Azriel quickly got in line and, not long after, was placing his name in the box. Ivan couldn't help but stare at him intently.
"So you're going to fight too…" Ivan's eyes focused on the sword at his waist. "Where did you get that sword, boy?"
Azriel raised his eyes to meet his almost challengingly.
"The blacksmith was going to recycle it, and I ended up buying it from him." Azriel partially unsheathed the sword, revealing a rusty blade.
"Do you know why the blacksmith doesn't make swords himself?" Ivan said in a hoarse voice. "Because real mages don't use that kind of junk!"
Azriel scoffed.
"As far as I know, a mage is someone who uses magic!" Azriel glared back at him fiercely.
"Use a sword to behead an old fool or a blade of wind. It won't matter much once the head is rolling on the ground."
Ivan's eyes narrowed as he stared at the young man before him. The two locked gazes for a long moment.
"Maybe I should take you up on your earlier invitation and step into the ring myself." Ivan's deep, intimidating voice carried with it a sadistic laugh.
Azriel snorted before bursting into laughter.
"Do as you like, just don't complain when you lose."
"..."
The two exchanged glances in silence, both eyes sharp as blades and sparks from their confrontation spread through the air.
"Ha ha hahaha"
Ivan laughed loudly at that before softening his expression.
"I like you, but I doubt you're really that strong." His eyes shifted back to the sword. "The barbarians who used to invade us loved wielding those and their axes."
"Yet we were never able to use them as they did." Ivan sighed. "Magic suits us better. But if you can wield it properly, consider it a rare feat indeed."
"I'll keep that in mind." Azriel said, stepping away as the others watched him with admiration.
"By the way…" Ivan called out again. "Have you seen Igrivild?" he asked.
"That teddy bear of yours? Of course I can spot it from a mile away. Looks huggable." Azriel laughed as he rejoined his group, the crowd now watching him with even more fear.
Some of the young candidates immediately left the line, too afraid of facing him. Others hesitated about the test, wondering if it might be better to go home and try again next year.
"So, boss, what's the plan?" Ion asked as Azriel approached.
"Combat mages, all of us," Azriel said casually as he sat down, resting the sheathed sword on his shoulder.
"Wouldn't it be better to go alone, then?" Simon asked. "A mission of moderate or high difficulty would be enough for that."
"Yes, it would." Azriel looked up at the sky. "But I still want something more… You do know those points can be exchanged for items when we reach the academy, right?"
The two exchanged glances and quickly understood what he meant.
"You really want to play with the forest…" Ion chuckled. "I like it."
"What are we talking about? Six S-rank quests?" Simon swallowed hard just imagining it.
"Yes, six S-rank quests. If there's one harder, we'll take that too. And of course, grab a few easier ones along the way."
Simon nodded as Ivan began drawing names and organizing the tournament brackets.
Azriel coughed, drawing both of their attention.
"Simon, do you know why you lost the fight against Ion?" Azriel asked suddenly.
"No…" Simon looked down, ashamed of himself. "I thought it would be an easier fight, but he completely cornered me."
"His power really is a pain to deal with." Azriel sighed. "If I understood correctly, Edronh's innate ability is to strengthen its user the more damage he takes."
"That's it!" Ion nodded in agreement.
"In that case, the best move would've been a concentrated strike to his head. You should've gone all out from the start."
Simon sighed.
"I didn't think it would be necessary, so I tried to save energy." He blamed himself for a moment.
"And you…" Azriel pointed at Ion.
"Me? But I won!" Ion said in surprise.
"You won, but just barely! After a while you didn't even know what you were doing anymore." Ion scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed.
"Well… I wasn't exactly in my best state…" Azriel laughed.
"Think more before acting, and above all, avoid taking too many hits. Trading blows can work, but it has to be calculated and not reckless."
"Okay, you're right." Ion sighed before sitting down. "I'm still not used to Edronh, and this was the result."
"Of course I'm right. I, the magnificent Azriel, never make mistakes!" He laughed irreverently.
"And you?" Simon asked, sitting down as well. "What's your magic? Do you have physical abilities too?" Azriel thought for a moment before answering.
"I don't like fusing with my familiar. And my physical abilities, well, they're just the result of ordinary training and my cultivation."
Both frowned at him.
"Cultivation should make you smarter, not much stronger." Simon said, looking him up and down.
He couldn't help noticing that Azriel looked bigger and more vigorous than the day before.
"Cultivation can do both." Azriel smiled. "You just have to inject energy into the body instead of the mind."
Simon frowned again before his eyes went unfocused, clearly conversing with Mono.
"I never thought of that…" Simon muttered, intrigued. "I always assumed only the mind could be strengthened, and only leftover mana would reach the body."
"I've never heard of that either," Ion added. "I thought only magic like Edronh's could increase a mage's physique."
From a distance, Ivan listened in, his ears catching the conversation. He couldn't help but laugh at the boys' innocence.
"We really did build a better world… the children don't even know what aura is anymore." Ivan murmured to himself.
Then he pulled two slips of paper from the box.
"Step into the arena! Azriel Twintails and Frederik Derumaux!" Ivan shouted loudly, drawing everyone's attention.
"Lucky me, I'm first." Azriel quickly stood, laughing, and dusted himself off before walking toward the arena.
His opponent did the same, a blond, long-haired young man.
"If I were you, I'd quit now," Frederik said the moment his eyes landed on him. "I'm not like those two clowns." He glanced at Azriel's group.
"I'm a mage from a family of mages, with an adolescent familiar." He immediately summoned his familiar.
A snake with scales like wood and green eyes coiled itself around his entire body, from his feet to his head.
"Wow, scary." Azriel laughed playfully.