"A Demon God? That monster the First Magic Emperor defeated in legends?"
"Haha, don't joke around, how could that be possible?"
Voices of doubt rose from the crowd.
"Let's not even talk about whether such a monster exists. Since it was vanquished, there should be traces or news of its appearance, right? Why have we never heard of it until now? It's clearly fake news."
"Exactly... Maybe he has some strength, or maybe a noble background, but in any case, vanquishing a Demon God is too far-fetched."
The person who exposed Bai En's information did not argue much in the face of numerous doubts, merely stating, "I only heard about it," before sullenly backing down.
Bai En's appearance naturally caught the attention of Asta and Yuno.
Asta excitedly stepped forward: "Haha, isn't this Bai En? Did you see our performance at the Star Festival? Yuno and I have now left you far behind!"
"But don't be discouraged, after all, I'm the man who will become the Wizard King, so losing to me is perfectly normal."
Compared to Asta's excitement, Yuno's expressionless face suddenly creased into a frown: 'Bai En... I can barely sense his magic... Even if he's not using magic, there should still be magic fluctuations around him. He's not Asta, is he? What's going on?'
'And there's a faint, elusive sense of danger about him...'
Just as Bai En was about to reply to Asta, a loud voice echoed from the viewing platform above the arena. An amplification magic tool clearly broadcast the Wizard King's voice throughout the entire arena.
Everyone looked up in unison. It was the Wizard King, Julius, making his entrance just in time, accompanied by his Imperial Knight, the mushroom-haired Marx Francois.
"Thank you all for gathering here!"
The Wizard King cut straight to the chase: "Now, let the Royal Knights Squad selection exam begin!"
"Wait..."
A figure holding a golden staff emerged from the corridor, interrupting the Wizard King Julius. It was King A. Kira Globa XIII, the King of the Clover Kingdom.
"I shall announce the contents of the exam!" He stroked the mustache above his upper lip, self-recommending: "I am the noble royalty!"
'Heh heh... For me to regain popularity among the citizens, please all unleash your full power.'
Julius did not stop him.
"Ahem~ This exam is a team battle! A crystal destruction elimination match!" King A. Kira Globa XIII waved his staff, and an irregular white crystal floated out from behind him.
"This is the Magic Crystal to be destroyed!"
"The rules are simple: while protecting your own Magic Crystal placed within the area, the first team to destroy the enemy's Magic Crystal wins. If neither team destroys the other's within the 30-minute time limit, the team with more destruction wins."
"Hmm, adopting this method... is... that..."
King A. Kira Globa XIII began to stammer, having forgotten what he was supposed to say next.
'That despicable Julius... only telling me the purpose and content of the selection exam last night, causing me to be unprepared and forget my lines... Now this...'
Seeing the situation, the Wizard King Julius kindly took over King A. Kira Globa XIII's unfinished words: "In the battle against Midnight Sun, various teams need to cooperate. To test the necessary coordination in such situations..."
"And the strategic thinking that goes beyond mere brute force, we believe this exam is the most suitable method. Plus, it feels like we'll get to see many types of magic beyond just offensive ones."
"Now, let's announce the teams!"
As soon as his words fell, a team roster projected by projection magic appeared in the air of the circular arena.
Bai En scanned for his name... This roster seemed different from the original plot. His teammates were—Mimosa Vermillion, Gosen... Nancy... went to Asta's team... X did not appear on the list, which also meant Captain Rill did not participate in this Royal Knights Squad selection exam.
As he was pondering, a black figure descended from the air beside the Wizard King Julius. He casually placed his hand on the Wizard King's shoulder, greeting everyone: "Sorry, sorry~"
"I'm late, but surely our Wizard King can forgive a little tardiness, right?"
"Oh, right, I'm Zax Rugner. Please take care of me."
"Zax Rugner?!" Asta, who was scanning the teammate list below, shouted out, "Isn't that my teammate for this selection exam?"
Zora, disguised as Zax Rugner, patted Julius's shoulder, explaining his reason for being late: "Oh dear~ There was an old lady who got lost, and as a Magic Knight, of course I had to help her! That's why I'm late, sorry!"
"Impertinent fool, get out of the way!"
Marx's palm condensed blue magic, and a magic orb instantly shot out. Zora sidestepped, falling from the platform, and coincidentally dodged Marx's attack.
"Whoa, whoa, that was dangerous! Why did you suddenly attack? What if I got hurt?"
"What are you doing?!"
"You're not only late but also arrogant!"
Zora, who had landed in the crowd, was pointed at by everyone, and a buzzing sound rose again and again.
But Zora didn't take it seriously. He picked at his ear and muttered to himself: "Ah ah~ It seems everyone respects the Wizard King..."
"But listen up, I don't really respect him, so don't force your values on me!"
With that, he turned and walked towards Asta, extending his hand: "Anyway, it seems you and I are on the same team, so let's get along well."
"Oh..."
Asta, who also greatly respected the Wizard King, unhappily extended his hand to shake Zora's. But just as their hands were about to meet, Asta abruptly pulled his hand back.
"There seems to be something in your hand? What is that? A bug?"
"Huh? Really? You actually found it? This is the second failure today. Has this scare tactic stopped working? I guess I need to improve it next time."
Zora apologized, "Oh, sorry, sorry~ It seems to be just a bug."
Smiling, he looked at Asta. Suddenly, Zora froze for a moment, his body instinctively stepping back. 'Whoa, whoa, what's with that expression?'
'It's like he sees right through me.'
'What's this kid's deal? Are all the guys in the capital like this?'
...