Chapter 79: Hatred
Disclaimer:
Hi guys! A little late again but I guess that's normal at this point… :P. I got a new job so I've been focusing on that a lot but I'm always thinking of this fic! It's quite annoying not being able to write when I really have the urge to!
Also, we're getting to some really cool bits of the story that I can't wait to show!
There are references to events in past chapters to help with foreshadowing and whatnot and I'll list the important ones here:
Chapter 43, 59, 74.
"Flame Spirit Magic: Salamander's Breath!"
The Flame Spirit was not letting up in its strength as it kept shooting out its flame attacks non-stop following Fana's command. The Third Eye member was still riding on top of the flame-lizard, soaring through the skies as they both tried to take down the Magic Knights below them.
"Yeah, yeah, we get it! Salamander's Breath this, Salamander's Breath that! Talk about being repetitive!" Asta shouted, panting on the floor as he looked up at the enemy in the darkened sky.
"Being repetitive isn't exactly a bad thing, you know, considering your 'never give up' attitude revolves around that very idea", Vanessa added, earning a look of bewilderment from the magicless mage in front.
"Whose side are you on?!" Asta screamed, slamming the Demon-Slayer sword into the ground to help him stand straight.
The area of the forest they were in was in complete disarray due to the flames wreaking havoc all around them. Fana seemed to be getting more and more reckless as time went on and she was only going to go further since the Black Bulls were struggling to defeat her.
"Guys, I think we need to rethink our strategy! Facing off like this is only going to end badly for us!" Finral said, wiping the sweat from his forehead which only returned a second later.
Asta sighed heavily as he looked around. He shook his head and then turned back to Finral with a firm nod and a sly point towards Fana which was hidden as he had his back to the enemy for a brief moment.
"Huh? No way. He's crazy! Is he serious, right now?" Finral thought as he understood what his fellow Black Bull meant with the point of his finger.
Vanessa turned her face to the Spatial mage and whispered; "hey, go for it. It's completely and utterly ridiculous but we're out of options. As soon as things go south - even more than they are now - then we'll pull him back".
With a shake of his head since he was clearly hating this idea, he reluctantly agreed. The mage pointed one hand at Asta and the other towards Fana.
"Spatial Magic: Fallen Angel's Twin Gates!"
Asta walked through the portal next to him only to appear right on top of Salamander and mere inches away from Fana whose eyes widened with the sudden appearance of her enemy. She was about to shout, presumably to summon a spell but Asta beat her voice.
"Right, Fana. Tell me why you hate us so much!"
Silence befell everyone including his teammates down below who were not expecting this to be his plan at all.
"That was your grand idea?!"
"You're insane!"
The Bulls were about to pull Asta back, either via the threads or by the portals, but the ashen-haired mage continued his question.
"Actually, I have an abundance of questions for you. Why do you hate us? Why do you call us humans when you're one as well? Instead of fighting, why don't you tell us what we've done wrong instead of going through all of this?!"
Fana started grinding her teeth together, getting even more angrier as time went by. She opened her mouth but instead of answering Asta's questions, she commanded the Flame Spirit.
"I have no reason to talk to you like this… Flame Spirit Magic: Salamander's Talon!" Fana shouted and Salamander descended at a high speed, leaving Asta falling since the lizard's back wasn't supporting his footing anymore. As he fell, the spirit covered its claws in a burning, red-hot fire and slashed upwards towards the mage just above.
"Oh, no!" Asta braced himself as he brought the blunt edge of the Demon-Slayer sword in front, absorbing most of the attack's force. However, it wasn't strong enough so the attack still sent him flying into the distance.
Though, the other two Black Bulls were ready for things to go south so they had a plan in mind.
"Argh, Asta, you better pay me back a year's worth of your wages for helping you out like this!" Vanessa shouted as she flung her thin, purple strings in the air, catching the mage's ankles in a wrap.
"Oh, I could do with the money as well, you know!" Finral added, opening and closing his palm where Vanessa pulled Asta downwards. He disappeared into the portal but before he could reappear, the two exchanged a quick look and nodded.
"But we'll leave that talk for later. Right now… we'll believe in you!"
Finral motioned his other arm back at Fana for the second time and Asta showed up, this time even closer to the enemy.
"I can feel your hatred", Asta said with a serious expression. "I don't even need Ki since it's plastered all over your face. Your friend, Vetto, also hated us but… he was full of despair", he continued as his voice started to break thinking about the enemy's death.
"Tell me why you feel like this!"
"Why… I… feel like this…? I have a reason why. It's because…". Fana closed her eyes for a few seconds as a collection of memories filled her head. They were hazy, like some were missing.
FLASHBACK:
The darkness faded as my eyes opened.
There were large grasslands as far as she could see with a strong wind rustling each blade of grass on the floor. Mountainous regions spanned the horizons in front but there was a lone figure walking away from her - a smile adorning his face.
"Licht, is that person a human?"
Her eyes switched from looking at the young man towards another. This one had pointed ears, golden eyes, and a bright smile. His long hair that was tied into a ponytail swayed in the wind as he replied.
"Why, yes, he is a human. He's come to be one of my closest friends".
I blinked again and, this time, another memory showed up.
The same, lone figure that was walking away was now addressing a large group of people. He had a royal attire on with a long, blue robe covering most of his upper half. A red and white suit was underneath with white trousers and black boots at the bottom.
"I believe that this will become a world where we can live together, side by side, as friends and as a family. We can understand each other".
The young man with messy, dirty-blonde hair spoke calmly, yet with a tone of certainty in his voice.
"He's a bit odd but… I think we can believe in what he's saying", Fana replied as her smile lit up. She turned her face to where Licht was standing and he wore the same expression, perhaps even stronger than hers.
He continued talking. "Your mana is greater than ours. Elven mana… if we combine it with our magical items, we can head to a life of peace and prosperity!"
Yet again, another blink and another memory started.
The Elves were celebrating. Flowers being thrown in the air and decorations hanging around the land. They were all smiling and laughing whilst focusing on a pedestal at the front which held two people up and they were hand in hand, blushing furiously at one another as they leaned in for a kiss.
"Wow. I've never experienced a wedding like this before!" Fana clapped her hands together as her sea-green eyes teared up at the scene.
She saw Licht kiss his wife in front of everyone and they all screamed. The woman he married was human but no one had a problem with it. She had long, dirty-blonde hair with calm, green eyes. Her wedding dress was long and touched the floor she was standing on and she also wore a white headdress with clear flowers and green leaves across the top.
Two voices emerged from next to her and they shared the happy feeling Fana had.
"Now, now, Fana. Maybe when you're older, you'll be able to marry that friend you've been playing with. You know, the one you've been meeting in secret?" A calm voice said, sticking his tongue out.
"Leave her alone, Rhya. You can't be teasing her like that. So what if she's in love with him? This is a day to celebrate Licht and his wife's marriage!" A rougher voice replied from the other side.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll leave all that talk for some other time. You're right, Vetto", Rhya answered.
All the while, Fana, who was in the middle, was blushing even more than she was when she witnessed the kiss between Elf and Human. Her face represented her magical attribute which was telling, to say the least.
"Ah, you guys! That's enough about him!" Fana covered her face, running to the back to be with her other friends.
Then, another memory played out. It started to get quicker and I'm not sure which event came in what order.
A group of Elves sat around a brown table with two humans at the middle. Licht was talking to everyone whilst his wife sat huddled close to him. One hand held his whilst her other was holding onto the young man's who was also next to her.
"The mana has gave us its blessing. My wife and I… we're ready to bring our child into this world with all your love in it. This child will be the best of us and is our future… No, it is all of our future!"
One more memory crashed in. My head is starting to pound as I recall this next event.
The sky was red as if hell was raining down onto the ground. Bullets of magical power were being showered from the heavens. Bloodcurdling screams rang around, filling the area.
Fana looked up into the sky and saw a yellow circle in the sky shooting down magic. She looked around and saw her friends and her family dead on the floor with gaping holes through their bodies.
"The magic… It's killing… everyone!" She screamed as she analysed what was happening. Mother… Father… they're dead. They're dead. They're dead…!"
She started running towards the centre, dodging the attacks from the sky and her grimoire came up next to her.
"I can do this…! Flame Ma…!"
She stopped talking.
She stopped running.
She stopped fighting.
Down on the floor and she couldn't comprehend what was happening until she tilted her head down towards her chest.
"B-B-Blood…".
There was a hole through her chest as she had been shot down by the magic. Her face met the cold floor and her eyes started to glaze over. The last thing she could see was Licht in the distance with someone's dead body in his arms. Then, a plethora of thoughts rushed through her pounding brain.
"Who did this?"
"Who is responsible?"
"Who did we hurt?"
"Light Magic? But only… he has that magic".
"We trusted him".
"We believed in him".
"We loved him".
"I swear… your kind… will never live through this. Be it tomorrow, or next year, or way into the future. You are getting what you deserve".
Fana's vision turned black as a stream of tears poured out of her eyes. Her body stopped moving and she went limp.
She stopped breathing.
FLASHBACK - END
"I… feel like this because you… humans are… responsible!" Fana's eyes turned red and the stone jewel on her forehead cracked, revealing a third eye.
Salamander roared as it grew in size almost instantly after this change in the enemy. Her third eye was glowing red and so was the Flame Spirit. Its body became even bigger and muscular. Its fangs grew longer and its own eyes were gushing a red-hot glow. Its fingertips turned into streams of fire and its wings spanned even wider.
"Asta, jump off Salamander right now! She's grown that third eye which means…", Vanessa gulped as she remembered just how strong Vetto became after unleashing his extra eye.
"Spatial Magic: Fallen Ang…!" Finral tried to cast his spell to save Asta but Fana was already one step ahead of the nobleman.
"Not. This. Time!" She shouted again as her voice started to strain. More of her magic bursted out of her body. She, herself, was like a spouting flame burning everything as it grew larger. As she did this, clusters of thick minerals emerged and grew out of Salamander as if it was an extra layer of protection. It was going to cover the areas where Finral would place his portals, leaving him no room to target.
"Huh? That magic is…!" Asta noted, eyeing up the secondary attribute that Fana just displayed.
Panic was setting in even more now. Finral's portals were being defended against and Vanessa wasn't able to find use with her threads either.
"My magic is burning up!" The witch shouted, trying her best to get her threads in the air but having no progress.
Asta had no choice but to jump off the large spirit. Finral and Vanessa couldn't get to him but it was better than being burnt alive by the heat that both host and spirit were giving off.
"I'll look to break my fall with my swords… If not, then…!"
The two Bulls on the ground saw the play Asta made and their eyes widened in horror but there was no time to complain. Even though the odds were stacked against them, Finral and Vanessa tried their hardest to bring Asta towards them. However…
"Useless!" Fana screamed, exerting more of her mana which pulsated throughout the area. The Black Bulls were immobile and useless at this point.
Fana saw Asta jump off and was about to land on the ground near his squad mates but she saw an opportunity for revenge.
"Take this, humans. For all the suffering you've caused us… let me return the favour!"
It looked like all hope was lost and that feeling was going to be cemented as Salamander shot out its signature attack. Its strength had increased and the Flame Magic was set to destroy everything in its path. Asta started to feel the heat even more as well as Finral and Vanessa as all three of them were in range.
"Flame Spirit Magic: Salamander's Breath!"
The enormous fireball was descending towards the Magic Knights but then it slowed down as it seemed to meet some resistance. Fana, as well as the Black Bulls that were moments away from being burned, looked to see what the hold up was and what they saw was nothing short of extraordinary.
"Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Cradle!"
Noelle had stepped into the fray to help, returning to her fellow squad mates. The orb of water that she summoned spiralled around herself and the others protecting them from the enemy's attack.
"Now you're a sight for sore eyes", Vanessa said as she hugged the girl in front of her.
"That's true. You saved our asses, Noelle!" Finral waved.
"Your spell is so cool! I still don't get how it works but, hey, no way that I'm complaining!" Asta praised with stars in his eyes. He was gawking all around, still not understanding how they can breathe when surrounded by water.
The royal performed her signature move by flicking one of her ponytails to the side. "Daisy and I were dealing with those hurt witches from before as well as one of the enemy soldiers. Thankfully, we got back in time".
"Speaking of which, where is she?" Vanessa asked, looking around but not seeing a fifth person.
"Oh, right. Before I came here, we decided to split up. If you look behind Fana… you'll see what I'm talking about!" Noelle moved the cradle a few metres away, creating distance between them and the member of the Third Eye and then released her spell.
On the other side, behind Fana and Salamander, stood Daisy with her arms crossed and a smirk across her face.
"Ha. Looks like it's time to test my new play out against you!" She shouted. Though her voice grabbed the enemy's attention, it wasn't quick enough as the Ice mage already got started.
"Ice Magic: Frozen Quake!" She pressed her arms down onto the floor, causing multiple, strong pillars of ice to shoot upwards.
The magic was hard to avoid for the enemy and Fana tried her best to command Salamander accordingly. However, it wasn't good enough due to the sheer amount of obstacles now in the way, courtesy of the Blue Rose Knight.
"And now… Ice Magic: Skater's Heaven!" Daisy jumped in the air and landed on one of her pillars at an angle. She then started walking quickly which turned into a swift glide across the pillars.
"What the? It's like she's participating in some kind of obstacle course!" Asta mentioned, impressed with what he was seeing.
Daisy was jumping to-and-fro from pillar to pillar, all the while keeping her speed to confuse Fana. However, the enemy in question was less thatn impressed with what was going on.
"This is ridiculous. I can see how slowly she's going. Is it just some sort of spectacle to annoy me?" She raised her hand and Salamander roared in response. It shot out a ball of flames, heading straight for the Ice Magic, yet it only broke and melted a few of them instead of all for some reason. "What?!"
Daisy smirked as she formed more pillars in the wake of the destroyed ones. "You don't know the amount of times I've practiced against Flame Magic. All to teach that bastard, Aiden, some respect when he addresses me! Next time he's rude, I'm goinf to challenge him to a spar. Let's see how rude he is to me when I beat him into the ground!" She focused on the task at hand ajnd shook her other, less important for the time being, thoughts to the back of her head. "That's enough with that... Almost got carried away there, ha!"
"And that's my cue, guys!" Noelle said, seeing the broken and melted pillars. She rushed ahead, away from the three Black Bulls. "Hey, Fana, over here!" She waved, getting her attention.
"Now you're back? What plan do you have up your sleeve, human?"
Noelle summoned a barrage of water bullets, firing them all at Fana and Salamander. Since water was strong against fire, it was dealing some damage but it still wasn't enough to defeat them.
"Haha, yes, Noelle! Thanks to your distraction, I can keep attacking from this side whilst you attack from yours. And.. it's not only because of you that I'm testing this strategy out since Luck helped me out with making this work!"
Daisy kept on skating whilst simultaneously summoning more and more ice pillars to disorientate Fana, all the while piercing through the flying lizard which only made both of them erratic.
"You… humans love to piss me off, don't you?! Flame Spirit Magic: Salamander's Breath!" Fana screamed, unleashing an attack towards Daisy.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Noelle responded in equal measure, screaming. She pointed her wand at Fana. "Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Cradle!"
The Silva surrounded the two in the large sphere of water that she previously used to protect her friends. Now, she's using it in a different way but it still led to her protecting Daisy.
"Keep the weight on my feet heavy so that I'm stable and increase my speed gradually…", Daisy thought to herself as she kept her eyes glued to them. Then, second-by-second, she got faster as she eased the weight off her feet, closing in to the middle of her ice pillars where Fana was trapped.
The Blue Rose started to struggle as the grip on her feet loosened since the difference of weight was exposed. This was only the second time she practiced this spell but, for now, it was good enough as she was close to where she needed to be.
Suddenly, Noelle's spell started bubbling as heat escaped from it. Within seconds, steam erupted from all over and the cradle burst open, splashing water all around the area.
"I'm free at last… Now, I don't care what happens since I'm going all out!" Fana's eyes turned all red and so did Salamander's. "If my flames can't get through, I'll just use this - Mineral Creation Magic: Harpe!" The cluster of minerals around the flame-lizard started spinning at high speeds, giving them a sharp edge. She launched them at both Daisy and Noelle to put them off their plan.
The three other Black Bulls got moving way before Fana reacted, giving them enough time to help out.
"How on earth is she using another attribute?!" Finral shouted, perplexed at what he saw. He pointed his hand at one of the mineral clusters, forming a spatial portal for them to go through. The free hand formed the destination portal which it went through.
"At this point, it's better to ask if someone only has one attribute… First Lucas and now her? Actually, doesn't that other Shining General have two attributes as well?!" Vanessa replied sarcastically, though she was every bit as shocked at her teammate. She launched her threads at the other cluster, carefully guiding it elsewhere and through Finral's open portal.
Both Harpe clusters ended up where Asta was waiting with his Demon-Slayer and Demon-Dweller swords in hand. He slashed at them both, yet they kept coming. So, instead of repeating his strike, he deflected them into a tree in the distance and followed it up with a hack-and-slash combo, making sure they couldn't keep coming. Unfortuntately, the tree came tumbling down with thin logs all over the floor because of the Mineral attack but it wasn't like the rest of the forest was any better.
"It's good that Fana is so focused on those two. We can actually use our magic without fear of burning up…", Vanessa sighed with a sense of relief.
Whilst Finral and Vanessa retreated back, now that they helped with the Harpe spell, they saw Asta deep in thought.
"Doesn't it look like that Fana and Salamander are connected?" Asta asked after mulling it over for a few seconds.
"I mean, she's the host so they have to have some sort of link. Not to mention that when she grew her third eye, the spirit grew stronger", Finral added.
"Your friend, Yuno and his spirit… they're connected by some telepathic link so it's safe to say that there's some level of that here as well", Vanessa nodded.
Asta nodded and scratched his head, deep in thought about something. "If we can't defeat Fana since Salamander keeps getting in the way, why don't we attack Salamander as hard as we can, ignoring the host on top? If they're connected, then the damage would be the same!" He thought over this plan but only for a second or two before shouting at Noelle.
"Noelle, use your attack spell! Remember how you blew off Vetto's arm back in the temple? Well, do that here!"
Finral and Vanessa joined in, recognising that it was a good plan.
"Go on, girl! We believe that you can do it!"
"Show her what you're made of!"
Noelle blushed as she heard her friends behind her. She gripped her wand tightly and pointed it above and in front of her. "If you said all of that before I joined the Black Bulls, then I wouldn't have the courage to do so… but ever since I got to know you lot… I've become stronger so, of course, I'm going to give it all I have!"
The Silva shouted back with a smile after. "Thanks for the tip and the encouragement! I'm stronger because of you and… I'm no longer a failure!"
"Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Roar!" Noelle generated her attack spell and the head of the water dragon formed at the tip of her wand. This was indication enough for Daisy to move onto the next and last phase of their dangerous plan.
"There she goes. Just like against Shidan, we'll recreate our winning formula!" Daisy skated across the last pillar of ice before jumping into the air with her arms pointing forwards.
"Flame Spirit Magic: Salamander's Heatwave!" Fana wasn't going to let the two teenagers have their way for much longer as she responded with a strong attack spell. There was an aura coming off the flying lizard as if it was producing its own layer of heat. All of a sudden, it materialised into a ring and shot itself outwards, going in all directions.
It sliced off the ice pillars from Daisy with ease. The sea dragon was coming but the spirit's spell slashed through the lower half of the dragon, causing it to leak and pour water down below.
"Tsk!" Noelle bit her lip but no way she was going to give up. She knew her friends were behind her supporting her with the plan and she knew Daisy was counting on her from the other side. "I can keep going…!" Noelle spun her wand around, regaining control of her dragon and the damaged entity sped up, opening its mouth and clamped down on the Flame Spirit, cutting through its orange skin.
"Salamander?!" Fana was bewildered at what she saw. Her Flame Spirit was going to lose and now that she had no form of extra defence as she was also exposed.
"Ice Magic: Shard Barrage + Frozen Storm!" Daisy summoned two spells at the exact same time. Her open palms turned a light blue, generating shards of sharp ice as well as a continuous storm of ice. They both headed for the defenceless Fana that was still focused on the damaged Salamander.
Within seconds, the ice spells pummeled right into Fana who crashed down into the floor with a case of ice around her, courtesy of Shard Barrage. Frozen Storm slowed the enemy down enough for her to get frozen in place. Now, Fana was on the floor, stopped in place, with a damaged and unconscious Flame Spirit beside her.
Daisy saw her success but didn't account for how to land properly. She looked below and saw that the ground was no longer frozen due to the literal heat of the battle. She was heading for the ground with no way to break her fall but someone came in clutch.
A purple thread wrapped around Daisy, bringing her in close to the others. She looked at the source and saw that it was Vanessa who came to the rescue.
"Thanks for the save, Vanessa", she smiled.
"We should be saying that to you and Noelle!" Vanessa replied, amazed with what she saw from the two teens in front of her.
"It was nothing", Noelle replied calmly. "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! That was insane!" Her internal voice was screaming, though it didn't translate to what she had the others see.
"Though, that plan of yours was completely reckless and utterly insane, even if it worked". Vanessa scolded the two all of a sudden, attempting to be some kind of responsible adult.
"It does fit the Black Bulls way though, you have to admit!" Asta laughed out loud. "Say, you thought about joining our squad, Daisy?" He joked.
"Oh, yeah… My head being squished after Captain Yami runs out of toilet paper… Who could say no?" The Ice mage rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out.
"That Daisy… Double Spell Activation? That's something insanely complicated for a Commoner like her. I wonder where learned that skill?" Vanessa wondered.
Back with Fana, she was trapped and couldn't move but it wasn't like she was trying to at all. She was still and just stared at the group of Magic Knights in front of her. Her transformed, red eyes saw their every movement and her ears caught every sound.
"I really thought the others would have joined you by now". Noelle looked around for any sign of them but couldn't find a trace.
"It's been a while since we've seen them. I hope Lucas and the others are faring well with the Diamond Kingdom", Asta wished.
That was when the ground started to shake. At the exact time Lucas's name was mentioned, the area where Fana was started to open up.
"That name again… I know I've heard it before but I can't get a hold of it. That name irks me in a weird way and I have no idea why! I came here… to fulfill the mission and help out Licht with retrieving the Magic Stone. Yet… once he mentioned that the Hybrid would be here as well…".
"The Black Bulls are heading there and that means the human with the master's weapons will be there. That's only part of it though… there is the case of the Hybrid being there as well".
"I'm not losing to you humans… without getting an answer!" Her third eye flared up and she got another boost.
"Blazing Flame Magic: Magma Blitz!" A hazy, red steam filled the area. It was similar to Salamander's Heatwave but it came from the ground and was seperate to the Flame Spirit. The floor opened up and a fountain of lava erupted from within, spreading across the area.
"Holy shit, it's like a live volcano!" Finral cursed as he ran ahead with the others behind him. It was entirely appropriate considering the situation they were in.
"Over there!" Daisy pointed at where Asta shot the Harpe spell. The floor was full of broken-up wood and sticks. There were also plenty of logs that were thin enough to become makeshift broomsticks and that was exactly what she was alluding to. "With those, we can get out of here!"
"Good thinking, Daisy!" Asta pumped his fists. "Well, any of you magic users... Go put your magic into it or whatever since I can't do it!"
Finral and Vanessa hurriedly turned two of them into temporary broomsticks and partnered with Asta and Noelle behind them. Daisy converted the other and they were finally airborn, getting away from the volcano-like floor.
"Blazing Flame Magic: Ashen-Haven!" Black mist started to form around Fana and it was spreading across the air quite quickly. As it fell on the floor, even more flames started to emerge.
The Magic Knights were far enough for the time being but they needed to do something to defeat this enemy.
"What even is Blazing Flame Magic in the first place?" Daisy asked, not recognising the attribute.
"I'm not sure but if I had to hazard a guess… it's some form of Forbidden Magic. When we fought Vetto and when his third eye came out, he unleashed something called Mystical Beast Magic. Perhaps it's similar to that?" Finral guessed, turning his broom to look at Fana's destruction.
"I see", Daisy replied.
Fana looked up and saw that her enemies were in the sky and she couldn't reach them with how she was right now. Looking behind her, she saw Salamander in pain as it had a chunk of its body missing due to Sea Dragon's Roar.
She turned and knelt down beside it, trying to comfort with her arms. "I know you're hurt but I can help. As long as you give me your strength, I can heal you…", she whispered.
Salamander's cries quietened down as it growled slowly. It closed its eyes and its breathing became calmer again. Its fiery-red aura transferred into Fana and they shared another connection before its host whispered once again;
"Blazing Flame Recovery Magic: Phoenix Robe!" The Third Eye that represented Hatred surrounded the Flame Spirit in an intense, yet calm flame, helping it get up again. Though it wasn't enough to fully recover it, the spirit could now fly once again.
The Magic Knights saw this and needed to respond right away otherwise they were in for another brutal battle. Again, Asta was silent as he thought about something.
"Regular magic attacks seem to weaken them but they can't defeat her. I guess it's time for me to show off what I can do!"
He addressed the rest of them with his arms open wide and stars in his eyes. "Get me close so I can use my special move!"
"Special move?" The others repeated in confusion.
"Haha, it's a surpris-!" Asta tried to reply but was cut off.
"This is no time for surprises!" Noelle shouted.
"I guess… But there's not enough time to explain. Get me in close and I'll show you. Please, trust me!" The magicless mage pumped his chest, confident in his abilities.
"It's a tough one but all you need is speed, right?"
"We can do that for you. Show us what you've got!"
Finral and Vanessa placed their trust in their junior once again. He hasn't betrayed them yet and they know he won't this time.
"If it's speed you need, I can help out as well". Daisy pointed to herself, ready to combine her powers with the Black Bulls.
Vanessa tied her threads at the end of hers and Finral's broomsticks. The middle point where they joined up was tied around Asta's waist. He jumped off from Finral's broom as the two were flying ahead, leaving himself being pulled along by the other two.
"Ah, I see… This is going to be some sort of slingshot", Noelle noted as she saw everything go down.
"Now, go as fast as you can and then stop abruptly. Don't ask, just do it, please!" Asta asked, earning a nod from his two seniors.
Finral and Vanessa sped up until they were near Fana who was also closing in. Suddenly, they stopped and the momentum that Asta had caused him to zoom forwards. He positioned his body so that his head was facing Fana whilst his feet were firmly and straight behind him. In front, he held out his Demon-Slayer sword and Demon-Dweller sword, ready to attack.
"Seems like I'll add my piece!" Daisy motioned her arm forwards and created a platform of ice underneath Asta to which he slid across, increasing his speed.
"Your stupid plan is nothing. Die!" Fana summoned Harpe and Salamander shot its flames out to kill the incoming mage. However, right in front of Asta, a grey portal appeared.
"And now, it's my turn!" Finral opened a portal in front with the other one just evading the two attacks.
"Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Cradle!" Noelle shouted, protecting herself and the other three from the two attacks that Asta evaded. They were still coming in a straight line but had bounced off of Noelle's defensive spell. She undid her spell just in time to see what Asta had in store.
"Thanks to my friends… I'm here right now. You won't be killing anyone. Not if I have a say in it!" Asta shouted, gripping the handles of his blades as tightly as he could.
He was inches away from Salamander but he wasn't letting up. His swords met the Flame Spirit's torso and started stabbing through it, ripping it in half. Due to the increased speed he gathered, he was going to go straight through and that was exactly what he did.
"Bull Thrust!" Asta called out the name of his special move.
Fana's red eyes showed an emotion that he hadn't shown once since she arrived. It happened as she saw Salamander be ripped into shreds and she started to fall.
It was fear.
Or perhaps it was sadness.
Her face showed multiple, negative expressions and none of them were of hatred as she had continously displayed.
She and Salamander crashed onto the floor and as she did, she saw a lone figure in the distance close in. Her eyes were blurry and she couldn't see properly but she couldn't have been mistaken here. It was the face of the person she had been thinking about since the time in Nean.
"Lucas".
NOTES:
I changed this chapter up quite a bit compared to the canon one. It was mainly because of Daisy's inclusion and what happened in the previous chapter as well as the whole thing with Lucas's and Fana's connection. It has been alluded to more than once and you'll be getting some answers soon enough, don't worry!
The flashback I had with Fana was kind of done in a different way. I guess it was mostly third-person but with some first-person elements with how I mentioned that present-time Fana kept opening and closing her eyes whilst she witnessed past-time Fana's memories. I'm testing out a new format when it comes to flashbacks since there's a very important chapter in the future where it will all be a flashback. Let me know what you thought!
I also made the end of that flashback kind of dark and eerie with Fana's perspective. I just liked writing it that way.
I'm liking Daisy and Noelle's partnership. That's all I've gotta say when it comes to them, ha.
Also, if you remembered, 'Blazing Flame Magic' actually appeared in Chapter 59 when Rhya used it. It was a little foreshadow that it was Fana's Forbidden Magic. I wonder if anyone made the connection?
