Magus Supremacy

"Now, if there are no other questions, I hereby begin this assessment," he said as he swung his hand down. Instantly, the doll dashed toward the applicant.

In the blink of an eye, the doll was right in front of the applicant, swinging its wooden sword at him with lightning speed.

Without wasting a second, the applicant jumped back to avoid the slash aimed at him. As soon as he regained his footing, he gripped his spear tightly, then bolted toward the doll with firm resolve.

When he got close enough, the applicant thrust his spear toward the red dot on the doll's chest. But in an instant, the doll's shield shot forward, blocking the path of the spear. Then, with a sudden push of its wooden hand, the applicant stumbled backward, losing his balance slightly.

And before he could fully recover, the doll burst forward again, leaping at him with incredible speed and slashing its sword down toward the tumbling man. Noticing the danger, the applicant swiftly twirled his spear in his hands and brought it up in front of his face.

The wooden sword clashed against the shaft of the spear, sending a shock through the applicant's arms and forcing him to skid a few inches backward. His hands throbbed with pain from the force of the blow, but he gritted his teeth and stayed standing.

Gunther stood a few metres away, arms crossed, his eyes watching the applicant with clear disappointment.

'Judging from the forms these students filled in, it's obvious,' he thought. 'Aside from the direct descendants and nobles, no one else is even worth our time.'

"Damn it! I can't give up now," the applicant muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth as he gripped the spear tighter.

The doll lunged again, slashing horizontally. The applicant narrowly spun aside, avoiding the blade's edge. His spear shot forward once more at a decent speed, but again the doll's shield appeared just in time to block it.

"Curses!" the applicant growled. With a surge of frustration and desperation, he infused his limbs with Ki, focusing it especially in his arms. In a flash, he leapt off the ground and began spinning mid-air, his spear still pressing against the unyielding shield.

"Come on!" he roared, spinning with increasing velocity. Cracks started to appear on the doll's shield, the strain from the rapid assault taking its toll.

But the doll didn't falter. In one sudden motion, it swung the hilt of its sword into the boy's arms. A sharp burst of pain shot through his body as his momentum was cut short.

With a painful grunt, the boy's body slammed into the ground with a thud. His fingers loosened around the spear, and it clattered beside him. He struggled to rise, pain coursing through his limbs, but before he could act, the doll was already standing above him.

Without hesitation, it slammed its shield down on the applicant's head. The impact shattered the wooden shield and sent the boy skidding unconscious across the ground.

Seeing that its opponent was down, the doll took a step back and lowered its sword. Then it stood still, completely motionless, as if it had become nothing more than a statue.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Gunther scoffed as he walked over and tapped the doll on the back. The construct powered down instantly and vanished from view.

"First applicant has lost. Take him away," he ordered coldly.

Immediately, two men descended into the coliseum and dragged the applicant's body away without hesitation.

'Damn it!' Grey cursed aloud, his eyes fixed on the line of dolls before him, a deep worry settling in his gut. That applicant was also a Stage 1 warrior like me, and yet, he couldn't defeat the doll. Would I be able to?

"Next on the list is Mada Slade. Kindly come out here and show them how it's done," Gunther said as he turned around and strode towards one of the dolls. Placing his palm on its back, the doll whirred to life and began to walk forward.

"Gladly," Mada replied with a confident smile as he strolled over casually. A longsword was handed to him as he stood in front of the doll, awaiting orders.

'This bastard descendant kid,' Grey thought, his fists clenching tightly in frustration. His teeth ground back and forth as he glared daggers at Mada.

"Mada here is a Stage 4 warrior, hence the doll has been programmed to act as a Stage 5 warrior," Gunther announced, raising his hand into the air while staring at both Mada and the doll. "Begin!" he ordered as he swung his hand down.

Right on cue, the doll burst forward in a sudden flash of speed, causing gasps to ripple through the crowd as they recoiled in shock at the sheer velocity displayed.

'Damn! The doll is almost as fast as Yami,' Grey thought, trying his best to keep his eyes locked on the battle.

Unlike the crowd, who reacted with fear for Mada's safety, Mada himself was calm. His grip on his sword tightened the moment he saw the doll materialize right in front of him, its blade already mid-swing.

With swift reflexes, Mada leapt back, narrowly avoiding the slash. Before he could fully regain his footing, the doll surged forward again, launching a swift downward strike towards him. Mada leaned back instinctively, the blade slicing harmlessly through the air above his nose.

Twisting his body mid-movement, Mada lashed out with a powerful roundhouse kick. The doll raised its shield just in time, and a loud boom echoed across the coliseum as the collision sent a tremor through the ground. Dust and fragments kicked up into the air, swirling around Mada's wide grin.

He pressed his foot harder into the extended kick and then—

BOOM!

The doll was launched backward, skidding several meters across the arena from the sheer force behind Mada's blow.

"I'm not done with you," Mada said with a grin, his Ki swirling rapidly to his feet as he shot forward like a cannonball. His sword danced through the air with graceful precision, its movements carving invisible runes into the atmosphere.

With a powerful thrust, Mada aimed his blade at the doll. Reacting instantly, the doll raised its shield and braced itself. The sword struck the shield with a solid impact that sent the doll skidding just an inch.

Without hesitation, the doll retaliated, swinging its wooden blade at Mada from the side with a burst of intense speed.

Shit! Mada thought as he leaned his head sideways with all the speed he could muster. The wooden blade whistled past his face, nicked his hair, and grazed his cheek. A thin line of blood appeared instantly, trickling downward.

Mada froze for a moment, his eyes blinking rapidly as he stared at the blood dripping to the ground. His gaze flicked up, catching sight of his older brother in the stands. The man's arms were crossed, and his expression was one of clear disappointment.

'I… I… I disappointed Brother? A mere doll managed to graze me? If Brother were in my place, this filthy machine wouldn't have come close, much less drawn blood.

I… I failed him! I failed and disappointed my brother!' Mada screamed internally as the doll charged again, sword raised for a killing blow.

In the blink of an eye, the wooden blade cut through the air, aiming for Mada's neck. But then…

"This is unacceptable," Mada muttered coldly.

BANG!

He vanished from sight in a blur.

A heartbeat later, the doll's head rolled off its shoulders and thudded to the ground.

"Mada Slade passes," Gunther announced, though his voice was tinged with a slight frown.

'Shit! I… I didn't even see him move,' Grey thought in disbelief, swallowing hard as cold sweat trickled down his jaw.

"And to think this is the type of person you chose to anger. Shame, shame, shame," Finral whispered toward Grey, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

"Next applicant, Ray Dumbbell?" Gunther said as he scanned the sheet, confusion flashing across his face. His eyes blinked rapidly at the strange name.

"Ray Dumbbell? Who is…" Grey started to say, but then he noticed Ray stepping forward from his side, a sheepish smile plastered on his face.

Grey facepalmed himself.

'So stupid.'