William Vangeance's calm, steady voice carried through the glowing expanse of the arena, his tone both soothing and commanding.
"Candidates," he announced, "this first test is simple — take flight."
A hush settled across the arena. Hundreds of hopefuls glanced at one another, nerves visible on their faces as they each reached for a hovering broom.
The sound of boots scraping stone, soft murmurs, and the faint hum of mana filled the air as the first wave of candidates began to focus.
One by one, the brooms started to rise. Some wobbled wildly before dipping back toward the ground. A few managed to float a few feet into the air, sweat dripping down their faces from the effort.
The stands came alive with murmurs.
"He can barely keep it steady."
"Look, that one's going backward!"
"Hah! Clearly no control at all."
The nobles in the upper balconies chuckled behind jeweled fans, while the commoners below clapped and cheered for anyone who managed to stay afloat for more than a few seconds.
And then, among the trembling crowd of fliers, one candidate rose — not shakily, not cautiously, but effortlessly.
Yuno, with his grimoire hovering at his side, resonating with his mana. He didn't even sit on the broom. Instead, he stood on it — calm, straight-backed, perfectly balanced — as if the broom and his mana were one.
Gasps rippled through the coliseum.
"He's standing?!"
"How can he balance like that?"
"That's no trick — look at his mana flow! It's completely stable!"
Even the nobles, who had been so quick to mock others, now leaned forward in astonishment.
From the royal viewing box, Wizard King Julius Novachrono's eyes gleamed with unmistakable delight. He leaned forward slightly, his voice carrying easily to the King beside him.
"Amazing," Julius murmured. "The broom test is more than just a test of flight — it's a test of one's finesse and control over mana itself. This boy's control is exceptional… I'd say greater than some of our veteran knights."
King Augustus gave a dismissive sniff, hiding his surprise behind a forced air of superiority. "Hmph. At least one of these peasants knows how to conduct himself properly."
Julius only chuckled. "Oh, I'd say he's far more than that."
The crowd's attention was fixed on Yuno, his calm composure radiating quiet confidence as he floated higher, golden mana swirling softly around him. For a moment, the exam field seemed completely still — every eye in the arena locked on that single figure.
Then—
"HEY, YUNO!!"
The voice cut through the air like a firecracker. Every head snapped toward the far end of the arena.
At first, nothing. Then, a sudden boom of wind pressure — followed by a blur of motion.
A silver-black streak shot upward, scattering anti-birds and sending ripples of air through the field.
Asta.
He wasn't flying on a broom at all. Strapped to his back, two metallic wings extended outward, lined with faint crimson energy veins that pulsed like a heartbeat. The Ven-Drive, roared softly — thrusters releasing bursts of wind and anti-magic energy as he rocketed upward.
The crowd collectively gasped.
"W-what is that thing?!"
"That's not magic!"
"Is he using… an artifact?!"
The nobles were no better. Some leaned forward in alarm, others whispered furiously.
"Unbelievable! That's not part of the test!"
"Blasphemous — using some artifact instead of mana!"
" Where did a peasant got such an artifact?"
But the commoners? They cheered loudly.
"He's flying! Who cares how?!"
"Look at that thing go!"
"That's so cool!"
Asta soared past several startled candidates, waving both arms as he shouted, "Yuno! Look! I'm flying too!"
The younger mages nearby ducked instinctively as he whooshed past, leaving a gust of air that sent several brooms spinning.
From above, Yuno turned his head, his expression calm as ever. His eyes followed Asta's trajectory, the faintest smirk touching his lips.
Around them, the other captains and nobles were either speechless or half-horrified. But one man broke the silence with a chuckle.
"Tch… loud kid's got style," he muttered, then smirked. "Despite the hidden mana control test, the main goal was flight — and that thing's got him flying. So yeah… he passes."
Finral blinked beside him. "Captain, that's… really bending the rules."
Yami shrugged. "So what? The kid's in the air, ain't he?"
The captains nearby exchanged glances, some annoyed, some amused. But up in the royal box, Julius's excitement was practically glowing. His eyes tracked the twin streaks of gold and silver now circling above the arena — Yuno serene and elegant, Asta loud and chaotic.
The Wizard King leaned back with a soft laugh. "Now that," he said, "is what I call a surprise."
Below, the crowd erupted — half laughter, half cheers, the entire arena buzzing with disbelief and energy.
Meanwhile, Nova was staring at Asta with a strange feeling stirring deep in his chest.
…Wait, that sounded way too weird.
He blinked, shaking his head. "Nope, not like that," he muttered under his breath, glancing around just to make sure no one had heard him. The others were too focused on the test to care.
His eyes flicked toward Celise beside him. She was watching the scene with quiet interest, completely unaware of what was about to happen.
A mischievous grin tugged at his lips.
In one smooth, silent motion, Nova's hand slid behind her and gave her pert ass a firm squeeze.
Celise's entire body jolted like she'd been hit with a mild shock spell. Her face went crimson, and she barely stifled a gasp. Before she could even glare properly, Nova had already leaned away, pretending to be utterly absorbed in the ongoing events.
Nova ignored the daggered look she sent his way. Relax, woman. It's just a little mood change, he thought with a smirk.
No, the strange feeling in his chest wasn't about Asta—it was the rush of seeing the story itself shift before his eyes. A turning point in the timeline, one caused by him.
In the original canon, Asta had been mocked mercilessly for not being able to fly. The nobles sneered, the crowd laughed, and the boy had stood alone, defiant but ridiculed.
But now? The entire atmosphere was different.
The commoners stared wide-eyed, whispering in awe. The nobles, on the other hand, had tight jaws and fake smiles, their pride clearly stung.
Nova's lips curved upward. This is it. The butterfly effect in motion. All because of him.
----
Once the roar from the flight test faded, Captain William Vangeance lifted his hand again," The next trial will test your ability to attack with precision and restraint. Before you are enchanted targets. Strike them using your own spells."
A deep rumble followed as the stone floor split open in neat lines. Tall pillars rose from beneath the ground — each marked with glowing runes of protection, ready to absorb incoming spells.
Hundreds of grimoires snapped open at once, filling the field with color and sound. Bolts of fire, shards of ice, blades of wind — mana thundered across the arena in a storm of power.
The crowd gasped and murmured. Some spells fizzled out halfway; others missed completely. But a few shone bright, landing clean and steady.
Then, as the chaos died down, Yuno stepped forward. His golden grimoire hovered beside him, pages fluttering lightly in the breeze.
"Wind Magic: Boreas Lance."
A concentrated spear of wind burst forth — it tore through his target's center, splitting the stone pillar neatly in two before the dust had even settled.
Applause broke through the stands.
" Perfect aim!"
" So effortless…"
" That's the power of a four leaf Clover grimoire."
Even the nobles were impressed, whispering among themselves in reluctant approval.
From the royal balcony, Wizard King Julius Novachrono leaned forward, smiling. "Remarkable. His mana flows as naturally as breathing. He commands it, not forces it."
The King gave a stiff nod. "Hmph. At least one of these peasants doesn't embarrass himself."
Julius only chuckled. "I'd say he's doing more than not embarrassing himself."
The crowd's admiration hadn't even faded when a sudden metallic click echoed through the arena.
Heads turned — and there stood Asta.
The Ven-Drive along his arm shifted with a series of mechanical snaps. Plates folded and locked into a new shape, forming a sleek, black-and-red firearm — long-barreled, compact, faintly glowing with pulsing crimson lines that seemed alive.
The entire field stilled. Even the captains felt it — the faint tug of mana being drawn toward that weapon, the air itself thinning around him.
"What is that?"
"He turned his artifact into a weapon?"
While Nobles and commoners were confused, the real strong people felt something and looked sharply at the weapon.
Yami narrowed his eyes," That thing is absorbing free mana from the air."
Asta aimed the gun with both hands, planting his feet firmly. The runes along the barrel flared bright red as it began to hum — a steady vibration that set the nearest candidates on edge.
For a heartbeat, nothing. Then the weapon let out a low, building whine.
Whirrrr—
The surrounding mana twisted like a current being sucked into a vortex. The gun drank it all in — air, light, mana — compressing it into a single pulse of red-black energy.
Asta grinned. "Alright, let's see you handle this!"
He pulled the trigger.
The gun roared. A single round of condensed anti-magic energy tore through the air, leaving a rippling shockwave behind it. The protective runes on the target flared desperately — then shattered on impact. The blast slammed into the pillar, pulverizing it into dust with a thunderous crack.
For a second, silence ruled the coliseum.
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CHAPTER:- [130 - NOVA GETS LITTLE SERIOUS] IS AVAILABLE ON MY P@TREON