Facing Asta, who was attacking with his greatsword, Ryoma tapped his toe and immediately floated backward.
He instantly created a distance of over ten meters, while his mind raced, rapidly analyzing the battle.
His gaze swept quickly across the surrounding environment.
The uneven ground, scattered rocks, and... a shallow puddle formed a few days ago by the rain.
Got it!
Seeing Asta adjust his posture and charge again with a low growl, a meaningful curve appeared on Ryoma's lips.
He no longer condensed ice walls, nor did he try to attack Asta himself with ice cones, nor did he touch that demon-slayer sword.
Magic power spread silently beneath his feet.
Just as Asta's muscles exploded and he stepped into the puddle, the surface of that damp ground instantly congealed into an extremely slippery sheet of ice.
Under the mottled light and shadows in the forest, this ice surface was almost transparent, imperceptible to the naked eye.
"What?!"
Asta's attention was completely locked on Ryoma, the strange sensation from beneath his feet making his mind go blank. All his strength was pushing him forward, yet his feet lost all grip.
"Waaah!"
He let out a cry of surprise, frantically twisting his waist and abdomen, trying to stabilize himself with his powerful core strength. But under Ryoma's subtle guidance of magic power, the huge inertia carried his body, making him spin comically like a top. Finally, he stumbled and completely lost control.
His greatsword flew out of his hand.
Clang!
The demon-slayer sword plunged deep into the grass a few meters away, its hilt still humming.
Asta himself landed on his backside, dazed and seeing stars.
Good opportunity!
A sharp glint flashed in Ryoma's eyes, but he wasn't in a hurry to pursue.
He waved one hand, using a gentle cold wind to scoop up a few fallen leaves by his feet.
They lightly drifted down in front of Asta, who had just steadied himself but was still a little dizzy.
Asta, who had just regained his footing, had his vision instantly obscured.
At the same time, Ryoma turned and shouted loudly to Yuno, who looked surprised on the other side, "Yuno! Asta is easier to deal with now! This is a great chance to defeat Asta!"
This shout, like a precise probe, instantly pricked Asta's most sensitive nerve.
All his attention immediately shifted from Ryoma to his long-standing rival who had always suppressed him.
"Damn it! Yuno! I'm coming!"
Asta, as expected, fell for the trick and let out a roar.
He even forgot to pick up his sword and charged at Yuno bare-handed.
It was only after Asta had lunged a few steps that he suddenly realized his hands were empty.
"Idiot!"
Seeing this, Yuno's lips curled slightly, and his four-leaf grimoire shone brightly, preparing to use wind magic to sweep this brainless guy out of the arena.
However, just as Yuno's magic was about to take form, Ryoma, who had been standing outside the battle circle, finally bared his fangs.
He slowly brought his hands together in front of his chest, and a surge of magic power, far more immense and pure than before, erupted.
Ice Blossom Storm!
A miniature storm, filled with countless sharp ice crystal petals and biting cold air, suddenly formed around him.
This storm did not spread outwards. Instead, under his terrifying control, it was compressed, constricted, and then re-condensed. Finally, the whirlwind condensed into a pale torrent, roaring like a dragon, and charged straight into the center of the battlefield.
Its target was precise.
It was Asta and Yuno, who were about to collide.
The core of the storm instantly engulfed both of them.
Ryoma had deliberately reined in most of its power, but the storm's characteristics remained.
"This is...!"
Yuno's expression changed. His wind magic was torn to shreds in this more violent, chaotic storm filled with ice elemental power, making it difficult to maintain his balance.
Asta, on the other hand, was in even more distress. Countless tiny ice crystal petals scraped against his skin, bringing waves of cold stinging pain.
More importantly, the bone-chilling cold quickly made his powerful physique stiff and sluggish, as if his blood was about to freeze.
"So... so cold..."
Asta shivered, still trying to push forward with sheer willpower, but his movements were distorted, like a slow-motion replay.
Seeing that both of them were struggling to move in the storm, one's magic suppressed and the other's body frozen, Ryoma snapped his fingers with satisfaction.
Snap.
The raging Ice Blossom Storm instantly subsided, as if it had never appeared.
Only two figures remained, covered in white frost, with snow-white hair and eyebrows, looking somewhat disheveled like snowmen.
And a small area of surrounding vegetation, completely covered in ice crystals and shimmering with a cold light.
"I lost."
Yuno brushed off the frost, regained his footing, and looked up at Ryoma, his tone carrying an undisguised sense of frustration.
But a loss was a loss. He wouldn't make excuses for himself, and he also knew that Ryoma was inherently stronger than them.
It seemed he still needed to work harder.
Asta, meanwhile, shivered, staring at Ryoma with a look mixed with admiration and unwillingness.
"Ryoma... you... you're still so strong."
It was still early. Yuno hadn't yet comprehended any magic, and the power he used with the grimoire's enhancement was ultimately not as potent as proper magic recorded within the grimoire.
Of course, this was only true for mages of the same level.
Yuno's talent was indeed excellent. He had only just received his grimoire, and the storm and wind blades he had just used subtly possessed a special charm. It seemed it wouldn't be long before he learned his first magic.
"Yuno, let's fight again! We haven't decided a winner yet!"
Asta, having recovered from the frost and retrieved the demon-slayer sword, roared at Yuno.
Originally, it was a battle between Asta and Yuno, but due to Ryoma's interference, it almost turned into a free-for-all.
"It's over."
Yuno crossed his arms, coldly mocking, "And you can't beat me."
Asta roared loudly, "Ah! What are you talking about?! I won't lose to you!"
Ryoma naturally stepped back a few paces, covering his ears as he did so.
As expected of the Roaring Emperor, that voice was truly something else.
Even Yuno, despite frequently experiencing Asta's roaring service, couldn't help but frown.
He waved his hand, generating a gust of wind that swept towards Asta. However, this time, Asta, holding the demon-slayer sword, easily dispersed the strong wind.
"Yuno, you actually ambushed me!" Asta looked at Yuno with a dissatisfied expression.
"Too noisy."
Yuno glanced at Asta, then turned his gaze to Ryoma and spoke, "I'll catch up to you."
With that, Yuno waved his hand and walked towards the church.
Seeing Yuno leave like that, Asta shouted, "I'm going to keep training too! I definitely won't lose to you guys!"
Asta then ran off, carrying that greatsword.
The Magic Knight Squad selection trials were just a few months away.
For Yuno and Asta, who wanted to become the Wizard King, they didn't want to miss this opportunity and were both working hard for it.
However, if it weren't for Yami, Asta would have only returned disappointed.