Part 51: Ladros rematch

"Looks like their going to be okay now," said Noelle smiling as Mars and Fana stopped hugging as Mars then walked over to Asta.

"Thank you Asta, I wouldn't have been able to save her if it wasn't for you," he said holding out his right hand which made Asta look confused as he remembered the way Mars spoke back when they fought in the dungeon. He then smiled as he shook his hand, "No that was all you," he said when Fana stood next to Mars.

"Do you all know each other already Mars, it's amazing you've already made a friend in the outside world," she said smiling.

"Well were not actually," said Mars before Asta interrupted him as he began to slap his right shoulder.

"Of course were friends, we had a fight when we first met but everything's all good now, haha," he said laughing while Mars looked a little a little annoyed.

"That hurts you know," he said as his shoulders were covered with his mineral magic and when Astas hand hit off against it he brought his hand back looking like he was in pain. Mars then looked towards Noelle, "Also I believe you an apology as well for what happened back in the dungeon, I wasn't really myself back then," he said.

Noelle smiled making Mars look surprised, "Its okay, I can tell just like Asta that you've changed since then, otherwise you wouldn't have fought so well together," she said.

"Oh are you two together," said Fana.

"Yeah but first I gotta ask, do you," said Asta before Finral and Vanessa ran up to him and began pummeling him like earlier after his arms were healed.

"What did we tell you about being so reckless huh," said Finral.

"Yeah yo could have been burned real badly and will you get dressed already," said Vanessa while Fanzell approached Fana and Mars.

"Well look at that, you really are an outstanding pupil Mars," he said looking proud of his students.

"It all thanks to your teaching Master," said Mars.

"Wait, Master Fanzell," said Fana looking surprised to see her old teacher before he brought the two of them into a hug.

"I'm just so glad you two are alive," he said sounding relieved as his shoulder shook.

Meanwhile in another part of the forest Domina and Mariella were treating some of the injured witches. After Domina finished bandaging one of them she nodded at Mariella before the two of them headed toward another area.

"So do you remember anything about how you ended up going bad?" Asta asked Fana who placed on her forehead as she began to think.

"My memory's a little fuzzy, but I think it started sometime after the training," she said as she began to think back.

Flashback:

She saw the outline of a man as he began to speak, "Wait shes alive, how is this possible, is it because of that Phoenix magic," he said before sounding happy that the situation had changed, "Good, she should be strong enough to take a magic stone then,".

The next time he spoke he sounded annoyed, "This isnt right, the magic stone was suppose to increase her magic power but theres none coming from her at all, toss her away were done here," she saw the mans face vanish. But only a few moments later another outline of a person appeared.

"How awful, to think you were once my friend and now look at what has happened to you," he said before holding up his right hand, "If the humans are so quick to destroy themselves then we will gladly help them, however you will need you body so you can live," he said stretching his hand out.

Flashback end

"I think that person used that spell to control me and I had no control over myself but I could still feel all their hatred," said Fana.

"And I was so oblivious to what you were going through, I'm sorry," said Mars.

"No its not your fault theres nothing you could have done, after all we were brought back together in the end," said Fana waving her hands to reassure him before he placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Well from now on I wont let you go," he said before noticing she looked embarrassed.

"Yeah lets stay together," she said.

"Yes of course," said Mars looking embarrassed as well while Vanessa smiled at the two of them.

"Looks like things are starting to get real hot out here, kind of reminds me of you two before you started dating," said Vanessa looking at Asta and Noelle who blushed from her words.

"Well we hadnt seen each other in a long time," said Asta rubbing the back of his head, "Plus I kind of forgot about the time we first met," he said.

"We also had other things to focus on at the time," said Noelle brushing back her hair but still blushing, "Then there was that night when he gave me my wand, oh what am I thinking," she thought putting her hands on her cheeks.

"Two childhood friends reunited after being separated for so long, its so beautiful," said Finral looking up with a smile while crying.

"Whoa Finral I cant tell if your sad or happy," said Asta looking confused, "Didn't you have any childhood friends of your own?" He asked which made Finral look at him with the odd look still on his face.

"I'm sad, jealous and happy at the same time and honestly Asta do I really look like the guy that had child hood friends," said Finral still crying.

"What but I had a bunch back in the village, everyone at the church," said Asta calmly before looking over at Noelle, "Hey you still thought of me as your friend after you left the forest right,".

"Yes and now were something more," said Noelle smiling before placing a kiss on his cheek which made Finral cry more tears while Asta rubbed his cheek with a smile on his face before he thought of something.

"Still I wish we knew what the eye of the midnight was doing here in the first place," he said before they all looked at Fana who suddenly held a hand over her forehead.

"Whats wrong?" Mars asked.

"The people who controlled me , I think I'm still connected to their thoughts," she said, "The reason they came here was to retrieve the magic stone," she said making the black bulls look surprised.

"Wait your saying there's another one here," said Vanessa.

"Then we better head back to the queen of witches now," said Finral.

"Hang on, first we need to make sure that all the injured are alright, Domina, Mariella and the other witches," Fanzell said before he sensed something coming from the forest and looked to see dark cloud of magic emerging from it, "Wait that's impossible, his magic power was gone," he said before multiple lasers shot up from above the trees.

"Look out," he said warning the other as Mars quickly grabbed onto Fana as his Mineral magic formed an armor around his upper body and Asta held onto Noelle as he took out his big anti magic sword before the lasers hit the ground around them making a large smoke cloud.

"That sure was a lot of magic power after all, sure took me a while to absorb all of it," said Ladros walking out of the forest with a smile on his face. He didn't seem to take much damage from Salamanders attack accept that his shirt now had bigger opening in the middle.

On the ground Mars back was exposed from the attack as he covered Fana, "Mars, don't worry ill heal you," she said putting a hand to his back but she looked surprised when nothing happened, "My magic, whats happening," she thought before her former teacher spoke up.

"Ladros, how did you survive," Fanzell said trying to sit up from whee he was lying on the ground, "This is insane, Salamander did even have that much magic power," he thought sensing the magic power coming from Ladros.

"Oh your still alive teach, well what can I say I spat out all the magic power I had first before absorbing it all back in," said Ladros before looking over at Mars and Fana, "I have to ask, what is with you good types and saving people," he said before blasting Mars with magic energy which made him shake.

"No please stop," said Fana.

"Don't do this Ladros," said Fanzell looking annoyed but also worried for his other students.

"Then he shouldn't have gotten in my way, I cant wait to see what her magic tastes like," Ladros said looking excited before firing multiple lasers at Mars and Fana. But Asta jumped out from the smoke hitting multiple lasers with the demon dweller sword.

"Hey stay out of this shorty, this gots nothing to do with," he said before a blast of water hit the ground near him, sending him flying back, "Oh great what now," he said looking annoyed before Noelle emerged from the smoke holding her wand up.

"This definitely involves us," said Noelle looking over at Finral and Vanessa who were lying on the ground looking injured from the blast.

"If you think you can get away and hurt my friends, your wrong," said Asta.

"Asta," said Mars before the anti magic user rushed at Ladros who stood up holding his hands.

"Now hold on, your that magic less knight kid right," he said making Asta look confused, "Hey I know how you feel, I mean I dint have any magical attribute so I understand your pain, but I still had magic unlike you in the end," he said laughing.

"Whats your point," said Noelle.

"I'm talking to the shorty little royal so I can offer him the chance to join me, what do you say you could even be my right hand man and will take down the whole diamond kingdom," said Ladros smiling but thought, "It's a lie of course because in the end I'm going to take all those anti magic powers for myself," he thought before Asta spoke up.

"Yeah right, I'm going to be the clover kingdoms wizard king," he said swiping his sword at Ladros who jumped back onto a fallen tree branch that began to be covered with his magic power before flying up.

"Wizard king huh, keep dreaming kid because your going to lose," he said firing multiple lasers down at Asta who took out his other sword and began reflecting them before Noelle rushed over to him, holding up her wand.

"Water creation magic, sea dragons lair," she said as a large water dome covered the two of them as the lasers hit off against it.

"Oh nice magic, but I wonder how much longer youll be able to keep you up because without your spacial magic user you two wont be able to do much with long range attacks," said Ladros as he continued to fire lasers down at them making more smoke go up, "Once I'm done with you two, ill go after Mars and his little girlfriend," he said.

"You holding up okay Noelle," said Asta.

"Of course, but I'm not sure how much magic power I have left to keep holding this up," said Noelle looking determined.

"Why are you two even fighting for them, friends are just things you use so you can make you way to the top and that's how ive gone this far to even become one of the eight shining generals," said Ladros laughing before something was thrown form the smoke and it stabbed into his left shoulder making him looked shocked as he saw it was the demon dweller sword that stabbed into him.

"He threw his sword," thought Ladros as he began to fall to the ground, the magic power surrounding the tree branch vanishing, "Whats happening, I can barely use my magic, is this the swords power," he thought before landing on the ground as the water dome fell and Asta started walking towards him.

"Let me tell you something, friends aren't things you can use to move ahead in life," said Asta, "They're there too fight alongside you and more importantly they're there to help you become stronger," he said remembering when Captain Yami thought him how to read a persons Ki and earliier when Finral and Vanessa helped him use his move, bull thrust.

"They're what makes us strong," said Asta pointing his big anti magic sword at Ladros who looked frightened.

"Okay I get it now just take out the spike already, I don't think I can last much longer," he said as he thought, "I need to think quick, I wont be able to use my magic properly with this sword stuck in me,".

"Don't lie your going to be just fine, I made sure not hit any of your vital points," said Asta stepping closer which Ladros begin to sweat.

"I understand just take it out already," said Ladros as magic power began to surround his right hand, "I can only hope to dodge this," he thought.

"Looks like the only way I'm going to get you to listen is if I hit you in the head and knock you out," said Asta holding up his sword, but as he brought it down Ladros blasted the ground next to him and sent himself flying into the air.

"If I use reinforcement magic, I should be able to get this out myself," Ladros thought as he grabbed onto the blade of the demon dweller sword that looked like it began absorbing his power before he pulled it out while screaming and letting it fall to the ground, "I only have enough magic left for two more magic bullets, it should do the trick," he thought as he landed on the ground and began to slowly run over to Mars and Fana.

"Hey," said Asta before Ladros picked up Fana from the ground with Mars still lying on the ground.

"Now Fana I'm going to need you to use that powerful spell of yours okay," said Ladros smiling while Fana looked confused not knowing what he meant.

"What spell," she said only for Ladros to blast Mars with a blast of Magic that sent him flying into the air, "No," she said trying to escape from Ladros grip but couldn't.

"One more blast should be able to kill him," said Ladros smirking while Fana looked frightened.

"No, I WONT LET YOU," she yelled as Flames shot up from around her, taking the form of a Salamanders head as it looked angrily down at Ladros.

"Oh yeah now that's what I'm talking about," said Ladros as the flames shot down at him making an explosion. Fana landed on the ground next to Mars as the smoke began to clear revealing Ladros with a flame cape on his back. His hands covered by flaming claws and his hair standing up.

"Wow, I was right this is the best magic ive ever absorbed," said Ladros before laughing, "With this power I'm even more power then the eight shining general and I can take over the entire diamond kingdom for myself,".

"Theres so much magic power," said Noelle looking shocked.

"We can't give up yet," said Asta holding up his sword before Ladros looked directly at him, his smile looking bigger then before.

"Guess I better finish what I started first," he said pointing his right hand at Asta and a few second later a small laser blasted a hole in his left shoulder surprising the anti magic user.

"I could read his ki, but I didn't even see that coming," he thought before Ladros blasted the ground in front of him and Noelle. The two of them were sent flying back and falling face down on the ground while Ladros laughed.

"Haha what I tell you, friends are only there to help you move forward, your next Mars and after you two can still be together as lab rats for the diamond kingdom," he said.

Back in the the queen of witches home one of the large glowing orbs displayed Asta lying on the ground, "Imperfect, since hes able to wield that sword I thought he would be from that certain bloodline," she said before holding up her right hand as the ends of her fingers began to glow with her magic power, "Time to show them who you really are,".

The middle of Astas body began to shake and the pulsing sound coming from him made Ladros look towards him with a confused look on his face. After his body shook again he growled as he opened his eyes, accept the right one was now red. As he griped the handle for his big anti magic sword darkness began to come out of his right hand before it began to cover the rest of his arm as he glared at Ladros.

Noelle looked looked up seeing the darkness covering Astas arm and saw the angry look on his face, "Whats happening," she said looking worried.