Cana fell straight to the ground without putting up any resistance, and Laxus remained expressionless at this outcome. Joey froze momentarily, his muscles tensing up before he immediately charged at Laxus—if he was going to lose, he'd lose while attacking! With an explosive sound, Joey was sent flying back, dizzy from Laxus's punch. Though he prided himself as a "Super Muscle Wizard," against Laxus, he held no advantage in physical strength whatsoever. Combined with the gap in magical power, it was a complete and utter defeat. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ nοvelfire.net After crashing through two trees, Joey grimaced as he struggled to his feet, rubbing his waist repeatedly, barely able to stand steady. "I give up, I give up! Laxus, why do you have to be so rough with me? Picking on me because I'm sturdy?" Joey raised his hand, surrendering outright—there was no way he could win! Getting Laxus's approval? Yeah, that was definitely wishful thinking! Even though he was only a year younger than Laxus, the gap in their strength was so vast he couldn't even see his shadow. Laxus shook his head. After testing Erza and Mirajane first, examining the others... was truly disappointing. Even Mirajane was far stronger than the rest. Laxus didn't deny her strength and talent. Though Mirajane was slightly weaker than Erza, that was only because Erza was even more of a prodigy. Compared to everyone else, Mirajane was the exceptional one. Speaking of those two, they were currently watching from the sidelines. Before Mirajane could take Erza away, she had already woken up—another testament to her strength. Despite being so thoroughly exhausted, she regained consciousness so quickly. Mirajane, however, was skeptical. Unconscious in Marco's arms, but waking up the moment she was in hers—was that really just talent? But this was actually a misunderstanding on Mirajane's part. When Erza first woke up and saw herself lying in Mirajane's embrace, she nearly leapt straight into the air. If her body had allowed it, she would've broken free immediately. Erza distinctly remembered collapsing into Marco's arms at the end, only to wake up and see Mirajane... Stealing a glance at Marco beside her, Erza's face flushed bright red, her whole body practically steaming. She now knew she had been lying in Marco's arms for quite some time—and worse, while wearing that revealing a quite revealing outfit... "Looks like only Marco will pass the exam this time." On Marco's other side, Mirajane sighed. She had been watching the trials quite seriously and had a clear understanding of Laxus's standards. She could say with certainty that none of the others stood a chance—none would meet the requirements. "Looking at it this way, maybe we should've had you two take the test later." Marco chuckled, having noticed something as well. If Erza and Mirajane had been tested later, they might've actually passed thanks to the "opportunity" provided by the others. Not that the others were weak, but they still fell far short of Laxus's expectations. Starting weak and then getting stronger would definitely catch Laxus's attention—that was only natural and would earn some extra points. On the other hand, starting strong and then weakening would only make Laxus increasingly disappointed and would also make things harder for the guildmates taking the exam after them, since Laxus would undoubtedly grow more irritable. "I wouldn't accept passing like that anyway." Erza who had been blushing and steaming on her own just moments ago, spoke up firmly. She didn't need that kind of hollow approval—what she wanted was genuine recognition, just like what she had now. "You've already earned recognition. Even though you didn't complete the entire exam, you could be considered half an S-Class Mage, right?" Mirajane looked at Erza with a hint of envy in her voice. She herself wasn't even sure if she'd be able to earn recognition next year. "It's fine. If not this year, then next year. If not next year, then the year after." Marco chuckled as he said this, but he knew that if Erza still hadn't passed the S-Class Exam by this time next year, he'd start questioning the exam's credibility. Then again, he reconsidered—by then, he'd probably be one of the examiners himself. Wouldn't it be funny to question his own authority? "I will pass the exam next year!" Erza declared with absolute determination. In her current state, she really couldn't continue any further—just staying conscious to watch the battles was already a struggle. Otherwise, she would never have given up. "I'll work hard too!" Mirajane gritted her teeth as she spoke. She would turn her shame into motivation! While Erza and Mirajane were already preparing for the X780 S-Class Exam, the X779 S-Class Exam was nearing its conclusion. The commotion from the battles had drawn everyone over—Gray, Elfman, and the other veterans arrived one after another. Laxus was ruthlessly efficient. With just a glance, he could gauge the examinees' approximate strength, and without even giving them a chance to show off, he swiftly defeated them. Gray and Elfman were knocked out the moment they stepped up, leaving them with zero sense of participation. Meanwhile, the A-Class Wizards who had assumed Laxus would be more lenient than Gildarts got a firsthand lesson in what it meant to face a 'young man with no regard for respect.' Laxus was far less courteous than Gildarts—he didn't even bother exchanging pleasantries before eliminating them one by one, his expression growing increasingly impatient. "Marco, you're the only one left." Erza, who was tending to Cana, turned to Marco. By now, everyone else had been eliminated, leaving Marco as the sole remaining candidate. "Then I'll take the stage." Marco replied with a smile, at the same time giving Mirajane a meaningful look, signaling her to watch Cana over. His intention was to prevent Erza from slapping the unconscious Cana awake—though Erza had probably learned her lesson by now, understanding that "slapping" was a last-resort measure, Marco still wasn't entirely at ease. Mirajane blinked at Marco, understanding his meaning perfectly. Marco and Mira shared a certain bond, after all, Marco often went to Mira's place for meals and was practically becoming the fourth member of the Mirajane household—an NPC who reliably spawned at mealtime every day. Watching Marco get up to leave, Mira and Erza spoke in unison, causing Marco to pause mid-step. After saying that, neither of them looked at Marco again. Instead, they exchanged a glance before rolling their eyes simultaneously. Marco said nothing, his steps forward unwavering and resolute.