Even several of the nine squad captains couldn't help showing expressions of surprise as they looked toward Asta, who still remained grounded.
"What's going on? No matter how poor someone's aptitude is, at least floating a little on a broom should be possible for anyone."
Fuegoleon Vermillion, captain of the Crimson Lion Kings, rubbed his chin in mild astonishment as he spoke.
High above, Yuuki glanced down at Asta, amusement flickering in his heart—but he wasn't particularly worried.
These early tests didn't really matter, even if Asta scored poorly. All that truly mattered was earning Captain Yami of the Black Bulls' recognition in the end.
With that thought, Yuuki refocused on his broom. At a mere flicker of will, the broom began to rise, moving nimbly through the air.
Before long, he spotted Yuno soaring highest above the arena—both feet planted firmly atop his broom as he flew.
He was the only participant flying like that, standing upright on his broom. The flashy display naturally drew countless eyes to him.
Yuno noticed Yuuki's ascent as well. A faint smile curved his usually calm face, and his pale golden eyes flicked toward Yuuki in silent challenge.
"I may not have your amount of mana," he said, "but when it comes to mana control—I'm not going to lose."
Yuuki smiled lightly. So, Yuno wanted to turn this into a contest.
Since Yuuki already knew the nature of the test, he had trained specifically for it—and controlling mana precisely happened to be his greatest strength.
Gripping the broom handle near its head, Yuuki tensed his waist and gracefully rose to stand upon the broomstick.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Just like Yuno, Yuuki now stood balanced atop his broom as he flew.
Flying this way was far more difficult than normal. Not only did it require superb balance, but the mana flow that normally came from one's hands had to be redirected through the feet—drastically increasing the precision needed to maintain control.
A single mistake could send one plummeting from the sky.
"Wow, that's amazing!"
From the stands, Rill, captain of the Aqua Deer, leaned forward with sparkling eyes, unable to contain his excitement as he watched Yuuki and Yuno flying atop their brooms.
"Oh hoho…"
"Looks like we've got a few promising ones."
Jack the Ripper, captain of the Green Praying Mantises, propped his chin in his hand, his narrow eyes half-lidded—like a predator eyeing fresh prey.
The broom-flying test soon ended.
Just as Yuuki had expected, their enchanted brooms dissolved into motes of green light shortly after the test concluded.
Next came the mana measurement test.
Then—
The mana control test!
The creation magic test!
The evolution magic test!
One after another, the exams proceeded in an orderly fashion.
Other than scoring poorly in the mana measurement test—since his unique attribute made it difficult to cause destructive effects with raw mana—Yuuki ranked within the top five in nearly every other event.
Before anyone realized it, the exam had reached its final stage. The participants were weary from both exertion and mana use, yet excitement burned brightly in every face.
"Next," William's calm voice rang out, "will be the final test—conducted in the form of live combat."
The instant his words fell, Fuegoleon leapt to his feet, eyes blazing with passion as he shouted toward the examinees below.
"Then fight! Split into pairs and face each other one-on-one! Use your grimoires to defeat your opponent! For us, battle is our work!"
"Show us your true power—without holding anything back!"
His fervent voice reverberated through the vast arena.
Everyone's expressions turned solemn—they all knew that this final round of duels was the true heart of the entrance exam.
After declaring the rules, William and Fuegoleon retook their seats in the stands.
Down below, the participants stood momentarily stunned before realizing they were to find their own opponents.
The arena quickly erupted into motion once more.
Yet no one dared approach Yuuki or Yuno. After the earlier tests, everyone understood how powerful the two were.
Yuno calmly swept his gaze around, then walked over to Yuuki.
"How about we face each other?" he asked softly.
Yuuki shoved his hands into his pockets and shook his head. "I'll pass. You're way too much trouble as an opponent."
"Relax," Yuno replied with a slight smile. "Someone's bound to challenge us anyway."
"Think about it—one of us wields a four-leaf grimoire, and the other's scored near the top in almost everything so far. We're both commoners. Don't you think that'll rub plenty of nobles the wrong way?"
Yuuki withdrew one hand from his pocket and gestured first at Yuno, then at himself, chuckling.
Yuno blinked, then laughed quietly in agreement.
As the two conversed, Sekke had already stepped forward—choosing none other than Asta, the worst performer so far, as his opponent.
Yuuki turned his gaze toward the upcoming match between Asta and Sekke.
Now this would be entertaining.
Sekke clearly thought picking Asta was the easy way to secure victory.
Unfortunately for him, Sekke couldn't have chosen a worse opponent. Asta's real strength couldn't be measured by the earlier tests—and Sekke's Bronze Magic leaned heavily toward defense.
Against Asta's Anti-Magic, that made him the perfect target.
Amusement gleamed in Yuuki's eyes. He couldn't decide whether Sekke was simply unlucky—or whether Asta was the fortunate one.
"This place isn't for filthy little rats like you," Sekke sneered, pressing a hand on Asta's shoulder before leaning in with a mock smile. "Thanks for tagging along as background filler till now. You can crawl back to your pathetic little village and enjoy the rest of your trash life."
By this point in the exam, Sekke felt he'd sized up the competition well enough—and saw no reason to keep pretending.
Asta stared at him blankly for a moment.
Sekke, unwilling to waste more words, stepped a few paces away and raised his grimoire, shouting:
"Bronze Creation Magic — Bronze Defensive Sphere!"
A glowing bronze barrier enveloped Sekke, forming a solid orb of metal. Around its surface protruded several cannon-like structures—both protective and capable of counterattack.
It was a spell built for both offense and defense.
(End of Chapter)
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