Magic Knight Exam 2: The Calm Before The Storm

The lights of the capital twinkled in the night sky as Asta and Yuno walked down a bustling street lined with shops, inns, and food stalls.

"Let's find a place to stay." Asta said, leading them to a nearby inn.

The innkeeper, a middle-aged woman with a warm smile, greeted them. "Welcome! Need a room for the night?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Asta said, sliding some Yul onto the counter.

The woman chuckled. "You're in luck. We've got one room left."

Once inside the modest but cozy room, Yuno immediately flopped onto the bed, stretching out with a sigh. He glanced over at Asta, who was still standing near the window, gazing out at the moonlit streets.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" Yuno asked, propping himself up on one elbow.

Asta turned to him with a grin. "Nah, You go ahead. I'm not really tired."

Yuno raised an eyebrow. "You're seriously planning to stay up all night before the Magic Knight Exams?"

"Not all night." Asta said. "Just a little while. I've got too much energy right now to lie down. I'll get a couple of hours in, don't worry."

Yuno sighed, lying back down. "Suit yourself. Just don't drag behind tomorrow. I'm not carrying you through the exams."

"You won't have to," Asta shot back, smirking. "I'll be ready."

The room grew quiet, the soft hum of the city below their window filling the silence. Asta eventually pulled a chair closer to the window and leaned back, watching the stars twinkle in the night sky. His mind raced with thoughts of the exams and future plans.

As the hours passed, his restless energy began to fade. The comforting stillness of the room lulled him into a calm state, and he finally let himself drift off in the chair, the faint glow of the streetlights below casting a soft light across his face.

The first rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains, illuminating the modest room. Asta was already up, his energy boundless as he went through his pre-workout routine. The room echoed with the sound of push-ups.

" Ninety-Eight, Ninety-Nine, One-Hundred." Asta said, switching seamlessly into squats.

Yuno stirred in the bed, groggily opening one eye. He blinked a few times, his mind catching up to the scene before him. There was Asta, shirtless and sweating, mid-squat, his determination as intense as ever.

"Asta…" Yuno muttered, rubbing his temples. "You're seriously working out? Now? Before the Magic Knight Exam?"

Asta shot him a grin, not breaking his rhythm. "Of course."

Yuno sighed, sitting up. "You do realize most people rest before a big event, right? You're going to burn yourself out."

"Burn out?" Asta scoffed. "First of all, Burn out is a state of mind not a state of body, And second of all, This is how I wake up every morning"

Yuno rolled his eyes but couldn't help smirking faintly. "You're unbelievable.

With Yuno now up, they arrived at the towering coliseum, its grand structure took their breath away. The crowd of aspiring mages was buzzing with energy, voices mingling in a chaotic symphony of excitement, nerves, and bravado.

The exam officially began with the introduction of all the Magic Knight Captains. Each stood in a line, exuding an aura of power and authority. Asta and Yuno stood among the candidates, their resolve unshaken despite the grandeur of the event.

The arena suddenly grew quiet, the air becoming thick with an oppressive energy. A heavy presence descended upon the crowd, causing murmurs to ripple through the candidates.

From the stands, Captain Yami Sukehiro of the Black Bulls made his entrance. His massive figure loomed over the participants as he descended to the arena floor, his sharp gaze scanning the crowd.

The candidates instinctively stepped aside, parting like water as Yami walked through. His eyes landed squarely on Asta, his expression unreadable.

"You," Yami said, his deep voice cutting through the silence." What's your name, kid?"

"Asta." he replied, standing tall despite the overwhelming pressure emanating from Yami.

The captain crossed his arms, his expression shifting to one of curiosity. "Your Ki's insane. I felt it the moment I walked in. Not bad… but I want to see if you've got the skills to back it up."

The crowd erupted in whispers, astonished that a captain had taken notice of a candidate so early.

Yuno watched silently, his eyes narrowing slightly as he analyzed the situation, his usual calm exterior masking the intrigue brewing within.

Asta, smirked confidently. "Is that a challenge, old man?" he shot back, his tone brimming with defiance and excitement.

Yami's lips curled into a sly grin, his deep voice laced with amusement. "You bet it is, kid. Just make sure you don't disappoint me."

The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, a mix of admiration and disbelief at the exchange. Yuno glanced at Asta, shaking his head slightly, though a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

The tension in the air settled as Yami returned to his place among the other captains.

And with that the exam began.

The Magic Knight Exam began in earnest as the proctor stepped forward, his voice booming over the chatter of the candidates.

"For the first test, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to fly using magic brooms!"

An assistant brought out an assortment of enchanted brooms, distributing them to the eager participants.

Yuno grabbed his broom and, with a simple wave of his hand, summoned a breeze that lifted him effortlessly into the air. He hovered with ease, his posture calm and composed, as if he'd been born to command the wind.

"Wow… look at him."

"His control is amazing."

"Is he even human?"

The whispers of admiration spread among the candidates as Yuno maintained his graceful flight, a picture of poise and precision.

Asta, meanwhile, stood on the ground, his broom in hand. His lack of reaction drew puzzled looks from the other participants.

"Hey, isn't he going to try?"

"Does he even know how to fly?"

Asta tossed the broom aside. "No magic? No problem!" he murmured, drawing his anti-magic sword.

"What's he doing with that thing?" someone muttered.

With a determined leap, Asta hopped onto his anti-magic sword, balancing effortlessly atop its flat blade. The weapon pulsed with energy as he used his Ki to guide it into the air, soaring upward with remarkable speed.

The crowd gasped in shock.

"Is he… flying on a sword?"

"What kind of guy even thinks of that?"

The proctor, momentarily stunned, cleared his throat and marked both Yuno and Asta as passing. "Alright, moving on to the next test—magical target practice!"

The candidates assembled at designated firing points, a series of targets appearing in mid-air at varying distances. Each target shimmered with a protective enchantment, designed to withstand even the strongest beginner-level spells.

Yuno stepped up first. With a flick of his wrist, a sharp blade of wind shot forward, striking a target dead-center. Another gust followed, hitting a second target with pinpoint accuracy. The crowd murmured in awe as Yuno systematically destroyed every target, his precision unmatched.

"He's incredible…"

"Not a single miss!"

Asta watched from the sidelines, his hands resting casually on his sword's hilt. When his turn came, he stepped forward with confidence, but instead of drawing his sword, he reached into his grimoire.

The crowd murmured in confusion as a sleek anti-magic bow materialized in his hands, its dark energy pulsing faintly.

"A bow? Didn't see that coming…" someone whispered.

Asta, pulling back the string. The bow didn't require arrows; instead, it conjured bolts of anti-magic energy as he aimed at the floating disks. " Floating targets, huh? Let's see how tough they are."

With a sharp release, the first anti-magic bolt shot forward, slicing through a disk and erasing its enchantment entirely. He fired again and again, his shots rapid and precise, each bolt disintegrating the magical targets on impact.

The arena fell silent as the final target shattered into harmless fragments, the anti-magic reducing their enchantments to nothing.

"What the—he destroyed them completely!"

"Is that even allowed?"

Asta lowered his bow and flashed a confident smile at the stunned crowd. "Guess that answers that."

From the stands, the captains exchanged intrigued glances, while Captain Yami chuckled to himself. "This kid keeps getting more interesting by the minute."

The captains exchanged intrigued glances.

"Yuno's got control, but that Asta kid… He's something else," murmured one captain.

"Yeah, but look at that precision," another pointed out. "Even with...whatever his weapons are, he's still pretty strong."

The proctor, clearly impressed, marked their results and called out the next task: combat sparring.

The announcement sent a wave of excitement through the candidates. The opportunity to prove their mettle in direct combat had everyone buzzing.

As the participants began pairing off for duels, Captain Yami stood and stretched lazily. "You know," he said, his voice carrying easily over the arena, "all this talk about fighting's got me curious."

He leapt down from the stands, landing heavily in the middle of the arena. The ground cracked slightly under his weight, and a hush fell over the crowd.

"Normally, I'd just let you kids duke it out," Yami said, his gaze locking onto Asta. "But something about you makes me want to see what you're really made of."

The air grew tense, and the other candidates instinctively backed away.

"Wait, is he serious?"

"A captain sparring with an applicant?"

"This kid must be something special…"

Asta's eyes lit up with excitement, and he rested his sword on his shoulder. "Bring it on, old man."

Yami chuckled, his smirk as intimidating as ever. "Careful, kid. I don't go easy, even on rookies."

The proctor hesitated, unsure whether to intervene, but Captain Yami waved him off. "Relax, it's just a little warm-up."

As Yami unsheathed his sword, the atmosphere in the arena crackled with energy. Asta tightened his grip on his anti-magic blade, his stance solid and unyielding.

The crowd held its breath as the two warriors faced off, the tension palpable.

To Be Continued...