Summary: In order to go to the treasure chamber together with his friends, Yuno and Mora confront Mars alongside Klaus, so that the injured Mimosa can heal herself. But they have a hard time harming Mars at all.
Mars' grimoire revealed itself right in front of him. The covers of his grimoire were roughly stitched together into one with two diamond insignia on it.
Yuno and Mora kept breathing heavily from their mouths.
Such frighteningly sinister magic. Yuno and Mora use all of their strengths and yet, they're helpless. Klaus thought. His eyes stared at the turquoise mage stones on Mars' head. Those embedded gemstones. I've heard of them. There have been rumors that the Diamond Kingdom has been experimentally cultivating mages, who have artificially enhanced magic power. They select children gifted in magic from a young age, subject them to fierce competition, and embedded magic-heightening items into their bodies. In the end, they must fight one another to the death. The lone survivor of that deadly free-for-all…is that him? He clenched his fists. Whoever he is, this situation is dire. How can this be happening? I am of the nobility. A member of the elite Golden Dawn! One ally has already fallen to him, and two commoners are protecting me.
Then, Klaus growled with frustration.
"This is unacceptable! I will not allow this travesty to continue!" Klaus declared as he rose up to his feet. "Now! Steel Creation Magic: Spiral Lance!"
Klaus summoned a huge lance with a spiral head out of the ground and launched right past Mora and Yuno at a high speed.
"Wait, Klaus, sir!" Yuno yelled in alarm as he turned to Klaus.
Klaus's rotating lance launched straight at Mars. But a crystal puppet was created from Mars' magic and deflected the rotating lance with one hand once it made contact with Mars' spell.
"A mineral clone?" Klaus gasped.
Mars stood behind his crystal puppet. This time, he was coated in a crystal armor consisting of a breast plate, spaulders, gauntlets, and greaves.
Klaus's rotating lance instantly crumbled at the palm of Mars' crystal puppet's hand. It then dashed straight towards Klaus with fast speed. It drew its fist and landed a punch, but Klaus immediately shielded himself with a steel wall.
"Too close." Yuno said with relief.
"Uh, Yuno. We've got other problems." Mora said in shock.
Yuno gasped with wide eyes as he and Mora looked up at Mars' giant crystal sword looming above them. The crystal sword then descended towards Yuno and Mora, who quickly moved out of the way when the giant sword slammed down to the ground.
Yuno and Mora appeared directly behind Mars. Mars quickly took notice and manipulated his giant crystal sword flawlessly when he spun around to face the two Golden Dawns. Yuno and Mora swiftly kept dodging the crystal sword until it eventually striked and slammed Yuno against the wall.
"Yuno!" Mora screamed.
Luckily, Yuno managed to prevent the tip of the blade from piercing him. He then pushed the crystal sword back with his wind magic. But the crystal sword merely spun back, which allowed Yuno to fly away just in time for the sword to pierce through the wall. Yuno joined Mora as they launched their spell attack at Mars with a slash of wind and a sphere of fire. When their spell attacks landed a dent on Mars, Yuno and Mora kept firing more wind and fire spells at him.
Yuno and Mora then landed back on the ground. But Yuno started to fall on his knees.
"Yuno, are you okay?" Mora asked, kneeling to check on Yuno.
"I'm fine." Yuno replied.
Once the smoke cleared, Mars remained unharmed from the full brunt of Yuno and Mora's spell attacks. He also had locked his feet to the ground with crystal.
"Such pitiful magic." Mars said. "It won't work on me."
Mora helped Yuno up on his feet.
Mars' crystal sword slammed down on Mora and Yuno. But two Golden Dawns quickly moved out of the way in separate directions. Mora and Yuno avoided another crystal sword strike while flying high in the air with their elemental magic. Yuno fired a large slash of wind and Mora released a large fireball at Mars, but none of their magic spells didn't damage Mars upon contact.
"It's no use." Mars said.
Yuno and Mora kept unleashing wind slashes and fireballs, but their magic spells continued to be non-effective against Mars once again.
"I'm telling you, it's no use." Mars said.
Yuno and Mora kept inhaling and exhaling deep breaths. They're both aware that it's absolutely no use to defeat a powerful crystal-wielding mage from the Diamond Kingdom. They closed their eyes for a moment and then opened them again with determination on their faces.
I am never, ever, going to give up! Yuno and Mora thought.
Mora released her fireball and Yuno fired his wind slash straight at Mars, but their magic spells didn't lend a dent on him.
"Stop your pointless posturing." Mars said.
"We won't!" Yuno shouted as he fired another slash of wind at Mars.
"Move." Mars said.
"We won't!" Mora shouted as she released another fireball at Mars.
Mars raised his arm upwards, controlling his crystal sword that was hovering above him.
"Give up." Mars said.
"We will not!" Yuno and Mora yelled.
Mars brought his hand down, which directed his crystal sword to slam down on top of Yuno and Mora. Mora and Yuno once again fired their magic together, but their combined spells had no effect on Mars' crystal sword.
Klaus was busy fighting with Mars' crystal puppet with his steel lance. But he managed to turn and watch Mars' crystal sword coming down on Mora and Yuno.
"Yuno! Mora!" Klaus yelled.
Yuno quickly wrapped Mora around in a protective hug as they looked up at the giant crystal sword descending on them.
"Ares, now!" Mora yelled.
Ares charged forward and floated above Yuno and Mora. He opened his mouth and unleashed a large red-orange flame at Mars' crystal sword, melting it into a massive puddle of liquid on the ground. Klaus's eyes widened in shock while Mimosa weakly gasped from the healing pod. Even Mars's eyes lit up in slight shock.
So, this is the power of a fire spirit. Klaus thought with wide eyes. And he'd choose a commoner out of people. Unbelievable.
"Thanks, Ares." Yuno said.
"No problem." Ares nodded. "Are you two okay?"
"We're fine." Mora replied. "Almost exhausted, but we're good."
What is that thing? Mars thought as he looked at Ares. Is it...a spirit? No, that's impossible. That little nuisance can't be a spirit. He narrowed his eyes. It may destroy my sword, but it's in my way.
Another crystal puppet was created from Mars' magic. It then dashed straight towards Ares with fast speed.
"Ares, look out!" Mora and Yuno shouted.
Ares turned around and opened his mouth again as the crystal puppet drew its fist back to strike a punch.
Then suddenly, Asta charged out of nowhere and stood in front of his friends protectively. He pulled out his sword and sliced the crystal puppet in half, sending the upper half of the crystal puppet stuck to the ceiling. Klaus looked on in shock while Mimosa weakly witnessed the scene from the healing pod. But Mars remained completely calm.
"Hey, you, freaky-looking pale dude." Asta yelled with a glare. "Keep your hands off this guy and his girlfriend. They are not yours to fight. Yuno is my rival!"
"You must be kidding." Yuno said with a smile. "Just when I thought I had paid my debt to you."
Asta then turned around to Yuno and Mora.
"I can't believe it. I've finally caught up to you, and you're two seconds away from being killed!" Asta scolded as he pointed his sword at Yuno. He looked at Mora. "And come on, Mora! You're the toughest girl I know! At least, Ares stepped up! Were you and Yuno just gonna let that sucker beat you?"
Mora quickly jumped on her feet and moved right in front of Asta with an angry face, making Asta flinch with fear.
"DON'T START WITH ME, ASTA!" Mora shouted angrily. "THE ONLY REASON ARES STEPPED UP WAS BECAUSE I GAVE HIM THE SIGNAL TO STRIKE AT THE RIGHT MOMENT!"
"So, you're not denying that you and Yuno are a thing now?" Asta asked with a smirk.
"Shut up." Mora hissed with a blushed face.
Yuno sighed.
"Mind your own business, Asta." Yuno said. He then stood back up. "Mora and I were this close to taking him down."
"That's a lie, and you know it." Asta noted. "You two are a wreck. You and Mora were totally about to die!"
"He's right!" Ares agreed as he flew up to Yuno's face. "That guy definitely gave you a memory loss! I was the only one who saved you and Mora's lives!"
"No, I was about to launch a very damaging counterattack." Yuno argued.
"Lies! Lies! Lies!" Asta and Ares yelled.
"I was waiting for the right moment." Yuno said.
"Another lie!" Ares scolded.
"Ugh! This is just like you, Yuno!" Asta chided.
"Are you done interfering?" Yuno asked.
"Excuse me?!" Asta snapped.
"You can go now." Yuno said.
Yuno and Asta then let out a soft chuckle to each other.
Ares smirked as he flew next to Mora, who rolled her eyes with a smile.
"Are you two done yet?" Mora asked. "We still got a Diamond mage to take down."
"She's right." Yuno said.
"Okay, I'll tell you what." Asta smiled as he rested his sword on his shoulder. He then turned back to Mars. "We'll fight to see who brings him down. Whatever it takes."
Klaus stared at Asta with an astonished look on his face.
No. This is absurd. Klaus thought. Four members of the Golden Dawn couldn't take him, despite the fire spirit's aid. Yet, his incredible power was bested by a commoner from the Black Bulls?
Then, Mars' crystal puppet began dashing towards Klaus, who was too distracted to notice. But when Klaus quickly turned back to the crystal puppet, it was too late for him to counterattack.
Suddenly, another Black Bull member came out of nowhere and knocked the crystal puppet's head off with a powerful kick that whacked the headless crystal puppet a few feet away from him and Klaus. The Black Bull member has a short stature with medium-length messy blond hair that is long enough to cover both his ears and forehead, and blue eyes. He wore a long-sleeved aqua-blue tunic that extends just below his waist, teal pants that have light brown stripes with teal stitch-like cross patterns at the sides from top to bottom just below his knees, and a pair of light brown boots that cover just above his ankles. He also wore a Black Bulls robe.
"Fragile, huh?" The Black Bull member spoke in glee.
Is that the mage infamous for having savagely beaten his exam opponent, Luck the Cheery Berserker? Klaus thought as he stared down at the Black Bull mage. He's the third mate sent from the Black Bulls? He clutched his head in a comical manner. I'm being rescued by that ragtag bunch of lunatic misfits?!
Noelle stood over to Mimosa, who was still recovering from Mars' crystal spell.
"Mimosa!" Noelle called out. She turned to Athena. "I'll take it from here, Athena."
Athena nodded and flew away to Mora.
Mimosa fragilely looked up at Noelle.
"I'm ashamed for you to be seen like this." Mimosa said. "I suppose you were right about me, Noelle. A dim bulb, just like you said."
"It's true. You're rather lacking in the sense department." Noelle said. Her glowing grimoire was open and created a water barrier around her cousin with her wand. "But that's all right. Because I'm here now. And I will protect you!"
"Thanks, Noelle." Mimosa smiled.
Asta held his sword up at Mars with a glare.
"Are you the person who did this to the Golden Dawn?" Asta questioned.
"And what is it to you if I did?" Mars retorted as he created more crystal puppets from opposite sides. "It is the strong who remain, while the weak fade away. Simple as that."
"He can create that many clones at one time?" Klaus said with wide eyes.
"Ooh!" Luck gasped excitedly.
"The battlefield is a place of power. On it, there is no room for the weak." Mars continued. "That's why I was born. To destroy those like you."
"Yeah? That so?" Asta asked. He gripped his sword and dashed forward. "Well? Go on." He appeared behind Mars. "Destroy me!"
When Asta swung his sword, one of Mars' crystal puppets switched places with its creator and took the shattering blow. Mars leaped in the air with another giant crystal sword.
"I fully intend to." Mars said.
Mars swung his crystal sword down towards Asta, quickly jumped into the air and slashed the crystal blade in half again. Asta then landed onto the lower half of the crystal blade and ran towards Mars. Mars aimed his hand down and clasped Asta's feet with crystals onto his broken crystal sword. Asta thrusted his sword into the crystals and destroyed them before jumping high in the air. He swung his sword at Mars, sending the Diamond mage flying across the room and hitting into the ceiling above. Mars recovered and launched crystalized rocks down toward Asta, who landed back on the ground. Asta managed to dodge most of the crystal rocks until he used the flat side of his sword to send one crystal rock flying back to Mars, who gasped in surprise just as the crystal rock smashed him upon contact. But Mars merely recovered and lunged down towards Asta. As Asta braced himself, Mars enveloped his left hand with crystals in the form of a sharp claw. Asta swung his sword and crumbled Mars's crystal claw. The powerful blow of Asta's sword knocked the Diamond mage as Mars crashed into the water like a skipping stone.
Whoa! Klaus, Luck, Mimosa, Noelle, Mora, Athena, Ares, and Yuno thought.
"Aw, man." Luck said as he enveloped his shoes with sparking electricity. He charged forward and shattered Mars' crystal puppets with powerful kicks. "I wanted to take him on. Guess these guys'll have to do."
Luck laughed with glee as he kept kicking and shattering each crystal puppet with blinding speed.
Yuno swung his hands and launched his wind slash at the charging crystal puppets while Mora formed three fireballs between her hands and fired them at more crystal puppets that were coming in her direction.
But Klaus kept glaring at Asta with irritation.
Impossible. Klaus growled. How could a commoner with no mana do that?
One crystal puppet came running at the distracted Klaus, but Noelle shattered it with a blast of water that she aimed from her wand.
"Please, stop looking so horrified and accept it already." Noelle said bluntly. "He's powerful in his own way. Asta has the ability to nullify magic."
"Nullify it? Truly?" Klaus repeated in surprise. "But a commoner like him is beneath a power like that. Perhaps he was just lucky to be endowed with such a skill."
"Was it luck or something else? You can tell just by watching him." Noelle said as she looked at Asta.
"Well, come on! What, are you done already?" Asta challenged as he pointed his sword forward.
Mars' grimoire was still hovering over the water. When a single page was turned, the grimoire started to glow. Several crystal shards shot out of the water and headed straight toward Asta, who knocked them out of the way with the swing of his sword. But more crystal shards grew out of the crystal hands and completely engulfed Asta.
"Asta!" Yuno and Mora shouted.
Then, Mars emerged out of the water in a gigantic crystal body armor that covered his arms and legs in sharp crystals. He pulled back his crystal hands that sent a battered Asta collapsing to the ground.
"Tell me, boy. What are you?" Mars questioned.
"Sure, I'll tell you." Asta answered as he lifted his head up. "I'm somebody who was born without a single drop of magic power."
"What? He has no magic at all?" Klaus said with a surprised expression. "Then it was just sheer luck that he's so…"
"Hey, Klaus, can it already!" Mora retorted with irritation.
Then, Asta pulled himself back on his feet.
"And I'm still gonna be the Wizard King. I'll fight and bleed all I have to. But I will prove that I can do it!" Asta said determinedly as he gripped his sword tightly.
Just look at his body! Klaus thought as he stared at the muscles on Asta's body. How much time has he spent training? The Wizard King. Can he really mean it?
Mars looked down at Asta. In a quick second, his calm expression unexpectedly changed into an angry face.
"I…I live only to destroy!" Mars shouted.
"That's why you live, to destroy?" Asta growled. "Well, the Wizard King lives to protect his kingdom and his people!"
Mars heatedly raised his crystallized hand up in the air.
"I will never lose!" Asta yelled determinedly. "Not to somebody like you!"
Klaus and Mimosa looked at Asta with surprised faces while Noelle, Luck, Mora, Athena, Ares, and Yuno smiled.
"You're in my way! Begone, pebble!" Mars yelled with a glare.
"Sure, I might be a pebble, but if so…" Asta shouted. He suddenly dashed towards Mars with fast speed. "I'm going to be the pebble that shatters the diamond!"
Asta powerfully swung his sword and slashed Mars right through his crystallized armor, shattering it into various pieces and knocking the Diamond mage back. Mars then fell and landed on his back to the ground with a hard thud.
Yuno looked at Asta in surprise for a moment and then smiled softly at his foster brother's determination.
Asta held his sword up high with a victorious yell.
Enjoy and review.