SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 9 out, this is Chapter 10 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OC.

Chapter 10: Light

"Looks like he got to me." Julius remarked, after the light died down and his captives had vanished. "He took all of his little friends back. Light magic faster than my own... I wonder if that was the enemy's boss. He seems interesting... I mean formidable. But, I managed to keep one." he turned to the still trapped George.

"I finally got through." Marx opened the communication. "Wizard King, where are you?"

"Hello, Marx." Julius beamed. "Sorry about that. I've been a bit busy, so I blocked the communication spell."

"Never mind that." Marx urged. "Please hurry to the medical ward."

Outside the medical ward...

The medics were hard at work healing the two Vermillion brothers.

"We've strengthened the magic barrier and repaired the communication spells." Alecdora reported back. "We've gathered more Magic Knights and are having them scout every inch of the town to ensure no enemy remain."

"Thank you for the hard work." Rhiannon nodded.

"I'm sure the royal capital is fine now, Freyja-hime." Hamon assured.

"This magic..." Alecdora sensed the arrival of Julius.

"Everyone, great work." the Wizard King appeared with his captive still within his time stasis bubble.

"Is that an enemy?" Sol blinked.

"I see." Julius noted after he was brought up-to-date. "Despite how strong Fuegoleon is, we don't know when he'll wake up. That was a miscalculation on my part."

"No, this was due to our inexperience that resulted in Freyja-sama having to use her own magic to reinforce the magic barrier." Charlotte insisted. "We've confirmed the pendant Fuegoleon was wearing was missing."

"Pendant?" Julius echoed.

"Could that what they were after?" Charlotte wondered. "Who in the world could they be?"

"From what they said, they appear to be a terrorist group with a grudge against the kingdom." Julius replied. "But it doesn't seem to be that simple." the jewels embedded into that stone slab... he frowned. Was Fuegoleon's pendant a part of that? It had several holes that were still empty, but what happens when they gather all of them? There is a possibility that Fuegoleon was targeted because of his pendant, but there's also a high possibility that his strength and ideals would've gotten in their way. I've been investigating the various dissidents in secret and this is the first time I've picked up their trail. But to think they were planning something that extraordinary and powerful... maybe I shouldn't have left the capital. "We'll get the details from our captive later." he informed the Magic Knights. "In any case, the people look to the Magic Knights for one thing: peace in the Clover Kingdom. In order to preserve that, we'll keep fighting with everything we have."

"If you'll excuse me." Nozel led Nebra and Solid away.

"Looks like our enemy has awakened the sleeping hawk instead." Rhiannon chuckled, knowing that despite their differences, Nozel and Fuegoleon saw the other as valued comrades.

"I hope I never feels this useless again." Hamon sighed.

"We shall become stronger." Charlotte declared.

"I'm the one who'll become the strongest." Leopold swore. "I will surpass my brother. And this..." he ignited a flame on his thumb and pressed it on his forehead, branding a similar mark as Fuegoleon. "This is the mark of my oath."

"Julius." Rhiannon turned to the Wizard King. "Should we call her back?"

Sometime after pacifying the citizens...

I don't want to believe it, but there's a traitor among the mages in the royal capital. Julius concluded.

In the underground interrogation room afterwards...

"It's no use." Marx shook his head. "There's some kind of protection on them and I can't search for information."

"Even if there wasn't, we'd never talk." Catherine grinned. "Our master is the light in the darkness. He's our god."

"He's the only one who hasn't abandoned us." George added. "We will never betray him."

In the courtyard later...

"Apparently, their master has some absolute unifying force and fearsome magical power." Marx mused. "I'm assuming the one who defeated Captain Fuegoleon is also their master."

"When he wakes up, we may learn something." Julius agreed. "Let us wait for the Lion King to wake up."

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.