"Begin!" Vermillion called out to us.

"ELEMENTAL ENCHANTMENT; ZEUS' FURY!" I shouted as lightning enveloped my hands as I rushed her.

"GEL CREATION MAGIC; STICKY SALAMANDER!" She created a giant salamander that I tried to punch away but my fist sunk into the stick gel sending the lightning through the body, I punched with my other and and it got stuck as well. "Ha, looks like I have you immobilized."

I gritted my teeth and planted my feet. "AAAAHHHHHHAAAHHHHH!" I ripped the beast from where it was stuck to the ground, stones included, so that it was vertical above me.

"What the?" Sally backed away from me.

"ELEMENTAL ENCHNANTMENT: HELL'S FORGE!" I summoned wind and fire magic sending the power up into the gel creation frying it from the inside out, bloating the creation beyond recognition as the flames burned inside of it. I slammed it back down onto the ground sending a massive fire ball sky high. I lunged for the girl as she fell back wards, slamming my flaming fist into her face shattering her glasses and throwing her through a wall as the people scattered to avoid her.

"Examinee Helen wins." I heard announced as I grinned like mad. The thrill of battle running through my body.

"Is that a tail?" I heard someone ask and as I looked back... I had forgotten, my tail was hiking up the back of my skirt, in the fight I had let go of my focus on it. I looked up at the captains and... Captain Charlotte was looking right at me, as well as Captain Yami.

"What a fine bout, next pair." Vermillion called as I walked over to Asta.

'If I hadn't blown it before... now I have.' I thought to myself.


Chapter 9: Chosen

I watched on as two nobles fought on as I walked over to Yuno, several eyes on me and not the fight. "What is she?" I heard one person say as my tail tightened around my Grimoire.

I reached him leaning against the wall. "Hey, Yuno..." I said meekly.

"Keep your chin up. You know Asta and I don't like seeing you sad. You did great out there." He said.

"But... Oh I messed this all up so much! There isn't anyway a squad will recruit me." I clenched my stomach. "I should have just stayed home."

He just smiled, "You and I both know that isn't true Helen. Don't let this be the end of your adventure alright." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "You mess up a lot of the time, but out there, you had your heart and soul in that fight."

I looked up my the taller of my brothers. "Easy for you to say, you got the four leaf." I took my Grimoire in my hands. "I don't even know what this symbol means." It was oddly familiar, like I had seen it before, yet I couldn't place it as I traced my finger on the trident of the emblem.

"So you are the four leaf clover?" We turned to look at a group of finely dressed boys, well washed hair and unblemished skin.

"Nobles." I said, hiding my distaste. These weren't like the ones from Hage, these Nobles had actual power to back them up.

"I see... that even a creature like you has the sense to notice superiority. I am Salim Hapshass." The lead one said. "Surly you have heard of my family, one of the wealthiest and most powerful in the kingdom."

I took in a breath. "Yes, even in Hage village your families influence if known of." I said.

"So you are more intelligent then I gave you credit for. Who knows a squad may pick you up as a Guard dog? You would be so lucky." He smiled smugly.

Yuno stepped in front of me. "You came to speak with me?" He asked.

"Why yes, I noticed that you don't have a sparring partner. I thought I would give you the honor of testing your self against a noble like myself." Salim said.

Yuno sighed, and nodded as the next match finished, the two of them walked out into the battle area as I pushed my way to the front of the crowd to watch.

The two of them faced off, grimoires at the ready, Salim started, creating a magic ball of lightning, the light off of it darkening the air around the arena. "Scared yet commoner? This is the power of a Nobel. I'll even pay for you and your pet's transportation back home."

Yuno calmly opened his grimoire as the pages flew to his spells. "Wind Magic; Rising Tornado." His Grimoire glowed with green magic power and a massive spiraling column of wind intercepted the lightning, the power of the defensive spell against the hostile magic. Both mages stood in place unmoving as the powers clashed.

"Yuno, show him your true power." I clenched my fist. 'You and Asta worked so hard to be here.'

That's when Salim lost his footing as the wind over took him, lifting him off his feet and throwing him around in circles around the arena like a ragdoll screaming indignantly, before the winds ceased and threw him to the ground. Yuno closed his grimoire and turned away. "Helen isn't a animal. She's more human then you." He said as he walked past the winded form of the Nobel.

We watched in silence as the rest of the matches went by. I tapped my fingers on my dress's skirt as I watched, something rising in my very blood. A call to battle. And it was strongest when I had my match.

And I loved the feeling it gave me.

As men and woman were thrown by magic as the sun inched towards the horizon, I would watch with fascination as the attacks were created and utilized. And as the hours passed by I would go between Asta and Yuno, but I would sometimes stop and look up at the Captains Roselei and Yami.

Soon the final bout had finished and I swallowed hard as the selection was about to begin. "Now the captains will begin to choose their recruits. You will step forward when your number is called." Captain Vangeance started.

"To be selected a captain will raise their hand. If more then one captain raises their hand, then you choose which Squad you want to join." Roselei called out, her voice filled with confidence. "Of course you can chose to not join any if the squad isn't to your liking."

"If you aren't chosen then you weren't worth our time. We are looking for the potential needed for defending our kingdom from threats." Vermillion added.

And from that point we waited, as people were called up, and rejected time and time again, with each number my hopes dropping further and further, only a handful of people getting selected. And then as the number rose and rose, I felt like I should leave. As I started to turn a hand fell on my shoulder. "Helen, don't give up." I looked at Asta, his bright green eyes still full of hope and determination. "You've always been the hardest on your self out of the three of us, yet you have the least to lose here."

"I know, I just... I don't belong here."

"So what?" He asked.

"So what?" I asked back.

"You never been one to give up Helen. You have your oddities but you have to find your own place. Just wait and see, if not for you, then for me, Yuno and everyone back at the church." He said with a smile on his face.

"Number one six four. Step forward." We turned to face the captains as Yuno stepped forward.

We stood in silence as the golden child of Hage stood in front of the captains who looked down upon our brother. Then slowly one by one with gasps of surprise all the captains raised their hands.

"Impossible, but he's a commoner from nowhere." Someone said. "I thought only Nobles and Royals were able to get into the Golden Dawn and Silver Eagles."

After a moment of silence Yuno spoke up. "I would be honored to join the Golden Dawn."

"Straight to the top." I said...

"Number One six five." Was called and I stepped forward, my foot steps heavy as my tail curled tightly around my grimoire.

I stood there in silence, looking up at the captains looking back at me. "Any hands?"

One breath.

Two.

Three.

And my eyes widened as not one, but two went up.

Captain Charlotte.

Captain Yami.

"Black Bulls and Blue Rose."

As I looked between the two the air thick... then slowly captain Yami lowered his hand. "Go with the Blue Roses runt." he said, "You wouldn't survive my squad."

I swallowed hard before kneeling. "I would be honored to Join the Blue Rose Knights. I will serve with honor."

Then what happened next wasn't something I expected. "I will hold you to that." I looked up at my new captain, who smiled down upon me.

I simply nodded as I stood up, eyes watering. 'I... I did it.' I turned back to the crowd and walked back only to see Asta and Yuno. the two of them gave me hugs before the next number was called.

Asta. Number one six six.

He walked out to where Yuno and I had been standing just a few minutes before. He stood there. "Any hands?" The announcer asked.

And I waited on bated breath.

And waited longer then I had.

And then came the two words I hadn't wanted to hear for the three of us. "No hands."

But Asta refused to move, much to the annoyance of the people around the arena and the ire of some of the captains. Then came the voice of a man. Yami. "No matter how physically strong you are and great your battle power is, no one wants to touch a power that mysterious. The tailed girl has some mystery to her, but her power is rooted in something we can understand. So stop wasting our time."

"NO! I MADE A PROMISE TO BECOME THE WIZARD KING!" Asta shouted to the captain.

"The Wizard King huh?" Yami stood up and in a instant the air in the arena became heavy, as that powerful purple aura filled the air around him once again.

'He's going to kill him...' I clenched my fists, about to step in before a hand landed on my shoulder.

"Don't." Yuno said.

"Yeah. I'll never give up." Asta said to the towering man.

"You understand what your saying kid, to be you have to be better the all nine of the Magic knight Captains. And you a kid with no magic power want to be the Magic King." Yami said to Asta.

Asta, clenched his fists, "I may not have magic, but I won't give up, not now, not ever. I will keep on trying and if it ends up killing me to do so then I will proudly die on my feet." He looked the man in the eye.

And it felt like the world was on a the edge of a coin, leaning back and forth, between achieving his goal or getting rejected like he had been so many times before, by father, sister Lily and the rest of Hage.

Then it all broke away as Yami started to laugh. "You know kid. I like you, come join our crew."

"Eh?" Asta was as confused as I.

"I said your in. Oh, and by the way you can't refuse." Yami said, the malice in his voice palpable from here.

"Yes sir!" Asta yelled.

"Look kid, we are going to make you life hell, it isn't going to be easy, and when it's all done you won't recognize yourself, and then at that point, you go become the Wizard King." Yami smiled.

And with that, Asta rejoined us, and we waited for the next... four hundred examinees to be sorted.

"The three of us made it in." I said.

"Not what I was expecting." Yuno replied.

"Yeah, I'm a Black Bull, Helen a Blue Rose and you a Golden Dawn. Let's do our best..." Asta said before making a face, "That Violet Snake is coming back for revenge!" he ran off.

I turned to Yuno and sighed. "Guess, I won't be seeing much of you Yuno." I said as we stood there. Before I hugged him. "I don't care which of you do it alright."

"I know. You should say good bye to Asta before he heads to his captain." he said as I let go of him.

"Right." I said, then I ran after Asta, getting to the toilets he had run into a familiar teal glow from the room. I poked my head in and saw Sekke.

"This poison lizard will leave him either dead or bed ridden, this is what you get for making me a damn bug." Sekke said as cleared my throat. "Oh... Helen... Sooo you want to get something to..." He said as he dispelled the lizard behind his back.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"What am I doing?" He asked back.

"Attacking my brother?" I asked further.

"Attacking your brother?"

"Well are you?"

"Maybe?" He said before I grabbed him by the throat and walked over to a toilet. "Wait, wait."

"Stinking bug." I slammed him head first down the seat much to his horror. I walked out washing my hands with ball of water magic. Asta came out after me.

"See you soon Asta." I hugged him tight.

"See you soon, sis." he ruffled my hair as we left in opposite directions. Out side the arena I met my captain.

"What took you so long?" Charlotte asked, she was flanked by two people, a chocolate skinned woman with short spiky dark brown hair, the blue rose robes, her revealing clothes made me blush deeply as I tried to keep my eyes on the captains face. The second was a plump woman with blonde hair tied back in a handful of tight buns. Her fine clothes were much more modest then her compatriot.

"Had to deal with a creep that wouldn't stop... making advances." I said as I blushed.

"Heh, I like her already. She'll fit right in." The chocolate skinned woman said.

"Well in that case it will be up to you to get her feet under her, Sol." The captain said, brushing a single braid behind her ear. She raised her hand and from the ground plant brambles grew forming brooms. "Let's head to the mansion."

'Mansion!' I thought to my self as I got on the broom.


This chapter took quite long to write, tell me should I do longer chapters like this?