"Ethan! Ethan! Hurry up and come out! I've confirmed everything; you're done with your tasks. You can't avoid me anymore!"
As the door swung open, Ethan Hayes saw Asta standing not far from the entrance, wielding the Demon Slayer Sword, swinging it with dramatic force.
His voice roared like thunder, and his expression was exaggerated to the extreme.
"Asta, don't you have anything better to do? The Black Bulls are full of strong members—can't you spar with someone else?" Ethan replied, exasperated.
Since the tournament ended, Asta had been pestering him daily, eager for a sparring session under the guise of improving his combat skills.
"No way! I want to train with you. You're the one closest to becoming the Wizard King!"
He nodded reluctantly. With nothing urgent left on his plate, sparring with Asta seemed better than enduring his daily shouting.
Besides, though he'd faced Yuno before, he'd yet to duel Asta.
It wasn't entirely Asta's fault. His earlier performances hadn't been particularly impressive. The turning point came when Asta mastered his "Devil Union."
Before that, his abilities hadn't qualified him to join the top ranks.
"Alright, let's do this. Hell, you're the referee!" Ethan said, his voice carrying a faint smile.
With wind magic enhancing his body, Ethan gracefully descended into the training grounds.
Asta, grinning ear to ear, followed him eagerly.
Becoming the Wizard King was his ultimate goal, but the path to that title was lined with formidable rivals like Yuno and Ethan, neither of whom were easy to surpass.
Initially, Asta considered Yuno his greatest rival, but he had to admit Ethan now held that spot.
Ethan's display of power during the nine squads' competition had far surpassed his expectations.
"Ethan, don't hold back! I want to see how big the gap between us is!"
Ethan smiled faintly. But though he agreed, he fully intended to hold back.
After all, if he ended the match in seconds, how would he test his magic?
At Hell's signal, Asta vanished, charging forward with astonishing speed, the Demon Slayer Sword in hand.
"Impressive speed!" Hell thought, watching from the side.
He felt no magical fluctuations nor signs of spellcasting, meaning this speed came purely from Asta's physical capabilities.
Ethan chuckled softly, moving simultaneously.
For a magicless fighter like Asta, his only viable strategy was close combat.
However, closing the gap against someone like Ethan was a near-impossible task.
Ethan moved even faster, leaving behind afterimages across the training field.
"This side… no, that side… no, not there either…"
Without a clear target, he couldn't attack.
Though he'd recently learned to "sense ki," Ethan's rapid, unpredictable movements rendered it ineffective.
Ethan was everywhere and nowhere, making it impossible for Asta to lock onto him.
From the very beginning, Ethan held the upper hand.
"Wind Magic—Wind Blade!"
After toying with Asta for a bit, Ethan decided to get serious. A razor-sharp wind blade shot toward Asta.
Asta, without even looking, instinctively swung his Demon Slayer Sword, cleaving the wind blade in two.
"So this is the magic-nullifying power of the Demon Slayer Sword…" Ethan mused, narrowing his eyes.
The sword's ability was fascinating, though its mechanism remained a mystery.
Regardless of the type of magic—tangible or intangible—the sword nullified it on contact.
"Let's test this further…"
Curious, Ethan unleashed several more wind-based spells.
Asta responded with precision and agility, cutting down each spell with ease.
Though he couldn't match Ethan's speed, he could handle pre-formed spells thanks to his ability to sense their trajectory.
One by one, Ethan's magic attacks were dispelled, leaving him in awe of Asta's progress.
"Impressive… he's improved significantly," Ethan thought.
Asta's stamina had also increased. While mages relied on magic power, Asta relied on sheer physical endurance—a crucial factor in prolonged battles.
"Wind Creation Magic—Tempest Vortex!"
A sudden cyclone formed around Asta, aiming to lift him off the ground.
But Asta remained unyielding.
With two swift slashes, the cyclone dissipated as if it had never existed.
"Even intangible magic can't withstand that sword… Truly remarkable," Ethan muttered, a hint of envy in his voice.
If he could wield the Demon Slayer Sword, his unmatched mobility and offensive power would make him invincible in close combat.
Unfortunately, the sword wasn't suited to him.
He had tried wielding it before but found that it drained his magic to zero, rendering him powerless.
"Well, no use dwelling on what I can't have."
Ethan shrugged and shifted focus back to the sparring session.
"Wind Creation Magic—Falcon's Dive!"
"Wind Creation Magic—Vacuum Burst!"
"Wind Creation Magic…"
In a flash, Ethan unleashed five different spells from various angles, encircling Asta.
Hell, watching from the sidelines, was dumbstruck.
Simultaneously casting multiple spells required immense magical control, something even elite mages rarely achieved.
Asta braced himself, the Demon Slayer Sword poised for action.
With a determined roar, he swung the massive blade with lightning speed, shattering all five spells in a single motion.
"Impressive… but I've already won," Ethan's voice rang out beside Asta.
Before Asta could react, Ethan's hand lightly touched his neck.
The five spells had been a diversion, allowing Ethan to exploit an opening and end the fight.
Though Ethan hadn't used magic in his final move, Asta knew that in a real battle, he would have already lost his life.
"You're incredible, Ethan!" Hell clapped enthusiastically.
Even as a spectator, the duel had been awe-inspiring.
"Again! Let's go another round!" Asta said eagerly.
But Ethan wasn't interested.
Fighting against someone with magic-nullifying abilities had limited value for him.
"C'mon, Ethan! Just one more round!"
As Asta clung to Ethan's leg, begging for another match, a royal guard arrived with urgent news.
"The capital is under attack! Captain Ethan, please assemble your squad immediately and head to the capital!"
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