Road Trip of the Heart

by ultima-owner

A unforgettable journey of crazy times, at least for the person doing it. It's a SIOC fic so if you don't like those, please don't flame.

26. City of Gold

Welcome! Next chapter to be released will be another side story one. Spoilers for the following: Shokugeki no Soma, Spirited Away, Thundercats (2011), Ori and Will of the Wisps, Kingdom Hearts, Black Clover, Raising of the Shield Hero, Hollow Knight, Percy Jackson series, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha series, Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Disclaimer: I only own my stuff

Chapter 24: City of Gold

Tōtsuki Culinary Academy

Polar Star Dormitory

Fumio Daimidō, the pineapple grayed haired old lady of a Dorm Warden laughed as she felt the approaching 'Dread'. "HE's got interesting timing, coming now of all years." The students staying at the dorm look at her. "And who is making that aura of dread?" Zenji Marui, a dark-haired teen wearing glasses, asked as he felt like prey being stalked by some monster. Yūki Yoshino, a spunky girl with orangish hair came in with a rabbit. "The animals don't seem to be affected. It feels like a predator is stocking someone, but we aren't the targets." She commented stroking the rabbit. "Come to think of it. It's not directed at us, more like we are catching the edge of it." Ryōko Sakaki, the red haired 'big sister figure of the dorm, said

Satoshi Isshiki, the sometimes 'only wearing an apron' senior student and 7th Seat of the Elite Ten Council (The top ten students. They hold power in the decision making of the school just like the Adult staff do), had an idea. "Is that this man?" He throws down a newspaper with the front article that stated, 'Well known famous Restaurateur exposed to be a stealing fraud!' it had a picture of a man bending over as Zane punched him in the gut, hard. Fumio laughed before saying, "That's him alright. He can be as subtle as a candle glowing softly in a dark room or as destructive as a forest fire." Fumio takes the paper and had a look of pity on her face as she read it. "Never steal from Zane Laskaris. Especially the secret of his spice blends. That will set any of his family off, big time."

"I know that name! Zane Laskaris, prominent member of the Laskaris Clan and the Great Demon Lord of Spirits." Ryōko listed. "He found a way to infuse actual emotions into the alcohol he brews. This isn't the first time he dealt with someone that pissed him off. He is like a dragon protecting his hoard., or so I heard." Fumio laughed at this. "He's done more than just punch someone like this. He's got another name from his time on the battlefield. He is the Bloodstained Knight. They say guns rule the war, but Zane wasn't fazed as he cut down enemies with melee weapons. All the bullets were slices out of the air. The Japanese government wasn't happy with his methods, but he saved a lot of lives that day ten years ago."

Shun Ibusaki, a teen that preferred to stay in the background, spoke up. "They don't even try to interfere with his family if they can. That goes the same for the rest of the world, no one knows why and I for one have no intention of poking the bear." Megumi Tadokoro, a blue haired girl that is meek and polite but quite brave when the chips are down, had an interesting tidbit of information. "I've met him. He's a little odd but he's amazing at cooking most dishes." She says then adds, "And he admitted he can never get even buzzed, no matter how much he drinks." Shōji Satō, blonde haired student, and Daigo Aoki, a black-haired student, looked devastated at this. "Dude! That is the worst thing ever." They both say.

"Zane Laskaris. So that's his name." Sōma Yukihira, a spikey red-haired teen, said to himself. "That's right. He had beat your father just before the charity ball was held hostage that day ten years ago." Fumio said. "Jōichirō never could top the porkchop dish Zane made. It must drive him up the wall that he became another one of the people bamboozled by that spice blend." She chuckled. "Yeah, he never figured it out. I tasted a lot of his failures. Some of them tasted amazing. Makes you wonder what the real thing tasted like." Sōma said with a grin, showing he had a crazy idea.

"I know that face and don't you dare challenge him so close to the Autumn Election preliminary rounds." Fumio said. "You need to win and represent this dorm. Besides, you can show him your cooking if he's a judge." They look at her. "Why else would he be here?" She asked. "He's normally at that family run place called 'Western Restaurant Nekoya' on weekends or galivanting somewhere remote, not wanting to be found." Fumio said shaking her head. "How his wife and kids deal with his habits, I have no idea."

A week later

Tōtsuki Culinary Academy

Shokugeki Arena

VIP Both

"You don't mind if I watch with you?" Zane asked, starling Erina Nakiri, the blonde-haired heir of the Nakiri family and 10th seat of the Elite Ten Council. She whirled around and stared. "How, when, why?" She stammered as one of her ideal sat in the nice seats that have the perfect view of the arena cooking area. "I was in the neighborhood and I caught the scent of spices brewing." Zane said as the judges were given nasty smelling dish but tasted great. "Wow, I never imagined that something like that would be used here." He comments as the next dish used a lot of medicinal ingredients.

"You know about herbal remedies?" Erina asked. "I learned from an old wise woman then looked into the other culture's methods. I don't really use it in my cooking, but my daughter Electra might be a different story." Zane said, eyes not moving from what was happening down below. "How is Electra? She's about 15, right?" Erina asked, remembering the event ten years ago. "In few months she will be 15 and she's on a journey of self-discovery for past almost five years. All I know is that she found something she couldn't find at home." Zane stated.

"Do you have recent picture of her?" Erina asked and Zane passed her a photo he got from the owner of the magical café. "She came here briefly, months ago, to pick up spices from the Shiomi Seminar. I didn't realize it was her at the time with the shaman get up, but she does use medicinal in her cooking. My secretary, Hisako Arato, was impressed." She nods to the student. that sparked the conversation, being judged below. "I see. I will expect a lot from her when I judge the next round." Zane said with a gleam in his eyes. Erina knew that look, the same look he had before the Shokugeki (a formal food duel) he had ten years ago, she also remembered what her grandfather had told her that day.

"when his eyes are like that, he is eager for battle. He is the Devil who knows emotions better than anyone one else." The memory of her Grandfather echoed in her mind. 'What kind of twist will he be throwing in the tournament?' she wondered silently, masking the fear she felt as the aura of dread returned.

A few days later

Tōtsuki Culinary Academy

Shokugeki Arena

"And falls to me to decide who wins." Zane said as he looked at Megumi and Ryō Kurokiba, dark haired teen with bags under his eyes that was normally bored looking but when he put on his bandana he was like a beast. They were looked at each other with wills clashing. "You got this Megumi!" two groups yelled cheering, one was her dormmates and the other was people from her hometown. "While I enjoyed your dish, Ryō Kurokiba, it lacks something I required in the rules." Zane said. "And what's that? I met all the requirements the challenge listed. Even the 'cooking with emotion' bit." Ryō said aggressively. "A sense of pride in your dish. You lacked that compared to her." Zane stated and everyone noticed he had finished only half Ryō's dish, whereas Megumi's was polished of.

"The winner is Megumi Tadokoro!" Zane declared. Megumi looked shocked and ready to faint. Up in the stands, Alice, Erina's white haired sister was staring, shocked. First Sōma beat her, now her Aide was defeated by a hair. "How can this be? His dish was easily the better one." She muttered. Below she heard Zane answer. "Megumi. You used your hometown as inspiration for this dish. I can taste the pride and love you have." He turns to the stands and declares, "All of you students out there! Listen well because I expect you to put your heart and soul into your cooking from now on!"

The Next day

Tōtsuki Culinary Academy

Shokugeki Arena

Takumi Aldini, a blonde Italian student, walked in with the giant copycat stalker of a cook, Subaru Mimasaka to do a Shokugeki with interesting stakes. His prized tool and the trade deal for Zane's prized wine for the 99 tools his opponent 'won' via dirty tricks. "Is it a conflict of interest for you judge?" One of the other judges asked Zane. "Not is the slightest. Even if Subaru is no bad terms with Zane with his tactics, Zane judges fairly." Senzaemon Nakiri, the gray-haired director of the school and grandfather to Alice and Erina, stated as Subaru copied his opponent's dish with some 'changes', as he had for the past 99 Shokugeki he won. They were required to use Zane's wine in their dish. Each bottle was labeled with the emotion it was infused with. Subaru grabbed 'Pure Joy' and Takumi grabbed 'Wrath and Love'.

An hour later, they were tasting the dishes and Subaru was uplifting but in a hollow way. "He fell into the trap." Zane said shaking his head as the judges tried the second dish and experienced something more. "It is like I am under the watchful eye of a dragon." One judge said. "Yes, this dish makes me feel so safe." Another said. "Takumi's Dish has more depth for sure. Joy is wonderful, but nothing compares to the embrace of a loving parent." The third judge said and all five voted in Takumi.

Subaru was floored. "How was his dish better? I improved it." He demanded. "The devil's in the detail." Zane said mockingly. "Under the joy was the arrogance you carry as you steal other's work shamelessly. Make something original sometime. I'll give you props for the changes you made and the changes you forced Takumi to make." Zane said. Subaru fumed to himself as he left to return the tools to the rightful owners. "Thank you for the lesson you taught me years ago." Takumi said bowing slightly.

A week later

Tōtsuki Culinary Academy

Shiomi Seminar

"Is Zane here?" Sōma asked. "You missed him be five minutes." Jun Shiomi, the shorter than a teenager Professor said as she worked on a spice related theory. "He left you something in the kitchen." Sōma found it to be a covered dish and a letter. "Sōma Yukihira, it is not yet time for us to clash. You didn't win the tournament, but the silver medal isn't a wall, just a speed bump. Think of this a reward for impressing me with your cooking. Zane Laskaris" Sōma read out loud. Akira Hayama, Jun's Silver haired dark-skinned ward smirked as waves of spice came off the dish as the cover was lifted. "The Laskaris Porkchop special. This isn't just one of the public kinds. It's the top secret one." He said as Jun's mouth watered. "He made a one for us too so enjoy this rare treat." Akira encouraged as Sōma tasted the dish. "It's like nothing I ever eaten before." Sōma muttered as he experienced something amazing. "He transformed the spices into something unrecognizable yet beyond flavorful. Is this what they call the crystallization of centuries of chiefs?"

"That's right. The secret blend is said to date back to ancient Greece. It wasn't used on pork back then and was much simpler. Over the generations, each Laskaris made and improved their 'Preferred Spice Blend' and it was added to a 'master cookbook' of spice blends. The Laskaris Clan have a habit of recording everything. Each one adding up and making that 'book' the most sought-after cookbook ever to exist." Jun lectured. "Only about 5 percent, at most, of the blends are made public. And there have been at least hundreds of thousands of Laskaris clan members that contributed to the book's contents."

Sōma realized that he finished the dish off completely without even noticing. "No wonder my day lost to Zane that day. Food like that is even better than his." He admitted. He had another goal added to his list of goals, face Zane in a cooking duel and stand as his equal in the kitchen. He didn't know yet, but a lot of people shared this goal and he would have to face them as he climbed the ranks of the school and cooking world. "Did Zane say where he was going?" He asked. "To a Bathhouse for a 'surprise inspection'. I hate when I get those. They come in and poke their nose into everything, nitpicking the smallest 'issues'." Jun ranted.

"What she means is that the inspectors get snippy about her selling spice plants to this shaman named Electra mouths ago. I don't get what they are all up in arms about." Akira said as he checked the plants. "They wanted the seeds for their own gain, but I sold the ones I didn't need for hard to get plants." Jun clarified.

Elsewhere

Two days later

Spirit Realm (The one from Spirited Away)

The market area

Zane was wearing a lavish but non-descript garb, to blend in with the crowd, as he walked up to a food sand and sat on a stool as night fell. The stand's owner was a shadowy spirit with arms and 'eyes' but little else. Zane put some gold pieces on the counter and asked softly. "Has there been any problems lately? Particularly involving the Bathhouse?" The Vender looked around then stealthily took the gold and 'whispered' about a pair of humans getting greedy and turning into pigs as they stole food from one of the venders. This was just one of the 'laws' of the Spirit Realm, humans and spirits alike were at its mercy.

He thanked the vender a walked towards the Bathhouse, owned by a witch by the name Yubaba. He made sure to make himself look and smell like the spirits. A humanoid Frog spirit holding a lanturn greeted him at the red bridge. The Bathhouse was had the look of a Japanese bathhouse. "Hold it! We had some trouble with a spirit recently and request you tell us what you are before you cross the bridge." Aogaeru, the frog spirit, said. "You don't need to do that." Zane said as he slipped the frog a bag of gold pieces. "Right this way." Aogaeru said hiding the bribe in his clothes.

In the Bathhouse

"Lin, take this guest to the small pools." Aogaeru said to a spirit that that looked almost perfectly human. She had the pink Yuna (Bath Women) uniform on and had black hair. "Right this way sir." She said making covert glances at him. Foreman, a bigger more human looking Frog spirit was at his post. "Lin, did this customer pay?" He demanded from high post. "That's why I brought him here first." She snaps before turning to Zane and explaining, "All gold must be checked for magic because of a spirit that could turn dirt into 'fake gold'."

Zane handed over a small sack of gold. Foreman took each piece and tapped it with some rod. Then he used a jeweler lens to look for 'flaws' and weighted it. He smiled a fake smile and said, "thank you for waiting. What kind of bath would you like?" Zane told him and he handed over a bath token to Lin. "The baths are this way." Lin said politely.

Once they were out of hearing range she relaxed. "You really don't like him, do you?" Zane asked. "What gave it away?" Lin asked. "How your hair bristled a little. It's a common shine among furred animals. I'm guessing you are a Spirit of the white fox." Zane said. "Not bad." She says as they enter the bathing area. They stop at a hot tub sized pool and she clips the wooden token to a line and 'sends the request' to the boiler room.

"It will take a moment to fill." Lin said as she moves the spout over the tub. Boiling water with herbs in it poured and Lin said, "you can undress now. Your belongings will be kept safe." She looks away for a moment to turn off the water and Zane was in the bath robe they provided. She took this in stride because some spirits were weird. She blinked again and Zane was in the bath and she was holding his bath robe. "You are fast. I heard you but didn't see you move." She said smirking. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"Can you tell me about the 'troublesome spirit'?" Zane asked. Lin explained a creature named No Face got in and ran amuck. "Turns out he gets like that when he eats people with really bad personalities." She finished. "He will find a way to have his own personality at some point." Zane commented off hand. "You met him?" Lin asked. "Once. He felt 'blank'. Now what can you tell me about a girl named 'Chihiro'?" Zane asked. Lin looked at him sharply. "Why are you asking? Besides, she left for home with her parents yesterday." Lin said trying to read Zane.

"Just getting answers. The venders didn't know the full picture." Zane said, mentally noting the details of the Bathhouse he got using his Stand. Up above them on the second floor was the large headed squat witch of an owner, with gray hair, wrinkles, and giant wart on in between her big eyes, was watching them. "You passed the inspection!" Zane yelled up to her then laughed as she fainted from shock. "That's the fun of surprise inspections." Zane told Lin, who was only a little worried about her boss.

"So, what are you really?" Lin asked. "Complicated is one answer." Zane said but added, "But you know me as the one that makes that 'emotional alcohol'." Lin grinned. "Well, then you must be the father of this fun Kitsune I met a month ago. She had quite a figure, nine tails, and her mate smelled like metal." Lin said. "Dare I ask what trouble followed them?" Zane asked. "Your son-in-law actually was a big help with some rowdy spirits. I have never seen a weapon so scary yet never drawing blood." She said amused. She was talking about the Tora-Shinai, a bamboo practice sword that had turned into a demonic sword from being used by the 'Tiger of Fuyuki'.

Flashback

One month ago

Second floor of the Bathhouse

"Please leave me alone. You are drunk and making a fool of yourselves." Sakura said, her tails moving about in an aggravated way. "Why are you with that twig? We are clearly better compony than that human." A pair of Ogre spirits said, drunk and not taking the hint. "She said she isn't interested!" Lin said getting between them and Sakura. "If you keep this up you will be ban from the Bathhouse." The ogres laugh perversely and advance on the pair foxy ladies. They fall forward as Lin hears two smacks and the roar of tiger. "Sakura, are you ok?" Shirou asked with a traced copy of Tora-Shinai in hand. "Thanks for the save." Lin says kicking the ogres to check if they were alive and getting a grunt of pain from them, she thanked Shirou with a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry. It's just a thank you kiss. He's all yours." Lin said to Sakura, who was annoyed at the fox spirit who earlier was trying to get Shirou drunk as a 'favor' to her. She grabbed the bottle Lin left and, in a moment of bad judgment, drank the contents, even as Shirou said it was a bad idea.

Flashback end

Zane was laughing as Lin finished explaining that it was Sakura that got drunk and got mad, punched Lin, then became good friends with her after interrogating her. "That is why I never let her drink the alcohol I brew. It can throw your emotions out of whack if you drink to much." Zane said. "She's got a strong punch and good at healing." Lin said. "Shirou is the perfect House Husband as some humans say." Zane agreed with this assessment. Shirou had a 'job' but it wasn't a full time one. He was handy man and was paid by the job. When he wasn't working, he was keeping busy around the house.

"Show me to my room." Zane said doing his speed trick to appear out of the tub, and in his bath robe, next to her. They got in the lift and The Radish Spirit, a giant radish creature with a red Sake dish as a hat and a red loin cloth, was getting in too. Lin pulled lever and the lift rose. "Hello Radish Spirit." Zane greeted. The spirit looked at him with a happy look to his eyes. "It's been a long time. A hundred years, a hundred fifty?" Zane asked. The Spirit nodded slowly, but happily, at the second number. "We met once and he likes me for reasons he hasn't explained, if he ever does." Zane explained. Lin was still confused, but the lift stopped, and they stepped off.

They walked up the room Zane paid for and found Yubaba waiting for him. "You gave me a bit of a freight." She said sweetly in a fake way, sweating as she feared he'd change his mind about the inspection. "Perks of the job. I get asked to inspected places by beings higher up the food chain than you and get favors in return." Zane said as Lin left to get food for him. "I'm glad you find it amusing." She grumbled. A voice that was truly sweet and sounded far away came from a Shikigami (a paper beings with no will of their own) "I found it to be a good laugh, sister." The semitransparent Astral Projection of Yubaba's twin sister, Zeniba, appeared. She looked just like her sister but was the nicer twin.

"Great, you came to chat." Yubaba said annoyed. "Of course, I did. His daughter left a message for him with me." Zeniba said. She looks at Zane and looks him up and down. "Good disguise If I didn't see a picture of what you look like, I would have had no idea." She complaints. "The message is 'She took the Soul Stone'. Not sure what that means but she told me to only tell you on this date." Zane searched for the infinity souls he kept safe and blinked as both were still with him. "If she isn't talking about the Infinity stone…" Zane mutters as they sputter at the sight of two Infinity Stones before them. "She means the four power stones on Third Earth! That's where she ended up!" Zane said.

"What are you talking about?" Yubaba asked. "My youngest daughter, Electra, let the family curse 'take her on an adventure'. Before that she took a power stone that I found in another universe. It is one of four, that when brought together, give ultimate power." Zane explained. "Kind of like the Infinity Stones." Zeniba had a remark for that, "I saw her with a blue diamond like stone that had no power at all. If it's anything like the Infinity Stones, it's useless out of the universe it belongs to."

"That's right. I was in that universe making a few deals and such when someone made a crazy offer. I in turn asked for a crazy payment. I had no idea he was willing to hand over a power stone. It's been a LONG time since then. The fact she was able to take it means that it's needed." Zane explained. "And want did you give?" Yubaba asked as Zane put the Infinity Stones away. "Perpetual Motion Machine and a gravity converter. In layman's' terms, endless energy and something that converts energy into 'screw you, gravity' power." This got a chuckle from the sisters. "I hope they have wings, or they will be among the stars." Yubaba snarks. "Who would give up a stone that lets you interact with the afterlife in more than one way?"

Severs came with platers of food and were tipped with some gold but not too much. "That is real gold, right?" Yubaba asked. "yes, it's real. I'm a deal maker, not a tanuki (raccoon trickster yokai)." Zane commented with a roll of his eyes. "She had an interesting companion with her." Zeniba said "Some golem that was Fae made with how well it looked 'human' over than the fact he was 8 feet tall and had the personality of a brink at the time." Zane chuckled but trailed off as he remembered one of the deals he made in that universe. "Did she have a gauntlet with a sword sheathed into it? The hilt has a space to put a gem?" He asked.

"That dreadful weapon? Oh, I remember it well. She got it from the Fae, but they didn't make it. So much death energy lingers on it with a target in mind." Zeniba said with disgust. "I gave her something to hide it's aura because, in her words, 'It has major bad juju and I have a crazy idea to fix it'." Zane was pale as a corpse. Electra had the Sword and Gauntlet of Plun-Darr, Mumm-Ra's personal weapon, and 'planned to fix it'. That sounded like something he would say. He had made a deal to hide it for someone and he left it with Lady Titana to see if she can 'purify it' of the 'bad juju'. That was years ago.

Zane paused as a scrool appeared before him. "Looks like Trish's 'family' finally found their 'Turf' in the Garden." He said, scanning the scroll. "She and her hundred followers have been looking for a place to settle down." He looks at the description of the spot they picked. "And they pick the mountain the Iron King made his garden. Great. More fights with that metal monster to get him to understand good manners." Zane sighed and left a tip. "I need to deal with this before he uproots another mountain."

Later

Eve of Electra's 15th birthday

The Garden

Song Montain

Peak of eternal storms

Zane was sitting in the mouth of a cave on one of the mountain peaks in the Garden. It had this thunderstorm that just appeared when Electra was born, he had no idea why, but it seemed the Garden was giving her a 'place of power' as it had with the other four royalty had. Zane add a volcano. Aqua had an icy grove with an icy lake at its center. Sakura had a place that was 'connected but not' to the Garden. And most recently, a strange forest that had living growing trees made of metals, bone, and other non-wood substances. There was something that told him to wait here for the last week, unmoving from this spot as the weather battered his body.

His weeklong vigil was rewarded as a stone gate appeared deeper in the cave. "How long have you been here?" an armor wearing Jackalope said. Electra, a being that reminded Zane of King Pin, and a Spirit Guardian came from the gate. "Welcome home, little firefly." Zane said as he meets her halfway. "Papa! I have so much to tell you!" Electra said hugging him.

A few hours later

They sat in the cave for hours as she told him everything. Jace, the Jackalope looking stand, had some interesting things to say about Zane, like how his parenting was weird but he liked his style of weaponry. Wallace, her 'Bodyguard' was respectful and sitting quietly. It was Rei, Spirit Guardian, that was looking at everything in wonder. "You have found your version of fighting style, right?" Zane asked. She explained how she incorporated how Zeraora, a Mythical Pokemon, could strike without hitting you with his limbs via an electrical field that extended past its body. She attacked there would be a hard to detect electrical 'limb' following each strike. On top of that, she had worked out how to enhance her body with electrical energy to get faster for a time.

"Do you want to see something I found?" Zane asked. "It's at the heart of the mountain but I know the way." They started to make their way deeper into the cave system. "The cave appeared about a month ago. Iron King was complaining about seismic activity near his mountain (His mountain is a few miles away from this one.) and kicked up fuss until I found the source." Zane explained as they passed by Cave Murals of the pokemon universe.

A few hours later

The Garden

Song Mountain

Deep in the mountain

Crystal Chorus Chamber

They had reached a giant chamber made of crystals after untold number of twisting and branching tunnels. "Welcome to the Crystal Chorus Chamber. Tell me what you hear." Zane said as a hum filled the air. Electra let the hum of the crystals wash over her and realized it was her song. The one from her heart but like her attempts, it was still incomplete, not all the crystals were humming. "It's been evolving over time. I know this because I sometimes come here to listen to your heart's song." Zane said as Rei jumped from crystal to crystal, memorizing each humming note.

"There are other chambers that have crystal you can play but this one plays on its own. I'd say it worth the winding path to reach it." Zane said with a proud smile. "I'll say! I never expected this little slice of paradise to grow so much." The Master of Masters said from his perch on a crystal shelf above them. Zane glared at him for ruining the moment but asked anyways. "What are you talking about?" The Master of Masters' body language showed great amusement as he said, "You haven't noticed the Garden changing from an expanded space into something much greater?" He started to lecture them. "As beings come to call this place home, the world makes a connection with them. They are protected and feel safe. The world gets something in return, I can't find a word that fits perfectly but 'love' is close enough."

"As the 'love' accumulates, the Garden changes and evolves to better protect its inhabitants. I expect it to make it's version of Gaia at some point soon, complete with an avatar of sorts." The Master of Masters paused in his explanation as Rei climbed up the back of his cloak and stared at his face upside down. "hello there, little bell. Please leave my hood alone." Rei nodded and flopped on his shoulder, playing with hanging drawstrings of the cloak. "Now, where was I? I remember. Young Electra might have noticed that her little world, she has guided for years now, has become more like a full-fledged World, complete with a Keyhole, a Heart and a connection to Kingdom Hearts over time. The rate it takes place varies, but it happens eventually."

"That's already happened. The Realm of Elementals no longer needs me to help it survive. They'd reached that point before my tenth birthday. It was an odd moment when Highest Spirits tells said me that they felt they wanted to try to live without my contest aid." Electra said. Master of Masters claps his hands saying, "Then you passed my test. You raised them from mindless being into Spirits that you can call upon to aid you in battle. I didn't predict you'd be come a shaman when I gave it to you but all the better in the end." He was acting like Electra was one of his students, who figured out the riddle he gave. In other words, being his normal annoying and cryptic self.

"I knew my investment in you would pay off, once again in a weird way as your clan does, but I put a lot of work into that world seed experiment. I can't complain when the results are so interesting." The Master of Masters says with a shrug. Rei was too distracted by the drawstrings to care about the conversation. "Did you know there's a chamber of with arching lightning crystal somewhere in this mountain?" The Master of Masters said "Totally too dangerous to go near. Just being on the threshold had my blood boiling, in a bad way."

Zane had a bland look on his face as he said, "You had it coming. I told you not to go near there but you had to see if the orange exploding was a fluke." The Master of masters just said, "you were the one that found that out the hard way, days before I tried. I believe you said you smelled like burnt pork for a few hours. You were also the one to explore and map half of the cave system, going in blind. I'd say you were a hypocrite, but you are made of tougher stuff than I am."

"Do you want to explain how the mountain is alive or do I have too?" Zane asked. "Like the Tree of Beginning?" Electra asked. "That what?" The Master of masters asked. "It's a rock formation in the pokemon world that is 'alive' by not in the normal sense." Zane said. The feeling of something watching unseen washed over them momentarily. "That's sounds about right. I have no idea how this mountain works but every so often there is something watching me." The Master of masters said. "Because you are an annoyance." A small, about the size of a canary, crystal creature said as it came from the crystal.

"I am the caretaker of the Song Mountain, Call me Maestro." Maestro said and bowed to Electra. "I have awaited your arrival, My Lady." Maestro's colors shifted like a chameleon as he passed the colorful crystals. "What do you mean by 'caretaker' of this place?" Electra asked. Rei shifted focus to the newcomer and jumped down to look at Maestro. "As the cave system formed, I found myself in the Heart of the Song Mountain, it's in the latter half of the cave system. All I knew was my purpose and that I needed a name." Maestro recollected. "I learned over the next 13 to 14 years of what was outside."

"The cave opening didn't appear until a month or two ago. How did you learn anything without a way to the outside?" Zane asked. "Once you get past the Arching Chamber, where you stopped mapping, you will find the more private half of the mountain. Somewhere in that maze of tunnels is the Life Chamber, a place like this one but the crystals show places." Maestro explained. "You learn a lot from 'people watching' the pokemon world and talking to the Legendries." Maestro had to stop Rei from trying to pick him up. "Please stop that, Rei. I am far too heavy to lift." He goes back to explaining. "The Legendries are well informed about this universe and some of them were more than happy to teach me the things I couldn't learn otherwise."

"Like how to you are the only one that knows how to get to the 'Inner Sanctum' of the cave system? The Arching Chamber is a dead end and it's not possible to phase through the walls." Zane asked. "Naturally. Not just anyone can enter the 'Inner Sanctum', I find that to be a fitting description, without permission from Lady Electra." Maestro said. "Lady Mew helped the Garden to create this place, the other 'Places of Power' as well, and I stand by her idea of only a few being able to get to the hidden area of the 'Places of Power'."

"That makes a lot of sense." The Master of masters said. "In my study of this world's 'Places of Power', I found high levels of chaos energy. I didn't think much of it, because creation and chaos go hand in hand. If the adorable chaotic Mother of Pokemon helped the Garden with the changes being made, then of course she'd add little surprises." Zane and Electra could see that. "I don't feel like going lava diving to find your 'Inner Sanctum' at the Hellfire Cradle volcano." Zane snorted a little at that statement.

"What about the Eternal Frost Forest? Or the Blade Orchard?" Electra asked. "Aqua's skating spot has the highest chaos energy levels. Your brother in law's crazy trees make zero sense and it's like finding one specific needle in a giant pile of needles. Sakura's Void Temple is the one I don't want to go to." The Master of Masters listed. "It is too 'weird' to even start searching for the 'Inner Sanctum'. That and I don't want to get the Sun Goddess angry by poking around her shrine."

"For a pest, you seem to have some survival instincts after all." Maestro says dryly. Zane grabs a memo that appeared out of the air. "He finally finished the third sword. The Demon-Destroyer Sword. My apprentice took long enough." Zane said reading it and putting it out of sight. "Shirou made another Fae weapon?" Electra asked. "Can I deliver it to the owner of the Grimoire that hold the other swords?" Zane thought about it. "I do need to fulfill my end of the that contract. The Spade Kingdom won't fall on its own and the Five Clover Grimoire I made from scratch to hold that Unnamed Devil is in the Clover Kingdom." Zane mused.

"Here's an Idea. Electra delivers the sword to the devil in the book and you raze the other kingdom to the ground. Why are you doing that again?" The Master of masters asked. "A devil wanted revenge on the 'royal' devils of that worlds underworld. The price of the contract required him to be 'sealed' in a Grimoire for the past 500 years to await someone that could help him get his vengeance. I bottled up Zagred, a word soul magic using devil, as the first step of my end of the bargain. The Spade Kingdom has devil possessed rulers so they need to go, or the contract will do something bad to me." Zane said.

"Ah yes, your Contract Magic and Title as the Deal Maker. An interesting magic that will only get more powerful as contracts are completed, no other way. You made full use of time travel to make it as powerful as possible." The Master of masters said. "If My spying is right, you have a 'group of followers' that owe you in that world. The Eye of the Midnight Sun, they call themselves as they shake things up in the Clover Kingdom." Zane nodded. "They are a bunch of disgruntled people, both humans and Elves, that have had it with how the 'Noble class' treats anyone that isn't like them." Zane says with a shrug. "The chaos they cause is fine. No one killed other than the Nobles' pride."

A few weeks later

Black Clover World

Clover Kingdom

Outskirts

Hage Village

Atop the skull

Electra was sitting on the skull of a mountain sized horned three eyed demon that had been summoned by the contract the Zane made around 500 years ago. It was fate for Prince Lemiel Silvamillion Clover to become the First Wizard King after getting sealed in stone and his servant, Secre Swallowtail, being 'cursed', stuck as an 'Anti-bird', not aging and unable to talk as she watched over the Anti-magic Grimoire. Instead of the Elves unleashing the forbidden spell, it was a racist 'noble' who didn't read the fine print on the spell or didn't care. "Soon you will be freed, your majesty." Electra said to Prince Lemiel's cursed statue. "The Eye of the Midnight Sun is fulfilling the clause as we, well I, speak."

There were three clauses to the contract that mattered. One, the Anti-Magic Grimoire must be held by a Magic Knight of the Clover Kingdom, it's didn't matter what squad they were in. Two, the eleven magic stones must be given to a representative of the Deal Maker. And Third, the one baring the Anti-magic Grimoire must earn the right to wield the third sword of the set. The third clause was why she was spying on the village, listen in on the nun reading a latter from Asta, the one she had to test. Wallace was going to villages and towns to get an idea of what Asta was using the Anti-magic for since he got it.

Asta, an orphan left at the church here with his 'brother' Yuno. He was currently in the Black Bulls Squad, Yuno got into the Golden Dawn. She finally heard something that told her where to find the Black Bulls HQ. "it will take a while for any letter to reach him." The Nun, Sister Lily, said down below. "We could ask a traveler to get it to the capital." One of the kids said. Electra smiled. "Looks like my odd birthday gift will be used after all.

An hour later

Hage Village

Near the church

Nash, a brown haired purple eyed boy who lived at the church, was practicing his fire magic. He had five year until his 15th birthday where he's gets his Grimoire. He looked up when he heard a cart rattling, clacking, and other sounds. A girl, who looked in her mid-teens, it was hard to tell with her face covered by a mask and the cloak of feathers almost hid her modest curves, was pulling a big cart. "Excuse me, but is this Hage Village?" She asked. "Yeah, are you here to see the skull?" Nash said in bored voice. "There's not much else around here."

"My name is Electra and I sell masks and Shaman services." Electra said with a little bow. "I came here because it is getting late and sleeping in my cart is ill advised with the bandits about edge of the Kingdom." Nash shrugged and yelled "Sister Lily! There's a traveler here asking for shelter." The Nun in question came out with a gray hair priest, Father Orsi. "You are welcome to stay the night." Father Orsi said immediately with a smile. "I hope you like Nomotato dishes because that all I can cook."

Electra know about the crop, a cheap potato that was rather bland. "Not my favorite, but I've survived off worse." Electra said as she put the masks into the cart and started to make it smaller by pulled parts, until it was matchbox size. "A very interesting cart you have there. How does it get so small?" Sister Lily asked. "I got it as a gift from someone who tinkers a lot. I can make it as small as a matchbox or as big as a house, yet it's easy to move as a child's weapon no matter the size." Electra said, walking into the church.

A few days later

Black Clover World

Clover Kingdom

Common Area

Kikka Town

Black Market

"The Star Festival is starting in a few days." An 'Old Lady' told her as Electra helped her carry some stuff from the magic market. Electra knew she was helping someone undercover because her senses were screaming potential danger. "I would love to go and sell masks there, but all the stalls are filled." Electra said. "Besides, I need to find the Black Bulls Squad HQ to give someone there a letter." The 'Old Lady' wheezed a laugh. "Lucky for you, I can pull a few strings. I happen to know the organizer of the event and can squeeze you in if you do me a favor."

"You don't mind me getting it in writing?" Electra said. "you are wise for your age. I happen to have written agreement here." The 'Old Lady' said showing two pieces of paper, already sign but the name was hidden with magic. "You want to meet the source of the ringing?" Electra said as said sound came from her mane of blue hair. "That's right. I spotted something looking at me from your hair. Is it one of the spirits that aid you?" The 'Old Lady' asked. Electra signed and handed over one copy. "Rei, you don't need to be shy." Electra said as Rei's head surfaced.

"Normally there is only a handful of spirits, but you have ones that I have never heard of." The 'Old Lady' said as Rei jumped out of Electra's hair and started poking at the fake face. "Oh my, Rei seems to have found me out." The 'Old Lady' said before leading them to talk in private. When there was no one nearby, the 'old lady' was revealed to be the current Wizard King, Julius Novachrono. "what gave it away?" Julius asked as Rei was zeroed in on the gold ornaments on his robe.

"You didn't 'sound' or 'feel' like an old lady." Electra said. "It's hard to fool my senses, let alone a Spirit's." Julius chuckled and inspected Rei. "Where did you get the spirits you have? I contacted one of the High Spirits and they have no idea who they are." Julius asked. "I was tasked to guide a 'tiny world' under the guise of it being a gift." Electra said. "Rei's mother wished for me to guide her to whatever fate awaits her." Julius was about to say something, but his bowl cut haired assistant, Marx Francois, called him via magic. "Sir, have you located the Shaman?" Marx asked. "Yes, she's with me right now."

"Good work. I can send of Magic Knights to detain her at any time." Marx said. "No need. She will be at the Star Festival, manning a stall, where we can keep an eye on her." Julius stated with a smile. "Very well." Marx said and cut the connection. "Sorry about that. The Clover Kingdom is on edge with Eye of the Midnight Sun. You, an outsider, made some people nervous, especially your burly friend's questions about the Magic Knights." Julius said. "He's currently sitting in a cell at the palace after getting into a fight with a noble. We are investigating who started the fight, while the noble gets his broken hand healed."

"He tried to hit Wallace and broke his hand. Feeling slighted, he claimed Wallace started the fight and he retaliated to an unprovoked attack." Electra guessed. "That is what Wallace said in his account of events this morning. Rest assured we will solve the issue swiftly as possible." Julius stated then vanishing this his purchases. Rei, who found herself on Electra's head, was baffled and voice her confusion. "Time magic." Electra answered. "He uses time magic." She wondered how many years of time he has squirreled away. She had ground to cover if she was going to get to the Royal Capital in time.

Two days later

Just before sunrise

Black Clover World

Clover Kingdom

Royal Capital

"It took you long enough to get here!" A boisterous woman with vermillion hair, said, standing at the area near the gate of the palace. Wallace was standing next to her, looking annoyed at being restrained by a pair of flaming cuffs. "I've been standing here an hour and he refuses to answer my questions." Electra smiled behind her mask. This was Mereoleona Vermillion, one of strongest royal born Magic Knights currently alive. She was stubborn, aggressive and enjoyed dealing with issues personally, mainly with her fists.

"I ran into a group of bandits that did take no for an answer. I have them in my cart, still out cold and limbs bound." Electra said, gesturing to her cart that was expanded to the size of a covered wagon. Mereoleona wasted no time and opened the back of the cart. A dozen bandits bound in lightning chains, chain gang style, were in a cage of lightning. "I like your style. Hit hard and don't let them have an opening." Mereoleona said, noting the fist-shaped bruises on them. "We can take them to the Palace, and they will deal with them. In the meantime, I am to keep an eye on you so no more fools shatter their own hand."

She releases the spell on Wallace as Electra wondered why Julius downplayed the damage. "Julius only said the hand was broken." Electra said. "The fool's hand looked like a mangled squid. Your 'Bodyguard' is formidable at taking hits." MereoLeona complimented.

The next day

Black Clover World

Clover Kingdom

Royal Capital

The annual Star Festival was where everyone, including commoners, were invited to have a good time and see which squad got the most star for missions completed well. The Golden Dawn has been holding the record for a while and the Black Bulls were in the negative last year. "Is this all the masks you are selling?" A person in a red revealing outfit and a witch's hat asked. On her shoulder was a red cat that was odd. "What are you looking for?" Electra asked. "and what are your names?" The woman smiled and said "Vanessa Enoteca of the Black Bulls. This is Rouge." The cat meows.

"I am Electra. The Big guy in back is Wallace and Rei is around here somewhere." Electra said looking around. "I'm looking for a sea dragon mask if you have one." Vanessa said then asked, "what does Rei look like?" Electra opened drawers and pulled out a Mist Dragon mask. "She's a cat sized white glowing creature, who loves shiny dangling things. Is this OK? It's Mist Dragon, a relative of sea dragons in a way." Vanessa put some coins on the counter. "That's fine. She'll like this more, I bet. Mist Dragons are more 'legendary'." She takes the mask and promises to keep an eye out for Rei.

Elsewhere in the festival

Charlotte Roselei, captain of the Blue Roses, was unsure of what to make of the creature, Rei, that was sitting on her shoulder, eyes following the trinket, a clear gem cut like a tear drop, her dark haired and skinned subordinate, Sol Marron, was swaying. "she's adorable, whatever she is." Sol said. "do you think she has an owner?" Rei shook her head at that question. "If not owner, then do you have a caretaker?" Charlotte asked. Rei nodded and tried to explain. When they didn't understand, Rei got annoyed and threw the nearest object, a pebble she picked up earlier, to vent.

"Whose big idea is it to hit me?" Yami, Captain of the Black Bulls, said looking around. He was tall black haired gruff looking man, who smoked and had a sword at his hip. Charlotte was panicking internally because she had a crush on him. Yami walked over and picked up Rei by the scruff of the neck. When she was eye level, he asked "start talking." Rei frantically explained but Yami only heard a bell like sound. "I see. No one understands you so you got annoyed." Yami guessed, dropping his annoyed look. Rei looked at Charlotte, then at Yami, tilling her head. Then she mimed a kissy face, making Charlotte have an atomic blush.

Yami noticed and told Rei "I don't mind going on a date with her if she wants. But I don't think she needs you playing matchmaker." Charlotte stammers out that's be nice. And Yami palped Rei in her lap saying "how about next week? You can pick were to eat." With that Yami left to check the stalls. Charlotte was shellshocked and still blushing as Rei was proud of her deed. Sol beamed. Her Captain got a date, and it was the no she knew was at least a little interested in her as a person. "Great job. You earned this." Sol says giving Rei the trinket. Rei thanked her and ran off.

An hour later

Near some shooting game stalls

Rei was watching from above as a guy, wearing glasses and had a darker strip down the middle of his gray hair, competed with a blonde-haired human at a shooting game. Their names were Magna and Luck and were quite amusing. Rei's new trinket had a cheap chain so when it snapped, the trinket fell at Luck's feet. "What's this?" Luck said picking it up. "Looks like someone's prize." Magna said, pocketing it before they returned to the game. Rei crawled down the pole reached for her trinket. She froze with a paw in the pocket as Luck looks right at her. "Magna, something is pickpocketing you." Luck said with grin, because he caused Magna's aim to be off.

"Alright, whatever you are, why are you shifting through my pockets." Magna demanded, holding Rei up by her scuff. Rei mimed dropping something. "this is yours?" Magna asked holding up the trinket. Rei reached for it, but Magna held it out of reach. "Hold it. Why should I trust you? You could have stolen it." Magna said. Rei gave a hurt look and Luck came to her rescue. "I say give it to her. She was watching us play." Luck said. "Her?" Magna asked letting Rei have the trinket and setting her down. "Let's get back to the game, I need to beat you again." Rei ran off clutching the trinket.

A little later

Somewhere in the festival area

Rei was lost. She lost sight of the 'landmarks' she used to get back to the stall Electra was running. Then she spotted someone that knew where the stall was. She navigated her way to the silver twin tailed human and landed on her shoulder as she was talking to couple of humans that smelled of the sea and a human that felt like a void to her senses. "Don't move Noelle, there's something on your shoulder." The weird human said. "I can see that Asta." Noelle snapped back. Rei could tell she had feelings for the weird human, Asta. She tried to mime this message but the only ones that got it were the pair of sea smelling humans, Kahono, a red-haired female, and Kiato, a dark-haired male.

Kahono mouthed "I know but he's dense as a brick." To her. Rei slopped annoyed. "I remember seeing you at that mask stall. What are you doing here?" Noelle asked. Rei just sighed. The Anti-bird (looks like a horned Barn swallow), called Nero, who was sitting on Asta's head, looked at Rei and nodded briefly in greeting. "Maybe she's lost." Asta said. Rei nodded. "There you are, Rei. Electra is worried about you." Vanessa, having finally tracked Noelle down, said. She scooped up Rei, amused.

"Her name is Rei?" Noelle asked as Vanessa gave her the Mist Dragon mask. "I noticed you looking at the masks, so I got you this." Vanessa said. "It looks just like the painting of the Mist Dragon at the temple." Kiato said with wonder. "yes, it's so lifelike. The maker must have met a Mist Dragon to get this level of detail." Kahono said. "The last time a Mist Dragon was seen was 500 years ago. The head priest of our temple met one named Aria." Kahono looked that mask again. "This mask matches the drawing on the scroll perfectly."

"As in it was made with the features of that particular Mist Dragon as a reference?" Noelle asked. Rei nodded happily. She loved meeting Aria. She had a lot of shiny things to play with. "You are lucky to meet someone so special." Vanessa said as Rouge meowed in agreement.

Not long after

Back at Electra's Stall

"I found Rei." Vanessa said to Electra, who sighed. Rei looked as the voice of the Wizard King announced that the Black Bulls took first place this year, beating the Golden Dawn by one star. The last star from helping return 'lost property'. Electra laughed as Vanessa was staring at the transmission. "Well done Rei. You got them victory and bragging rights for the year." Electra said amused. "Between all the attacks by the Eye of the Midnight Sun and other missions, I expected us to rank in third at most." Vanessa admitted as Asta and Yuno showed their battle prowess. (Yuno shooting a giant arrow made of wind magic at Asta, who used his Anti-magic sword to stop it.)

Electra listened to the upcoming event, the Royal Knights Section Exam, where the best Magic Knights would be selected to prove their worth with the chance to join the strike force called the Royal Knights. The current king, Augustus Kira Clover XIII, was at best a figurehead and Electra wondered if Julius was the only reason the Clover Kingdom was still standing.

The next day

Clover Kingdom

Grand Magic Zone

Ultime-Volcano Mountain Trail

"Here we are! Your job is to meet me at the top before nightfall." Mereoleona said to the assembled trainees (only a few of them were willing participants.) The unwilling group consisted of all the Crimson Lions (save for the old captain who was in a healing coma), Asta, Yuno, Noelle, Sol, Yami, Charlotte. The willing group was Electra, Wallace, and Rei (who was just tagging along). Mereoleona put up a 'mana skin' (basically shielding her body with a thin layer of mana) and headed up the erupting super volcano. "I'll meet you at the top, Wallace." Electra said and shot up the volcano like lightning in a zigzagging pattern. Rei held on for dear life having the time of her life.

five minutes later

At the volcano crater (the peak)

"Not bad!" Mereoleona said as Electra landed near her on a still solid rocky outcrop. "Almost beat my time." Electra got comfortable to wait for everyone else. "This place reminds me of a couple places I've been. One is close to home." Electra said. "Oh? Tell me more." Mereoleona asked. "The one near my home is called Hellfire Cradle. So hot, being near the crater is as close as I can get. Papa is the only one to know the secrets of that volcano. To him, this river of fire is just a hot spring." Electra said, the heat not really affecting her, not using Mana Skin at all.

"I'd love to meet him one day. You can tell me more while we wait." Mereoleona said.

Later just before nightfall

As the volcano 'calmed down' for the evening, a hot spring filling the crater. This was the 'reward' for braving the harsh training and getting to the top before nightfall. Sol had put up a dividing wall asap as the females got undressed and slipped into the relaxing hot spring. Noelle was being told about how strong her mother was and Electra felt this was the right time to tell her. "Noelle, I know that you believe that your mother died of childbirth but that's not the truth." Electra said getting everyone's attention, even the males on the other side of the wall.

"And how do you know that?" Mereoleona asked, gaze burning with intensity. "Acier Silva was a powerful combatant and Papa met her before you were born. He noticed she had been cursed with a 'death curse' of sorts." Electra said. "And who cast this 'curse'?" Mereoleona growled. "Someone from the Spade Kingdom, likely one of the Dark Triad. Papa was not happy to hear about her death and has been planning to pay them a 'visit'." Electra said there was a quake and a distant boom that shook the area a little. "That came from the direction of the Spade Kingdom." Sol said.

"Papa made it to the Spade Kingdom. I know that type of explosion well." Electra said as she felt the digital residue carried on the air. "He must be making a statement or fighting someone powerful." Electra said, wondering what was going on. "You can sense that much detail? How good are your senses?" Asta yelled from behind the wall. "A large thunderstorm will be sweeping over the Black Bulls HQ by noon tomorrow latest being early evening." Electra said.

"How would you know that?" Noelle asked. "I never told you my titles, did I?" Electra said. "I am known by at least half a dozen names by now but two of them matter at this moment. 'The Thunder Shaman' and 'The Storm Singer'. Let it sink in what they might mean, and you will understand." Electra said

The next day

Clover Kingdom

Commons Area

Black Bull HQ

It was 11:30 am and Electra noted how clear the sky was as she knocked on the door. The Black Bulls HQ was an odd building that scrambled its layout every night. Yami was the one to answer the door. "Why are you here?" He grumbled. "I am here to meet Asta on behalf the one that forged his Demon-Slayer Sword and Demon-Dweller Sword." Electra said. Yami groaned, likely hungover from drinking, as he let them in.

"Electra, what brings you to the Black Bulls?" Vanessa asked, in a swimsuit drinking wine from the bottle on the couch. The other Black Bull members that she met were there and some she hadn't met. Grey, a skittish blue haired woman with transformation magic. Gordon, a soft-spoken man with a memorable face and curse poison magic. Gauche, a brother who loved his little sister a lot and used mirror magic. Charmy, a very short black-haired human with dwarf in blood and a love for food, uses Cotton Magic and Food Magic.

And finally, Finral, a wavy blonde-haired flirt that uses spatial magic, aka the Black Bulls transport. Finral moved to flirt with her, but Wallace's glare made him back off. "Wallace, hand me the weapon case." Electra ordered. Wallace did so. "on par the rules stated by the binding magical contract, in order to receive the Demon-Destroyer Sword, you must face me in combat." Electra stated. "What?" was the what most of them were saying under their breath.

"By Contract, you mean Contract Magic, right?' Vanessa asked. "what's contract magic?" Grey asked in a stammer, quaking in the chair she sat on. "It's a dangerous magic that isn't used much because of the consequences if you break the agreed terms." Yami answered. He got a fresh cigarette and lighted it as he opened the sword case, but not touching the blade in it. The blade had the marker's mark of two crossed blades, the same on the other two Demon swords.

"As I thought. A weapon made by Shirou Laskaris, the Fae Blade Smith." Yami said. "You never said your last name, sparky." Yami's nickname for her got no reaction. "I am Electra Laskaris. Shirou is my brother-in-law. The Katana you carry is one of his." Electra said. "I knew you were familiar. Shirou has a photo of his in-laws he showed me when delivered the katana." Yami said, then walking off to sit back down.

Rei yawned as she left Electra's hair, it was a nice place to nap. "It's that pickpocket." Magna said, pointing. "Rei pickpocketed you?" Electra asked. "to get this trinket back." Luck explained. He looked outside and said, "So much for clear skies. Black clouds are rolling on the double." Electra smirked and said, "called it." Yami grunted annoyed.

"Let's get back on track. What do you do plan to do? Fight Asta in the middle of a thunderstorm? Over a sword of all things?" Noelle demanded. "They have no choice, Noelle. It's in the magical contract." Vanessa said. "Without seeing it personal, we have no way of knowing what the backlash would be." Asta looked ready to go. "Let's do it!" He says going outside.

Outside the Black Bulls HQ

"The rules are simple. Hand to hand combat only, no magic allowed, and don't get struck by lightning. The second one is more for your health because you are more likely to get fried." Electra says as a cage of lightning boxes them in. "you said no magic!" Asta yells points at the cage. "How is that no magic?" Electra shrugs. "Contract magic does its own thing. The goal is to beat me." She says as she rushes him. "don't let her control the flow of the fight, Brat!" Yami yelled from the doorway. "Sense her Kei to predict the next strike!" Asta did so but made the mistake of blocking her strike. He was pushed a hair's breadth away from the cage wall.

"Wow, you hit hard." Asta said, dodging as Electra's assault continued. Lightning started striking random spots in the cage. "Oh, come on! As if the wet footing wasn't fair enough." Asta groaned.

Inside the Black Bulls HQ

"Is this what Contract Magic can do?" Magna asked as they watched the fight. "Not normally." Yami said. "I think it has something to do with the Eye of the Midnight Sun, 'benefactor', The Deal Maker." Vanessa was flipping through an old book. "Found it! 'Contract magic becomes stronger with each deal made. The most powerful user that is knew to exist is the Deal Maker and his agents.' It doesn't much else here but it's a start." Vanessa said, wincing when they hear crunching noise as Asta held his bleeding nose.

"How is this guy connected to the Eye of the Midnight Sun?" Magna asked. "One of the members, Fana, let slip they needed the magic stones as payment to him. He's not telling them to do it, but it was one of the means to get what they wanted, whatever that is." Noelle explained. "Whoever the Deal Maker is, he's powerful. He revived Fana, who had been dead for a few hours." Vanessa found an even old book and was pale as a ghost as she read a passage from the book. "The Deal Maker is a devil of the highest order. For the right price you can get anything save immortality and anyone who died more than a few days prier. Greater the wish, greater the price. The Devil in in the detail, so readers be warned, the wording is key to a good deal."

"That is not comforting at all." Grey said, quaking so bad her chair was rattling. "It is in a tome about dangerous magics, including forbidden magics." Vanessa said, closing the book carefully. "It details how to summon him as well. I don't feel like risking it." Asta limped in, his nose healed but still tender, as Electra was healing her broken arm. "That was not fun." He said. "You have earned the right to own the sword, but it is the sword that will decide if it wants to be used by you." Electra warned. "hold still so I can heal you." She ordered a pointed her staff at him. His injuries healed as he lifted the sword out of the box.

He stood stock still as the sword hummed with power. "The sword is judging him and the devil in his Grimoire." Electra explained. "What do you know about the Deal Maker?" Yami asked. "Can't tell you anything you don't know. It's a precaution that was written into a contract that has been going for the past 500 years." Electra said. "Joy, another setback that could kill someone." Magna comments as Asta gasps. "that was an experience." Asta said as he slid the sword into his Grimoire, snapping it shut.

"I can show you Rei's home and her family, if you want?" Electra asked, taking out her harp. "In fact, I can show two adventures Ori, her mother, had." Yami was skeptical at this claim. "go ahead, the storm isn't letting up at all, in fact it's getting worse." He said as rain and wind beat at the window. "Please sit and let my song carry you away to the past. The tale begins in the Forest of Nibal." Electra said, starting to play and sing a wordless set of music pieces, illustrating Ori's life. Her magic changed the area around them into the scenes. An unseen person int the building was included in the viewing.

A few hours later

Black Bulls HQ

"so, her mother was a badass but turned into a tree?" Asta asked "That's confusing." There wasn't a cry eye among them, even if it was single tear. "She's a Spirit. They don't follow human logic." Noelle retorted. "Electra, you are amazing, even if that harp is a tiny bit creepy." Noelle muttered the last bit. "Where are those forests?" Charmy asked, mouthwatering. "Too far away for you to reach. I do have the fruit you may have seen. My family grows all sorts of stuff at home. Rei loves them." Electra comments, tossing fruits to them. they looked like apples but were soft fleshed and pits like peaches and had a unique taste they couldn't describe.

"wow. I've never eaten anything like this." Luck said with a smile. Rei was happily taking her time eating. "not bad. Why does the Anti-Magic Devil, who refuses to tell me their name, call you're your father 'The Wrathful One'?" Asta asked. "He's terrified at being anywhere need the Spade Kingdom right now. Which sucks because I remember being there as a baby." Asta scratched his head as he commented, "I finally got answers to where Yuno and I are from but it's no go according to that devil."

"The Dark Triad of the Spade Kingdom at on Papa's list. He didn't tell me much else but after he's done, the Spade Kingdom will have a new set of ruling bodies." Electra said matter-of-factly. "How powerful is your father? And you haven't said why he's called that title." Yami asked. "To put it simply, Papa is so full of Wrath, yet in control, that even one of primal forces of the universe fears him." Electra said, pulling out the Bident Devil Arm. "He got me this out a wager with a 'devil' of sorts. He proved his title as an 'Army Killer' was well earned." Electra says this as she walks to the front door, opens it and starts chanting under her breath.

"Anyone else happy her father is giving Spade Kingdom hell and not us?" Magna asked as something odd happened to the raging storm outside. It was being funneled down to between the prongs of her weapon. A storm that covered as far as they could see was be condensed into a sphere the size of a baseball. "isn't concentrating that much energy into one spot a bad idea?" Noelle asked Vanessa. "She'd doing more than just condensing the mana, wind, rain, lightning, and clouds into one spot. She is subjecting the storm and making it change into something else. Truly she is a master of Storm Magic." Vanessa said.

"The sky is clear." Asta said looking out the window, amazed. Floating before Electra was a crystal that sparked as it spun lazily. "That was a little hard than I expected." Electra commented. "Thank you, dear Electra." Zelretch said from one of his portals as he took the crystal. "Now that issue is dealt with." Electra says turning around to face them. "What has been going on with the Eye of the Midnight Sun?" It was a loaded question. And the answer boiled down to the fact that they might not have killed anyone but the injuries they caused made them a threat to the Clover Kingdom.

"What about the Elves?" Electra asked next. "they are really liked among the Nobles, but they are helping as much as they can." Yami said. "They are tight lipped why some of their members are in the group. Likely because of a Contract Clause we don't know about." He looked at Electra. "What happens when a clause is broken?" Guache asked. Electra shuddered at the memory. "Depends on how important the contract is. A king tried to summon more than one of the four beings meant to aid multiple kingdoms and all Tartarus broke loose. All beings that were knowingly a part of the plan, including a non-mortal being, were killed in brutal ways. Good news was that the reason they needed to summon aid was stopped. Bad news was that a large chunk of the kingdom's population killed, including two of the royal family."

"Damn! That is a nasty punishment." Yami comments with a slight grimace. "That scratches a lot of options of the list." He sighs. "Thanks for answering what you could." Electra nods. "I need to get some other meetings." Electra says, throwing another fruit to Asta. "You know what to do." Rei finishes up and jumps into Electra's hair. "Do be a stranger." Vanessa said. "Wallace do we have any bottles of alcohol on hand?" Electra asked, having an idea. "One of the newer ones." Wallace said as he searched the cart, that he expanded to the size of a hot dog cart. "Papa makes so much spirits (alcohol) that I carry around a few bottles." Electra says handing Vanessa the bottle. "Daemon Emotional Spirits? That is hard to get without paying through the nose." Vanessa comments. She examined the bottle. "What one is this?" She asked. Electra looked that the label and read. "Brandy of Truth. 'The drink that brings Clarity to the fog of life'" She guessed Zane had slipped that in without her noticing.

"It's likely one of his latest experiments. Not sure what it will taste like for you. The label doesn't lie, so it will be enlightening to say the least." Electra said, pulling the cart out the door and Wallace followed her, closing the door behind him. "She's an odd one." Yami stated. "She'd fit right in with us." Asta left to give the unseen member the fruit. "It's a shame we didn't see more of her magic in action." Magna said. "She's one hell of a fighter without any help." Luck comment had an interesting reaction. "I wonder what that weapon at her hip is? I could sense it but not see it. It seemed powerful." Yami smirked. "Whatever it is, she's got tight control of the flow of energy coming off it. She seems to be using it as a passive mana battery."

A few weeks later

Clover Kingdom

Royal Knights Selection exam site

"what do you think of the matches so far?" Julius asked Electra. "They are going well but there are some people that need to be remined about how a family should act." Electra said glaring at Noelle's brother as he was being treated. Noelle's last attack totally trounced him and destroyed the crystal each team had to defend in the exam. "Can't you do something about the weather?" The Clover King whined, from his seat, that was the fanciest of the three provided. "I can't help if Papa's flames are causing a storm in this kingdom." Electra said. "or would you prefer him hold back and let the Spade Kingdom potentially win? They might invade this kingdom next." Electra gave the foolish king a look. He wilted as the sky rumbled with her annoyance.

"No! That fine! I can deal with a little rain!" The king sputtered. "See Rei? Some humans love to complain but when they realize their error they back down, hopefully." Electra said to Rei, knowing the king was hearing every word. As the matches progress, she got worried about Finral, who was facing his younger brother, Langris. Langris has little regard, if any, for the people her injured or killed with his Spatial Magic. This was proven true when he shot holes in Finral to destroy the crystal behind him. He could have easily curved the spatial bullets, but he didn't care.

Before anyone could react, she shoots across the battlefield and punched him away from his brother, who he tried to kill to 'finish the job'. "That is enough, scum." Electra said calmly as her was sparking with gauntlet arm out and sword in hand. Langris was in shock and angry. "how dare you strike me? I am better than you." Langris demanded as his nose bled freely. "Care to prove your worth in a match?" Electra said itch to fight him. "Splendid idea." Juliuis said appearing between them. "I was hoping to see your Storm Magic in battle. Is this all right with you, Langris?" Electra knew he was trying to defuse the situation. "Go ahead." Langris said, his inferiority complex and anger issues blinding his judgement.

Electra checked Finral and gasped at the damage. He was missing chucks of his body, including some near vital organs. "Don't you dare die." She said as He was taken by the medics. She returned to the viewing stand and was met by some of the Black Bulls that were chosen for the exam. "Kick his ass." Magna said as he passed by. Noelle, Vanessa, Noelle, Asta, and Luck said similar things as they checked on their squad mate. A red hair man, with sharp teeth and the lower half of his face covered by black leather straps, stopped and said in a hushed voice, "I hope you know what you're doing. I'd hate for Zane's daughter to die to a rotten noble." Electra had never told anyone her Papa's name. The only ones that would know would be ones that met him. "He will find his magic isn't all that." Electra said at the same volume as the storm got stronger.

A minutes later

"What is she doing?" Asta asked watching Electra dodging all Langris attacks, at the same time protecting the crystal. "and why isn't she using her Grimoire." Magna added. "Come to think of it, I've never seen her Grimoire." Yuno, a tall black-haired boy and Asta's Brother, was watching intently. Belle, the High Spirit of the Wind, real name Sylph, was like a very vocal passive Tinker Bell, but you can understand her. She was completely silent as she felt something she never felt before. "She is the storm." She said in shock. "What do you mean?" Yuno asked her. "The storm is an extension of herself. She could rain down lightning on a whim! That level of control in like me with the wind!" Belle yelled. Rei said something and Belle yelled at her. "It shouldn't be possible for some mortal to have this level of control over weather!"

Rei said something smugly and Belle was white as a sheet. "Oh. She's related to HIM." Belle said fearfully. "What did she say?" Yuno asked. "I can't tell you" Belle said as a wave of power washed over them. "It's time to end this charade." Electra's voice drifted in over the howl of the wind. Lightning converged on her and next thing they knew, Langris' crystal was destroyed, and he lay in a long trench, fried.

"Impossible." Was some of the words said by the Magic Knights watching. Klaus Lunettes, a silver haired member of the Gold Dawn, pushed up his glasses and noticed the trench went for miles. "Mimosa, how far does that go?" He asked the Vermillion haired cousin of Noelle, who had a crush on Asta too. Mimosa Vermillion was trembling as she had seen something they missed. "It stopped at the mountain 60 miles from here." She said pointing at the blank space on the horizon.

"What mountain? I don't see anything." Luck asked. "Exactly her point." Noelle said, in awe. "She used the storm to obliterate a mountain, yet not kill Langris." Julius clapped. "Well spotted. Her control of Storm Magic is greater than I expected." He praised as Electra returned with Langris dangling by his leg as she floated on her cloud.

A few minutes later

She had had just got off her cloud, when Asta said, "That crazy! How did you do that?" Electra smiled. "I used my environment to my advantage." Kirsch Vermillion, Mimosa's older brother, was a man obsessed with being 'beautiful' and his Cherry Blossom Magic reflected this. "What a display of beauty! You made the storm bow to your will and shined brilliantly." Kirsch said. "Not interested in courting you so back off." Electra said flatly. Mimosa said struggling not to laugh at Kirsch's momentary confused expression. "That was not my intentions. I merely wished to compliment you." Kirsch said, his ego recovered quickly.

Rei said something and Belle laughed. "you said it. He's more likely to marry his own reflection." Belle snarked. This lightened the mood nicely. "he's finished." Electra said looking in the direction of the Spade Kingdom. The air felt lighter than it had for a past month. "who's finished?" Julius asked. "Papa is finished dealing with the Spade Kingdom. You can tell by the consent waves of heat stopping and the storm calming down." Electra explained. "Not everyone has senses as good as you." Belle said annoyed. "the wind does feel different now." Yuno confirmed flatly.

"That's wonderful news!" The Clover King said. "When will be coming?" the Magic Knights sigh at the king's bad attempt at hiding his fear. "No clue. He might stay behind to deal with the cleanup from the war he waged." Electra said, creating a cloud to take a nap on. "you can go on with the exam." She says, falling asleep. "Just like Dorothy Unsworth, the Captain of the Coral Peacocks, falling asleep in the oddest of places." Kirsch said with an amused looked as he flicks his hair dramatically.

In the dream

Electra let the feeling she felt tugging at her, since her match against Langris, take her dreaming mind to wherever it was going. She found herself in a dream version of the Ancestral Mound from the Kingdom of Hallownest. Standing before her was a Snail Shaman. He was a black bodied Bug wearing a snail shell helmet, a necklace of masks and held a staff topped with a mask. "finally! I've been trying to contact you for ages." He paused as he looked at her. "you aren't what I expected. Are you sure you are a shaman?" He asked.

"Yes, I am a trained Shaman." Electra said, crossing her arms. Snail Shaman nodded and said "Good. My Friend said he felt somebug that needed a spell from my collection. So, I sent out a soul call to meet you in the dream." Electra was secretly happy to learn from this tribe of Hallownest. "The Lord of Shades is insightful." Electra commented. She was careful with her wording of her question. "Do you have any way to deal with the stubborn beings of the spiritual kind?" Snail Shaman hmm'ed for a moment then tapped his staff. An orb of soul energy appeared and was absorbed into Electra. "The Vengeful Spirit spell is just what you need. With it, you can fire a spirit blast make of your SOUL at foes, ignoring armor, burning them as it passes through them." He explained. "before you leave, share some of your experices with me."

A few days later

Clover Kingdom

Royal Capital

Golden Dawn HQ

"She's still sleeping?" William Vangeance, Captain of the Golden Dawn, asked. He was in his mid-twenties and wear an elaborate looking helmet like mask that covered the upper half of his face. "Yes, she appears to be in a deep state of sleep." Marx said. Electra was still floating on her cloud and had been moved here at William's request. "her mind isn't readable, but it's still there. She is harder to read than Dorothy." Marx answered annoyed at his failure. "I'd say her soul is drifting at the moment." Julius said calmly over the communication spell. "She is a shaman and they tend to interact with other planes of existence."

"That's possible?" Yuno asked as he entered the room. "Yes. With a mix of talent, herbs, and the right training, one can interact with spirits that reside on other planes. It is an interesting art that I have no talent for." Julius said. "oh boy is she far from her body! She's in a deep dream space right now." Belle said flitting around Electra before returning to Yuno's side. "She not waking up until she is done." She stated. Rei ran past the room with a bag of dice in her paws. David Swallow, a blonde-haired member of the Golden Dawn gave chase saying, "Give me back my dice! Please!"

"I hope she wakes up soon. Rei is causing a little chaos with her antics." Klaus said. "Wallace refuses to help orders from Electra because Rei isn't breaking any of her rules." He was looking at the rules Rei had to follow and sighed in defeat. All Rei was doing was minor pranks and investigating everything. Not everyone like her poking around their stuff. "According to Wallace, Rei is only a few years old and doesn't understand somethings yet." Klaus said pushing up his glasses. "The best we can do is teach her in a kind manner."

"any advice, Belle?" Yuno asked. "Leave it to me! That little spirit will be smarter than Asta in no time!" Belle said. Yuno chuckled quietly and Belle beamed as her secret (not really) plan to get Yuno all to herself was working (maybe). "I can't wait to hear the results." Julius said smiling, knowingly.

Meanwhile

Sometime later

In a dream

"WAH!" Electra shrieks in shock as she gets blasted flying by an overload of chaos energy. She was in a 'dream' that was getting weirder with each failed attempt at using the full power of the Sword of Dawning Storms. There were floating objects of all kinds and sizes in a shifting pastel colors void. "This is not what I had in mind when you said you had a place for me to train with the sword." Electra said to the laughing form of Chaos. "This is priceless! I'm laughing so hard I can't maintain one form!" Chaos said. Chaos was mainly human looking even as they shifted rapidly, clutching their sides as they laughed at her plight.

"What am I doing wrong? Is there something you forgot to tell me?" Electra asked. Chaos calmed down and had a lightbulb moment, literally had a mini sun over their head. "You forgot to say the chant to 'focus' the chaos energy. I thought you already knew that and was trying to show your mastery." Chaos said, getting a blank look from Electra. "I didn't know I needed to say a chant. Lady Mew said I needed to guide it as she does." Electra said confused. "She is a version of Chaos, aka me. Shaping Chaotic forces are as easy as breathing to us. Now listen closely and repeat after me." Chaos tells her the chant.

"Eye of Chaos, open and glaze upon the world." Electra chanted, holding the sword. The gem in the hilt had an eye in it that opened slowly. The Sword hummed and rattled in her grip as the 'eye' fully opened. "Good. Now do what feels right." Chaos instructed. Electra swung and the dream space started to crack and quake as a hole was sliced in the air. The hole was led to someplace else. "You cut through the dream. Impressive." Chaos said as the cracks spread. "When you try to use it in the waking world, you will find it so much harder and that was just an unfocused blast at best. When you figure out how to shape it into attacks, it will be a work of art." Chaos said grinning.

Waking world

Black Clover World

Grand Magic Zone: Gravito Rock Zone

West of the Clover Kingdom

Eye of the Midnight Sun Hideout

"rise and shine, princess." A male voice said as Electra blinked the sleep out of her eyes. She was in a rocky walled place with a white-haired elf with a bemused looked on his face, standing near the only doorway to the room. His white robe had the symbol of the Eye of the Midnight Sun on it. "I only grabbed you and the cloud, so I hope your Bodyguard watch your cart for you." He said, never saying a single lie. "May I have the name of my host?" Electra asked, frowning at the lack of her clock, mask, or weapons on her person. "My name is Rhya and your effects were taken for everyone's safety. They are intact and untouched in a sealed case." Rhya stated with one arm resting in his partially opened robe. "you've been sleeping a week since I grabbed you. Adding the days that you were sleeping before. It's been 14 days since the exam. I didn't take you for a heavy sleeper like Reve." He comments in the same tone. "She uses Dream Magic and was shocked by being denied access to the 'dream' you were having."

"Is the sleeper wake?" a rough, angry voice asked. The owner was light purple wild haired human with red bandages holding an eye patch that looked like and gold eye. He barged in and put a tray of food on the lone table in the room. "That is Rades Spirito. Formally of the Purple Orcas Squad before leaving because the few spells his Soul Corpse Magic provided him." Rhya stated. "He signed a contract with the Deal Maker who 'helped' him push his magic to the pinnacle of what it could do." Rades interrupted by saying "helped me? More like pulled my soul from my body to make me realize I could put souls back into the owners' bodies, preventing that death. That was not pleasant in any sense of the word!"

"But he fulfilled your request in the safest way possible. There aren't many ways for that to be done without problems happening." Rhya comments. "Girlie! What the hell with that sword? It tried to kill me!" Rades said pointedly. "Don't mess with a sword powered by a stone of infinity chaos energy." Electra said calmly. Rades grinded his teeth and left, stomping away. "Sorry if he's a little rude. He's only helping us because we share a common goal." Rhya said.

"Rhya, is she awake?" Vetto, a blondish white-haired elf with more muscle than Rhya and had a trimmed three-part goatee on his chin, asked as he walked in. Vetto had been the one to attack the Seabed Temple and almost got killed by Yami before getting saved by a comrade. "Just woke up a few minutes ago." Rhya said smiling. "Who dressed me?" Electra asked, realizing the clothes she was wearing looked most the same but felt off. "Fana, the elf not the human who looks like a younger version of her, did it." Rhya said. "You wouldn't believe how hard it was to talk about one when they were both in the room at the same time."

"It still is a nightmare at times. How is it that so many humans look so close to members of the Elf Tribe. If we were killed off, they'd pass as human reincarnations of us with how close the resemblances are." Vetto grumbled. "Aren't all the Elf Tribe blondish white haired?" Electra asked. "Some of us are blonder haired while others are whiter haired. It's a feature that marks you as one of our Tribe, like Dwarf Tribe members tend to be on the short side and be extremely passionate about some things." Rhya said vaguely. "Now, we are lacking a few magic stones but that will change soon. So, sit tight and wait for your part in the big plan." Rhya ordered her.

Elsewhere at the same time

Clover Kingdom

Royal Capital

House Silva

"What are their demands?" Nozel Silva, captain of the Silver Eagles and eldest brother of Noelle. "They want the remaining Magic Stone." Noelle said, she had been the one to find the ransom letter in her room at the Black Bull's HQ. Nozel had this instance look on his face that stopped Rei from playing with the braided hair that rested on his nose. Rei was giving a pleading look from Noelle's shoulder. "There was more to the letter. What else did it say?" Nozel asked with that look. "They said something weird. 'We invoke the Laskaris Clause and find the nobles to be unjust. Failure to meet our demands and the truth of the beast will be revealed.' Was the exact wording." Noelle said.

Solid, a member of the Silver Eagles, was about to make a comment from his bed, Noelle's attack on him during the exam had been so bad he was still bed ridden. "They have no say in-" He was cut off by Nebra Silva, member of the Silver Eagles and older sister to Noelle. "That's where you are wrong, Little brother. The Laskaris Clause is a by-law that is over five hundred years old. It's obscure but still enforced. I don't remember the wording of it but Nozel, as a Magic Knight Squad Captain, is required to know all the laws."

"It's law that lets a group force the governing body to change if they are proven to be unjust based on several factors. It's the last part that worries me. What truth are they talking about?" Nozel said. "The other Captains are being told as we speak. But I felt, as the one to find the letter, I needed to tell you personally." Noelle said. "You found out the Magic Stone at your base was taken at the same time of letter being planted, correct?" Nozel requested, trying to get a better idea of the timeline. "Yes, Henry was the only one in the base at that time yesterday, everyone else had been out asking villages if they've seen Electra or were on missions." Noelle said.

"Who is this Henry and why didn't he stop the intruder?" Nozel requested. "He's got a weak body and will absorb the mana of anyone that gets too close to him. Our base was his home before he let Captain Yami use it." Noelle explained. Henry was behind the Black Bulls base rearranging itself. "Did he get a look at the intruder?" Nebra demanded. "It was Valtos, the spatial mage. That's likely how they kidnapped Electra in the first place." Noelle reported. "That means they have eight Magic Stones. The Wizard King is holding on to two Magic Stones (They aren't aware that Yuno has a Magic Stone yet) and they are holding most of the cards in this conflict." Nozel listed.

Rei, who had enough of the talking, punched Nozel and ran off to find someone that would help. Everyone was stock still as a fist shaped bruise formed on Nozel's jaw. "That stung a little." He comments and forms a mirror with his mercury magic. Before anyone could say or do anything he ordered, "don't do anything rash. She is clearly stressed and her inability to talk in human tongue added to the frustrations. She is a spirit and not subject to the kingdoms laws." Noelle was shocked for a different reason than her older siblings. Nozel had a look of something over than the cold logic he always had.

A little Later

Clover Kingdom

Royal Capital

House Silva

Rei had found her way to the room with the painting of Acier Silva. Why were the humans dragging their feet? She bet if she had some attacks, she'd save Electra with the Black Bulls helping her. Rei looked at the painting and wondered what she would have done if she was still alive. "She would have rounded up anyone that could help and stormed the enemy base." Nozel said as he approached her, bruise still there. Rei made an annoyed sound and looked away from him. "I'm not angry that you attack me. You are not as weak as you appear." He said with a hint of respect.

A few days later

Outside of the Clover Kingdom

A random field in the middle of nowhere

As requested, two Royal Knights were going to hand over the magic stones with two members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun meeting them. "You're one short Magic Stone short." Vetto said as he looked at the stones Asta handed him. Asta had been among the Magic Knights picked to be Royal Knights. "What do you mean we're short! That's all the stones left. You have all ten of them now." Asta demanded. Vetto sighed. Asta's stubbornness was double edged. "There is eleven of them, human." Vetto pointed out. "Where's the last one?" Zora, the trap magic using mage, asked. Valtos crossed his arms in thought. "That is a good question. What does the last stone look like?" Valtos asked, "It was blind luck we grabbed the right Magic Stones a few months back."

Vetto sighed and looked through a book. "It should look like a blue stone with a white cross and four yellow stars in it." He described. "That sounds like Yuno's necklace." Asta said. "Good. We will arrange anther meeting spot when you are ready to hand over the last Magic Stone. We are still waiting for the other demands to be met." Vetto said then the two left via Valtos' portal. "Great. Now we must convince Yuno to give up his necklace. It's not going to be easy." Asta groans. "He's attached to it?" Zora asked. "he's had it since we were left at the church as babies." Asta said. "I'll leave to you to deal with." Zora said as he contacted the Wizard King via a magic tool.

The next day

Clover Kingdom

Royal Castle

"What do you mean we need to change the Parliament and some laws they made? It has been the same for years and they have done nothing wrong." Augustus Kira Clover XIII demanded on his high throne. "I have read what laws the Eye of the Midnight Sun wants changed and I find myself agreeing their demands are fair." Julius said. "The laws in question are worded to make the Royal families almost untouchable, when you look at all of them at the same time. This contradicts the terms in the agreement the King made with the Laskaris Clan over a thousand years ago with the Deal Maker as witness."

The king was sweating bullets. "Damnatio! Do something!" He yelled at Damnatio Kira, a slicked back black haired pale skinned man that is devoted to the kingdom and 'Justice'. "If we must damn the current members of the Parliament to avoid war with the Laskaris Clan, then so be it. IT is for the survival of the Clover Kingdom." Damnatio said in a cold uncaring voice. "It is because of the Laskaris Clan that we have a kingdom at all. They provided aid and the contract must be respected. For it is Justice." An annoyed looking Zane entered the throne room. "Who's the moron that let these laws to be passed?" Zane throws sheets of paper into the air and burns them. "It's a waste of paper and ink for laws that are unjust. I booted the Parliament and will look for replacements soon." Zane said uncaring of the terrified look the king was giving him.

"You worked fast for someone that just got back from the Spade Kingdom yesterday." Julius commented, sweating a little at the prospect of informing him of her daughter's fate. "I know Electra was taken hostage. They informed me about invoking the Laskaris clause in the first place. Best law my clan forced the Clover Kingdom to adopt, because it lets me force you to change the issues that caused them to resort to kidnapping." Zane said in deadly calm voice. "And what of the Spade Kingdom?" the king asked cowering. "The tyrant and his supporters, including the Devils, were killed, and a new ruler will be picked among the people that opposed the King Dante. Rebuilding was pain, hence why I was so late getting here." Zane said, downplaying the hassle it was.

"I thank you for saving the Clover Kingdom from the Spade Kingdom's future threat." Julius said bowing. "They were going to invade?" The king said shocked. "Maybe. Seeing the future isn't an exact art so the futures he saw weren't set in stone." Zane explained. "That is correct. That was one of the bad outcomes I foresaw." Julius said, "That possibility vanished the day Electra came to the Star Festival. I wish to avoid the future where you destroy the kingdom." He tells Zane with a chuckle. "How has Rei been?" Zane asked. "She has been dealing with it as well as you'd expect. She punched a Magic Knight and deafen of a bunch more with a 'sound bomb' attack." Julius said smiling.

"She weaponized sound and can throw it? She is resourceful as her mother." Zane said with amusement. "Try not to screw things up." He warns and leaves the palace. "He's scarier in person." The king whimpers.

Meanwhile

At the Eye of the Midnight Sun hideout

"Things are going well?" Electra asked as she weaved, aided by spiders made of starry sky. "They have made the changes and are working on the last Magic Stone as we speak." Patolli, a tall slender elf and the leader of the group, said. his golden eyes tracked her and spiders' movement. "what spirits are these?" He asked. "They are extensions of one of the eldest spirits I can summon. She is called The Walking Sky, a spider vast you'd mistake her for the night sky if you stood under her and looked up." Electra said not looking up from her work.

"If she is so large, how do you summon her?" Patolli asked. "I don't, and yet I do. Each spider is her yet at the same time not. It's confusing and she hasn't explained it to me yet. I have known her for over a decade, yet she still says it's beyond my understand." Electra said rolling her eyes. Sally, a messy black-haired woman with round glasses on, ran into the room, declaring, "I must know how to make a weapon like that Bident." Patolli shot that idea down instantly. "No! Creating Devil Arms is not safe and forbidden because of the requirements to even try it." He ordered.

Not fazed, Sally asked, "And how do you know that?" Patolli looked away and said under his breath. "Because Zane berated me for asking that same question." Sally grinned madly and patted him on the back. "See? I knew you were just like me, asking questions, testing limits, and experimenting to see what happens." She looked at Electra, silently asking for answers why she can't recreate a Devil Arm. "In order to make a Devil Arm, you need three things. One, a devil to slay. Two, more power than said devil, subjecting them to your will. And three, will power not to be corrupted when you use it. There is no guarantee that you will get a Devil Arm from the devil you slay. Papa says there are additional rules to it." Electra explained.

"What about the other weapon?" Sally asked. "Are you willing to detonate a sun to get the ore filled with the souls of people you killed?" Electra asked coldly. "Nope!" Sally said as happy as ever. She must have a few screws loose. "The Harp was fun to examine. Some much loving care to shape the bone like that." Sally said before going on to explain the tests she did on the harp without damaging it in anyway. Electra was reminded of Zane when he was in a tinkering mood, but a little crazier and female.

Sally noticed Electra's focus on the weave, two thirds finished at this point after days of work. "what's the story behind this tapestry?" Sally asked drinking in the odd scene depicted. It showed a land of fire and barren rock. The only thing that stood out was a lava creature jumping out of the liquid fire like a whale showing off. The reason for it showing off wasn't visible yet. "It is what happens when a world is at the center of Cosmic Rebirth. All that is left is a molten rock without life. Poor Lucy was so lonely before Papa visited her." Electra said.

"What is Lucy? Some lava creature?" Sally asked. "The will of the planet Earth Prime. She isn't Gaia any more so Papa Named her Lucy." Electra said as Patolli sputtered at how calmly she answered. "One does not just 'Name' a Spirit of that rank. If he named her Lucy as a nickname, that would make sense. But he Named her, gave her a Word of Power that defines her existence." Patolli said exasperated. "What kind of effects does that have on the one that does the Naming?" Sally asked. "I don't know! It's just not something that you can do on a whim!" Patolli yelled.

"Lucy is linked to Papa in a way that they weren't before the Naming happened. He doesn't say how just that it was different. I imagine it's a secret they keep to themselves." Electra said as the details of a man sitting on a rocky outcrop started emerging as Electra and spiders' work progressed. "Before you ask, A Cosmic Rebirth is bad! End of life bad and you'd be dead. So, don't even think of trying to recreate it." Patolli warned Sally. "I figured that much myself." Sally said dismissively. "How do you make wall tapestries so fast without the quality dropping?" She asked. Electra nodded to the spiders assisting her. "They know what I want to make and cut the time down from weeks to a week at most. I've had years of experience under my belt." Electra said as she started on the finishing details.

"It's a lovely piece." Fana (elf) said as she entered the room with a report from their agent in the Spade Kingdom. His job had been simple, report anything major that happened as he lived in the Spade Kingdom, just like he had all his life. "Your father has ripped the Spade Kingdom a new one." Fana (elf) says as she reads the decoded version of the letter. "Over half the kingdom was slain and the remaining people are the oppressed and the ones that were planning a revolt."

"Who is her father? And what is her role in this grand plan of yours?" Sally asked. "Right, you weren't told of who Electra is." Patolli mused. "It's complicated but I'll try to explain." Sally got out a note talking material. "You can start when you are ready." She says. Patolli started with a question, "What do you know of the Deal Maker?" Sally answered with, "A Great Demon Lord that will grant you request if you agree to the very reasonable contract he uses. If you follow the rules you are fine. Break them, and you are in for punishment." Sally shrugs and adds "I couldn't find much else about him, but he seems to be connected to the Laskaris Clan, given they are one of the representatives you can give any payment owed to him if you can give it to him in person."

"It's not really a secret but The Deal Maker is both that and Human at the same time. He's an oddity that we elves haven't unraveled. What we do know is that he is Zane Laskaris. He's married and has two daughters, one adopted and one his wife gave birth to." Patolli indicates Electra as he said this. "I see! That's why we aren't to do any harm to her. It'd bring doom upon us. Even if Zane wasn't the Deal Maker, I wouldn't want to mess with someone that killed the Dark Triad of the Spade Kingdom." Sally said with a smile. "I'm borrowing this." She scoops up one of the spiders that were finished working and ran to her lab to study it.

"So why is she with your group?" Electra asked. Fana (elf) sighed exasperated, "in her words 'For Science!'. The real reason is that her experimenting is sometimes on the inhumane side of things and the Clover Kingdom wasn't very happy to learn that fact." She explained, messaging her temples. "She was useful, so we hammered out a deal, non-magical, with her. She makes some stuff for us and she can experiment in peace. None of her experiments are really as bad as they could be, so it must be political, not ethical as they told her, reasons for the Clover Kingdom kicking her out." Electra nodded at this. It was a fair assessment of Sally as far as Electra could tell. She must have stepped on a few too many toes of people in high places.

"How has she been helpful?" Electra asked. "She helped crack the code behind how to make magical items that even the magicless can use. One of our odder Elf Tribe members has been obsessed with that for the past 600 plus years." Fana (Elf) said with a shrug. "I don't really care what she does as long as she doesn't bring the place down on us." There was quiet boom as a little dust drifted down. "That was wasn't her." Patolli said, noticing the look Electra gave him. "We have been trying to open the treasure vault of this dungeon for years and failed every time. It took a decade to locate it as we renovated this place into a hideout. We've tried everything short of a Keyblade."

"Because you didn't want to bother Papa, right?" Electra asked. "something like that. We have no idea what's in the vault and Zane might accidently punch or melt a hole in the walls dealing with whatever guardian is behind the door." Electra started laughing remembering some moments like that she witnessed. "Papa has done that one or twice. Mostly when our family luck finds it amusing to screw with him." She explained between laughs. "Do you want a crack that the vault?" Patolli asked. "Sure." Electra said.

Five minutes later

Eye of The Midnight Sun Hideout

the Treasure Vault

"Well. I've seen a lock like this before." Electra said at the jumble of mechanisms sealing the door. "It's made to last, so, whatever is in here is important to some degree." Electra said as she undid the locks, one by one. "How are you unlocking it so fast?" Rhya asked. "It's not as complex as some the puzzles Lady Mew made me solve. Try solving multidimensional puzzles in a zero-gravity space." Electra said. When she finished the outer layer of locks, another layer was revealed, a sliding tile puzzle. "This is the real lock. The Keyblade can't unlock something that is in pieces and scrambled like this." Electra said.

"I see." Rhya stated. He looked at the puzzle that covered the giant door to the Treasure Vault. "And what is the completed image of the puzzle?" He asked. "It doesn't matter what the surface image is. The 'channels' of the lock are what matters." Electra said. when she got odd looks, she explained that in each tile were 'channels' that needed to be lined up perfectly to open the lock. They left her to her work as she started the painstakingly long process of solving the lock.

A day later

Eye of the Midnight Sun Hideout

Treasure Vault

Rhya watched her disarm and dismantle enough traps to kill an army as she advanced across the room behind the vault door, which had taken her ten hours to unlock, with a crowd of onlookers watching her. The room was a corridor with something glinting on a pedestal at the far end. "How did we ever hold her hostage?" Rades asked as she gestured for some of them to carry the parts out of the way. "I think she was just playing along for her own end game." Valtos answered. "Any idea she wants all the parts for? Other than using them as traps, of course." They made bets on décor, tools, and siege weapons, to name a few. "Is it just me or is the room longer than the hideouts is?" one member asked. "I'm not surprised. Spatial magic related runes are around the door frame. The room might not be even here in this dimension." Rhya comments.

Electra had noted all the traps were non-magical in nature. In fact, she could not use her magic at all in this corridor. She could feel the drain as the runes lining the room sucked the magic out of her to maintain this space. After 12 hours of dismantling all the traps and having the members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun haul it out to the hideout, she stood before the 'treasure', a silver box the size of a large jewelry box. it had warmings about something 'deadly' inside it on the pedestal it sat on. The door sliding puzzle had a been an abstract skull, so it must be important. She eyed the box and guessed the weight.

Time to do an Indiana Jones. She swapped the box with a bag of sand and booked it. The pedestal sunk down, the box was heavier than she expected, triggering a trap. No longer feeling the drain on her magic, she ran faster, the space collapsing in on itself behind her. Just as he jumped the last five feet, crossing the threshold, the space vanished, leaving only a blank wall where the door had been. The onlookers applauded her. "well done. You cut it a little close at the end but that was entertaining for us." Rhya said, helping her up.

"Just another day in the life of the Laskaris Clan." Electra said with smile. She opened the box and finds a summoning item, an innocent looking bell and a tiny striking hammer chained it, sitting on velvet. "A Judgement Bell. Who would have imagined I find this item?" Electra said in wonder. "and how does this bell work?" Rades asked, terrified of the bell for reasons unknown to him, for now. "Strike the bell and a Tonberry will answer the call. Each bell calls a different one. No two bells look the same and if you are lucky, you might make a friend." Electra said, trancing a finger over the engraving on the bell and hammer.

"You mean those lizard monks with karma knifes from the fairy tales?" Rades cursed, pale as ghost at this point as he backed way from the bell. "Nope! You can keep that bell as far way from me as you can!" He pushed past the onlookers and ran down the hall. Blinking, confused, Electra asked Rhya, "How does he know about Tonberries? I was under the impression that this place wasn't aware of Summons." Rhya chuckled as the onlookers left to return to their duties. "There are a set of fairy tales that speak of otherworldly creatures like moogles and Chocobos. They started popping up a few thousand years ago and have not changed too much, at least for the elf tribe." He said, "There are a lot of volumes to the collection, you could almost say all of them are a part of a bigger story."

As they walked back to her room, Rhya explained how each fairy tale had details that linked it to other tales in the collection. That was how She spent the next few hours before the last Magic Stone was handed over.

A few hours later

Clover Kingdom

Hage Village

Atop the demon skull

"So, what are we waiting for?" Asta asked Yuno as they waited for the 'sign' they were told after handing over the Magic Stone. "I don't know. Finral, any idea why we need to be here?" Yuno asked the 'black bull Transport' as Yami calls Finral. "the statue has been here since that day 500 years ago and no one dares mess with it or the skull it rests on." Finral listed before Nero spoke in a bored female voice. "The last clause has been met." Nero hovered by the statue before turning into a woman in a black dress with a bored expression and small horns on her head. "What?" Asta yelled but the 'statue' coming to life captured everyone's attention.

Lemiel Silvamillion Clover, the former statue, dusted himself off and fixed his attire as he stretched. "Secre Swallowtail, I hope the years were kinder to you than it was to me. I feel like an old man with joints this stiff." He said. "It's good to see you Lemiel." Secre said with a small smile. Lemiel notices the four with them. "Greetings. I imagine you are Magic Knights who helped complete the contract." He said. "The First Wizard King was this close to our hometown?" Asta yelled shocked. Lemiel looked confused at the title.

"They started that title after your 'death' to the monster, who's skull we are standing on." Secre explained. "Hold it! What's going on!" Belle yelled huffing in anger. "Right. I will give you cliff notes version." Lemiel said. "just before my sister's wedding, the Deal Maker appeared before Secre, Licht, the leader of the Elf Tribe and my soon to be brother-in-law, and I. He told me of a devil's plot he stopped and offered a deal to ensure the kingdom would last for generations." They got this. "Then how did you get stoned?" Asta asked. "A clause in the contract in case a 'threat to humanity' appeared. In this case it was the jealous power-hungry brother to the king of my era." Lemiel revealed.

"That's the secret that the Eye of the Midnight Sun threatened to reveal? I can see why it would be harmful to the royal houses reputation." Yuno stated. "That's correct, my many times great nephew." Lemiel said, dropping another bombshell. "He's related to the Elf Tribe. No wonder he's such a perfect match with me." Belle said blushing as she fantasized. "I know family and you have some of my sister in your looks. I wouldn't be surprised if that are other people in the Clover Kingdom that have Elf tribe in their blood." Lemiel commented. "Why is that?" Finral asked, finally getting over how beautiful Secre was and the other bombshells dropped.

"about a thousand years ago, an Elf Tribe member sealed the records about her son, who was a player and had a lot of children out of marriage (not cannon to the source material). It didn't matter if they were Elf, Dwarf, or Human. The only reason I know he existed is because Licht is the leader and my friend." Asta's next comment broke the tension nicely. "So, he was like Finral, but worse." Finral and a look of despair as Secre was amused by this comparison.

A few days later

Earth Prime

Zane sat by Lucy and was listening to her song. "You felt a chaotic shift in the past and a recently that felt the same?" Zane asked Lucy sung something nodding and gesturing with tentacle like limbs, her whale-like form wasn't helpful in that regard. "It felt like it happened simultaneously and had odd echoey feel to it." Zane translated, just as confused as Lucy was. "Do you think it was in multiple universes at once?" Zane asked. Lucy nodded in agreement. It had felt like a sound bouncing off walls and what had felt was only a few of the echoes, not the original 'sound'. "Was there anything distinctive about it?" Zane asked.

Lucy pointed at a cloud of brimstone rain that drifted over them. It was the closest thing to water on this planet. It was part acid and part liquid fire. "Like Electra?" Zane asked. Lucy made a so-so gestured. "So that's what happened when she punched a hole in the Dream." Chaos said as he appeared, drifting on the sea of fire on a pool floatie and sipping a Long Island Iced Tea (complete with a little umbrella). "I knew something was off with how the Dream disappeared." Chaos commented.

"This is Chaos." Zane said to Lucy, who waving in greeting. "Hello Lucy." Chaos said with a lazy wave in return. "Can you please explain what is going on? Lucy is saying that something that happened recently is the same as what happened before Electra was born." Zane asked pointedly. Chaos took a long sip from his cocktail. "She did something weird, maybe not by my standards, but you get the idea." Chaos said. "When the Dream I was using to help her use her weapon was broken, it didn't crumble away as you'd expect." Chaos had their attention with this. "what did happen to all the chaos energy the Dream had from her training?" Zane asked. "the Dream collapsed on itself and vanished. The Chaos Energy would have been spread across the Ocean Between (the space that you must traverse to get to the worlds in the games.) but it didn't." Chaos explained.

"Where did it go?" Zane pressed. "No idea. I am limited to my 'garden' as some reflections of me like to call it. I can watch the other 'gardens' but if the 'Chaos' of a 'garden' blocks me, then I can see a thing from that place." Chaos said in the most basic terms he could. "Right, Lady Mew has your permission to mess with things in your 'garden' but you can revoke that right." Zane stated. "That's right. Whatever Electra created is being hidden from me. The 'echoes' Lucy felt was the echoes of it's creation as I had the Dream outside of my 'Garden' to make things easier for Electra." Chaos comments with a mirthful grin. "One of the effects it had was displacing someone meant to die, 'Lost in a Land without Rain'. Hades was happy to find his Daughter appearing in his throne room moments before the defective metal giant hit the powerlines, alive and well. The Fates couldn't do a thing because it was only changed the context of her fate on that quest."

Zane laughed getting how it would make the Fates miffed. Bianca Di Angelo was 'lost' and set to the underworld, as they foresaw. The fact she was still alive, was what changed from their vision. A loophole that the Laskaris luck capitalized on. "I think was helped by whatever was 'hatched'." Zane said the explained how when he was sent to the Realm of Darkness the second time, something brushed past his mind and he had the urge to play music. Chaos nodded. "That would make sense. The thing that was born hasn't connected properly with the 'present time'. It's 'poked' at points in the past in an attempt at doing just that." Chaos takes a long sip. "It's unstable nature leads it to create chaotic 'echoes' at each point in time. This will stop once it becomes 'stable'."

Zane got that much but he had to ask, "And what will it look like?" Chaos shrugged. "No idea. As I said earlier. I can see where it ended up. Al-Hazard became lost too even my gaze." Zane shuddered. "You mean the lost civilization in the Nanoha series? The one that made the Jewel Seeds, 21 blue gems that act like a Grail (The ones from Fate series)." Zane asked with dread. "That's the one. No one surived the event that made them lost in space and time, so it won't find any organic being to talk to." Chaos said without a care. "Electra is meeting with the troll to get the surprise he made her. Likely some kind of magical girl transformation item that is still helpful. You know how he is." Zane said before Lucy pointed out that Chaos left in the middle of his sentence. "That's what Chaos does. Appears on a whim and vanished at random." He said patting her head fondly.

He pulled out a com mirror and was greeted by the face of an old man. "Hello Mr. Whitmore." Zane said. the man, his full name is Preston B. Whitmore, a little crossly said, "For the umpteenth time, Call me Preston, Zane." Zane smirked as he corrected him. "128 times, not umpteenth." Preston laughed. "anyways, how busy are you?" Zane quirked an eyebrow and shrugged. "Not very. I'm just hanging out with Lucy." Preston blinked as Lucy greeted him. "You named a friendly lava monster 'Lucy'?" He asked then shrugged "never mind that. I have a lead on Atlantis! I need your help because in the Shepherd's journal is some lobster." He holds up said book, open to said page, for Zane to see. "And you think it's not a normal sized lobster?" Zane asked. "that area of the seas is a ship graveyard. IF there isn't a beast doing it than I'll pay you double for wasting your time." Preston declared. "I'm in." Zane said. "this will be a great tale for my daughters."

Author's note: The next chapter will be around a world based on Atlantis: The Lost Empire and in next side story will Electra's debut as a 'Magical Girl' and meet the White Devil herself. See you then! Stay safe and healthy in this troubled times.