In the desert, Alex and Cana were about to face a dozen giant monsters.
Cana made the first move. She pulled three cards from her deck and, without hesitation, threw them at the centipedes charging right toward her.
"Magic Cards: Wind Blades!"
The magic cards flashed in the air, releasing sharp blades of cutting wind that flew at top speed against the beasts. Cana's magic struck the centipedes dead-on, severing several of their legs and slicing open parts of their bodies.
The creatures shrieked in pain as their yellowish blood spattered across the sand.
Although the attack didn't cut them completely in half, it unquestionably dealt heavy damage.
Enraged, the centipedes recklessly charged at Cana with the intent to devour her whole; the monsters wanted blood from the one who had hurt them.
Cana didn't panic. With Alex by her side, danger didn't exist, so she fought with a confidence she didn't even know she possessed.
"If three cards can't kill those giant centipedes, then let's see what happens when I double the amount!"
Cana drew four cards in each hand and repeated her magical attack:
"Wind Blades!"
The monsters were already wounded, and charging head-on left them with no chance to dodge.
This time, the magical gust was far more powerful: the centipedes were sliced clean in half, chopped into pieces as blood spilled onto the hot sand.
The remaining monsters didn't stand idly by. The giant scorpions charged directly at Cana; however, with pincers as tough as steel, it was unlikely that the same wind attack would work against them.
Meanwhile, the sand worms burrowed back beneath the surface, and the cobras began encircling Alex and Cana, waiting for the opportunistic moment to deliver a lethal bite.
"Focus on the scorpions. If the worms or cobras strike, I'll take care of them," Alex said as he watched Cana pull more cards from her deck.
"Magic Cards: Viscous Oil!"
Cana hurled several cards at the scorpions. Upon impact, they released a thick, gelatinous oil that trapped the arachnids in the sand. While they struggled in vain to free themselves, Cana didn't waste a second and unleashed her follow-up spell.
"Magic Cards: Fire Arrows!"
The combination was devastating. The oil was highly flammable, and the spark triggered a massive explosion that blew the scorpions to pieces.
Alex watched in surprise at Cana's raw fighting power; he didn't remember her being this capable in the anime. Those monsters certainly didn't look weak, yet Cana was dominating them with ease.
While Alex was lost in thought, the ground beneath them began to quake. The sand started giving way, sinking under their feet. Without a second thought, Alex grabbed Cana around the waist and moved at blinding speed away from the trap.
Emerging from the sand were three massive maws lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth: the sand worms surged upward to devour them.
Unfortunately for the beasts, their attack was agonizingly slow from the perspective of Alex, who could move at superhuman speed.
After dodging the ambush, Alex used All Fiction on Cana to reverse the strain on her magic and erase all accumulated fatigue.
"You did amazing, Cana! I've restored all the magic power and stamina you used up killing those centipedes and scorpions."
Cana felt her body instantly regain all her spent magic power, her physical endurance, and even her used cards. She was back at her absolute peak, ready to keep fighting.
"I definitely made the right choice making you my partner for this exam, Alex."
"I told you I've got your back. You can keep fighting with that exact same confidence you just showed."
…..
In the middle of the desert, a base camp had been set up under the shade of a cluster of massive rock pillars to block out the scorching sun.
Stationed at the camp were Guild Master Makarov, accompanied by Erza Scarlet, Laxus Dreyar, and Mirajane Strauss. The S-Class Mages had come to oversee the promotion exam, as was tradition.
Makarov held a magic crystal ball that projected real-time imagery captured by sentinel birds. With the map in her hands acting as a locator, Mirajane smiled softly.
"Master, you were right about Alex and Cana's team being the first to reach the token zone."
Everyone watched the battle through the magic sphere, observing Cana dominate the desert monsters.
"Thanks to Alex's magic, they can completely ignore the extreme desert heat and advance without any trouble," Erza remarked.
Laxus watched the projection and scowled with disdain.
"They're just fighting normal desert monsters that the old man enlarged with his magic. If it were me, I would've ended that fight in a single strike."
Makarov sighed at his grandson's arrogant nature.
"The S-Class Exam isn't just about brute force, Laxus. Crossing the desert is a trial in itself. Having the courage to face a dozen giant monsters when the climate is stacked against you isn't something just any mage can do."
Makarov's tests were designed to measure an applicant's courage and ability to overcome harsh situations. The Master had gathered those desert beasts and used his Giant Magic to enlarge them; while not exceptionally powerful, they served to put his mages to the test.
Watching Cana and Alex clear the trial was something Makarov had anticipated. However, looking at the other teams, the situation was vastly different: most were struggling severely just to trek through the heat.
"That doesn't change the fact that they're weak," Laxus grunted. "The rest of the applicants are just as incompetent for taking this long to reach their destinations."
Classic Laxus, looking down on everyone he deemed inferior. Very few people in the guild met his approval. Makarov simply sighed, Erza chose not to start an argument, and Mirajane casually ignored Laxus's comments to continue checking on the other contestants.
The team in the best shape was Gray and Loke, who were using Gray's Ice Magic to keep themselves cool.
Following them were Freed and Bickslow, who were accustomed to extreme climates from traveling so much with Laxus.
Further back walked Natsu and Happy; the little cat couldn't fly in such intense heat and was hiding inside Natsu's cloak.
Alzack and Bisca were making slow progress under the blazing sun, while Macao and Wakaba, two middle-aged men, looked as though they were walking toward their own funeral.