The two quickly looked toward Takeshi, who was lying on the ground, only to find that Takeshi had vanished.
Then, they both blinked, realizing they were standing there completely unharmed, just as they were when they first met Takeshi. The surrounding environment hadn't been damaged, everything was exactly as it had been at the start.
"How is that possible?!"
"This is... an illusion?! When?!"
Elfman and Evergreen were stunned.
When exactly had they fallen under the illusion?
"The moment you looked into these eyes of mine, you fell under the Genjutsu."
"What?!"
"Those eyes..."
Evergreen practiced Eye Magic. Her Eye Magic is Stone Eyes, which she hadn't had time to use yet.
When she saw Takeshi's eyes, she felt that they were highly unusual.
But since the battle started immediately afterward, she didn't have time to think much. She never expected that the moment they looked at Takeshi's eyes, they would fall victim to the illusion.
Both of them were filled with dread. They had been hit without realizing it.
Evergreen's Stone Eyes require direct eye contact with no obstruction, but Takeshi's illusion didn't need that. Not even the glasses Evergreen was wearing could block it.
"Elfman, prepare to keep fighting. Don't look at his eyes." Evergreen closed her eyes and said.
Her Stone Eyes required taking off her glasses and making eye contact to activate, but she didn't dare gamble. Perhaps she had already fallen into the illusion the first time she saw Takeshi, and his Eye Magic was clearly superior to hers.
Hearing this, Elfman immediately closed his eyes too.
"Ahhhhh!"
Elfman roared as he charged toward Takeshi, rushing right up to him and slamming his massive fist toward Takeshi.
Takeshi did not dodge or evade, remaining rooted to the spot.
Boom!
"What?!"
Elfman was startled. His attack had been blocked. He couldn't help but slightly open his eyes, trying his best to avoid Takeshi's gaze.
He saw an orange-red energy ribcage surrounding Takeshi's body.
"Elfman, retreat!"
Elfman immediately retreated.
Fairy Bomb: Gremlin!
Evergreen scattered a large amount of dust particles and detonated it.
Boom... Boom...
A violent explosion erupted.
Evergreen looked at Elfman and asked, "Did we get him?"
Elfman nervously stared at the smoke from the explosion. If he had fallen under the illusion, he could have Evergreen attack him to break free.
Soon, the smoke dissipated.
Takeshi stood there, protected by Susanoo, completely unharmed.
Evergreen knew from Elfman's expression that this attack had not injured Takeshi.
Just then, the energy skeleton around Takeshi's body rapidly grew, forming a gigantic skull.
"Wha... What is that?!"
Elfman looked at Susanoo's gigantic skull, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Evergreen asked, "What's wrong?! Elfman?! Did you fall under the illusion?!"
At that moment, Susanoo clenched its fist and smashed it fiercely into the ground.
Boom!!!
A terrifying shockwave erupted suddenly and the entire island shook violently.
"Waaahhhhhh!!"
Elfman shielded Evergreen.
The powerful shockwave continuously battered Elfman. After a long while, the shockwave subsided. Elfman was covered in injuries, kneeling on one knee, having canceled his Take Over form.
"Elfman!"
Evergreen quickly called out to Elfman with concern, simultaneously forgetting herself and looking up at Takeshi.
She saw Takeshi enveloped by a gigantic orange-red skull. A massive crater had appeared in front of him, looking terrifying.
Elfman's body trembled, his face full of terror. "We can't win... we absolutely can't win... Just a normal punch caused such horrifying destruction... The gap in power between us is simply too vast... I... surrender."
Although he was somewhat unwilling to drop out of the S-Class Promotion Trial like this, Takeshi's strength was immense—so immense that he couldn't see the slightest hope of victory.
Evergreen wasn't doing much better. What made her despair was that every transformation Takeshi casually used turned him into a terrifyingly powerful monster.
Takeshi dealt with the two of them as if he were merely playing around. They had just fallen victim to Takeshi's illusion. If Takeshi had been serious then, he could have easily defeated them.
Takeshi deactivated Susanoo, and the transformation as well, returning to his original appearance.
Suddenly—
Takeshi said, "Very good."
Elfman and Evergreen looked up at Takeshi.
"The courage you showed in facing me is commendable. You possess the spirit of self-sacrifice for victory, and when danger struck, your first thought wasn't to flee, but to protect your comrade."
"Fear is not a bad thing. It's because you know your weaknesses. Knowing your weaknesses allows a person to become stronger and gentler. This is indispensable for becoming an S-Class Mage."
"Based on your performance, you have passed my test."
"But... but..."
When Elfman heard Takeshi say he had passed, his body couldn't stop trembling, and an indescribable emotion welled up inside him, making his eyes misty. Yet, he felt that passing this way was somewhat shameful.
Takeshi waved his hand and said, "No buts. If I say you passed, you passed. If anyone disagrees, they can come find me."
"However, the test isn't over yet. This was only the first stage in becoming an S-Class Mage. There are more challenging tests waiting for you later."
"Big brother!"
When Elfman heard Takeshi's words, he burst into tears. He had long regarded Takeshi as his brother-in-law and big brother. It was thanks to Takeshi that he was able to overcome his psychological barriers, and when he sought advice, Takeshi patiently guided him.
Takeshi smiled and waved his hand. "Now go."
"Big brother! I definitely won't let down your expectations and will become an S-Class Mage!"
"Get lost. I didn't have high expectations for you."
"Eh?!"
Elfman was dumbfounded, realizing he had been moved for nothing.
"Alright. Hurry up and go."
Evergreen helped Elfman leave quickly. She now understood that Takeshi was a complete and utter monster.
She had actually thought she could defeat him earlier?
Soon, Elfman and Evergreen disappeared at the intersection, and Takeshi's expression turned serious.
"Now, it's time to handle the real business."