“Alright,” the silver-haired Grand Mage said, his voice was calm yet carried an air of authority, “Let’s see what you’re capable of.”
The black-haired one beside him shrugged lazily, “I doubt you’ll impress us, but give it a shot anyway.”
Alex barely paid attention to their words.
He was well aware that these so-called Grand Mages thought highly of themselves.
But that didn’t matter to him.
Instead, he mumbled under his breath, but not enough for them to not hear it.
“I’m stronger than you two anyway… but fine, I’ll show you one spell.”
That was all he needed to do.
His goal wasn’t to reveal too much.
If anything, he had to be careful.
There was always the chance he’d have to fight them.
And if that happened, he didn’t want them to know the full extent of his power.
So, he had to choose his skill carefully.
And when considering that, there was only one real option.
[Celestial Judgment].
It was a spell of overwhelming strength.
So powerful that even Grand Mages considered it difficult to control.
However, the best part was that they all likely knew about it already.
It was one of Arceus’ abilities, after all.
Meaning it wouldn’t come as a shock that someone other than him could use it, especially since they knew he was his apprentice.
If anything, it would be the perfect way to make an impression on them without giving away anything crucial.
Silence filled the air for a few moments.
The two [Grand Mage Judges] ignored Alex’s previous remark about being stronger than them.
The thought was ridiculous.
Impossible, even.
There wasn’t a single individual they had tested who had come close to their level.
So why would this be any different?
And yet… they were intrigued.
That confidence, where did it come from?
“Alright,” the black-haired one said again, this time, with a grin that hinted at a more sinister side, “But if you disappoint us, just know… we’ll burn you to a crisp instantly.”
“Maybe we should try another method this time,” the silver-haired Grand Mage sighed, shaking his head, “Burning them gets boring after a while.”
Their words weren’t threats.
They were statements of fact.
So far, every test had ended in disappointment.
Not because the ones they judged were necessarily weak.
But because the gap between them and a true [Grand Mage] was simply too vast.
Some had potential, sure.
But potential didn’t mean anything if they weren’t already strong.
They didn’t care for those who could be powerful one day.
They only cared for those who already were.
That was why no one brought apprentices.
There were 53 Grand Mages in total.
And of them, only 9 or 10 ever considered taking students.
But even those few wouldn’t bring their apprentices to this test.
It was a death sentence.
This was a place where only the strongest survived.
Alex took a deep breath.
Then turned and began walking toward the mansion’s exit.
The two judges followed.
They obviously weren’t going to allow the test to be conducted here.
If Alex truly planned to demonstrate something worth watching.
It would need to be done in an open area.
They stepped outside.
“Alright, do it,” they said in unison.
Their eyes sharp as they prepared to observe every detail.
Mana control, power, casting time.
Everything mattered.
“Grab your staff and cast the spell,” the black-haired one instructed, folding his arms, “We’re waiting.”
Alex gave a small nod.
But unlike them, he obviously didn’t need a staff as his [Crown of Calamity] had absorbed it already, allowing him to use spells with his hands.
Instead of reaching for a weapon, he simply joined his hands together.
Instantly, a golden aura erupted from his body, radiating power.
“Hey, dumbass, we said grab your staff,” the silver-haired Grand Mage groaned in annoyance, “Are you deaf?”
“Wait,” The left judge’s eyes suddenly widened, “Something’s… wrong.”
Before they could even process what was happening.
The sky above them shifted.
The clouds darkened, twisting unnaturally.
And then, twelve holy blades appeared from above.
Descending one by one until they hovered around Alex in perfect formation.
The Grand Mages froze.
“What the hell…?”
“Huh.”
They had seen [Celestial Judgment] before, sure.
That wasn’t what shocked them.
But the way Alex used it, the sheer mastery behind his movements…
Before they could speak, Alex focused on the blades, making them shift in unison.
Not a single one fell out of sync, and his control was absolute.
The blades moved as though they were an extension of himself, not just an ability, it was beyond perfect.
“Is this enough?” Alex asked, his tone casual.
As if he hadn’t just displayed something that should’ve been impossible.
The two Grand Mages stared.
“Huh…?”
“That’s a trick, right?”
But they weren’t even focused on the spell anymore.
[Celestial Judgment] was powerful, sure.
But what actually caught their attention was something else entirely.
“Did you just cast a spell… without a staff?”
Alex blinked, “I mean… yeah?”
“The fuck?”
That was impossible.
The only known exception was…
“The only other person who can do that is the [Grand Mage Master], and he still uses his staff, since using magic without a staff weakens it…” the silver-haired one muttered.
“That’s not normal, dude. It has to be a trick.”
“What trick? He literally just used Arceus’ ability in front of us!”
Their debate continued.
But Alex had already lost interest.
“Can I go now?” he asked, tilting his head, “When does the meeting start?”
That snapped them back to reality.
“Huh? O-Oh, yeah. You can go. That was… impressive.”
“The meeting starts in twenty minutes,” the silver-haired one added quickly, “We should get going too.”
Alex gave a small nod and turned back toward the mansion.
This time, he walked up the stairs and entered.
The [Grand Lobby] was large and elegant.
A massive red carpet stretched toward an enormous double door at the end of the room with a screen above it displaying a countdown.
[19:27 minutes before the meeting.]
The room itself was decorated lavishly: golden chandeliers and several servants carrying plates of food.
It was clear that the [Grand Mage Order] was a place of prestige.
But Alex wasn’t interested in any of that.
Instead, he glanced toward the upper floors.
A staircase beside the meeting room’s entrance led upward.
But it wasn’t the smartest move to explore right now.
Too many eyes were on him.
And speaking of eyes…
“Hey, who’s that?”
“Did he actually pass the test?”
There were Grand Mages gathered in the hallways and resting areas, casually eating as they observed him.
Their presence alone was enough to make most people hesitate.
These were some of the strongest individuals in the world.
And yet…
As Alex looked at them, his instincts told him one thing: he could beat them.
If he ever made a mistake, he’d have to fight all 52 of them at once.
And at his current level, that wasn’t something he could handle.
But in a one-on-one?
He was confident.
Still, that wasn’t his goal.
Not now, at least.
The meeting was what mattered.
So, after taking in the scene for a few minutes.
He turned his gaze back to the large red doors.
[9:48 minutes before the meeting.]
And then—
He stepped forward.
It was time to see what the [Grand Mage Order] was truly about.