Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Hargeon.
December 15, x787.
Around 9:45 a.m., Alfonzo, who had docked at the port an hour earlier, stood with Ur as they waited for this year's S-Class candidates to arrive. However, unlike what Alfonzo expected, Ur, when she arrived twenty minutes ago, did not come alone to the port. Instead, she was accompanied by Irene and Brandish.
For the next twenty minutes after Ur, Irene, and Brandish's arrival, the quartet engaged in small talk, which mostly revolved around Alfonzo and Elicia taking out Junko and her group of criminals. However, it was clear that Alfonzo had something on his mind, and Ur knew exactly what it was.
"It's obvious you've got a question for me, Kid." Ur said in an irritated tone. "So, just spit it out already."
"Um… Okay… So, I thought that newly appointed S-Class wizards who were promoted without being tested couldn't be examiners in their first exam." Alfonzo said while looking at Ur in confusion. "I mean, that's how it was for you and Lici, right?"
Having expected Alfonzo's question, Ur's left eyebrow started to twitch. However, she did her best not to lash out at Alfonzo. His question was perfectly reasonable, after all. However, Ur's irritation rose quickly when she noticed Irene staring at her with a smirk. And what she said next did not help, either.
"Oh my, I didn't know that was the rule." Irene said in a mock tone of surprise. "Ur, why didn't you tell me? Now… This is really awkward."
While Brandish looked at Ur in amusement, Alfonzo quickly understood what happened. Meanwhile, Ur's eyebrow started twitching much more fiercely.
"No, don't worry about it, Irene." Ur replied through gritted teeth while waving her hand dismissively. "That was the last master's rule. Now that I'm the guild master, things are different. It's perfectly fine for the two of you to be here."
"Are you sure?' Irene asked, now feigning concern. "I wouldn't want to upset anyone. You don't need to give me or Brandish special treatment."
'Yup, it's just like what I thought.' Alfonzo thought to himself while trying not to laugh. 'Irene was irritated that she got left out. So, she intimidated Ur into bringing her along.'
As if she could sense that Alfonzo was laughing at her on the inside, Ur glared fiercely at her friend's son.
"Anyway, it's almost time to leave." Ur said, forcefully changing the subject. "Those kids sure are taking their time. Even Masa is cutting it close. I really didn't expect that from him."
"*Sigh* Something tells me Masa is only late because of Gozaburo's stupidity." Alfonzo replied in an exasperated tone.
"*Sigh* Unfortunately, you're probably right." Ur said. ""I just hope that man child doesn't cause him to be disqualified."
"Gozaburo? That's Sun's dad, right?" Brandish asked in a slightly interested tone. "Doesn't that make Masa one of his subordinates? So, why would he make him late?"
Not only Brandish, but even Irene looked to Ur with a slightly interested gaze, as well.
"It's because he's jealous that Masa is an S-Class candidate." Ur replied. "According to Ren, for at least a decade, Gozaburo had not allowed Masa to take the Magic Council's S-Class exam. His pride would not allow one of his subordinates to be ranked higher than him."
"Hmph" Irene snorted in disdain. "He's a small-minded fool. The reputation boost an S-Class wizard would have brought to his Seto Group would have been massive."
"Yeah, we're all aware of that, even Gozaburo knows that." Ur said while shaking her head. "But pride is the devil, as they say. And it can lead us to make some pretty bad decisions just to keep it intact."
"Hmph!" Irene snorted once again. "Then, perhaps I should help in lecturing him about pride and its follies."
Upon hearing that, Alfonzo, Ur, and Brandish all made a silent prayer for Gozaburo. Because when Irene was done with him, there was a good chance he would be a completely different person.
Not long after they mentioned Gozaburo, who started feeling a chill around the same time the conversation about him ended, the eight S-Class candidates, Edward, Alphonse, Masa, Wendy, Rika, Alzack, Lucy, and Gajeel, arrived at the dock.
"Good, you're all on time. " Ur said once all the candidates were standing in front of her. "I was scared I might have to disqualify some of you before the exam even started. Now, everyone get on board. We're leaving immediately."
Then, after speaking, Ur turned around immediately before boarding Sixth Sense. She was quickly followed by Irene and Brandish. The S-Class candidates were next to board. And lastly, Alfonzo, after talking to the port personnel, boarded and unfastened the mooring from the pier before steering the ship away from Hargeon.
Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Open Seas.
The next two hours would be spent on the open sea. And because they already knew all the rules of this year's exam, everyone relaxed on the ship while Alfonzo steered it towards Tenrou Island. Wendy even cast [Troia] on Gajeel. However, both Wendy and Gajeel were surprised when they saw Irene, who should technically be a Dragon Slayer, acting completely unbothered by the ship ride.
"Um… Excuse me, Miss Irene." Wendy said nervously after she could no longer hold back her curiosity. "May I ask you a question."
Turning towards the petite Dragon Slayer, Irene smiled at her meek appearance. At the same time, a hint of sadism flashed through her eyes. However, she promptly squashed that feeling, knowing that Wendy would probably not handle her more… "mischievous"… side very well.
"What would you like to know, young one?" Irene asked. "Though, I have a feeling I already know what your question may be."
Surprised that Irene was speaking to her so gently, Wendy flinched. However, she quickly regained her composure and asked her question.
"Um.. You are a Dragon Slayer, right?" Wendy asked.
"That's right." Irene replied with a nod.
"Then, um… Why isn't the boat ride bothering you?" Wendy asked.
Before answering Wendy's question, Irene's smile widened.
"You indeed asked the question I was expecting." Irene said with a nod. "And the answer is simple, like you, I am using a spell that negates the effects of a moving vehicle on a Dragon Slayer's senses. It's just a different branch of magic than you use."
"Really?" Wendy asked curiously. "What kind of magic is it?"
"It's my specialty, [Enchantment Magic]." Irene replied, her smile widening once again as Wendy's eyes opened wide in interest. "Would you like to perhaps learn the art of [Enchantment], young one?"
Immediately, Wendy began nodding her head rapidly, causing Irene's smile to turn into laughter, drawing a few curious glances in her direction.
"Excellent." Irene said after getting her laughter under control. "And from what I can tell, you have quite the talent for [Enchantment], as well."
"Really? But how can you tell?' Wendy asked in a confused tone. "I've never used [Enchantment Magic] before."
"Oh, you are quite mistaken about that." Irene replied. "Those spells you use, [Vernier], [Arms], and [Armor] are minor enchantments afforded to you by your [Dragon Slayer Magic]. And after seeing the ease with which you wield them, I'm certain that you have the talent to learn [Enchantment magic]."
Hearing that, Wendy's excitement rose exponentially. However, she quickly remembered her manners. Then, she bowed respectfully towards Irene.
"I would be honored to learn from you, Miss Irene." Wendy said enthusiastically.
In response, Irene simply patted Wendy on her head. At the same time, Ur, who watched the entire interaction, gritted her teeth in frustration.
'Not only did she bully me into letting her come on this trip, now she's taking one of my students for herself.' Ur muttered internally. 'So what if my magic isn't exactly helpful to Wendy, I've been training her for the last three years. And it's definitely partially my credit that she's as strong as she is now. Even if Tsunade's [Magic Power Strengthening Technique] played a big role as well. She's still spent the most time training under me.'
As those thoughts were running through Ur's head, Irene turned towards her. Then, without uttering a word, she smirked a very triumphant smirk. And with that, everyone on the ship thought they heard the sound of someone gritting their teeth in anger. But then they remembered that no one could possibly grit their teeth that loudly without completely destroying their molars.
"Well, I didn't expect that." Lucy said from next to Alfonzo in the wheel house. "To think that Irene would take on a student. She doesn't seem the type to me."
"That's only because you don't know her well enough.' Brandish replied from the other side of Alfonzo. "Irene enjoys imparting knowledge to those who seek it. Whether it be magical or historical in nature, she likes teaching all the same."
"I guess you're right." Lucy replied with a contemplative expression on her face. "I really don't know her that well. Maybe I should try to get to know her better. I mean, we're guild mates, after all."
"Go right ahead." Brandish said in a bored tone. "But I didn't expect that you had such a masochistic streak, Lucy."
In response, Lucy's first reaction was to blush before glancing at Alfonzo, who was grinning at her playfully. A moment later, however, she took control of her emotions. There was no way Brandish knew about any of her sexual tendencies, after all.
'I can't believe that was the first place my mind went when I heard the word "masochistic." I mean, it's not like she knows that I like being pushed to the brink of mental exhaustion by Alfonzo and all the girls when we're all together..' Lucy thought to herself. 'Alfonzo and the girls have really corrupted me. I used to be such a pure and innocent girl.'
Brandish , on the other hand, noticed Lucy's blush and could only wonder what kind of kinky things she, Alfonzo, and the other girls in his harem got up to behind closed doors, her mind immediately moving to some of the more racy scenes from her favorite novels, causing her face to redden, as well.
"Anyway, Brandish, what do you think of my ship, Sixth Sense?" Alfonzo asked, trying to clear the awkward air. "I built the whole thing myself."
"I figured as much." Brandish replied after shaking her naughty thoughts away. "I've sailed on quite a few ships over the years. However, none of them were as advanced as this one. But I've come to expect that since I joined the guild. Everything you create is far ahead of its time. I'd really like to crack your skull open and see how your brain works."
"Haven't heard anyone say that in a while." Alfonzo muttered with a smile. "I think Wakaba was the last one to say it… it was during my first quest, I think."
Hearing that, Lucy's eyes lit up. Alfonzo took his first quest a long time before she joined the guild. And she was curious to hear about it.
"What was your first quest like?' Lucy asked in a curious tone. "Was it like my first quest? The one we took to steal that book from Duke Everlue? Did you and Lici take it together?"
"Hahaha! No, it was nothing like that one." Alfonzo replied with a smile. "It was only a D-Class quest, after all. I mean, I was only nine."
"Oh… I guess that makes sense." Lucy replied with a slightly embarrassed blush on her face.
"And no, Lici and I didn't start taking quests together until we were allowed to take B-Class quests." Alfonzo continued. "We did all our D and C-Class quests solo."
"Hold on, did you say you started taking real quests on your own at nine years old?" Brandish asked, finally internalizing what Alfonzo said. "They use the same classifications for quests and monsters on Alakitasia, too. Even if the wizards on Alakitasia are stronger on average, the difficulty of the quests are still the same. And most young wizards don't get started until they are eleven."
"What can I say?" Alfonzo asked in a borderline conceited tone. "Gramps recognized my greatness early. And I gotta say, he had a pretty good eye."
Hearing that, both Lucy and Brandish looked at Alfonzo blankly. But they eventually decided not to dignify his words with a response. So, they asked about the details of his first quest. And Alfonzo happily told them about it.
Like that, the voyage continued harmoniously until the Sixth Sense docked on Tenrou island. And when it did, all the S-Class candidates' expressions changed. Although they were still comrades, they were no longer allies. Not until the S-Class Promotion Exam ended, anyway.
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Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Tenrou Island.
December 15, x787.
Not long after docking the ship, Ur led the wizards from Fairy Tail onto the island. Then, about half an hour later, the group reached the temporary arena that was set up for the S-Class Promotion Exam.
On one side of the stage that would be used for the fights, there was a viewing stand set up, where all the S-Class wizards who were already on the island were sitting. Upon seeing it Alfonzo , Irene, and Brandish immediately made their way there. Meanwhile, Ur led the eight S-Class candidates onto the ring.
"Didn't expect to see you two today.' Gildarts said after noticing Irene and Brandish approaching with Alfonzo. "I thought newly promoted wizards who were promoted without an exam weren't eligible to be examiners."
"Ah, I guess Ur didn't tell anyone." Irene said with a smirk. "Apparently, that was the last master's rule. But Ur decided to do away with it."
"I see.' Gildarts said as he turned his attention back to the ring.
'She bullied Ur into letting them participate, didn't she?' All the other S-Class wizards thought simultaneously.
While Alfonzo, Irene, and Brandish were getting seated, Ur was once again explaining the rules to the S-Class candidates. And since none of the rules had changed since last week, it did not take long.
"Alright, you all know how this works." Ur said as she made her casting gesture. "[Ice-Make: Lottery]. There are eight numbered balls of ice in here. Each of you will take one. Then, the bracket for the tournament will be set up based on the numbers each of you receive. So, who's first?"
As soon as Ur made her casting gesture, she cast the spell while continuing to speak. Then, a box made of ice was materialized in her hands. And just as she said, there were eight ice balls, number one to eight, inside the box. And once she finished speaking, the eight participants exchanged glances, as if they were trying to decide who would go first.
"Fine, if you are all too scared, I'll go first." Gajeel said condescendingly as he took a step forward.
A moment later, Gajeel thrust his hand into the ice box. Then after swirling it around for a moment, he pulled his hand back out.
"Two." Gajeel said after looking at the ball in his hand. "I guess that means I'll be in the first match. I feel sorry for whoever pulls the ball with one on it."
After that, Gajeel tossed the ball off the ring. Then, he stepped away from Ur, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and smirked at the remaining candidates.
Thanks to Gajeel's provocation, the others were no longer concerned with who went next. So, they each stepped up and pulled a ball out of the box. In the end, the first round of the tournament looked like this.
Alphonse Elric Vs. Gajeel Redfox
Masa Vs. Edward Elric
Wendy Marvell Vs. Alzack Connell
Lucy Heartfilia Vs. Rika Minami
"With that, the bracket is set." Ur said once Lucy, the last one to pull a ball from the box reported her number. "The rules are simple. You fight until someone is unconscious, stays down for ten counts, or is unable to return to the ring after ten counts. Got it? Good. Now, the rest of you, get out of the ring. Alphonse, Gajeel, you stay and prepare for battle."
With that said, Ur turned around and started walking towards the viewing stands. Then, once she took a seat in the front row at the center of the stands, she glanced at the fighters in the ring.
"Fight!" Ur ordered without introducing the fighters.
With that, the fight began. While Gajeel used his [Dragon Slayer Magic] to pressure Alphonse, Alphonse was able to counter smoothly with his [Alchemy]. And for a while, the fight was a stalemate. However, when Gajeel used [Iron Dragon Incarnation], things turned in Gajeel's favor. In the end, due to fatigue, Alphonse was unable to avoid a powerful punch and was knocked out.
The next match was between Masa and Edward. And this match was much shorter than the previous match. Although Izumi had trained Edward well, Masa was not human. So, he was physically much stronger than Edward. And when Masa was able to bring the match into close quarters, Edward had no chance, making Masa the winner by ten count after Edward had taken too many hits to continue.
The third match was between Wendy and Alzack. And it was the longest match of the first round of the tournament. While Wendy's use of [Sky Dragon Slayer Magic] was able to counter most of Alzack's [Guns Magic] by altering the bullets' trajectories, and her use of Tsunade's [Magic Power Strengthening Technique] made it dangerous for Alzack to fight at close range, she lacked patience when compared to Alzack. So, after nearly forty minutes of back and forth, Wendy made a risky move. Unfortunately, that risk did not pan out for her. As a result, Alzack managed to land several [glue Shots] that adhered her to the ring long enough for Ur to count to ten.
"She's quite skilled for her age." Irene said after Alzack was declared the winner. "Unfortunately, her experience and battle awareness are lacking. But I'll make sure to rectify that shortcoming during our training to come.
"You know, I kinda feel sorry for Wendy." Ultear muttered, though it was loud enough for everyone to hear.
In response, all the S-Class wizards nodded their heads in agreement. All of them except for Alfonzo, anyway.
"I don't know why you'd say that, Tear." Alfonzo said with a smile. "I mean, Wendy has had two of the most powerful women on Ishgar train her in the past. And now, she's about to be taught by the most powerful of them. Is there really any reason to feel sorry for her? Sure, I'm sure she's gonna go through some shit, but… No pain, no gain, you know?"
With that, everyone stopped to think about Alfonzo's words. Then, they all realized he was right. A moment later, most of them were looking at Wendy with envy. Meanwhile, Irene was looking at Alfonzo with appreciation in her gaze.
'He's probably the smartest person in this guild full of muscle heads.' Irene thought to herself. 'Now, I can understand why Erza is so in love with him. *Sigh* If he wasn't married to my daughter, perhaps I would try my luck with him.'
With that thought passing through her head, Irene glanced at Erza, who was paying attention to the ring, where Lucy and Rika were climbing into it. Then, she shook her head with an unreadable expression on her face.
Alfonzo, on the other hand, was thinking something totally different.
'If I didn't say what I did, I can only imagine the shit Irene would have put the others through.' Alfonzo thought to himself while quickly glancing at Irene. 'I mean, with her personality, she would have, at the very least, made Tear pay for saying that about her. And the rest would have probably been punished a little for agreeing with her. *Sigh* The things I do to keep my guild mates safe.'
"Anyway, this match probably isn't gonna go well for Lucy." Alfonzo said.
"What do you mean?' Cana asked curiously. "Lucy can summon like three of her Celestial Spirits at the same time now, right? So, there will be like four of them coming at Rika all at once. And if you add Lucy's [Star Dress], she's a freakin' powerhouse."
"In most cases, you would be right, Cana." Elicia said while shaking her head. "but Rika's [Multiscope] spell makes numbers useless. On top of that, she's probably one of the better trained candidates in the tournament. I mean, she was basically the ace of the Knights' Special Forces Unit, remember?"
At that moment, Ur gave the signal for Lucy and Rika to begin. And just like Cana said, Lucy quickly summoned three Celestial Spirits, Leo, Gemini, and Aries. A moment later, Gemini transformed into Lucy and summoned another Spirit, Scorpio, while Lucy used Taurus' [Star Dress], which transformed her outfit into a white, cow-patterned bra with white tassels hanging over her ribs, a black sleeve on her left arm, a pair of fingerless, cow-hide gloves, a pair of pants with no left pant leg, and a pair of cow-hide cowboy boots. On top of that, thanks to using Taurus' [Star Dress] Lucy's physical strength increased by a considerable margin.
Despite the fact that the fight had turned from a one on one to a five on one, Rika remained calm. While Lucy was summoning her Spirits and wearing her [Star Dress], Rika backed off to the edge of the ring. Then, she pulled a rifle, not her favorite sniper rifle, though, off her back and loaded a cartridge filled with [Magic Bullets].
"[Target Magic: Multiscope]." Rika chanted as she raised her rifle. "[Guns Magic: Stun Shot]."
*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*
In the next instant, just before Lucy's [Star Dress] transformation was completed, Rika pulled the trigger five times in quick succession, firing once at each target on the other side of the ring. While Leo and Scorpio were able to dodge the incoming bullets and Aries was able to get up a [Wool Wall] just in time to protect herself, Lucy, whose transformation had ended only an instant before, and Gemini were hit. And as the [Stun Shots] made contact, they released a current of Electricity that immobilized Gemini and rendered Lucy unconscious.
"Wow…" Marin muttered after seeing how quickly Lucy was taken out. She then continued after Ur declared Rika the winner and announced a fifteen minute break. "What… just happened?"
"More than likely, because Lucy considered this a duel between guild mates, she probably thought that Rika would wait until she was prepared." Alfonzo said. "So, she had yet to raise her guard. But this is not just a duel between guild mates. This is an exam to see if the wizards are ready to be promoted to S-Class."
"That's how it looked to me, too." Laxus added. "She needs to work on her situational awareness."
"Well, in her defense, this is her first exam, you know." Cana pointed out. "and most of us didn't pass on your first time, either."
"I did!" Alfonzo said with a smile while raising his hand. "I beat an S-Class wizard in that exam, too."
"Dick…" Laxus muttered in response. Then, he raised his volume to a normal speaking volume. "I passed on my first time, too."
"As did I." Erza added.
"Ooh! Me, too. Me, too." Marin exclaimed excitedly.
Everyone else, however, could only remain silent. Because of the nineteen S-Class wizards present who passed a promotion exam, those four were the only ones who passed on their first try.
Even Gildarts, the longtime ace of the guild, only passed on his third try, courtesy of Bianca, who scored higher than him in their first promotion exam. As for the second, Gildarts managed to piss Bianca off only three days before the exam. So, she vowed that she would make sure he did not pass, allowing Orlando to become the second member of their old team to make S-class.
"Fonzie's right, though." Elicia said, circling back to the previous topic of conversation. "If we had been allowed to train with her for the exam, we could have gotten Lucy out of that mindset. In fact, we could have done it a lot sooner. But with Fonzie working outside of the town, taking care of Mar'e, and all the other stuff going on, we kinda forgot."
"Well, if she qualifies again, she can try again next year." Ur said. "There's no doubt in my mind, she'll be an S-Class wizard in the next five years."
"Either way, this is where the tournament starts to get fun." Alfonzo said with a smile. "The four most experienced wizards are left in the tournament. And I still say Masa is going to win."
With that, a new discussion about who would come out victorious in the tournament started. And it continued until the fifteen minute break was over. Then, everyone once again focused on the matches to come.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the story.
Comments, Reviews, and Power Stones are always appreciated.
If you wanna read 5 chapters ahead or give me a litle support, join my Patr3on at:
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Also, check out my new fic, Songs in the Void. It's only got 3 chapters up, but I'll do my best to have a consistant upload schedule for that one, too.