A.N: Hell of a cliffhanger last time, huh? Well, fear not. That's about to be fixed.
But, a couple quick announcements. So, I've received a couple messages about my current posting schedule. I've given it some thought, and I realized: you're right, a month is a long wait. And I do tend to finish some of this stuff before the month is done and then I'm just sitting on it.
So, I'm going to try something new. When I finish something, I will post it as soon as I've reviewed it and I'm done with it. The goal will still be to try and post one thing for each story once every month. But, I will no longer wait until the first of the month. I might also, on a weekly basis, update the progress on the chapters on my profile.
Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.
Chapter 18: The Destroyer
As the battle raged on outside, he found himself more and more absorbed in the personal project he had undertaken before this chaos had all begun. To be honest, if you asked him why he was now, more than ever, meticulously analyzing the object before him, he could not tell you for certain.
For Julius Novachrono, this Time Seal that had been brought before him by the Watchers...could very well be the only way he could ever be of any use to his allies again. It could very well be the only way he could help his precious subordinates and his kingdom.
Meanwhile, black matter began to envelop Asta's body. His eyes began to glow a devilish, frightening red. Izuku and Ruby both gaped at the changes Asta was undergoing in shock. "Asta?" Izuku tried to reach his friend. "Hey Asta!"
Asta ignored Izuku. He simply held his mouth open in a silent scream. The black matter continued to cover Asta's body. Ruby paled in horror, finding herself shaking from this sinister feeling washing over her. This sensation...it's just like back at Haven, when Emerald made that illusion of Salem. She realized.
Noelle was also mortified by what she was seeing. Her mind was flashing back to that awful incident in the Witches Forest. "Please no," she moaned in horror, "God no, not again."
Sojiro then stepped in. He did not fully understand what was happening with Asta just yet, but he did understand one thing: he needed his help. "Asta!" He called out in a booming voice. "I know you're angry...but I also know that you can still hear me! You will accomplish nothing going down this path!"
Asta seemed to ignore Sojiro. The black matter continued to envelop his body. Black wings made from that matter then sprouted from his back. "Asta!" Sojiro called out once more. He gave the boy a worried expression. "Damn, I'd prefer not restraining him by force...Shogo!"
"Understood!" Shogo sped towards Asta with Meteor. "My heroic companion! You must not lose yourself to your inner darkness! Whatever your rage…"
Asta calmly backhanded Shogo away from him, knocking Shogo into the ruins of a nearby building. "Shogo!" Ruby yelled at him in concern.
Sojiro's eyes widened at the sight. Oh Gods...we're too late. We can't reach him!
As all of this happened, Yakuma just laughed at the sight. "So this is the devil-boy I've heard so much about." He noted. "The no-magic Magic Knight that's been all the rage lately. It seems I just made a mortal enemy through my brutality towards Yuno."
"Yes, that's it!" Yakuma exclaimed. "Despise me, devil-boy. If it fuels your power...grants you greater heights of strength, then despise me all you wish! I want to see you at your best before I destroy you!"
Asta completed his transformation. His eyes crimson red and his body covered in the black matter that was anti-magic. "Asta!" Noelle yelled, desperately trying once more to reach her friend and crush. "Asta, please, snap out of it! Asta!"
Yakuma laughed. "Foolish girl, I can sense it. Your words can no longer reach him. I don't even think we're talking to Asta any longer. Isn't that right, Devil?"
Asta remained silent. "Hmm...I don't think I have a name to call you yet." Yakuma noted. "That's fine, I suppose I'll just have to end your life as 'Asta'. Either way, I will keep the memory of your strength in my heart forever! Now come at me!"
Asta growled at Yakuma before vanishing in a streak of black matter. Yakuma gasped slightly. That speed was impressive. Almost terrifying. Asta then reappeared in front of Yakuma and spoke a single word. "Die."
Yakuma instinctively held his arm out and blocked a swing from the Demon-Dweller Sword. Yakuma narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling the bones in his arm creak from the blow. Asta let out a demonic yell at the Cardinal, exerting more strength and forcing Yakuma backwards. He then pointed the Demon-Dweller Sword at Yakuma and charged forward, striking him in the chest.
Yakuma grit his teeth, he could feel his ribs creak. Whatever this devil was, it was something truly dangerous. "Bull Thrust!" The possessed Asta yelled in that demonic tone of voice of his, continuing to charge forward, hoping to apply enough force to actually rip through Yakuma's body, even though the blade itself was blunt.
Yakuma regained his composure and looked down to see that Asta was pushing him backwards. His feet were skidding across the ground. Yakuma could not help but laugh at the new situation he was in. "I see, I see!" He exclaimed. "So it would seem that devils are the true superior species in this world. From what I gathered, I had originally believed those legendary elves were the strongest…"
"But it appears I was wrong!" Yakuma roared before punching Asta square in the face, stopping the possessed Magic Knight in his tracks.
Yakuma's eyes then widened when he realized his punch had barely fazed Asta. Asta grabbed Yakuma's wrist and forced his fist away from his face. "Are you trying to toss me away now, Asta?" Yakuma inquired. "I don't care if you do have the strength of a devil now, don't think you can throw me aside like yesterday's trash!"
Yakuma and Asta then separated from each other. Asta quickly took flight. His grimoire suddenly floated out in front of him. Almost instantly, he was wielding both the Demon-Dweller and Demon-Slayer Swords. He pointed both blades at Yakuma. That's a new stance. Noelle noted.
"Raging Bull!" Asta yelled as two pointed lines of Anti-Magic were fired from both of his swords.
Yakuma easily avoided the attacks. Asta's allies watched in shock as the the two pointed beams of Anti Magic collided with the ground, digging across them like trenches. "Hold on," Noelle spoke up, "that Anti-Magic is supposed to hone in on power, right?"
"No, not power, only magic." Sojiro shook his head. "This Cardinal...he's not using magic. No one from my world does. Asta's weapons are useless against him."
"Well, even if it isn't Asta at the moment, at least he's keeping up with this Cardinal." Ruby tried to offer some hope. "That's gotta count for something, right?"
"Yeah...but this Cardinal's physical specs are insane." Izuku noted, desperately trying to follow Yakuma's movements. "I...I think he might be as fast as All Might!"
Yakuma went on the offensive now. He appeared behind Asta and threw another haymaker at the possessed boy. Asta spun around and blocked the punch with his two swords, only to be knocked back by the force of the blow. "He sent him flying!" Shogo exclaimed.
"By a single blow he blocked, that's insane!" Izuku gasped.
Ruby's eyes widened. "He's just as strong as the Cardinal we met in my world." She realized.
Asta flapped his wings and stopped his momentum. However, Yakuma refused to let up. He leapt at Asta once more from a rooftop, propelling himself towards the possessed boy. "Destruction Fist!" Yakuma threw another powerful haymaker at Asta.
Asta blocked once more. However, once again, the attack only sent him sailing. The collision created a resounding boom that kicked up the wind around their fight. He hit the ground with such force that it caused a small earthquake around him that destroyed the crumbling buildings around him.
"What was that?" Noelle demanded in shock.
"Something's off about him." Shogo noted in a surprisingly sage tone.
"What do you mean?" Izuku asked curiously.
"Watchers have always mixed their Arts with direct fighting styles, such as swordsmanship, martial arts, long-ranged fighting, whatever you can think of." Shogo explained. "It is how we train our bodies and our special powers that we're each blessed with at birth. Like how I use Meteor to enhance the momentum of my attacks."
"But...while I can sense Reiki coming from his attacks now, there's something off...he should be using his own Art in conjunction with his attacks. Doing so is practically ingrained within our DNA. The fact that he isn't...it's almost like he doesn't even have an Art."
"It's not unheard of." Sojiro acknowledged. "A few of Menou's best do not have Arts to call their own. It's a rare condition that some are simply born with. They make up for it with hard work in using their Reiki to enhance their bodies."
"However, we cannot rule out this Cardinal having an Art." Sojiro continued. "Perhaps...he simply doesn't feel the need to yet. And if he doesn't...well, that's concerning."
"Regardless, his strength is incredible." Izuku acknowledged. "The way the impacts of his punches create actual windstorms...it's like I'm looking at a full-powered Smash from All Might as well!"
Izuku clenched his fist. "That tears it...I've gotta get in there and help Asta!"
"Right with you!" Ruby added.
"No," Sojiro grabbed both of them, stopping them.
"What, why?" Izuku demanded. "If that Cardinal really is that powerful we should be giving Asta all the help he can get!"
"Izuku, that is not Asta right now." Sojiro told him. "He's been possessed by the devil living inside of his grimoire. The best thing we can do is allow this to play out. If this Cardinal is stronger than Asta, we need to let him beat this devil back into submission and give us Asta back."
"No way! How is that a good plan?" Noelle demanded with Ruby nodding in agreement.
"It's not," Sojiro admitted, "but it's the only plan we've got. If any of us tried to interfere, I seriously doubt that...thing that has possessed Asta would welcome our aid. In fact, if by some miracle he manages to incapacitate the Cardinal, I can imagine he'll come after us next."
Sojiro gasped. "The boy whose injuries caused Asta's possession!" He exclaimed, remembering the state that boy had been left in.
Ruby and Noelle immediately sped to the injured Yuno's side. "These wounds are terrible." Ruby paled in disbelief, looking down at Yuno's broken body. "I still can't believe how brutal these people can get."
"Damn," Noelle grit her teeth in frustration, "where's a healing mage when you need one? Why'd we have to leave Noriko with that damn Damnatio"
As the group fussed over Yuno's severe injuries, Yakuma continued to press his assault on Asta. "It's a damn good thing he's forced to fight from that boy's significantly weaker body." Yakuma acknowledged, advancing on the crater he had left Asta in. "Something tells me this fight would be significantly more difficult if I had to fight the actual devil that lives inside of him."
"A shame, I'd much rather slay this devil while he's in the flesh...but I guess that's just the way it goes." Yakuma sighed.
Suddenly, Asta came rocketing out of the crater he had been left inside. Before Yakuma could react, Asta slammed one of his swords into Yakuma's stomach and flew upwards, taking Yakuma with him.
"Whoa!" Izuku yelled.
"A black shooting star...climbing into the sky." Sojiro muttered.
"Much better!" Yakuma yelled to Asta. "You're really compensating for the lack of strength you have when forced to fight in this form!"
"...You will pay for looking down on me, Outsider!" Asta yelled. "Black Meteorite!"
Asta swung the blade, slashing past Yakuma. Yakuma's eyes widened. Asta-or rather, this devil-had just hit him harder than literally anyone he had fought against since coming to this world. And to be honest, he absolutely loved it. Asta resummoned his second sword. "Fall to pieces!" Asta yelled. "Black Divider!"
Asta swung downwards, striking at Yakuma with a slash empowered by Anti-Magic. This time, it was Yakuma who was causing the miniature earthquake as he hit the ground. Sojiro and the others were nearly forced off balance by the impact.
"I...I can't believe something so powerful was hiding inside of Asta's grimoire." Izuku muttered in disbelief.
"So this is the power of devils," Sojiro noted, "well, now I can't say I don't understand some people's paranoia when it comes to their existence...even if it is often misplaced and misused."
Noelle looked like she wanted to weep at the brutality of Asta's attacks. "Yeah...that's definitely not Asta." She choked. "Asta...is kind and gentle, even when he is fighting the enemy. He would never attack someone so brutally, unless they're pure evil, like the last devil he fought against. That thing isn't Asta!"
"Noelle…" Ruby muttered softly, unable to say anything to comfort the girl.
"Noelle!" Noelle gasped at the familiarity of the voice.
"Mimosa!" Noelle yelled as Mimosa Vermillion came running into view, flanked by her superior, a Golden Dawn Mage by the name of Klaus Lunettes.
"It's pure chaos out here!" Klaus exclaimed. "What are you…"
Klaus and Mimosa trailed off when they saw Yuno's broken body. "Yuno!" They exclaimed in unison, running to his side.
Mimosa quickly went to work. "Plant Healing Magic: Princess-Healing Flower Robe!" She exclaimed, covering herself in a dress composed of leaves and flowers with wing-like ornaments on the back.
Magic quickly poured itself into Yuno as Mimosa desperately tried to heal him. Meanwhile, Yakuma rose up from the crater he had been placed in and glared at Asta. "Who is that?" Mimosa wondered, trying not to break her focus.
"He...radiates power!" Klaus immediately realized, frozen in fear.
Asta then flew down in front of them. "Is that...Asta?!" Klaus gasped.
"No, he's been possessed." Noelle shook her head. "Yuno...when he saw Yuno like this, he just snapped."
Klaus gazed at Asta in sympathy, noting inwardly that this kind of response was something he would expect from the Black Bulls Magic Knight. Yakuma, meanwhile, heaved a sigh. "You actually think I'm looking down on you?" He inquired. "You fool, I never look down on anyone. Everything I take the time to destroy...receives the utmost respect."
Asta remained silent at this. "I climbed the ladder of the universe's food chain to get where I am today. It is for that very reason I destroy the world around me with joy...because I earned that right to impose my will after crawling my way from the bottom. That's just how it is in the world. The weak are swept aside and the strong thrive and impose their will on others. And it's because of that...that I respectfully acknowledge the efforts of all whom I destroy...because once upon a time, those I kill would've been higher up than me."
"Disrespecting you?" Yakuma repeated. "Bah, don't be a fool. I have nothing but respect for you."
"And to show you that respect." Yakuma reached down and raised his battleaxe. "I will grant you a proper end. Experience the might of my battleaxe, Calamity."
Yakuma gripped the battleaxe tightly in his right hand. Asta glared at Yakuma and prepared to strike down the Cardinal once more. Asta flew towards Yakuma. Yakuma, meanwhile, vanished with the use of Vanishing Walk. "Slashing Calamity!" Yakuma's voice boomed as he and Asta collided.
Then, much to the horror of Sojiro and everyone else, Asta suddenly went flying in the air. Blood flew from his torso. The possessed boy landed on the ground and remained there, immobile. The Anti-Magic surrounding his body slowly began to fade. "What was that?" Ruby demanded. "They moved so fast...I didn't see what happened!"
"I barely saw it," Sojiro admitted, "in a brief second, Asta had trained both his swords on the Cardinal's neck. He had tried to decapitate him. However, the Cardinal was faster...he drove his axe blade into Asta's stomach. The force of that one swing was incredible."
"And he knocked him out in one blow!" Izuku exclaimed before calling out to the downed boy. "Asta! Are you okay? Asta!"
"Don't bother, boy." Yakuma responded. "He won't be getting up from that blow. Still, to think he'd be in one piece after that attack. I honestly was expecting to cut him in half from that attack. Hmm...the Anti-Magic must've protected his body from the worst of it."
"Asta!" Noelle yelled, horrified at seeing him in this state.
Yakuma walked over to Asta's unconscious form. "Regardless of who you currently are...I'll make sure to grant you an end befitting someone of your power." Yakuma promised.
"Like hell you will!" Noelle did not hesitate. The girl's grimoire floated in front of her as she trained every ounce of her power on this bastard for what he had done.
"Oh?" Yakuma sensed Noelle's power level and killing intent and turned his attention to her. "Is there something you would like to say to me?"
"Plenty!" Noelle yelled. "I'm Noelle Silva of the Black Bulls, and you will get the hell away from Asta!"
Yakuma grinned. "Or what?" He challenged.
"Or I'll blow you away!" Noelle responded.
Yakuma gasped when he sensed a presence right next to him. He turned just in time to see Shogo fleeing with Asta's unconscious form. "Nice work, Shogo!" Sojiro complimented as the legend in his own mind appeared next to him.
"All in a day's work!" Shogo saluted before turning to Noelle. "You've got a clear shot, Maiden of Water!"
"Water Creation Magic!" Noelle yelled as a mass of water in front of her began to take shape. "Sea Dragon's Roar!"
Yakuma watched in visible interest as a giant serpent made of water launched itself towards him. He simply planted his axe into the ground and stood in place as the dragon neared him. The dragon opened its maw and enveloped Yakuma completely.
"A direct hit!" Izuku cheered.
"No," Ruby moaned in horror, "there's...there's no way that did anything to him."
"Ruby?" Izuku gazed at Ruby in shock. Seeing the normally bubbly girl in such a state was a shock to him.
"Izuku...you didn't meet a Cardinal like I did, right?" Ruby was shaking, still remembering the hell that Higeki inflicted on her and her friends back at Remnant. "You don't know...the kind of terror those people bring. This...it's not enough to bring him down. We need a new plan or we're all going to die here."
Noelle's body heaved with rage, wondering if she had managed to strike down this monster for what he had done to Asta. After all, the Sea Dragon's Roar was her most destructive spell. He had to have at least felt that attack.
"You know, I actually do not dodge most attacks on purpose." Noelle paled, hearing Yakuma's voice from inside the cloud of dust that had been kicked up from the force of her attack. "Because truth be told, I want to show my foes that my hard work has meant something. That they can strike me as much as they want, but I shall never falter."
The dust cleared and Yakuma revealed himself, completely unharmed. He grinned mockingly at Noelle. "And I can't deny, seeing the looks on your faces after you fail is...quite satisfying. It's a great reminder that you shouldn't try to punch out of your weight class. But still, I must admit, that was a truly powerful attack. You could probably take out any Deacon if that attack connected."
"No way," Noelle muttered in shock, "he just...he just shrugged it off like it was nothing."
Sojiro and Shogo instinctively stood protectively in front of the otherworlders they had befriended. Yakuma laughed. "The legendary Grandmaster of the Menou Army, and his little stooge." He noted. "I heard all about you from Higeki. I'm surprised you've actually managed to survive this long, but if you're really going to try and take me on, then I'm afraid your luck has run out."
"It's too bad, looks like I'll be getting the credit for taking your heads!"
Before Yakuma could attack either man though, he sensed danger coming all around him. "Mercury Magic: Silver Spear!"
Yakuma gasped in surprise as several spears made of solid mercury converged on him. He quickly slashed each spear into nothing. Noelle gasped, recognizing that magic. At that moment, four individuals appeared in front of her. "Do not despair just yet, Noelle." Said Nozel Silva, who was leading the group. "Your final attack provided us the signal we needed to find the greatest commotion...and by extension the greatest threat to our kingdom's safety."
Noelle wanted to weep at her brother arriving to help her. She could not help but notice the faint hint of a reassuring smile on his face. "You did well," Nozel said to her, "now, let us take it from here."
"To think there would be someone strong enough to take down Asta and Yuno." Fuegoleon Vermillion noted, gazing at Yakuma. "We need to be smart here. Use the fact that there are four of us to our advantage."
"Smart but brutal!" Mereoleona Vermillion added with a feral grin. "If he's that strong, we can't hold back!"
Klaus and Mimosa both gasped at the fourth savior of the group. "Captain?" They gasped in disbelief, as they had expected the man to remain in a self-imposed exile for a bit longer.
William Vangeance, who had stepped onto the battlefield without his mask, kept his gaze solely on Yakuma, the man who had attacked one of his precious subordinates. "My atonement begins here." He said simply.
Yakuma just laughed at the sight, sensing their high amounts of Mana. "Four Magic Knight Captains?" He mused. "Oh, this is going to be good!"
"Grandmaster," Nozel said to Sojiro, "please, leave this one to us."
"Out of the question." Sojiro shook his head. "You four have no experience fighting someone like this. Allow me to aid you."
"Grandmaster, if I may be so blunt, I can sense it, your power is in decline." Nozel told him, shocking Sojiro with how perceptive the squad captain was. "I cannot say I understand the nature of your world's power compared to the magic in our world...but my sensory abilities are not to be taken lightly. I'm sorry, but I fear that you will only get in our way."
Sojiro lowered his head at this. Damn, I've gone from one of the strongest...to someone who needs to be protected. Sojiro lamented as Shogo gazed at the old man he admired so with empathy.
"And Noelle, I can tell you are worried for Asta." Nozel addressed his sister once more, making Noelle blush. "Never forget that grimoires evolve and gain new pages in response to the feelings and desires of their users."
"Now then," Nozel turned back to Yakuma, "Magic Knight Captains, let us show this cretin the price to pay for attacking our kingdom."
Vangeance, Fuegoleon and Mereoleona all nodded in agreement as the four Magic Knight Captains readied their grimoires, exerting their Mana to show Yakuma just how strong they were together. Yakuma just laughed in anticipation. "Well, I did plan to hunt you Magic Knight Captains down myself...that is, if my Bishops don't get to you first. Enshiro and Mirai seem to be having their fun, after all."
"You four coming to me like this," Yakuma continued, readying Calamity, "just makes it so much easier!"
"You're going to pay for everything you've done to our kingdom!" Fuegoleon passionately declared. "Flame Creation Magic: Leo Rugiens!"
A lion's head of fire appeared from Fuegoleon's open grimoire. The lion's head then opened its giant maw and blasted at Yakuma with a beam of fire. "Heh, I can feel the heat from here." Yakuma acknowledged before throwing a punch forward. "But Enshiro's lava burns hotter than your flames!"
The air pressure created from the force of Yakuma's punch actually put out Fuegoleon's flames. In spite of that, Fuegoleon smirked as the flames cleared and revealed that Mereoleona had actually leapt into the flames to hide her own attack. "Flame Magic: Calidos Brachium!" Mereoleona yelled, punching Yakuma square in the jaw with a fist of fire.
Yakuma flinched briefly before giving Mereoleona a feral grin. "Not bad!" He exclaimed.
Mereoleona rocketed back with her flames and prepared another attack. "Mana Zone: Calidos Brachium Barrage!" She yelled, firing off a barrage of fiery punches at Yakuma.
Yakuma just laughed. "I don't need to imbue my punches with flames to pull off something like that off!" He declared, punching back at the flames with his own volley of blows.
"I can match you no matter what you throw at me!" Yakuma declared. "Strong as you are, I think I'm stronger than you!"
"Don't forget there are more of us ready to show you our power, you beast of a man." Nozel Silva suddenly appeared above Yakuma, riding an eagle made of solid mercury. "Mercury Magic: Silver Rain!"
Yakuma looked up to see that Nozel had fired a massive amount of liquid mercury down towards him like a rainstorm. "Fine then!" He yelled, managing to pivot himself out of Mereoleona's range. He then took Calamity into his hands once more.
"Frenzied Calamity!" Yakuma yelled, swinging Calamity wildly around like a maniac. Vangeance, Fuegoleon and Mereoleona gasped in shock as Nozel's Silver Rain suddenly began to be shredded to nothingness before it could come into contact with Yakuma.
"He's so fast, just swinging his axe around like a madman is an effective defense." Fuegoleon noted.
"Mostly effective, but he has one opening." Vangeance noted. "World Tree Creation Magic: Missiletainn Spear!"
With his grimoire open, Vangeance created a small seed and tossed it into the ground in front of Yakuma. Yakuma raised a curious eyebrow before the ground started to shake. Suddenly, a giant tree trunk sprouted from the ground, fashioned into a massive spear. Yakuma grunted as the Missiletainn Spear struck him in the stomach before sending him airborne.
Fuegoleon and Mereoleona quickly reacted with attacks of their own. "You better give it your all, little brother!" Mereoleona cocked her fist back.
"Like I would ever embarrass you by half-assing a fight." Fuegoleon did the same.
"Flame Magic!" The two yelled in unison, punching forward, firing off two beams of fire from their fists. Fuegoleon's attack came from the fiery prosthetic arm he created with the aid of his magic. "Calidos Bracchium Spear!"
The two beams of flame struck Yakuma simultaneously, enveloping the Cardinal in a mighty explosion. "Another direct hit!" Klauss cheered.
"The only question is, did it actually have any effect." Noelle muttered.
A large mass fell from the flames. Cardinal Yakuma grinned as he landed on his feet. "That actually hurt a little." He acknowledged. "Wonderful!"
"World Tree Restraining Magic: Missiletainn Roots of Life!" Vangeance yelled.
Roots suddenly sprouted from the ground, wrapping around Yakuma and restraining him in place. "Oh?" Yakuma grinned in interest. "And these are what exactly?"
"These roots will drain you of whatever hellish energy you use in battle." Vangeance explained. "Once you are brought to heel, we'll crush you."
"So you claim, but I think you've failed to realize something rather...important." Yakuma claimed. "Roots only thrive when fed the nutrients that they actually like."
"What is your point?" Vangeance demanded.
"My point is...have you ever considered what would happen if you fed your roots something they were not meant to be fed? Techniques like these only drain the energy specified in your world. Don't underestimate Reiki!"
Vangeance then gasped as his roots suddenly began to wither away. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded.
"You imbecile, the only thing that can drain Reiki are techniques that are originally designed to drain Reiki. Our energies are superior to yours and any other type of energy that exists in this universe. Trying to drain it like you just did? That's a fool's errand."
"Still, I must admit," Yakuma continued, looking at the destroyed roots, "if I had been anyone else with a different kind of power source, I might've actually been in trouble."
"So, you're William Vangeance." Yakuma grinned. "The man closest to becoming the Wizard King. You certainly live up to your reputation. Patolli sang like a caged canary when we asked him about people in Clover Kingdom we should keep an eye open for."
Vangeance's eyes widened. "Patolli?"
"Wait, the Eye of the Midnight Sun's leader? So he's with these bastards?" Mereoleona growled.
Yakuma laughed. "Not willingly. We're quite...apt at messing with people's heads to get them to see reason and put them on our side." He cruelly admitted. "Truth be told, we lured Patolli into a trap, beat the fool within an inch of his life, and then rewired his mind to think he was stricken down by you lot once more. And not just in self defense, he now believes you did it in cold blood!"
"No way," Noelle's eyes widened, "that's...that's horrible!"
"You monster," Fuegoleon growled, "have you no decency? How could you just wipe away people's memories so cruelly like that?"
"Well, it's not like I did it." Yakuma shrugged. "To be perfectly honest, the only reason I agreed to the whole thing is because I actually recognize the importance of getting powerful allies on our side, be it willing or unwilling."
"War's war, and not a popularity contest." Yakuma pointed out. "You prove that you deserve to survive and the ones you're trying to kill do not. That is war."
"In the end, Patolli simply was just another tool for our conquest. No reason for any hatred for that. This is war. Simple as that."
"Maybe," Vangeance snarled, "but you know something...any reason for me to go easy on you people now. Any reason for me to be merciful in the name of atonement for my past sins. It's all vanished without a trace."
"For the crime of toying with the hearts and minds of precious friends. For the crimes of trying to destroy my kingdom and my friends. I will make you suffer!" Vangeance yelled furiously.
"World Tree Creation Magic: Gathering Hands of Missiletainn!" Vangeance tossed several seeds into the air.
The ground shook and suddenly several giant wooden hands sprouted from the ground. Yakuma just laughed as he began swinging Calamity around. He destroyed the hands of Vangeance's Gathering Hands of Missiletainn. "Fall to ruin, bastard!" Vangeance screamed, continuing to create giant wooden hands.
"I will not allow such despicable acts to be unpunished." Nozel said in agreement. "Even if it is true that Patolli was a foe...I will not allow you to get away with this."
"Now you're speaking our language, Nozel." Fuegoleon grinned. "Let's bring this bastard down with our combined power!"
"Union Magic!" Fuegoleon and Nozel yelled in unison, firing beams of flame and mercury that combined into a silver and orange drill. "Silver Inferno!"
Yakuma gasped in surprise as the drill tore past the Gathering Hands of Missiletainn. "Damn, this is actually bad." He muttered, holding Calamity out in front of him to block the Silver Inferno.
Yakuma's eyes widened when he realized that he was actually being held in place by the Silver Inferno. The attack was so overwhelmingly powerful that he actually could not move from the attack.
"Thanks for holding him in place, boys." He heard Mereoleona speak up. "Now I'll finish him."
"Mana Zone!" Mereoleona's entire body suddenly lit up in flames. "Calidos Brachium Purgatory!"
With that, Mereoleona threw a volley of punches that quickly lit up in intense blue flames. Yakuma's eyes widened as he was quickly surrounded by these powerful blue flames. The behemoth actually yelled in pain as the entire area around him was completely incinerated, even the stones themselves.
"There's Captain Mereoleona's full strength!" Klaus cheered.
"We might actually have a chance to win with the captains fighting together like this." Mimosa added with a smile.
"Such strength." Sojiro commented.
"Yep, she's definitely not human." Shogo whimpered, remembering his first encounter with the super intense elder sister of the Vermillion Family.
Izuku and Ruby simply gaped in awe at the sheer power of the Squad Captains of Clover Kingdom. "No matter how strong these Cardinals are...this destructive force should be able to win this for us." Izuku muttered.
Ruby could not help but think along similar lines. "So powerful...we might actually have a chance to escape here alive."
Then, much to everyone's horror, a booming voice spoke up in the flames. "Calamity Burst!"
Something sped from the flames. Before Mereoleona could react, something tore right through her flesh, making blood fly through the air around her.
Vangeance gasped, trying to gauge the trajectory of this speedy attack, only to be struck in the chest by the same assailant. Vangeance let out a brief gasp before being launched into the air by the force of the blow. Patolli...my friend...I'm sorry… He tearfully lamented.
"Sister! Vangeance!" Fuegoleon yelled as he and Nozel tried to raise defenses, only to feel their sides torn open by the axe of Yakuma.
Yakuma skidded to a stop behind the falling captains, grinning at those who remained. He looked horribly burnt, however. His entire body was nearly charred black. Everything except his pants had been burnt off. But somehow, this monster was still standing. Somehow, this monster had shrugged off World Tree Magic from the man closest to becoming the Wizard King, Union Magic from two very close rivals, and arguably the strongest attack from the strongest woman in the entire kingdom.
He had shrugged all of it off and was still ready for battle. "Alright, now who's next?" Yakuma demanded, looking at the horrified faces of everyone else. "Nobody? Aww, come on, you might have a chance with how hard those captains hit me!"
"Don't give up now! Come on, if you want to live past today that badly, then prove to the universe that you deserve to exist! Otherwise, you'll be wiped out faster than you can blink!"
"This strength and speed is unbelievable." Izuku muttered. "I've studied All Might so closely over the years...trying to properly scale his feats...and with what I found, I didn't think there'd be anyone who could come close to matching him."
"But this guy...this guy…"
Sojiro and Shogo instinctively stood in front of everyone else in defense. "Ah, finally, I get to see just what the living legend still has to offer." Yakuma grinned.
"You really are a monster, if you still want to fight after taking all the attacks you have." Sojiro noted.
"A monster, am I?" Yakuma laughed. "Well, perhaps. But is becoming a monster truly such a bad thing? I became what I am through a mindset to avoid being destroyed by the world around me. Even though I lacked an Art of my own, I clawed my way to the top to become the monster you see before you. And you know what? I don't think that's such a bad thing at all!"
"So you really don't have an Art?" Sojiro narrowed his eyes.
"That's correct, what you see here is raw physical power, enhanced by my Reiki. "I had no intention of letting something like this slow me down, so I trained every other part of my body to the very peak of strength!"
"So all of his feats came from raw power?" Shogo was in awe. "That's unbelievable."
"So, you're a true man of hard work." Sojiro acknowledged. "Though overall you are despicable, your work ethic is certainly something to be respected. Had you not fallen in with such a rotten crowd, you might've made a true difference in this world. You could've been an example to so many youths back home."
"Forgive my bluntness grandmaster, but I don't give a damn about what I can do for the rest of the world."
"At the end of the day, I do all of this for my own sake. After all my efforts clawing my way to the top, it's within my right to enjoy my place there."
"But, as some of my comrades would say, arguing with the bleeding heart fools of Menou is a fool's errand." Yakuma shrugged. "This is where my gracious lecture ends. It is time for the Grandmaster's legend to have a bloody end."
Before Yakuma could leap towards Sojiro and Shogo, however, he suddenly sensed a new presence. He instead leapt backwards just in time to avoid a large blade that came crashing down on the spot he had been standing.
Sojiro and Shogo gasped at the sight of the new arrival. "Who is that?" Ruby and Izuku both wondered off on the side.
The attacker was a bearded, grey-haired man with a rough, aged face. He gripped the blade hard with his left hand, as his right hand was missing. No, his entire right arm was long gone. An eyepatch had also been placed over his right eye.
I sensed him just in time. Yakuma noted. I've actually taken some pretty decent damage from all the fights I've had. If I had allowed that blade to connect, I might've seriously felt that one.
Sojiro gasped, catching wind of this stranger's energy source. "Reiki?"
"Reiki," Shogo repeated, "it's a Watcher...but the only way one would be here is if he was a Traveler like us. Like how things went with Mitsuko-Sensei."
The eyepatched Watcher looked at Yakuma with his one good eye. Yakuma had caught onto the man's race as well and gazed at the man in amusement. "This is a shock. I didn't think reinforcements would show up."
"To be honest, I don't really consider myself reinforcements." The man admitted.
"Then what are you exactly?"
"Someone who's retirement and solitude you interrupted." The man responded.
Yakuma laughed. "Oh, I like you." He said sincerely. "State your name, sir."
The man cracked his neck and responded. "My name is Kinpatsu," he introduced himself, "and just as I said, I'm an old soldier who's retirement you just disturbed."
"Kinpatsu?" Sojiro looked at the man named Kinpatsu in confusion.
"What's wrong, Grandmaster?" Shogo asked curiously.
"That name...I don't recognize that name at all. I did my best to learn the name of every soldier I ever taught at the Royal Academy." Sojiro explained. "But the name Kinpatsu...it just doesn't ring a bell."
"What?" Shogo was stunned at this. He was trying to understand what this meant as well.
"Sir!" Sojiro called out. "Your name is Kinpatsu, yes? Please, allow us to fight alongside you!"
"I'm terribly sorry, but I cannot allow that." Kinpatsu responded.
"Why not? If we combine our forces, I'm sure we could defeat this man." Sojiro claimed. "It is a good strategy, Sir Kinpatsu. Please, allow us to fight alongside you!"
Kinpatsu sighed. "You're Travelers, yes? From the Kingdom of Menou?"
"That is correct." Sojiro nodded.
"Forgive me, but that is all the more reason for me to not fight alongside you. I'm sure your intentions are just as good as mine, but I cannot trust you with my life just yet." Kinpatsu claimed.
"Surely you jest!" Shogo yelled. "Why wouldn't you be able to trust us?"
"Because technically we are sworn enemies." Kinpatsu smiled. "I am a retired soldier from the Kingdom of Rakuen."
Sojiro and Shogo gasped in shock as Kinpatsu turned his attention back to Yakuma. "Now as for you…" He trailed off.
"No, no, nothing left to say." Yakuma grinned. "It's time we throw down!"
Kinpatsu narrowed his eyes as both men flared their Reiki in shows of intimidation. Both men then leapt at each other. As Yakuma and Kinpatsu began their dual to the death, Sojiro found himself still reeling over the revelation that this man was a retired soldier from his other adopted nephew's kingdom. Konton's kingdom, Rakuen.
He had so many questions for this man. Like what had Konton been doing since cutting all contact with his family? Why did Konton suddenly declare war on his brother and Menou. So many questions. And they had to survive today in order for him to see those questions answered.
Axe met sword as Yakuma and Kinpatsu stared each other down. Two, muscular arms bulged as both men tried to force the other off balance. "I can't believe you're still fighting at this level after all the attacks you've taken." Kinpatsu commented. "You really are strong."
Yakuma laughed. "Mind over flesh, friend! I don't wish to fall just yet, therefore my body will not fall. It's that simple."
"Considering your lack of an arm, it seems you could use a little mind over flesh as well!" Yakuma yelled, punching Kinpatsu right in the stump where his right arm used to be, expecting him to wince.
"That was a cheap shot!" Shogo exclaimed furiously.
Yakuma gasped, seeing that Kinpatsu had not flinched from the punch. "What, did you think I'd flinch from something like that? I've been living without my right arm for the better part of two centuries."
"Like hell that's going to work." With that, Kinpatsu bashed his head right into Yakuma's.
Yakuma grunted. Kinpatsu pulled his blade back and aimed it right at the Cardinal's neck. He would take Yakuma's head off with one swing and end this. Yakuma, however, quickly recovered and held his axe blade up, blocking Kinpatsu's swing. He then knocked the blade away and tried to go on the offensive himself. "Heavenly Calamity!" Yakuma raised his axe over his head.
The axe blocked out the sun for a brief moment before Yakuma swung his axe down towards Kinpatsu, intent on cleaving him in half.
Kinpatsu dodged the attack with Vanishing Walk and reappeared behind Yakuma. Kinpatsu then swung his giant blade at Yakuma's neck. Yakuma now used Vanishing Walk to escape the attack. The behemoth put some distance between the two men. Shogo gasped, catching onto something particularly interesting about the fight.
"He's actually dodging this Kinpatsu's attacks!" He realized. "He's actually concerned about fighting this man."
"It must be because he's fought so many battles where he's taken unnecessary damage." Sojiro noted. "He's now realizing that might not have been the best decision."
"Grandmaster, what do you make of Kinpatsu?" Shogo asked curiously.
"I don't know what to make of him, Shogo." Sojiro admitted. "He seems like an ally, but I'm honestly still trying to understand why a soldier from Konton's kingdom would be all the way out here. I'm trying to understand what has happened in Rakuen."
Shogo nodded in understanding. It was no secret that the Grandmaster cherished everyone in Menou. And it was definitely no secret that he especially cherished his adopted nephews, the kings of Menou and Rakuen. Meeting this Kinpatsu fellow had given Sojiro a unique opportunity to receive insight into what was happening with Konton after the man had left to rule over Rakuen.
"Not taking hostages?" Kinpatsu looked at Yakuma in surprise. "You're right in front of them you know. Don't you want to make things easier on yourself?"
"What the hell, don't suggest that!" Noelle screamed at the 'savior'.
Yakuma grinned. "Someone like me doesn't need to take hostages to prove himself. I'll crush you without resorting to tricks."
"Calamity Wave!" Yakuma yelled, swinging Calamity forward with enough force to actually create high-pressure blast of air that tore across the ground towards Kinpatsu. Kinpatsu held his massive blade out in front of him. He blocked the strike, but was forced off balance.
Sojiro's eyes widened. "That shouldn't be possible. Someone with that level of strength should be able to remain balanced and steady." He noted.
"What do you mean?" Shogo asked.
"No matter the level of strength, warriors always learn to stay steady on the field of battle, especially if they are swordsmen, or any other kind of weapon-user." Sojiro reminded Shogo. "I know I had the weapons instructors at the academy focus on balance, so I know this for a fact."
"So what then?" Shogo asked.
Sojiro studied Kinpatsu as Yakuma rushed the one-armed man once more. Kinpatsu was briefly forced on the defensive as he parried all of Yakuma's attacks. Wait...one-armed man. Sojiro gasped as he came to a conclusion about the issue behind Kinpatsu's fighting. "His arm."
"What about it?" Shogo inquired.
"Shogo...he's right handed. His right arm is gone. He's been fighting left-handed this entire time!" Sojiro revealed.
"That's...that's insane!" Shogo exclaimed. "Fighting with your non-dominant hand...that practically cuts your power in half! And then there's the fact he's missing an eye! That also debilitates your ability to fight effectively. And he's still holding his own!"
Sojiro nodded. I don't know what happened to him...but if he had his dominant hand with him...there is no doubt he'd win this. And Shogo's right, though he's missing his right arm and his right eye he's still holding his own. He must've been quite the warrior when he had his dominant hand and both eyes.
"You are a monster." Kinpatsu acknowledged. "A true beast of strength."
Yakuma laughed. "You sound like you hate admitting to that." He noted.
"Perhaps I do." Kinpatsu shrugged. "After all, as much of a monster my king turned out to be...even he despises you people. Guess that's just the big difference between destroyers and conquerors, right?"
"Maybe," Yakuma agreed, "honestly, I don't care either way. I much prefer being a destroyer to a conqueror anyway. No matter how hard you try, conquerors will never be a hundred percent accepted by the people you conquer, after all. Much better to be a destroyer and leave only those who won't oppose you afterwards, you know what I mean?"
"I'd frankly prefer neither." Kinpatsu responded. "Conquerors...destroyers...just two different examples of ruthless men forcing their will on others. I have no use for either of them."
Kinpatsu then began raising his Reiki. "Either way, regardless of what you are...I'm taking you down. I'm retired...but I guess I just don't have it in me to ignore this." He claimed. "I'm going all out now."
Yakuma hummed thoughtfully. "Holding back on me, huh? Well, consider me intrigued!"
"You say that, but we both know you've taken far too many brutal hits. I'm going to end this." Kinpatsu promised.
"Now, Overheat!" Kinpatsu yelled as a red and orange aura surrounded his entire body in a manner similar to Mana Skin in the Grimoire World.
This was not lost on Klaus. "That's...Mana Skin?" He muttered in confusion.
"No, not Mana Skin," Mimosa spoke up in the middle of healing Yuno. She was making headway, but she did not know if she had enough Mana to save both Yuno and Asta. "I...I sense the same energy the Grandmaster has."
"The temperature just rose around us." Shogo noted.
"This must be Sir Kinpatsu's Art." Sojiro noted.
Mimosa whimpered, drawing the attention of both Shogo and Sojiro. "Mimosa, what's wrong?" Sojiro asked.
"Grandmaster...I don't know if I have enough Mana to save Asta as well...what should I do?"
This caught Noelle's attention. "What?" She exclaimed.
"Y-Yuno was hurt so badly. It took so much of my Mana just to get Yuno away from death's door...but Asta...Asta's hurt so badly." Mimosa admitted. "And the Magic Knight Captains are hurt so badly too. I...I don't know what to do?"
Ruby and Izuku gasped, running towards Asta. "Asta? Asta!" Ruby called out to the unconscious boy's form.
"Asta!" Izuku yelled.
Ruby immediately set to work, trying to transfer her own Aura into Asta to try and save his life. "No...Jaune makes it look so easy." Ruby muttered as tears welled up in her eyes. She would not be deterred, however. She desperately tried to save Asta's life.
Asta...Asta's going to die? Noelle registered Mimosa's statement finally.
Noelle walked over to Asta. Not just Asta...but Nozel and the other captains as well.
Not like this! Noelle wailed inwardly. My brother and I...we were finally reconciling. Finally becoming a proper family. And Asta...there were so many things I wanted to say to you...I can't...I can't let everything end like this!
At that moment, Noelle's Grimoire floated in front of her, it rapidly flipped to the end as a new page suddenly appeared. Noelle's eyes widened, reading the writing before her. I see...it's just like when I trained with Kahono to control my magic. It's love...love is what allows me to control my magic...grow my magic.
Asta, Brother, everyone, I'll save you! Noelle declared.
"Water Healing Magic!" Noelle yelled. "Sea Maiden's Holy Water!"
Suddenly, Asta and the Magic Knight Captains were surrounded by glistening water from the neckdown. Everyone gasped as their wounds started to close. "Noelle learned a healing spell." Mimosa realized.
"Amazing." Klaus smiled in admiration at Noelle.
Nozel briefly stirred. "Noelle…" He muttered, unconscious, sensing the efforts of his youngest sister.
Meanwhile, Yakuma grinned at Kinpatsu's sudden change in power. "Overheat?" He repeated. "I'm intrigued. So, is that the name of your Art, or is it a mere technique that originates from your Art?"
"The latter." Kinpatsu responded. "This is my Art: Heat. Overheat, however, surrounds my entire body in Reiki that stands at a couple thousand degrees fahrenheit. Creating armor that acts as an offense as well."
"Oh, I see." Yakuma grinned. "It makes you near impossible to touch, and that's the defense."
Yakuma laughed. "Unfortunately for you, I don't need to touch you in order to bring you down. I'll just blast you from a distance with flying slashes!"
"I don't think I'll let you." Kinpatsu suddenly appeared in front of Yakuma, making the Cardinal gasp in surprise.
Yakuma gasped as he was suddenly forced on the defensive by the former Rakuen soldier. He instinctively poured his Reiki into Calamity to keep the blade itself from melting from the seriously intense heat. "I'm amazed that blade of yours isn't melting!" Yakuma admitted in between parries.
"This is a specially forged sword." Kinpatsu revealed. "The one decent thing Sagi of the Nine Dark Circles ever did for me. It is known as Taiyomaru, a blade that can become as hot as the sun itself."
Kinpatsu and Yakuma continued to trade blows with each other. Yakuma grinned, noticing that Kinpatsu's attacks, while incredibly powerful, were also shaking. "Oh, I see." He spoke up in between attacks. "So you are right handed. That explains why your arm is shaking with each swing. I thought it was because you didn't have much technique, like me. But I manage to keep Calamity steady while swinging it."
"But you are different. With every swing, your sword arm shakes. And I know why that is. It's because it's not your sword arm. You're not left-handed and you're certainly not ambidextrous. You're right-handed, and you're missing your right hand. Hell, you're missing your entire right arm."
Kinpatsu grimaced at this. "So, what monster did you piss off that an entire arm was taken from you, huh?" Yakuma demanded. "Did they take your right eye as well?"
Kinpatsu glared at Yakuma. "Let's just say," he replied, "that Rakuen does not tolerate traitors and defectors. It is one of the cardinal rules of the kingdom."
"I escaped death...but I lost much regardless." Kinpatsu admitted.
"However, I still have my life!" Kinpatsu yelled. "And as long as I have that, I shall not yield."
Yakuma gasped as the heat surrounding Kinpatsu's body intensified further. Wait, is he getting stronger?
"Heat Wave!" Kinpatsu yelled, swinging Taiyomaru upwards, sending a wave of red-orange Reiki that crashed into Yakuma's chest. Yakuma let out a yell of pain from the intense heat that coursed through his body as he was sent flying through several nearby buildings.
"He's so powerful!" Izuku exclaimed.
"Amazing…" Ruby muttered breathlessly.
Elsewhere, in three different locations, three different individuals sensed the distress of their master. "Cardinal Yakuma!" Enshiro gasped, turning his attention away from Jack the Ripper, Kaiser Granvorka, Sekke Bronzarra and Xerx Lugner.
"Eyes forward, Scarface!" Jack yelled, sending a wave of Mana from his scythes.
Enshiro nonchalantly fired a ball of molten lava from his hand that canceled out Jack's attack. "Ice Magic: Ice Slicer!" Xerx yelled, sending a waves of giant icy spikes at Enshiro.
Enshiro stomped his foot and created a pool of lava that melted Xerx's ice. He then rocketed away, making his way to Yakuma's location.
Meanwhile, Mirai suddenly let out a gasp, becoming more alert than ever before. "Cardinal Yakuma!" She yelled in a concerned tone of voice like Enshiro had earlier.
Her eyes were wide, the sleepy look she had on her face was now long gone. Charlotte Roselei tried to summon enough of her strength to attack Mirai from behind, only for Mirai to suddenly speed away on the cloud she was standing on.
"What was that all about?" Charlotte wondered to herself.
Charlotte then noticed her two saviors had vanished earlier. "Damn, Gueldre and Revchi ran off. Bastards must've made a break for it as soon as that monster had been distracted."
Charlotte then looked at the severely injured Sol Marron. "I can't focus on any of that right now though, Sol needs serious medical attention." She noted.
Elsewhere, the third of the Bishop Triad of Destruction gasped, immediately abandoning his fight. "Cardinal Yakuma!" Musashi yelled.
"Oi, get back here!" Yami Sukehiro yelled, glaring at the retreating Musashi. "Dark Magic: Dark Cloaked Lightless Slash!"
Musashi easily avoided Yami's attack as he vanished with Vanishing Walk. Vanessa Enoteca and Finral Roulacesse looked at the scene before them in confusion. "The hell's that all about?" Vanessa wondered.
"Umm...we should just be glad that he ran off...for whatever reason." Finral pointed out. He looked back at his exhausted and injured squadmates. "The important thing is that we got here in time and everyone's okay."
Yami scowled. "What's wrong, Captain?" Vanessa asked curiously.
"I can't believe he ran off like that. I wanted to finish things." He muttered.
"I'm sure you'll get a chance to avenge us another time, Captain." Finral offered.
"I was just about to break my limits and awaken to a new power." Yami ignored Finral and revealed the real reason why he was frustrated with Musashi running off.
Finral sighed. "Never change, Captain Yami." He muttered to himself.
Still, where could that guy have possibly run off to? Finral wondered. He was calling out a name...maybe his superior?
Well, regardless, I hope Asta and the others are alright. Finral remembered what was important. Once we know everyone here is out of danger, we need to go back there and get the others back under Vanessa's fate-altering magic.
Meanwhile, back at the big fight, Kinpatsu watched as Yakuma slowly rose to his feet after that devastating blow. "You're still standing after all of that?" Kinpatsu raised an eyebrow. "Impressive, I guess the Cult managed to retain a little bit of strength after your last conquest all those years ago."
Yakuma chuckled, clutching an open wound that had burn marks all over it. "Well, can't deny that I'm still nowhere near those who had the strength and ambition to directly challenge Menou. That goes for all of us. Even the Archbishop is nowhere near that level of strength." He acknowledged. "But hey, the dream is to eventually reach that level."
"It will have to stay a dream." Kinpatsu warned. "You're not going to leave this kingdom alive, Cardinal."
Yakuma laughed through the pain he was in. "Ooh, scary." He mocked. "Then again, I guess after delivering a hit like that, you've earned the right to get a little cocky."
"And for having such a simple Art as getting really, really hot, it's pretty effective. It's a shame you're crippled. If you were entirely put together, you'd win this fight for sure. I'd say it's good for me that you are, but a part of me really wants to see the full-strength of a man who'd clearly be higher on the food chain than me if he was at full strength."
Kinpatsu scowled. "Anyway, much like you, I have no interest in yielding just yet." Yakuma vowed. "Even men who exist simply to destroy everything around them have their pride, you know."
"Then you will die with your pride." Kinpatsu promised.
Suddenly, three new presences made themselves known to Kinpatsu and everyone else's senses. "Sir Kinpatsu!" Sojiro yelled out a warning as a massive shadow cast itself over Kinpatsu.
Kinpatsu looked up and gasped at the sight of a giant storm cloud above him. "Storm Cloud!" Mirai yelled, blasting Kinpatsu with an extremely powerful bolt of lightning.
Kinpatsu quickly raised Taiyomaru and blocked the brunt of the attack. However, he was forced to one knee by the force of the blow. "You're going to pay for trying to attack the Cardinal!" Mirai hissed. All playfulness and lethargy were gone from her voice and mannerisms. There was nothing but hatred and the promise of a painful death.
Enshiro then appeared to Kinpatsu's right. "Watch out!" Sojiro and Shogo did not hesitate to try and rush to Kinpatsu's side, only to be suddenly impeded by more storm clouds, created by Mirai.
"Erupting Meteor Fist!" Enshiro yelled, firing off molten lava from his fist.
Kinpatsu yelled in pain as the lava struck him in the side. Enshiro had the same look of hatred in his eyes that Mirai did. "You're dead." He promised. "I'll melt you to the point where even your bones won't be left."
Yakuma scowled. "Seriously, you two? Now? I was handling myself fine."
"If you desire to punish us, then do so later, Cardinal." Musashi then appeared, walking past Yakuma. "Because right now, we simply want to make this bastard suffer."
"How dare you attack our Cardinal?" Musashi readied both his katana. "I will soak these ruins with your blood!"
"Sakura-ryu: Cross Execution!" Musashi suddenly vanished and reappeared behind Kinpatsu. Kinpatsu gasped as blood spurted from wounds that formed an 'x.'
Musashi scowled, looking at his blades. "I had to pour my Reiki into the blades, or they would've melted from that heat surrounding your body. You are, without a doubt, far too dangerous to be left alive."
"Of course, your torment won't end quickly." Enshiro promised. "You hurt our boss after all. You must die for that."
"No mercy for you." Mirai added. "Your final moments will be agonizing."
"But it appears," Musashi continued, turning to see that Sojiro, Shogo, Izuku, Ruby and even Klaus Lunettes, had joined the fight, "that you lot disagree."
"After all of his efforts to help us, we won't simply stand aside and let him die." Sojiro promised. "And besides, I have a lot of questions to ask our new ally. It would not do if he died now. Do you hear me, Sir Kinpatsu? We're all going to survive this, and afterwards we will have much to discuss."
"No matter how strong you are," Izuku had already activated Full Cowling, "I'm sick of watching people die. I will be...a hero that saves people!"
"I'm terrified of you, of all of you!" Ruby admitted. "But...I'm more scared of what you'll do if I don't fight. I cannot let myself be a bystander when I know I can make a difference if I try."
Izuku and Ruby were indeed terrified. In fact, they were shaking. However, both individuals remembered something important. They both wanted to be heroes, and they could not let what was happening to their worlds happen to this world as well. No matter how tiny a difference they would make through their efforts...they both knew they had to try.
Yakuma chuckled as he walked over to his bishops, clutching his open wound. "So damn gutsy. I love it. You all are the best! What a blessing it is that our crusade would grant us such fantastic, gutsy foes."
"Alright then! One final great battle! Win or lose, this will determine the fate of Clover Kingdom!" Yakuma declared. "The question now is, who will fate smile on?"
Before either side could initiate the final battle, however, a new voice spoke up. "Fate? Sorry, I'm not really one for fate. After all, I've found with enough effort, one can control their destiny."
Yakuma's eyes widened. "What? Who are-"
"Time Binding Magic: Chronostasis!" Suddenly, Yakuma and his Bishops were all caught in light blue orbs.
Yakuma gasped. What is this? He wondered. Why is everything so slow? And why does the world around me seem frozen?
"That...that magic!" Klaus exclaimed in disbelief.
"It can't be…" Noelle muttered, though she did not let up on her healing of Asta and the captains.
At that moment, Yami, Finral and Vanessa returned through Finral's Spatial Magic. Yami gasped, immediately seeing the one who had restrained all four major threats to the kingdom's safety in one fell swoop.
"No way…" He muttered.
A 42 year old man had saved everyone, saved the kingdom. Not 13 years old; 42 years old. The Wizard King, Julius Novachrono smiled with relief. "It looks like my experiments were a success." He noted.
"That's good...I'm so glad that I still have a chance to fight for this kingdom...as the Wizard King."
A.N: Ah, but Nicholas, wasn't it established that the Time Seals wouldn't work on Julius? Don't worry, I'll explain everything.
But sheesh, how about Yakuma, am I right? Dude's a freaking juggernaut. Basically he's evil Sairaorg Bael. More accurately he's every Shonen Hero Trope for a villain.
I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. And if you enjoyed this, and want to try some original work instead, check out my first original novel: Age of Heroes: The Hero and the Disciple on Amazon Kindle.
