's exam has two stages," Makarov announced, standing on a cliff overlooking a distant town. "The first stage will take place down there."

Everyone looked to see a small, damaged town, partially hidden by the shadow of the nearby Monster Forest.

"That town was overrun by monsters from the forest two weeks ago," Makarov explained. "A monster leader emerged from the forest with hundreds of followers and took over, causing massive destruction. The Sorcerer's Guild there has asked for help, and *Fairy Tail* accepted the task."

"For the first stage of your exam, you need to enter the town and defeat twenty monsters within a three-hour time limit. Use any method necessary. This trial will test your strength, strategy, and resolve. Completing this will prove you're capable of taking on true S-Class missions."

He stepped back, his gaze steady. "Get ready."

"Begin!"

Su Yan and Mirajane, along with Laxus and Freed, quickly set off for the town below.

---

Su Yan and Mira arrived in the town, only to find it in ruins. Scorched and crumbling buildings lined the streets, and an eerie silence hung in the air.

"This place is a disaster…" Mira muttered, glancing around.

Su Yan nodded, imagining what it would be like if this were Magnolia. "Yeah, it's rough."

A sudden rumble shook the ground beneath them. A massive jackal-like monster appeared, standing over three meters tall, its scaled body gleaming in the sunlight. It stared at them with cold, hungry eyes, saliva dripping from its jaws.

Mirajane's instincts kicked in immediately, her expression sharpening. "Whole-body Take Over: Satan Soul!"

In an instant, Mira transformed. Dark wings unfurled behind her, her hands and feet morphing into sharp demon claws and talons, and a long, muscular tail swept out behind her. She faced the monster, poised to strike.

But before she could move, Su Yan took a step forward, the ground cracking under his feet as he launched himself into the air. Clutching his mace with both hands, he swung down with a fierce, bloodthirsty grin.

*BOOM!*

The mace connected with the monster's head, leaving a massive crater in the ground as its skull shattered from the impact. Blood splattered across the cobblestones as the beast collapsed, defeated in a single blow.

Mira froze, her eyes wide with surprise.

Su Yan flicked the blood from his mace and turned to her with a grin. "That's one down. Let's go find the next one."

Mirajane shook her head, a smirk breaking across her face as she transformed back. "Show-off."