The Kikka Arena finally fell into a tense, agonizing silence. The combat trials were over, leaving the field scarred by magic and littered with disappointed aspirants. The remaining candidates were lined up, awaiting the final judgment: the Captains' selection.
Lencar stood in the middle ranks, his body silently compensating for the strain of the rigorous testing. His [Aura Cloak] was locked to a steady, unremarkable Stage 6 hum, ensuring he was not perceived as the Stage 5 powerhouse he was, nor the Arcane entity he wished to be. He was ready for rejection.
The Judgment of Yuno
The announcer began the final tally. The tension was palpable when they reached the first prodigy.
"Candidate 164. Yuno of Hage."
Yuno stepped forward, his posture unnervingly calm. His four-leaf clover grimoire pulsed with quiet, overwhelming power.
The Captains did not hesitate. The result was not a choice; it was a coronation.
The first hand to shoot up was William Vangeance (Patolli), Captain of the Golden Dawn. His face, serene and masked, gave nothing away, but the action spoke volumes.
Lencar's Analysis (Internal): Patolli's choice is absolute. He needs Yuno's unique blend of Wind Magic and high mana to execute the Reincarnation spell, believing him to be the chosen vessel. Patolli is securing his prize. Threat Level: Confirmed Target. Avoid the Golden Dawn.
Next, Nozel Silva (Mercury Magic, Stage 1) raised his hand, his expression stiffly acknowledging the overwhelming talent. Fuegoleon Vermillion (Fire Magic, Stage 1) raised his, his eyes alight with rivalry. Charlotte Roselei (Briar Magic, Stage 2) followed, recognizing the inherent control.
Within seconds, eight of the nine captains had raised their hands. Only Yami Sukehiro sat back, bored, and Dorothy Unsworth slept.
Yuno surveyed the choice—eight powerful squads begging for his allegiance. He didn't look at the power or the prestige. His gaze flickered to Asta, then settled firmly on the Golden Dawn.
"I choose the Golden Dawn," Yuno stated simply.
The applause was deafening. Yuno had selected the strongest, most prestigious squad in the kingdom, taking his inevitable place beside the man who sought to destroy it. Lencar let out a controlled, imperceptible breath. One protagonist was secured, placing him exactly where Lencar needed him to be in the unfolding timeline.
The Judgment of Asta
"Candidate 165. Asta of Hage."
A wave of contemptuous snickering swept the arena. Asta, defiant as always, stood with his black, rusted sword resting against his shoulder.
The Captains surveyed him—the magicless boy who shattered a Bronze Shield with brute strength.
One hand went up: Gueldre Poizot (Permeation Magic, Stage 3). He dropped it instantly as he realized his mistake. He wanted easily manipulated power, not magicless chaos.
One by one, the Captains kept their hands down.
Lencar's Analysis (Internal): Asta is the anomaly that cannot be categorized. His Anti-Magic is Arcane-level, but his lack of conventional mana makes him untouchable by the established power structure. He will be rejected by everyone except the necessary variable.
The silence was agonizing. Asta's shoulders began to slump.
Then, Yami Sukehiro (Dark Magic, Arcane Stage 0) stirred. He leaned forward, his massive frame dominating the observation deck.
"No one's taking the kid, huh?" Yami's voice was a low rumble. He grinned, a chaotic, predatory smile. "Good. Then he's mine."
He pointed directly at Asta. "You're joining the Black Bulls."
Asta erupted in a roar of disbelief and triumph. The crucial dynamic was set. Asta was where he belonged: under the tutelage of the only person in the kingdom who could begin to understand his Ki and his unique magic.
The Judgment of Lencar
"Candidate 137. Lencar Abarame of Sosie."
Lencar stepped forward, his internal systems running at maximum efficiency. He was the product of a thousand calculated failures, designed precisely for this moment of absolute rejection.
He felt the gaze of Jack the Ripper (Slash Magic, Stage 2). Jack grinned, interested in the high destructive output of Lencar's Concussive Lance, but quickly dismissed him. Lacks the sheer, unbridled chaos I require.
He felt the cold, judging pressure of Nozel Silva. Nozel scoffed, his hands firmly down. A commoner with a messy spell list. Not worthy of a noble squad.
He felt the deep, steady gaze of Fuegoleon. Fuegoleon lingered, recognizing the surgical precision of the Obsidian Bloom. A talented fire mage, but his mana volume is firmly Stage 5. He is useful, but not a prodigy. His hand remained down.
Lencar's fate was now entirely in the hands of Patolli (Vangeance) and Yami Sukehiro.
Patolli (Vangeance) cast a single, polite, dismissive glance, acknowledging the Stage 5 commoner and immediately moving on. Lencar was not a threat, not a useful public asset, and his true, hidden nature was undetectable.
Then, Yami Sukehiro's gaze landed on him again.
Yami didn't look at the disguised Stage 6 mana. He looked through it, fixated on Lencar's underlying Ki—the life force of the man forged by pain and foreign magic. Yami squinted, his eyes narrowing to slits.
Yami's Perception (Internal): This kid's power smells like the Wind Prodigy's, but his Ki is all wrong. It's too cold. Too quiet. Like something that should be roaring is just... humming. He's hiding something, but it's not a secret; it's a contradiction. A dark flavor.
Yami paused, his cigarette dangling. He considered Lencar. He looked down at Asta, then back at Lencar's unnervingly calm eyes. Yami briefly raised his hand—a micro-movement, a half-thought of curiosity.
But Lencar had presented a perfect failure: a skilled commoner who lacked the madness of Asta or the grace of Yuno. Yami dismissed the strange feeling with a grunt.
"Hard pass," Yami muttered, turning away. "Too much effort."
Lencar's heart, which had briefly accelerated during Yami's hesitation, returned to its slow, steady pace.
Not a single hand was raised.
"Candidate 137... dismissed."
Lencar performed a calm, polite bow. He had completed the final, most dangerous phase of his plan. He had entered the Kingdom as a legitimate candidate and left as an invisible ghost.
Lencar walked out of the Kikka Arena, engaging his [Aura Cloak] to Stage 9 instantly. He had successfully secured the location of both his primary target (Patolli, in the Golden Dawn) and his asset of opportunity (Yami/Finral).
He found a secluded rooftop and watched Finral Roulacase open the shimmering spatial tear to the Black Bulls Hideout. Lencar, now completely hidden, prepared for his final infiltration. The Heretic was ready to seize the power he needed for survival.