It was the last stage of the S-class exam, and I was the only one left. I was waiting at the anointed area – but no one was there except a girl with wings growing out of the sides of her head who I was playing tag with to pass the time. My new friend suddenly excused herself so I lay on my back in my underwear, waiting. Man, it was hot. I heard a rustle and zipped back into my clothes. While I sat cross-legged facing the noise, five people emerged from the undergrowth.
In order from left to right they were: Gildarts looking amused; the master's grandson whose name I could never remember – looking bored as hell; the master, appearing serious; Erza, who was shining; and Mirajane with a smile that could mean anything. "Where's everyone else who's testing?" I inquired, "There were a lot of good people this year; did they already pass?"
The master explained, "Everyone else failed. You're the only one left with a chance at becoming an S-class wizard this year." I was shocked at his words. What about the older kids? They'd finished all the other tasks faster and better than me. I'd been scraping along. The last challenge had been to find the biggest, meanest beast you could find on the island, and defeat it. I was certain I'd passed that ordeal with flying colors. The geezer continued. "Dio," he pointed at my prize, "Where the hell did you find that?" My beast was hella ugly.
It had the body of a gorilla and five long necks with their corresponding heads, not to mention it was probably the size of three houses. It had the head of a snake, one of an eagle, another of a lion, rat, and bear. The snake head bothered me; it was the only non-mammal part of the thing. It didn't make sense. Also, hella ugly.
"At the top of the tree." I merrily replied. I'd climbed all the way to the top of the massive tree sprouting from the middle of Tenroujima because the bosses are always on the top floor.
"H-how did you get it down here?" Mira asked.
"Oh I just-" The beast started to wake up as I spoke and took a shot at me. Without even using my magic, I punched it in all of its faces and yelled, "I'M SPEAKIN' HERE! I carried it." Everyone was more focused on my violence and their eyes went surprised as they blinked in unison.
"Anyway." the master said, "Just because you're the only one left doesn't mean you pass. You still have to complete the exam. The original plan was to have a free-for-all between the remaining contenders, but that's obviously out. Hmmm."
Erza spoke up, "We know she's going to pass. She's just as powerful as any of us. Let me test my strength against her."
The master pointed a finger at the sky, "I have an idea! Dio, how would you defeat each of the people here? The person you have the most preposterous strategy against will be your opponent." I stood and carefully examined each of them as I thought about it.
While was doing this, Mirajane finally noticed, ""Wait – does anyone know what type of magic Dio uses? I've never seen her use it before – but I always feel it when she's around." I felt five sets of eyes land on me. It was true. I never used my own magic in the guild or even around town because I'd never needed it – and Natsu was pretty proud of how rare his dragon slaying was. Never once had I gone on a job with anyone but Fey, so no one knew.
I'd sat around for a year smiling to myself at how it had never occurred to anyone to ask.
I'd begun staring at Sparky's headphones and nonchalantly replied, "I'm the diamond dragon slayer.", and everyone gawked. While they stared with nothing to say I continued, "Shintag also taught me how to use diamond maker magic. Shintag is my dragon. He disappeared when Natsu says Igneel did." There was another powerful magic of mine that I'd purposely left out. I didn't like to talk about that. While I'd spoken I'd finished examining lightning boy and the master and had turned my scrutiny towards Erza.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Erza inquired.
I shrugged and moved on to Mira, "No one asked me. And I've decided to let Natsu bask in the glory of his rarity for a few more years."
No one seemed to have anything else to say, so I backed up to address all of them and began, "Battle strategies. Gildarts: Diamond Dragon Special Ability: Mirrors. It's a spell that uses refracted light to create illusions of the caster. He attacks them, I come in from different angle and knock him out. Master: use puppy eyes as distraction and strike at the chance. Erza: this one doesn't satisfy me but it's all I got. Block and attack as needed, becomes a contest of stamina. This one ain't too great either, but Mirajane: catfight, play dirty, probably ends in a draw." Then I was silent, and the others dragged it out for about thirty seconds.
"What about Laxus?" Gildarts finally asked.
"Oh!" I forgotten about the lightning mage. I breathed out heavily, causing my cheeks to puff, and answered, "Be the bigger asshole. Find a way to be faster than the speed of light."
Everyone just stared. "You can't be serious!" Mira obejected.
I just shrugged and asked, "So who's it gonna be, master?"
He sent his grandson in, "Laxus-?"
"Yyyeah, I figured." he drawled as he stepped out of line.
The master laid down the rules, "Neither of you go easy. I want to see the two of you fight for real, so don't toy with each other." I snorted and Laxus stopped about five feet in front of me.
Without warning, it rained lightning for a good while without stopping. I didn't make any attempt at defense, just stood there and took it. The wall of light blocked everyone from my view and hurt like the nine hells. When he quit I was completely fried and dropped to my knees. He turned away and I grinned. "That was ea-" he started to say before I wingslashed him.
"That was pathetic." I spat, "You might as well have run around on carpet in your socks and tried to shock me. I thought the master said to be serious."
He faced me with a grin and said, "I like you." Then he charged at me at breakneck speed with a lightning fist that I barely dodged and I gave him one of my diamond ones to the gut. "She's fast." I heard him whisper to himself before he went flying. Neither of us said anything for the rest of the fight. He was back in a literal flash but I had already set up my next attack. I was sending talons to the face but he dodged and fired up another shower of lightning. It landed right on top of me but I grit my teeth and delivered a diamond fist to the jaw. The downpour continued but I trudged on dodging and delivering attacks under the electric blanket. Sometimes I would hit, sometimes I would miss, and sometimes I damn near fell on my ass. But losing my footing would mean losing the battle, so I didn't do it. The voices of the spectators floated in from a million miles away. "Is she...?" Mira and Erza gasped in unison. "Moving in the lightning?" Gildarts finished for them. The master's grandson got even closer to make hand-to-hand easier as he kept the electricity flowing. It seemed he was everywhere at once. He sent kicks and fists to the face, and chest, and abdomen. He was even managing to land hits on my inner thighs that made me feel like collapsing. As much havoc as he was wreaking to my body, I was giving it back. Finally, I caught his hand. Attacks continued to fly but in my mind I'd already won. He was now a stationary target. I started to take a breath but it was kicked out of me. My fist moved to my mouth with my pinky up, and one of my legs moved up to guard my middle. I took a deep breath and roared the roar of the Diamond Dragon. The teen flew out of my grasp on impact and the lightning rain stopped. He skidded to a halt a few meters away. We both charged at each other with our respective iron fists, both yelling wordless battle cries.
"STOP!" the master bellowed. We halted on dimes and lowered our fists, but his still crackled and mine glittered. "Both of you, quit it and look at me." We put away our magics turned to face the old man. He addressed me, "Dio, anyone who gives Laxus a run for his money is impressive in my eyes – but it is not only up to me. Erza, Mirajane, does she pass?"
"Definitely."
"With flying colors."
The master nodded and asked, "Gildarts?" Gildarts nodded. The geezer then turned to his grandson. "Laxus?"
Sparky put his hands behind his head and I tried not to look at him too hopefully. "Well," he reasoned, "I can't be seen in a fight with someone too far below my own rank – even if I was just messing around." Oh what the fuck ever, you stupid shithead., I thought. He was beat to hell. "So I guess I have no choice."
A huge grin crossed my face and I started vibrating. My excitement and absorbtion of all that raw energy was making me way too hyper. The five-headed beast began to wake up again and I merrily dropkicked it all the way to the top of the tree before running half-second laps around the island. Gildarts sweatdropped and inquired, "What is happening?"
I answered one word each time I passed them, "Too – much – lightning!" they watched me pass about another eight times before I stopped in front of them. "Oh, no. Crash." and I collapsed onto the ground, "Carry me." I breathed.
Giladarts ended up carrying me like a baby to the ship. Sparky passed on the ride and flashed off to wherever. Once I'd recovered from my energy crisis I was enjoying a cold drink on the ship and trying not to look like I had to barf while I sat with Erza and Mirajane.
"How did you do that?" Mira inquired, "I've never once seen Laxus get serious like that before."
"Indeed. It was astounding." Erza for once agreed with her white-haired rival. "But I'm more intrigued by the fact of your magic. You said you could use maker with diamond?"
I swallowed the threatening bile in my throat and answered, "I did. However, it's not natural and so takes more magic than Gray's ice might." Not wanting to disappoint, though, I clasped my hands and diamond-made a rose. The two girls looked in awe and admiration at my sparkling creation.
Their eyes were sparkling at the beautiful sculpture when Erza noticed, "Is that necklace you wear one of your creations?"
She was referring to the diamond crescent that was almost a half-circle dangling from my neck on a silver chain. My eyes softened, "No. it's one of Shintag's scales."
Her eyes widened, "A real dragon scale?" I just nodded. "I would imagine they would be bigger."
"Most of them are." I explained, "He didn't think it practical for me to carry a dinner plate around, so this one is from where his leg meets his body. Scales need to be smaller there for an easier and better range of motion. Contrary to popular belief, even a dragon's stomach and the area underneath their chin is heavily armored. This makes it so that when they fly they are protected from any attacks that might originate below them."
"That makes sense." Mira input, "Man, would it be cool to be able to take-over a dragon!"
"That's Natsu and Dio's parents you're talking about!" Erza informed her while getting in her face, "How could you say something so insensitive!?"
"Oh, it's alright." I tried, "I really don't mind." They of course didn't hear me and were back at each other's throats like usual. I sighed. Leveling up wouldn't change my perspective on my guild mates, and they wouldn't change their own behavior towards me because of the event either.