Chise's fight was against living fire and Mary's was against a giant automaton.
They all could agree on something,
"They're screwed."
============
And screwed they were as Chise entered her meeting room with the other opponent.
"Hello..." Chise gave a weak wave.
"Hi, why so in the dumps?" He was concerned.
*sigh* "I'm a swordsman, what sword can cut fire..." Chise sighed.
"Dang, sucks for you." He was happy he didn't have to put much of a fight to win.
"Whatever..."
Soon the round started and what'dya know it, she lost horribly.
As soon as the match started he threw fireballs at her which she blocked, however the sword she was given couldn't block the fist of fire coming soon after as it hit her square in the jaw, knocking her out.
-Flashback end-
"And that's how it went..."
The group was now in the waiting room for losers, waiting for Mary to get owned by the robot.
"That was a really unlucky match," Sakura shook her head, "But look on the bright side! we don't have to do the Free For All round." She was content with this.
"Yeah I guess so..." Chise had a slight smile on her face for once.
"I could've beat them." Fen cut in, wiping the smile off of Chise's face.
"..." Chise looked away, ears drooping.
"Let's just wait on Mary, ok?" Sakura changed the subject.
"How do think it'll go?" She asked them.
"I think..." they came up with ideas on how it will go.
Soon, a little doll appeared, it was Mary.
"Heeeyy~ Mary... How'd it go~?" Sakura asked the doll, dragging the sentence carefully.
"..." Mary just looked to her with dead eyes.
"It was too rational and calculating... I can't play mind games on those soulless beings." Mary slumped over.
"There there... it's ok, none of us will be in the final so we're in the same boat here!" Sakura tried to lift her spirits as she lifted her body with her hands.
"... You suck at comforting people." Fen noted.
"guh! So mean!" It was as if Sakura got pierced by an arrow.
"It's kinda true though." Chise agreed with Fen.
"Meanies..." Sakura grumbled to herself before sudonly getting happy?
"Let's watch the rest of the matches! Who do you think will win?" She asked the group.
#####- after the Free For All match
"I can't believe they lost!" Chise screamed out, "I bet half the money I had on me on them..."
"Well that's what you get for doing unofficial betting." Fen reprimanded the fox, and enjoying it.
"Shut up! Let's just go to the next part..." Chise was annoyed.
"I hope it's the last, we've been here a while with no food..." Sakura complained.
"There there... we'll get food soon." Mary comforted her by patting her head, as she was laying on her head.
*flash*
A glowing sign appeared, showing the way ahead.
"That's convenient." Mary said as it pointed to what should be the final area.
"Hopefully this'll be it." Chise was tired.
And so the group went their way to the area. Inside there was another place just like after the summoning.
"Looks like another place for grading." Mary observed as they went to a line.
At the end they received their grades, but they hid them for later as they went to the next area,
"Finally! Food!" Sakura was very relived as she sank to the floor.
"We should order before the good stuff get's taken." Fen picked her up as she said this.
Sakura responded with a weak thumbs up as the others nodded.
"Lets go already, I'm starving." Chise's commented, making the group run to the buffet before all the food was gone.
...
The group sat at the table with their food choices, however Sakura's was stacked high.
"Can you eat all that?" Mary asked, now sitting on the table.
"Yup." She said as she started shoveling the food in a rapid pace, stunning the others.
"What?" She asked, seeing the others looking at her.
"Nothing..." Chise looked away.
'I wonder if she does good bj's...' Fen thought to herself before shaking her head and started eating her meal along with Chise.
Mary was also eating but instead just chose a single cookie, given her small size.
When the group finished their food, Sakura grinned.
"Alight let's do this, worst score has to do what the best says!" Sakura started a game, bringing out their grades.
"I'm fine with this." Fen agreed, eyeing Chise.
"Your on!" Chise noticed Fen's gaze.
"I'll accept." Mary joined in.
The group put their papers in the middle of them and Mary shuffled and folded them with her magic.
*shuffle shuffle*
Now with a new paper on top it was time for the reveal.
*gulp* Chise went to grab it, "Sakura..."
She unfolded it, "98, S-grade."
"whew..." Sakura wiped the non-existent sweat off her forehead.
"I'll go next." Fen offered as she went for the next.
She grabbed it calmly, "Chise." She looked amused to her as she opened it, "90, S-grade"
"I don't have a good feeling about this..." Chise mumbled.
"Me next!" Sakura went and nabbed the penultimate grade.
"Let's-a see... Mary!" She slowily opened it, "And it's a~~ 94, Also S-grade, I think we'll all get S, Hurray!" She was happy with this.
"Me last then..." Fen picked up her paper and unfolded it...
She smile mischievously at the results, "I got an..." She dragged it out for suspense, "99, I beat Sakura by one."
"I'll have to think of what I'll have you'll have to do." She looked Chise in the eyes, clearly having something in mind.
Chise shivered, thinking 'what could have her smiling like that.'
"AAAnnnd we have our result~!" Sakura did an announcer voice, "Chise has to do anything for Fen at any moment (when she decides to use it)" She added the last part in a quieter voice.
"Good luck." Mary gave her a thumbs up, "By the way, shouldn't we be heading to the next area?"
"Yeah, we should." Fen looked to the, now more empty, room.
"I wonder what's next?" Sakura was curious as to what was behind the portal as they approached.
"Well, lets see." Mary motioned for them to continue from a pocket this time.
The group went through the portal and was met with...
"the outside?" Chise observed.
"The stage is over there." Sakura pointed behind them, amused at their misdirection.
On the stage, there was a stern man with red skin and horns, a stereotypical demon, suit and all.
"Hello all, everyone here was graded as an S-tier for the first part." He spoke, bringing attention to himself.
"I am the principle of the S-tier school, not the class, my name is Xan." He introduced himself.
"I will let you all know that, despite the fact that you all made it here, I will not accept all of you." This statement shocked the crowd.
"I will not accept those with weak hearts just because you have a good family," Chise looked relived at this, "Or if you just so happened to do well or got lucky."
"You must have the resolve to strengthen yourselves, if you don't," He grinned ominously, "I will send you to the school below you! And there's many people who will strive to take your place."
"That's why we'll do one final test." He snapped his fingers and a giant magic circle appeared under everyone, different from the summoning one, "Good luck, enjoy your nap, you may hate me for this."
"What did... he..." Sakura and the others started getting drowsy rapidly, "... mean-"
...
"Hello..." A voice spoke to Her as she started waking, "Are you ok?"
She felt someone moving her to get her awake.
"Hello?" The voice was clearer now, it was a girls voice.
Hearing the voice, She awoke in a panic before calming down again.
"What are you doing in the woods all alone?" The white haired girl with tiny horns asked.
"---" She tried to speak, but nothing came out.
She looked to herself and saw a blank canvas of a body as she tried to recall what she was doing here.
'I- what am I? I had a weird dream... with a test or something, whatever...'
(To be continued)