The first time I saw it, I expected to be unimpressed.
But even after more than a thousand years of life, the Royal Capital was still a spectacle wide marble streets, golden towers, and magic flowing through every inch of its ornate infrastructure.
Humans had come far. Not as far as devils, but far enough.
"WHOA!" Asta yelled, his face practically glued to every building. "This place is HUGE!"
Yuno barely acknowledged the scenery, his eyes locked forward calm, collected.
We reached a large building near the central square. A registrar waited outside under a wide stone archway.
"Next!" the clerk called.
One by one, we stepped forward, presenting our grimoires.
Yuno's four-leaf drew murmurs. Asta's five-leaf got confused glances. Mine?
Just a dusty, cracked three-leaf grimoire.
"Adam Malek," I told the registrar. "Quake magic."
She nodded and scribbled it down, uninterested. That was fine by me.
---
A few hours later
I split off from Asta and Yuno before the exams began.
We didn't need to enter as a group. I had seen enough.
Now, it was time to see what the Clover Kingdom's next generation really looked like… and how much of it needed to be wiped away someday.
---
Magic Knights Entrance Exam Arena
The coliseum was massive. Dozens of hopefuls stood in lines, buzzing with nervous chatter.
It was quite entertaining with all the anti magic birds. Seeing on one side ,Asta swarmed by them with one being particularly aggressive and sometimes glancing in my direction. And on the other side Yunos and me without any of them.
It was also quite funny seeing Asta running into Yami Sukehiro and being lifted up.
---
Above us, the Magic Knight Captains floated in seats of stone and spell. Each one radiated power and personality from the quiet menace of Fuegoleon Vermillion, to the aloof brilliance of William Vangeance, and the twitchy indifference of Yami Sukehiro who had gotten back up from harassing Asta.
One in particular Nozel Silva glared at everyone as if we were insects.
He would never pick me. That was fine.
My eyes flicked across the crowd sizing up power levels, auras, personalities.
Rill looked excited.
Jack looked hungry.
Dorothy was asleep.
Charlotte... was glaring at Yami.
I cracked my neck.
Let the games begin.
---
Test 1: Broom Flight
Simple. Everyone hopped on enchanted brooms and tried to fly.
I stood still until the very end, letting the others struggle.
Asta, of course, couldn't even lift off. He face-planted with a yell.
Yuno, in contrast, soared like a bird—drawing admiration from above.
My turn.
I placed a hand on the broom, then tapped into vibration magic instead of wind.
The broom vibrated so fast, it hovered effortlessly beneath me.
I casually drifted into the air, hands in my pockets.
The captains didn't say anything, but I saw Yami smirk.
---
Test 2: Target Destruction
Huge stone dummies lined the field.
Magic users blasted them with spells.
Some exploded. Others cracked.
Yuno obliterated his target with a sharp cyclone. Asta, predictably, ran at his and smashed it with raw strength and his sword.
I stepped up.
One hand forward. A pulse of mana.
BOOM.
A shockwave of invisible force rippled through the air. My target shattered into dust.
Gasps echoed.
"what was that?" someone whispered.
I turned, pretending not to hear.
The captains were starting to take notice.
---
Test 3: Combat Duels
Now came the fun part.
Dozens of us squared off in one-on-one matches.
I watched from the back as Asta was paired with a smug guy in green armor, Sekke Bronzazza.
"What a loser," Sekke muttered. "I'll finish you in one move."
He didn't.
Asta charged and knocked him flat with one swing of his anti-magic broadsword, earning a wild cheer from Yami, who nearly dropped his cigarette laughing.
Yuno's match was smooth and elegant. A single sweep of wind, and his opponent surrendered.
Then came my turn.
"Adam Malek vs. Grigg Rovel."
Some Earth mage with a square jaw and too much confidence.
"Hope you're ready to eat dirt," he growled.
I didn't speak.
He launched a stone spear. I flicked my fingers.
A wave of vibrations burst from the ground and rippled through his magic, shattering it.
Grigg screamed as the shockwave launched him into the air, spinning like a doll. He crashed several meters back, groaning.
Silence followed.
Then a single comment from Fuegoleon:
"Refined. Controlled. Interesting."
And from Yami:
"…Nasty hit. I like this kid."
I smirked slightly.
---
After the Exams
We stood in a long row, many nervously waiting as the captains made their offers.
Yunos was called and every captain raised their hand but...
"Yuno." William Vangeance stood. "Come to Golden Dawn."
Yuno nodded without hesitation.
Then Asta came up no body raised their hand.
Then Asta and Yami had a bit of a back and forth conversation until.
"Asta!" Yami shouted, laughing. "Come to the Black Bulls, brat."
Asta didn't hesitat, beamed and shouted, "YES, SIR!"
Yuno smirked quietly.
Then… my turn.
"Adam Malek," the announcer called.
Eight hands rose.
Every captain except Nozel Silva.
Even Charlotte raised hers, eyes scanning me with analytical curiosity.
I didn't hesitate.
"I choose… Black Bull."
A few captains blinked in surprise. Fuegoleon frowned. Rill looked disappointed.
But Yami grinned.
"Oh? We got a fancy quake mage, huh? Hope you're not too uptight, kid."
I walked over calmly, joining Asta.
He looked shocked. "YOU GOT EIGHT OFFERS?!"
I shrugged. "Guess people like vibration magic."
Yami lit a cigarette. "He's either humble… or full of crap. Either way, welcome to the madhouse."
---
Later
As we headed toward the Black Bull base, Asta was practically bouncing in place.
Yuno had already flown off with his squad.
"Why'd you choose Black Bull?" Asta asked me. "You coulda gone anywhere!"
I stared up at the stars for a moment.
"Because I don't want to be bored."
He blinked.
I smiled faintly. "You seem like someone who drags trouble around like a shadow. I want front row seats."
Asta laughed. "Hey, I do cause a lot of trouble, don't I?"
He had no idea how right he was.
I looked down at my grimoire as we walked.
Fake on the surface. Real beneath.
And within it: storms, quakes, eruptions, and death.
The Devil of Disaster… hiding in plain sight.