Chapter 24 — The Black Bulls' Captain, Yami Sukehiro!
Yuuki looked up at the figure Asta had just bumped into.
The man's body was covered in bulging, sculpted muscles. His short black hair was messy, and beneath a sleeveless white shirt, he wore brown pants tucked into black boots — the very picture of rugged disarray.
But what truly caught everyone's attention was the small black cloak draped carelessly over his right shoulder — emblazoned with a golden-rimmed black bull's head.
Those who had come to the Magic Knights Entrance Exam weren't fools.
Aside from Yuuki's group, who had rushed from the distant village of Hage and barely made it on time, most others had arrived in the capital early and gathered plenty of information beforehand.
Among the things everyone memorized were the insignias of the Nine Great Magic Knight Squads.
And the black bull emblem on that cloak — that could only belong to one of those nine: the Black Bulls.
It was no wonder the entire area suddenly fell silent.
Asta was the only one still oblivious to the change in atmosphere. Yuno, on the other hand, immediately sensed something was off. Realizing the man Asta had crashed into was no ordinary person, his expression darkened and he moved to intervene—
Only for a hand to press lightly on his shoulder.
"Don't," Yuuki said calmly.
Yuno hesitated. But seeing the composure in Yuuki's eyes, he forced himself to stop, though concern still flickered across his face.
"That's the Black Bulls' insignia!"
"What's a Magic Knight doing here?!"
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
Yuno finally understood why Yuuki had stopped him — a Magic Knight wouldn't attack an examinee in public.
Or at least, most wouldn't.
Yuuki's lips curved faintly. But this one's different.
Yami Sukehiro — the captain of the Black Bulls.
Known throughout the kingdom as the God of Destruction, he wielded the rare and formidable Dark Magic. His rough, volatile personality made him the type who couldn't care less about appearances or consequences.
To many fans, he was the true protagonist of the series — and among the Nine Captains, his strength ranked near the very top.
Then—
Before anyone could even blink, Yami's hand shot out, seizing Asta by the head. His movement was so fast that even Asta, a close-range fighter, couldn't react in time.
In the next instant, Asta was hoisted clean off the ground like a rag doll.
"So, you've got a death wish, huh?"
The cigarette hanging from Yami's lips bobbed as he spoke, voice flat and cold. The fingers gripping Asta's skull began to tighten.
An overwhelming pressure burst forth from him — pure, crushing killing intent.
Those closest to him buckled under the weight, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
"So strong…" Yuno muttered, instinctively tensing up.
"It's not magic," Yuuki murmured, eyes narrowing. "It's raw presence."
Just from that alone, Yuuki could feel the sheer gulf between his current strength and that of a Magic Knight Captain.
The difference is enormous…
He exhaled slowly. Unlike Yuno, though, he wasn't too worried for Asta.
This encounter — this accident — was Asta's chance.
Under normal circumstances, someone with no magic power would never be accepted into a Magic Knight Squad. But it was precisely this bizarre meeting that would draw Yami's interest in Asta's unique condition.
That was the one and only reason Asta would later join the Black Bulls.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — impossible for anyone else to replicate, unless they too had no magic whatsoever.
"Ahhh, that hurts!" Asta howled, clutching at Yami's wrist.
"Ah, there you are, Captain! What are you doing here?"
A startled voice rang out as two men in Black Bulls cloaks hurried through the crowd.
One had messy blond hair and an easygoing, almost flirtatious air — Finral Roulacase, the user of Spatial Magic.
Beside him stood a pale young man with black rings around his eyes, dressed in a uniform-like outfit and wearing a beret — Gordon Agrippa, user of Poison Curse Magic.
Yuuki's eyes gleamed slightly when he saw Finral.
Dark Magic and Spatial Magic… both are among the abilities I most want to replicate.
"I was just about to kill this brat," Yami replied lazily, not even turning his head.
"You can't do that, Captain! You'll get in trouble for killing an examinee!" Finral protested, forcing a pained smile. "Anyway, what are you even doing at the exam site?"
"I went out to take a dump and got lost."
The response was so casual that half the crowd twitched.
The surrounding examinees could only stare, dumbfounded. Even those slow on the uptake finally realized that this rough-looking man really was the infamous Captain of the Black Bulls.
"The Captain himself?!"
"The God of Destruction?!"
"Yami Sukehiro!"
"Isn't the Black Bulls that squad with more disasters than achievements?"
"I heard everyone in that squad is insane—"
"Shh! Don't let him hear you!"
The crowd buzzed with awe and disbelief.
"Will Asta be okay?" Yuno asked worriedly.
"Relax," Yuuki replied quietly. "He's a Magic Knight Captain — he won't really hurt him."
But the moment those words left Yuuki's lips—
BAM!
Yami suddenly twisted his wrist and, with an effortless flick, hurled Asta straight toward Yuuki.
Despite Asta's compact height, his body was solid muscle — over 60 kilograms — yet in Yami's hand, he flew like a feather.
"Waaahhh!!"
Asta screamed as he soared through the air like a thrown spear.
The sudden movement caught everyone completely off guard.
Yuuki's face hardened.
Silver Mana Cloak—!
A layer of shimmering silver mana instantly enveloped his body.
Mana Coating!
Yami's brows lifted ever so slightly.
CRASH!
Yuuki caught Asta by the shoulders, but the sheer force still drove him backward, leaving deep gouges in the stone pavement as his boots scraped across five or six meters.
"Yuuki! You saved me! Thanks, man!"
Still clinging to Yuuki's neck, Asta beamed gratefully.
"Get down," Yuuki said with a strained smile, his face pale from the impact. He glanced up — but Yami was gone.
What—
A gust of wind stirred behind him.
Yuuki froze. His body went rigid.
"Not bad, kid," Yami's voice came from right behind him, lazy and amused. "I liked that look in your eyes just now."
A cigarette ember glowed faintly in the corner of Yuuki's vision.
(End of Chapter)
⭐ Enjoying the story?You can read ahead and support the translations by joining my Patreon!Your support helps me update faster and take on more projects.Thank you for reading!
Read up to 50 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/AminaSims
PS: Even if you don't intend to pay for advance chapters you can join as a free member to get access to updates and any news on current and future translations (Please join guys I really enjoy seeing those numbers go up.)🙏