William raised his hand.
[Begin.]
The moment the words hit the air, Rizen dashed forward—fast. Sparks lit up beneath his feet like firecrackers.
"Thunder Fang!"
A streak of lightning burst out of Rizen's grimoire and took the form of a jagged electric blade. He slashed horizontally, aiming for Zura's ribs.
Zura didn't flinch. He leaned back just enough to let the blade miss, the air crackling past his face.
A quick waterball flicked from his fingers—basic, small, but it hit Rizen dead in the chest. Rizen staggered slightly.
'Weak spell… but dense mana. That hurt more than it should've.'
Zura's movements were clean. Sharp. No theatrics. He just walked around Rizen like a shadow, flicking waterballs at angles, forcing him to move, react, defend.
The crowd started murmuring.
"Why is he only using basic water spells?"
"Wait... is he dodging every attack without even enhancing his body?"
Zura didn't say a word. He just kept absorbing. Every time Rizen fired off a new lightning spell—Thunder Net, Shock Arrow, Spark Whip—Zura dodged or deflected, but his eyes locked onto the magic signature, reading it, memorizing it. Absorbing it.
Not once did he cast those spells back. Not once did he break rhythm.
After dodging a wild whip crack, Zura dipped low and fired a spinning waterball into the sand, kicking up a sharp mist cloud. Rizen lost line of sight.
That's when Zura moved.
A blur of motion—he appeared behind Rizen and whispered, "Turn around."
Rizen spun with a charged punch, but Zura caught his wrist mid-air.
"You're too flashy," Zura muttered.
With one hand, he blasted a pressurized water bullet at Rizen's feet. The explosion wasn't deadly—but the force knocked Rizen straight off balance.
Zura didn't stop.
He spun, swept Rizen's legs, and slammed a sharp water strike at his shoulder mid-air. Rizen hit the ground, sparks sputtering from his body.
A silence spread across the arena.
Zura stood above him, calm and unsmiling.
"I win," he said, tone flat.
He turned and walked away as if the whole duel was nothing but a warm-up.
The crowd erupted into applause.
Even the captains leaned forward.
Jack the Ripper cackled. "Now that was clean."
Yami raised a brow. "Huh. Kid's got rhythm."
Charlotte crossed her arms. "That wasn't raw power. That was precision."
Rill whistled. "He didn't even try hard. I like him."
William watched silently, eyes narrowed. He could tell… something was hidden. But he couldn't pinpoint it.
Zura returned to the group, hands back in his pockets, as if nothing happened.
One of the contestants whispered, "What kind of magic style even was that?"
Another replied, "Don't know. But he didn't use a single flashy spell... and still wrecked him."
Zura smirked to himself.
'Got a few spells saved up. Nobody noticed. That's how it should be.'
And just like that, Zura's name echoed across the arena.
No noble background.
No status.
Just skill.
And presence.
The combat tests were over. The dust settled. The crowd buzzed with chatter while the captains took their time noting down names and scribbling on parchment.
One by one, the names of the top participants were called. Those who performed exceptionally got picked instantly. Nobles mostly. But a few commoners too. Some contestants bowed, others celebrated loudly.
Zura stood still among them, his arms folded, his gaze flicking from captain to captain. Calm on the surface. But inside, his heart beat fast. Not from nervousness.
From excitement.
He had already decided. Black Bull was his squad. He didn't care who offered him what. He wanted Yami. The chaotic, unpredictable bastard of the Clover Kingdom. That was Zura's energy.
He glanced around casually, trying to find Noelle in the crowd.
"Where the hell is she?" he wondered. She said she would be there.
More names were called.
Some got offers from multiple squads. Some got none. Zura could feel the tension building.
Then—
[Zura!]
The announcer's voice echoed across the arena.
Zura stepped forward, hands still in pockets.
The captains whispered among themselves. And then, the offers came in:
Golden Dawn. Crimson Lion. Coral Peacock.
Three glowing sigils lit up in front of Zura, signifying their offers.
The crowd gasped. A few murmurs of respect, some disbelief.
But Zura?
He stood frozen.
No Black Bull.
No Yami.
"...That wasn't part of the plan," he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing.
He looked toward the captains' stand again. Still no sign of Yami. He was there before the final test started.
"He better not be taking a dump again..." Zura muttered.
The announcer cleared his throat. "Zura, please step forward and make your decision."
Zura didn't move.
The crowd whispered. Some began laughing softly.
"What's he doing?" "Who does he think he is?"
Zura sighed. "Guess I'll wait a little more."
He turned to the announcer and said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "I'll pass."
Gasps echoed across the arena.
The captains blinked.
"Did he just… turn down all three squads?"
"Tch. Arrogant brat."
"Fool. Who does he think he is?"
"He's throwing away a shot at Golden Dawn?"
Zura smirked. "If I don't get the squad I want, then it's not worth it."
Just then—
BOOM!
A loud crash echoed from above. A black mass descended from the sky like a meteor, crashing into the arena ground with a small quake. Dust flew everywhere.
The crowd went silent.
When the dust settled, a man stood in the crater, cigarette between his lips, his robe fluttering.
"Yo. Sorry I'm late. Took a wrong turn near the bar," Yami Sukehiro said, scratching his head.
Zura's lips curled into a grin.
"Fucking finally."
Yami glanced around, then looked at Zura. "Huh? Who are you?"
Zura shrugged. "I want to join the black bulls."
Yami smirked. "You've got balls. I like that. You're in."
He hadn't even seen Zura's final test and still agreed to let him join.
'Oh man, this is going to be so so fun!'
Another wave of gasps followed.
The other captains looked annoyed, some chuckled. The crowd? Lost it.
Zura walked up to Yami and stood next to him.
"Welcome to Black Bull, kid," Yami said. "Don't make me regret it."
"You won't. I'll make sure of it."