The rapidly spinning tornado unexpectedly created no obstacle at all.
The moment it touched Ash's lightning-wrapped figure, the blazing outer wall of the high-speed fire tornado was torn open like paper, ripped apart with a huge gash.
Breaking through the wall of flames, and even carrying with it the shattered purple afterimage of the "fire dragon," he shot into the sky like an upside-down meteor. Yet in the very next instant, he traced an unbelievable arc, whistling as he plunged back down toward the ground, straight at Denken.
"This is bad! Why... me again?"
The instant he noticed the tornado had been broken through by that lightning, Denken was already overwhelmed with indescribable shock. And now, in yet another stroke of terrible luck, he could only stare in disbelief.
He hurriedly retreated while casting layer after layer of defensive magic, trying to block the sudden impact.
But everything seemed too late.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The lightning-wrapped figure tore through those shields just like before. Soon, the defensive magic could no longer be formed at all.
Boom!
Countless pale blue fragments scattered through the air as Ash landed, collapsing the ground beneath him and sending a violent tremor through the earth.
The sudden quake caused the elderly man, whose magic had been completely drained by his final defense, to lose his balance and fall flat onto the ground, sitting there without any dignity left.
Looking at the figure not far away, who had smashed a crater into the ground like a falling meteor yet still looked completely unbothered, holding the little bird the entire time, spotless from start to finish, Denken could not help but feel bitterness rising in his chest.
Every method they used had failed to achieve its intended effect. All that effort had turned to nothing.
With a defeated sigh, Denken finally gave up resisting.
"I can't believe there's someone this strong in the world. Today I've truly seen it."
"You're giving up already? I haven't even started counterattacking."
"I do have some self-awareness. Struggling any further at this level would be pointless. What I really can't understand is why a monster like you would even take part in this exam."
If it were under normal circumstances, he might have tried close combat. But, looking at the Meteoric Iron Bird in Ash's hand, now gradually calming down and no longer struggling, he found it impossible to imagine that his own strength in a physical fight could exceed that bird's. Could he hit harder than it? Endure more than it?
"Are you two the same?", Standing on the wrecked ground, Ash looked toward the other two in the distance. His tone was filled with boredom, even a sense of frustration, as if he had punched into cotton.
"We're out of magic. We can't fight anymore... If we keep going, we'll die...", Richter squatted on the ground, sighing. The two rock walls in the distance had already stopped moving.
"My magic isn't enough for high-speed movement anymore," Laufen quietly raised both hands, "I request prisoner treatment."
"What's this... You're really done just like that? I even made a point of fighting you on the ground."
"You noticed? And you were holding back the whole time?", Denken's face showed clear frustration.
He did not think Ash was bluffing. In fact, it was true. Against a mage like Richter who controlled the ground, simply fighting in the air would reduce his combat power by at least eighty percent.
Yet even though Ash had clearly realized that, he had mostly stayed on the ground, letting Richter manipulate the terrain and attack from his strongest position.
"He's just a monster," Now that he knew Ash had noticed all along, Richter's face showed nothing but deep defeat.
"There's no need to feel inferior. As far as I know, even First-Class Mages don't have abilities this outrageous," Denken shook his head to comfort Richter, then stared at Ash without blinking, "But, you said you know me?"
"About forty years ago, maybe? Back then you were taller and younger. Who would've thought, you'd end up shorter?"
Ash crouched down and casually patted his head, wearing a nostalgic expression.
"And even earlier, maybe fifty years ago? I met your teacher. He was a really troublesome opponent."
"My teacher... Macht? Wait, fifty years ago? How old are you? You met Macht and didn't get killed? No, wait, back then..."
"I think it's rude to casually ask a gentleman's age."
Seeing the shock return to the old man's face, who had even forgotten to brush away his hand, Ash simply smiled and said nothing. He casually took the birdcage from him and locked the bird inside.
"I'll take this as my spoils of war. And for today, I guess I'll—Hmm?"
He had not walked far when two golden rings of light suddenly crossed into existence beside him, instantly freezing his movements.
At that same moment, another three-person team stepped out of the forest, their faces full of the joy of catching the mantis while the cicada sings.
No one was surprised. The commotion had been enormous, the biggest battle in the entire exam site. If no one had noticed and tried to fish in troubled waters, that would have been stranger.
However, this trio had clearly stayed far away to avoid being discovered. They had not witnessed the true battle and only approached after things had calmed down. As a result, they had clearly misjudged Ash's strength.
Denken, Richter, and Laufen looked at them as if they were fools walking toward their own deaths.
"Too naive. Thinking you can beat that monster. Anyone would've been a better target than him," Denken murmured softly, then couldn't help but smile bitterly. He had just remembered that he himself had also believed he had a chance at victory.
The three who had appeared were led by a mercenary captain from the Northern Magic Corps. He had once fought remnants of the Demon King's army, and after the demons withdrew, he spent years participating in monster subjugation and human civil wars. A man in his thirties, a Second-Class Mage named Wirbel.
With him was someone Ash recognized: the granddaughter of the veteran First-Class Mage Lernen. A brown-haired girl in a purplish-red cloak, who had graduated top of her class from the magic academy. Second-Class Mage Ehre.
And the tall Third-Class Mage Scharf, whose specialty was a self-developed magic that turned flower petals into steel-hard weapons. Other than that, there was little recorded about him.
"So I'm being treated like prey? How interesting."
Captured by a powerful binding spell, Ash did not even need to turn around to know what it was.
Wirbel's unique gaze-binding magic.
It could bind any creature completely covered by his gaze and seal their ability to control magic.
Since even warriors relied on magic to strengthen their bodies, the binding effect would not weaken. In a one-on-one situation, it was practically a killing move. Even if a Meteoric Iron Bird were caught, it would be unable to move.
"What an incredible old man. Making such a huge scene. But in the end, you still lost," Wirbel, the silver-haired man with a fierce expression, grinned smugly, "Just like the exam says, luck is part of strength!"
"Do you really think your luck is that good?", Denken looked at his expression with something like pity, almost as if looking at his former foolish self.
"Isn't it? In this situation, no human can break free," Wirbel dismissed him as unwilling to accept defeat and kept his eyes fixed on Ash. He gestured for Scharf to move in.
"Once someone is captured, no one has ever escaped my sight. Though it only works on one target at a time."
"But the premise is... the target has to be within the range of a human, right?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"There's nothing strange about it. No magic is without flaws. And if it has no flaws, then it must have a limit."
"Magic is a world of imagination. In the world of magic, nothing is impossible. As long as you're in my sight, you absolutely cannot break free. In principle, no person or creature can struggle when their magic is completely suppressed—What?"
Before he could finish, Wirbel saw Scharf reach for the birdcage in Ash's hand.
Ash did not let go.
Scharf could not pull it away.
Under normal circumstances, Ash should have been too suppressed to exert strength. Yet Scharf was locked in a stalemate with him.
Wirbel frowned and urged, "What are you doing, Scharf? Hurry up and take it!"
"I... I can't pull it out!", Scharf used all his strength and still couldn't budge it. In frustration, he raised his staff to threaten—
Clink!
Before he could act, Ash casually stretched his body. The two golden rings trembled, then shattered without warning into countless golden sparks.
Taking advantage of Scharf's stunned moment, Ash calmly reached out and snatched the staff from him.
"You've got to be kidding!", Scharf staggered back two steps in shock, almost falling onto the ground.
Not just him. Even his two teammates could not help but wonder if they had fallen under some illusion, their faces filled with disbelief.
The three who had already been defeated showed no surprise at all. They looked numb, as if they had already gotten used to the impossible happening.
Laufen even looked a bit amused, barely holding back laughter. It didn't benefit her that others were unlucky, but somehow it balanced her mood.
Ehre was the first among her team to recover. She stepped back and turned to glare at her previously confident captain.
"I told you we should listen to Grandpa! We shouldn't get involved with him!"
"We need to retreat first—", Before Wirbel could finish, Ash stomped forward.
"Too late!"
BOOM!
Under the abnormal gravity, the ground instantly cracked, shattered, and collapsed.
"AHHH!"
With that single step, Wirbel's body could not withstand the sudden pressure. He screamed as he was slammed to the ground. His vision darkened from lack of blood flow, and he could no longer use his earlier ability.
The two beside him were also forced to their knees under the intense pressure. They could not lift their heads or limbs.
Their chests were compressed to the point that, if the pressure increased any more, it felt like their organs would spill out. They could barely breathe, let alone fight. They could not even reach for their signal flares.
The overwhelming difference in power, the unprecedented defeat in an instant, shattered their hopes. Despair filled their lungs.
Outside the range, Denken and the others felt fortunate they had kept their distance at the start. Otherwise, they might not have had any strength left to fight at all.
Though, thinking about it, even keeping distance had not changed the outcome. It was still a crushing defeat. What was there to feel lucky about?
Seeing the three in such a state, Denken could not help but speak up.
"They're no match for you. They're just hot-headed youngsters. There's no need to kill them."
"It's fine. I'm not someone who enjoys killing. In fact, I'm glad young people dare to challenge me. But, since they attacked me first, it wouldn't be right if there's no punishment, would it?"
There was no need to wipe out members of the Magic Association. They could still be useful.
Denken did not quite understand what he meant but nodded.
"That's... true."
Ash lifted the gravity pressure. The three finally gasped for air and staggered to their feet.
Only then did he look at the granddaughter of Lernen.
"Go ahead. Try your best to take this cage from me, little Ehre."
"Why? Isn't it enough if we surrender?", The faint joy that had appeared on her face vanished again.
"Don't misunderstand. I don't enjoy bullying kids. I even held you when you were little. How could I harm you? I'm just giving you a chance."
Hearing his lofty words, Ehre looked confused. Wirbel, however, gritted his teeth.
"Bullshit... You just want to toy with us! If you want to deal with us, just do it. Why make excuses?"
"Think whatever you want. I'm too lazy to explain. You chose me, not the other way around. If you want someone to blame, blame your bad luck. After all, you attacked me first."
It might look like bullying, but his goal was simple. He wanted to defeat them thoroughly.
Whether they became First-Class Mages or not, they were among the strongest in this batch.
If they all lost to him and Serie refused to grant him the title, he would have grounds to accuse her of bias and favoritism.
And if he did become a First-Class Mage, that would be even better. He would gain a privilege and could request a magic he desired from Serie.
Unfortunately for these unlucky challengers who had volunteered themselves, they had no idea.
Under Ash's urging, they forced themselves to fight again. Explosions and cries soon echoed through the forest once more.
.
.
.
When everything finally settled, three battered figures lay scattered across the ruined ground.
Ash, satisfied, left lightly.
The three could only hold back tears. After resting for a long time, they supported each other and staggered off, still hoping to try their luck elsewhere.
Denken and the others had long since disappeared too, searching for some poor soul in even worse shape who might happen to have a Meteoric Iron Bird.
———
As the sun tilted westward and time passed, Ash began wondering if he could finally leave.
Then, from nearby bushes, two flashes of light suddenly burst out.
Boom!
Beams of light erupted from both sides without warning, so thick they instantly swallowed his figure.
"Uh... he's not actually done for, right? He just went through two fights."
Sitting on a treetop, Ubel watched the distant convergence of light with excitement. Her words sounded worried, but her face was full of anticipation.
In the bushes, Frieren calmly shook her head while unleashing firepower.
"Impossible. He's not the kind of guy who gets taken down that easily."
"Even so, did you really have to greet me like this? I might've gotten hurt. Maybe not physically, but emotionally. After all, I'm being attacked by my dear friends."
When the beams faded and the dust was blown away, Ash's spotless figure appeared in the clearing.
His gaze immediately locked onto Frieren's direction, then swept over Kanne and Laufen on both sides.
"What's this? Didn't find a bird? Planning to take mine?"
"Fern already has one, and we've got our own method too. But before that... I've wanted to properly measure myself against you for a long time. And, you said a lot of bad things about me last night."
Frieren's face was expressionless, but her words clearly showed she was holding a grudge.
Strictly speaking, this kind of infighting during the exam was not ideal.
But with such a huge gap in strength, even if there were still some crafty mages who had avoided earlier battles, the remaining participants were no match for Frieren.
Most of the strong ones had already been knocked out by Ash. Only small fry remained.
Naturally, it was time for their match.
Ash understood this.
Still, being treated like the final boss left him feeling a bit depressed as he glanced toward Fern.
Before he could speak, Fern said first, "This was Lady Frieren's request. And... we already talked about this before, Lord Ash. You remember, right?"
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
[email protected]/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining P@treon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through P@treon.