Reborn as Asta

The moment Yami introduced me, the room erupted into chaos. Magna was shouting something about testing my "manliness," Vanessa casually sipped her wine, a sly smirk tugging at her lips, and Luck was practically vibrating with energy, bouncing on the balls of his feet as electric sparks danced around him.

Asta nodded, having a brief idea of what the test was. "Okay..... So, what do I have to do?"

Magna stepped forward, cracking his knuckles with a wide, mischievous grin. "Oh, this is gonna be fun. Your test is simple: survive. I'll be throwing my best fire magic at you, and you've gotta handle it without running off like some scared little brat."

"Cool," Asta replied, a confident grin tugging at his lips.

Vanessa chuckled softly, her tone dripping with amusement. "Don't let him fool you. Magna doesn't hold back, and Luck's probably itching to jump in too."

The squad led me to an open training ground behind the Black Bulls' base, a space that bore the scars of countless battles. Scorch marks covered the ground, craters littered the area, and shattered debris from past "tests" lay scattered like trophies of chaos.

Magna stretched his arms, flames already flickering around his fingertips.

Vanessa leaned casually against a tree at the edge of the clearing, her wine glass in hand, watching with an air of bemusement. The rest of the squad gathered, some cheering, others placing bets on how long I'd last.

"Ready, rookie?" Magna called out, a flaming baseball materializing in his hand, the heat of it radiating across the field.

I smirked.

"Bring it on."

With a wild laugh, Magna hurled the fireball at me. I didn't even flinch. My fist shot forward, punching through the flame. The anti-magic coursing through my body dispersed the spell into harmless sparks that fizzled out before they hit the ground.

"Not bad!" Magna shouted, already preparing another attack. This time, he conjured a barrage of flaming projectiles, each one aimed to box me in.

I dodged left, ducked under one, and punched through another, my movements fluid and instinctive. My body was strong, from years of training and the chamber but the anti-magic infused in me gave me an extra edge, letting me tear through the flames like they were nothing.

Luck shot forward from the side, his speed almost impossible to track. His fist, crackling with electricity, came straight for my ribs. I raised my arm to block.

"Nice reflexes!" Luck laughed, retreating only to dart back in an instant later.

This time, I drew my anti-magic dagger, its black blade humming faintly as it cut through the air. Our movements became a blur of strikes and counters, his lightning clashing against my weapon as we moved.

"You're fun!" Luck grinned, his eyes wide with excitement. "I'm gonna go faster!"

Vanessa chuckled from the sidelines, swirling the wine in her glass. "The kid's holding his own. Impressive."

Magna watched, arms crossed, his grin widening. "More like crazy. He's not just keeping up—he's pushing back."

Magna and Luck retreated momentarily, exchanging a quick glance before their magic flared in unison. Magna's flames spiraled upward, forming a massive fireball, while Luck's lightning wrapped around it, crackling with volatile energy.

"Let's see how you handle this!" Magna roared, launching the electrified inferno straight at me.

The attack was fast, the sheer heat and power of it making the air shimmer as it hurtled toward me. I planted my feet, gripping my shield tightly as I braced for impact.

The explosion was deafening, a shockwave tearing through the training ground and kicking up a cloud of dust and debris. The ground cracked beneath me as the force of the blast pushed me back, but I held firm.

When the dust settled, I was still standing, my shield raised and glowing faintly with the remnants of their magic.

Magna and Luck stared, their expressions shifting from surprise to admiration.

"He did it!" Magna exclaimed, his grin returning.

"I knew he'd survive," Luck said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "But now I really wanna fight him one-on-one!"

"Later, Luck," Vanessa said, stepping forward, her movements fluid as she extended her hand. From her fingertips, thin threads of magic extended, glowing faintly as they moved toward my jacket sleeve.

"Hold still," she said, her voice teasing.

The threads stitched themselves into the fabric, the glowing lines forming the Black Bulls insignia over the worn patch where the "A" had been. When she finished, the insignia shimmered before settling into the fabric, looking as though it had always been there.

"There," Vanessa said, stepping back with a satisfied smile. "Now you look the part."

Magna threw an arm around my shoulders, his grin wild. "Welcome to the squad, rookie! You're gonna love it here."

"Or hate it," Luck added, his grin just as wide. "But either way, it'll be fun!"