Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait, but University had most of my attention. This chapter marks a major point in my story, as it is the last chapter before the start of canon. We finally made it! I want to thank all of you who have stayed with this story through the long updates. It's been a great journey so far, and I hope you guys stay with me to the end, whenever that may come.

I also have another story for all you A Certain Magical Index/ A Certain Scientific Railgun fans posted on my profile called "First Order".

Promotion

April, X784

Kagura stood outside a small wood building. This building wasn't particularly large, about the size of a medium sized barn, but not as tall. The wood wasn't painted but stained to keep the grain of the wood visible.

Kagura knocked on the door, "Hey, Rubi, it's almost time for the exam!" Her voice had clear irritation in it.

A few brief moments pass before the door finally opened, revealing Rubina, who had an apologetic expression on her face, "Sorry, sorry, I guess I got caught up in my work, heh…"

Kagura shook her head and sighed. She looked over Rubina's shoulder, "What were you working on that's making you late for the S-Class exam?"

Rubina perked up, "Ah, yes, you remember the Lacrima Weave, right?"

Kagura furrowed her brow, "Is that the indestructible clothing stuff you've been developing for the past year or so?"

"Well I wouldn't call it indestructible, but it's pretty damn strong." Rubina said before her face lit up with excitement, "I just have to run some tests, and I'll be ready to submit a patent!"

Although she didn't know exactly what that meant, Kagura could see it made her friend very happy, so she couldn't help but smile, "That's great…"

"You don't know what that means, do you."

"Nope." Kagura grabbed Rubina's wrist, "But we really have to go before Master gets angry…" She then yanked Rubina out of her she-shed.

"Hey! Don't pull so hard!"

XXX

Maribelle and Celia were standing at the shore of Lake Salice when Rubina and Kagura arrived.

Celia's arms were crossed, an unamused frown on adorning her face, "You are almost late…"

Kagura bowed her head, "Sorry about that, Master, Rubi was being a hermit…"

"I was not!" Rubina said indignantly

Maribelle was amused with her lips curled into a small smile.

Celia waved her hand, "Yeah, Yeah, save your excuses for some other time, let's get this over with." Celia cleared her throat, "This is how this exam is going to go down. This exam is nothing fancy. No underground labyrinth or going to a special island in the middle of the ocean and performing weird tasks or solving puzzles. No, we don't need that. If you are taking this exam, you've already shown that you can handle that other crap. You just need show yourself to be S-Class in ability, so this exam is a pure combat trial on the Salice Island. Got that?"

Kagura and Rubina nodded.

"Good, with that out of the way, who wants to go first?"

"Are we not going at the same time?" Rubina questioned.

"Listen, Salice Island isn't really big enough for two battles of S-Class magnitude." Celia said. A few seconds passed, "Also, I don't want both fights interfering with each other. Ruins the evaluation process when outside forces interfere. So I'll ask again, who's first?"

"I'll go." Kagura stepped forward, "I have feeling Rubina will destroy the surroundings somehow…" She said with a smirk.

"Hey! I'm not that destructive!"

Celia smirked, "Works for me."

Maribelle stepped forward, "Come, let's get this underway".

Kagura and Maribelle then walked to dock where a boat lay in wait for them.

"I would grab a magazine, this might take a while…" Celia said.

XXX

Some Time Later, Middle of the Island

Kagura and Maribelle stood across from each other, the wind blowing through their hair, as they waited for the other one to make the first move. Kagura had a calm, but serious expression as she stared down her sensei, while Maribelle eyed her apprentice with a small smile, but her eyes were just as focused.

Maribelle suddenly flashed white and appeared in front of Kagura with her rapier drawn and moving in a stabbing motion. Kagura reacted instantly and deflected Maribelle's blade downwards with her own sheathed blade, causing Maribelle's rapier to slice cleanly through the ground.

The wake of Maribelle's sudden burst of speed finally caught up with the blonde and a gust of wind blasted both women's hair around violently.

"I see you can keep up with Mach 1 just fine, Kagura-chan…" Maribelle said with a smirk, "But let's see how well you can sustain a protracted battle…" She then put her sword up and unleashed a flurry of stabs at the purple-nette

Kagura entered her shield form and started deflected the lighting quick strikes with great efficiency, with no strike slipping through. During this unrelenting onslaught, dust started to fly through the air like a sandstorm, and it became harder for Kagura to see as the dirt and dust stung her eyes, but she had no doubt that it was doing the same for her opponent.

Despite this, she saw her opening and immediately capitalized on and stuck forward with powerful strike, which forced Maribelle to dodge backwards to avoid it. Wasting no time, Kagura seamlessly transitioned into her slashing form and went on the offensive unleashing a barrage of strikes that would prove devastating if one were hit by them. Maribelle back-stepped and cartwheeled away from the powerful bombardment of blows, before quickly regaining her composure and lunging forward, meeting Kagura's sheathed sword with her rapier, causing a shockwave to blow away all the dust that had surrounded them.

To two stared each other in the eyes while their swords struggled to dominate the other for supremacy. Kagura kept a stern expression while Maribelle displayed a wide smirk. She winked, and suddenly relented the pressure she was putting up against Kagura's blade, causing the young swordswoman to stumble forward awkwardly. Capitalizing on this, Maribelle used this moment of falter to quickly slash at Kagura.

Said girl managed to regain her footing just in time to duck under the strike, with only a few hairs being trimmed, and retaliated by striking upwards with the pommel of her sword.

Maribelle immediately dodged and leapt backwards several yards, but before she could move to commence her next attack, her pupil suddenly appeared before her eyes with a powerful overhead strike. Wide eyed, Maribelle was forced roll out of the way. Kagura's strike left a deep slash in the ground. Giving no time to counterattack, Kagura slashed to her side, forcing Maribelle to swiftly duck as soon as she came out of her roll.

Not liking the situation, Maribelle used her speed to retreat several yards away. With some distance between them, it was then that Maribelle noticed the slight shimmer of light surrounding Kagura. Maribelle smirked, "I see." She said with an impressed tone, "Using your gravity magic to lighten yourself and catch me off guard."

It was Kagura's turn to smirk, "In a fight, one must use every tool in their arsenal to win…" She stood up and put both hands on her sword's handle, "Besides, I think it's time to move on from the beginner's stuff." She said confidently.

Maribelle let out a small chuckle, "My, my, be careful what you ask for Kagura-chan. Egging your opponent on could lead to disastrous results in a life or death battle…" Her body started exuding a thick white aura, "Always try to finish an opponent before they start powering up…" The aura pulsed, cracking the ground beneath Maribelle, and became thicker.

A bead of sweat ran down Kagura's face as she felt the magic power leaking from her mentor. She readied herself and shimmer of light surrounded Kagura as she made herself lighter with gravity.

Maribelle took a small breath, withdrew her other sword from its sheathe, putting it at her side while raising her rapier up and towards Kagura. "Mach 2..." She breathed

She lunged forward, crossing the distance between her and Kagura in a blink of an eye. Kagura had little time to react as she deflected the lunging stab from Maribelle's rapier. Giving no time for counter attack, Maribelle used her momentum to rotate her body and slash at Kagura with her katana.

Kagura barley managed to block the second strike as both swords met with a boom. Kagura leapt backwards, and tried to switch to her shield form, but Maribelle would not let her get away that easy as she lunged forward, pursuing her apprentice, and slashed at her with both her swords while she was still leaping backwards.

Kagura mentally cursed as she put one had on her sheathed blade to block the powerful blow. When her blade and Maribelle's connected, Kagura was further launched backwards at great speed, before being stopped by a thick tree, which exploded upon Kagura impacting it. Kagura felt relatively little as her magic power was still high, but she knew she couldn't keep getting hit.

"Hmm, it seems lightening yourself has a drawback. It seems that less weight means you are easier to hit around." Maribelle commented as she prepared for her next assault.

Kagura leapt back to her feat, her sword glowing white, eliciting Maribelle's eyebrow to raise in curiosity. Kagura got into her slashing form and then her started boots glowing as well. She then leapt forward, an apparent burst of air coming out of her boots propelling her with enough speed to reach Maribelle just as fast as Maribelle had done earlier with her first attack. "Graviton Blade!" Kagura said as she brought her sword downwards.

Sensing the immense power behind the strike, Maribelle brought both her swords up and intercepted the glowing blade and was immediately pushed downwards by the sheer power of the strike. Maribelle gritted her teeth as she held up her blades, the ground cracking beneath her as she held back the mammoth force pushing her down.

"She's channeling her Gravity Magic through her blade to make it hit with more force?" Maribelle thought as she held back the crushing blow. "I need to get this off me…"

Maribelle's blades glowed brightly, "Parer!" she yelled and suddenly Kagura's blade was knocked backwards, "Riposte!" Maribelle said, suddenly thrusting her Rapier forward, connecting with Kagura's chest, launching the her far away from Maribelle.

Kagura hit the ground tumbling but quickly recovered, jumping to her feet. She felt a sore spot on her chest where the rapier had hit, but knew she had suffered little injury, as she knew her magical power was high enough to protect her.

"I must commend you Kagura-chan, you managed to force me to use sword techniques." Maribelle said with an impressed tone, her face full of excitement and pride for her student.

"I have to use every advantage I have." Kagura responded, her breaths were starting to become deeper. She channeled magic through her sword and lunged once more.

"That won't work twice…" Maribelle said as she brought her glowing blades up to block Kagura's attack. "Parer" She yelled just as Kagura's blades were about to hit her own.

Kagura smirked.

"Repulsion Blade!" Kagura shouted.

Both sides' blades connected, and both their spells clashed, sending out a concussive boom and arcs of magical energy crackled wildly. Kagura, expecting her blade to be repulsed, gripped her sword tightly, but Maribelle, in a rare instance, was caught completely off guard. Her rapier having a superior grip and large hand guard managed to stay in her hand, but her other sword had no such feature, and was sent flying away a great velocity, landing in the surrounding bushes many yards away. Maribelle herself was flung backwards and sent sailing.

"I was carless…" Maribelle thought while in the air, "I have seen enough…" She smirked, "Time to end this duel." Her body glowed with a bright white outline, a trail of magical aura trailing behind her. She put her rapier up in front of her face and closed her eyes.

Kagura appeared above her with a powerful downward strike, her sheathed blade glowing brightly.

Maribelle's eyes opened, "Mach 3…" She said quietly.

To Kagura, Maribelle was there, vulnerable for attack, the next, she was gone in a blur barley perceivable. She then felt a massive force hit her from behind, sending her towards a tree, but before she could hit it, Maribelle was there, and Kagura was hit with the blunt edge of her rapier, causing Kagura to audibly gasp from the force, before she was sent flying the other direction. Even still, she was met with no reprieve, as she bounced around like a rubber ball hitting a wall as Maribelle hit her over and over again. Kagura felt her magic defenses drop to point of one more hit would do some serious damage. Her outfit was starting to become tattered from the beating she was taking.

Maribelle appeared in front of her once more and delivered and roundhouse kick to Kagura's stomach, causing the purple-nette to drop her blade

Kagura felt all the wind knocked out of her as she flew straight into a tree, the impact causing the tree to almost crack apart. Kagura collapsed on her stomach and started coughing harshly. She stopped coughing after several seconds, but her breath was still labored.

Maribelle appeared in front of her, "I think you did an admirable job…" Maribelle said, her body still glowing, "But you can't always-"

Kagura's hand twitched, and her body glowed.

Suddenly a massive purple magic circle, almost the size of the island appeared above them.

"What!?" Maribelle exclaimed before she felt a crushing force put upon her. "What is this!? I feel several times heavier… Gravity!" Her revelation came two late as Kagura sprung to her feet and yelled as she delivered an upper cut to Maribelle's chin.

Maribelle's magic protected her from most of the force, but she still felt it, "I need to get out of here!" Maribelle thought, but she found herself unable move quickly enough as Kagura delivered another punch to Maribelle's face followed by a kick to the hand, forcing Maribelle to drop her rapier. Maribelle stumbled backwards, before putting her hands up to intercept a high kick from Kagura. She pushed her back and tried to go for her rapier, but the intense gravity inhibited her speed, allowing Kagura to kick the Rapier away from her mentor and throw another punch, which was caught by Maribelle.

Kagura threw her other fist but that two was caught, and both were locked into a contest of strength as they struggled to get the upper hand over each other.

"I must admit, I have made a grave error in underestimating you, Kagura-chan…" Maribelle struggled to get out.

"That was the, the first lesson you taught us, Master…" Kagura responded with a tired grin.

Maribelle chuckled, "I guess I did not expect you to grow up so fast…" She then smirked, "Let's end this for real this time." She then used a burst of strength threw Kagura as far she could.

Kagura landed on her feet and started running back towards her mentor.

"Mach 4"

The world became light for a few moments, and when it darkened, Kagura was on the ground, motionless and Maribelle was a few feet away, her Rapier extended, and her body slowly stopped glowing.

Maribelle turned around and walked up to her student, sheathing her rapier in the process. "It's been a long time since someone forced me to use Mach 4, although I thought I would be using it against fast opponents, not to overcome a gravity field…" She smiled as she looked down at Kagura, "That was the most excitement I had in a long while…"

XXX

I see Kagura lumped over Maribelle's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Maribelle herself looks a little ruffed up, but not as much as Kagura.

This doesn't bode well…

"Looks like she gave you a bit a trouble, didn't she, Maribelle-chan" Celia teases.

"She did quite well." Maribelle responds, ignoring Celia's attitude. She then looks to me, "Good luck, Rubi-chan." She walks past us and to the guild.

I feel Celia put her hand forcefully on my shoulder, "Come, Brat, it's showtime!"

We get on the boat, and Celia propels it with her water magic.

The boat ride is silent. That's fine, I need to think of my attack plan.

We eventually arrive at the shore of the Salice island, "This is where your test will be." Celia says.

I immediately jump several yards away. I see Celia exit the boat and come ashore.

Celia smirks, "Ya know, I didn't expect to be facing you in an S-Class exam until I was at least old and decrepit." She teases.

I deadpan, "Glad to see you have faith in me, Master…", this elicits a small chuckle from Celia. I raise up my fists, and electricity sparks to life, "I guess I will have to show you what I'm made off…" I feel a confident smirk on my face.

"Careful now, Brat, you might just get your ass handed to ya…" She winks.

I blitz towards her in lightning form, and appear right beside her, my hands on the ground and my feet in the air. I deliver a high sweeping kick, but instead of hitting something solid, I feel it hit something soft. I look up and see the body of Celia turn into a blob of water in the shape of her, with the middle section of it that I hit get blown away. I quickly hop to my feet, and look around for Celia.

"Come on now, did you expect me just to let you hit me?" The water clone says, "I wasn't born yesterday…" Suddenly multiple blobs of water emerge from the ground and form into full on replicas of Celia.

"Let's see how you deal with me!" All the clones say in unison as their arms become tendrils of water.

Great, now I'm facing off against Naruto.

I use lightning form to dodge the whips of water that suddenly come at me. I appear behind one of them and deliver a lightning enhanced punch, which causes it to explode into a burst of water mixed with some steam. I give no time for the others to react as I use lightning form to move and destroy each one.

That's all of them, now where's the real one…

I look up, and then to my sides. Nothing in sight. That must mean…

I feel the earth shake below me, and I immediately jump out of the way of a giant, watery tendril that has Celia in the center. "I should have known an amateur technique such as water clones would not have wor-"

"Crimson Bolt!" I yell, interrupting her as I fire a powerful bolt of lightning straight at her. The bolt impacts the mass of water she is in with little effect, only the hissing of the water evaporating as a result of the heat. My eyes widen in surprise.

"That was rude you brat!" Celia yells in annoyance before noticing my expression, "What? You thought your puny lightning bolt was going to electrocute me because I was in water, did ya?" She laughs, "Come on now, only an amateur water mage wouldn't purify their water before fighting a lightning mage!"

Damn, this is going to be harder than I thought… I smile, "Wow, Master, I didn't know you passed basic chemistry!" I taunt.

Celia's eye twitches, "You're going to regret that…" She says in a dark tone. Suddenly smaller tendrils sprout from the ground and immediately start whipping towards me.

I backflip, summoning my lightsaber to my hand in the process. It springs to life and I cut one of the attacking tendrils of water with a sizzling slash. An explosion of steam results, blinding me for a brief second, but that brief second of me being stunned is all that is needed for me to feel something grasp my ankle.

Shit!

I feel a tendril pull me with tremendous force and whip me into the air. I roll in midair and see the other tendrils rapidly heading towards me all at once. Several spears of lightning form in my hand, "Zeus' Wrath!" I yell as I throw the bolts of lightning towards the tendrils. My bolts clash with the water, and once more there is an explosion of steam obscuring my vision. This time I'm ready for it and I use lightning form to dash to the ground, dodging the dozens of tendrils that emerged out of the steam.

I see Celia looking at me with a smug expression in her giant tendril of water, her arms crossed, and several smaller tendrils of water waving around. This is not good. She has purified the water she's in, getting rid of all the potentially conductive elements, and insulating herself from electrical attacks. It seems that the smaller tendrils are not conductive either, but they are still affected by the sheer heat of my lightning, causing steam explosions. Those tendrils are most likely connected to the main one though, and that must mean they are running underground.

I dodge several water whips and then I explode several more tendrils to create a steam smoke-screen

That must mean that at least the outer most surface of the water is touching the ground, letting in particles of dirt into the water for brief moment before being purified.

That means the underground parts can be targeted…. But what about the main tendril Celia is in. She's in the center, where it's most likely purest, and my electricity won't be able to reach her, unless of course I evaporate it, but with the lake right here, it will be a futile effort. I need to somehow get something in that main tendril without her noticing… I wonder…

While in the massive steam cloud, I put my hand to the ground, and emit a strong electromagnetic pulse. I feel something, and I feel a grin grow on my face.

Excellent! I just need to distract her now and stall for the plan to go into action.

I form a Gungnir in both my hands and leap out of the steam cloud, before throwing my spears at Celia. They hit the main tendril, and giant explosions of steam erupt from the massive tendril.

"I told ya electricity won't work, Brat!" Celia yells. She then moves her arms and swings them like swords. The smaller tendrils of water follow a similar motion, and a high-speed jet of water erupts from them and rockets towards me. I roll out of the way of the dozen blades of water, and they wiz past me and make contact with the trees behind me, slicing them in half. I then see the main tendril shoot out a blade of water the size of a bus. I manage to dodge it just in time, but not before it leaves a massive cut in the ground and cuts down half the forest behind me.

Jeez, master, a little overkill much?

Celia then puts her hand into a gun shape and aims it at me, the smaller tendrils and the large giant one goes stiff, before pointing their tips at me.

This doesn't look good…

Water then erupts from the top of them, with the smaller ones shooting out small, thin beams of water at extreme speed, while the larger one shoots out column of water as wide as a grain silo.

I use lighting form to dodge the tsunami of water and I appear next to the giant tendril Celia is in. I summon my katana to my hand, enhancing the blade with lightning, and stab into the massive body of water. Steam erupts from where I stab, and water is boiling around my hot blade. I try to pull out my blade, but it is stuck in the water.

Celia looks at me, "Your speed is really annoying…", she then brings her hand and flicks her fingers.

A small column of water erupts in front of me and hits me square in the face, forcing me to let go of my blade, and sending me flying away and into the ground. I jump to my feet and see my sword start sinking to the ground. I also notice bubbles slowly rising from underneath the ground and an air pocket pooling at the top of the tendril. I look to the smaller tendrils and see small bubbles within them as well. In the air pockets of the tendrils, there were small black masses, levitating in the center of the pockets.

Perfect.

"You know, a lightning mage such as yourself should chew through water mages…" Celia starts, a smirk on her face, "…But, what most lightning users don't count on is facing water masters who find a way to overcome the apparent weakness to lightning…" She then chuckles.

"Yeah, Yeah, you got rid of all the conductors in your water, you told me." I say with a mock yawn. I then spark electricity to my hand, creating a strong electromagnetic field, "But you forgot one thing, Master…" Small black particles start swirling around me. "Lightning isn't my only my only power…"

"What?" She questions before she looks around and notices the bubbles rising around her, which now had increased in size from small bubbles, to rather large ones.

Before she could really comprehend what was going on, I send out the small particles of iron surrounding me and connect the tops of all the tendrils. Celia looks back me with a surprised expression as I then send a bolt of lightning through the lines of iron.

The smaller tendrils explode violently before the one Celia is in erupts like a massive volcano. A percussive blast followed by a violent shockwave results with a bright red flame filling the sky, and a wave of heat hits my face. I'm overwhelmed by a flood of water from the collapsing tendrils and carried a few feet before I regain my footing.

Well, it's looks like my plan worked. Use iron sand in the ground and pump electrical current into it to cause electrolysis, separating the oxygen and hydrogen, and using that hydrogen gas as a bomb. It took a bit more power than normal because of the purified water, and I thought the gas bubbles would just leave the tendrils, but since Celia was forcing the water into a shape, that kept the hydrogen gas bubbles within and allowed them to build up. Sneak some iron sand into those bubbles, and boom!

My celebrating is cut short however as a fist of water erupts from the now flooded land and hits my whole body into the air and into a tree, causing it to break and splinter.

Ow! That hurt!

I think that last move took drained a little more power than I wanted it to. I guess controlling an electromagnetic field that large while also using other techniques really drains ya.

"Brat!" I hear Celia say. I see almost all the water on the ground recede away from me and form around a human figure, which of course is Celia, who looks really, really annoyed. And somehow unscathed, despite the explosion.

How durable is she?

The water with Ceila inside of it starts levitating, before forming into a giant humanoid figure, with an odd detail, the lower half was a fish tail. The water eventually stops, settling on the shape of an enormous mermaid several stories tall. "Ok, no more kid games! I'm finishing this!" Celia says with intense fury, one of her eyes twitching.

I sweat drop.

I think that explosion trick really pissed her off! I think she has finally snapped!

The giant water mermaid mech rushes towards me and throws a gigantic punch towards me. I try to jump but find myself unable, I look down suddenly see water still left on the ground rush up my body and envelop me.

Shit!

A freight train of force hits me into the ground, which splits as I am jack hammered repeatedly by the massive fist. I'm completely enveloped with water, holding me down as I am driven like a pylon into the ground. I'm using all my magic power to mitigate the damage, but I can't keep this up for long.

I need to get out of here, fast!

When the mermaid's fist goes up, I immediately burst electricity from body, causing the surrounding water to flash steam, I then use this opportunity to lightning form far away. I rematerialize and fall to my knee as I gasp and breathe in much needed oxygen.

"I really do hate you speed-types! Always so hard to hit!" Celia says in frustration. A sword and shield form in the giant mermaid's hands, and it rushes towards me, it's sword high up and ready to strike.

I quickly stand up and burst power to my hands, forming a giant sword of my own, with arcs of lightning spewing out of it, evaporating surrounding water, I think my gauntlets are going to work overtime for this, "Excalibur!" I shout as I swing my lightning blade upwards to meet Celia's.

Our colossal blades meet with an explosion of steam, which blinds me, but I hold up my sword no matter what, because the other option is to be stomped into the ground. Speaking of which, I think the ground below me is cracking beneath the weight pressing upon me. The lacrima in my gauntlets are glowing brightly as I use their power to enhance my strength hold back Celia's sword. I can feel the strain starting to kick in, my arm muscles screaming for relief.

I need to disengage, and fast!

I burst into lightning form, and zip away, appearing at the back of the mermaid. My Excalibur collapses into an explosion of electrical sparks as Celia's giant water sword tears the ground asunder. Charging up power into my fist, I rocket towards the back of the mermaid a great speed, aim for Celia in the center. My fist hits the water, and it is like hitting a brick wall, as my fast punch makes contact. Despite creating a big ball of steam, my fist barley makes a dent.

Water suddenly erupts and launches me away from the mermaid, and then faster than anything that size has the right move, it turns around almost instantly and bashes me with it's shield, which causes me to slam right into the ground and skid several yards away.

That one hurt.

…

A lot.

I struggle to get up and see the mermaid mech walk menacingly towards me, "Come on, Brat, I think I got you beat this round. You don't have the power yet to wear me down…" Celia says seriously, "Save yourself from the further beat down…"

She's right, I don't have enough power to overcome her water defenses, especially when she is next to an almost limitless supply of water. The iron sand trick won't work again, she's levitating for a reason, and she is most likely looking out for something like that. I have enough power left for two or three big spells. I need something explosive, something that can take her by surprise… perhaps… yes, that could work! But I need a conductor and a distraction…

I look to around and notice my Katana laying on the ground a few feet away.

Ok, that could work, but I need more metal, something larger than some particles of Iron sand that won't disintegrate right away… I have an idea!

I reach into one of the pouches on my belt and pull out a dark metal coin with the Fiorian royal crest on it.

Thank God I managed to snag some more of these!

Ok, I don't have to worry too much about this going through her mermaid mech. I remember vaguely watching a mythbusters episode where they shot bullets in water. The faster supersonic bullets did not go as far as the slower bullets. This coin being cast iron, will not be purified by Celia's magic all that quickly. If I aim at the thicker parts of the mech, it shouldn't go all the way through, more than likely it will probably make it half way, and mostly in pieces. I still shouldn't aim directly at Celia though, just in case. All I need now is a distraction, or something to conceal what I will be doing.

I then notice that the whole area is still soaked with water.

That could work!

I smile, and summon two Zeus' Wraths, one in each hand.

I see Celia sigh, "Well, beatdown it is…"

I throw both bundles of lightning bolts into the air. I then extend my arm quickly, flip the cast iron coin, pump my arm with electricity, and launch the coin straight at Celia's mermaid. The coin leaves a bright beam in its wake and moves far too quickly for Celia to react as it slams into giant Mermaid at hypersonic speed, causing an explosion of water, and even staggering the mermaid a bit. Meanwhile, the bolts of lightning have already hit the top of their arc and start falling back down, the bundle of bolts then split into hundreds tiny bolts, which pelt the ground, flash steaming all the surrounding the water on the ground and creating a dense fog.

Perfect!

I send out an electromagnetic pulse, sensing my sword next to me and a small lump of iron far away, moving around. I grin.

Let's do this!

I clap my hands together and pick up my sword with electromagnetism, levitating it beside me. After a few moments, I notice the other lump of iron moving towards my location.

I jump away as a giant water sword crashes down through the fog around the area I just was. I'm going to need a few more seconds to get this spell off.

"You think that oversized pea shooter was enough to take me down!" I hear Celia yell through the fog. I then see a part of the fog get blown away by the Mermaid's massive shield. I see Celia quickly look around before she somehow spots me.

Damn, I must have not have been in full fog cover!

I land and leap again into another section of the fog.

"Oh no you don't!" Celia yells as she swings her shield again, producing a giant gust, and blowing away the fog in the area I was about to land.

That damn mermaid mech is really starting to get annoying, thankfully however, I think it's about to go boom.

I feel tremendous power pulse in my hands, and I grin, "Storm Summoning: Level 3!" Suddenly, three large, crimson magic circles appear above the whole area. The sky blackens, and storm clouds rapidly form, crimson lightning crackling between the dark black clouds.

Celia looks up, "What!? When did you learn such a-"

I capitalize on her being distracted and use almost what's left of my magic power to lightning form right above the mermaid's head. My eyes connect with Celia, and I wink to her, before stabbing my sword into the head of the mermaid.

I land and hold my hand up to the sky. Now far away, I use the last part of my magic to synchronize with lightning in the storm. Lightning crackles, and pools above where Celia is standing.

Celia looks around and spots me before looking back up, "Son of-" I hear her yell, before I pull my hand down, and the raging lightning above follows suit. The last thing I see before the bolt hits is a brief flash of Gold, before an explosion of bright red fills my vision.

Then the boom hits, deafening me in the process, and causing me to lose my balance and fall on my tailbone. I close my eyes, as they are somewhat blinded by the sudden influx of light.

The echoes of the thunder quiet down, and I open my eyes, my vision still somewhat fuzzy, and see the storm clouds clearing away.

Then the exhaustion hits me, making me feel dizzy, causing me to almost fall over. A few moments pass, and my vision clears up, but the exhaustion is still there.

Hello there old Friend, Magic Exhaustion.

I then see a shadow being cast over me.

"Damn Brat…" I hear a tired breath say before I am knocked unconscious from behind.

XXX

Celia was panting, her hair slightly singed, as she stood over the now unconscious Rubina.

Damn Brat made me use Aqua Celestis not once, but TWICE! Who tries to blow up their Guild Master with Hydrogen like that!?

Admittedly, Celia thought it was ingenious, but she wouldn't admit that.

And Storm Summoning, how did she get the control necessary to use that!? Where did she even learn that spell in the first place!? I was lucky to raise Scutum in time. For both the gas explosion, and that lightning bolt. Thankfully, Lightning Summoning only summons magical lightning and not the real thing, or she didn't go up a couple more levels... Celia put a finger on her chin, deep in thought, perhaps Storm Summoning being related to her own magic allowed her to use it… Still though, level 3 is better than what most average lightning mages can do.

Celia summoned a bed of water underneath Rubina and turned towards the boat, which was now destroyed, "I just bought that boat…" She sighed.

XXX

A Few Hours Later…

Me and Kagura sat in the infirmary, both us had bandages wrapped around various parts of our body.

"How many times have I told you to stop pushing yourself to magic exhaustion?" Kagura scolds.

I put my hands up, "Hey now, it was just minor magic exhaustion…."

"I don't care if it is minor, one day, it'll be the death of ya, I swear…" Kagura shakes her head.

Before I could retort, the door opens, and Celia walks in, "Up so soon, Brats?"

"Did we fail?" we ask at the same time, getting right to the chase.

Celia quirks her brow, "What do you ask that?"

"Well, um, we didn't win our fights." Kagura says, unsure what to say.

"I blew up the beach and gave myself magic exhaustion, and well, lost…" I say, a little embarrassed.

Celia started laughing, "You guys thought the point of the exam was triumphing over your opponent?" She wipes a tear from her eye, "If that were the case, Maribelle would never have made S-Class."

"You beat Maribelle!?" Kagura says surprised.

"Oh yeah, I whooped her pretty well." Celia smirks with pride, "She may be a speed demon, but that speed is useless against solid defense. Of course, she was a bit slower back then, Mach 2 being her top speed, but principle still applies. In fact, Rubi…" She looks to me, "You actually lasted longer against me than Maribelle did, and inflicted more damage too."

I raise my brow in surprise, "I did? How?"

"Simple," She says, "Your magic is a bit more versatile. Yes, you have raw speed, but you also have versatility. The Iron Sand and Hydrogen Gas were good examples of that. You used impromptu planning to bypass my defenses, albeit temporarily, but still impressive nonetheless." She clears her throat, "What I am trying to say is that these exams are not meant to be won, but they are just a final part in a series of exams."

"A series of exams?" Kagura questions.

Celia nods, "Yes, a series of exams. You see, the S-Class exam in Mermaid Heel starts the very moment you join the guild. Your job performance, guild representation, personal growth, etc… Once these smaller exams are passed, it is then you become eligible for the final exam, which is the one you just took. The whole point of this last exam was not for you to beat us, in fact it is ridiculous to expect you to beat seasoned S-Class wizards. This exam is meant to see if you are strong enough for the dangers of S-Class jobs." She looks to Kagura, "Kagura, the fact you got Maribelle to use Mach 3, and briefly Mach 4 is no small feat." She then looks to me, "Rubi, you showed excellent cunning and managed to breach my defenses twice. If I didn't activate my ultimate defense, I would be in much rougher shape than I am in now…" Celia was smiling, "So the answer is no, you did not fail, but passed." In a show of affection I would never thought I would see from Celia, she walks up to use and wraps her arms around us, "Congratulations."

XXX

"Congratulations!" Maribelle says cheerfully.

We are sitting in Maribelle's room. We are still a bit tired from the exam.

"I knew you two would pass." Maribelle says as she summons two swords to her hand. One was in a dark red sheathe and is katana sized and the other is nodachi sized. It is in a white sheathe that was wrapped up in cloth where the hilt is has a small tag attached. "Since you two are S-Class wizards, you deserve S-Class weapons." She walks over to me and hands me the red sword, "You somehow managed to destroy your old katana, so I decided to give you a new one as a gift."

I take it from her and pull it out slightly, revealing a lightning bolt engraved on the metal.

"This particular blade is infused with lightning lacrima, and should synchronize well when infused with magic." Celia says, "It also much stronger than the last one."

"Thank You." I bow my head.

Celia then looks to Kagura, "This is Archenemy. It is a blade of unparalleled power." Her face grows serious, "This blade is sealed, because if it were to be unsheathed, it could cause a cataclysm if not wielded properly… Or so they say." She looks Kagura in the eyes, "Do not unsheathe this blade for trivial matters. Only enemies that proven too strong or you have determined to kill warrant it's unsheathing. If you ever take this blade out, beware its raw destructive power…"

"I will not let you down…" Kagura bows her head.

"You never do, Kagura-chan." Celia says before smiling, "Now…" She summons a giant bottle of wine, "I think we should have a girls' night out… I think the baths are calling our names…"

I see Kagura blush at the sight of the wine bottle. I wonder what that's about?

I look to Maribelle, "Aren't we a bit underage for that?"

Maribelle smiles, "Not if you are drinking at home, and I think we are home, are we not?"

She makes a good point.

At first, I thought I should have something special like how the Fairy Tail guild goes to an island in the middle of the ocean and performs some tasks, but then I thought, not every guild is Fairy Tail, and probably have a much simpler S-Class exam. To be considered for the MH exam is an exam itself. You have to show yourself worthy before you are eligible for the combat test. Those who have shown strength, represented the guild well while on jobs and in the field, and are constantly doing jobs are the ones able to take the combat trial, which is a test to show you can fight against an S-Class opponent. Now Maribelle and Celia are above S-Class be virtue of them being seasoned wizards, so rookies like Rubi and Kagura will most likely not win.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed, and I can't wait to officially start canon.