"You're Number 162."
"You're Number 163."
Outside the massive coliseum, staff members lined up to mark the participants' grimoires one by one as they stepped forward to enter.
Yuuki's group waited their turn, and before long, it was Yuno's turn to step up.
"I'm Yuno from Hage Village," he said calmly, placing his grimoire on the table.
"Hage Vill—huh!? A four-leaf grimoire!?"
The official, who had been half-distracted a moment ago, froze. His voice cracked with surprise as his eyes widened in disbelief.
The once-quiet atmosphere broke instantly.
"Hey, look at his grimoire!"
"It's a four-leaf clover!"
"So the rumors were true!"
"There really is someone with a legendary four-leaf grimoire!"
Excited chatter rippled through the crowd like a wave.
Asta, standing behind Yuno, couldn't hide his mix of pride and envy.
Yuuki, however, remained calm. The attention didn't surprise him; in fact, he had already expected this. The news of a boy from the countryside obtaining a four-leaf grimoire must've spread quickly among the upper echelons long before now.
"You're Number 164."
The official, now far more respectful, carefully marked Yuno's grimoire and handed it back with both hands. Even a fool would understand the significance of that four-leaf emblem.
Next came Asta—Number 165.
And Yuuki—Number 166.
With their tags assigned, the trio entered the arena.
The interior was vast and ancient, a circular arena steeped in history. Beyond the high stone bleachers surrounding them, the center was wide and open, where hundreds of young mages had already gathered.
Flap—flap—flap!
Small birds with blue wings and red cheeks fluttered above the crowd, swooping down fearlessly toward the participants.
"Get away!"
"What's with these birds!?"
The air filled with shouts as the little creatures darted about, circling participants closely. Most people didn't dare use magic in a formal setting like this, so they could only wave their arms to chase them off.
"What's the deal with these things!?"
Asta was practically buried beneath a cloud of birds, his head barely visible above their fluttering wings.
Seeing his sorry state, Yuuki and Yuno instinctively took several steps back.
"They probably react to mana," Yuuki said with a smirk. He gestured to Yuno, who had not a single bird near him. "Guess they don't like high magic power."
"Chirp!"
Three birds circled above Yuuki's head, chirping occasionally.
He glanced around. It seemed his mana level was about average among the competitors—slightly above the median, at best.
These weren't ordinary birds; they were anti-magic birds, creatures that sensed mana. The less magic one possessed, the more they flocked around.
Naturally, Yuno—completely untouched—became the center of attention once more, his four-leaf grimoire gleaming faintly at his side.
Yuuki quietly stepped farther away from him. With that many eyes fixed on Yuno, the last thing he wanted was to be caught in the spotlight.
Yuno noticed the movement and shot him a mildly exasperated look.
Then Yuuki's gaze sharpened.
That bird…
On top of Asta's head, amidst the chattering flock, perched a small, unremarkable bird. But Yuuki recognized it at once—it wasn't just any anti-magic bird.
That was Secre Swallowtail, once a noblewoman who had served as the personal attendant to the First Wizard King over five centuries ago.
Back then, Secre's "Sealing Magic" was considered too weak, so she had been assigned to the prince's service. But after the tragedy of the elves and the battle against the devil, the backlash from forbidden magic had transformed her into a small bird—one nearly indistinguishable from an anti-magic bird.
It was she who had secretly watched over the five-leaf grimoire that would one day come into Asta's hands—the very same book that had once sealed the Word Soul Devil.
Through a twist of fate, Asta had awakened that grimoire, and Secre had stayed near him ever since, quietly observing and assisting from the shadows as he unknowingly stepped onto a path entwined with ancient magic.
Yuuki had already sensed her presence back in Hage Village, though he hadn't paid much mind then.
After all, in her current state, Secre's powers were dormant—she was, for all intents and purposes, an ordinary bird.
What truly intrigued Yuuki was her magic—Sealing Magic—the ability to lock and unlock anything.
It had started weak but eventually evolved into a force capable of breaking any seal, undoing all restraints, barriers, and even forbidden curses.
More impressively, it could close wounds, seal injuries, and even reattach severed limbs.
It wasn't a combat-oriented ability, but as a form of support magic, it was extraordinary—and one of the very few magics in the entire Clover Kingdom capable of affecting devils.
Yuuki's eyes gleamed with interest. That's the kind of magic worth studying.
"Stay away from me, you stupid birds!"
Asta was flailing wildly now, spinning and waving his arms in frustration. But no matter how hard he tried, the birds only seemed to multiply around him.
"Ugh! Come on!" he yelled, breaking into a panicked run.
Thud!
He collided head-on with a tall, muscular figure. The impact made him stumble back, clutching his forehead in pain.
"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp—!"
In an instant, all the anti-magic birds scattered in fright, taking to the air in a flurry of feathers. Even the one perched on Asta's head took off, vanishing into the sky.
The noise in the arena died down abruptly.
Everyone, even those unsure of what had happened, sensed it.
He's here.
Yuuki's expression tensed. His gaze lifted toward the imposing figure Asta had just crashed into.
"Them already, huh…" he murmured.
(End of Chapter)
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