Original subtitles

[NARRATOR] Threatened by a ruthless demon,

humanity was on the brink of destruction.

[NARRATOR] All seemed lost until a lone mage

stepped forward and took up the fight.

[NARRATOR] After his triumph, he was hailed as the Wizard King,

and his story became legend.

[NARRATOR] Asta and Yuno have arrived

at the royal capital of the Clover Kingdom.

The Magic Knights are revered throughout the land.

The exam to determine who is worthy enough

to join their ranks is about to begin.

So cool!

[ASTA] Whoa! Amazing!

[GREENGROCER 4A] Nice and fresh!

[BUTCHER 4A] Won't be long now.

Just a minute and you can get it while it's hot.

[ASTA] Oh, that looks so good!

Wow! Awesome!

Check out all these swords and stuff.

How much?!

This place is a far cry from the village, huh?

Hey.

Is that where the Wizard King lives?

[YUNO] Probably the country's king, too.

Pretty nice.

Especially since it's gonna be my castle someday.

My castle, you mean.

Nah. I might let you live there, though.

If you're lucky, I'll let you live there.

[BABY 4A cries]

Hush.

You're all right, sweetie, don't cry.

Come on. We need to hurry back and get the shop ready.

Reminds me of everyone back at the church.

I feel sorry for them.

It's gotta be really lonely without me there.

Yeah...

Wha--? Hey, wait up! Yuno!

Ah, peace and quiet, at last.

Things sure are nice around here with Asta gone.

[LILY] You don't mean that, Nash.

[NASH] Ah-- What? Of course I do!

They'll be arriving at the royal capital about now.

I feel so nervous for them. I hope the exam goes well.

Yeah, me, too.

[LILY] Huh?

[NASH] Um, I didn't say anything!

[LILY] Asta. Yuno. Good luck, boys.

So, where's this exam happening, anyway?

Over there, I think.

What is that?

[ASTA] Grilled violetsnake on a stick. It was super cheap.

Come and get your grilled violetsnake,

fresh off the fire.

Raised humanely and sourced responsibly.

You wanna bite?

I'll pass.

Chock-full of nutrients that'll keep you goin'!

Yeah, sure.

Come on. It's this way.

[CITIZEN 4A] Good luck on the exam!

[CITIZEN 4B] The Clover Kingdom's rising stars!

[CITIZEN 4C] The future of the kingdom is riding on you!

[CITIZEN 4D] You can do it!

I won't let you down, don't worry!

I don't know him. I don't know him.

There we go. You're number 163.

Well? Next?

Name's Yuno. From Hage.

Yuno from Hage, all right. And your grimoire?

A-A... four-leaf clover?

[STAFF 4C] What?

You've heard the rumors, right?

Hey, look. It's that grimoire.

No way. A four-leaf clover?

Oh, wow!

Right, you're number 164. Next!

I came here from Hage, too.

I'm Asta, and here's my grimoire!

Uh, not really in great shape, is it?

Are you sure that's a grimoire?

What? Of course I'm sure!

C'mon, take a good look. There!

See? See?

All right, back off please.

You're number 165.

[ASTA] Yes!

Woo-hoo!

[laughs] Coming all this way from some no-name village.

Quite motivated, aren't they?

[sighs] Starting to get nervous now.

[BUMODA] Hey!

What's up with these crazy birds?

[TANON] Anti-birds: mainstays of the exam hall.

[BUMODA] What, these things?

Everybody knows, the lower your magic power,

the more birds you attract.

Yeah, whatever. Hey, look. See that guy?

There are no birds anywhere near him.

Yeah. It's that guy from before.

Which one?

He's from this podunk village called Hage or something.

I don't know how he got a four-leaf clover grimoire.

[BUMODA] What? No way! You're kidding!

[ASTA laughs] One of us is gonna be the Wizard King.

This is where our legend begins, right, Yuno?

[gasps]

He's not really serious, is he?

I've been training for this the last six months.

Wait'll you see what I can d--

[ASTA screams]

Why are they trying to kill me?

[BUMODA laughs] What the hell?

[GAYAYA] The poor shmuck.

[AMY giggles]

[KOZA] Not the nicest welcome to the big city.

[screaming] Get the hell away from me!

[ANTI-BIRDS squak]

[ASTA] Phew, guess they finally had enough.

Hey, there. Sorry about that.

You got a death wish, boy?

[ASTA] Who is this guy?!

He's got the eyes of a killer.

That neck!

Mages don't have necks that thick.

And the way he carries himself!

How can we be the same age?

Wait, hold on.

No judging a book by its cover.

Just be nice and friendly to him.

Wow. You look really old for your age.

Must've had a rough life, huh?

[laughs]

Looks like I was right about that death wish.

[ASTA screams] This book's got the right cover!

Finally, there you are.

What are you doing out here, anyway?

[YAMI] Right now, gettin' ready to wring this kid's neck.

[yelps]

Hey, is that who I think it is?

Yeah, it's him. That's Finral Roulacase.

Wielder of the rare spatial magic.

And, who is this lovely lady?

[TANON] The womanizer who spends more time flirting

than doing his job.

[KOZA] And that's Gordon Agrippa!

He's a Hex Magic Expert!

Word is that he's got some issues

with communicating. Plus, he's scary.

[ASTA yelping]

Hey, now. Stop. That won't do at all.

A squad captain can't kill an examinee.

Why'd you even come down here in the first place?

[YAMI] Went to take a dump and got lost.

Wait, he said "squad captain."

Which means that guy must be...

--[BUMODA] Yami Sukehiro, --Ten. Now nine. Now eight.

--God of Destruction! --Ten. Now nine...

[ASTA] What're you counting down to?

The end of your little life.

[ASTA yelps]

[AMY] Yami? The Captain of the Black Bulls?

[LOUNIE] As in, the squad of scoundrels

who do more harm than good? Those Black Bulls?

[KOZA] There's not a single person on that squad

who doesn't have a screw loose

[GAYAYA] One's a shameless flirt. One's mute.

What are the rest of them like?

Man, I hope I don't end up on that squad.

[ASTA yelping]

[ASTA] Boy, did I pick the wrong guy to run into!

My head's gonna explode!

[ASTA growling]

[gasps]

[yells]

Three, two, one.

[explosion]

Well, now. Look at that.

The exam is about to begin.

[ASTA whimpers]

[YAMI] That was a close one, boy.

You got a second chance at life.

Better do somethin' with it, or I'll come back and kill you.

[yelps]

See ya later!

[GORDON whispering] I wish the captain

would just kill me instead.

[ASTA groans] That was a whole lot of not fun.

[laughs] Is your head feeling all right?

[ASTA] Uh, yeah.

Confronting Captain Yami of the Black Bulls

without warning like that?

I can't say I envy you.

Oh. I'm Sekke, by the way. Seke Bronzazza.

It's nice to meet you.

Yeah, same to you. I'm Asta.

[squaks]

[EXAMINEES gasp]

Ooh!

[SEKKE] That's Nozel Silva, the Captain of the Silver Eagles.

One of them.

A real Magic Knight squad captain.

Interesting hairstyle!

How does he see with that thing in his face?

[SEKKE] Fuegoleon Vermillion, captain of the Crimson Lions.

As his name suggests, he's a Flame Creation Magic user.

[ASTA] Wow.

[SEKKE] Jack the Ripper, captain of the Green Praying Mantises.

Wait. What's a praying mantis?

That long, thin, green bug.

Captain Jack can rend the very earth in two

with his Severing Magic.

[ASTA] Whoa! That's awesome!

"Praying Mantises," though, seriously?

Who wants to be named for a bug?

[SEKKE] Next we have Ms. Charlotte Roselei,

captain of the Blue Rose Knights. Just look!

She's so beautiful.

[ASTA] Eh, she's got nothin' on Sister Lily.

[SEKKE] Gueldre Poizot, captain of the Purple Orcas.

That's all ya got?

The shabbier ones don't interest me.

[SEKKE] Dorothy Unsworth, captain of the Coral Peacocks.

[ASTA] Is she sleepwalking?

She doesn't do anything but sleep.

How'd she become a squad captain, then?

[SEKKE] She must have some incredible power

that's invisible to the eye.

Rill Boismortier, captain of the Aqua Deer.

[ASTA] Isn't he kinda young?

A bit. Captain Rill is 19 years old.

Nineteen, really?

Just four years older than I am! Yeah!

I'll be the Wizard King before I know it!

[laughs] The Wizard King, huh?

Now that's dreaming big, but as for the person next in line...

[EXAMINEES cheer]

If you take a look up there, you'll see.

That's the front-runner.

[SEKKE] Captain of the Golden Dawn,

said to be the mightiest Magic Knight squad,

William Vangeance.

[SEKKE] He has his squad members' complete trust.

I hear it was Captain William who took

the enemy general's head in that battle a while back.

[KOZA] Man, it would be awesome to get into the Golden Dawn.

That, or the Silver Eagles.

[GAYAYA] Don't be an idiot.

Royals and elite nobles are the only ones

who ever get into those squads.

[yawns] Let's get this over with.

The sooner we start, the sooner we'll be done.

This exam is going to decide these youths' futures.

You really shouldn't be taking it so lightly.

You take it seriously enough for all of us.

[SEKKE] All the captains, here in one place.

[NARRATOR] Each of the Magic Knight squad captains

is said to be more powerful than a hundred mages combined.

From their illustrious ranks will come the next Wizard King.

And, the Wizard King?

[laughs] Like he would bother with something

as pedestrian as an exam!

Just getting all the squad captains in one place

is miraculous already.

Attention, examinees!

Thank you for waiting.

I will be administering this year's entrance exam.

[WILLIAM] Magic Tree's Descent.

[EXAMINEES gasp]

[EXAMINEES yell]

Surprise, surprise. Amazing as usual.

[EXAMINEES murmuring]

[gasps]

[YUNO, ASTA] Right now, this man is the one closest

to becoming the Wizard King.

You've waited long enough.

The time has come. Let the entrance exam begin.

[WILLIAM] In just a few moments

we'll begin the first in a series of tests.

The nine Magic Knight captains will be serving as your judges.

And when the exam is complete,

we will choose the individuals we want on our squads.

If chosen, you are in.

If more than one squad chooses you,

you will decide which you would like to join.

However, if you are not selected by any squad,

that means you have been deemed unqualified

to join the Magic Knights.

[ASTA] That won't happen. I will be chosen.

And now for your first test.

You must use the brooms you've been given to fly.

To fly?

I've never done that before.

A mage who is in control

of his or her magic power can do it on instinct alone.

It is our most basic way to get from one place to another.

If you can't fly on a broom, then you are not worth our time.

Enough talk. Now, begin.

[EXAMINEES grunting]

[laughs, yelps]

[yelps]

[gasps]

[CHARLOTTE] This test is an excellent way

for us to gauge the examinees' basic abilities.

Seems we have a number of promising candidates this year.

[GAYAYA] Hard to believe a guy from some backwater village

could do so well.

[KOZA] He was chosen by the four-leaf clover.

[ASTA grunting]

[FUEGOLEON] What's going on there?

Even if he doesn't have any significant talent,

he should still be able to float.

If you'll excuse me for a moment.

[SHINANA laughs] Can you believe this guy?

[KOZA] Well, that's one down at least.

[TANON] Why did he even bother to come?

[SEKKE] Hey, what are you doing?

This is supposed to be the easy part.

Try relaxing your muscles a bit.

See? It really couldn't be simpler.

[ASTA] Wow! Man, that's so awesome!

Don't tense up. Let it come naturally.

Right, got it! You're a good guy, you know.

Nope, still not happening!

Right!

[NOZEL] What are you doing?

[NOELLE] I just... I mean...

Don't play dumb with me.

I've told you royalty need not undergo

the same tests as common folk.

[NOELLE] Yes, but...

Enough, where you'll go is already decided.

Stop this pointless nonsense.

Yes. Of course, Nozel.

[NOZEL] Although, if we're being honest,

your very existence is pointless.

--[SEKKE laughs] --[ASTA yells]

[SEKKE] It's fine! Try to relax!

[SEKKE] Ha, ha!

[ASTA yells]

[SEKKE] Shake it off and keep going!

[SEKKE] Ha, ha!

[ASTA yelling] I'm not done yet!

[SEKKE] Well, what's next?

--[SEKKE chuckles] --[ASTA growls]

[ASTA] Nope! Still not giving up!

On to the next test.

The final and most difficult.

A display of combat skill.

[EXAMINEES gasping, murmuring]

Prepare to duel!

[EXAMINEES gasp]

You will break into pairs and fight each other.

Use your grimoires to attack and defend.

I bet losing will tank your chances of being chosen.

Better to choose an easy partner. Someone weak.

As knights, battle is our business.

We wanna see everything you're capable of!

The test will end when one combatant

either surrenders or is unable to continue.

We have mages wielding Recovery Magic

standing by for the injured.

So don't hold anything back!

[ASTA yelps] The last test!

I've done nothing but shout this whole time.

The best way to show off now is to pair off with someone strong.

There's got to be someone who'll agree to fight me.

Ha, ha! What do you say you and I pair up?

[ASTA] You really mean it, Sekke?

You're willing to take on a charity case like me?

Oh, absolutely! Ha, ha!

[ASTA] You really are a good guy!

We're ready for the first bout. Let's go.

We're coming!

Ha, ha!

We're both working for the same goal.

So we'll have a fair fight, but nobody pulls any punches, okay?

[SEKKE laughs]

Stop trying so hard.

It's almost getting painful to watch.

You're just a grubby little gutter rat

who's way out of his depth.

I guess I should thank you for sticking around

and making me look good.

Once I'm chosen by a squad, I plan to kick up my heels

and enjoy the ride.

It's going to be so much fun.

Now. Let's get this over with, shall we?

[ASTA growls]

Then you can scurry on home to the garbage heap

you came from, and get back to whatever pitiful

excuse for a life you have left.

Ha, ha!

[KOZA] Man, he had the right idea.

Picking the weakest partner to duel.

[AMY] Oh, Sekke...

Now, begin.

No pulling punches, remember?

Let's do this, Asta. Ha, ha!

Bronze Creation Magic: Sekke Magnum Cannon ball!

[SEKKE] What do you think of this, captains?

The bronze magic power I've crafted is dual purpose.

It protects me and attacks with magic bullets.

It will fend off his pathetic attacks,

showing off my skills at defense.

Then, the second he's exhausted,

I'll go on the offensive and shoot.

That seems like some fairly high-level magic

for an examinee.

He looks like an insect, though.

A big, spiny pillbug.

Come on, don't get shy on me now. Ha, ha!

[SEKKE] Good.

Watching him struggle should liven things up.

[ASTA] Okay.

Here we go.

[SEKKE] Uh--

[ASTA yells]

[EXAMINEES gasping]

[sputtering]

[ASTA] Unlike you, Sekke, I'm not joining the Magic Knights

just so I can slack off and have a little fun.

I've got a much bigger goal.

I'm gonna be the Wizard King.