Asta's Adventure

On the arena, many had begun to glance at Asta with a sense of caution. His close ties to the captains made most people refrain from throwing insults his way and instead keep their distance. Among them stood out one individual — the "Great" Sekke Baladin.

— Man, at first I thought it would be a good idea to try and, you know, befriend him, — Sekke muttered, hiding off to the side. — Start taking on challenges with him, make myself look good… But now? Better not take the risk.

---

The second trial began: hitting the wall with magic.

Yuno completed the task with no trouble at all. Noelle followed suit, summoning a water serpent that smashed through the wall with ease.

This surprised members of the Silva family.

— She finally managed to control her mana, — said Solid with visible astonishment.

— It seems that way, — Noxelle added, a faint note of pride in his voice. — She's always had an immense mana pool, but it was untamed. It looks like Noelle has been through a lot while we haven't seen her.

The other captains were equally impressed by Noelle, particularly Charlotte, who observed her with interest.

Yami, however, noticed something else.

— Hey, you creepy stalker, cut it out, — Yami muttered, puffing on his cigarette as his sharp gaze landed on Nozel. — I'm getting uncomfortable just watching you stare at her. Imagine how she feels.

Hearing Yami's remark, Nozel quickly turned his gaze away, though he refused to admit Yami was right.

— Shut up, foreigner, — Nozel snapped irritably.

— That's the best you've got? You've been calling me that for years. At this point, I just feel bad for you — no vocabulary whatsoever.

Realizing that continuing the conversation with Yami would lead nowhere, Nozel decided to simply ignore him.

---

Meanwhile, Asta had drawn his enormous sword and hurled it toward the wall.

Boom!

A massive hole was left in the wall, causing dust to scatter into the air.

— Impressive, — Yami grinned with satisfaction.

— Truly, — agreed several other captains with nods of approval.

However, Vangeance's gaze lingered on Asta's sword, his expression unreadable.

— That sword… — he murmured quietly.

---

The third trial: hitting moving targets.

Once again, Yuno completed the task effortlessly, striking each target with pinpoint accuracy. Noelle also showcased her skill, unleashing controlled blasts of water that struck every target cleanly.

As for Asta, he pulled throwing knives from his grimoire and destroyed all of his targets with equal precision, earning impressed glances from those around him.

Unfortunately, the next two trials didn't allow Asta to shine, as they were entirely focused on mana — something he couldn't use. However, Noelle's performance was exceptional. While she didn't quite match Yuno's results, she was close.

---

Finally, Vangeance, who was acting as the head judge this year, stepped forward to address the participants.

— Now, it is time for the final trial: combat. Battles will be one-on-one. You may choose your own opponent.

The arena immediately descended into chaos as participants rushed around, searching for sparring partners.

While many avoided Asta, Yuno, and Noelle entirely, it didn't take long for someone to challenge them.

Sekke stepped forward to fight Noelle, eager to show off in front of her and the captains.

Meanwhile, Yuno was approached by a noble, whose face twisted in clear disdain at the idea of fighting a commoner.

It seemed Asta would be left without a match, but then a harsh, angry voice rang out behind him:

— Hey, you little runt!

Asta turned around, his hand instinctively tightening around the hilt of his sword.