William Vangeance's figure stood there silently, yet he became the center of the entire arena.
His face, hidden by a golden feather mask, made his expression unreadable, yet he exuded a gentle yet majestic aura.
Lorne also looked at him, but with a deeper sense of gravity than others.
This man was far from as simple as he appeared on the surface.
"All examinees!"
"Thank you for waiting. I will be presiding over this exam."
William Vangeance offered no further specific explanations, merely slowly raised his right hand and opened his grimoire.
"Magic Tree Descent!"
As he spoke, a vibrant green light surged from him and his grimoire.
The sky above the entire arena was instantly enveloped by a vast, suffocating magical power!
The clear sky instantly became overcast, and winds howled.
From the dark clouds above, a vibrant green light, interspersed with golden rays, burst forth.
Thick magical vines grew at a visible, insane speed!
They intertwined and coiled, forming a colossal, sky-obscuring giant tree over the arena in mere breaths!
However, this was not the end.
Countless slender branches grew from the thick trunk, extending like agile vines precisely to each examinee.
Immediately after, at the end of the branches, magic began to gather, finally condensing into uniform magic brooms that gently landed in everyone's hands.
Not one more, not one less, perfectly corresponding to every examinee present.
This scene was deeply etched into the minds of everyone present.
Shock!
Unparalleled shock!
Lorne also looked up at the giant magic tree. This was not just a grand display of power, but also an extremely subtle control of magic!
Moreover, this magic was not fully unleashed; it merely conjured magic brooms before dissipating.
"So... so powerful..."
Asta looked up, witnessing this astonishing scene.
Yuno also had a solemn expression. Though confident, he still felt William's immense power.
Lorne looked at William Vangeance on the high platform, his mind racing.
In the Clover Kingdom, a Magic Knight's rank is primarily measured by their achievements, or the number of "stars."
But this system reflects contribution more than pure combat power.
In contrast, Lorne preferred the "Domain Stage" system used by the Heart Kingdom and Spade Kingdom.
That system divides the strength of Mages, from weakest to strongest, into nine domains to zero domains, a total of ten levels.
Under this system, there is also a special "Nether Domain," representing Mages who have mastered extremely unique magic.
According to Lorne's estimation, the nine Magic Knight Squad Captains present should all have reached the "One Domain" level.
And William Vangeance, the man hailed as the closest to the Magic Emperor, his strength had probably reached the peak of One Domain, possibly even touching the threshold of "Zero Domain."
Furthermore... Lorne knew very well that another soul resided within this man's body.
That was Patry, the leader of the terrifying organization "Eye of the Midnight Sun," who hated the Clover Kingdom and was bent on its destruction.
Moreover, these two souls could communicate and actively switch, making William Vangeance an extremely dangerous and unstable "ticking time bomb."
As Lorne pondered, William Vangeance's gentle voice resounded again, echoing throughout the arena.
"And now, the Magic Knight Squad entrance exam officially begins."
"Next, you will undergo several assessments."
"Then, we, the nine Magic Knight Squad Captains, will review and each select the talents we desire."
He paused, then continued:
"Being chosen by a Magic Knight Squad Captain means joining the squad."
"If multiple Captains choose you simultaneously, the choice will be yours. Conversely, if no Captain chooses you, you will not be eligible to join the Magic Knight Squad."
William's words made many people's hearts tighten. After all, the final decision rested with the Captains; they had to hope the Captains would notice them.
"For the first test, I want you to fly on these brooms."
No sooner had he spoken than the Magic Knight of the Golden Dawn behind William gracefully mounted his broom and was carried steadily into the air, demonstrating for everyone.
"Then, the test begins!"
With a command, the examinees began to try.
Some appeared adept, easily mounting their brooms and flying up.
Others seemed flustered; either their brooms wouldn't obey, or they would fly up for a short while only to plummet, drawing laughter from the surroundings.
After all, magic brooms were not cheap, and most examinees present had little to no experience with them.
Such a test could instantly reveal a Mage's talent.
Lorne looked at the broom before him without the slightest hesitation.
He didn't even straddle it; with a light tap of a single foot, the broom seemed to gain sentience, steadily supporting his body and slowly ascending.
The entire process was fluid, with not a single trace of magical power leaking, demonstrating his far-beyond-ordinary magic control.
He didn't rush to show off like others, merely flying at a moderate height, leisurely observing the performance of others.
Just then, a figure shot past him like a cannonball, soaring straight into the sky!
It was Yuno!
He wasn't riding the broom like the others, but stood steadily on the broom's wooden handle with his arms crossed, looking composed.
His figure cut elegant arcs through the air.
"So... so amazing!"
"Is he a genius chosen by the four-leaf clover?"
Yuno's performance attracted everyone's attention, even the Captains on the high platform cast their gaze upon him.
Undoubtedly, Yuno's performance was the most dazzling of all!
However, where there is light, there must be darkness.
While the vast majority of examinees were already flying unsteadily, one person still stood alone in the center of the arena.
Asta.
He clutched the broom tightly with both hands, his face flushed, using all his strength to try and make the broom move even a little.
However, the broom, made of pure magic, was no different from an ordinary piece of wood in his hands; it remained motionless.
This performance also attracted the attention of the Captains on the platform, as in their eyes, even the least talented could at least float slightly.
They probably couldn't imagine that Asta's body actually contained not a single trace of magic.
A magic tool that required magic to operate was undoubtedly useless to Asta!
Around him, the examinees who had already flown up cast curious glances, mixed with undisguised ridicule and disdain.
"This is too funny!"
"Alright, one eliminated so quickly!"
"By the way, why is that guy even here?"
Sekke, riding his broom, circled above Asta, looking down at him with a falsely concerned smile.
"Hey, hey, this is really simple, just try to relax a bit!"
He said this, but inwardly, he was overjoyed.
It was just as he expected; this guy who hung around with the four-leaf clover boy was a complete pushover!
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