Another Golden Legend: World Tree Magic!

A colossal World Tree instantly blossomed overhead, its roots floating through the air as though drawing in the magical power of the entire royal capital.

Then the roots transformed into countless magic brooms.

They fell like rain before the crowd.

Everyone wore a look of shock.

"What exquisite magic control!"

"What terrifying magical fluctuations!"

"So this is the power of a Magic Knight squad captain? It's utterly terrifying!"

Everyone was stunned by that dreadful power.

As the people around them picked up their magic brooms, their faces brimmed with anticipation. The five-thousand-meter round-trip race would determine who was truly the fastest from the very start.

Asta immediately let out a roar from the side.

"Oh no! I don't have magic—how am I supposed to ride a magic broom? Isn't this sending me to my death?"

The people around him burst into laughter.

"My god, someone who hasn't even awakened magic power can enter the competition?"

"Hoo-ha, you're absolutely hilarious."

After speaking, the man let out another "hoo-ha."

However, Asta directly shouted at the man beside him, "What are you babbling about over there? Whether I can do it or not, we'll find out after we compete!"

"Hoo-ha!"

With Sekke's furious shout, bronze-colored radiance immediately surged around him, and a nozzle-shaped piece of equipment instantly appeared on his back.

Riding his magic broom, he leisurely waved at Asta before the jet device blasted out a stream of air, sending him speeding into the distance.

In the distance, Yuno glanced at Carl and Asta.

Without saying a word, he released a breath, green light flared, and he too transformed into a streak of green as he rode his magic broom away at high speed.

At last, Asta began to panic.

He turned to Carl beside him, wildly scratched his white hair, and shouted, "W-What do we do? I don't have magic power! How can this magic broom possibly fly?"

The more Asta thought about it, the more anxious he became. He nearly snapped the magic broom in his hand from waving it around.

However, Carl smiled faintly.

The next moment, she assumed the standard stance for throwing a shot put, and every muscle in her body explosively tensed. In the blink of an eye, she hurled the magic broom like a javelin. It even produced a sonic boom.

Carl then leaped into the air without hesitation, leaving two deep craters in the ground beneath her feet.

Afterward, she landed steadily atop the flying broom.

A person, a broom, and the piercing roar of air splitting apart.

In an instant, the many selection candidates flying ahead on magic brooms were scared out of their wits.

Almost no one could stop themselves from looking back, but they only had time for one glance.

Because in the next second, Carl had already appeared ahead of them.

The five-thousand-meter course required a round trip, but Carl reached the opposite side in what seemed like an instant.

Carl landed with a leap, then kicked the magic broom away and raced back at an even faster speed than before.

Carl locked eyes with the many selection candidates.

"Hoo-ha—!"

Sekke froze completely.

"No... how can that even work? She barely used any magic power! Referee, she cheated!"

Sekke was so furious he was practically jumping up and down.

However, seemingly inspired by Carl, Asta finally found a way to deal with it.

Although he was not as strong as Carl, he could copy her method exactly.

Asta threw out his broom and took a great leap.

It looked like he was riding the broom while running, but in reality, Asta had the broom clamped between his legs and was continuously hopping forward.

Even so, his speed soared dramatically, bringing no small amount of pressure to those ahead of him.

Atop the arena walls.

The expressions of the many Magic Knight squad captains became extraordinarily colorful.

William Vangeance's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, a system notification sounded in Carl's mind:

[Task 1 Activated: Hundred Victories Magic Emperor!

Use your strengths to strike at your opponent's weaknesses. Congratulations to the host for defeating the special magic-talent opponent William Vangeance in the field of magic perception through throwing techniques. You have obtained the Golden Legend magic attribute—World Tree Magic. (Repeated victories can improve its quality)]

His original intention had been to use the magic brooms to test everyone's control over magic power. Yet after Carl used that method, nearly every selection candidate began thinking outside the box, always coming up with all kinds of bizarre ways to take part in the competition.

It could be said that, in order to win, they would stop at nothing.

If it had only been Carl, perhaps he could have punished her. But when everyone had turned out like this, William Vangeance only felt a headache coming on.

His gaze immediately fell on Carl.

Carl's physical abilities were now displayed completely before his eyes.

How could someone capable of producing a sonic boom by casually throwing a magic broom possibly be weak?

Still, she did not seem to have as many muscles as that white-haired kid in the distance, so how was the effect she produced this absurd?

For once, William Vangeance turned his head and looked at Yami Sukehiro beside him.

That stubbly, rugged, and slovenly Yami had, once upon a time, beaten him up plenty of times with nothing but raw physical strength. It was only after William Vangeance's World Tree Magic had reached mastery that he began "bullying" Yami in return.

After all, the two of them had once joined the Golden Dawn under the current twenty-eighth Magic Emperor, Julius Novachrono.

Back then, they could be called Julius Novachrono's right and left hands.

Carl now gave William Vangeance the feeling of being a variable.

But he said nothing. Instead, he glanced at the captains beside him, who all looked as though they were enjoying the show, and immediately suppressed his emotions.

Then he said to the people whose rankings had already been decided, "Since you all love using your brains so much, we'll set the other tests aside for now and move straight on to the main event."

"Let me see your combat experience. Show me your strongest magic."

"Anyone who catches the eye of one of the Magic Knight squad captains may join a squad."

The people below immediately looked at one another.

"No... is this really reasonable?"

"Then what was that magic test just now supposed to be?"

"Were they just bored out of their minds?"

Sekke, however, looked extremely excited.

"Yes! It's finally my turn. Time to show my true strength!"

Then he turned toward Asta beside him, his expression especially excited.

"White-haired brat, you don't even have magic power. You never should have appeared at the Magic Knight selection in the first place. Let me eliminate you elegantly."

"After all, someone like you will never catch a Magic Knight squad captain's eye."

As soon as he finished speaking, he let out a "hoo-ha."

Bronze-colored light immediately bloomed around him.

"Bronze Creation Magic—Absolute Defense Barrier!"

A three-dimensional space shaped like a six-pointed star formed around him in overlapping layers. Bronze magical power continuously intertwined, even venting steam.

It truly looked as though it possessed extremely powerful defenses.

However, facing Sekke's provocation, Asta's expression became equally excited.

"Sure! You're the one who wanted to compete, so let's give it a try!"

Black-red radiance immediately spread around Asta, and a Five-leaf Clover Grimoire with a full five leaves floated into view.

Asta took a fierce leap and directly pulled an enormous, terrifyingly broad black broken sword from the grimoire.

The blade was even wider than Asta's body.

"Demon-Dweller Sword—take this!"