The first test, the trial of flight, concluded with Lencar successfully establishing his baseline as a solid Stage 6 hopeful—competent enough to be considered, yet not so remarkable as to draw the sharp, analytical gaze of Patolli (as Vangeance).
Test Two: Spell Creation
The second test began almost immediately. The candidates were instructed to create a mundane, non-offensive object using their magical attributes.
"Candidates, you must create an object from your mana," the announcer declared. "The judges will be scoring on control, form, and duration. Begin!"
The arena erupted in bursts of color. The nobles were showing off, creating massive, intricate sculptures—Mercury Magic forming delicate filigree, Briar Magic weaving complex floral arrangements.
Lencar knew this was a test of finesse and control. He needed to prove he had mastered the Regulator v3.2 without revealing his dual-attribute status.
Strategy: Fire Magic. Nobles rarely have true control over fire; they use brute force. I will demonstrate surgical application of heat, proving superior control without revealing dual-attribute versatility.
Lencar stepped into the designated zone, his hooded gaze calm. Nobles around him were conjuring massive, intricate creations of earth and water. Lencar ignored them. He opened his grimoire to his father's Fire Magic page.
He cupped his hands, drawing the minimal 1% volume of Yuno's mana and forcing it into the spell. He visualized not flame, but a perfect, non-threatening, delicate form.
"[Fire Magic: Obsidian Bloom]," Lencar whispered.
The fire that emerged was silent and pure blue. It did not burn; it molded. Lencar used the intense, contained heat to crystallize the mana, shaping it into the form of a small, six-petaled flower. The heat pulsed steadily, slowly turning the mana into a shimmering, blue-black Obsidian Crystal.
It was small, simple, and utterly flawless in its execution. The duration test was passed the moment he withdrew his mana—the Fire Crystal held its form indefinitely.
He placed the small, cool crystal flower on the ground.
Noble Reaction: Disdain. "So small! Is that a peasant's charm?"
Captain Reaction: Fuegoleon Vermillion (Fire Magic) leaned forward, his interest visible. He wasn't seeing the size; he was seeing the control. To turn volatile flame into stable crystal required a level of focus that contradicted Lencar's commoner status.
Lencar's internal analysis confirmed the result: Stage 6 Performance Confirmed. He was a commoner genius of control, nothing more.
Test Three: Destructive Power
The arena floor changed, marked with grids. Training pillars of heavy, magically dense stone were erected across the field. This was the test of raw output.
"Candidates must destroy the pillar before you using a spell of your choice. Judges will score based on raw destructive power and efficiency. Begin!"
Lencar knew he had to be careful. Unleashing his true Stage 5 volume would draw the wrong kind of attention.
Strategy: Maintain the Fire Mage persona. Channel the minimum required Yuno Mana to vaporize the pillar, proving power, but ensure the resulting heat signature is instantly absorbed by the Regulator to prevent lasting environmental detection.
Lencar positioned himself. He channeled 35% of his current Stage 5 volume into the spell. The air around his arms grew instantly hot and distorted.
"[Fire Magic: Concussive Lance]!"
It was not a widely scattered flame. It was a singular, focused stream of compressed, roaring heat that erupted from his palm. The intense energy struck the pillar with the velocity of a cannonball. The stone pillar didn't explode or shatter; it vanished into a cloud of superheated dust and steam. The blast stopped exactly at the pillar's former location, leaving the surrounding earth untouched. It was terrifyingly clean.
Jack the Ripper (Slash Magic) grinned. "Nasty! That kid's got edge!"
Yami Sukehiro sat forward, exhaling a plume of smoke. His gaze lingered on Lencar.
Lencar quickly dropped the mana output, letting the heat dissipate. His internal analysis was clear: Stage 5 Output Revealed. He could no longer hide the volume, but the precise control over the destructive shape of the spell maintained the illusion of Stage 6 efficiency. Perfect balance.
Test Four: Target Practice
The final test required candidates to destroy a rotating magical target while avoiding a random barrage of incoming projectiles fired by the Tower Master. This was a critical test of spatial awareness and casting speed.
Strategy: Maintain Fire Magic. Use the Devoured Magics' subtle defensive principles (Iron/Stone density) to augment his body during the defense, saving his limited mana for offensive output.
Lencar ignored the frantic casting of the other candidates. He tracked the rotating target and the incoming magical blasts simultaneously, using his [Phantom Sight] to see the trajectories of the projectiles before they were even fully formed.
Defense: An incoming Wind Blast from the Tower Master sailed toward his left flank. Lencar didn't cast Wind Magic. He briefly engaged a tiny, internal burst of Iron Magic, making his external skin on the left side denser and slightly concave. The Wind Blast struck the dense armor and deflected harmlessly off the arena wall.
Offense: He aimed at the target. "[Fire Magic: Tracking Ember]!" Lencar created a rapid, sequential volley of small, compressed fire bullets, relying on Needle Magic's knowledge of trajectory to guide the shots. Flick, flick, flick. Three shots, three direct hits, incinerating the target quickly.
He finished well before most of the nobles. His performance was marked by speed, precision, and an almost unnatural calm.