Chapter 14
Eye of the Midnight Sun
"So, are you going to resist? Or are you just to make this easier for me?" The woman asked."I would prefer if you resist, of course. It makes my job all the more...worth it. I love it when they put up a fight. Squirm around...it's just survival instinct. Everyone has it. Even animals." She pointed at her mask."How rude of me. I never introduced myself, did I?" She rose her hand, showing the back of it. Strange red marking decorated her skin forming the number six in the middle."I go by many names. I do have a good nickname though. It's Bloody Mary. But don't think we're mindless people that all they do is do rituals and offerings to their God. No, we are people. And we are among you. So my real name isn't important. All you have to know is that I am one of the members of the Seven Childre of Sceva from the Order of the First."
"Seven Children of Sceva?" Raiden inquired, earning a nod in response.
"That's right." She clapped her hands."He's smart, this one. Are you a Christian? Well, it doesn't matter. I don't mind killing religious people. I don't discriminate. I think that's wrong, so."
"Yeah because that makes you sacrificing innocent people excusable." Raiden hissed.
"I never said it was an excuse, sunshine." Mary shrugged, chuckling."Come on, we're not so different. You do what your God tells you and we do what ours does."
"So there are more of you." Asta stated upon hearing her phrasing."You guys are with the Eye of the Midnight Sun?"
"We are allies. I thought that much was clear by now. Our boss knows their boss and well, it just happened. Anyway, we done talking? It's late. I want to sleep. I'm busy tomorrow. You won't mind if I finish this quickly, yeah?"
"Don't get too confident." Gauche spoke up."There are four of us and only one of you. Even if we're a bit tired, we should be able to take you down."
"Aw, you really think so?" Mary cooed, wagging her finger. She kicked the head of her ax, swinging it back to her shoulder. In one swift motion, and demonstrating monstrous strength, she threw the ax at the group.
Asta's eyes widened at how fast that thing was flying at them but stood up to the challenge. Using his sword, he winced as he felt the impact of the weapons, making his hands shiver."Holy crap! How hard did she throw?!"
"Hard enough."
Raiden glanced down, meeting his gaze with the pig masked woman. He deduced she had thrown the ax to distract them while she sneaked up on them. But he wasn't expecting that kind of speed. She elbowed Asta in the back of his head, kicked Raiden in the gut, backhanded Theressa in the face, and kneed Gauche in the chin, sending them flying in different directions.
Not bothering to give them any more time, she leisurely started making her way to where Troy was."Better collect you now. We don't have much time to play, sadly. We have visitors coming."
"Just shut up and get me out of here Mary-"
Without warning, Bloody Mary kicked Troy away, sending him rolling near the entrance to the cave."Sorry, hun." She crouched down, picking up her ax."I can't carry two things at once. Wait there until I finish playing with my food, okay?"
"I'm not done yet!"
Mary bent her torso forward, dodging Asta's strike. She then used her free hand to lift her body, delivering a kick to his solar plexus that launched him up to the ceiling."Hasn't your mommy ever told you not to attack a lady while her back is turned?"
'Nice going, Asta!' Gauche had his Grimoire opened, a mirror behind him.'Now her back is turned to me and I can attack her!'
Unbeknownst to Gauche, a hand was coming out of his mirror, carrying a shard of glass aiming to the back of his neck.
"GAUCHE!" Raiden screamed, throwing his inferno-clad blade at the hand, cutting it off. The hand fell on the floor but no blood came out. Instead, it broke into pieces as though it were crystal instead of flesh.
"What was-?"
Mary grabbed Gauche by his hair, easily tossing him hard on the ground while he was distracted, knocking the wind out of him.
"That's it!" Raiden rushed at the woman, his Grimoire flipping through its pages.'Just now...that hand from the mirror was hers. But how? What type of magic does she have?'
Mary sidestepped evading Raiden's slash. They met gaze momentarily, staring at each other's eyes before raising their weapons and clashing with one another.
"For a believer of God, you got some spunk in you. I take it you're different than a regular believer." Mary noted.
"I have nothing to say to someone who rejects God and opposes him like you." Raiden gritted his teeth."Whatever is your group is trying to do, you will go down."
"Come now, what's so wrong with wanting this boring and stupid world to come to an end? There's nothing great about it, is it? The Overlord will grant what humanity desires the most. Complete and utter annihilation."
"The hell are you talking about?!"
"Humans desire death about anything else." Mary told him, a smirk behind her mask."Death is just what awaits us at the end of our roads. It could come sooner rather than later, of course. But there is also something else that humans desire. To be controlled. Humanity lacks the ability to think for themselves. That's why they believe in your so-called fair God. They need something to believe. A greater force. Because humans are no different than sheep."
Mary exerted more force, surprising Raiden as he felt himself being pushed back slightly. She was a hell of a lot stronger than her physique suggested.
"And that is why we pray to our Overlord. The Lawless One. The one who will bring a new era to humankind. The one who will reject God and take his throne, promising us a Utopia of nothing but what we so desire. I can guarantee you, you will make a great sacrifice to him. It's just a matter of time. Once the darkest light and the brightest shadow unite...when heaven and hell touch...the end of times and his awakening will occur and the eternal darkness will return!"
"Just shut the fuck up already! Inferno Magic: Scorching Impaler!"
From Raiden's body, various black dots appeared before growing in size and becoming spikes of inferno, piercing Mary's body. Sighing in relief, Raiden was about to take a step back before her hand grabbed his neck, choking him.
"Oh, you have quite the neck." Mary snickered, talking as if she didn't feel any pain despite the inferno spikes piercing her body."I do have a tendency of going for the neck first, you know? It's like cutting fruit. You open it to take what's really important. The delicious juices. And now..." She tightened the grip on Raiden's neck as he felt unable to move due to how tired he was from all the fighting.
"Snow Magic: Snow Lime Rock!"
Mary's body was frozen in place, stopping her from applying further pressure. Raiden took this opportunity to slice her hand off, watching it fall on the ground and break into pieces."You saved me?"
Neige nodded timidly."You tried to help Baro, even though we did really bad stuff. I couldn't let you die like that..."
"I...I appreciate it. You're okay...despite starting this whole thing, to begin with." Raiden huffed, scratching the back of his head back to Mary's frozen body."Although we didn't stop her."
"You're right! She's gone! And so is Troy!" Asta pointed out as he scanned the area, noticing their disappearance."How did she do that?"
"I'd say she has some type of Mirro Magic. Just like Gauche." He sighed, folding his arms."Or some shit like that. Hard to say. She didn't use any spells from what I can tell other than using Gauche's mirror to her advantage. I have to go check on Sister and Gauche."
"Got it. I have to have a chat with this guy. And Raiden? What you did was really nice."
"Shut up." Raiden waved him off, hiding a ghost of a smile in his face as he made his way to the nun."You okay, Sister Theressa?"
"She took me by surprise, that's all." She gratefully accepted Gauche's hand, helping her up."Such speed. I couldn't even react in time. I must be losing my touch."
"We're all tired. She took us by surprise. Next time I'll take her down myself." Gauche bowed."Anyway, I want to hurry and get back to Marie. I don't trust a word this creep said."
Suddenly, all three mages felt an incredible presence show up all of a sudden. An intense light illuminated the cave, followed by a sword of light piercing through Neige and forcing him to the ground.
"What the hell is that?" Raiden breathed, a cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck."It's one thing after another up in here!"
"That's some immense magic!" Even the stoic Gauche was feeling afraid."I've never felt something this hu-"
Gauche's words were cut short after he was pierced by the same blades that were used on Neige.
"Gauche!" Raiden and Theressa cried out in unison."Fuck! What the fuck is going on now?! Inferno Magic: Dark Hollow!" Jumping back, Raiden tried to get some room between himself and the enemy. Whatever it was, it had the speed to attack, and speed blitzed Gauche. Even himself he couldn't react in time."It's faster than Mary, that's for sure."
"Mary is one but of the many allies we possess." A soothing voice called out from the middle of the light. Another set of blades launched themselves at Asta, but Theressa took the impact of the attack, saving him."This is just the price for hurting my comrade."
"You just hurt a Nun! That's a punishable sin, you know?!" Raiden glared at Asta, worried at how close he was to their new foe. He sent a few slashes of inferno while getting closer to him, somewhat mimicking Mary's strategy earlier. As expected, the man sent more swords his way, blocking the inferno slashes and neutralizing them."Figures. My spells can't cut through his due to the difference in power. What now?"
"I...don't know..." Asta muttered, frozen in place."But he's the one I saw back at that base. When I was kidnapped during the attack on the Capital."
"So only two are still standing? Well, I'm surprised you're standing here at all. I figured Mary would have killed you much earlier. Regardless, where are my manners? I am Licht, leader of the eye of the Midnight Sun."
"You're kidding me. Their boss is here?! Damn!" Raiden cursed, bewildered.
"Take a look at his Grimoire! It's a four-leaf! Just like Yuno's!"
"Four-leaf? Wait, there can be more than three?" Raiden shook his head, deciding that that fact wasn't important right now."What does that mean? Is it special?"
"If I'm not mistaken, the person who has that is blessed with good luck and is only received by a truly exceptional mage."
"So, he's a hotshot. Crap." Raiden shifted his amber eyes to the nun behind him, watching as she was beginning to bleed out."We have to do something fast. She took it worse out of everyone here."
"Don't you dare die on me, old hag!" Gauche screamed, crawling over to them in pain."Marie would be really sad if you died! And I wouldn't want that either!"
"Boys...take care of the children for me..." She wheezed, coughing blood."On a battlefield, the victims are always the weak...Always the innocent children who couldn't...protect themselves...It's because I wanted to protect the children that I left the battlefield...and became a sister."
"Granny!" Asta yelled in concern, feeling powerless to help her. Raiden ran a hand through his hair, taking long breaths. He grabbed his Grimoire, fighting his grip on it.
"What are you talking about? All of you were born sinners." Licht stated, glaring down at them with disdain."
"Sinners?" Raiden gritted his teeth."That's my line. If you think you're the sole exception of that, you're sorely mistaken."
Licht shook his head, tears streaming down his face, surprising the boys in front of him."Oh, Sally. Look at how much they've hurt you. Rest easy, my child."
Raiden couldn't help but note how this man looked. He looked like a genuinely concerned person, holding their dear subordinate in their arms. And that light behind him made him seem almost...divine in a way. This twisted Raiden's stomach, making him sick. One thing was clear, that's another person to kill besides the Order of the First.
'The question is how?' Raiden chewed on his lower lip."Hey, listen. Worse comes to past, I want you to grab Gauche and Sister Theressa and get out of here with the kids."
"Huh?! What are you talking about?! I'm not-"
"If we died here, they'll go after the kids again and all this would have been pointless!" Raiden snapped, sinking his finger into Asta's chess.
"Oh? Do you think you can take on me alone?" Licht tilted his head, amused."Or are you perhaps ready to die for a noble cause? It's not like either of you will be getting out of here anyway. You won't beat me using underhanded methods as you did with Sally and Troy."
"You have no right to call out anyone about being "underhanded", you know?!" Asta pointed at him accusingly."Look at what your group did to the children! Hell, look at what you did to the Capital! All those innocent people you involved!"
"Innocent people?" Licht seemed to ponder those words."She mentioned that the victims on a battlefield are always the weak. However, that is incorrect. The ones who are truly victims...are the strong. They are envied, feared, discriminated against, and stolen from. That's why we will not forgive the Clover Kingdom. We will destroy and rebuild this kingdom from its ashes."
"What the fuck is he talking about?" Raiden muttered to himself, puzzled.
"You are the ones who started this!" Asta rose his sword, screaming."Don't think you're the victims in al-"
A sword pierced through Asta's thigh, silencing him. Raiden's eyes widened, realizing he was next upon seeing a glow coming closer to him. He sidestepped, receiving the blade on his right arm as he failed to move out of the way on time.
"That one..." Licht observed with interest."I can see why Mary took an interest in him. He's different. But I can't quite put my finger on it."
"What do you think it is, Master?" The Spatial Mage inquired, intrigued.
"I do not know. But his mana feels...bizarre, I suppose. It's hard to explain. It's as though there's something more to him than meets the eye. No matter."
"What are you waiting for?!" Raiden grabbed his bleeding arm, glaring at Asta."Start running now before it's too late!"
"I'm not leaving you here!" Asta grabbed a fistful of his shirt."We're squadmates! We stick through thick and thin! I'm not leaving you in here with these monsters! You're dead wrong if you think I don't care about you! We might argue all the time, but I consider you a friend!"
"Asta..." Raiden's eyes softened upon hearing his words.
"We're strong together." Asta released his shirt, putting a hand on his shoulder."I know I lost to you before, but put a little faith in me, okay? I've gotten stronger so I won't hold you back."
With a sigh, Raiden allowed himself a smirk."You are an odd one. Fine. Let's do it together."
"Strategizing now?" Licht chuckled."How annoying. But you...why do you have that Grimoire?" He pointed at Asta, surprising the duo."It matters not. I'll be taking it back from your filth hands.
"Your Grimoire? Why is he interested in your Grimoire?" Raiden asked, taking a look at it."A fifth leaf? I thought you said they only reached up to four, and even then that's a rare case?"
"I don't know myself, but now's not the time." Asta rose his blade, followed by Raiden."I'll use my sword to protect us. If you can land a solid hit on him, that could work on our advanta-"
"I'm afraid that won't happen."
Both young men gasped, feeling Licht's power behind them as he prepared to strike them down."This is where you die. Disappear."
From seemingly nowhere, and by nothing short of a miracle, a portal opened up, revealing the Captain of the Black Bulls, Yami Sukehiro. He grabbed his katana, using it to block the two light attacks that were aimed at his subordinates.
"Oh?" Licht rose his eyebrows, teleporting back to his original spot.
"Captain?!" Both Gauche and Raiden exclaimed.
"What are you doing here, Captain Yami?" Asta asked, relieved that he didn't die after all.
Finral and Abel came out of the portal, joining their Captain side by side.
"Why am I here? Obviously...I'm a little lost. So give me some directions, damn it." Yami said, smoking his cigarette.
"Wait, really?! So you got here because you were lost?!"
Raiden facepalmed at Asta's outburst and wasn't surprised when Yami grabbed his head, squeezing it."Of course not. Can't you tell when I'm joking, dumbass? We're Magic Knights so naturally, we're going to show up. I brought these two with me because they're the most reliable people I got back at the base."
"Actually, sir, you grabbed Abel...you literally kidnapped me from my bed." Finral meekly stated, earning a glare from his immediate superior.
"Anyway, what the hell are you guys even doing here? I told you to take the day off and yet here you are." Yami walked up to Raiden, grabbing him in a similar fashion to Asta."Unless you want me to force you both on a permanent vacation."
"Hey! We couldn't help it!" Raiden protested, feeling his skull being squeezed. Once he thought they had enough, Yami let go of them, dropping them on the floor."So, what's the status?"
"A lot of shit just went down, Captain." Raiden said, rubbing his aching head."Apparently, these pricks aren't alone. They have allies. A group called the Order of the First. Fanatics that want to revive some god by any means necessary. We fought two of them, but they got away. Also, that guy over there is the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun."
"Is that right? Never heard of them before. So, not only do we have to deal with these guys but also a cult? Give me a break." Yami sighed, scratching the back of his head.
"Are you serious?" Finral flinched, startled at the news.
"Well, I was expecting something else." Yami admitted, huffing some smoke."A burly guy maybe. But he's a beanpole. Look how skinny he is."
"They do say you can't judge a book by its cover." Abel shrugged."I mean, some of us aren't really fit like Asta and Raiden but we pack a punch."
"Big things come in small packages. Right, Asta?" Raiden turned to the smaller boy, a stoic expression on his face.
"Oh, come on!"
"Still though, we can take this guy on, right, Finral?" Abel turned to his senior, noticing he was shaking on his boots."Aw, come on Finral, it's not that bad."
"Not that bad?! Have you seen what type of magic he uses?" Finral grabbed Abel's head in a comic manner, forcing him to look around him."It's light magic! That type of magic has only been used by a few people throughout history! It's extremely rare!"
"So? I have Yin Magic. Bet you never seen that before." Abel puffed his chest with a playful grin.
"That's not the point!"
"Yin Magic..." Licht narrowed his gaze at Abel."So it's you..."
"Master?"
"Never you mind, Valtos. Just thought I recognized him from somewhere. We have a big catch here. The Captain of the Black Bulls. I've always wanted to fight him since he uses Dark Magic."
"This is going to turn into a real shit show now," Raiden muttered under his breath.
"But now that Finral is here, we can get the kids back to town!" Asta pointed out."Please, Finral! They're just outside!"
"Got it! Leave it to me!"
"Asta, you should stay back." Raiden stood in front of him with Abel but just behind Yami."You're injured. You'd just slow us all down."
"Right back at ya." Asta smiled at his comment."It's my first time seeing Captain Yami in action. No way I'm missing that. Plus, I can still fight!"
"Well, at least he's enthusiastic." Abel chuckled, manifesting his Hell Breaker in his hands."You coming back, Finral? This might take a while."
"Yeah, Finral. Are you coming back?" Yami shot up a glare over his shoulder.
Finral froze in place, feeling the intense glares from both mages."S-sure..."
"That's my partner!" Abel chuckled giving him a thumbs up."We'll be waiting." As soon as he finished his sentence, a beam of light went past Abel, aimed directly at Finral but Yami was quick to act, slashing it away."What was that?!"
"So fast...and the Captain was able to react it..." Raiden swallowed the lump in his throat.
"That was awesome!" Asta exclaimed, stars in his eyes as he stared at his Captain in admiration."What's with that sword?!"
"Oh, this? It's just a katana." Yami explained, waving it around."It's from my homeland, The Land of the Sun?"
"Land of the Sun?" Raiden parroted, raising a brow.
"Yeah. Heard about it?"
He shook his head."Can't say I have. It's just...a weird name, is all."
"Well, questions are going to have to wait." Yami went back to face his foe."It's starting."
"Light Magic: Light Swords of Conviction." Licht cast his spell, a great number of swords lining up.
"That's like my Spell." Abel gritted his teeth, prepared to defend himself."But I can't make as many swords as he does."
Yami deflected the attacks, seemingly with ease, protecting his subordinates in the process.
"Man, we couldn't even react to them and he's swatting them like flies!" Asta jumped in place with a goofy smile.
"That's a Captian for you..." Raiden couldn't help but admire. Unfortunately for the rookies, Licht moved past Yami, smiling at them. The raven-haired teen grabbed both Asta and Abel, jumping back with them before Licht created another light sword which was easily intercepted by Yami.
"You are great." Licht complimented him, doing Yami's swift strikes."Not only are you able to dodge my attacks, but you also anticipate them."
"Before you go on, mind answering something for me? Have we met somewhere?"
"Whatever gave you that idea?" Licht continued moving so fast around the Captain, it looked as though he teleported instantly.
"Nothing, really. You just seemed familiar is all!" Yami dashed at him, once more, he missed his target."I guess I expected this much from the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun. You're good. Good at running away that is."
Eventually, after an exchange of attacks, Yami finally landed an attack on Licht's cheek, cutting him.
"Nice! He landed an attack!" Asta cheered.
"It might be a scratch, but it's the beginning of a comeback!" Abel stated, clenching his fists with anticipation.
"Still, to think the Captain can dodge and block attacks he can't see..." Raiden's eyes were fixated on the intimidating man in front of them."That's insane. How does he do it?"
"It's actually quite simple." Yami responded calmly."So simple that I'll have you guys try it."
"Huh? Try what? Wait, look!"
"Light Recovery Magic: Healing Light Particles!" Licht cast his spell, surrounding himself in light as his wound began closing up.
"Not only can he throw incredible attacks and move at absurd speeds, but he can also heal?!" Abel sneered."Talk about overpowered! He's all in one package!"
"It's said that those loved by mana have all sorts of spells." Yami elaborated."That being said, it's rare for an attack-type to have healing spells. In some cases, they don't have any others spells, in Raiden's case. He can only use attack spells. Anyway, let's see how you guys do. I'll teach you how to use ki."
"Ki?" All three fighters repeated, exchanging puzzled glances.
"Right. People looking at you, the sound of their breathing, their smell, and the motion of their muscles, etc. Ki is the blanket term for all of the different types of energy the human body emits. I read that ki and predicted his next move, then made mine. It's what's been helping me keep up with his speed and overcome the natural difference between light magic and dark magic."
"Is it just me or..." Abel leaned closer to his peers."Or did that not explain anything."
"I sort of get it." Raiden shook his head.
"I don't but I think I do at the same time." Came Asta's reply.
"Master Licht, I cannot allow him to keep troubling you like this. He has the nerve to have a conversation while deflecting your attacks..." Valtos scowled."Please, allow me to assist you in combat."
Licht turned his head, a warm smile gracing his features."Thank you, Valtos. You are always so helpful. In that case, take on the young Black Bulls over there. Two of them are already spent so the other one shouldn't be an issue. Beat them and give me their Grimoires. Also, try not to injure the other one. The one with Yin Magic. He's special so I want him alive."
"Very well, Master." Valtos rose his hand, creating two purple orbs in his hand while two portals opened up above the trio.
Raiden narrowed his eyes, looking around and earning Abels' attention."What are you doing?"
"That guy is gonna attack us. Keep your eyes peeled!"
Raiden and Asta jumped back, their backs close to each other's while waiting for the attacks."Right over here!"
Abel rose his sword, cutting the purple orb in half and dissipating it. Asta followed his example, but his orb was dissolved as soon as his sword touched it, courtesy of his Anti Magic.
Yami blew out smoke, chuckling."Nice teamwork. But try to practice ki. This is the perfect opportunity for you to develop that skill. You're all warriors, right? A warrior doesn't go back on his word. Asta, you said you were going to become the Wizard King. Raiden, you said you wanted to save the world from evil. And Abel, you said you were going to get out of your brother's shadow and stand beside him. To do all those things, you guys have to surpass your limits here and now."
"Yes, sir!" Asta and Abel cried out.
Raiden hummed to himself, biting the inside of his cheek."Well, one thing is for sure. This fight is a piece of cake. He's nowhere near at Mary's speed."
"You survived an encounter with Mary. I commend you for that." Valtos said, creating more orbs around him."However, know that your lack of seriousness in this fight will be your undoing. I will take your Grimoires and the boy."
"Why the hell does he want me?" Abel asked to no one in particular.
"And why our Grimoires?" Asta looked at Raiden, who shrugged in response."Whatever. Let's give this ki thing a try, guys!"
Asta and Abel closed their eyes while Raiden chose to not follow their example. Instead, he simply glared at his opponent, his blades igniting back with inferno.'This ki thing isn't my style at all.'
Valtos shot his attacks through numerous portals, creating even more above them in which the attacks came out.
Raiden clicked his tongue, sending inferno slashes at the attacks coming his way.
Abel swung his blade, hitting nothing but air."Huh? Did I do it too soon?"
On the other hand, Asta managed to turn his body to stop the attack, but he didn't manage to block all of it, further hurting his leg.
"No, no, no!" Yami sighed, exasperated."You're both doing it wrong. Matter of fact, Abel, you're not even doing it at all, you moron. You're just guessing."
"But Captain!" Abel whined, cringing."It's not as easy as you make it up to be. Raiden isn't even doing it."
"It's not my style, Captain." Raiden folded his arms."Sorry."
"It's fine. Just thought I'd teach you guys something for a change. Anyway, Asta, you're using your ears. Try using your whole body next time. Feel it entirely."
"Got it! I'll try harder next time!"
"Go ahead and take a breather, Raiden." Yami ordered."They won't need you for this fight. Try taking it easy for now."
Raiden was about to object but decided that he was a bit sleepy. They had been fighting the whole night and had already lost sleep due to his nightmares."What is it with these night missions and making me sleep-deprived? Well, whatever." With a grunt, he sat on the floor, closing his eyes.
'He has his eyes closed...' Valtos observed, completely bewildered at the situation.'Is it a trap? Or is he really that confident in himself and his teammates? Should I attack him first and take him out? Or should I not take the bait and go for the others first...'
"Hey, what are you waiting for?!" Asta screamed, getting his attention."Hurry up and attack us! If you can!"
"Okay, I'll go with you two first!" Valtos created two stronger orbs, launching them through portals to surprise them. Asta quickly caught on, using his newfound knowledge in ki to deflect it back.
"Got you!" Abel swung his blade behind him, gracing the orb and cutting some of it away. However, he was affected by the leftover portion, causing him to hiss."What? Why? I thought I had it."
"Alright!" Asta cheered, jumping up and down in joy."I did it! Did you see that, Captain?!"
"You really did it, huh? Talk about a weirdo it." Yami took a step back from Asta before chuckling."Just kidding. I knew you could do it. Abel, you were close. But your timing is off. You'll have to work on your reaction time. You're feeling the ki but you gotta focus and time your strikes better."
"I'll give it my all, sir!" Abel nodded with determination, giving Asta a smile."Nice one, Asta. You're pretty awesome."
"You too, Abel." Asta complimented back."You were pretty close. I know if you try again, you'll get it!"
"Guys..." Raiden opened his eyes, noticing a change in the atmosphere. Licht was trembling in anger, glaring at them over his shoulder.
"Not only did you hurt Sally...but now Valtos too..."
"Stay sharp, you three." Yami hollered at his subordinates, causing them to stand back on their feet with their Grimoires ready.
"I cannot allow you to harm my comrades any longer." Licht manifested whips made of light."You are through. The path this spell traces resembles the motions of a whip. Can you predict its path?"
The Black Bulls tensed up upon seeing the spell, squinting as the light it emanated intensified.
"It's said that whips were used to punish criminals, once upon a time." Licht smiled sinisterly."That makes it a perfect fit for the bunch of you! Light Creation Magic: Light Whip of Judgement!"
"Holy shit!" Abel screeched, panicked as the incoming attacks didn't discriminate, attacking everything on sight and bringing down the cave.
"He's going to bring down the whole cave!" Asta covered his head with his sword."What are we going to do, Captain?!"
Yami, however, was having the time of his life, laughing aloud."The bastard's gone ballistic!"
"Now's not the time to be enjoying this!" Raiden protested, slashing a few rocks that were falling on them.
"LOOK OUT!"
All mages looked up, watching in horror as the cave finally gave in and fell down on them, leaving a huge hole in the ceiling and allowing sunlight in.
"Oh, dear..." Licht chuckled, dispersing the whip in his hands."I held back most of my magic but everything is all so fragile."Are you okay, Valtos? Do you need some healing? I would be happy to help."
"I'm alright, Master." Valtos bowed."You finished them all so easily. Your strength has no bounds. The Magic Knight are mere infants in your presence."
Before Licht could reply, an explosion of black fire caught their attention. From the ruble, the Black Bulls emerged with their weapons in their hands, destroying the debris that was covering them.
"Impossible!" Valtos exclaimed in shock.
"Man, that was too close for comfort." Abel sighed in relief, dusting off his clothes and frowning when he noticed his blue vest slightly torn around the chest."Shit, this is my favorite one!"
"Cry me a river." Yami knocked him on the head."At least you didn't get crushed. The kid and I had to save your ass since you can't use ki perfectly yet."
"Ki is so awesome! Hooray for ki!" Asta yelled, his voice echoing through what was left of the cave.
"You are too damn loud." Raiden covered his ears, grumbling."Shit, if that was him holding his magic, this is going to be more of a pain in the ass than we thought."
"It's not all that bad." Yami rose his katana, resting it over his shoulder."I'll handle the leader. You guys can do what you want to that guy with the weird eyes."
"Finally." Raiden couldn't help but shoot Valtos a smile, causing him to tense up in return."I'm beginning to get cranky."
"Oh uh." Abel chuckled, covering his mouth."A moody Raiden is not a good one."
"Well then..." Yami grinned from ear to ear, releasing his mana at once."It's been a while since I've let loose like this!"
"What power!" Abel gasped, quickly overwhelmed by the amount of magical power his Captain had.
"I can't feel magic but even I can feel that!" Asta shouted, amazed.
Raiden was at a loss for words, his eyes as wide as they could get.'What power...so this is the strength of a Captain...I dare say it's even stronger than...but that can't be...'
Without further explanation, Yami lunged at Licht, beginning his battle with him.
"They're so fast..." Abel muttered in awe."Man, we have a lot to improve if we want to be like the Captain one day."
"Guys, let me have this guy." Raiden walked past them."I'm really pissed right now. Haven't slept for shit and I want to end my part so I can pass the fuck out."
"You're awfully confident, boy." Valtos stated."But that confidence will cause your downfall."
"You're pathetic. Just shut up and fight. Unlike these dummies here, I can't use ki." Raiden splayed his hands out in a mocking manner."So go ahead and do your worse."
"Tell you what, let's have a competition." Asta had a shit-eating grin on his face."Whoever beats him first will get their dessert from the other two for two weeks."
"That's quite a gamble." Abel commented."Especially if we have to miss what Charmy makes for us. I'm in."
"Fuck it." Raiden shrugged."I'm in too. No way I'm losing and letting go of my dessert. Ready, set, go!"
Raiden immediately ran forward, leaving the other two in the dust."Hey, that's not fair! We were supposed to go at the same time!"
"Early bird gets the worm!" Raiden laughed, bending his body slightly and making his blades grace the ground."You're mine!"
"I won't let you defeat me! Spatial Magic: Myriad Black!" Valtos created multiple portals around him."You might be able to see what's coming, but can you stop it in time?"
Raiden noticed several portals opening around them, jumping in the air as orbs of magic launched towards them. Asta used his swords to cancel the spells out, but not without being hit by one attack. Abel had received several attacks all around him, further damaging his clothes."Shit, I can follow some of them but the others are too much!"
With a swift motion, Raiden sent an inferno slash towards Valtos, who dodged the attack by going down one of his own portals."Tch! Hey, you two, distract him!"
"Wait, what-" Abel was forced to block more attacks with his sword, quickly finding himself running out of the ground."Screw this. Yin Magic: Catastrophic rain of Black Blades!"
"Abel, don't aim at him, aim at the portals!" Raiden hollered at him in the air.
"Got it!" Abel complied, throwing the five black blades above him through the portals. As expected, the blades went back to Valtos through the original portals, but the mana created more to protect himself.
Asta stopped in his tracks, feeling Abel's blades approaching from the sides through new portals. Flexing his biceps, the magic-less mage swatted them back to other portals, forcing Valtos to once again make fresh portals."What is the point of this?! You'll never reach me!" Valtos used a great deal of magic creating countless magic orbs, sending them through every portal he had opened up.
'This is perfect! He's getting desperate and overwhelmed. This is our chance!' Raiden smirked."Inferno Magic: God Hand!" With a loud battle cry, Raiden's fist was covered in inferno fire, expanding in size. He punched the numerous portals above his head, sending fire through them.
"Curses!" Valtos cursed once he saw the fire coming from the portals behind him. Using his magic, he opened a new one underneath him, however, his left arm was caught in the fire, injuring him. Due to this, he lost concentration and didn't calculate where his new portal would appear, opting to go through one of the many and take his chances. Unfortunately for him, he appeared right in front of Raiden, who delivered an uppercut to his face before he could try anything else, launching him across the area into the wall. The man groaned in pain, feeling his magic abandon him as the portals disappeared.
"Alright!" Abel cheered, falling on his knees as he winced."I got hit too much. Ki is taking a while for me to master. Wait a minute...oh, no! Now Raiden is going to get our desserts!"
"What?! No way! We did all the work!"
"You have a point. You guys distracted him long enough for me to find an opening. So whatever. You can keep your treats. Still, though, it was pretty simple. Just keep attacking until he appeared from one of his own portals after launching a big attack. Simple strategy." Raiden shrugged, allowing himself a smile."I guess that ki thing is nothing to sneeze at. I've trained all my life but with ki, you guys were able to match my reaction speed. Not bad." The trio turned back to face Licht, who was fuming upon seeing his comrade defeated."Bring it on, Licht, was it? This is where we claim victory!"
"That was a good show, brats." Yami complimented his squad. From the looks of things, he had Licht against the ropes. This filled the younger mages with the hope of getting out of here in one piece."All we have left is this guy. Hey, hurry up and heal. I know you can do it."
"Uh, Captain?" Abel nervously chuckled."Shouldn't we just jump him and take him down?" He earned a "meh" from Yami."Are you serious?!"
"I'll chop him more. Don't sweat it." Yami nonchalantly replied."He can keep trying if he really wants."
"I'll admit it..." Licht began, ignoring his wounds."You are the second person I've met with the power to defeat me. But sadly I can't waste my time on you."
"Still talking like you've got this in the bag, punk?" Yami furrowed his brow."And what do you mean second? Who's the first?"
"The answer should be obvious." Licht rose his right hand."Julius Novachrono is my ultimate enemy. The one who inflicted this irreparable injury on me."
"Wait, that's the Wizard King!" Asta pointed out, prompting Licht to chuckle at his perception.
"As thanks for giving me a great fight, I will give you mt strongest magic." Licht's body began glowing even brighter than before as he charged up."Speed you cannot avoid...A spell which such a wide range and high output that pulling it in with that spell you used won't do you any good. You said "This is where we claim victory", correct? Little did you know this is where you'll meet your demise, Black Bulls! But don't worry. I won't kill you, Bel. And you, boy, you will return that Grimoire."
"This just took a turn for the worse!" Abel took a step back, frightened by the spell's magnitude."Also, my name is not Bel! You missed the A! It's Abel! And I'm not going anywhere with you!"
"Shut up! Why does he want you alive?!" Asta demanded, gritting his teeth at the now hopeless situation they were in."And I'm not giving up my Grimoire to the likes of you!"
"I'm sure the Captain can come up with something." Raiden felt a cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck."Right, sir?"
"This is bad." Was all Yami said, earning a sweatdropped from the Inferno Magic-user."I'm the only one here who can use a defensive spell. It won't hold for long but...Dark Magic: Black Cacoon!"
The Black Bulls were covered up by black magic, surrounding them from every direction.
"What do you mean, it won't hold? So what the hell's the point?!" Raiden cried out, not receiving a reply which only infuriated him more."Shit! What now?!"
"Can't you try to deflect it, Asta?" Abel asked his junior."It's Anti Magic, so I'm sure you can stop it!"
"I don't know. If it's as wide as he says it is, then that's not going to protect the rest of me. I'll be a goner."
"You are finished!" Licht's smile widened."You cannot protect yourself with a mere shield like that."
Out of nowhere, a portal opened up, and Finral, Gauche, and Mia jumped out of it.
"Uh...did we come at a REALLY BAD TIME?!" Finral yelped upon seeing the giant spell.
"What happened to this place?" Mia glanced from side to side."It wasn't like this last time I was here."
"Guys, look!" Gauche pointed at a black cacoon in front of them."That must be Captain Yami's magic!"
"And that spell...what a terrifying amount of power..." Mia grimaced, glancing at the cacoon with a troubled expression. She clenched her fists, staring at Finral and Gauche.
"I refuse to die in a place like this!" Raiden screamed, almost hyperventilating."You know what? Fuck this! I won't die here! Not when I haven't done anything! Not here! Not now!" His Grimoire quickly flipped through its pages as he shakily rose his hand, almost stopping reluctantly."I...There's no-!"
"He came."
"Light Magic: Ray of Divine Punishment!"
"I got you now! Mirror Magic: Full Reflection!"
Gauche revealed his left eye as a giant mirror appeared in front of him and the incoming attack, returning it back in full force. "No matter how big or strong it is, mirror magic reflects light!"
"Yup, that's Gauche for ya." Yami undid his spell, blowing some smoke.
"GAUCHE!" Abel and Asta rushed to the taller boy's side, hugging him."You saved us! We were so scared!"
"What the hell?! Let go of me!"
Raiden fell on his rear, still processing what had happened. Once the adrenaline died down, he clenched his heart, taking deep breaths.
"You okay?" Mia offered him a hand along with a warm smile."Good job not getting scared. Give yourself some credit. Anyone would have panicked under those circumstances but you stood strong. No reason to be ashamed."
"R-right..." Raiden muttered, accepting the hand, only for Mia to pull him in a hug him."Stop..."
"Aw, but you look like you could use a hug! Gauche is getting hugs right now too."
"That was something else, Gauche." Finral was amazed."I had no idea you could reflect such a spell."
"Way to steal the glory, Gauche." Yami guffawed, ruffling Gauche's hair."You saved our sorry asses from sure death!"
"I'm only here because you picked me up that day, Captain."
"So what you're saying is this is all thanks to me? Ah, you shouldn't give me all the credit. But if you put it that way."
"But you didn't do anything, Captain!" Asta argued."Gauche did all the work! You were accepting our deaths like nothing!"
"Shut up." Yami grabbed him by the skull, squeezing it.
Abel walked up to Finral, giving him a toothy grin."Thanks for coming back with backup. And you stayed. I'm proud of you."
"But I didn't even help you guys fight." Finral deflated."All I did was just bring Gauche here."
"In my opinion, that's plenty. If it weren't for you, the kids wouldn't have been evacuated and we would have died." Abel reasoned with him, patting him on the shoulder."You are a great contribution to our squad. You're doing great, partner."
"Abel..." Finral's eyes widened at his words."Stop, you're going to make me cry."
"Well then..." Yami made his way to Licht, followed by the others."You were such a pain in the ass, but we got you good, didn't we?"
Licht winced, opening his eyes slowly."I'm happy...to see you both again..."
Gauche and Abel exchanged confused looks."What? He says he knows you too, Gauche?"
"No way. And what do you mean by "too"?" Gauche inquired back.
"You'll both understand eventually...until then, Bel, take care of your brother..."
'He knows Cain? Or is he confusing me with someone else?'
"Yeah, well I don't get it at all right now so we're just going to take you to the Magic Knight Headquarters." Yami stated, casting a binding spell on Licht."Wait."
Everyone with the exception of Asta perked up."What's with this mana all of a sudden..."
A black portal opened up a few meters in front of them, similar to the one Valtos had used."Wait, what? But that guy is knocked out!"
"Maybe they have another Spatial Mage," Abel suggested.
"Reinforcements then." Yami sighed."And I'm low on mana after fighting this guy."
From the portal, four figures emerged, each of them with great levels of mana and power. The first one was a young woman with a pale complexion and pink hair. The one next to her was a man with messy black hair and tired eyes. The one in the middle was a muscular man reminiscing a beast with hair all over his body. Lastly, the one sitting on his shoulders was a woman, possibly around the same age as the first one.
She had black hair in two large twin-drill pigtails along with a red ribbon on top of her head. She had even paler skin than the first woman, almost to an alarming point along with crimson eyes. She was wearing a white blouse with a Long-point collar, a white ribbon tied around her neck, a black jacket that includes white ribbon lacing down the sleeves, fastened by a simple white ribbon across her chest to reveal her red tie and the waist of her skirt, which is many-tiered and features white lace. However, her most noticeable piece of clothing was the cloak she was wearing, identical to the one Mary and Troy were wearing as well.
"Another member of the Order of the First..." Raiden muttered to himself, not liking their odds.
Unbeknownst to them, a figure emerged from the ground behind them, just out of sight, only revealing half of their body. The entity was covered in white armor with black lines running across its body. Its head resembled the shape of a helmet that doesn't cover its visible teeth and its eyes, which were azure-colored in the shape of hexagrams. It had a large rose on its left shoulder two white wings on its back and a halo hovering above its head. Its face was stoic, unmoving as if it were a mask.
"More visitors..." Its deep, almost echo-like voice whispered as it observed."It appears...as though things are finally getting...interesting..."
I apologize but it appears we might need an extra chapter to settle this arc. I had forgotten how long it was in the series so I miscalculated. Next chapter will be the end for sure and we'll begin the new arc before Christmas comes around.
