Yami's gaze, and his meaningful smile, made Ryoma's heart skip a beat.
He hadn't expected that a fleeting thought of his would be so keenly caught by that rough man.
This man, known as the Destruction God, possessed a perception ability through his "ki" that was far more terrifying than Ryoma had imagined.
Fortunately, the other party seemed to find it merely interesting and had no intention of delving deeper.
Ryoma secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"You were too calm just now." Yuno walked over, a hint of lingering fear in his tone.
Even he had felt immense pressure from that terrifying aura just now. But Ryoma had remained unfazed the entire time, without a ripple of emotion on his face.
He, of course, knew this was a "famous scene," a crucial plot point for Asta's joining the squad, so nothing serious could truly happen. However, there was no need, nor any way, to explain this to Yuno.
—
On the other side, behind the arena.
Yami instantly transformed from the man radiating terrifying killing intent back into his usual listless, lazy self. He simply had no interest in watching this entrance exam.
"Captain!"
Finral, unable to contain his curiosity, leaned over and asked in a low voice, "What were you looking at just now?"
Yami had been about to leave, then suddenly turned back to look at something unknown.
Yami didn't turn around, pulling another cigarette from his pocket and putting it in his mouth. He didn't light it, just bit the filter with his teeth, a mischievous smile on his lips.
"Someone's taken a liking to you."
"Eh?!"
Finral's eyes instantly lit up, and he became radiant. He quickly straightened his collar, a self-absorbed and expectant expression on his face.
"Really?! Which lovely lady is it? Is she pretty? What's her figure like?"
"..."
Yami slowly turned his head, scrutinizing Finral from head to toe with an extremely peculiar gaze.
That look made Finral's heart pound, and the smile on his face gradually stiffened.
"C-Captain... why are you looking at me like that?"
"Hard to say..." Yami grinned, revealing a chilling smile.
...
Center of the arena.
"Ouch... What terrible luck."
Asta got up from the ground, rubbing his head and sighing over his recent unfortunate encounter.
Just then—
"Fuhha!"
A slightly frivolous voice sounded beside him.
Asta turned his head and saw a man giving him what he thought was a cool smile.
"Are you alright? What terrible luck to anger Captain Yami of the Black Bulls right off the bat."
The man pointed a finger at Asta and introduced himself proactively, "I'm Sekke, Sekke Bronzazza! Nice to meet you! Fuhha!"
"I'm Asta. Nice to meet you."
Although Asta found the man's catchphrase and laugh a bit strange, he still responded in a straightforward manner.
However, neither of them noticed Ryoma nearby, who was looking at the man named Sekke with the gaze one would reserve for a clown.
Clang!
Clang!
Just then, a series of metallic footsteps echoed from the passage behind the high platform.
The sound seemed to carry some kind of magic, instantly silencing the entire noisy arena.
All the examinees' gazes were involuntarily drawn to it.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, seven figures slowly emerged from the shadows of the passage and ascended to the high platform. Each of them wore magnificent cloaks embroidered with different insignia.
The seven Magic Knight Squad Captains took their seats on the high platform, in the chairs symbolizing their leadership.
Immediately after, Golden Dawn Squad Captain William Vangeance and Black Bulls Squad Captain Yami Sukehiro also appeared on the high platform.
At this point, all nine Magic Knight Squad Captains of the Clover Kingdom were in place.
"It's... the Magic Knight Squad Captains!"
"Oh my! All nine Magic Knight Squad Captains have appeared."
After a brief silence, the crowd erupted into exclamations and discussions more fervent than ever before.
"Silver Eagle! Crimson Lion! Green Mantis! Aqua Deer!"
"And the strongest Golden Dawn!"
"I wish I could join Golden Dawn. Even Silver Eagle would be great."
The examinees' faces were flushed with excitement. They gazed up at the nine figures on the high platform, their eyes filled with fervent admiration and longing.
Those nine individuals represented the nation's top fighting power. They were beings who stood at the pinnacle of all Magic Knights.
And they were... the closest to the Wizard King's throne.
Asta and Yuno likewise looked up at these legendary figures, their hearts shaken as never before.
A flame called aspiration burned fiercely in their chests.
"Those are... the Squad Captains."
Asta murmured, his fists unconsciously clenching.
"Fuhha! You're scared by their aura, aren't you?"
Sekke, seeing Asta's inexperienced look, showed a hint of superiority on his face and began to introduce them proactively. His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for everyone around to hear.
"The one with the coldest expression is Nozel Silva, the Captain of Silver Eagle."
"Next to him is Fuegoleon Vermillion, captain of Crimson Lion. Just like the squad name 'Crimson,' he uses fire magic."
"That fierce-looking one who seems like a bad guy is Jack the Ripper, captain of Green Mantis. His Slash Magic is said to cut through anything."
"But mantises or whatever, forget it. Bugs just sound disgusting. Fuhha!"
"Wow! Look! That's Lady Charlotte Roselei, Captain of Blue Rose. She truly is a renowned beauty."
Sekke's gaze lingered on Charlotte for a long time before he reluctantly moved it away.
"Captain of Purple, Gueldre... Hmm, that's it." His tone was flat, clearly indicating he had no affection for him.
Ryoma knew perfectly well that Gueldre was a mercenary, had a poor reputation among all the Magic Knight Squads, and even frequently embezzled and resold national treasure-class magic tools.
"And the one always sleeping is Dorothy Unsworth, captain of Coral Peacock. I heard she sleeps all day long."
"Then there's Rill Boismortier, Captain of Aqua Deer. Fuhha! I heard he is only nineteen years old. The youngest Captain in the Magic Knight Squads."
"What?! N-Nineteen?!"
This information, like a bolt of lightning, instantly struck Asta.
He widened his eyes, pointed at Rill on the high platform, and excitedly shouted, "Only four years older than us?! That means becoming the Wizard King won't take much longer."
To Asta's bold pronouncement, Sekke actually responded with a laugh, "Fuhha! Your ambition is grand."
However, while he said that, he was probably inwardly scoffing wildly.
Finally, Sekke's gaze fell upon the masked man in the very center, and his tone became incredibly reverent.
"And that esteemed individual is the universally acknowledged strongest candidate for the next Wizard King. The man who leads the strongest Magic Knight Squad, Golden Dawn — William Vangeance."
Ryoma quietly listened to Sekke, a subtle curve appearing on his lips.
This guy named Sekke truly had more tricks up his sleeve than usual.
From the exam registration to anti-birds' mana measurement, he had probably been eyeing Asta. He was close to Yuno, who had a four-leaf grimoire, and apparently had very low mana.
So, he was now actively approaching Asta, this "soft target," to befriend him.
His purpose was self-evident. It was nothing more than wanting to invite Asta to be his opponent in the final battle grouping.
By easily defeating Asta, he could highlight his own "excellence" and thus leave a deep impression on the Squad Captains.
Ryoma looked at Sekke's face, plastered with a fake smile, and had only one thought.
This guy was no longer just an ordinary experience package. He was a moving experience package that would clean himself and actively jump into your bowl.
As everyone had their own thoughts, on the high platform, William slowly stepped forward.
The entire arena instantly fell silent.