Inside the giant Colosseum, even the very air felt different in weight from the outside.
Cheers cascading like a waterfall from the packed spectator seats, thick clouds of sand dust, and the fishy stench of beasts.
And mixed with it all, the lingering echo of mana made every breath hitch and stall.
In the very center, the practical exam was in full swing.
Kugugung—!
With a roar that shook the earth, a house-sized rock golem hurled its fist into the air.
Its massive fist struck the testing stone plates with a thunderous boom.
Kwagagang—!
A cloud of dust erupted, and the first plate, swept by the shockwave, shattered into pieces.
The aftermath toppled the subsequent plates like dominoes.
Fragments flew in all directions, and dull explosions rang out in succession.
As the dust settled, what was revealed were twelve stone plates shattered beyond recognition.
"Oooooh—!"
"Twelve plates! As expected, golem-types have a whole different level of destructive power!"
Exclamations burst from throughout the spectator seats.
There was also murmuring that sounded overwhelmed by the staggering power.
But Yustia, standing beside me, reacted differently.
She grabbed my sleeve, her eyes sparkling as if a child had glimpsed a secret.
"Look at that! They broke only twelve plates, yet people are marveling like that."
An uncontrollable smile spread across her lips.
"Lord Taesan, you broke eighteen plates with a light hit during training! For you... that wouldn't even count as a warm-up, would it?"
"Right... haha...."
On the adjacent field, a speed measurement test was underway on a massive circular track.
A mechanical turret embedded in the center began to rotate madly with a deafening roar.
Wiiiiing—!
With a sharp tearing sound, a leopard-shaped summon sprinted across the track.
It circled the track, dodging mana beams fired from the turret.
The faster it went, the more agile its movements became, leaving afterimages.
The spectators' gazes chased after it frantically.
Kwagagang!
As it broke through the final lap, kicking up dust, a number appeared on the scoreboard.
[14 LAP]
"Look at that. Fourteen laps!"
"Insane! That's definitely the best record so far!"
"As expected, the mobility of a beast-type summon is unmatched."
Exclamations and murmurs exploded here and there.
Everyone was clicking their tongues in awe at the overwhelming speed, but Yustia beside me was busy pursing her lips to stifle her laughter.
She poked my side and whispered.
"Did you hear that? All that fuss over a mere fourteen laps."
Her eyes sparkled playfully.
"If you hadn't tripped, you could have easily cleared fifteen laps, Lord Taesan! That level... isn't it just a walk in the park for you?"
"Huh? No, if it's fourteen laps, that's around my level...."
"Anyway! The records haven't improved compared to last year. If we perform just like we practiced, we can pass easily!"
There was no trace of anxiety left in her voice.
It was filled only with joyful confidence.
[Group 18, examinees numbered 80 to the 100s! Please proceed to the mana measurement station!]
"That's us! We're number 91! Let's go, Lord Taesan!"
Yustia raised her hand high and bounded up and down.
She had the bright, innocent look of a child going on a picnic.
The surrounding examinees glanced over, but she paid them no heed and snatched my arm.
'Isn't she nervous? Why is she so excited?'
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
The exam we were heading to was none other than the mana measurement.
My mana was already confirmed to be F-rank at an immeasurable level.
Yet where that look of absolute confidence on her face came from, I had no idea.
"Yes... let's go."
I answered half-heartedly and moved my feet, led by her hand.
"You saw earlier, right? Their expressions."
Yustia giggled as if whispering.
"When they see Lord Taesan's true ability, everyone will faint. Even without mana, Lord Taesan is...."
"Shh."
It wasn't time to reveal our hand yet.
"I should just be grateful if I don't make a fool of myself."
"Oh, come on. A fool of yourself? Let's call it the prelude to a twist instead."
Yustia winked.
"Student number 80, please enter."
Along with the announcement, a male student with the number ahead of ours entered the testing area beyond the glass wall with a nervous expression.
I narrowed my eyes and stared beyond the glass.
"Is he going in alone without a summon?"
No matter how I looked, I only saw a scrawny male student by himself.
"No. He probably went in with it."
Yustia answered nonchalantly.
"Where is it? Is it wearing an invisibility cloak?"
"Look closely. There, on his shoulder."
Following her fingertip, I shifted my gaze and saw something no larger than a grape huddled on the male student's shoulder.
It was a gray ball of fur, even smaller than a palm.
That's a summon?
The male student held out the back of his hand with a solemn expression and shouted something.
Then the gray ball of fur leaped from his shoulder.
Squeak!
It nimbly climbed onto the mana measuring sphere.
And then it pressed its tiny front paws against the sphere and began to tremble.
It was a desperate gesture, as if gathering all the energy in its body.
Wiiing—
The measuring sphere emitted a faint light.
A very dim, purple-pink hue, like a candle about to go out.
The needle on the gauge twitched slightly, then stopped.
"Pfft."
"Hey, look at that. Did the needle even move?"
Snickering ridicule burst from throughout the waiting room.
"At that level, it's practically no mana reaction at all."
"Even for a small summon, that's serious. Isn't that just a pet hamster?"
"He's out, he's out."
Blatant mockery poured down.
Beyond the glass wall, the male student's face turned bright red as he bowed his head deeply, hurriedly gathered his summon, and exited as if fleeing.
Watching his retreating figure, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
'It doesn't feel like someone else's problem....'
I was just bigger than that rat; in terms of mana, I wasn't much different.
No, that rat might even be better than me, whose mana converged on zero.
"Oh, that's a shame."
Yustia clicked her tongue.
"But we'll be different. Right?"
"Huh?"
She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling.
I swallowed a bitter smile and shrugged.
"Who knows. In front of the mana measuring device, I'm probably below even that rat."
The preceding students took their exams one after another.
Shortly after, Yustia's name was finally called.
"Number 91, Yustia Rosenhart!"
"It's us! Let's go in, Lord Taesan!"
Yustia grabbed my arm and bounced out like a spring.
"Huh? Yes...."
I was practically dragged along as I followed behind her.
'Just why is she so excited?'
It was obvious I was going to make a complete fool of myself in front of the mana measuring device.
I couldn't fathom the source of that overflowing confidence.
"Excuse me. Only one person at a time."
A student in an Academy uniform guarding the entrance blocked the way.
It was the uniform of Eternoa, the very object of admiration, with its pristine white jacket and golden embroidery.
Yustia's eyes went wide.
"Wow...."
She stared at the student's hem as if she had seen a celebrity, letting out an exclamation.
"Um, I'm her summon."
I cut in awkwardly.
The student's brow furrowed.
"What?"
"Ah, that's right. He is my summon."
Yustia came to her senses and chimed in.
But the student let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.
"What bullshit. Stop playing around, one at a time...."
"Here."
Yustia pulled out crumpled application papers from her bosom and thrust them in front of the student's nose.
The papers bore the clear signature of the Headmaster and the seal of Professor Brand.
The student took the papers with an annoyed look and skimmed through them.
And after a moment, his eyes grew wider and wider until they finally stopped with a vacant expression.
"...What is this?"
He looked back and forth between the papers and my face in disbelief.
"So, like I said, he is my summon. It's even been approved by the Headmaster."
Yustia spoke clearly and firmly, as if driving in a nail.
At that moment, a murmuring wave surged from behind us.
"What? Two people going in together?"
"Crazy, did she fail her summon and bring her dad from home?"
"What kind of trick is that? This is funny."
Snickering mixed with blatant mockery and ridicule struck my ears.
But Yustia didn't bat an eye.
She stepped into the testing area confidently.
"Now! Let's begin the mana measurement, Lord Taesan."
Yustia's eyes were still sparkling, as if she were about to put on a grand magic show.
"Yes... let's."
I forced a smile and stood before the measuring device.
Beneath the transparent crystal sphere, a complex magic circle was glowing faintly.
'What am I even doing.'
Should I pretend to pour out mana? Or maybe shout a kiai?
All sorts of thoughts flashed through my mind, but in the end, I awkwardly stretched one arm into the air.
"Hrah!"
With a shout, I pressed my palm against the sphere.
But as expected.
I felt nothing.
The only thing at my fingertips was the cold sensation of crystal. I couldn't sense even a hint of mana flow or waves.
Wiiing—
The measuring sphere didn't even pretend to flicker for a moment.
The needle on the gauge didn't budge in the slightest.
[0.00]
A perfect zero.
The realm of nothingness.
"Bwahahaha!"
"Hey, look at that! It's really zero!"
"He doesn't have any mana at all? Is that a doll that crawled in from somewhere?"
Beyond the glass wall, I could see the students in the waiting room holding their stomachs and laughing.
The sight of them pointing fingers and roaring with laughter was quite a spectacle.
"...This is embarrassing."
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
My face was burning with shame.
But Yustia simply shrugged her shoulders.
"Well... this was part of the plan."
There was no trace of disappointment or embarrassment in her eyes.
Rather, a mischievous smile lingered at her lips.
"Now it's time to show the twist."
She tugged at my sleeve and whispered.
"It's a zero on the mana measurement, but we can make up for it with something else."