"WATER . . . WHIRLPOOL!" 

The monsters let out an outcry as Faustina conjured her spell. A large amount of water formed into a spherical ball, growing more and more rapidly. Faustina held the wood of her staff more firmly as she felt the light on its broken gem gleam blindingly. 

Faustina swung her staff towards the monsters impending to attack them. And with a wave of her hand, the spherical foundation of the waters began to form into a tornado, resembling that of a whirlpool. Faustina screamed as the magical circle continued to grow, along with the vortex. 

"Watch out!" Claire was able to s.n.a.t.c.h one of the examinees away from the whirlpool. "Everyone! Retreat!" 

Claire panted. They barely averted that! 

The water current being created by Faustina continued to grow into a ma.s.sive tornado-like swirl. It towered over the buildings and began to be a destructive force which made the ground crack that the buildings around it couldn't contain it any more simply crumbled from the whirlpool's impact.

Faustina screamed as her body trembled. Both of her hands held her staff; its hilt was still onto the ground. The whirlpool began to disparage the monsters; but the impact was indiscriminating. Faustina howled like a pained animal. The broken gem on her staff began to crack as it emitted a blinding ray. 

"Oi, oi, oi! Her mana is draining!" 

Faustina continued to scream as the whirlpool continued to grow. 

"At this rate, that whirlpool would reach the four doors!" 

"Someone has to stop her! With that amount of magic, her mana would decrease continuously!"

Anakin's eyes widened as the orbs constricted. WHO was this girl? His jaw gaped as he sees what seemed like lines spreading across Faustina's arms—lines with the same color as the broken gem atop her staff. The lines spread like a cyan-colored glow disseminating to the nerves in Faustina's arms.

The water whirlpool began to grow more ma.s.sive, making it noticeable to even both Team A and B from afar. 

"Wh-what's that?"

"A water . . . whirlpool?"

Faustina fell to her knee as she collapsed in front of the whirlpool she created. The whirlpool began to inflict more damage—and then it advanced towards its castor, who now slumped to the ruptured ground. 

"Get her!"

One of the examinees were fast enough to retrieve Faustina, and jumped using wind magic to the sky and landed back to where Anakin and the others had retreated.

"Why isn't the whirlpool dying down?! She's already collapsed!"

Supposedly, a water whirlpool would die down after it hit something. But with a current with towering height—even higher than that of the buildings and the cyclops themselves—it only became a destructive force, similar to that of a natural disaster. 

"Hey, look at her arms!"

"Is that because of the magic she unleashed?"

"Normally, her mana should be the only thing affected!"

"She doesn't seem to have her mana decreased plenty, considering she's still here. They said back on the exams that once our mana reaches a certain level of depletion, then we'll be transported back to the academy, right? But she's still here!"

"How in the world did that happen? Does that mean this girl transferred the toll to physical damage rather than taking it out on her mana?"

"Huh?? What are you talking about? I've never heard of a mage inflicting damage to her own body by transferring the toll to her physique! I mean . . . is that even possible?"

Of course, it isn't! Claire thought. How can it be possible? Mana is ALREADY converted to physical and magical power. 

"Her spell backfired," Claire exclaimed, looking at the unconscious Faustina. 

"B-backfired?"

Claire glanced towards Faustina's arms—her whole arm—from her deltoid down to her fingers had turned purple and limp. She was cataleptic, and her breaths were labored. Claire glanced at the whirlpool continuing to destroy the entirety of the s.p.a.ce. 

She gritted her teeth.

Just how strong . . . is this girl?

**

"This year's students have so much potential." Says a girl wearing nothing but a metal bra. 

The projection showed different angles—one from the students containing the cyclops, several students fighting monsters, a water whirlpool, and a girl who was out cold.

"That girl is the said the duke of the Feuersturm Empire's youngest, right?"

"She created an amazing spell, but her body couldn't handle it."

"A tremendous mana in a weak vessel. How interesting."

"We have new faces who already advanced to the next level."

"It seems blood is truly thicker than water."

The teachers smiled as they watched the students fight more monsters and solve the catastrophe on their own.

"Looks like we have a lot to expect in this year's examinees."

"May the firefly light their chosen paths."

**

Faustina felt as if she was drowning. Drowning into a vortex she created herself. She couldn't breathe, although she had struggled. It was as if her feet were being pulled down more into the depths. Faustina gasped and writhed, but to no avail, she could only muster to scuffle helplessly.

"Why won't it open?! We solved the riddles properly!"

"I've tried many variations, but it didn't work!"

"HURRY! THE WHIRLPOOL, IT'S COMING TOWARDS US!"

"BUY US SOME TIME! WE HAVE TO SOLVE THIS RIDDLE!"

"But our mana—our mana will sufficiently drain!"

Faustina could only hear words—m.u.f.fled words as she drowned. People argued and talk in panic sunk to Faustina's ears. These continued for so long that she couldn't even track down how and when it had ended. 

Until she opened her eyes.

Faustina first saw a blur, and as the blur slowly cleared away, a dead set of eyes glowered down at her. She was at the ground with people circling over her. They were all wet, and some were even injured. And some were . . . missing? Faustina was quick to notice they reduced in number.

All Faustina felt at that time was confusion—and then it dawned on her. 

Realization. 

Flashbacks of the whirlpool she created and how much it hurt her body. How much it became so unstoppable that her arms felt like they had burst. 

Faustina froze completely as she sees her arms limp. She could still move them, but every move was accompanied by a stinging pain.

"Lady Feuerlon," says Anakin, calling Faustina's attention.

"You . . . are OUT of this group. Get away from us."

Faustina blinked.

That piercing contempt. That glower. The cold stares she had received made her flinch.

"Wh-what did I do?" Faustina asked. And she shouldn't have. From the cold gaze they gave her slowly ruptured into anger. 

"How dare you?!" One of the examinees furiously stormed towards Faustina, but she was stopped by Claire, who had closed her eyes. 

Anakin glowered at Faustina. 

"You conjured a spell that went out of control. Do you remember?"

Faustina lowered her gaze. She remembered. 

"That whirlpool blocked Team A and B's paths to the door. And that whirlpool . . . sent eighteen students to fail." Anakin thundered. "You casted a completely unnecessary spell. You showed off. Do you think you're amazing now? Think again."

Faustina clenched her fist. She knows she was wrong. She knows it was her fault. And it frustrates her.

She couldn't do anything.

She couldn't control her magic. And that made eighteen students fail.

"You're out of this group," Anakin muttered to Faustina.

"Wait . . . does this mean the teachers have been observing us? But you said you couldn't see us?"

"Ooh. So that's it."

Faustina thinned her lips as she felt eyes darting towards her.

"Driving . . ."

". . . force?"

"Next level of the exam?"

The moderator beamed.

Faustina's eyes widened as her wounded hands trembled. 

"Level of compet.i.tiveness?"

Anakin's eyes widened.

Faustina gulped.