Chapter 52: The Winds of Change

Disclaimer:

This chapter may be a bit hectic/messy but I think it still works well. Originally, I was planning for the content of this chapter to be split into two separate chapters, but I thought I could conclude the events in this chapter. We had the previous chapter start Lucas, Yuno, and Dike's perspective and this one will continue with it. With that said, I hope you enjoy!


Dike had started to fight against the main Guardian enemy. Whilst Lucas and Yuno were dealing with the smaller Guardian, the Druid had took it upon himself to destroy the bigger one.

At first, Dike was bouncing all over the place to determine if there was a weak spot on the Guardian at all to make things a bit easier.

"I have been trying to analyse everything I can about this enemy, but there are no specific areas I can attack. Before the three of us separated, there was a large, blue, glass orb in the middle of its body. However, since then, it has hidden it within the confines of its body so pinpointing it will be difficult right now…". Dike was growing slightly frustrated but thought that an enemy like this wouldn't be too hard to beat.

Fortunately for Dike, this Guardian seemed to be extremely slow so as long as his speed was above the enemy's, he shouldn't be in any trouble.

"You have an extremely tough body though… I will have to bring out my magic. Let us see how you fare against this". Dike launched himself at the enemy, whilst his grimoire was floating right next to him.

"Nature-Force Creation Magic: Sword of the Elements". Dike held his right hand out and formed a long, sharp blade. The hilt and pommel were colourless, with the cross-guard extending quite far in width.

"Fire!"

After Dike shouted this one word, the entire sword changed colour. The blade was a large, red flame that kept flowing out. The hilt and pommel had also changed with this and became more of a black and red colour with the etching of flames within.

"I have not used this spell for a while, but it should be enough for you", Dike said to the Guardian whilst looking at the blade he had created, turning it around and saw the flames shooting outwards.

Dike started running on the side of the raised columns, that were thanks to the smaller Guardian that Lucas and Yuno were now fighting. He held the sword with his right arm whilst it kept burning a bright colour.

As he got closer, he launched himself in the air and now held the grip of the sword with two hands and sliced into the body of the Guardian. Upon contact, the flames from the blade spread all across the Guardian as there were things like mould and vines all over it. The mould would start burning away, leaving a very foul smell.

Dike was essentially on top of the Guardian but his body never touched it. Instead, he had put all of his weight onto the sword which, in turn, attempted to damage the enemy.

"The Fire element seems to be working for now… but it is not doing enough", Dike calmly deduced.

As he was thinking of what to do next, the Guardian responded to the flames by slowly running into the wall next to it. It was trying to shake Dike off from the top of it, or rather the sword itself. The enemy did this a few times but the Druid and his sword were not budging as it was lodged far into the rock and stone body.

That was when the golem stopped. It walked back into the middle of the area they were fighting in and put its arms into an 'X' shape in front of its chest. The rocks and stones around its body started to vibrate and within a matter of seconds, an entire layer of its hard body exploded outwards and pierced the area around.

Dike hopped off the top of the Guardian and staggered on the rock column he landed on. "Argh…", he grunted, holding onto his left shoulder. "You put a large rock… right into my shoulder…!" He pulled the sharp object out and threw it down below into the abyss. The blood splattered out for a few seconds before Dike forcibly closed the wound with his fingers. "Gah!" He screamed in pain but managed to stop the bleeding for now.

The Flame sword had also fallen down, but Dike had it reappear into his hand since it was magic.

"There is nothing more this element can do… so let me try a different approach that is more your forte". Dike held out his right arm a second time and shouted:

"Earth".

The overall red colour of the sword died out upon his calling and were replaced by a light-brown one. The blade had transformed into a sharp and jagged rock that kept its shape. The hilt was slightly orange and the pommel was black with the etchings of small rocks within.

Dike jumped into the air and summoned a wooden log of sorts that he could stand on for the next phase of the battle. It was the same as the one before when he was with Lucas and Yuno.

"Now that I have this, moving should be easier. I need to finish this… off quickly". Dike held the gaping wound in his left shoulder knowing that he was losing blood.

Dike rushed forwards and slashed at the Guardian's chest area. This time, the sword fired out large rock boulders from the sharp tip that clashed up against the enemy's own body.

Due to the force of the sword attack, it managed to push the enemy back slightly. The chest area became scratched and started crumbling. Another reason for this was because the Guardian had let go of one layer of armour, which left it weaker than before. However, this was the extent and no further damage was done.

"Tsk. Earth is not quick or strong enough… so, I will have to go with a dual combination!" Dike shouted out, getting annoyed with how this battle was shaping up.

"Water!"

The sword changed once more and the blade became a stream of flowing water. The hilt was now dark-blue and had the etchings of flowing waves within.

This time, Dike did not close in with his speed but stayed in the position he was. The sword started to vibrate and shake violently in his right hand as he charged the attack that he would use.

"Go!" Dike exclaimed and slashed the sword from afar. He swiped in a horizontal motion and waves of water started to form and flow towards the Guardian.

The Guardian was a bit quicker now since it had let go of armour, however the water attack didn't care for speed and it managed to hit it with full force, leaving no room for it to dodge.

"The water… it is wearing away at the second layer of its body. This is good… but I can make this deadlier and then combine it with the last element!" Dike gripped the sword's grip harder and started to shake it in the air as he closed in.

"Air!"

Dike was now running all over the area with his sword raised high above his head. The blade had completely gone and there was just a strong stream of air being generated from the bottom and the hole of the cross-guard. Since the element of choice was now 'Air', the colour had become light-grey but it was largely colourless.

"Now… I will now mix this property with the one prior to create…!" The short and black-haired Druid's sword attack spread all cross the room and mixed with the remnants of the 'Water' element that was used just before.

The coolness of the water and the speed of the wind mixed and created a compound element of ice.

"… icy winds!" Dike continued.

The icy winds that were created swirled across the entire area, rushing into each crack and crevice on the Guardian's body, slowing it down and also breaking it apart. Although natural winds were largely invisible, the ice property in this moment made the winds a sharp, light-blue colour that circulated around.

The walls and ceiling became frozen and this effect was transmitting onto the main golem itself. A sharp snap and various, loud cracks rang around and they came from the Guardian's body.

"Its armour…!" Dike spotted. "Now that it is a bit weaker, the icy winds are doing a good amount of damage to it!"

Although the Guardian's second layer of armour was being destroyed, that was when it retaliated in full force. It slowly lifted its thick arms, as well as opening its large mouth. The jagged and broken teeth separated and out came a big roar which was rather robotic and sounded too clear for something that was a hunk of stone.

The palms of both of its arms opened up to reveal black, and seemingly endless holes, within. From the right palm it shot multiple boulder missiles upwards and into the ceiling, subsequently destroying it.

Due to the fact that the area had a bottomless pit to it, the debris from above easily fell down without obscuring or entrapping the Guardian and it used this to its advantage. Around 10 seconds went by and the Guardian had stopped firing above.

"This thing… I may have underestimated it. It seems to be rather… intelligent". Dike looked above him and shook his head in annoyance. He breathed a heavy sigh and realised that his combination between his Air element and Water element had become futile.

There was now a large hole in the ceiling that stretched all the way to the surface. The entire area welcomed in the light from above but this also easily dispersed the raging winds that had been bouncing off the walls and ceilings seconds prior.

This wasn't the only move the Guardian made. Quickly after exposing the light, it pointed its left palm at Dike and a stream of jet-black water pooled out with the sound of splashing coming from within as if something was lurking within.

"Water…? Does that blue orb have something to do with this? But if it did then all of its attacks would be water-based. Perhaps this thing merely has that orb and is not using it fully?" Dike noticed. Though he figured something out, the incoming attack made him snap back into battle-mode.

The black water started to fill the area below and a lot of it had been produced by the Guardian. As it settled, a few lone tentacles could be seen protruding from the water's surface.

"A… rock-squid?" Dike examined.

It was a smaller enemy compared to the main one but Dike deemed it to be a problem since he would have to focus on two things instead of one. It was entirely brown, as per its rock-like texture. The marine-like animal had 10 limbs that attached themselves to the bottom of two columns.

"I cannot deal with you myself so I will…", Dike began to say but stopped for a second to think. "Hang on. If I use this particular spell, then it will drain my mana way too quickly…".

Suddenly, as Dike was lost in thought, the Guardian charged forwards and quickly punched the Druid backwards. He crashed into a rock column, knocking it over and it splashed into the depths of the ominous water below.

He slowly got up but was heavily injured. The black-haired Druid held his left arm and his right eye was closed shut due to the blood falling from his head and streaming down his face.

"That was… way too quick. I did not think it was that… agile?" Dike coughed. Through his open, left eye he saw the Guardian but it had changed appearance drastically.

Another layer of armour was gone and now it was a very thin enemy. It had gotten rid of its excess armour and became less heavy and more agile. Its arms became sharper with the rock-like texture looking like it could easily slash through an enemy.

It charged forwards again, now skipping across the water it had spilled out.

"I cannot waste time in thinking of the consequences!" Dike shouted and clasped his hands in front of his body and closed his eyes. "This spell is too much burden on the body, but it has to be done!" He thought before continuing. "O' Spirits of the Damned. You that have been forcibly laid to rest… Let thee come to my aid!"

Dike chanted an incantation before opening his eyes again and shouting…

"Nature-Force Magic: Spirit of the Draugr!"

A green and purple pentagram opened up on the floor and the walls. It had lettering in the middle that was completely ineligible but the spell continued on. The water beneath the feet of Dike started to bubble and the walls to the side started to rumble. Suddenly, arms shot outwards from them and then the bodies of what were emerging quickly pulled themselves out from the rubble to then surround the rock-squid.

Each Draugr was slightly different in terms of their build and the clothing they wore, but there was a few similarities with them. They all had skeletal builds showing that they were, in fact, dead beings. Each of them had glowing, blue eyes with broken antlers on the top of their heads, signifying that in a past life, they were Druids. The weapons in their bony hands were steel longswords and they were already starting to swing.

"Please, fight the enemy in the water. I will try to make this quick so you do not have to suffer anymore!" Dike shouted to the five Draugr and quickly made his way back to where the Guardian was charging at him.

"Clearly, a strength match is not going to get the victory!" Dike began to think but then noticed the same glowing, blue orb that he had seen previously. Now that the Guardian's armour and body was thin and more exposed, the orb had revealed itself from the confines of its body.

"I will go directly for the orb! I do not know if it is some kind of power source or not, but it was pretty important if the enemy decided to hide it straight away!" Dike's grimoire turned back a few pages before he summoned the same weapon as before.

"Nature-Force Creation Magic: Sword of the Elements!" Dike used the Air element to propel himself upwards and essentially fly towards the Guardian's torso with the sword pointed below him to give him air time.

"Now… Fire!" The Fire element activated and Dike tried to go for the orb in the middle. With a swift slash of the weapon, the Druid managed to crack the object slightly which enraged the Guardian.

A thunderous howl beckoned and the enemy used its right palm to shoot another boulder straight at Dike, submerging him in the black water.

As he fell down, the Draugr had been getting busy with the rock-squid that was now using its 10 tentacles to swipe at the undead. Since there were five of the support-soldiers, each of them targeted two of the squid's limbs and were hacking at them with their longswords.

The attacks had no pattern to them at all since these soldiers were dead and had no thought processes. They were moving purely from instinct and because of the incantation and spell from Dike.

Eventually, a few of the squid's limbs had been severed and the Draugr kept attacking until Dike would be finished.

The Druid who had summoned the Draugr was swimming up from the blackened and flowing floor until he jumped all the way up, again using the Air element to his aid.

Both Dike and the Guardian kept up their clashes with the former getting closer to destroying the blue orb. However, as he was doing so, the latter would get more violent as if each attack on the object in its torso made it angrier.

After a few minutes, the orb was nearing the end of its lifespan as Dike was very close to destroying it. That was when the Guardian put both of its hands on iy.

Panting, Dike took a quick rest on one of the rock columns that was very close to collapsing. "… What is it… doing now?"

The Druid watched and saw the enemy start to glow a bright blue colour as it connected with the orb in its torso. It then shot out blue-infused boulders all around the room which exploded upon contact and as they did, sources of water started pouring down from where they impacted. The Guardian's aim was to flood the area, drowning Dike and winning in battle.


Meanwhile, Lucas and Yuno had just dealt with the smaller golem and were making their way to where Dike was fighting the Guardian. The two Magic Knights were floating towards a large wall of rock columns where the Druid was on the other side of.

"There is so much noise coming from back here. Do you think Dike is alright?" Lucas asked Yuno who was next to him. The two had stopped and were listening in.

"With how the Druids have been talking us 'humans' down at every chance they get, I would assume he has it covered", Yuno replied.

That was when the two heard water rising from the other side of the rock-wall. The noise of debris and other such items were hitting the water and made multiple splashing sounds.

Suddenly, from one of the weaker parts of the wall, a little stream of water started pouring through and as the seconds went by, the hole grew bigger and more water came through. The water here was an entirely different colour from the jet-black water the Guardian had produced before and this water was dark-blue.

"This water… it's getting through at a quick rate. I think we should chec…!" Lucas began but as he was about to finish his sentence, the entire rock-wall started to crumble from the pressure of the water that had been building up from where Dike and the Guardian were.

"Lucas, get back!" Yuno waved his wind support and took the two of them away from the wall that had just exploded into tiny pieces of debris.

The two got back to a safe enough distance but as the wall came tumbling down, the water had risen all the way to the top of the room and came pouring down like a tsunami. The abyss down below quickly filled up and within seconds there was a lake at the bottom that kept rising up.

Due to the jet-black water mixing with the dark-blue water here, the colour became a diluted brown colour that was very murky and also sticky.

"Tsk! Lucas and I retreated but it was no use! The water's coming up and it's going to submerge us!" Yuno thought and kept looking around to counter this problem.

As the two were surrounded by water that was rising up, as well as pouring down from the water sources that the Guardian had created, Yuno's wind dispersed so they had to float around.

"Yuno, look! It's Dike in front of you!" Lucas shouted. He had to be careful to not let any of the water in his mouth.

Yuno turned around and saw the Druid slowly swimming to them. As he got closer, it was clear to see how many injuries the Druid had sustained and that fighting this main enemy was way too tough at this moment in time.

"You two… I am assuming you took care of your enemy?" Dike spoke slowly, trying to move his head around so that the water wouldn't get in his way.

"Yeah, it took a while but we did it… but, what about your enemy?" Lucas asked.

Just as he asked, another huge splash came from in front of the three mages. They looked and the source was the main Guardian that had jumped up into the air, in between the rising lake and the falling water sources.

"He clearly didn't", Yuno answered, shaking his head.

Dike couldn't even make a rebuttal since the Wind mage was correct. After all, he had left the two mages for the smaller golem, thinking he was enough to beat the main Guardian on his own.

But just as the three looked into the air towards the enemy, it came down just as quick as it had jumped and aimed for all three magic users in front of it. The Guardian started to shoot out more boulders. It was essentially floating on the water with how light it had gotten.

"Nature-Force Magic: Roots of the Forgiving!" Dike summoned another spell and thick, green roots came from the cracks in the walls to give the three a much-needed platform to stand on. The Druid tried to move again but he hobbled down on to one knee and started coughing up blood. "Oh no… I guess that is the punishment of using Forbidden Magic with the Draugr…", he thought to himself.

The latest spell Dike had casted caused the Guardian's attacks to miss but it was going to keep attacking. Though even if it didn't attack, the rising water would eventually drown them too if they didn't do anything about it.

Lucas started to think of a way forward and looked up at the water sources that kept pooling water down. "For those I can try using that… just like Alter Accel, I learned another spell back then".


FLASHBACK – ONE WEEK AGO:

"So, just as 'Time Magic' suggests, I guess I have the ability to manipulate time itself in different ways. I've had instances where I've slowed down spells, as well as instances where I've sped them up". Lucas said to Yuno as they started on their dual training.

"I see. Tell me what you find the easiest to do right now when it comes to Time Magic. Speeding things up or slowing them down?" Yuno replied.

Lucas walked around for a bit, fidgeting and scratching. He thought for a few seconds and said: "I think speeding things up comes more naturally", he replied.

After Lucas decided on what to focus on first, the two started work on their magic. At first, Lucas would practice speeding up his own spells with his Time Magic, and then would move on to speeding up Yuno's spells.

"Wind Magic: Towering Tornado". Yuno created a large tornado of wind in front of him that span around at a high speed. The duo had made a few targets to attack with their combined magic and the black-haired mage aimed for one of them. "Lucas, try speeding it up even more!"

Lucas raised his arm and aimed it at the Towering Tornado spell. He had access to his Time Magic and could see that his arm was glowing blue, showing that it was being used. Though, even as he used it, the spell didn't speed up.

The Dual mage panted. "I can't speed up the spell directly…", he put his hands on his knees and shook his head.

"Hm", Yuno muttered. He raised his hand and rested his chin on it as he thought. "Wait. What if you use the spell on me?" He asked, gaining a fearful look from Lucas.

"Are you sure? Aiming it on your spell would probably be better since if something goes wrong, you wouldn't be injured", he smiled nervously.

Yuno deadpanned. "You think I'm not capable enough to withstand a bit of Time Magic? Come on, Lucas", he encouraged.

"I mean it isTime Magic! I don't even know the extent of how powerful it can get…", Lucas explained.

The Wind mage walked closer to his teammate and rested his hand on his shoulder, smiling at him. "If something does go wrong, I trust you to stop it. Besides, when you try things out like this, risks are something you need to take".

Lucas looked at Yuno in awe. "Wow, Yuno. To think you were a bit hesitant in working together, and now you're actively encouraging me!" He giggled.

One of the eyebrows on Yuno's face twitched slightly, suggesting he didn't like that comment all too much. His cool persona was being dented, but he let Lucas have his fun.

"Yeah, yeah. Well then, use your magic on me and we'll see the outcome", Yuno instructed.

The two recreated the first part of the training exercise, and now instead of focusing on the spell, Lucas focused on his training partner instead.

"Come on… Time Magic. Don't let me down…!" Lucas surrounded Yuno in a blue sphere which immediately made his wind spell turn a slight blue colour, speeding it up and crashing it into the target they had set out.

A few seconds went by as the two just stared at each other. After what they did had been firmly etched into their minds, the two celebrated by high-fiving each other.

"See? I told you that some risks can be worth taking!" Yuno smiled.

"Haha, you were right!" Lucas chuckled.

Two days went by and the Magic Knight duo kept practicing with the Time Magic that would speed up spells. Yuno would use this training to try and create faster spells himself which would become even more deadly with Lucas's time-increasing abilities.

"Now, why don't you try to slow down my spells? Have you thought about how you would do that, Lucas?" Yuno questioned, wondering himself.

"I've only slowed down spells by using my Dual Blades on incoming attacks. I haven't done it normally without them… I can try but it might take a while", Lucas explained.

The two only had this last day to practice before heading out towards the Forgotten Forest. Everyone else was getting ready for heading out the next day, whereas Lucas and Yuno had no prepared other than training.

"We don't have much time… do you have an idea on how to use it, at least? There may came a moment where you're not really being attacked but still need to slow something down", Yuno pointed out.

Lucas took a few steps back and nodded. He had an idea on how to switch things from speeding up to slowing down. It was all down to Ki and how Lucas channelled it. The mage signalled to Yuno to use a spell.

Yuno nodded. "Wind Creation Magic: Wind Blades Shower".

Just as before, Lucas held his right arm out and accessed his Time Magic. He surrounded Yuno with a blue sphere, and now he had to switch things up.

"Use Ki to see how my Time Magic is circulating in my body…", Lucas closed his eyes and focused.

When he first used Ki to picture his body and his two attributes, he saw blue mana shackled behind yellow mana which signified how his Light Magic was free, whilst his Time Magic was trapped. Now, he saw both of the magic attributes flowing around and within each other.

"Since I've activated my Time Magic, the blue mana is glowing the brightest. It's flowing in a clockwise motion starting from the top and going all the round towards my arms, to the bottom, and then around again. If clockwise means it makes things speed up… then anti-clockwise would…!" Lucas pumped his fists together, showing he had figured something out.

He still had his eyes closed and continued with Ki. "If I change the flow of my Time mana… then I can do it!" He opened his eyes and used his Time Magic around Yuno's Wind Blades Shower.

After a few minutes, Lucas fell on the floor and panted heavily.

"Woah, Lucas. You got the hang of speeding things up quite quickly but slowing them down is another story. Are you going to be alright?" Yuno asked.

FLASHBACK – END


Lucas turned to Dike and Yuno. "I'm going to focus on the water sources above us since I have a way to stop them endlessly flowing. You two should focus on the Guardian together!" He shouted before flinging himself upwards with his Energy Whips

Dike and Yuno deadpanned at how abrupt that was. They also did that because they really didn't want to work together, but these circumstances were forcing them to and they didn't have any other choice.

"In any case… Do you see that blue orb in the middle of that thing's body?" Dike pointed out with the sword in his hand.

Yuno nodded. "Is that the source of its power?"

"I do not think so. Although it has used water-based attacks, it is still more earth-based with how it looks and the other attacks it uses. I have gathered that the blue orb is simply something it uses and is protecting", Dike responded.

"So, we should aim for the orb first and then see what happens?" Yuno asked to which Dike nodded.

The two didn't need a second more to think as they got started with attacking.

"Wind Creation Magic: Gale White Bow!" Yuno created a bow with his wind that he placed in front of him. "Bell! I know you don't want to speak with me now, but we're in a tight situation! Lend me your power!"

The four-leaf grimoire opened its pages and out popped the small, green fairy.

"Phew! That was a nice nap… HUH, what's going on?!" Bell shouted, looking around frantically.

Yuno's faces grew angry and he clenched his teeth. "Do not tell me you've been sleeping this entire time, Bell…".

Bell turned around but couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I'm just kidding. I've known the situation but didn't think it was really this bad. Don't worry though, I'm here to help!" She floated towards the bow Yuno had placed and breathed in a ton of air into her mouth, expanding her cheeks. "Wind Spirit Magic: Sylph's Breath!"

Bell exhaled and the bow unleashed a violent attack of wind which shattered parts of the blue orb the Guardian had within.

"Take that, you big hunk of rock!" Bell shouted, sticking her tongue out.

The Guardian transformed his arms into two stone blades and was about to stab the duo with them. Its orb was one hit away from being broken and the enemy was not going down without one last move.

It was now Dike's turn to finish off the attack. Yuno had done his part and now the finishing blow was his responsibility.

"This will be the last of my magic… the Forbidden Magic was too much and my mana is almost out. All I can do to make sure this hits is…", Dike thought to himself. He readied his elemental sword in his right hand, but then he also raised his left hand.

"Water + Air!"

Another elemental sword materialised in Dike's other hand, however this one was phasing in and out of existence due to his mana running dangerously low. The right sword was of the Water element, whereas the left sword was of Air.

He clashed the swords together and a bright beam of light-blue light formed at the tip where the blades connected. The beam them shot out straight into the Guardian's orb, completely shattering it.

"Yes, you did it!" Yuno shouted. However, this celebration was premature due to what happened straight after.

Due to the Guardian's momentum and the fact that it already had his sword near Dike when he used his attack, destroying the orb didn't mean that the Guardian immediately vanished or was destroyed. Its sharp blade still dug into Dike's stomach area, piercing the front.

"I guess… underestimating it and using Forbidden Magic… is what led to… this outcome…", Dike said slowly as he dropped from the platform he created and into the murky water that was rising.

"Dike!" Yuno shouted. He didn't have time to block the Guardian's last attack and the Druid was made to pay. After this happened, the enemy completely shut down and crumbled away into the water.

Though, even as it had been defeated, the water kept rising from the bottom and falling from the top.


Meanwhile, just as Yuno and Dike had been dealing with the main enemy, Lucas was dealing with the water sources towards the top of the room.

"Here we are", Lucas said to himself. He had grabbed onto an edge in the wall and was balancing himself to focus on the first water source he saw. "There are four in total so I'll have to use the spell four times", he sighed. "Here goes…".

Lucas covered his right arm in Time Magic and formed a blue sphere around the first water source. "Okay, start just like Alter Accel… and then put my magic in reverse through Ki".

The water source started to glow a bright blue colour and Lucas shouted out:

"Time Magic: Alter Decel!" He moved his right palm in an anti-clockwise motion which also helped the spell do what he intended. "Since it isn't anyone else's spell, I don't have to focus on anything else but the target at hand".

As a few seconds went by, Lucas stopped the water source's time and started decelerating it to the point where it stopped producing water at all. By the end of the spell, the water source was a little puddle that was floating which allowed the Light mage to destroy it with his magic.

"Light Magic: Angelic Strike!" Lucas used his left palm to touch the water, dispersing it and making it so water particles spread throughout the room. The teen looked at both of his hands and smiled. "Thank you, Cyrus!"

The ginger-haired mage had succeeded in his first task and now it was time for the other three to go through the same thing. Lucas moved to the second water source but just as he was about to use his Time Magic, he felt a sharp pain in his head.

"Ah!" He felt his head with his hands. "I didn't get this when I sped things up… is slowing things down giving a side effect?" He worried. However, he carried on with the task as the water had risen to a dangerous level.

"Time Magic: Alter Deccel!" Lucas did the same and slowed the water source down to the point where he could use Angelic Strike.

He moved on to the penultimate target. One more after this one and he had done his job.

"Okay. Let's do th-!" Lucas started to act but the sharp pain returned, this time hitting his head and numbing the muscles in his right arm. The right side of his body started to vibrate internally but the mage shook the pain away. Or at least he tried to but the task he took upon himself had to be done.

"Time M…Magic: Al-ter Deccel!" Lucas continued. He was struggling to use his magic adequately but still managed to destroy and use Angelic Strike another time.

Lucas then moved to the final source of water and pointed his arm forwards. He attempted to use Time Magic but the pain returned once more. "Ah!"He screamed. His palm was blue but there were blue sparks flying and his vision went blurry. "No… I need to get this final one and then you can go to sleep body…!"

Lucas tried to hold out but the pain was too much. Without finishing his task, he lost his grip on the wall and fell into the rising, murky water and was completely unconscious.


Yuno stared at Dike underneath and clenched his fists. "Okay… he's been injured quite badly, but in no immediate danger. The water luckily plugged up the bleeding but he still needs to be treated. How is Lucas doi-!" He began but saw a sight that made him think differently.

Lucas had fallen from above him and splashed into the dirty water below, right next to Dike.

"No… not you too. Did he get the water?" The Wind mage started to look up and saw that only one water source was left. However, the water below and above had gotten dangerously close to each other and left only a small gap for Yuno and the other two to breathe in.

"I can't let it end like this. Wind Magic: Towering Tornado! Yuno summoned a huge tornado which made the water swirl around violently in the room. To avoid Lucas and Dike being caught up in the torrents, he protected them with walls made out of his Wind Magic.

The water circulated at high speeds, but that was all they did. The water still rose and the breathing room was almost out. Soon, they would be without oxygen and Yuno was finding it difficult to figure a way out of this.

"Bell! Give it your all with this next attack!" Yuno shouted, water now entering his mouth.

"Yup!" Bell agreed.

The two combined powers and tried their best.

"Wind Magic: Crescent Moon Sickle + Towering Tornado!"

"Wind Spirit Magic: Sylph's Breath!"

Yuno used his double spells to form a giant tornado which shot out sharp wind sickles. He was aiming to cut the water for a brief moment so that he could make a path out. There was an open roof due to the Guardian destroying it and that was the only route he saw that he could take.

The Wind Spirit's magic combined with Yuno's, creating an enormous hurricane which started to make the water rise and pour outside of the open roof. Though this combination play started to work, it was too late as the water had completely engulfed both Yuno and Bell, as well as Lucas and Dike.

"Y-Yuno…!" Bell screamed with one of her eyes open. The other had been forced shut due to the power of the water clashing against her.

Yuno started to panic. This entire situation too much for him to handle and all of his moves were too weak to go against the strength of the water torrents. If anything, his Wind Magic had also made the water too quick to deal with.

"Oh no! Fortunately, I'm still conscious but what about Lucas and Dike?!" He quickly turned his head against the force of the water and saw Lucas and Dike's bodies floating around the dirty water.

"Is there really nothing I can do for them…? My magic... its...".

Without meaning to, the Golden Dawn mage's mind went to a very recent memory that happened just after his and Lucas's training just a few days prior.


FLASHBACK – ONE WEEK AGO:

The warm sun had almost gotten to its peak. Midday was almost here and day was ready for the Golden Dawn mages to venture out and explore.

The Golden Dawn were about to leave for their expedition of the Forgotten Forest. Captain Vangeance, along with Alecdora, Klaus, and the others had made their way to the brooms and were waiting for Lucas and Yuno to join up with them.

"Say, Lucas…", Yuno began to ask.

"Yeah, what's up?" Lucas replied.

"Just what is it like having another whole attribute?" The Wind mage asked. He had been wondering about it since Lucas revealed the secret but didn't find the right time to mention it.

Lucas thought about the question for a few seconds. While he did, he grabbed his broom and started walking towards the others.

"Hm, I guess it's a bit overwhelming if I'm honest with you. Like, I've known I've had this attribute since I was eight-years-old, but because I refused to use it, I got completely used to my Light Magic. So, at times I would forget I had this whole other power, and when my mind did go to it eventually, it… kind of scared me". Lucas turned around and started walking backwards so that he could look at Yuno.

"Overwhelming? But surely now that you think about it, you could be one of the strongest mages in this kingdom", Yuno responded.

"Geez, the 'strongest'? I'd like to think that but my magic control is not all that good. I wish I could have that aspect about you… if I'm honest, I'd probably trade this attribute for your magical prowess", Lucas said with a serious face.

Yuno paused and stopped walking for a moment. "Are you serious? You'd trade one of the strongest attributes for…?" He repeated what Lucas said but was interrupted.

"Yep, for your ability with magic. I've always been jealous with how easily magic control comes to you!" He laughed with a slight frown to his face. "Actually, perhaps being 'jealous' isn't how I'd describe it, but maybe 'admiration' is the right word?"

Yuno didn't say anything. He was slightly shocked and Lucas carried on explaining.

"Yeah, having two attributes is something crazy and a lot of people would want that, but, for me, being amazing with an attribute I already have experience with would be what I'd want more. I'm not saying I want to get rid of my Time Magic but i guess focusing only on my Light Magic would be easier. I don't think I've ever seen someone with the aptitude for magic like you!" The Dual mage stopped walking too. "But… the thing is, that's quite unrealistic. Easier or not, I just need to work with what I'm given instead of worrying about what could never be. Sure, I may get better at magic control but I'm also not running away from what I already have!"

FLASHBACK – END


Yuno's vision was getting blurry and Bell had been forcibly returned to the four-leaf grimoire. Just as the mage from Hage was about to lost consciousness, he felt a force of energy come to him and opened his eyes wide.

With a smile and a shake of his head, his grimoire opened to a blank page and started inscribing a new spell.

"It's just like you say, Lucas. The power I already have is something I should be proud of. My jealousy came from my fear that I was falling behind… To become the Wizard King, I need to overcome these hardships with my own powers instead of thinking about the impossible!" Yuno's body started to glow a bright, green colour. "What is this?"

A coating of mana surrounded Yuno which eased the burden of the water pressure around him. He could now breathe a bit easier since this mana-like barrier protected him, but this ability was very incomplete. There were still problems with its protection as water still kept coming through the barrier.

"Hm, an ability that is incomplete? Maybe I can master it some other time, but right now I need to protect those two!" Yuno's grimoire finished writing the new spell and Yuno summoned it with a loud shout.

"Wind Magic: Wind Eagle's Refuge!" A see-through barrier formed around Yuno and he pulled Lucas and Dike within its confines. The barrier was circling around the three and it shot out aggressive and sharp winds that pushed the water to the right and left sides, allowing oxygen to fill the little area that Yuno had made.

The oxygen filled Lucas and Dike's lungs, allowing them to finally breathe. Yuno carried his spell on and the aggressive winds kept slicing into the two halves of water with no sign of letting up at all. Usually, an attack on water would be useless as the water would just fall and replace the displaced area. Though, with Yuno's new spell, there was no time for the water to replace the area due to its sheer speed.

As the area for the oxygen grew bigger, Yuno directed Wind Eagle's Refuge below both halves of water and the winds pushed against the bottom of the water, forcing them upwards and out of the open hole in the ceiling. The water spread out as it reached the top and the three mages were now safe.


A few minutes had now gone by and Yuno was sat down on a wind platform he had made for himself and his other two companions. He was panting heavily, whereas Lucas and Dike were breathing heavily in their unconscious state.

"Bell…", Yuno said.

The powerful Sylph emerged from the grimoire and sat down on the black-haired mage's head.

"Yes, Yuno?" She responded with a smile.

"Don't give me that look", Yuno pouted.

"What look?" Bell winked and then laughed. "Okay… this is more like the Yuno I've come to respect massively. Honestly, the person you had started to become had really annoyed me. You were always the one that took challenges head on, and seeing you wallow in your self-pity was something I thought I'd never see from you…".

"Ouch. Harsh words there, Bell", he replied with a deadpan expression. Though it quickly lightened up. "Yeah, I finally understand what you meant. I guess all it took was a near-death experience to figure out", he smiled with a sly expression.

Bell flew off the mage's head and sat down next to him on some kind of smooth surface. It was placed by Yuno on top of his wind platform, but the Sylph didn't pay attention to it.

"I can't believe that entire situation. This place is way too crazy. I'd say we should get out of here, but you guys aren't leaving without that Magic Stone, are you?" She pouted and sighed.

"That's right. We've gone through all of this trouble so we're definitely getting that stone", Yuno mentioned. "I guess we'll have to wait though for these two to wake up. I've already treated Dike's wounds the best I could by wrapping a bit of my squad robe on his stomach wound".

Bell sighed and kicked her legs back, resting her body on the wall behind her.

"By the way, Bell. Look at what you're actually sitting on", he began to form a smile as he pointed.

The Wind Spirit slowly looked down and saw two eye holes staring right up at her. She was sat on the head of a deceased Draugr and the spirit let out an ear-piercing scream.

"Ah! Yuno!" Bell quickly floated up and teared up from the fear.

"S-sorry, Bell…", Yuno apologised but continued on chuckling.


NOTES:

Now, Lucas, Yuno, and Dike's perspective has been fleshed out. We are heading to the climax chapters soon enough and you guys know who is going to be there!

What did you think about Dike's magic and his use of Forbidden Magic? It will be explained more but this is just the first showing of it.

Yuno's development had to be done since I want him to be well-fleshed out in my story. He is one of my favourite characters!

Just as I said in the disclaimer, this was originally two chapters but I think you guys have realised that I wanted to do around 1-2 chapters for each group. This was just to keep the format + I feel like it still works well like this.