Summary: Mora, Yuno, Klaus, and Mimosa are charged with exploring a newly discovered dungeon full of magical traps on the border of the Clover and Diamond Kingdoms until Mora and Yuno come across with a familiar face.
At the Golden Dawn headquarters, Vangeance strolled down the hall outside under a late afternoon sky until his Senior Class Magic Knight came up to him from behind. He has a tall, lean build with spiky green hair slightly brushed back with some hanging down over his forehead and gray eyes. He wore a long-sleeved white shirt with red fabric on the middle, a high collar with a connecting chain on both ends, red trimmings on the edges, and black belt, matching white pants, and a pair of high black boots. He also wore the Golden Dawn's signature squad robe.
"Captain Vangeance." Alecdora called.
Vangeance stopped walking and turned around to face Alecdora, who was kneeling towards him.
"Yes, Alecdora, what is it?" Vangeance asked.
"Sir, I have some concerns regarding the explanation of the newly discovered dungeon." Alecdora said. "Forgive me, but why send two untried commoners on such a crucial mission?"
"Do I have your trust as your leader and captain?" Vangeance asked again.
"Yes, of course." Alecdora replied. "I would follow you anywhere, do anything you asked. Even should it mean my death. I trust you."
"That's good. I trust the 'untried commoners', as you called them, and I would ask you to do the same." Vangeance said. He turned his back on the hesitant Alecdora. "After all, they are full-fledged members of the Golden Dawn. And for the sake of the squad, I am certain they will only continue to grow stronger."
"Sir." Alecdora nodded.
Then, Vangeance walked away.
Yes. Our new members must grow stronger. Vangeance thought to himself. They must.
Klaus, Mimosa, Yuno, Mora, Ares, and Athena arrived inside the dungeon. The dungeon itself captured the likeliness of a ruin of brick buildings. Klaus rode on his steel chariot as Mora, Yuno, and Mimosa sat behind him. Ares and Athena sat on Mora's laps as they rested their heads on her stomach. Klaus steered his steel chariot through the opening entrance and into the wide hallway.
"I can't believe Captain Vangeance has assigned us on a dungeon mission." Mimosa said with a smile. "How exciting."
"I know, right?" Mora smiled. "I'm definitely going to enjoy this mission."
"Stay focused. Captain Vangeance send us to secure the treasure at all cost." Klaus said. "The last thing we need right now is distractions."
"Yes, sir." Mimosa said.
"Yeah, whatever you say." Mora said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.
A red cross popping vein throbbed on Klaus's annoyed face.
"So, how's that bracelet of yours coming along?" Yuno asked.
"The bracelet is almost done." Mora replied. "I haven't got the chance to study my mom's magic item yet, but I will after this mission. You want to believe how much stuff my mom wrote in that journal. She's one amazing spell inventor."
"Like mother, like daughter." Yuno said with a smile.
"Heh, yeah." Mora said, looking away with flushed cheeks. "You can say that."
A loud feminine scream suddenly alerted the Golden Dawns.
"What was that?" Yuno asked.
"Sounds like a scream." Mimosa said.
"Hang on." Klaus said.
Klaus's steel chariot propelled forward at fast speed that woke up Ares and Athena until the Golden Dawns halted at the opening gap. Mora's eyes lit up in surprise at the sight of the interior dungeon, which looked many times larger than the outside. Once Klaus closed his grimoire and his steel chariot vanished into nothingness, he and his squadmates looked down and saw Asta and a noblewoman being wrapped up in tight vines by a large plant beast, whose mouth was filled with digestive acid.
The noblewoman has a slender build with long, silver-colored hair tied in pigtails with center bangs over her forehead, and pink eyes. She wore a silver-colored blazer that has a backless design with sleeves attached at the back that extended slightly beyond her elbows with gold-colored cuffs. Her silver blazer extended up to her neck with frilly edges and a rounded tailcoat that extends down to her knees that is held together by a gold locket and a brown leather belt. Under the silver blazer was a sleeveless short purple dress. She also wore a Black Bull robe, silver-colored leg warmers with a gold-colored cuff at both ends, purple stud earrings, a silver bracelet on her left wrist, and a pair of sandals.
As the plant beast began pulling Asta and the noblewoman close and close towards its mouth, Mora and Yuno exchanged knowing nods as their glowing grimoires opened in front of them.
Yuno created a blade made of compressed solid wind and launched it to stab the plant beast. Mora created a large sphere of fire in between her hands and launched it that hit the plant beast in a fiery explosion.
Asta and the noblewoman turned their heads around just as several wind blades and fiery spheres barraged towards the plant beast, slashing and burning the monster while freeing both Asta and the noblewoman from the vines. Asta and the noblewoman landed on the ground as they looked at the defeated plant beast.
"Where'd that come from?" Asta said.
"Such powerful magic and precision too." The noble woman said with amazement. "But whose spells were those?"
Asta and the noblewoman turned their heads to see Yuno and Mora standing together at the opening. Behind them was Klaus and Mimosa. Ares and Athena floated next to Mora.
"Sup, Asta." Mora grinned.
"And with that, my debt is paid, Asta." Yuno said with a smile.
"Hey, Yuno! You too, Mora!" Asta smiled back.
Yuno and Mora landed on the ground with Klaus, Ares, Athena, and Mimosa standing behind them as they walked up to the smiling Asta and the noblewoman.
So, this is Yuno and Mora. The noblewoman thought as she looked at Mora and Yuno. Her eyes lit up in surprise when she caught the sight of Ares and Athena. Wait a minute! Are those... spirits? I've never seen them before. I can't believe this is the first time seeing one in person. She turned her head towards Mimosa. And that's…
The noblewoman frowned.
"Yuno. Mora." Klaus spoke.
"Sir." Yuno said as he and Mora turned around.
"Why did you two go out of your way to save these people?" Klaus questioned disapprovingly.
Mora rolled her eyes with a sigh.
"We've been charged with exploring this dungeon and securing its valuable contents." Klaus said as he adjusted his glasses. "Our primary objective is to reach the treasure hall at its heart in all possible haste. We have no time to involve ourselves with such rabble as these!"
"Jeez. Who the hell is Four-Eyes the Rude here?" Asta said as he pointed his finger at Klaus.
Klaus gasped in irritation.
"Our superior." Yuno answered.
"Unfortunately." Mora said.
Klaus instantly grabbed Asta by the robe.
"Excuse me?! And you think that I'm rude?!" Klaus yelled. "Don't say that again, brat! I am a noble, and you will treat me with respect!"
So much for not involving ourselves. Yuno and Mora thought as they traded annoyed looks on their faces.
The noblewoman walked up to Mora.
"I have to ask. Are you the host of those spirits?" The noblewoman asked.
"Yes, I am." Mora replied. "They're my fire spirits. Ares and Athena."
Ares and Athena moved towards the noblewoman.
"I'm detecting an immense mana within this girl." Ares said to Athena.
"A true royal, indeed." Athena commented. "It's nice to meet you."
"So formal. It's nice to meet you too." The noblewoman said. "I'm Noelle. Noelle Silva."
Mimosa then walked up and waved at Noelle.
"Fancy running into you here, Noelle." Mimosa smiled.
Mimosa giggled while Noelle looked at her with an annoyed face.
"We haven't seen each other since last year's royal banquet, isn't that right?" Mimosa said.
"You know each other?" Asta asked as he walked up next to Noelle.
"Yes, just a bit." Noelle grumbled.
"Actually, I'm Noelle's cousin." Mimosa explained.
"Oh, wow, really?" Mora said.
"Well, this is quite a surprise." Noelle said with a twitching eyebrow. It just had to be her.
"From what I've heard, the Black Bulls can be a rather unrefined squad at times. Are you doing all right with them?" Mimosa asked concerningly.
Noelle scoffed softly.
"I think that's what I should be asking you, Mimosa." Noelle grinned.
"Huh?" Mimosa asked with confusion.
"Can you actually keep up with the elite members of the Golden Dawn, dim bulb that you are?" Noelle asked.
"Sure! Everyone is just so incredibly kind. I can wield my magic with no qualms at all knowing I have their support." Mimosa replied with a smile. She then walked up to Noelle with concern. "Oh, how thoughtless of me. When you've always had to struggle so much with learning to control your own magic. Has that gotten any better?"
Clearly, the girl still doesn't have a filter. Just fantastic. Noelle thought with annoyance. "Yes, it's coming along just fine, thank you."
"Great. It's so wonderful that we're both finding our footing as Magic Knights." Mimosa said. "The Wizard King even gave us a star for our very first mission."
Klaus readjusted his glasses with a stern "Hmph".
Noelle and Asta smiled.
"What a coincidence! We got a star for our first mission too!" Asta stated proudly.
Noelle cockily flipped her pigtails.
"You're a liar." Klaus said as he stood in front of Asta. "Brand-new members of the slipshod Black Bulls? It's inconceivable that you could earn a star so easily."
Yuno sighed as Mimosa chuckled nervously. Mora, Ares, and Athena shook their heads.
"Well, we did. So there!" Asta snapped. "And our total is up to negative 30 now."
"Ha! Not a chance." Klaus scoffed. "Why, your being sent on this mission is absurd enough."
"Guess the WIzard King didn't think so, 'cause he's the one who sent me!" Asta yelled as he got up in Klaus's face.
"Yet, another bald-faced lie." Klaus said calmly.
"It is not a lie!" Asta shouted.
Klaus scoffed.
Yeah, we're definitely involved. Yuno and Mora thought as they traded annoyed looks on their faces.
"Now that I think of it." Klaus said. "I was told that there were going to be three of you. So, where is your third member?"
Asta and Noelle's eyes widened in silence.
"What, did they run away and leave you here to explore the dungeon on your own? Was that it? Or perhaps they fell victim to a trap spell?" Klaus inquired with a sarcastic chuckle.
"He didn't run away, and he didn't get caught in some trap." Noelle argued.
"So where is he, then?" Klaus asked doubtfully.
Asta and Noelle silently couldn't find a correct response to Klaus's question.
He took off into the dungeon because he's basically nuts? Asta thought.
Thanks, Luck. Noelle thought angrily.
"Whatever the case, he's a coward who left his newest colleagues behind." Klaus said. "A typical Black Bull. How disgusting. Your whole squad brings shame to the Magic Knights."
Asta had enough with Klaus's haughty attitude.
"Okay, now, you've really done it, pal." Asta said. He pointed his declaring finger at Klaus. "The Black Bulls are gonna conquer this dungeon so fast, you won't even know what hit you! Just you watch! Golden Dumb! Uh, Golden Dim? No, uh...Squad with the Weird-Haired Boss!"
"I've heard enough." Klaus growled. First, you insult our intelligence and then our captain? How dare you?! Mocking our leader, the incomparable Captain Vangeance? You will pay!" He pointed his finger at Asta. "Besides, you're the one whose captain walks around in a ratty old top, flaunting his overinflated muscles and smoking like a chimney!"
"What, are you crazy?" Asta yelled back. "Or maybe you're just jealous 'cause Yami's manlier than you!"
"I am a senior Magic Knight and a noble!" Klaus screamed. "Show some respect, you filth!"
"Oh, begging your pardon, sir! I'm so sorry!" Asta shouted mockingly.
"Damn you!" Klaus yelled.
Yuno, Mora, Ares, Athena, Mimosa, and Noelle were staying out of Asta's and Klaus's argument.
Involved doesn't even begin to cover it. Yuno thought with a blank look.
Mora and Ares laughed at Klaus and Asta's argument.
"You two are enjoying this, aren't you?" Yuno asked.
"Yup." Mora smiled.
"Four eyes had it coming." Ares added.
Klaus and Asta were completely out of breath after their screaming argument.
"All right, enough of this idiocy." Klaus said. He readjusted his glasses. "I'll show you the difference between the top Magic Knight squad in the kingdom and the one that doesn't deserve the name." He looked at Mimosa. "Mimosa!"
"Sure." Mimosa said as she already opened up her grimoire. "All right. Plant Creation Magic: Magic Flower Guidepost."
Multiple vines gathered intertwined with each other directly from the ground and flower petals began sprouting from the tip of the intertwining vines. The flower petals then opened up and produced a detailed three-dimensional blueprint of the dungeon from the center.
"Let's see. Yes, yes, okay. I've got the dungeon's layout. I should be able to find the treasure hall." Mimosa said.
"Good." Klaus said. He then turned to Yuno. "Yuno?"
"Yes, sir." Yuno said as he opened his grimoire.
Yuno swirled wind around him and created four small tornados beneath himself, Mora, Mimosa, and Klaus that lifted them into the air. Ares and Athena flew up as they laid on Mora's shoulders.
Noelle and Asta looked up with awestruck faces.
"They all make it look so easy." Noelle said.
"Do your best, poor as it is." Klaus said.
With that, Yuno's tornadoes began carrying the Golden Dawns into one of the dungeon tunnels.
Through the dungeon tunnel, Yuno's tornadoes continued carrying the Golden Dawns. Thanks to Mimosa's Magic Flower Guidepost spell, the Golden Dawns will reach the Treasure Hall in no time.
"Next, we take a right." Mimosa said to Yuno.
"Okay." Yuno said.
"That brat's name was Asta? That little fool." Klaus said. "Does he honestly think he can get the better of us? He does seem a most unusual boy. I sensed not a bit of magic power in him."
"Hmm. No, neither did I." Mimosa agreed curiously.
"What was the Black Bull Captain thinking?" Klaus questioned. "How can someone like that be of any use to a Magic Knight squad?"
"Klaus, sir." Yuno spoke. He looked at Klaus over his shoulder. "Asta's strong. I would suggest not underestimating him."
"Yeah, just because he has no magic doesn't mean he's useless." Mora added as she crossed her arms over her chest. "His determination is the whole reason why he was chosen to join the Black Bulls."
"As far as I'm concerned, it will be a miracle if they make it out of here alive." Klaus said. "All we need to concentrate on is capturing this dungeon swiftly for the good of our kingdom."
A few turns later, the Golden Dawns kept sailing their way to the Treasure Hall.
"We're almost there now. It should be just through this hallway." Mimosa instructed as she stared at the holographic image of the dungeon.
Then, the Golden Dawns finally arrived inside the chamber room that is located at the center of a dungeon. They landed right in front of giant metal double doors that had a locking mechanism.
Mora whistled in amazement.
"Isn't that simply marvelous?" Mimosa gasped.
"Hmph. Some dungeon that was. Not much to it at all." Klaus huffed.
"So, what's your plan for getting past this?" Yuno asked.
"It doesn't appear as if the Black Bulls have managed to find it yet." Mimosa noted as she looked around to see the Black Bulls hadn't arrived before them.
"Of course, they haven't." Klaus said. "Despite their bluster, they never stood a chance of beating us here."
"You're probably right." Mimosa said.
"Oh, shut up with your high and mighty bullcrap." Mora snapped as she looked at Klaus. "It's getting pathetically sad. Then again I highly expect that from an arrogant royal."
"Excuse me?!" Klaus shouted. "I am your superior! And you will learn to treat me with respect!"
"From me?" Mora said. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "As if, four eyes."
Then suddenly, large crystal pillars came out of nowhere and struck Mimosa from behind that was sharply tough enough to shred Mimosa's red cape.
Klaus, Yuno, Ares, Athena, and Mora's faces planted shocked expressions as they watched Mimosa collapsing to the ground.
"Mimosa!" Klaus yelled.
Mimosa began breathing shakily in pain.
It pierced through her cloak of magical defense. Klaus thought as he knelt in front of Mimosa. Such a keen mana sense, but she never saw it coming.
"Is she okay?" Mora asked in worry.
"She's still alive." Klaus responded. "But this is no trap magic. So, what is it?"
The sound of footsteps on the crystal trail caught Klaus, Yuno, Ares, Athena, and Mora's attention.
"Who goes there?" Klaus demanded as he stood up.
"You're in my way." The Diamond Kingdom mage spoke as he walked down the trail of crystal and approached the Golden Dawns.
The Diamond Kingdom mage has a slim figure and well-defined muscle tone. He has pale skin, short light purple spiky hair, and pink eyes. He wore a skintight white vest with brown trimmings and cropped pants with brown trimmings over a short-sleeved black jumpsuit that has an open chest design, a black fur coat that has several crystals embedded on the outer side, and a pair of high white boots with brown trimmings that has pointed tips and black vamps. He also has three turquoise-colored mage stones vertically embedded into his forehead and another one at the center of his chest.
"Now move." The Diamond Kingdom mage said threateningly.
Enjoy and review.