Hi and welcome back to the next chapter of SF! Two other characters finally take the stage and I hope you will enjoy their proper introduction to the story. :D

Happy reading. :)

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Starry eyes lingered on the three figures disappearing in the masses of people until he could not see them any longer. Maybe Yuno could still spy them, but unlike him, Asta had not been gifted with the size of his best friend but he was content with what he got. There was nothing he could do about it anyway, so he saw no reason to complain about his petite size. Surely he would grow sooner or later and become taller than Yuno anyway!

Asta returned his attention back to the three people he had just met, realising that even though he had been in the city since this morning, he hadn't seen any magic knight so far. Only faint whispers about the more commonly known knights reached his ears, but since the voices around him overlapped all the time, Asta had been unable to understand anything that had been said.

He played with the thought of simply screaming the ever-growing amount of questions inside his head from the top of his lungs, but decided against it. He was well aware of Yuno's dislike of getting too much attention and he figured it would be too much for the wind mage to handle if he was to do as he desired.

Therefore, he kept his mouth shut for the moment and would wait until a better opportunity would offer itself to him. And even when that shouldn't happen he would be fine with it because everything would be a much bigger surprise for him. Just thinking about the innumerable possibilities of what true magic knights would be like made him almost jump out of his skin. The first glimpse he got of them had already succeeded his wildest imaginations and he wondered if all members of the magic knights would be as cool as the trio they had met minutes ago.

However, Asta's delight died down entirely when he looked to his side and saw how Yuno had paled considerably. He was quite fair-skinned by nature but now even more than normal. Instantly, worry took over the reins of his heart because Asta could still remember the time when the wind mage had caught a heavy flu when they still had been children. It took almost two weeks until he was back on his feet again and even then it was shaky at best. During that time Asta never left Yuno's side, watching over the other boy like a hawk whilst he was imprisoned in his fever dreams. Back then he did everything Sister Lily and Father Orsi told him without a second's hesitation because he trusted them more than anything and believed that they would get Yuno back to health. It was a tough time, but in the end, everything turned out alright. Still, it was not a sight the swordsman wished to see ever again.

"Yuno, you okay there?" He asked with the softest voice he could muster, snapping the wind mage out from whatever thought that had been running wild inside his mind. Perplexed, Yuno looked at him, his mouth opening and closing over and over again as words failed him. Asta laughed at that because the sight was hilarious. Not only had the concerning expression left Yuno's face altogether, easing away his worries entirely. On top of that, he was blessed with the view of the wind mage losing all his bite, a rare event and always fun to watch when it occurred.

"I'm fine," his friend ultimately said, though Asta noticed how forced it sounded. For a moment he thought if he should pursue this golden opportunity or not. It was always a blast to tease Yuno when he discovered a dent in the other teen's barricades, but this time he chose to let it slide by. The mild scowl forming on the wind mage's face told him that the ebony-haired male probably wasn't in the mood for teasing.

Instead, of focusing on his companion any longer for the moment, Asta decided to shift his attention back to the old lady selling the delicious purple snakes. Never had he tasted something so tasty and if the old lady was willing to share some more of them, he would be super eager to eat as many as he could. However, when he turned around he came not to face to face with the person he was looking for.

Every trace of her had vanished completely from the street and only her stall remained. For a moment, he was worried about her, but then something in the corner of his eyes caught his attention. Looking down, he found a piece of paper laying on the wooden surface of the stand, secured by two skewers. Each of them housed one of the yummy snakes, but before he even thought about taking them, his eyes skimmed over the few lines on the letter, reading the words aloud so Yuno could hear them as well.

"I apologize for my sudden departure but something urgent came up so I had to take my leave. I wish you two the best of luck in the upcoming exam. Believe in yourselves and stay true to who you are. I'm certain by doing that the captains will acknowledge you two and you will be magic knights in no time.

Best wishes.

A fan of yours.

PS: Consider the two snakes you see in front of you as a gift."

Out of instinct, Yuno and Asta looked at each other as they tried to make sense of the note. From what the brief letter said, there was no reason to be concerned about the old lady's well-being, so they shrugged it off and took their free treats. Unbeknownst to Yuno, Asta watched him intensely, taking in the empty stick in the wind mage's left hand and how he ate the next snake just as eagerly. An impish and smug glint reflected inside the swordsman's eyes, for he knew that Yuno was already at his third snake.

It had taken him a lot of effort to not blow his cover, but he had been successful and got pricey information as a reward. Apparently, Yuno loved those grilled purple snakes. Asta had seen how he basically devoured the first one and he had also seen through his brother's poor attempt of diverting his attention elsewhere. He may have fallen for such tricks in the past a few times, but years of knowing the ebony-haired male enabled him to see through the schemes meant to confuse him. He decided to play along, secretly plotting his own scheme and by the looks of it, Yuno had no clue what was coming his way. Now he just needed the perfect stage to rub it into the wind mage's face, hoping for a priceless reaction.

However, the final part of his plan had to wait for the moment because he heard an announcer in the background. "The registrations for the exams are about to be closed. Anyone who wishes to participate now is your last chance!"

Again, both teens gazed at each other in the eyes, blinking several times before their legs kicked off the ground and they hurried to the entrance. Asta was happy that he had Yuno with him because the wind mage took both of them into the air in order to avoid all the people that were already swarming around the arena, hoping to catch a glimpse of the potential new magic knights.

"Wait for us!" Asta screamed with all his might and his squeaky voice, effectively catching everyone's attention. It slipped past his lips before he had a chance to stop it and ever so slightly eyes to his companion, relieved to not find what he thought he would. Under normal circumstances, Yuno would have silently cursed at his antics, but he was preoccupied with getting them to the entrance, so he probably didn't notice that almost everyone was staring at them by now.

They landed without further delay right in front of the man who had announced the closure of the registration, happy that they made it just in time before It would have been too late. However, the face of the official was contorted in disgust and he smeared at them, taking in the state of their clothes. Yuno and Asta stiffened alike because they had seen that look too many times in their short lives already.

"What are peasants like you doing here? This is not your dirty farmland, but the halls where the Magic Knights Election Exam will be held any minute now. Get lost and go back to your crops and cows and make yourselves useful, you filthy brats," the man said, his disgust evident in every word he spoke.

For a moment, both teens were speechless at what they heard. The phrases were not entirely new to them, but hearing them from one of the officials of the exam delivered a stronger blow to them than they would ever admit. From what they had learned during their childhood, anyone could become a magic knight no matter if they were a noble, a commoner or a peasant. Only their physical and magical abilities were judged, or so they thought.

"Excuse us, Sir, " Yuno, being the first to catch himself, responded surprisingly calm, albeit Asta noticed the silent rage that dripped from his words. Yet, the announcer didn't give him the chance to say anything else. "What? Haven't I been clear enough already? There's no place for peasants such as you in the magic knights, so crawl back into whatever hole you came from."

"Hey, you! Everyone can enter this exam," Asta exclaimed loudly, coming to Yuno's aid. The man in front of them was about to retort again, but the swordsman was faster. "We came all the way from Hage to enter this exam to fulfil our dream and you won't stop us!" Asta boldly proclaimed.

However, everything he got as a reply was a burst of loud laughter filled with smugness from the official. "I don't care how long your journey to the capital had been. As long as your names don't appear on the list of participants your dreams will remain nothing but dreams and unfortunately for you, it's my decision who can pass this gate to the registry," he said while pointing towards the gate behind him. "So you better give up and leave already, brat."

Asta and Yuno were about to protest in unison against this misuse of power, but suddenly a new voice rang out behind them. The tune was soft and gentle and it sounded almost like a coo, yet it caused a deadly silence in its wake, for every word was a demanding order. "I believe these two have made their desire to enter the examination more than evident, and I see no reason why they shouldn't be allowed to participate. After all, there are indeed no boundaries or limitations of who can attend," the unknown person said.

From the sound of his voice, it was clearly a man but Asta and Yuno naturally had no clue who he was. But one thing became obvious only a few seconds later. Whoever he was, the official blocking their path towards the future almost fainted from the presence of the man as sweat began forming on his face and his eyes grew bigger than what could be healthy.

The announcer began to stutter, his words an unrecognizable mess not even he could hope to understand. The two teens turned around, at last, to locate the source for the fright of the official, yet they did not discover what their minds had conjured already. They expected, despite the gentle voice he possessed, a behemoth of a man, easily towering several heads above anyone else

However, they could only find a lean young man who couldn't be that much older than them. He wore black boots, white pants and a matching white jacket that was adorned by accents of blue, yellow and red. His body was also hugged by a cape, mostly coloured in a soft green aside from the upper section which was kept in a mild brown, rimmed by blue fur around the neck. Also, there was a sun emblem engraved on the left side of the cape, located directly above his chest. A magic knight, that much was obvious.

Aquamarine eyes bored into the official with unmatched precision, taking him apart like it was nothing. Still, the face of the magic knight showed nothing but gentleness, creating a stark contrast when compared to his eyes. "Furthermore, I need to pass through this gate as well, so I would appreciate it if you would stop dwindling around and fulfil your duties instead."

"Of course, Sir Langris! I apologize for wasting your precious time!"

Only moments later, the gates were wide open, the announcer shivering like dead leaves as he stood at the side, not daring to look upon the man named Langris. Yuno and Asta simply stared wide-eyed as their saviour strolled inside, but suddenly he stopped abruptly, looking over his shoulder at them. Immediately, they understood why the official all but froze as he had been at the centre of attention of those aquamarine eyes.

Before they could gulp though, the serious expression shifted and they were welcomed by a hearty smile, so sweet it was hard to believe. "What are you two waiting for? The registration is about to end, so if you still wish to participate you ought to hurry. Otherwise, it will be too late."

Langris's words echoed inside their minds, reminding them that they had barely any time left. "Thank you so much, SIR! You are so nice to us!" Asta screamed in response whilst he bowed his head, Yuno mimicking his movement minus the loud crying. Then they were already back to storming towards the office where they could register themselves and seemingly not a second too late. Another official was already finishing stacking countless papers, standing as she was about to leave any moment.

"Wait!" Upon the call, the woman lifted her gaze and saw how the two teens were running as fast as they could before they skirted to a stop right in front of her. "Please, add us to the list of the competitors," Asta and Yuno demanded in perfect unison, but their response was only a tired sigh.

They feared for the worst, that their chance had slipped right through their fingers, but when the woman looked behind them, they noticed how she visibly stiffened. Again, Langris became their life saviour as the official rapidly began to rummage through a stack of empty papers and pulled two of them in front of her.

"Please let me examine your grimoires. It's the required procedure to enter the exams. It won't take long, so there's no need to worry," the woman said and both teens released the breaths they hadn't been aware of holding. Without hesitation, they pushed their magical books to her and let her do her job.

Meanwhile, they turned around simultaneously since they wanted to thank Langris properly for all his help, but there was not a trace of him left behind. It felt like he had vanished entirely from the face of the world and they wondered how he had managed to make himself scarce so fast. Yuno merely shrugged at that, but Asta was disappointed because he really wanted to say thank you.

"Hey, Yuno. Do you think we will see him again?" he asked while his eyes roamed across the nearby environment, making sure that Langris was indeed nowhere to be found.

"Who knows? We don't even know who he was," the ebony-haired boy answered nonchalantly as he took in the architecture of the vast building he was currently in. Now that the pressure weighing him down had vanished for the moment, he took his time to appreciate all the effort that had been poured into the construction of the arena.

Unbeknownst to them, the official behind them eyed them with suspicion as she finished the registration, for she could hardly believe what she had seen. Honestly, she had been so surprised about the two latecomers that she would have almost gasped aloud, but what truly shocked her was the man standing behind them. Langris Vaude, heir to the prestigious House of Vaude was famous throughout the entire kingdom and to think that man, a noble through and through, would personally see to it that two peasants could enter today's test was certainly not among anything she would have ever expected. She wondered what reasons he could have had, but it was not her place to pry into the motivations of other people.

"I'm finished you two. You can have your grimoires back. I wish you the best of luck because you will certainly need it. This year's competition is truly tough."

"Thanks!" Asta exclaimed full of excitement, while Yuno only gave a brief nod before he secured his book back to where it belonged. Together they marched deeper into the building and under normal circumstances they would have to fear of getting lost sooner than later, but Luckily there were a lot of signs everywhere. It was easy to find the correct path and as they came to the torched corridor, light shining at the other end, they knew their new life would begin right here.

"Let's go!" Asta screamed before he darted away. Yuno sighed at his partner's antics but against his better judgement decided to indulge the swordsman for once.

"Wait for me!"

XXX

The heavy, wooden door fell shut behind him with a loud bang, indicating that his important business in the dark and confined place was over and done. He was glad he had stumbled over the place in time because otherwise, he would have been in a lot of trouble – more than he already was due to his mistake this morning.

He grunted at the thought alone and wondered how he should best deal with his underlings. Finral and Gordon were one story, but Tomby was a completely different one. That girl was way too headstrong for her own good and it reminded him always of that crazy Sisgoleon that punched him if he just looked at her.

A shudder travelled down his spine at the thought of what that mad woman could do to him if he should enrage her. Tomby was not as bad, but still, he would always think twice about it before he tested his limits with her.

Stuffing his hand into the pocket of his pants, he searched for the package of cigarettes he always had with him until he found the desired object. He pulled one out, put it between his lips and lighted it up. Once he was satisfied, he took a strong drag on the gleaming stem and filled his lungs with the toxic substance before he puffed out a cloud of smoke in front of him.

At moments like this, he was glad that Owen was nowhere nearby. Otherwise, he was in for a lecture that managed to actually make him feel bad for smoking. The old man truly had his way of getting his point across in a charming, almost bewitching way. However, Yami had his reasons why he stuck to the cigarettes.

For the briefest of movements, the rainy day in the graveyard where he had his first taste flashed in front of his inner eyes, but he pushed it away as fast as it had come. He had no time to get all sentimental all of a sudden, especially not today with the entrance exam about to start.

Of course, he could simply choose to not attend and go his merry way, but in that case, a certain time mage would come after him and that was the last thing he wanted. Owen was already bad at giving people bad consciences, but compared to Julius Novachrono the old healer looked like a graceful angel.

Yami released another puff of smoke as he started to wander off, almost as if the current Wizard King had given him the push he needed. From the countless Ki signatures popping up on his radar, he was aware that he was already in the correct building. Yet he had no clue where he should go because the damn building was crafted like a maze. So he figured it would be best to start moving and see where he would end up. At some point, he would find someone and could threaten them to show him the way.

His heavy steps echoed from the high walls surrounding him as marched through the many corridors, effectively getting lost - much to his annoyance. To make matters worse he didn't find anyone even though he knew that they were there, yet somehow they managed to escape his grasp by some unknown means he was not familiar with. On top of that, he ended constantly in dead-ends for every corner he rounded and his limited patience grew thin rapidly. It was no surprise it didn't take long until none was left and he snapped.

Lifting his right foot, he kicked the offending barrier of stone blocking his path strongly. Instantly, the wall yielded to his power and will and crumbled to dust right before him in a matter of seconds. Moments later, shrill voices and panicked screams filled his ears about the destruction he had caused, accompanied by countless Ki signatures flaring up like torches that were set ablaze. He shut his useful ability off because he was not in the mood to deal with the onslaught that would have come his way if he hadn't done so.

When the dust had settled down, Yami was greeted by the sight of countless youngsters staring in his direction, each of their faces overwhelmed by shock about the sudden commotion. For a moment he thought about what would happen if he was to yell at them. They seemed to him like a scared up herd of deer and would probably take flight the moment he raised his voice. It was a tempting thought because his mission for the day would be done within mere seconds, but he dreaded the reactions of his fellow captains afterwards.

For whatever reason, some of them were always eager to test the greenhorns during this exam and Yami had no idea why. For him, it was always a drag to get through this particular day unless anyone managed to catch his interest. Something that hadn't happened in years and he doubted today would be any different.

Still, as much of an annoyance, this might be, it was still better than listening to the complaints that would surely follow. Therefore, the user of dark magic decided it would be best to simply sit down in the captains' lounge and wait until the exam ended. Finral was here, so the way back to the hideout would be a short one.

The captain of the Black Bulls took a long drag on his cigarette before he puffed out a cloud of smoke. Without paying much attention to the countless teenagers around him, he marched forward, aiming for the spot from where the captains could observe the examinees during the different tests. Around him he heard the hushed whispers, some of them apparently had informed themselves prior to the event and knew that he was a captain, the Lord of Destruction Yami Sukehiro, but he could care less about the title nor what they thought of him. He had already found what he was looking for.

As Yami moved towards the balcony, his mind thought about what would be today's schedule. Magic control, magic power, magic prowess, magic amount and combat abilities. There were a bunch of different ways in which the participants had to utilise their magic during the large test and the captains judged them from what they saw. The user of dark magic was glad that he entered the magic knights without this hassle, not to mention that this was the most useless method to see a person's magic in his eyes.

Not every type of magic could be used for everything. There were few exceptions of course, but that was merely the epitome of the skill of the wielder. Forcing all of these young people through these weird tests would do them no good because they had barely the chance to shine properly. His complaints about this style went unanswered though, probably the officials thought the captain of the Black Bulls was not worthy of their time or something like that. If he was honest with himself, he hoped Julius would take control over this whole ordeal. Yami knew the end results would be so much better because as much of a magic nerd as he may be, Julius was well aware of what he was doing. A mastermind through and through, rightfully earning the man the title of Wizard King.

However, the time mage was not pulling the strings behind the scenes of the exam – at least, not yet - so Yami had to deal with what was coming, no matter how much he loathed the idea. He was already close to the captain's lounge and would soon be able to conformably jump on it. That had been his plan, but suddenly someone bumped into him from behind.

So far, given the circumstances, he had been relatively relaxed but that changed instantly. His mood turned around by 180 degrees as he looked behind him to see the fool who had dared to run into him. Sparks of his dark magic roared to live and surrounded his whole being, giving his already menacing frame an additional touch of despair come true as he addressed the idiot.

"Huh?! You get a death wish? I'll kill you," Yami threatened, looking down when he heard a surprised and frightened yelp that was way too loud and squeaky for his tastes. He was well aware of his size, yet he was still mildly surprised by how tiny the shrimp in front of him was. The little boy wore simple clothes, missing the fanciness all nobles had in common and even for a commoner, his clothes were still too shabby. Therefore, Yami summarized that the child was a peasant and he wondered what someone like this was doing here.

He won't admit that, but he was glad that there were still kids like this one, who had the same guts as Magna to show themselves in this privileged event as it was called by many, most of them being nobles. He had never been one who judged people by their looks and he sure as hell wouldn't start now. He relied more on his senses, especially his Ki because it told him so much more than eyes, nose and fingers ever could, and paired that with his gut feeling. So far, that combination had never disappointed him yet and Yami was glad he had pushed past his limits and learned the common ability that countless people back in his homeland used in their daily life.

The user of dark magic immediately knew that something was off about the midget, but he couldn't place his finger on what it was. Earlier he had deactivated his Ki in order to save him from all the impressions his sixth sense would have picked up, but now he was about to use it again, so he could get a better insight into what the boy's deal was.

But the ash-blond-haired teen acted faster than him. While a stupid expression was plastered all over his face, the little shrimp dared to calmly lay a hand on his shoulders. "Man, you're only fifteen, but you look so old already. You had it rough, didn't you?"

The people around them became stiffer than stone pillars and more silent than the dead in their graves as they heard what their fellow had just said. Yami released another puff of smoke in response as he stared at the fool who had just signed his death sentence. The tall man's body showed no signs of what he was thinking though as he merely reached out with his free hand and grabbed the boy by his head. The captain of the Black Bulls lifted the boy easily in the air, almost as if he was weighing nothing. Then he started to crush the idiot's head without showing any hints of hesitation.

"Arghhhh! I picked the wrong guy to mess with," he screamed in agony as his arms flailed widely from side to side, a poor attempt to make the pain bearable. Yami ignored the useless efforts and started to count from ten, giving the boy enough time to regret his whole life and his recent decision. When he was down to five, the teen grabbed his arm with both of his hands, stomping down on the ground as he found his footing again.

For a moment, Yami stopped his counting as he bore witness to what happened next. The boy's muscles bulged, and veins popped up here and there as he poured all of his strength into pulling away the hand that was crushing his skull. Yami would lie if he said he wasn't surprised by this sudden development, for he hadn't expected something like this to happen.

Impressive was dancing on the very tip of his tongue, but he denied to proclaim that loudly. There were only very few people he knew who were able to pull off a stunt such as this, namely that crazy Sisgoleon and that damn Tomby. Most of the magic knights only relied on their magical power to cast spells and increase their physical durability by applying a greater array of strengthening magic. Using what their bodies naturally offered was totally uncommon and probably only the two women and he actually made use of that. Or so he thought. Seemingly, he had stumbled over someone else, but before he could think any further, a voice he was more than familiar with addressed him from behind.

"Ah, there you are captain. We have been searching the whole place for you. Where have you- Wait! What are you doing?!"

"What do you want, Finral? I'm busy messing this one's head. Ain't that obvious?" Yami answered nonchalantly as he turned around, seeing that Finral was not on his own. Gordon was mumbling something again and as always, the dark mage had no clue what it was. Ria stood on the other side of the spatial mage, observing everything with her forest-green eyes. Since his Ki was still deactivated, Yami had no idea what was running through her head, but he doubted that she was interested in the current events anyway.

"Mister Yami, I don't know what that kid did, but I don't believe murdering him will do the Black Bulls any good."

"You're wrong, Finral. Killing this punk will resolve a lot of my current problems. Besides, who do you think I am, huh? I'm a captain so I can do whatever I want." To emphasize his bold statement, Yami fastened his iron-tight grip on Asta's head and applied even more pressure than before.

"Please stop! My head will be in serious trouble if this continues," Asta whined in the background, but Yami ignored the plea as he glared at his ride.

"That might be true, but I think we have already enough negative stars..." Finral drew out as he began to chuckle nervously, massaging the back of his neck. Yami was about to turn his attention back to the boy, but at that moment another voice rang out, coming to the aid of the spatial mage by thrusting a dagger into the dark mage's back. Of course not literally, but sometimes words were sharper than the sharpest sword.

"Solving all of your trouble you say? I doubt that. Even if you kill him, it won't make the fact that you dragged all of us way too early here vanish," Ria said and Yami twitched at the comment. He really had thought it was beginning quite early, but unfortunately for him, it didn't. He had dug his own grave on this one and he knew that all too well. Tomby had merely voiced it out.

The tall man sighed heavily as he accepted his defeat, releasing the boy's head in the progress who instantly dropped to his behind. "Looks like it's your lucky day, brat. Better make use of your second chance of life."

Not waiting for a reply, Yami looked over his shoulder at his squad members. "You guys ready to go?"

Finral and Gordon seemed relieved that the situation was solved without any collateral damage that would further taint the reputation of the Black Bulls, not that there was any left anyway. Ria, on contrary, looked like she was completely untouched by anything that had just transpired. When Yami started to move towards the nearest exit that would lead them to the captains' lounge, she was the first to follow without saying a single word. Only her eyes gave away that she was observing Yami's former victim intensely, still sitting on the ground as he tried to soothe the pain away.

His friend, the ebony-haired teen she had met earlier, had rushed to the boy's side, standing beside him as he eyed all of them warily. If stares could kill, Yami would have dropped dead by now because there were basically lightning bolts shooting out of his honey-coloured orbs. These two had a rather interesting relationship, at least that was what Ria could summarize from the brief moments they had met. She couldn't deny that something about them intrigued her, but she pushed the thought away because she doubted that either of them would end up in the Black Bulls.

She was not the only one though, whose interest was at its limit and beyond. Yami had activated his Ki again and could sense the rage of the other teen's friend channelled in his direction. Furthermore, he ignored the mild twitching in his right arm where the ash-blond-haired boy had tried to pry his arm off. Maybe today's exam would be not as boring as he had initially thought. A smile tugged at his lips at that thought.

'Looks like we have An Interesting Couple this year.'

XXXXXXXXX

In case you wonder about "Tomby." It's Yami's nickname for Ria. It's properly explained in the notes of the related one-shot to this story "The Beginning." If you wish to find out more you should check it out. :D

Thank you so much for reading and don't forget to leave a fav, follow and a comment when you liked this chapter. They are the oxygen we writers need to survive and fuel our motivation beyond their limits!

Until the next chapter, my fellow BC lovers. :D