Chapter 80: Remember
Disclaimer:
Quite the long, informative chapter here, hope you guys are ready! Originally, I wanted this to be two parts but it seemed right that it was all one.
There are references to events in past chapters to help with foreshadowing and whatnot. Here they are:
Chapter 17-19, 36, 43, 65, 78.
With that said, I hope you enjoy!
"Have we… finally won?"
This one thought was shared by the Magic Knights that worked together to fight Fana from the Eye of the Midnight Sun's Third Eye. Asta had charged through Salamander with his special move, Bull Thrust, whilst the others watched in complete awe at seeing his insane plan actually work.
Finral teleported Asta back and all five mages reconvened as they landed a few minutes away from where the enemy crashed.
"Hehehe…", Asta scratched his nose as he smiled confidently. "What did you think about my special move?"
The other four just sighed before giving the ashen-haired mage a smile.
"It… certainly suited you. I don't know what you're thinking but when it's things like that then I can't help but be amazed", Finral replied.
"We certainly do make a good team. Just… try to tell us what your plan is before we put it in place, alright?" Vanessa asked, shrugging her shoulders openly.
"Hmph. Relaying your plan to us would've been the smart thing to do, you know? But…", Noelle paused as she got closer to the other Black Bulls. "... But I'll let you off just this one time", she added, flicking her left ponytail.
Vanessa giggled and suddenly grouped the other three in a hug for a second or two before a cough at the back brought their attention back. They looked over and it was Daisy who had her arms crossed with a raised eyebrow to top it off.
"Are you forgetting about me?" She asked, rather sarcastically.
"Of course, not!" The Black Bulls said in unison before finally acknowledging her with another hug.
"Okay", Finral said after another few seconds. "I'm all for hugs but we should probably check on Fana. Salamander seems to be gone but if our fight against Vetto told us anything, it's that those Third Eye guys can still pull something off".
Immediately, the embrace with the five of them separated and the Magic Knights ran towards Fana.
Just before Asta had taken down the Flame Spirit, Lucas was already en route by charging through the forest.
"I can feel the heat from here… The others must be having a tough time with Fana. If only I could make it in time…!" He thought as he was swinging from tree to tree.
The Golden Dawn mage was trying to get the hang of his new technique with the Dual Blades and, seeing that it was quicker than just running, decided to traverse in a different way.
"I need to understand just what's going on here. First, there's two parties in the forest, three if you count us. One is the Eye of the Midnight Sun and the other is the Diamond Kingdom. But… Just what are they after? The former have an obsession with those Magic Stones, so that's probably why they're here but the latter? I have no idea…", he deduced but still ended up feeling frustrated by not knowing the facts.
"If the fight against Rhya showed me anything, it was that the Eye of the Midnight Sun is persistent in what they want, so I'm going to have to be on top of my game. But…", he paused as he pictured Fana's face in his head. "... I need to find out just what the connection is between me and her!"
Suddenly, an ear-splitting growl and a shriek of pain came from the direction he was headed. Lucas turned his head to look up at the darkened sky and saw that Fana and Salamander were crashing down onto the floor.
"Did the Black Bulls do it?" He asked out loud, hoping to see them and that they were okay. Though, this didn't stop his plan in finding out answers as he picked up the speed even more.
Eventually, he entered another, large and open area of the forest but despite it being like where he fought against Mariella or Mystic, this particular place wasn't exactly naturally-made.
"Woah. Was all this because of their fight?" He looked around at the destruction nearby.
Trees were burned down into black ash on the floor. The green leaves on the outskirts that weren't destroyed had turned brown because of the thick heat all around. The otherwise lush floor was all discoloured. Fire was still raging all around but, in the middle of it all, was a small crater with the figure of a woman on the floor with her head facing towards Lucas.
The torn body of the Flame Spirit was right behind her and it had lost all its vibrant colours, instead turning paler as the seconds went by.
"Fana…", Lucas muttered as he took the sight in. His grimoire came out floating right beside him just in case anything happened. His mind fell to the moment where Rhya had grabbed him after seeming like he had been defeated back at the Temple of Valchronos.
Surprisingly, a response came from the injured enemy. She reached her arm out as if she was pointing but it quickly turned into a fist, using it to prop herself up once again.
"Lucas", she said as her wide, red eyes stared into his blue ones.
The Magic Knight was somewhat frozen, not reacting to seeing the enemy slowly get up but it was also the same vice-versa. Fana didn't showcase any killing intent as she had been throughout the day and it was like they were waiting for the other to talk first.
Taking the initiative, Lucas started speaking.
"You know me?"
"I do. And it seems like you know me as well", she replied quickly and with haste as the sound of her voice increased. "My question is…!"
All of a sudden, Fana fell down onto one knee, grunting as it hit the floor. She clutched her head with her hands and her pupils were widening and thinning with some kind of shock. The inside of her mind was pulsating as if something heavy was constantly weighing it down and it was trying its best to resist it. Sweat fell from her head and onto the floor and her voice started to shake.
Lucas took a step closer, worried about what was happening but he still kept his guard up. "Wh-What's wrong?"
Her two eyes reverted back to her sea-green colour but then, after the next blink, turned back to red. This happened a few times in succession so she wasn't in control of herself and the constant change showed this. Her third eye was the only one that remained open throughout.
"Her third eye… It seems to be having some kind of negative effect on her", Lucas realised. He was about to take another step, but…
"Get away from me!"
All of a sudden, Fana's body started to glow brighter as if she was enveloped by a red and orange light. Her Flame Magic was almost bursting out of her body and this shot Lucas backwards. He barely kept his footing as he slid across the dry floor. He lifted his head but couldn't react in time as he saw the enemy mage close in with her overwhelming flames.
"Blazing Flame Magic: Sizzling Striker!"
She wrapped her hands into fists and shot them forwards at a blistering speed. Each hit sent Lucas back further until his back crashed into a large rock that was on the side.
"Argh!" He shouted as he hit. He turned his head back and saw that the rock itself had started to melt because of the heat and if he didn't move away from it, his flesh would start burning up.
"Fana, you were about to ask me something so why are you fighting me all of a sudden?!" Lucas questioned, quickly getting up and covering himself in a yellow aura.
"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!" Her voice kept raising and it didn't seem like she was willing to listen.
"Light Reinforcement Magic: Flashing Armour Ritual!" With an 'X' shape forming with his arms across his chest, he transferred his Light Magic throughout his body all around, giving an increase to his defensive capabilities. "If you're not going to listen, then I'll just have to defeat you!" He said before disappearing from Fana's sight at a high speed.
Fana didn't respond to him. Instead, her eyes were now closed with her third one being the only one open.
"I wanted… to ask him about it. About… what happened after… but something is preventing me from doing so…".
Not wasting any time, Lucas attacked. He reappeared behind the enemy and his left fist started to shake. "Light Magic: Angelic Strike!" He punched Fana, just as she had done previously and she was also sent hurling backwards.
"Blazing Flame Magic: Magma Blitz!" The red steam returned to cover the area they were in. The ground was shaking and cracks started to form with a fountain of lava erupting from it.
"Time Magic: Alter Deccel!" His right palm turned anti-clockwise and a blue sphere transferred from Fana to the lava, slowing it down which gave him enough time to go on the front-foot.
He charged forwards with his Dual Blades in hand. The slowed down Magma Blitz was advantageous for him since he didn't have to worry about it for a longer amount of time and, so, when he reached Fana, she was defenceless as she didn't expect such a spell.
"Take this!" Lucas reeled his right arm back and then his left, landing two hits one after the other across Fana's strong aura, piercing through momentarily. It was acting somewhat like a barrier that he was slowly getting through. "That increased strength from her third eye is making things difficult, so I'll use a spell that ignores that advantage!" He stopped his slashes and pointed his right finger at the embodiment of hatred. "Time Magic: Heaven's Time!"
"I've seen this spell before but I'm not quick enough to dodge it. However…", she thought in the second before being frozen in time. "Blazing Flame Magic: Firestarter Spark!" She clicked her fingers, sending out a lone, red spark across to Lucas who didn't notice it at first as he focused on the secondary part of his spell.
Fana was frozen and then the blue beam of time energy crashed down, injuring Fana. When time resumed, she was on the floor once again but struggling even more this time. However, she had prepared for being hit by summoning her previous attack.
The spark floated in the air, right below Lucas's eyesight for the time being and eventually hit his foot, igniting him into flames quite quickly.
Flashing Armour Ritual was doing its job with Lucas's defence but the flames were still hurting him. He jumped backwards, away from Fana's range, and started to pat down on his clothes as fast as he could, trying to get rid of the flames around him.
"Light Binding Magic: Coils of Trapped Light!" Instead of restraining Fana, he opted to restrain himself in a way. He wrapped himself as tight as he could with his magic, cutting off all the airflow towards himself. Because of the lack of air, the flames died down since there was no oxygen momentarily.
Fana wasn't going to miss her chance since Lucas was on defensive mode. Despite being injured by Heaven's Time she moved quickly and covered her hands with a burning flame once again.
"Blazing Flame Magic: Sizzling Striker!" She shouted, repeatedly punching the Dual mage's magic, causing it to burn up, thus injuring Lucas again.
"Light Magic: Orbs of Blinding!" The ginger-haired teen generated five condensed orbs of light which span around Fana. He focused and they eventually turned a shade of blue, showcasing that he was using his Time Magic in tandem with his Light Magic. They swirled around the target, blinding her and then exploding which sent the enemy to the ground once again.
"This is literally a constant back and forth with her. I can't get my answers since she won't respond, and fighting like this is going nowhere! I'll just have to ask them as we fight and force her to talk!" Lucas thought to himself, increasingly determined to figure things out.
"I… want to kill you. You hurt Licht… you humans hurt my friends and family… but… when I see you, in particular, I… I…I-!" Fana debated in her head for a second or two before a herd of loud footsteps and a collection of shouts broke her train of thought.
Both Lucas and Fana turned their heads to the side and saw Asta and the Black Bulls with Daisy running towards them.
"There you are, Lucas!" Asta shouted, rushing ahead.
"Holy shit…", Daisy said as she looked around at the sheer amount of destruction around the area.
"We thought we defeated Fana but here you are… fighting against her. She doesn't know when to quit, does she?" Vanessa sighed, shaking her head.
"We'll just have to help you out!" Finral shouted, getting ready to fight again. The others copied him and their grimoires came out near them but Fana was already a step ahead this time.
"No. You humans are not getting in my way… again! Blazing Flame Magic: Magma Blitz!" One by one, pillars of lava formed around her and Lucas in a circle, separating them from the newly-arrived Magic Knights. It quickly started to spread which forced Asta and the others to take a few steps back, well away from the battle.
"You're going this far just to fight?" Noelle shouted. "Even if you beat Lucas, where will you go afterwards? We'll still be here to stop you!"
"Oh, I don't doubt that you humans will get in my way. I will… kill you all even if it means that my life dies with you!" Fana shouted back, clenching her fists.
"There you go with all that talk again! Why are you so willing to throw away your life? Is revenge the end goal for you even if it means that you won't be here afterwards? What about your friends… Your family?!" Asta screamed.
Using what Asta said as a cue, Lucas spoke up. He decided to say something that he had been debating the validity of in his mind ever since he first saw Fana. He wasn't sure if it was something that could happen but he just had to ask.
"Fana. Am I - Were we… friends before? I… I'm not sure how it could even be possible but… I know you, and you know me. You show up in my dreams for some reason and I really need to know…!"
His mind shifted to the first dream he had, back in Nean, after sleeping over at Daisy's house.
In his dream, Lucas saw a figure that looked straight at him. She was a rosy red colour and dressed up in a white dress that went below the knees. She had long, light-pink hair.
"You must remember me, right? All those years we were together… don't tell me you forgot?"
Then, there was another dream he had the night before he visited his family in Hoffvol.
She was dressed the same as before but her facial expressions were much clearer, giving indication on who it actually was.
"You've seen me again in that cave, Lucas. Do you still not remember… me?"
After briefly thinking back, Lucas looked at Fana for answers but, instead, saw her flinching. Her third eye closed up for a few seconds and her other two eyes reopened, showing them shift to and back from her normal, sea-green colour to the fiery red ones. She responded.
"You're… having… those d-dreams as well?"
FLASHBACK - AFTER NEAN:
Black and grey Spatial Magic emerged from the floor, revealing the Third Eye. Rhya stepped out into full view first with Vetto and Fana following quickly after.
The three were in a cave of some sort. The ceiling was dripping water down onto the floor every few seconds and the floor was uneven in some parts. There was ancient writing all across the walls, giving the place a sense of familiarity to the three as they walked through.
"Will he really be okay?" Vetto asked Rhya who turned around to face him.
"Oh, yeah, he'll be fine. He's in those glass tubes that Sally designed for us so you know he'll be back to 100% in no time…", Rhya yawned.
"Right. That Sally girl is good with her trinkets and such. She rarely gets things wrong but it's just that…", Vetto replied, sighing at the end of his sentence.
"Just that?" Rhya repeated, intrigued on what the beast was going to say.
"She's kind of scary".
Rhya stared wide-eyed at Vetto with a blank expression for a few seconds before repeating what he said. "You? You're scared of that human girl?! Man, you saying that has really woken me up, big guy!" He then turned to Fana. "Doesn't he remind you of what he was like all those years ago?"
Fana didn't respond though. She seemed to be in her own little world and after a few shouts from the other Third Eye members, she responded.
"Who was that human back there? The Hybrid - as Licht says. My head hurts when I think of him… but it feels like I know him", she asked, ignoring the previous conversation.
Rhya and Vetto exchanged looks before the former answered her question.
"I know your head must be a mess right now, but… I highly doubt he's a Hybrid. I mean, they were killed off long ago. You know… like us", he replied, tensing at the last part.
"Hybrids…", she repeated again before raising her head back up. "But, how do I know him?"
"I… I can't answer that, right now. I apologise", the Copy mage waved her second question away. He then started to pick up the pace and turned towards a different hallway which Vetto also did. Before the two disappeared, the black and white-haired mage waved at Fana. "Hey, don't think too much about it. It's been a long day, so get some rest".
Fana was left alone, thinking about the events of the last few hours.
Then, after a few hours, in the middle of the night, Fana was tossing and turning in her bed. Her room was covered in darkness with the only source of light coming from a small, open window up above her head. The eerie moonlight was barely shining through since the dark, grey clouds were overpowering its shine.
She was floating in a dark space, devoid of any light. Though, that was only for a moment or two as it was replaced by a blinding flash a few seconds after. She was placed in a plain, grassy field with a singular, large tree to the right. It had a thick and brown trunk that stretched up high and slanted towards the middle at the top. Its green leaves created a shadow down below which Fana was standing under.
Next to her, another figure materialised. Its silhouette was blue and yellow but the colour green wasn't created as they mixed. Instead, it was like two different auras, circling around and within the body, careful to not overpower each other.
"Fana? Fana…", the silhouette waved with his two hands.
She looked up, knowing that it was a dream but still following what was happening in it. Her sea-green eyes tried to look and recognise the face but… there was nothing.
"Y-Your face… I c-can't see it…", she pointed, shaking with some kind of fear.
"Oh, that's not very nice, is it? I snuck away from my family to meet you here and you can't even see me?" The silhouette folded his arms across his chest. His face was a black blur, glitching all around.
Even though Fana couldn't recognise this person, she felt safe for some reason. She knew she was dreaming, yet it was also some kind of memory as well. The Flame mage continued through the dream with this mysterious individual.
The silhouette held Fana's hand, guiding her to a designated spot under the shade and they sat by the large tree. The male pointed his left hand upwards and a beam of light came out. grabbing the fruit from above. Though, as he did so, more of them fell from the tree, banging on his head.
"Ow, ow, ow…", he winced as he rubbed his head. "There's so much in the world but I can't seem to find the cure for my clumsiness…", he pouted.
Seeing as there were more than two pieces of fruit now due to the mishap, he gathered them together so the two of them could eat and relax.
"So, you snuck away as well from your people? You know, if they catch you, then we probably can't meet again", he said, biting into the fruit in his hand.
"I… I don't know what's happening. I'm not sure how to respond. Don't dreams continue even if you realise you're in one?" She thought to herself.
And, just as she theorised, they did, as if the situation was all on auto-pilot.
"My parents… Well, you know the situation and why it's forbidden for us to meet. Because of the problems of the Hybrid race, I'm not sure how much longer we can do this…".
All of a sudden, the world started to shake which only startled Fana. The silhouette was calm and he stood up, reaching his hand for Fana's.
"It seems like you're about to wake up. Please, try to remember me next time", he smiled before starting to fade away.
The grasslands were also disappearing until it was just Fana in the black space once again. The silhouette had almost disappeared and the pink-haired teen called out before it went away.
"Please… What is your name again? I- I should know it but… my mind is all clouded!"
"Take all the time you need to remember my face but… My name is…
… Lucas".
FLASHBACK - END:
"How the heck are you alive after all these years?! The Hybrids died out after… after what happened so why are you here?!" Fana screamed, shaking her head side-to-side in a violent manner.
"There's that word again - Hybrid", he repeated, focusing. His mind was full of questions and instead of getting answers, he only had more questions on his mind.
"So, the Hybrids died out but… I'm one? I'm a human but…", he gulped as he realised something that resurfaced since he hardly thought about it. "My parents… Who are they?"
"Your voice… Your mannerisms… Your mana… It's all the same as back then but it should be impossible!" Fana's head was pulsating with pain as she tried to make sense of things. She looked up at Lucas and the only thing she thought of doing was to go on the offensive, yet again.
The Dual mage was focused deep in his thoughts and didn't notice the incoming attack from the one opposite him.
It was almost too late but the collective screams from the other Magic Knights broke him out of his train of thought and he saw what was happening.
Fana's grimoire was up and she casted a spell that shocked him.
"Blazing Flame x Mineral Magic: Sunshine Crash!" Sharp mineral clusters formed all around Fana and they glowed a bright red colour with flames all around them. She fired them all at Lucas but at different speeds making it difficult for him to dodge them properly.
"Light Creation Magic: Energy Whips!" Lucas retaliated by using his magic to slash at them from afar. He destroyed a few of the clusters but since they were all coming at different times, he could only focus on one before moving onto the next instead of all of them.
Eventually, just as Fana had planned, the flaming crystals made it through his defences and pierced through some of his skin which made Lucas grunt in pain and fall to the floor, clutching at his open wounds.
"Lucas!" Daisy shouted. She was worried about her friend but when she summoned any of her ice spells, they melted quickly because of the heat that Magma Blitz was giving off.
"We're still outside of their range because of her spell", Vanessa analysed, fidgeting as she tried to figure something out.
"This calls for the hack-and-slash technique!" Asta brought out his two Anti-Magic swords and was about to swipe at the flowing lava but Finral stopped him with a shout.
"Stop, Asta!" He panicked. "Even though you can cancel out the magic, there's still too much of it around us. If you make even one mistake, then you're a goner".
"Not to mention the fact that the lava has already affected the area. It's not just magic that's the problem but the after effect. The grassy floor is on fire due to it and you can't cancel that. The rising smoke is also a problem", Vanessa explained.
Then, they all turned to the only one that could make a difference. Their faces stared at hers and she realised what she needed to do.
"Looks like I'll show what I can do… again!" Noelle said with a strong look. "Perhaps I should've done this before but it looked like Lucas was really needing some answers from her. I'm not sure what their deal is but enough is enough. The time for talking is over!"
"Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Roar!"
Noelle's water dragon roared and circled around Fana's spell, rapidly cooling it as it flew through in a circle. There was a lot of black steam and even more smoke around the area, blinding a lot of the mages for a few seconds.
"She also has two attributes?!" Lucas realised as he looked at the angry enemy. "Even the Eye of the Midnight Sun is doing those experiments? Or is it… something from when we… apparently knew each other?" He debated in his head yet again. "Argh, I have no idea!"
With their vision being concealed, Fana decided it was time to end this. All of her eyes were open this time and they were a fiery red once more.
"I've had enough of the pain. If this is my last… attack then so be it!" She screamed, igniting flames all around her. This, in turn, made the half-torn Salamander get up once more and stand behind Fana. It had almost fully disappeared by now but the last-ditch burst of willpower from the Flame mage resonated with the Flame Spirit.
"Flame Spirit Magic: Salamander's Breath!"
A few minutes ago, on the other side of the forest, Mariella and a lot of the rescued witches were busy trying to hold Ladros back.
"Little Mariella… You disappear on us and the first thing you do as you return is try and stop me?" Ladros laughed, firing his magical bullets towards her.
"Ice Creation Magic: Spinning Shadow Shield!" The assassin summoned a shield made out of ice that reflected the magic back at the Shining General.
"Looks like Christmas came early!" Ladros laughed, dropping his guard and letting the diverted magic hit him. His arms were stretched out as if he was inviting the magic into his body. A few seconds later, he relaxed himself and his smile grew even more. "Bad move from you. I'm not the same as I was back when we trained together".
He unleashed the absorbed magic outwards but Mariella was quick enough to put up a wall of ice, defending herself from behind hit. However, the witches that she temporarily recruited weren't as skilled and they fell to his magic blasts.
"No!" Mariella saw the witches faint and fall from the sky. It was only her left in Ladros's way and he wasn't easing up in the slightest. "I knew I couldn't count on them… I just had to help them out, though…". She shook her head, getting rid of her sad thoughts. "I'm an assassin… It's time to act like one…".
"You're awfully quiet, Mariella. Are you scared… Nah, that's not it. The only thing you'd be thinking of is…".
Right as he was about to finish his sentence, Mariella emerged at his back. It was like she had disappeared into thin air before reappearing. "Ice Magic: Frozen Mist…", she summoned silently. However, it was useless as Ladros was expecting it.
He finished his sentence as she reappeared, turning his face to meet hers. "... trying to blitz me with your speed", he shrugged as he closed his eyes, not impressed with what she chose to do".
"How?!" She shouted but that was all she could do as she felt the attribute-less mage's hand around her neck.
"Don't you remember how we used to train, day and night? I know all your tricks yet you know none of mine…", he said plainly with no eerie happiness as he had been displaying earlier. "Time to die".
His arm shined white as he gathered his mana into one place. It was the same as how he'd shoot his magic bullets but concentrated in one of his arms. He was about to kill the Ice assassin with his increased strength but then…
The ground shook.
This took Ladros's attention elsewhere and he looked behind him, seeing pillars of lava rise up in the distance.
"Huh?" He questioned. "Hang on… Magic of that size could be a problem and… those three traitors are heading straight for it. Could they have figured it out? Mars definitely knows about my magic so it's definitely a possibility!"
Ladros panicked and eased the grip he had around Mariella's neck but he was cautious enough to not let go. He decided to make chasing Mars and the others his top priority but he still needed to deal with things here.
"Killing you is a waste anyway", he grunted as he tensed his arm. He threw Mariella far away and her back crashed into the ground, immediately causing her to pass out upon impact. "That'll do for now. Brining you back to the Diamond Kingdom for a reward is useless as well considering… Well, anyways".
He rushed ahead, following the trio's trail that had managed to escape him.
Further along the path, a few minutes ahead, Fanzell, Domina, and Mars flew together in the air. The three were on the red-haired man's wind platform that was taking them towards where the overwhelming magic was.
"Is that… Salamander, in the distance?" Mars gulped, seeing a half-deformed lizard roaring with its flames going haywire.
"It has to be. I was here with some others and they were fighting against it but… It doesn't seem like they defeated it", Fanzell replied.
"Could your fiancee do anything to help, you know, with her trinkets and such?" Mars asked.
"Hey, I'm right here, you know! Talk to me if you want to know something! Still as air-headed as ever, I see", Domina teased but quickly stopped as she realised it wasn't exactly the time for it. "I can definitely whip something up but I need to know what exactly we're up against. I know it's a Flame Spirit but I'd need to know what the host is like before developing something to use".
The three carried on and more of what was around Salamander came into view.
Down below, the Magic Knights seemed to be at a disadvantage against Fana and Salamander. It was generating a powerful blast of magic that it could unleash at any second and Lucas was right in its crosshairs.
"Come here, Lucas! Don't do anything rash!" Daisy shouted, trying to get closer since Sea Dragon's Roar doused Fana's lava that was previously circling around her and Lucas.
Lucas quickly retreated back, grouping with the rest of the Magic Knights. He stood next to Asta and the two exchanged quick glances.
"Gah, I might get burned but I'll have to cut it in half! Just think it's like Magma's fireballs… only bigger… and stronger… and deadlier…", he gulped before jumping in its way.
"I'm not letting you do this on your own, Asta! I'll stop it in place and then you cut through, okay?!" Lucas said with a quick nod afterwards.
Vanessa and Finral were also trying their hardest to help but the threads were easily burning away, not to mention their lack of mana since they had been fighting all day.
Lucas pointed his right arm forwards and Asta clutched his Demon-Slayer sword were about to combine and take out the spirit's attack but a shout from above stopped them in their tracks.
"Hang on, you two!"
The two looked up quickly to see Fanzell and Domina flying towards them. There was also another that the two knew as soon as they saw his clothing and his spiky hair. Domina dropped down, landing with the mages.
"Old Man Zell!" Asta called out, responding.
"Why is he with the enemy?!" Lucas shouted, confused and also angered.
Not noticing the new arrivals, Fana and Salamander unleashed their attack. Salamander's Breath was heading right at the two opposite her.
"There's no time to explain! Use your sword to deflect the attack up here and we'll do the rest!" Fanzell ordered.
"I have no idea why but I'll trust you!" Asta shouted back, ready to swing his broadsword.
Lucas took a few steps back, nearing Daisy and the others. "It seems like they need the spell for something so using Heaven's Time won't be good", he deduced.
Just as Fanzell relayed the order, Ladros appeared from behind and he was gaining distance on them at a high speed.
"Hahahaha! You don't think I know what you're trying?! Imagine trying to plan against me. Well, it won't work since I'm stronger than ever!" Ladros cackled, drawing closer. He wasn't really paying attention to what was around him except for Fanzell and Mars in front.
Asta deflected the large fireball upwards, just as he was directed to. He lifted his head and waited to see just what it was that they were planning.
"Mars, you know what I'm thinking, right?!" Fanzell asked, staring at the incoming attack.
"Yep. Wait until the last moment and have that Spirit Magic hit Ladros!" Mars nodded.
The two waited a few seconds until Salamander's Breath was within an arm's distance and then the older fugitive separated his wind platform into two. He headed towards the right while Mars went to the left.
"Oh, so now you're splitting up? What's the fun in tha-!" Ladros stopped talking as he finally saw what was around him and it wasn't good news. His face started to light up a bright, red colour with the reflection of the massive fireball about to hit him. "H-Hang on… This is…!"
Fanzell and Mars paired up again to the side.
"Spirit Magic", Mars answered for him. "I know there's a limit on how much magic you can absorb and Spirit Magic has to be too much, even for someone as powerful as you!" He said as he watched his former co-Shining General start to burn up.
Screams filled the air as Fana and Salamander's attack hit another target. Ladros fell out of the sky and landed far into the distance, away from the rest of the mages.
The Diamond Kingdom duo landed and now everyone, except for Mariella, had joined up together once again with an additional arrival.
"I get wanting me to send that attack up there to defeat that guy that was chasing you but…", Asta started but Lucas interrupted, finishing the question that he was about to ask.
"Why is that guy here?! He's our enemy and he hurt everyone back in that dungeon!" The Dual mage shouted angrily.
"Yeah, I won't forget what he did to us", Noelle added her thoughts as she furrowed her brow.
Fanzell raised his hands, protesting. "I understand that he might have done some bad things to you but… you'll just have to trust me with this. Some things happened and he realised what he did was wrong. From now on, he's on our side".
The mages thought about it for a few seconds and if Fanzell was vouching for someone like him, then they thought it'd be best if they listened.
"I'm truly sorry for what happened back then. I'll prove to you that I'm on your side", Mars assured the rest.
"I don't know you and I have no reason to not believe you anyway", Daisy spoke up as she raised her hand. "We're all on the same side, right? And that's to defeat these enemies".
"Right. What she said", Mars pointed at the Ice mage.
"The name's Daisy".
"Okay then. Daisy, thanks for the support".
Lucas had his arms folded, staring at the other Dual mage in front of him but then his thought process was stopped as he noticed the lack of someone.
"Where's Mariella?" He asked.
"She was behind us, helping us against Ladros, trying to slow him down. Since he showed up here…! I'm gonna go search for her!" Domina panicked, rushing off back in the way she came.
"I'll come as well!" Fanzell added, attempting to follow her.
"No! You stay here since… Well, it looks like the fight here isn't quite over. I'll be fine so you just focus here, okay, Love?" The craftswoman asked.
"Well, can you guys hurry up with your goodbyes? We still have a powered up enemy with a raging Flame Spirit behind her!" Finral raised his voice, worried that things were going to get even worse.
Domina left while the group of mages all faced Fana and her fiery rage.
"So, this is the Flame Spirit… it's strong - very strong - but… why are the flames so similar to mine?" Mars wondered.
The black smoke started to fade and Fana came into view, clutching at her head as well as her third eye in the middle. Mars's own eyes widened in shock at the sight that he was met with.
"Fa… na…?! Is that… you, Fana?!"
Fana's red eyes widened even more and now a black and purple energy escaped her third eye, causing her to scream and the Flame Spirit to follow, almost going berserk with the amount of fire it was giving off.
Mars stepped forwards, repeating Fana's name.
"Does everyone know this girl or what?" Noelle asked, confused at why two people seem to know this enemy.
Everyone else shared the same feeling as well, including Lucas but in a different kind of way.
"Hang on. Fana and I know each other but Fana and Mars know each other as well? I… have no idea what to think anymore!" Lucas slammed his fist into his head in frustration.
Mars started running, only to be stopped by Asta.
"Fana! Fana!" He repeated, trying to break free of the magicless mage's grasp.
"Wait up, you pale-faced guy! Stop charging in unless you want to be burned by her flames!" Asta shouted as he tried his best to help the Diamond mage.
His voice wasn't reaching Mars. Instead, he was deep in thought as he remembered a time where he was with another person that was close to him a few years ago.
"I thought… I killed you, Fana…!"
FLASHBACK - MANY YEARS AGO:
An indoor battlefield held hundreds of teenagers in a close space. There was a red, haze-like lighting all around which was oddly similar to the colour of blood.
They all stood still, not knowing what was going to happen. The only thing they knew was that they would be involved in some sort of competition and to treat it like a test.
Above the dimly-lit room, sat a platform with thick, reinforced walls and windows that allowed the occupants to see through. There were three men sitting in a row of seats with another teen sitting in her own seat.
"I knew you were setting up some kind of competition with our trainee soldiers but this… This is what you had in mind, Morris?!"
The red-haired man stood up in a fit of anger, protesting at what was going to happen. His black cape rustled with the speed he shot up at.
"Now, Fanzell. This is for the future of the Diamond Kingdom", the man in front said with a deep voice. His grey, circular glasses shone with the reflection of the red hue down below. "We need the most powerful soldiers and those who win this will be modified. Be lucky that Ren isn't here to hear your thoughts or you know exactly what he'd do to you", he added. "There is another surprise that I haven't told you about yet…", he smirked.
He grabbed a microphone from beside him and spoke into it, casting his voice down below through the speakers to the side so that all the teens could hear.
"You've been brought here today so that we can find out who's worth moving on to the Modification Phase. The ones that have been chosen to participate are all strong in their own right. However… places are limited and only one of you can be permitted to advance", Morris said with a cold voice. "The one who passes will be allowed to leave this facility".
Chills went through everyone except for the speaker. The teens in the dark room were nervous but they still didn't understand what was going to happen. That was until Morris spoke the next three words.
"Kill each other".
Out of the trainee soldiers in the room, two close friends were standing right next to each other.
"Mars…".
"Fana…".
"Professor Morris wants us to kill each other? But…", the Mineral mage tried to think but was cut off by the start of screams and shouts that were all around him.
The others had started to fight to kill, leaving stains of blood all around the floor which mixed in with the red lighting all around. There were floating grimoires everywhere but, as time went on, started to darken.
"The grimoires… they're breaking up because the hosts are dying!" Mars noticed. He didn't want to kill anyone and his lessons with Commander Fanzell were replaying in his mind.
"Listen, Mars, you're quite strong but you hold back your power because you worry about hurting others. It's a nice trait to have but it can get in the way of your missions".
As he remembered his words, a shout came from behind him which signalled that he was going to be attacked as well. He turned around but, due to how fast everything was happening, didn't get to see his opponent's face before he unleashed his own magic.
He created a wall made out of crystal-coloured minerals, stopping the incoming attack. He only meant to separate himself from the attacker but, when he opened his eyes, he saw just what he had done.
"Fa… na?" Mars said weakly.
Then, another memory of Fanzell's teaching resurfaced.
"What about Fana over there? Don't you want to protect her, even if things seem impossible?"
His Mineral Magic had pierced through his best friend's body and now she was laying impaled right above him. Blood was pooling out and crashing down onto the floor but, despite the circumstance, she was smiling ever so weakly.
"FANA!" Mars screamed, clutching his head and crying.
"M… ars…", she called out from above which made him look back at her.
"If I… didn't attack you… then you wouldn't have… moved. You're the… strongest… here so… the others were… af-afraid of attacking… you… f-first…", she said as more blood fell.
Mars clutched his head again, remembering the promise he and Fana had made.
"We were born to protect everyone in this country. The people that we love so much need to be safe. If we're allowed outside this facility, then we can become even stronger in order to protect the people here… No, the whole world!" Fana smiled, as she walked up to Mars.
"The training… it's hard, but as long as I can see the world with you, then it's all worth it!" Mars replied, smiling even though he was scared.
"If you're feeling afraid, then picture the faces of the people you care about. That will help you going forward. I picture someone special to me and that's why I know I'll see the world someday! So, let's promise to go outside… together!"
"The face that I picture… The person that I love… is you, Fana", he said to himself before replying to what she said.
"It's a promise!"
The face that he loved.
The face that he made a promise to.
Was now dead but Mars could only focus on the last words she said before passing over.
"Go… see the world for me, M… a… rs".
Mars stood up, tears running down his face and to the ground. His expression was of anger and his grimoire came up next to him. He saw the rest of the fighting and decided that he would go see the world no matter what.
FLASHBACK - END:
"I thought I killed her… by my own hands… but Fana's alive?!" Mars screamed, trying his best for Asta to let him go.
Fanzell gasped as he pieced the events together. "I left right after that disgusting test had concluded. I couldn't stomach what had happened and I got out of there. They told me that Fana had died and they had disposed of her body… but, she's alive?"
A lot of the others were silent, trying to process the new information. Lucas walked up to Mars and spoke to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Mars. Your memories of her aren't hazy or confused, are they?" He asked.
"No! That is definitely my Fana and I'm 100% certain of it!" Mars replied, angry that he was sceptical.
"This Fana is either the one I seem to know or the Fana that he seems to know. We have to figure something out and defeating her is the only way forward!" Lucas sighed. "Then we'll have to make her remember what she's forgotten!"
The red-haired fugitive also analysed the pink-haired woman. "Her grimoire is exactly like yours, Mars, which means that they still experimented on her, despite believing that she was dead!"
"Yeah, I noticed it and she has your Mineral Magic as well. It's the same as your flames being like hers", Asta added.
"Her eye…", Vanessa mentioned. "I've been thinking about it but couldn't her third eye be controlling her?"
"She seems like she's been in pain ever since revealing it even if no one has been attacking her so, it's definitely a possibility", Finral added.
"The Eye of the Midnight Sun has a group called the Third Eye which, in accordance with their name, can summon a third eye which makes them even stronger. It's just that Fana's… seems to be different", Lucas explained.
"Flame Spirit Magic: Salamander's Breath!" Fana shouted, making the fire-lizard shoot out another attack. It was smaller this time since she didn't give it time to charge up.
It hit Mars head on but he seemed to tank it with his own flames that he ignited. It didn't leave much of a scratch on him and Fana was shocked.
"You… another human… can withstand this magic?!"
"I'm not just any human, Fana. I'm Mars! I'm your best friend from the Diamond Kingdom!"
"D-Diamond Kingd… om?!" She fell to one knee as the power in her third eye started to overload. "I don't know you and don't you dare mention that place to me ever again!"
"She recognises the place?!" Lucas asked himself. "Asta and Mars… we have to stop her from carrying on. That third eye is messing with her mind and she's only becoming more hostile because of it!"
"She can become even more hostile than this?!" Finral argued.
As if on cue, Fana started screaming and her third eye became an even darker shade of purple with a black energy releasing from it. She started floating and Salamander behind her started to become a ball of flames, starting to engulf its host.
Asta and the rest of the Black Bulls recognised this scene as it was similar to when they fought Vetto.
"Is she about to self-destruct?!" Finral gasped.
"It's the same as Vetto and what Licht was about to do back in the cave near Nean!" Asta added.
"Same as Licht?" Daisy remembered. "We have to save her, right?!"
"That we do! I'm not letting anyone die!" Lucas stood forwards with a strong look in his eyes. He turned to Asta and Mars and they stood beside him, ready to move on.
Asta was in the middle whilst Lucas and Mars were on the side. They took a ew steps forward but it was slow since the heat from the enemy's flames was proving to be a hassle to fight against. Still, they needed to endure it if they wanted to save Fana.
"Take them out, Salamander!" Fana ordered and the out-of-control lizard shot out multiple fireballs.
Since Asta was in the middle he was able to cut through the incoming magic by swinging side-to-side, reaching in front of both Lucas and Mars. However, since Fana didn't exactly care about accuracy at this point, a lot of the attacks were flying past and towards the others.
"Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Lair!" Noelle created a small barrier or water that helped protect her friends. "I can do this much here but the others are on their own…", she panicked.
"Don't worry. Lucas is there with his Time Magic and Asta can cut through. We'll just have to believe in them. I'd like to try our special combination again, Noelle, but I'm afraid it might interfere with Salamander which could cause it to explode sooner than it might!" Daisy tried to put on a brave face but knew that she couldn't do much here.
The trio in front kept advancing and kept countering the fireballs. Mars seemed to be working with them but then, at a high speed, a fireball hit him straight on. Asta was too late to hit it and Lucas had to focus on his side as well.
Then, it happened again. And again. And again.
"Mars, what on earth are you doing?!" Fanzell shouted from behind.
"Is he even trying to counter them?!" A lot of the mages said together.
"I… have no right to protect myself. I know you are trying to help but I feel too much guilt. I… killed her so I have to feel the pain that she did!" Mars protested, tearing up.
Lucas and Asta looked at each other and the two proceeded to slap the Mineral mage in the face as hard as they could.
"I thought you were testing to see if those flames were the same as yours but were you actually doing something like this?! This is not the time to be all high and mighty with things like that, you idiot! You just met your friend that you thought died and you think the only thing to do is to die yourself?!" Asta screamed.
Lucas added on, angered that Mars was trying to throw his life away. "Life is precious and if you can't see that then maybe you don't even want to save her in the first place! Look, we don't know each other but we do know Fana. Do you really think that us dying is what she would want?!"
Mars put his head down and bit his lip. "I know you're right… I… I apologise".
"That was quick", the rest of the mages thought to themselves.
Fanzell looked at his former student. "Mars, I understand your feelings but save Fana first and then come to terms with everything that's happened. Perhaps my teachings to you played a part in Fana's death all those years ago but, right now, saving her is the priority!"
"We can get close but how do we actually stop the self-destruction? My magic can't do that", Mars addressed.
"My Anti-Magic can stop it since it's made of magic. It's definitely a gamble but if I'm with you two", he turned to the right and left. "I can do it!"
The three carried on, this time working together to get closer.
"Time Magic: Heaven's Time!" Lucas repeatedly cast as he froze a lot of the fireballs from Salamander.
Asta and Mars worked together to destroy them with their strength since Lucas didn't have enough time to activate the secondary effect to do it himself.
Slowly, they were in range now to hear Fana's muttering. She was talking to herself but there were two voices overlapping on top of each other.
"Mars… I think I r-remember you…".
"Lucas… I'm glad you're al… ive…".
"Who are you… Mars? I d-don't recognise you…".
"Lucas? Why are you h-here?"
The two in question looked at each other, worried that time was running out. Heat was growing stronger and the trio's skin was starting to burn.
"Flame Recovery Magic: Phoenix Robe!" Mars summoned a Flame Magic spell and a wing extended from the right side of his body. The other wing extended from Lucas's left and the flames were healing their burns and injuries. In the middle, Asta was wrapped in flames as well and the three were now connected at the hip, constantly being healed as they were hurt.
"Good going, Mars…", Asta flinched at the constant pain he felt. It was good since he was being healed but also bad since his body had to withstand the continuous burns.
Lucas felt the same way. "Just a bit longer. Thanks to the healing factor, we… can make it!"
The only thing that happened that was slightly irritating was that all three of their clothes started to burn up. Their upper halves were exposed whilst their lower halves were oddly alright.
Lucas and Asta moved forwards and Mars followed them, step by step. He observed the two and was full of praise for them. "I was their enemy a few months ago and now they're risking their lives for Fana. I've never seen someone like Asta… so terrible at giving up but striving to protect someone else. Lucas… he said he knows Fana in some way and he never thought about giving up like I did a few minutes ago… I… You two are true Magic Knights and I owe you!"
"This is my last attack", Fana shouted as the flames started to go berserk, flowing outwards and causing craters in the ground with how strong they were. "You humans… Need to perish!"
"Blazing Flame x Mineral Magic: Overburn Missile!" She created a singular, large cluster of thick minerals in front of her, wrapping them in a wave of heat. She fired it straight on and the burning minerals spiralled outwards, heading straight for the three.
"I can counter this with my own spell! Asta, Lucas, back me up with your power and we'll fight it together!" Mars instructed, his grimoires pages flipping to the middle.
"Mineral x Flame Magic: Overburn Missile!" Mars casted the same spell, though weaker since it wasn't boosted through the third eye.
"Time Magic: Alter Accel!" Lucas boosted the speed of Mars's version with a clockwise turn of his open right palm.
Asta was the last to add his power as he slammed the spell with all of his strength towards Fana. The speed and power matched Fana's and the two spells were in a deadlock as they created an explosion in the middle.
"We have to go. If we don't, we'll be burnt to a crisp!" Fanzell shouted but saw no movement from the other Magic Knights.
Daisy kept her focus on the battle in front but spoke to Fanzell to the side. "Didn't you hear? We'll be supporting those three until the bitter end!"
Noelle undid her barrier spell, sharing the same thoughts. "If we're not here for them, who do you think will be?"
Finral and Vanessa smiled. "We're their seniors. It's our duty to be by their side!"
"You're right", Fanzell agreed. "I'm their teacher and even if I wasn't… I've seen enough in them to back them up despite how hard it'll be!"
The explosion in the middle was enough for the three to launch a second attack. Asta was in the middle and Lucas was using a different spell, this time on him.
"Light Creation Magic: Energy Whips!" He shouted, casting the spell around the Black Bull's body. Lucas used all his strength to throw him forwards, undoing the spell when he was as high as he could go.
The smoke and debris caused by the spells lifted and Fana was met by Asta crash-landing into the self-destruct spell, easily nullifying it. The actions caused a blast of wind from within and sent Asta back where the others were and he landed on his bottom.
"You did it!" They all cheered.
Salamander disappeared and Fana fell to the floor where both Lucas and Mars were there to meet her but it didn't seem like she was done.
"My hatred… will never go away. You all will… pay for what you… did!"
Instinctively, Mars grabbed Fana and pulled her in for a hug. The flames she had summoned wrapped around Mars as well and they were both engulfed by them.
"Fana, I know it hurts and everything that happened was my fault! If I was stronger back then… perhaps we could've fought together… or escaped… or anything! But, we're here together… right now and you need to understand… I'm sorry!"
Fana started to tear up as her head cleared. Her mind replayed a memory that had been buried deep underneath a lot of pain and trauma. The image of Mars came up and it was getting clearer and clearer.
"Don't worry too much, Fana. I'll get strong enough to protect you. When I do… I'd like to say something to you".
Then, another memory played out but it was the one from the dream she had about Lucas. His face started to clear up and the glitching, black blur was fading.
"Haha. It looks like you see my face now, Fana. When we meet tomorrow, I'd like to tell you something".
Fana screamed again but it grew quieter as Mars hugged her even tighter.
"You're here, so let's experience the world… together!"
The dark and ashen clouds in the sky parted and faded as a bright beam of light shone down from the warm sun. It illuminated the entire forest but focused on Fana as her eyes shone for the first time in a very long while.
Her third eye started to disappear and the regular, sea-green colour of her eyes started to return. Before it left completely, she looked at Lucas and then Mars with a great amount of concentration before a smile started to stretch across her face.
The trio blinked and in the few seconds that passed, saw themselves in a black space. It was similar to the ones where Lucas or Fana had started their dreams with. Although, contrary to how it always ended, there was a calm light rising up in the distance and everything was clear and in full view.
A shallow puddle started to form on the ground and Fana stood in the middle. The light above caused a reflection of the Flame mage in the water.
Lucas faced the puddle and Mars faced the Fana that was standing. Both Fanas in this case were looking at the two mages and they reached their hands across to their opposite.
The image of Fana, who faced Mars, was also getting clearer whereas the reflection of Fana, who faced Lucas, was slowly fading away. However, both of them said the same exact words.
"I… remember...". They said happily before the third eye finally disappeared.
NOTES:
Quite the chapter, ay? I answered a lot of questions here but I think it only caused you guys to have more, right? Hehe…
When Lucas and Fana first met and they were like; "You know me?" "I do". I thought about doing something like when Iron Man spoke to Thanos on that planet in Infinity War but then I realised it wouldn't make much sense since Thanos says; "you're not the only one cursed with knowledge". It's unfortunate but that was part of my thinking behind those two lines I had.
So, Lucas and Fana knew each other during the time of the Elves. Fana eventually remembered but Lucas still has questions since he can't remember much apart from what's happened in his dreams.
Speaking of dreams, you must have realised I like using the motif of dreams to showcase a lot of what's happening. I think it's quite cool and your brain can show you a lot of things when you're asleep like that. There's also the motif of eyes that I use a lot and I did it here with Fana's eyes constantly changing colours. My thinking was that the sea-green represents her in a somewhat calm manner despite her being how she is. You may have seen that when they turned red was when she started to go crazy. Then, at the end, the sea-green returned.
At the end, I thought about Lucas sharing a moment with Fana just like Mars did but it wouldn't seem right. Lucas doesn't know her like that and the moment with Mars at the end is very nice as it is. Still, I added the bit about Lucas since he is heavily involved with her as you can see.
Well, next chapter will be interesting, alright…
