Chapter 29
Underwater Temple

"Okay, today is the day. This has to work." Asta bumped his fists together."You got this Noelle! No pressure."

"No pressure?" Noelle's eye twitched."No pressure?! I literally have one day to pull this off! If it doesn't work, then-"

"Stop being so negative. Remember your training." Raiden reminded her."A calm mind makes for a calm spell. Or something like that."

"Yup." Kahono nodded in agreement."Just focus, Noelle. You can do it."

Noelle sighed, glancing at her friends watching from afar, giving her a thumbs up. Taking a deep breath, Noelle opened her Grimoire and cast her spell, surrounding herself with water.

"Hold on, I just got a great idea!" Asta cried out, nearly bursting Raiden's and Kahono's eardrums."S-sorry! But this is great! Noelle, let yourself go and use your magic freely! Remember back then when we first met and you lost control of your magic? It would probably work great underwater! Remember what Kahono said, you're holding your magic way too much. Just let go!"

"And if it doesn't work, Asta will step in and stop it." Raiden pointed out."Just trust us, yeah?"

"If you say so...Alright, don't blame me if something happens!" Noelle finally released all of her magic, transforming the dome into a giant cyclone.

"Amazing!" Kahono was amazed at Noelle's magic."I wasn't expecting this much!"

"You're telling me." Raiden unfolded his arms, his jaw-dropping."Royals are something else. But this is bad, it's getting too unstable!"

The cyclone was creating smaller cyclones, which were beginning to crash into various parts of the shore.

"Calm down, Noelle!" Asta pulled out his Devil Slayer sword, ready to intervene if necessary."Just believe in yourself!"

'How exactly am I supposed to calm down?!' Noelle was freaking out in her mind, closing her eyes as she felt the intensity of her spell firsthand.'Maybe...maybe it really is hopeless. I don't have any kind memories at all...Not with my siblings, not with my parents...I...'

"Noelle!"

Noelle's eyes widened at the sound of the various voices cheering her on. Her whole squad had gathered around

"You're always talking big, calling yourself a royal and thinking you're above me!" Magna hollered."So what the hell is that?! That's a piss poor performance if I've ever seen one!"

"Man, I never knew your magic was this awesome!" Luck chuckled."Hurry up and control it so I can fight you too!"

"It'll be fine! Even if you fail, you won't die or anything so just take it easy!" Vanessa hiccuped, completely drunk.

"Maybe not die today, but if it goes wrong underwater we're screwed." Raiden rolled his eyes, allowing himself a smirk."Show us what a royal can do! If a mere commoner can bring themselves from the ground up, it shouldn't be a problem for someone of your status!"

"After you're done, don't forget to eat up and fuel up! It's good for you!" Charmy beamed, holding a plate of food alongside her sheep.

"You're pretty cool, Noelle!" Abel waved his hands around."You have so much magic power, it's awesome!"

"If you fall, I'll catch you gently!" Finral winked at her.

"You won't even get the chance." Gauche narrowed his eyes at him."If she falls, I'm kicking her back up there. She has to make this work. The sooner she does, the faster I can go tell Marie a bedtime story."

"Just get it done, damn it!" Grey, who was disguised as Magna, roared in perfect imitation.

"We're all here for you, Noelle!" Asta rose his sword high in the air."We'll always be here for you!"

'Always be here for me...?' A single tear streamed down her left cheek at those words.'That's right...I do have good memories. With my friends. With...him. Even though it's only been a few months since I joined the squad, I feel like I've been there longer than with my family. They believe in me and want me to succeed. I have to do it for them! Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Cradle!"

Noelle's Grimoire flipped through its pages until it reached a blank one. Writing began forming on the page, allowing her access to a new, powerful spell. The cyclone began condensing itself, forming a perfect dome of water with no rough surface to be seen.

"Did...she do it?" Grey asked no one in particular since they were all confused.

"I don't know. Someone should ask her." Raiden suggested though he wasn't being serious.

"Hey, Noelle! Did you do it?!" Asta shouted, making the raven-haired sweatdrop.

"I-I think? No, I did it!"

Unfortunately, Noelle's high came down, causing her to succumb to her exhaustion and cancel out her spell, prompting her to free fall from high up. Asta wasted no time in jumping for her, catching her in his arms. He turned to his friends, giving them a thumbs up and earning a cheer from them. They were ready for what was to come.


"Okay, everyone accounted for? Good." Yami stood in front of his crew, watching them intently."First, I want to congratulate Noelle for surpassing her limits and managing to master a new spell in the nick of time. We're proud of you. Now it's time to put it to practice. Just don't mess up...or I'll kill you."

"R-roger..." Noelle shivered at the intimidating gaze her captain shot her.

"Either you die by his hand or we die from the pressure underwater." Gauche commented."So either way, failure isn't an option."

"Gauche, come on. The last thing we need is to put more pressure on her." Asta put a hand on his shoulder, causing him to move away from him.

"It's fine, Asta." Noelle moved past the group, readying her Grimoire."I know he means well. In his own way. But above all, I know I can't betray the trust you guys put in me. Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Cradle!"

The squad was surrounded by a dome of water, which Noelle began to move at will."Everyone, grab onto something! Here we go!"

Since there was nothing to grab onto, the Black Bulls grabbed onto each other and braised themselves for the dome of water to submerge inside the ocean. The bubble passed by various fish and wildlife, almost looking as if they were visiting an aquarium, except they were the ones encased.

"It's like we're in a su-I mean, it doesn't look real." Raiden marbled, touching the water.

"No kidding. Look at all the fish." Vanessa exclaimed, equally perplexed.

"Think we can let a few fish in and save them for later?" Charmy requested, drooling at the thought of cooking them.

"No way!" Abel shook his head frantically."If you let them in, you'll also be letting water in and we'll drown for sure!"

"Not only that, there's no time." Noelle added."It's not like I've mastered this spell anyway. I'm doing the minimum since it's my second time using it. Speaking of...look ahead!"

The group didn't have to stare to know what she meant, as the mana got stronger and caused Noelle's spell to shake wildly.

"Is the mana here really weaker?" Finral grabbed Charmy before she could fall."If so, I don't even want to think about how it is at full power."

"We're all going to die!" Asta screamed, grabbing his head.

"We should be fine." Luck laughed in a carefree manner."The ones who really have to worry about are Raiden and Magna since they use fire."

"Who are you calling scared?! We'll all drown if things go south!"

"Not to mention that elemental weaknesses have nothing to do with this." Raiden covered his mouth, feeling nauseous due to the turbulence."This isn't a fight."

"We're technically fighting for our lives," Abel said, shaking in his boots.

"Can you guys stop being so negative and freaking out?!" Noelle screeched, silencing them immediately."I can't concentrate like this!"

"You two! Stay away from the rest of us!" Gauche pushed Raiden and Vanessa away."If you're going to puke, don't do it close to us!"

"Oh, God. Don't say that!" Abel felt his stomach turn."I'll picture it!"

"We're almost there, guys!" Noelle informed them."Just hang on a little longer!"

"Don't puke!" Charmy chided them."I fed you specifically so you'd have your bellies full! Not to go and barf all over the floor!"

"Hold on, in this small space, won't the vomit get on us anyway?!" Finral realized, his face turning pale.

Before anyone had the chance to barf, they finally made it past the worse, entering the magic region where the underwater temple resided."We made it!"

"Woah..." Everyone said in unison, baffled at the even more breathtaking sight. The wildlife was completely different, ranging from eels, turtles, stingrays, and more. There were even fish that were glowing.

"Do you think there's a Kraken here?" Luck pondered."That would be really cool. Imagine how strong a giant octopus has to be."

"Or maybe a shark." Yami offered food for thought."There are stories of giant sharks that are capable of devouring ships in one go. We'd be easy prey here."

"I don't see any of that stuff, but I do see magic barriers." Noelle pointed at the whirlpools surrounding the area."We have to get through them if we want to pass."

"Okay, Asta, Raiden, you're up."

"Huh? Why me?"

"Your fire can cut through magic if it's powerful enough, right? Help the kid. With the way you boast about your magic, your fire should be strong enough to be able to handle some water, right?"

"Except this is a whole ocean. There's no way I'll be able to do anything."

"And I can't swim!"

"Excuses, excuses." Yami took a firm step forward, grabbing Asta with a single arm."Fine. I guess you'll have to make due. I'll just throw you so hard that you won't even need to swim. I'll use reinforcement magic, don't worry."

"That's not what concer-"

Asta had no time to voice his complaints as the captain threw him as hard as he could, shooting like a bullet through the water. He went so fast that he almost had no time to pull his sword out and make a hole in the barrier. Noelle maneuvered her spell through the hole, allowing them inside before it closed itself behind them. For good measure, she made sure to land on Asta before dispersing her spell.

"We can breathe...?" Finral sighed in relief."I can't believe we made it through that."

"What, you thought we were going to die?" Vanessa placed her arm on his shoulder."If things really went bad, you could have used your Spatial Magic to get us out of there, you know."

"Oh...you're right."

"Nice one, Noelle." Raiden complimented her."Good thing I never got on your bad side. I'd hate to be on that side of your spells."

"Be sure to keep it that way." She lightly elbowed him on the ribs."Now that I have a new spell, I'm stronger than ever. And thanks to your training, I'm more agile and have more endurance than before."

"Now that's a threat if I ever heard one."

"Wait, Nero!" Asta tried reaching out for the bird but to no avail. It flew away, heading further into the temple.

"How did Nero even come with us?" Vanessa wondered, a hand on her hip.

"Don't know, but it has a good head on its body." Yami handed Charmy a cupcake."Make us some cotton, will ya?"

"Yes, sir." Charmy saluted, creating a cloud of cotton big enough for all to fit before she started munching on her snack."So good..."

"Your metabolism is something else." Raiden muttered, folding his arms under his chest."You never get fat or anything."

"That's my secret."

"Boring!" Luck groaned, clearly impatient."They're not attacking us or anything."

"What the hell are you expecting, the whole temple to attack us?" Magna clicked his tongue."Don't drop your guard down. We're just going on. This is a strong magic region, so be ready for anything!"

"Look at you acting like a captain, Magna-senpai."

"Shut it!"

After a while of flying around, noticing the place was rather deserted, the Black Bulls landed in the center of what looked to be buildings made of coral and rocks.

"Luck, put your hands away." Finral tried calming Luck down.

"Come on, you can't tell me you're not excited to see if the people here are strong. I can't wait!"

"Hold on!" Asta hissed, extending his arms to prevent them from walking."I see someone over there!"

"Oh, yeah!" Magna squinted his eyes, staring at the distance where two people were chatting away."They won't attack us, right?

"I think they would have done it way before." Raiden said though he wasn't sure himself."Oh, shit. They saw us!"

"Quick, hide!" Asta said, only to get smacked in the head by Noelle.

"Where, Dorksta? We're literally out in the open!"

But much to their surprise, they were not only surrounded by a crowd of people in a blink of an eye, but they also didn't attack them. Instead, they marbled at them as if they were something that came from the sky.

"Guys, look! We have visitors!"

"And those robes...could they be Magic Knights?"

The bulls were bombarded with questions as if they were celebrities.

"I don't mind the attention and all, but shouldn't we be getting down to business?" Raiden muttered to Yami, who nodded in response.

"Right. We can't sit here and daddle. Let's go look for someone who might know about the Magic Stone. Someone better tell me where the boss of this place is, capisce?"

"Is he talking about the high priest? If so, you can find him up those stairs. Capisce?"

"I can take you there. Capisce."

"Why are they making that a trend?!"

Once their guide took them up the stairs, they were met with what they assumed was the entrance to where the high priest lived. Yami led the pack through the stone doors, leading them inside the darkness of the corridor.

"Seriously, no lights, no nothing? I can barely even see here." Abel squinted his eyes, trying to see better in the dark.

"Magna," Yami called to his subordinate, prompting him to create fire in his hand to serve as a torch.

"Bet you must be pretty jealous your fire isn't useful in this situation, Raiden." Magna shot him a cocky grin."You'll just make the room darker."

"Actually, it does produce a light, it's just dim." Raiden pulled out one of his swords, cladding it with inferno. Indeed, his fire produced light, but it was barely providing any light in comparison to Magna's

"I can produce light too and more effectively, Magna." Luck's hand sparkled with lightning.

"Guys, this isn't a competition." Vanessa reprimanded them."Besides, you're being too loud and inside this cave, it makes it a lot worse."

"Look alive, there's someone up there."

In the distance, they could see a small, old man just staring right back at them in the middle of the cave.

"Why is he just standing there, menacingly?" Raiden asked, slightly perturbed."This feels like something is about to happen and scare us."

"Come on, don't be silly." Asta chuckled, placing a hand on his shoulder."Nothing is going to randomly appear and-"

Noelle shrieked so loud, her scream echoed through the cave."Asta, behind you!"

Asta nearly felt his soul leave his body as he stared back into a creature hanging from the wall, ready to pounce on them."What the hell is that?!"

"It's a shark!"

"No, it's a Kraken!"

"You stupid idiots!" Gauche pulled out his Grimoire."Doesn't matter what it is, it's coming!"

Inferno, Fire, Lightning, and Mirror magic fired simultaneously, pushing the abomination of the seas away.

"That was...disturbing." Abel shivered."I have a feeling it's not the ugliest creature out here."

"Well, that's just rude. I assure you that you'll see nothing but great people here, visitors!" The old man finally made his move, approaching them."Welcome to the Underwater Temple! I'm the high priest here!"

"Were you the one who sent that fish thing to us?" Yami questioned."If so, that's quite the welcome, you old fart."

"Aw, you had it under control, didn't you? All it was for was to get some nice reactions. Like those two kiddos over there."

"And who wouldn't be scared? That thing appeared out of nowhere. Get a better hobby."

"Guys, come help me with this fish. Maybe it's yummy!"

"Charmy, don't touch that thing!" Abel held Charmy back."You don't know where it's been."

"It hasn't been anywhere other than here, young boy." The high priest addressed the pair, clapping his hands and making the fish vanish into thin air."That's just my magic. It isn't real."

'No way...it wasn't real?' Abel examined where the fish had been, noting it left nothing of its presence behind.'Is it like that Diamond general's magic? Some kind of illusion?"

"Anyway, I know why you're here. You're here for the Magic Stone, aren't you? I wouldn't mind giving it to you, but only if you play a little game with me."

"A game?" Yami narrowed his eyes."What kind of game?"

"Nothing too serious, I assure you."

"We don't exactly have time to play games." Gauche stated."What's stopping us from taking the stone and just leaving?"

"No way!" Asta shook his head rapidly."Respect your elders, Gauche! We can't just do that. That's not what a Magic Knight does!"

"Let's just hear him out." Raiden said, hoping to defuse the situation."Might as well go all the way. We came all this way for a reason, right?"

"I like this one's attitude." The high priest gave him a thumbs up."We'll be playing... a temple battle royale!"

The Magic Knights deadpanned at the old man's excitement."He's freaking me out."

"Okay, let the game begin! Game Magic: Temple Shuffle!"

"Game Magic?!" Everyone gasped at the figure emerging from the portals the high priest created.

"You called, High Priest?" One of the hooded figures asked.

Various mages wearing aquatic animal masks stood behind the High Priest, sizing up the Magic Knights.

"People wearing cloaks and animal masks." Raiden scowled at the thought."If I didn't know any better, I'd say they're with the Order of the First."

"Their magic is nothing to scoff at." Finral swallowed the lump in his throat."They must be the strongest warriors in this place."

"Exactly! And you'll be fighting them! Let's get started!"

Everyone was swallowed by a pool of water as they were transported to random parts of the temple, effectively separating them from each other.


"Uh...what the hell?" Abel groaned, feeling the cold, hard ground against his back."Where am I? Did the High Priest's magic do this? Then it's not illusion magic, like Pauline's. It has to be something else, but what?"

"Testing, testing! Can everyone hear me? Good! First, let me inform you that you've all been scattered to different areas inside the temple. Right now, you'll face against the temple's mages, eleven to eleven. Rules are fairly simple. Just knock your opponent out to win. The team who manages to defeat the other will be the victors. You can either fight one-on-one, run away, or even take part in team fights. Keep in mind that I've also prepared nuisance spells. So always be on your guard.

"Great. Well, at least it's a simple fight. We should be fine. But only eleven? We're supposed to be twelve."

The sound of footsteps caused Abel to draw his Hellbreaker, meeting gaze with a mage wearing a tortoise mask.

"So that's my opponent? Guess I can't be holding back then."

"It'd be wise if you didn't, kid." The man pulled out his Grimoire from his sleeves."This won't take long, I assure you."

"We'll see about that."

"Sure. Hell Fire Magic: Chaos Sickles!"

From his Grimoire, two sickles attached to chains manifested from green fire.

"Hell Fire?" Abel blinked, taken back by the spell."That's odd...For someone to live underwater, you sure are funny for having fire spells."

The man wordlessly threw the sickles in his direction, causing Abel to block them with his sword. With a wave of his hand, he maneuvered the sickles and cut Abel's right cheek, leaving a burn mark due to the fire.

"Ouch!" Abel touched his burning cheek."That really hurt!"

"Hell Fire Magic: Burst of Heat!"

Three green flames emerged from his Grimoire, combining into a single giant flame coming Abel's way.

"Yin Magic: Explosive Dance!"

Abel rose his sword high in the air before slamming it on the ground, creating a black shockwave of energy that dispersed the green flames. Before he could celebrate his small victory, something wrapped itself around his ankle. It was one of the sickles, and nearly cut his flesh as the masked man pulled o it and threw him against a wall.

"You'll have to try harder than that." The man scoffed condescendingly.

"N-noted..." Abel pushed himself off the ground."You could have killed me just now! And I don't even know your name!"

"I won't kill you. Relax. As for my name...call me Diablo."

"Well, that's just dumb." Abel gritted his teeth, preparing himself for the fight.


On another side of the temple, Raiden and Grey were aimlessly walking around in the caves.

"Wonder when our opponents will show up." Raiden hummed to himself, walking in front of Grey, who had transformed into Gordon."Lucky for us, we weren't that far apart. Good thing you screamed."

"I was pinched by a crab and it hurt," Grey complained, rubbing her nose.

"Still...this is annoying. Some of us aren't combat-ready. Which means the rest of us who are will need to pick up the slack. No offense."

"None taken. And I'm sorry that you have to deal with me..."

"We're friends, don't worry about it." Raiden gave her a friendly smile."Besides, I haven't had a good fight in a while ever since my fight with Bloody Mary. I need to get back into shape. Besides, you heard what the old man said, we can do team fights. You can be my support in case I need it."

"I think you'll be needing all the help you can get, Mister."

Both Raiden and Grey looked ahead, noticing a small, hooded figure wearing a hammerhead shark mask. The young mage took a few steps forward before tripping on a rock and falling face-first on the ground. Blood started dripping from his arms, staining his robe with red.

"Oh, boy." Raiden rushed towards the fallen temple mage, checking them over."Hey, are you okay? Shit, that's a lot of blood. Don't worry, we'll help you out. We don't want to hurt you."

"That's very kind of you...Mister!" The young boy pulled on his sleeve, revealing barbed wire wrapped around his bleeding, and before attempting to elbow Raiden's eyes. Fortunately, Raiden's reflexes proved great enough to avoid the attack, jumping several feet back. However, the hooded mage had graced his right hand, drawing some blood from it.

"Ah~The pain..." The masked boy moaned, watching a pool of blood from underneath him."I guess Mary was right. You really are special. I can't believe you dodge a point-blank attack like that."

"Did you say...Mary...?"

"Well, I have a few minutes before they notice what's going on." The figure removed their mask, revealing a young boy with brown hair and a small hat."Hiya. Nice to meet you both. My name is Joseph, the Second Child. Only second best behind Mary herself. Pretty cool, right?"

"Oh, shit." Raiden's face was drained of all color."Grey, get out of here. Now. Go look for the others and tell them the enemy is here. Something is going on, I have a bad feeling about this."

"Bold of you to assume any of you are getting out of here. I want to see you get hurt! Puppeteer Magic: First Grade Collection!"

From Joseph's Grimoire, two terrifying dolls appeared, each holding a blade in their hands. Strings of mana came out of his fingertips, connecting to the puppets, causing them to move at his command.

The moments shot towards Raiden and Grey, but he wasn't going to let that happen. "Inferno Magic: Blazing Cut!"

Raiden swung his swords, shooting two slashes of inferno, cutting the puppets in half. But this did not faze Joseph in the slightest. Smirking, he moved his fingers, moving the torsos of the puppets. One of them opened its mouth, firing several needles from it toward Grey.

Raiden did a backflip, landing beside Grey and tossing her away in time."Get going, Grey!"

"B-but I can't just leave you here!"

"Just do it. If he's just under Mary, then he must be incredibly strong. I'll buy you some time, so go and get the others!"

Grey wanted to protest further, but Raiden's panicked expression said it all."O-okay! But stay safe!"

Raiden gave her a thumbs up, jumping towards Joseph to keep him distracted.

"Guess that won't work. Let's see how you do with more!" Three more puppets appeared, each holding a different weapon from axes, swords to spears.

Raiden crossed his swords, blocking the ax coming down at him. He rose his left leg, blocking the sword with the sole of his boot, but this left him exposed to the spear. The puppet thrust its weapon forward, forcing Raiden to move to the side, grabbing the spear with his armpit."Inferno Magic: Scorching Impaler!"

Black Spikes emerged from Raiden's body, piercing through the puppets. The puppets stumbled back, and Raiden took advantage of this but using one of his swords two cut the arm of the one holding the spear, grabbing its severed arm and using it to pierce through its head. With a quick motion, he threw its sword at another puppet's head and finally cut the last puppet in half, rendering it useless.

"Next?" Raiden pulled his sword out of the fallen doll's head, staring right at Joseph.

"Awesome!" Joseph clapped his hands enthusiastically."What an incredible performance! Yup. I can see why Mary took an interest in you. You're strong, and you have a great way with swords. Unfortunately, you won't beat me like that. You can't even get close to me."

"Don't be so sure. We're just getting started. So, you gonna tell me why you're here and what you're after?"

"Do you want answers? Right, I heard that about you. You're a curious soul, looking for answers to everything. I like that, Mister. You're funny. But you know why I'm here. You must have connected the dots by now."

"Right. You're here for the Magic Stone. You're working with the Eye of the Midnight Sun. How did you even get here?"

"It's our secret, no need to worry about that." Joseph rose his bleeding arm."More importantly, you're so pumped with adrenaline right now you didn't even notice me cutting you earlier in our first exchange. And now, it's time to kick things up a notch. You'll see the power of my Brand!"

Joseph showed his palm, the number six shining in red as another number six began forming next to it. From the Brand, marks began appearing across his body, resembling thin lines that connected at random.

"Puppeteer Magic: Second Grade Collection!"

A mannequin appeared in the middle of the battle, completely featureless. Joseph rose his hand, moving the mannequin towards him as it opened its mouth, licking his bleeding arm and taking a sample of the blood. The doll began morphing, growing clothes and even hair, however, it retained its faceless expression. Once its metamorphosis was completed, the doll had Raiden's clothes, even his swords.

"What the hell?" Raiden took a step back, shocked to see the mannequin wearing his outfit."What is that?!"

"This is one of my favorite spells. It creates a copy of the person whose blood I offer. It's as strong as the original person. So, think you can beat yourself, Mister?"

'I have to keep my distance and see what that thing can do.' Raiden grimaced, showing no emotion.'So far, his attacks haven't been anything major, other than puppets wielding regular weapons. However, they tried to surround me numerous times. I'm guessing that part of his strategy is to get me caught with those strings. If so...'

Joseph moved his fingers, controlling the puppet and commanding it to attack Raiden. The copy skidded its blades against the ground, creating sparkles the faster it went. Raiden jumped backward, preparing to cast a spell."Inferno Magic: Twin Circle Blade Formation!"

Two rings of inferno came out of Raiden's Grimoire, aimed straight at the puppet.

"Too slow!" Joseph cackled, maneuvering his puppet to move past the rings."Wait, they're coming straight for me?"

"I realized that the puppeteer is left vulnerable during his attacks." Raiden ran in zig zags."So you either defend yourself or attack!"

Clicking his tongue, Joseph commanded his puppet towards him, raising its blades and using them to defend him from the attack. Out of nowhere, Raiden came from above, cutting the strings of mana from the puppet, pinning Joseph's smaller body to the ground. Before the boy could do anything, Raiden impaled the tips of his swords against his palms, causing him to wail in pain.

"You might be second to Mary, but you play around too much and leave yourself open to attacks. And due to your magic, if you leave yourself open, you leave your strings vulnerable to cut." Raiden bent down slightly, his scowl causing the Second Child to tremble under him."Now, you're going to tell me everything I want to know about your organization. About this "Antichrist" and who else is here other than you. And for you to realize I'm not kidding around..." Raiden twisted his blades, thrusting them deeper and earning a howl of agony from Joseph as his bones were broken."Talk."


"Now then, Yami, was it? Why don't you get comfortable here with me? I have plenty of food and drinks, so don't hold back." The High Priest patted a spot next to him on the couch.

"You mind telling me why I got left out of this game of yours?" Yami took his offer, taking a seat and resting his feet on the table."Here I was looking forward to it."

"Nothing personal. You're just too strong. If this game were to end quickly, it wouldn't be fun for anyone, including the spectators. So I hope this feast I've prepared is enough to make up for that."

"You know what, sure. I didn't feel like doing much in this mission anyway." Yami shrugged, grabbing a cup and toasting with the High Priest."So those bubble things...they're projecting what's happening in the game, right?"

"That's right. It's broadcasting all the interesting fights going on. In fact, some of them have already started."

"I see. Why are those two blanks?" Yami pointed to two bubbles and indeed, there weren't any images showing. Just a blank canvas.

"Huh...that is weird. Wonder what's wrong. Those are supposed be to monitoring two of my guys." The High Priest played around with his long beard."Oh, well. It's probably nothing. On another note, what rank are your knights' ranks?"

"All of them are Junior Magic Knights. Surprised you know about ranks, considering you people are living all the way down here."

The High Priest couldn't help but smirk."Well, according to your ranking system, my mages would be more powerful than Intermediate Magic Knights. So all logic points that your knights won't stand a chance."

"Huh. I wonder about that." Yami didn't seem concerned in the slightest, enjoying his cigarette."We might be the lowest-ranked squad in the kingdom, but by no means we are the weakest. You'll see soon enough."


Abel hissed in pain as he was slammed against the ceiling, a chain wrapped around his ankle.

'I guess I shouldn't have expected much from Black Bulls.' Hazama thought, recalling his sickles to his hands.'I don't want to kill this kid, but if we want to help Litcth and his friends to get the Magic Stone, we should decrease the number of enemies. Speaking of which, why are they taking so long? There's no way Joseph and I can defeat them all, including their captain. Even still, I can't exactly kill this one. Mary and Mother want him alive, for whatever reason. I guess I should at least incapacitate him.'

"Crap...that hurts..." Abel used his Hellbreaker to help himself up."Hey, you could at least give me a handicap. You caught me off guard!"

"Hell Fire Magic: Total Arson!"

Several dragon-headed fireballs were fired at Abel, covering his front and sides.

"Yin Magic: Catastrophic Rain of Black Blades!"

Black blades appeared above Abel, rotating around his head. With a swing of his arm, the blades were shot towards the projectiles, intercepting a few of them before they ran out.

Abel closed his eyes, focusing his mind and body to feel the direction of the attacks. Using Ki to guide his movements, Abel was able to dodge a good amount of the projectiles, but due to his incomplete control, a few of them impacted him.

"Ouch...but I dodged the majority. I'm getting better at using Ki!"

"Those movements weren't normal..." Hazama furrowed his brow under his mask."This kid is full of surprises. But his strength leaves much to be desired."

"Yeah?! Well, let's see how you do with this! Yin Magic: Torrential Space!"

Piercing the ground with his sword, Abel focused his mana into Hellbreaker, causing the ground to break towards his opponent with black energy coming out of it at a fast rate. Hazama twirled his sickles, throwing them up to the ceiling and yanking the chains to propel himself upwards, dodging the attack.

"I got you now!"

Hazama gasped, shifting his gaze towards Abel, who had jumped after him.'That attack was just a distraction?!'

With no time to get his weapons off the holes in the ceiling, Hazama used his palm to stop the attack, slicing it. 'Shit!'

"What the...!" Abel's eyes shot wide open as he stared at the bloody number in Hazama's hand."A number six? But that means-"

The red-haired under the mask grimaced when he knew his cover was blown. Using Abel's momentum against him, he attempted to wrap his legs around his neck to suffocate him, but the Yin-magic user sensed this coming with Ki, raising his arms to grab Hazama's thighs. In one swift motion, Abel delivered a double-kick to Hazama's chest, sending him flying to the ground.

Hazama used this opportunity to pull his weapons out with his chains, catching Abel off guard and cutting around his shoulders. The Second Child backflipped in the air, skidding on the ground until he eventually halted before slamming against a wall.

'A Child of Sceva? Here? But how?! Wait, that doesn't matter. I have to take him down!" Abel rationalized, raising his sword above his head as he fell to the ground."Yin Magic: Explosive Dance!"

"Hell Fire Magic: Victory Hawk!"

As the name of his spell would suggest, a hawk made of green fire screeched loudly, flying towards Abel. The young Magic Knight began twirling around in the air, creating a tornado of black energy that he used to cut the hawk in half."I'm not done yet!"

"Tch! Okay, kid. Bring it on!"

Doing the unthinkable, Abel threw his sword at Hazama, catching him off guard. The only thing he was able to do was jumping back to reduce the damage of the black explosion created by the blade landing on the ground. His body was thrown against the wall, prompting him to cough saliva due to the impact. With a growl, Hazama jumped off the crater he had left on the wall, throwing his weapons infused with fire at Abel. One of the sickles wrapped around his calf and with a roar, Hazama slammed Abel to the ground before yanking the sickle bag, leaving a nasty cut around his calf.

"Ouch...That hurts!" Abel winced, his wounds finally catching up to him."And the edge goes so deep too. If I'm not careful, he'll cut through an artery..."

"Don't worry, I won't kill you." Hazama sighed."I'm tasked with letting you live. You are important to Mother, apparently."

"To that Baby person? But what does she want with me?" Abel sat up, rubbing his wound on his calf."And what are you going to do with my friends?!"

"I'm not sure about the first one." Hazama admitted, feeling slightly annoyed at the lack of information he had."As for your friends, that's not really up to me. It all depends if they can take out that little nutjob of a comrade I have. But more than likely, with our forces coming in...they'll die."

"No!" Abel suddenly lunged at him, regaining his strength as a new fire lit in him."You're not touching my friends!"

"I can't kill you, but that doesn't mean I can't leave you half dead." He grimaced, preparing his next spell."Hell Fire Magic: Spiral Blast!"

A cyclone of fire came out of his Grimoire, increasing in size and surrounding Abel from above and his sides."What's this?!"

"And now for the grand finale!"

Flames erupted like a volcano, expanding inside the fire ring created by Hazama and heading for Abel. Finding himself trapped in all directions, Abel turned on his heels and ran as fast as he could. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to outspeed the flames, engulfing him completely.

Once he thought it was enough, Hazama canceled his spell, watching the flames die down to reveal Abel face-down on the floor, covered in wounds and burnt marks. The red-haired hummed to himself, sensing his mana and noting that he was still alive."Don't worry. Like I said, you won't be dying today. So just stay here and I'll be back for you later."

Unbeknownst to Hazama, Abel was still fully conscious, clenching his grip on the hilt of his sword. Once his opponent gave him his back, Abel jumped on his feet, lunging at him like a feral animal.

A beam of water came out of nowhere, shooting Abel against the wall from his left. Much to his shock, the water froze, trapping him in ice except for his head.

"Levi." Hazama addressed the young woman who landed a few meters away from him, wearing a black cloak with a white circle around the hood."Had enough rest?"

"Yeah. Even with this Brand, it took me some time to get that Spatial Mage inside this place without raising suspicion. The currents are too strong." The Sixth Child crossed her arms, shifting her gaze to Abel."I knew something was holding you. But to think you were fighting Bel of all people."

"Again..." Abel tried to move his body but couldn't."That's not my name...Wait...you're...!"

"Yeah, he looks just like the Abel I knew." Levi nodded to herself."Though he acts a bit different. Could he still be under the influence of the human inhabiting his body?"

"Ms. Isabella!" Abel cried out in happiness."It's really you! It's been so long! I wanted to see you again and thank you for what you did for me that time! But...wait...what are you doing here, Ms. Isabella...?"

"Huh?"

"That's the name of the girl whose body you're using." Hazama informed her, his expression hardening under his mask."Seems like he knew her."

"Oh, right." Levi chuckled at the information."Sorry to say, Abel, but the woman who you once knew is sadly no longer in this world."

"W-what? What do you mean, Ms. Isabella?" Abel blinked rapidly, confused."But you're right here in front of me...with the enemy...? You're...a Child of Sceva?"

"Well...he's still as dense and idiotic as the old Bel." Levi rubbed her chin."Maybe killing him would free him as it did to me."

"Not likely." Hazama rose his arm to stop her."Mary told me to leave him alive. I don't know the details, but from what she said he's a "special case". Meaning that killing him now won't do anything but spoil Mother's plans."

"True..." Levi groaned in annoyance."It's sad. I kinda liked him. I was hoping to see him agai-"

"I ASKED YOU WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" Abel snapped, his eyes shining in red for a few seconds before going back to normal.

"I'm not supposed to say much but...let's just say that the person you knew is gone. And now I'm in her place. Leviathan is the name, but you can call me Levi." She said with a wink."You knew me quite well, Abel. We were rather...intimate, in a way. Which is why it saddens me to see that you don't remember me, my love. But one day, you'll understand everything. Until then, you'll have to wait. Wait for me to come to get you."

"Ms. Isabella...is gone...?" Abel's voice lowered a few decibels, tears threatening to fall from his eyes."But...what about your sister? You said you'd meet her again and apologize to her...I made up with my brother. I promised I was going to introduce you to him! You can't be dead!"

"Ugh, why do you keep repeating her name?!" Levi stomped her feet in annoyance."My sister?! Who the hell cares about her?! She's probably inside another human as we speak but she'll be awoken soon enough! These humans don't matter, Bel! Their world will soon end when the Antichrist is revived! And you'll be standing next to me forever! You're mine and mine only! No one else can have you! You're MINE!"

"I think we should go. You're getting too worked up." Hazama suggested, slightly taken back by her outburst."Let's go."

She begrudgingly nodded, following after him but not before blowing a kiss to Abel."Don't worry about your friends, my love. They won't stand in our way either. I'm sure they'll be a tasty snack."

Something inside Abel snapped like a toothpick, an unbelievable burning sensation overtaking his chest. A howl of anguish escaped Abel's lips as he thought of not only his friends but also the old friend he had found in Isabella, the human who shared bodies with Leviathan.

Levi stopped in her tracks, glancing over her shoulder with a cold sweat dripping down her forehead."Hazama...?"

"What?" The older Child gazed back, his eyes widening at what he saw. The ice was beginning to crack slowly by unknown means. A black liquid poured down on the floor, coming from Abel's right eye. Once he leveled his head to stare at them, they noticed the mask covering his left eye, making his sclera black and his pupils red.