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***
The lions rushed towards Eros, who had erected the barrier again and grinned at the beasts that were beating against it, but not leaving a single scratch, on the contrary, they were badly damaged. Some of them lost their claws and fangs, others their paws, and the ones that had "thought" to bash their heads had long since scattered.
Five minutes later, not a single lion was left intact.
- H-how?
- Pate, your magic is really beautiful and powerful at the same time, but it's not suitable for one-on-one battles, and especially not against me, whose magic is only capable of one thing... It's destruction! - In the next moment, a red glow burst from Eros' body, engulfing everything in the arena and blinding all observers.
When the light faded, only two people remained standing, the shocked God-Elect and Eros.
- Surrender, you cannot defeat me. Not with these flames.- That's how..." a wide smile appeared on his face, "Then I'll use my last spell and if you can handle it, I'll surrender.
- Alright, let's get started.
Pate folded his hands together at chest levels and covered his eyes. Flames began to rage around his body and lifted the mage upwards, engulfing him. The temperature in the arena also began to rise and because of this, everyone who was watching the 'exam' had already left, leaving only these two.
With every second the flame was growing, in a minute it became a little over fifteen metres in size and continued to grow until it reached twenty. It began to change its shape, the flame began to shrink, forming four paws, a long tail, two large pairs of wings...
~RAR!" a loud roar resounded throughout the arena from the giant creature, whose form strongly resembled a dragon.
"He is indeed worthy of his title as one of the Ten Holy Mages but... This spell is too costly, even with his huge reserve of magic power he won't be able to use it for more than five minutes..."
The dragon in front of him roared and swung his paw sharply in his direction. But this time Eros did not try to take the blow, for he was sure that he would be easily thrown aside and the titan dodged. But in the next moment he was covered in green flames....
- Mr Pate! What are you doing!!! - "Are you trying to kill him?!" came the voice of a furious Eugene in the arena.
- He won't die so easily, am I right? - replied the God-Elect in a gruff voice.
- Indeed," the titan calmly stepped out of the smoke and stood in front of the Dragon again, "Shall we continue?
- Of course! - Eros was hit by a giant fire paw, from which he went to the right, but from that side he was met by a second one and the titan was thrown into the barrier like a toy.
"Even though he has become huge, but his speed is still high and if I continue like this, I'll just become a whipping toy, and that's no good..."- With a slight smile on his lips, he flew up levelled with the dragon's muzzle and put his hands forward.
- What are you trying to do? - Pate didn't try to use flames anymore, he realised that it was useless against the titan and the best solution would be to strike with physical force.
But when the paw was already a metre away from him, the "dragon" felt a strong gravity and it was pressed to the floor and he just couldn't lift his paw anymore.
- Gravity?! - As soon as Pate said that, his body was nailed to the ground and he couldn't move any part of his body and could only growl towards Eros.
- This magic is really powerful, but it's useless against me, and I think you won't be able to hold this form for long, so surrender or else... - a small ball of red colour began to appear between the titan's outstretched arms....
- I surrender! - Pate shouted in fear when he saw it, because he was at a close distance, he was able to feel the destructive power of this "ball", and the God-Elect was sure that if it hit him, he would not live and even high defences like flames would not save him.
Hearing this, Eros released the pressure and the dragon began to slowly dissipate until a pale, heavily breathing Pate appeared.
- Not bad...
- Can I help?
- I'll make do, you've all passed the exam! - The disgruntled God-Elect turned around and left the arena, and a moment later the Rune Knights and the captain came running in.
- That's it?
- Yes, congratulations, you will receive the official rank tomorrow as soon as the order is ready," the captain quickly rambled with shining eyes, "Bonus!"
- Good, then I'll stay in Era for now and wait....
***
Magical Council Chamber.
- What do you think? - The voice of a tall elderly man with a long grey beard and a large black hat sounded.
- He's too young, even though he's beaten Pate.
- I think the opposite," said a pleasant female voice, and everyone instantly turned to see a girl no older than seventeen, in white council robes, with her hair tied back with a red ribbon and straight, long fringes, "It's high time for you old men to retire and give way to the young.
- Urtar! What do you think you're doing?! - One of the old men jumped up and growled, -We have already made an exception by accepting you, and you dare to insult us?!
- Hm! Did I ask you to? You wanted me on the council.
- You!
- Enough, what do the others think?
- I think it's a good idea to include him in the top ten, after all, he defeated Pate, and he was the eighth strongest of the Ten Holy Mages, and by doing so, he's fully proven his strength, so he's worthy of taking his place," said a short old man who was Makarov's best friend, Yajima, "Makarych, you've raised another monster..."
- Okay, the rest of you?
- I agree with Yajima-san's words," Urtir said with a smile.
- Who else? - Five others in the hall raised their hands in agreement with the old man's words, ''Who is against? - The only one who raised his hand was the one who was against it in the beginning, and when he saw that no one else agreed with him, he snorted and turned away, while the other five abstained.
***
The next day, Eros arrived at the Magical Council building, where he was greeted by Captain Eugene, who looked at Eros with excitement, as did the other knights.
- Is this really how every S-rank mage is greeted? - Eros asked with a slight smile to the shaken knights.
- No, only you, - the one rubbing his hands with a flattering smile, looked at the titan, - Follow me, I will take you to the conference room, where everything will be explained to you.
Eros was not a fool and of course he understood why Eugene was so nervous, it was because he had been awarded the title of God-Elect. Urthir had contacted him yesterday and told him about it, so Eros wasn't too surprised about it.
When they reached a room with two large doors, Eugene knocked and politely asked permission to enter, then let Eros go in.
Once inside the room, he was faced with a huge hall at the end of which twelve men sat on a small wooden platform, each looking at Eros with slight superiority except for two. They were all old men and only Urthir stood out from them. She smiled enigmatically as she looked at the titan.
- First of all, we wanted to congratulate you on your S-rank and hope that you will respect the law and not abuse your power, otherwise we will have to meet again, but in a different environment, - said the old man with a long grey beard, wearing a hat and armour, with a cloak thrown over his shoulders.
- I understand, thank you.
- Good, but that's not the only reason we called you here," the door to the right of Eros opened and a rune knight walked into the hall with a red cushion in his hand on which was a round medal of dark blue colour, with a silver cross of a bizarre shape surrounded by several patterns, "After deliberating, we came to the decision to offer you a place among the Ten Holy Mages and to take the eighth place.
- This is unexpected...
- But we're not forcing you,'' Yajima added, looking at Eros with a smile, ''It's up to you to accept it or not.
- I understand, then," Eros walked over to the knight and took the medal, hanging it on his chest, "I accept.
- So congratulations and from today, you are the Eighth Holy Mage, - said the old man in the centre of the table.
- I have a question, can I visit the library of Era now?
- Yes, that won't be a problem, any other questions?
- No more questions, - Eros looked towards Urtir with an anticipatory smile, she blushed like an "unattractive girl" when she saw the glint in the titan's eyes directed at her.
- You can go, if you have any more questions, you can ask Captain Eugene.
- Yeah...
Leaving the office, Eros looked at the nervous captain.
- Enough already, I'm not going to eat you, better show me where the guild department is.
- Yes, please follow me! - Eugene said quickly, heading towards the eastern part of the wing.
As soon as they reached their destination, the captain opened the door and let Eros enter. In the room at a small table sat a woman in her forties, who looked at the titan with incomprehension, but when she noticed the medal on his chest she shuddered and got up from her chair in a panic.
- May I ask what brings you to me? - The woman asked nervously, glancing at him apprehensively.
- I need your help," he pulled out a small stack of papers and placed them on the table, "I want to start my guild.
- I got it, I'll do it now!
Taking all the papers, she ran out of the office and in a minute came back with two sheets of paper and gave them to the titan.
- Fill them out, please, and also on the second sheet, put the sign of your guild.
- Okay," Taking them, he sat down and began to slowly fill everything out. The questions were mostly of the following types: "Guild name", "Guild master, position, rank", "Guild members, ranks", "Guild specialisation", etc.
Having filled everything in, he took out the seal he had prepared a long time ago and added a couple more components to its structure, and put it on the sheet.
- Take it, - she took it, left the office and came back with another sheet, but already with the confirmation that the guild is officially established, that is, is light, - Congratulations on the founding of the guild!
- Thank you.
***
After leaving the council building, Eros went back to the inn, where he was already waited for by a girl, who immediately jumped on him and threw him on the floor.
- Urthir I missed you too, but not in the hallway....
- And who do you think is to blame? - she said reproachfully, pressing herself against his chest, -Well, how should I call you now, "Master", "God's Chosen One" or...?
- Will you stop joking? - Kissing her, he lifted Urthir in his arms.
- And joking aside, why did you choose 'Hiro' as your surname?
- Well, I thought about it for a long time and almost broke my head and in the end I decided not to bother and just used the colour of my hair in the ancient language, - she rolled her eyes and looked at Eros reproachfully.- You're a very clever man, but sometimes you do such stupid things that even I feel ashamed of you.
- You don't know what shame means..." A wide grin appeared on his face, "You don't know what shame is yet!
- So you want to show it to me?
- Oh... I'd love to!