76. Ultimate Class Magician Examination.

Rudiger's POV

It's been two months since I met with Sir Akatsuki. Since then, my son has completely recovered. He's like a normal kid now, playing outside with others. He doesn't have to stay cooped up in his room all the time, waiting for his death.

I've also put him under strict supervision with a teacher to help him use his sacred gear safely. I still can't believe this all happened. I thought I would lose him.

First with Sir Dulio, and now with Sir Akatsuki. When I sent that letter to headquarters, I never expected Sir Dulio to come just a few days later and meet my son.

He's the kindest exorcist I've ever encountered. If the other exorcists were like him, we wouldn't be stuck in these pointless conflicts.

After our meeting, a month later, Sir Akatsuki appears to have launched those soul-nourishing potions, but of lower quality on his website. I even vouched for the potions myself.

Today, I've gathered all the major magician organizations so that he and Lady Izayoi can take the Ultimate Class exam. It wasn't easy to assemble all the Ultimate Class Magicians as examiners, especially since these exams rarely occur.

We had to wait for all the examiners from different organizations to become available. I did my best to expedite the process. It took nearly two months, and I suspect some individuals were making excuses to delay once they knew who was taking the exam today. Nevertheless, the exam is finally happening.

"I never thought you would be the one to gather us here today," said Mephistopheles as he took his place beside me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"It just happened," I replied.

"Tanin has been eager to meet him for some time now. I've been wanting to arrange a meeting myself. Today might be a good opportunity to chat after the exam. I also heard about your son. Congratulations," said Mephistopheles.

"Thanks," I replied. It was probably obvious to everyone by now who had helped my son. The others also took their place and congratulated me.

"Is he really Akatsuki? Don't you have any other information about him aside from these?" asked MacGregor Mathers, another fellow devil, looking at the papers provided by my organization.

"That's all we have on him," I replied with a smile.

"And what about the other girl? Isn't she the one who's always seen with him? So, her name is Sakuya Izayoi," added Mephistopheles.

"They haven't provided details like age or anything else. Do they think becoming an Ultimate Class Magician is easy? Can they even use magic? Using the abilities of his sacred gear isn't part of the test," remarked Markus Ambrosius discontentedly and mockingly, focusing on Sir Akatsuki on the panel.

Sir Akatsuki was situated in an abandoned cityscape, required to demonstrate at least one new type of magic capable of affecting the entire city to earn the Ultimate Class Magician Certificate.

I shot a glance at the magician serving the Pendragon Family. He used Merlin's title, akin to how the Pendragons used Arthur Pendragon's title, though he had no blood relation to Merlin himself; the title alone was his claim to fame.

But was this idiot really serious? Did he not witness both of them using largescale Time Magic several times in those videos? That alone was something not even an Ultimate Class Magician could achieve so easily.

Did he underestimate the difficulty of using Time Magic on such a large scale, or was he simply deluding himself with his namesake?

"He won't be using the abilities from his sacred gear, I believe. Enough talking for now. Let's focus on the exam," said Mephistopheles, noticing my glare at Markus.

"Yes, we shouldn't delay any longer. Lord Rosenkreutz, you understand you're only a spectator, right? As the organizer of the exam, you can't be an examiner," clarified Mathers.

"You don't have to worry. I'm aware," I replied.

With nods exchanged, we prepared to begin the exam. We activated the audio function of the panel displaying Sir Akatsuki's live feed. He also had a receiver to communicate with us.

"Greetings, Akatsuki-dono. I'm Mephistopheles from Grauzeberer. Today, MacGregor Mathers, Markus Ambrosius, and I will judge the examination," announced Mephistopheles.

"Hello. It's nice to meet you all," replied Sir Akatsuki, facing the floating camera.

"Now for the rules of the exam. You must demonstrate one of your own magic creations that can affect the entire city, at the very least. Please keep that in mind," instructed Mathers.

"You cannot use any magic items to enhance your power. Additionally, use magic, not the abilities of your sacred gear. Don't try to cheat, or we will know," scoffed Markus, his tone disrespectful. Sir Akatsuki didn't show a change in expression, but I'm sure he felt offended.

"Markus..." we all gave him a stern look, urging him to behave appropriately.

"Now, you have exactly 15 minutes to showcase your magic. Take your time to complete your calculations and magic circle," I added, looking at the panel.

Shortly after, with a ding sound, the exam commenced, and an illusionary clock counting down from 15 minutes appeared both in our room and above Sir Akatsuki in the air.

Sir Akatsuki began levitating in the air without using his wings, initially giving the impression of wind magic. However, the absence of visible wind currents indicated otherwise.

"He's utilizing Gravitational Force. Gravity Manipulation is one of the most challenging magics to master, but he's handling it smoothly," observed Mathers.

After floating in the air, Sir Akatsuki gestured downward with his hands, causing a substantial wind current. This made a square-shaped cut appear in the ground when he clenched his fists. Then, raising his hands again, the entire cut-out cityscape began to float in the air.

"That's impressive wind magic to cut and suspend such a large city in mid-air," remarked Mephistopheles.

Next, the entire cityscape was surrounded by what appeared to be a circular, ashen-gold orb adorned with runes.

"Is this the result of his Time Magic? What exactly is he planning?" asked Mephistopheles.

As the cityscape was being destroyed by some mysterious force, the orb surrounding it shrank, exerting pressure that caused the structure to compress into a circular shape. Heat began radiating from the orb, turning the surface red and fiery. The flames intensified, changing from yellow to dark blue, while runes encircled the ashen-golden orb. It felt like millions of years had passed inside the orb.

The transformation concluded with the massive circular structure morphing into a beautiful diamond, erasing all traces of the cityscape.

"It must have reached temperatures of at least 1200 degrees Celsius, with pressure exceeding 725,000 pounds per square inch (5 gigapascals) or more. That's quite remarkable. Turning a city into diamonds, no—dirt in diamonds. Ha ha ha," laughed Mathers.

The sheer scale of Sir Akatsuki's display left us astonished, contemplating the incredible feats he had achieved.

"Hmm. Indeed, it's enough to consider him passed. He did pretty well," remarked Mephistopheles.

"Hmph. I suppose he passes," grumbled Markus.

We all thought that was the conclusion, but we were mistaken. Sir Akatsuki proceeded to manifest pressurized water streams, shaping the diamond into a massive serpent dragon. He then propelled the dragon into the sky, where it vanished from view—likely a result of being propelled into space using Gravity Manipulation. Moments later, he manipulated gravity again to bring the fiery dragon crashing down to the ground like a meteorite, generating immense shockwaves that reverberated through the land. The impact created a crater at least four times larger than the original cityscape, leaving us stunned by the sheer scale of destruction.

As we were preparing to announce the end of the exam and his passing, we were shocked yet again. What happened next was truly extraordinary. The entire crater became enveloped in the familiar ashen-gold orb adorned with various runes. In an instant, the devastated area transformed back into the original cityscape—or rather, into something even better than before. It was as if time had rewound, restoring the city to its prosperous state from thousands of years ago, before the Great War ravaged it.

Sir Akatsuki's abilities far surpassed our expectations. Not only did he demonstrate immense power and devastation without apparent effort, but he also restored the city to its former glory in a breathtaking display of magic.

This extraordinary feat left us all in awe, realizing that Sir Akatsuki had exceeded all our wildest dreams for the exam.

"You seem to have a good relationship with him, don't you, Rudiger?" Mephistopheles suddenly asked.

"Somewhat. Why?" I replied.

"Oh, nothing. Now I'm even more eager to meet him. Tanin would be thrilled. Ha ha ha," Mephistopheles chuckled.

"I'd be watching my back if I were you," Mathers added, directing a creepy smile at Markus, who appeared annoyed and uncomfortable.

*

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After Lady Iazayoi made her appearance, her soft-spoken demeanor and stoic expression were quite noticeable to everyone. Her face gained widespread attention after she was seen alongside Sir Akatsuki, with many noting her striking resemblance to Lord Lucifer's Queen, Lady Lucifuge. This sparked curiosity among people, leading many to speculate whether she was a devil or even Lady Lucifuge's sister.

However, one day Satan Leviathan clarified that they were not related at all and that Lady Iazayoi was, in fact, human. Sir Akatsuki also provided a statement about her on his website, which added to the intrigue surrounding her identity and background.

Now we have her file and only know a bit about her. But a part of me really wanted to know what would happen if those two met each other.

Soon, the exam started, and the entire city decayed because of her Time Magic. The way she triggered it remained a mystery—we couldn't tell when or how she activated it. Perhaps Sir Akatsuki could do something similar but chose not to demonstrate fully to help us better understand.

Then, a huge barrier enveloped the whole city. Just seeing the barrier itself, such a powerful defensive ability, would have been enough to let her pass the test.

Mephistopheles was very impressed with the barrier, and we all could agree that it would be challenging for even us to break through. But we wouldn't know unless we tried.

Then from every corner of the barrier, wind slashes sliced through the cityscape, dividing it into perfect smaller cubes. Soon after, multiple huge tornadoes appeared, wreaking havoc and further devastating the area. Suddenly, space quakes and space slashes materialized out of nowhere, cutting through the fabric of space itself. Within seconds, everything was obliterated and vanished without a trace.

"My goodness! Time, Barrier, and Space! All three of those abilities of hers far surpass the Ultimate Class, at least! Where have these monsters been hiding all this time?" exclaimed Mephistopheles.

We all shared the same sentiment. Today had been incredibly hectic, with mind-boggling displays of power that surpassed our expectations.

Both of them would be awarded certificates at a later date. Prior to the practical exam, they had to undergo a written examination, which they aced, showcasing exceptional theoretical knowledge.

In truth, not every High-Class Magician can take this exam casually. They must accumulate significant achievements and receive recommendations from one of the Ultimate Class Magicians.

As the founder of one of the largest magician organizations, I ensured everything was prepared for the exam without any obstacles, facilitating a smooth process for their participation.

*

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Kouske's POV

It's been about a month since the exam, and both of us have received our certificates. Now we can issue identifications and magician certificates up to the High-Class level without any issues to our members.

After the exam concluded, I met with the examiners. Markus attempted to make amends for his previous idiotic behavior and tried to flatter me, but I ignored the fool throughout our meeting. I had half a mind to make him suffer somehow, but I realized that I must be capable of handling such taunts if I wanted to lead an entire organization.

I conversed with the other three. Mathers was quite polite and spoke in a gentlemanly manner, although he gave off a somewhat unsettling red aura. He felt like a guy who might cut you up to look inside your head for magic research purposes.

Meeting Mephistopheles was interesting. He suggested some joint classes for our members, and I suspect he wants Sakuya or me to give lectures on our magic at a later date. I don't mind sharing some knowledge—it could greatly benefit our organization's members to learn from real magic professors. Mathers and Rudiger seemed to have similar ideas, and I'm open to fostering friendly relationships and partnerships if they benefit us.

Sakuya stayed quiet beside me during the meeting. Markus even had the audacity to flirt with her. Does he think he has got Merlin's rizz despite having no relation to him?

Sakuya's cold glare and disgusted expression must have left quite an impression on him, to say the least. While we stifled our laughter, Markus tried to play it off coolly to hide his embarrassment.

Afterward, Mephistopheles mentioned that Tanin had wanted to meet me for a while, so I decided to visit the former Dragon King at a later date.

After a few days, we met and sparred a bit, but unfortunately, he still outmatched me in pure physical strength. I also sparred with two of his wives and his eldest son, defeating them all. Then there was his rebellious third son, Bova Tanin. He was initially rude but straightened up after a few rounds of beat-up and started calling me Aniki.

Meeting Tanin on Dragon Mountain was great, and I have genuine respect for the guy.

He was reincarnated into a Devil by Mephisto Pheles, as his Queen. Tannin's transformation served dual purposes: first, to partake in the Rating Games, and second, to secure Dragon Apples—a fruit exclusive to the Underworld's Devil territory that is very important for the younger dragons and a delicacy for the older ones.

Tannin excelled in the Rating Games, reaching the Top 10 and achieving Ultimate-Class Devil status, granting him a territory where Dragon Apples grew. Soon he also delved into research on cultivating these apples artificially. Prior to the canon time, Tannin had semi-retired from the Rating Games to train younger dragons, displaying genuine care for his kind.

He mentioned that my apples had effects similar to Dragon Apples. I also introduced him to the DraconisPom Tree fruit, it also has the ability to slowly enhance dragons' power and has exquisite taste. We struck a deal where I would supply him with a substantial quantity of these apples at a significant discount, wanting to show generosity towards his cause. Unlike my usual deals, he can purchase as many as he requires.

Given his dedication to the dragon race, including sacrificing his title to secure Dragon Apples and even becoming a devil, I felt compelled to support him in this way. Visiting Dragon Mountain occasionally amidst the dragons could provide a refreshing change of pace.

Additionally, I negotiated with him to acquire some dragon infants. Initially hesitant, he relented after I assured him of their safety and potential for rapid growth under the care of a Dragon Tamer aided by my Time Magic. Tannin requested to meet this Dragon Tamer in person.

Subsequently, I transported fifteen dragons to rear in the Demiplane, where they will thrive under safer conditions than Dragon Mountain's harsh environment. Dragons there face constant survival battles from birth, though they receive ample food until they mature into Low-Class Dragons. In this unique ranking system, Low-Class Dragons rival Middle-Class Devils, Middle-Class Dragons match High-Class Devils, and High-Class Dragons are on par with Ultimate Class Dragons.

In Tannin's territory, dragons engage in arena battles to gain strength and status. These battles are a constant feature, shaping the hierarchy and fostering growth among the dragons.

[A/N: What did you think of the chapter? How was Kouske's show of power?

Feel free to share your thoughts, leave a review, and even drop some power stones. Add it to your collection if you enjoyed it.

I'm open to constructive critiques that help me improve and grow as a writer, so don't hesitate to provide feedback. Thank you for reading!

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