An uproar swept through the crowd.
Everyone stared, stunned, at Miasa—frozen in place, bound tight by chains with no room to move.
Moments ago, Miasa had radiated confidence and power; most had expected a fierce match. But the noble hadn't even lasted a single round?
While the examinees below gawked in disbelief, the nine Magic Knight captains seated in the stands all froze in collective surprise.
In particular, Purple Orca captain Gueldre suddenly sat upright, his voice tinged with shock.
"Chain Magic?"
Silver Eagles captain Nozel narrowed his eyes and turned toward him.
"If I remember right, one of your former squad members used that kind of magic, didn't he?"
"That's right."
Gueldre nodded heavily, still looking incredulous.
"Similar magic, perhaps?" asked Aqua Deer captain Rill, clearly intrigued.
"No—exactly the same magic."
Gueldre shook his head firmly.
As the former captain of Revchi, the Chain Magic user, there was no mistaking it.
"Tch tch… the exact same magic? That's impossible unless it's a hereditary spell," said Jack the Ripper, his narrow eyes gleaming with interest. "But if I recall, Revchi was just a commoner."
"Even then," said Yami, arms resting on the chair, a cigarette between his lips, "family inheritance wouldn't make two spells identical."
Down in the arena, the battle continued.
"Damn it!!"
Miasa struggled furiously, but his mana was sealed. He couldn't break free.
A mere commoner… A filthy peasant!
If he had lost after a long, hard fight, he could have accepted it. After all, he knew from the earlier trials that Yuuki was a rare talent.
But to lose instantly—to be utterly crushed without resistance—was unbearable.
He was a noble!
"You bastard! You filthy rat!!"
"You'll pay for th—"
His face twisted from pride to madness, raging like a cornered beast.
Yuuki wasn't interested in hearing any more of his shouting.
"Wind Magic — Tower of Tempest!"
Boom!
A roaring gale condensed before Yuuki, forming into a swirling tornado that howled into existence, visible to everyone in the arena.
At his silent command, the tornado surged forward.
"This can't be—wha—Aaaaah!!"
Miasa's horrified scream was swallowed by the storm as he was swept off his feet and hurled into the air, vanishing inside the vortex.
"Match over!"
The referee's voice broke the shock, shouting hastily before the attack went too far.
Yuuki snapped his fingers. The chains dissolved, and the tornado vanished.
Miasa collapsed to the ground, eyes rolled back, unconscious.
His once-elegant clothes were shredded to tatters, making him look like a beggar.
Even though the attack had lasted mere seconds before being stopped, his body was covered in bruises and cuts from the violent winds.
Yuuki's eyes flickered faintly.
Yuno's Wind Magic really was powerful.
If the referee hadn't intervened, Miasa would likely have been torn to pieces within moments.
After all—
Bound by Chain Magic, unable to move or use mana, Miasa was no better than a normal human.
The entire arena fell silent.
Every gaze—astonished, awestruck—locked on Yuuki.
Even the captains on the viewing platform showed visible surprise.
"Did I just see that right? Dual magic?"
"That's right! He just used Wind Magic!"
"Is it really possible for a mage to wield two different kinds of magic?"
"Never heard of such a thing!"
Murmurs rippled through the stands after a moment of stunned quiet.
But the captains weren't fooled.
After a brief pause, they exchanged knowing looks.
"It's not dual magic," Jack the Ripper said first.
"That Wind Magic he used—it's identical to the spell used by that kid with the four-leaf clover grimoire earlier."
"So he's not casting two types of magic," said another captain thoughtfully. "He's copying others' spells—replicating them perfectly."
"Fascinating," murmured Charlotte, captain of the Blue Rose Knights. Her sapphire eyes sparkled with curiosity. "But what does he need as a medium to reproduce another's magic?"
Yuuki probably didn't realize it himself, but in just a few moments, several captains had already analyzed his ability with frightening precision.
Yet no one noticed the subtle shift in expression from Golden Dawn captain William.
For the first time, the calm gaze behind his half mask flickered with emotion.
Even when Yuno, the wielder of the four-leaf grimoire, had appeared, William hadn't reacted like this.
As captain of the strongest Magic Knight squad, William had no doubts—if Yuno wasn't a fool, he would surely choose the Golden Dawn.
That much was expected.
But Yuuki's magic… that was something entirely unforeseen.
Or rather—
the surprise came not from William himself,
but from the elf Patry within him.
In the arena, Yuuki walked over to Asta and Yuno, who were watching proudly.
"Yuuki, that was amazing!" Asta shouted, his face glowing with excitement.
Yuuki chuckled and threw an arm around Asta's shoulder.
"Not bad, huh? Now all that's left is the final selection."
The trials continued until dusk before finally coming to an end.
A small mishap occurred—since there were 513 participants, one person had to fight twice. It wasn't exactly fair, but…
Fairness?
In the Clover Kingdom, being granted a chance to take the Magic Knights' entrance exam at all was the greatest fairness most could ever hope for.
"The matches are over. All examinees, step forward when your number is called!"
The referee's voice echoed once more, tightening everyone's hearts.
No one dared to move or speak.
One by one, numbers were called, and each chosen candidate stepped forward—awaiting judgment from the nine captains above.
Because in the end, the right to join the Magic Knights rested solely in their hands.
Or, more precisely—
in the hands of the royals and nobles who ruled the kingdom.
(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: Can we get this book to ten reviews so we can get an official rating? I'll chip in an extra two chapters once we reach that goal.