The morning of the semifinals came with a quiet tension that hung over Village Ainz like mist. The square was already packed to the edges, villagers filling every corner, rooftop, and wooden crate they could stand on. The cheering was softer today—not weaker, but more focused, like the crowd understood that playtime was over.
Sirius stepped out, his robe trailing behind him like a shadow. The moment he appeared, conversation died.
Not out of fear or out of reverence but out of expectation.
There would be two battles today. Two victories. One champion.
And Sirius knew the truth already.
Only one person could serve him in the way he needed right now—one person whose talent fit the type of guidance he required.
He needed control.
Not bursts of talent. Not chaotic strength. Not complex magic lacking stability.
But precision and discipline.
And one person demonstrated that more than anyone else.
But he said nothing. Not yet.
He raised a hand. "Semifinalists. Step forward."
Mira. Lulie. Aria. Duran.
They formed a line before him, each carrying a completely different kind of nervousness.
Mira's posture was confident, bright, but respectful. Lulie's hands trembled slightly. Aria's eyes were steady, calculating. Duran looked determined, jaw set.
Sirius scanned them quietly.
"Mira and Lulie," he said. "You will begin."
Lulie flinched. Mira smiled gently and approached her.
"Ready?" Mira asked softly.
Lulie nodded weakly. "I'll try my best."
Sirius stepped back. "Begin."
Lulie lifted both hands immediately, mana flickering like small sparks around her fingers. Her nerves made her unstable, but she steadied her breathing, trying to summon that instinctual strength she'd shown in previous rounds.
Mira watched calmly.
Her stance was balanced. Her motion smooth. Her mana flow quiet and even.
Sirius's hollow eyes narrowed slightly. 'Yes… this is what I need.'
Lulie thrust her hands forward.
"Water burst!"
A sphere of water formed, wobbling, trembling—but large enough to knock someone off their feet.
Mira stepped aside.
Not quickly or dramatically. She simply… flowed.
She lifted a hand.
"Ripple."
Her mana spread outward like a soft wave. It slipped over Lulie's spell, wrapped around it, and gently pressed downward.
Lulie gasped as her water sphere collapsed harmlessly onto the ground.
Mira didn't hesitate.
She created a thin whip-like strand of water, flicked it, and tapped Lulie on the shoulder.
Not a strike. Not even enough force to bruise.
Just a clean and precise mark.
"I concede," Lulie said instantly, raising both hands. "I can't defeat that."
Sirius raised his arm. "Winner: Mira."
The square erupted in cheers.
Sirius observed Mira quietly, his thoughts sharp. 'Her control is far beyond anything this village has shown. Calm. Fluid. Adaptable. She wastes no mana. She thinks before she acts. She is exactly what I need.'
But still, Aria's match remained.
He turned toward the second pair.
"Next match. Aria and Duran."
Duran stepped forward with a determined expression. Sweat slid down his temple. His mana was steady, but not graceful—more like a river prone to overflowing.
Aria bowed politely, her face unreadable. Her confidence was quieter than Mira's, but far deeper, rooted in knowledge instead of instinct.
"Begin," Sirius said.
Duran thrust out his hands. "Lightning thread!"
A thin streak of lightning crackled toward Aria, unstable but fast.
Aria murmured, "Disperse."
A sigil formed instantly—still sloppy by proper arcane standards, but remarkably quick. The lightning hit the sigil and shattered into harmless sparks.
Duran didn't hesitate. "Wind crush!"
A blast of compressed air shot at her.
Aria stepped forward, palm open.
"Veil fracture."
The attack collided with the invisible barrier around her hand, broke apart, and turned into loose mana.
Before Duran could react, Aria twisted her wrist, shaping the dispersed mana into a sharp, needle-like pulse.
She flicked her fingers.
The pulse hit Duran in the chest.
He collapsed instantly—stunned.
The square went dead silent once again.
"That was incredible!"
"She broke the spell!"
"Aria is powerful!"
The crowd roared, but Sirius remained motionless.
Her spell was brilliant. It was creative, efficient, and dangerous.
But Sirius's fingers tapped his robe lightly.
Too unstable and experimental. Too prone to misfiring in dangerous situations.
He admired her brilliance.
But brilliance was not what he needed now.
Not when his own mana was so overwhelming that even a small mistake could annihilate the village.
He needed someone who understood restraint.
Sirius raised his hand. "Winner: Aria."
The village chanted her name as she bowed and stepped back.
The four semifinalists, now two, stood before him. Mira and Aria.
The finalists.
Two talents at the peak of the village's potential.
The crowd was buzzing so loudly that even the chickens ran for cover.
Sirius raised a hand.
Silence.
"The finals," he said, "will be held tomorrow at noon."
Mira and Aria bowed deeply.
"You have both demonstrated exceptional talent," Sirius continued. "From this village, from these people, you two stand above the rest."
A wave of pride rippled through the spectators.
But Sirius was not finished.
He slowly lifted his hand, pointing it at Mira first.
The crowd gasped.
Mira's eyes widened slightly, her breath catching.
Aria's expression tightened almost imperceptibly.
Sirius spoke clearly.
"I will choose one of you to become my student."
The village broke into uproar.
"My lord chooses a successor?"
"Who will he train?"
"Is it Mira? Or Aria?"
Mira pressed a hand to her chest. Aria's brows furrowed. Lulie and Duran exchanged anxious looks.
Sirius continued, voice calm but firm.
"And I have already made my decision."
Mira inhaled sharply. Aria clenched her fists. The village froze.
"I seek control," Sirius said quietly. "Not destructive power, but discipline—the force to shape mana with elegance and caution. Only one among you has demonstrated this quality consistently."
He paused.
The entire square trembled with tension.
"Mira."
Her eyes widened, shimmering.
"Step forward."
She obeyed in stunned silence.
"You are the one I will train," Sirius declared. "Not because you are strongest. Not because you are most creative. But because you possess the one quality that matters most for what lies ahead."
He lifted one skeletal finger, pointing directly at her chest.
"Precision."
The villagers erupted in cheers. Aria remained still, silent, thoughtful—but not defeated.
Lulie sobbed out of joy. Duran pumped his fist.
Mira placed a hand on her heart, overwhelmed.
"L-Lord Sirius… I won't let you down."
"You had better not," he replied calmly. "Your training will be rigorous."
She nodded vigorously.
Aria finally stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Congratulations, Mira."
Sirius watched Aria carefully.
She was not jealous, not bitter, not resentful.
Just composed, calculating. Already adapting.
'Interesting. Very interesting.' He would keep an eye on her as well—just not as his immediate student.
Sirius raised his voice one final time.
"The finals will still be held tomorrow. Mira and Aria—prepare yourselves. Strength and control will both be tested."
He lowered his hand.
"Dismissed."
As the villagers scattered, cheering and discussing the final match, Sirius turned away, robe fluttering behind him like a dark banner.
He had made his choice. Now the true work would begin.