When Senju Haruto released the Bankai of his Zanpakutō, the blade vanished.
In its place, seven massive dragons burst forth—each awe-inspiring, their very presence radiating authority without anger. Their colossal bodies coiled through the sky, surging toward Kaecilius and the thirty-plus sorcerers surrounding him.
Even the Ancient One, the Supreme Sorcerer herself, was shaken by the sight.
If she had harbored even the slightest doubt about Haruto's identity before, it was now gone without a trace.
There was no question—Haruto possessed the kind of power only a Supreme Sorcerer could wield.
And more than that… his true strength might actually surpass her own.
"I never imagined Haruto's magical talent could be so terrifying. Even our most gifted—Strange himself—can't compare to this."
The Ancient One's heart surged with waves of disbelief.
What unsettled her most was that Haruto wasn't even straining.
Surrounded by over thirty sorcerers, his eyes carried not a flicker of seriousness.
In his mind, these opponents weren't even enough to make him fight in earnest.
If what he had just unleashed was nothing more than casual strength…
Then what about his trump cards? His ultimate techniques?
The thought alone made the Ancient One's spine prickle with unease.
Yet alongside that unease came relief.
Relief that Haruto had chosen the right path—that he had embraced the light of white magic instead of becoming a pawn of the dark lord Dormammu.
For with Haruto's talent and power, had he sided with darkness… he might have become an enemy even more fearsome than Dormammu himself.
As for the sorcerers watching from all around, they were utterly dumbfounded.
When the seven dragons appeared and began to move, every single one of them had drawn in a sharp breath and gone silent, holding it without realizing.
What they were witnessing went beyond anything they had imagined—beyond everything they thought they knew about magic.
Was this truly sorcery?
Was this really a power that could belong to a human?
Could even the Ancient One herself reach this level?
The answer was obvious.
Even those who had trained in magic from the beginning felt painfully small and ignorant compared to what Haruto had just shown them.
Not a single sorcerer present—not even Kaecilius—could measure up to the scale of this power.
Their spells, their relics… were nothing but fragile toys before the dragons.
In just a single exchange, relics were knocked from hands, spells shattered into fragments.
Every sorcerer was hurled backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing hard into the ground, bones feeling broken, organs shaken.
It was no exaggeration—Haruto had crushed them all with a single move.
And the frightening part was…
He hadn't even shown the true power of his Bankai.
The seven dragons were only a manifestation.
In truth, their essence was seven distinct weapons, much like the Seven Ninja Blades of the Hidden Mist.
But the sorcerers here—Kaecilius included—were far too weak to force Haruto to reveal that form.
Looking at the groaning sorcerers sprawled across the ground, unable to rise, Haruto raised his hand. The seven dragons merged together once more, reforming into his Zanpakutō.
"Is that enough, Ancient One?"
His voice was low, but his gaze locked firmly with hers, unwavering, unflinching.
At this moment, Haruto even seemed to eclipse her in presence—commanding, overwhelming.
Of course, Haruto wasn't blind to what the Ancient One had been doing. He knew she had been testing him, again and again.
He hadn't minded before—those tests were harmless.
But this was the last time.
"No doubt about it—you are a powerful sorcerer," the Ancient One said at last, after a moment of silence. Her eyes met his star-bright gaze, and her voice carried quiet conviction as she acknowledged both his strength and his rightful place.
The other sorcerers in the Mirror Dimension couldn't see the deeper meaning behind her words.
From their perspective, it sounded like the Ancient One was simply recognizing Haruto as someone who had passed the trial.
But even so, it meant he was now qualified to face the final test—whether to leave Kamar-Taj, become a guardian of one of the Sanctums, or remain to continue his training.
"Mm."
Haruto gave a short nod before descending swiftly, landing at the edge of Kamar-Taj's plaza.
At that moment, the familiar voice of the sign-in system whispered in his mind:
Please proceed to New York for your next sign-in!
A reward will be granted upon completion!
"New York?" Haruto murmured to himself.
As someone who had watched Marvel movies in his past life, the name was far from unfamiliar.
If anything, New York was the city at the heart of the Marvel universe.
Countless superheroes had been born there.
The legendary Avengers headquarters stood there.
And one of the three great Sanctums, the New York Sanctum, was located right in its heart.
But of course… every hero needed a villain.
With so many superheroes gathering in New York, it was only natural that villains would rise to match them.
Many Marvel fans joked that New York was the "safest dangerous city" in the world.
"Does this mean there's nowhere left in Kamar-Taj for me to sign in?" Haruto wondered silently.
After all, there were only a few famous locations here—the main temple, the library, the relic vault.
As for the rest, it made sense there wasn't much worth signing in at.
Of course, this was only his speculation. The future would depend on what the system revealed.
From there, things moved quickly.
With Haruto as the first to pass the test and officially become a sorcerer, the Ancient One raised her hands and restored the shattered plaza to its original state.
Then the remaining apprentices stepped forward one by one to challenge the trial.
Aside from Kaguya, whose unique status exempted her from participation, every apprentice tried.
But the conditions were harsh.
Out of over two hundred who attempted, only six managed to pass.
Less than five percent.
The gap was staggering.
And so, once again, everyone present—apprentices and sorcerers alike—found themselves shaken to the core by Haruto's overwhelming power.
Whispers began to spread.
Would Haruto choose to become a Sanctum guardian?
Or… could he be the next Supreme Sorcerer?
And once the idea surfaced, almost everyone found themselves nodding instinctively.
Senju Haruto would one day become the new Supreme Sorcerer of Kamar-Taj.
Not only that…
He might very well be the greatest Supreme Sorcerer in history.