At the East Cloud Academy, in the second underground training hall of the Dragon Tooth Arena.
This is the internal training hall used exclusively by the Magic Club. The lighting is dim, the walls are etched with array patterns and magical conduits, and the lingering scent of spells hangs in the air.
Yoruji Kyou sits on the bleachers, his arms wrapped in bandages, calmly watching the scene below. Next to him, Mido Shinjirou stands with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the silver-haired young man standing at the centre of the arena.
- Bai Lan, the newest member of the Magic Club.
He holds an ancient wand in his hand, his expression as calm as mist, as if he doesn't exist in this reality.
"The first test will be between Makabe Chihaya and Bai Lan," Mido announces.
With the mechanical click of gears, a young boy wearing a short cloak and metallic rings on his wrists jumps into the arena. He is one of the few members of the Magic Club who specialises in mechanical rune magic.
"Heh, newbie, you look like a classic case of 'chuunibyou'. Don't start crying during training, okay?" Chihaya laughs and taps his wrist, where a pair of automatic rune-imbued projectile launchers are attached.
Bai Lan doesn't react, just raises his magic staff and a silver-blue hexagram field appears under his feet.
- The battle begins.
Chihaya makes the first move, firing a swarm of small magical runic mechanisms from his sleeves, surrounding Bai Lan on all sides and cutting off his escape routes.
"Mechanical thunderbolt seal array!"
The array explodes, but there is no sign of Bai Lan.
Chihaya pauses in confusion, and the next thing he knows, a cold wind sweeps across his back.
Turning, he sees five "Bai Lan" slowly emerge from different angles, all with identical expressions and silent footsteps.
"...Illusion?" Chihaya grits his teeth and quickly activates the entire sensor array of the arena with a flick of his fingers.
But this time, the ground doesn't reveal the trajectory of any enemy magic. Instead, a huge 'Mental Fog' of interference appears!
"Damn -" Bang! He is hit by a side kick from Bai Lan, knocking him out of the battle circle.
"First round, Bai Lan wins."
The arena falls silent.
Yoruji Kyou's eyes narrow: This is no ordinary illusion magic. It's a complex structure that integrates mental disruption, visual folding and high-level guidance. This level of precision... doesn't seem to be something a newcomer is capable of.
"Second round, Tachibana Mana versus Bai Lan," Mido speaks indifferently.
The opponent changes.
Tachibana Mana enters the arena, her long cloak decorated with runes and a healing staff in her hand.
This is a completely different kind of test.
"We don't have to pick a winner," Mana speaks quietly. "I just want to test your coordination with the team."
She gently waves her wand and casts a triple layered shield around herself, linking her magic with the surroundings to create an 'amplification field'.
Bai Lan lowers his gaze and softly chants an unintelligible incantation.
Then he moves.
Not to attack, but to break her magical connection directly!
"What...?" Mana is startled as she realises that the buffs on her are quickly fading and her shield collapses silently.
"The magic frequency you just resonated with the air... I've already analysed it."
Bai Lan speaks casually, as if describing the weather, and with a phantom strike, she easily pierces Mana's defensive core and closes in on her.
Mana is forced to concede.
"Second round, Bai Lan wins."
Mido finally speaks, "For the third round, I will test you personally."
Yoruji Kyou sits up a little straighter.
Bai Lan slowly turns his head, showing a different expression to his usual calm one - one that looks like an animal that has been captured by a hunter.
Mido Shinjirou enters the battle circle.
The temperature in the arena instantly feels like it has dropped ten degrees.
Don't be nervous," Mido smiles weakly, "it's just a test, I won't take your life."
"I don't think you're the type to let your prey go so easily."
"Oh?" Mido laughs, but his eyes are sharp as a blade. "You can tell?"
"I can tell." Bai Lan raises his wand. "I can feel it too. The pressure and the killing intent on you are equally thick."
The air suddenly freezes.
Mido takes a step and a beastly shadow of condensed magic suddenly leaps up from the ground!
Bai Lan waves his wand and erects five illusionary barriers, simultaneously creating three copies of himself to disperse and evade.
"That speed... It's not like a normal summoning," Yoruji Kyou furrowed his brow.
The illusions of the two of them intertwine, the magic constantly shattering and reconstructing. Then Bai Lan suddenly stops and speaks quietly:
"This isn't a test. It's a hunt... You're confirming if I'm a threat to you."
Mido withdraws his attack.
"You're qualified." He says.
Bai Lan remains silent.
"As of today, you are a true member of the Magic Club." Mido turns and steps out into the night, his figure sleek as a leopard.
Yoruji Kyou stands and watches Bai Lan's back, a hint of complexity flashing in his eyes.
This guy isn't just good at illusion magic. His mind, tactics, perception, intuition... and a strong sense of "self-blocking".
A phrase appears in Yoruji's mind: "He is a mist capable of devouring the soul of the enemy.
迷雾中的猎场
东云学园,龙牙场地下第二演武室.
这里是魔术部专用的内部训练场.光线昏暗,墙面刻满阵纹与魔力引导槽,空气中弥漫着残余的咒语气息.
夜见苍坐在观战席上,手臂缠着绷带,神色淡然地凝望着场中.旁边的御堂狩真双手抱胸,目光一动不动地盯着那个站在中心的银发少年.
——白藍,魔术部新加入的成员.
他手持一根古典魔术棒,神情安静如雾,宛如不存在于这个现实之中.
"第一场测试,由真壁千早对战白藍."御堂宣布.
伴随着机械咔哒声,一个身穿短斗篷,绑着金属指环的少年跳进场内.他是魔术部中少数擅长机关符术的轻战型成员.
"嘿嘿,新人,看你气质就一脸中二病,别在训练时哭出来啊?"千早笑着拍了拍自己的手腕,那是一对自动注入符文的机关发射器.
白藍没有回答,只是轻轻举起魔术棒,脚下浮现一道银蓝色六芒星阵.
——战斗,开始.
千早率先发难,无数小型魔符机关如蜂群般从袖口弹出,四面八方封锁白藍的退路.
"机巧·雷爆封印阵!"
阵法炸响,却没有白藍的身影.
千早一愣,下一秒——身后冷风袭来.
回头,只见五个"白藍"从不同角度缓缓走出,表情完全一致,步伐毫无声响.
"...幻术?"千早咬牙,手指急点机关符咒,瞬间激活全场感应阵列.
但这时,地面浮现出的,不是敌方魔力的轨迹——而是一整片干扰式"精神迷雾"!
"可恶——"
砰!
他被白藍一记侧踢击中,整个人摔出战圈.
"第一场,白藍胜."
全场寂静.
夜见苍眼神一凝:那不是普通幻术,那是融合精神扰乱,视觉折叠与高位引导的复杂结构,这种精准控制...不像新人.
"第二场,橘野真名对战白藍."御堂淡淡开口.
换人.
橘野真名上场,她身上系着带符文的长披风,手中握着治疗系魔杖.
这是一场完全不同性质的测试.
"我们不需要分出胜负."橘野轻声说,"我只是要测试你与团队之间的协调."
他轻轻挥杖,为自己套上三重护盾,并用魔力连接周围构建起一个"增幅领域".
白藍目光微垂,轻声念出一句无人听懂的咒语.
然后,他动了.
不是攻击,而是直接破解她的魔力链接!
"什么...?"橘野吃惊地发现自己身上的BUFF正在迅速消退,护盾也在无声无息中崩解.
"你刚才与空气共鸣的魔力频率...已经被我解析完毕了."
白藍仿佛在陈述天气,轻描淡写地戳破橘野的防御核心,一记幻影突袭逼到近身.
橘野被迫认输.
"第二场,白藍胜."
御堂终于开口:"第三场,由我亲自测试你."
夜见苍微微坐直了身体.
白藍则缓缓转头,第一次露出不同于之前冷静的神色——一种如同野兽被猎人锁定时的直觉.
御堂狩真,步入战圈.
场馆温度瞬间仿佛下降十度.
"别紧张,"御堂淡笑,"只是测试,不会伤你性命."
"我不觉得你是那种会轻易放过猎物的人."
"...哦?"御堂笑了,眼神却锐利如刃,"你看得出?"
"看得出."白藍举起魔术棒,"也感受得到.你身上的压迫感,和杀意一样浓."
空气骤然凝固.
御堂脚步一踏,一只魔力凝聚而成的兽影猛然从地底扑出!
白藍挥棒布下五道幻影障壁,同时制造三个分身分散脱离.
"那种速度...根本不像普通召唤."夜见苍眉头紧皱.
双方幻术交错,魔力不断崩散重构,直到白藍突然停下动作,轻声说道:
"这不是测试,而是一场狩猎...你在确认我会不会威胁到你."
御堂收手.
"你合格了."他说.
白藍沉默.
"从今天开始,你是真正的魔术部成员."御堂转身,背影如猎豹踏入夜色.
夜见苍起身,注视着白藍的背影,眼神中闪过一丝复杂.
这家伙,不只是擅长幻术.他的头脑,战术,感知,直觉...还有一种极强的"自我封锁".
夜见苍心中浮现出一句评语:
——"他是一道迷雾,能吞噬敌人的灵魂."