Chapter 18: Maestro of the Diamond Kingdom
A/N: I highly recommend reading this chapter with appropriate music. Here are some suggestions! (you can slander my music choices after you've read the chapter)
Delirious - Jujutsu Kaisen S2 OST
Stars by w.o.d (only the first part of the chapter tho)
watch?v=3aevyrmqbY0 - Hero - Kibou no Uta by Flow
Jiren's Tremendous Power - Dragon Ball OST (second part of the chapter)
It was four Magic Knights, two of them Vice-Captains, versus one Diamond Kingdom noble.
This wasn't just any Diamond noble, however. This was Lord Kivn, a Diamond Kingdom Shining General, who was ready to sacrifice everything to win here, even a limb, standalone the strongest mage in the Diamond Kingdom, and almost certainly the one with the highest potential - second only to Mars.
Sound Magic didn't have as much attack potency as, say, Iona Veska's Dry Ice or Sapphire magic, but it was the way he applied it that made him so feared.
In short, he wasn't really a betting guy.
Lord Kivn rushed towards who he deemed to be the strongest opponent in the room: Frida. "Sound Magic: Equaliser!" he yelled, thrusting his hand at her. A shockwave of pure sound hurtled at Frida, who couldn't react quickly enough to block it, and it met her in an explosion, throwing up dust and throwing Frida back.
But Frida had formulated a half-baked plan in her mind, and she was ready to gamble. She raised her hands and waited for the perfect opportunity.
Frida and Lord Kivn were both alike in the sense that they had been hailed as geniuses as soon as they were old enough to cast spells, or hold a grimoire. The amethyst mage could see it in the way she fought. For all her flaws, she was analytical, a trait that seemed to have been passed on in their family.
And now, she waited in the split second that passed, predicting where he would next strike, and fired off another attack towards his general direction.
"Amethyst Crystal Magic: Athena's Arrow!"
The attack was fast, precise, calculated, and would have met its target. At the last moment, however, Kivn used a mobility spell to avoid it at the last moment.
"Sound Magic: Accelerando!"
He propelled himself out of the way and towards Frida, forming a blade of yellow topaz in his hand. Frida, in reaction to this, formed her own Blade of Hannibal, and the two's makeshift weapons met in an almighty shockwave that forced the two apart.
"Don't leave me out of this!" Lars yelled, his naginata poised to strike. "Mind Magic: Telekinetic Thrust!" The mind mage brought his naginata in a stabbing motion sending a thrust of psychic energy towards the Sound Magic user, who took the brunt of the hit. Yet, when the dust settled, he stood where, mostly unscathed.
Well, shit. Lars thought, gritting his teeth. This guy is tough.
"Mind Magic: Tiefe Analyse!" The familiar pink visor appeared in front of his face, and he leapt back, reading Kivn's thoughts, his emotions, his magic power, and other pieces of information he thought he'd need to know.
It was a spell that fit Lars, because of his (most likely hereditary) analytical nature. The second time he failed the Magic Knights Entrance Exam, he'd had to seriously re-evaluate his perspectives on what it meant to fight. He realised that battles of attrition are battles of the mind at heart (nice oxymoron). He realised that battles aren't necessarily won by brute strength, rather through technique (which was leaking out of this guy like crazy), and most of all, a Mind Magic user like him usually won battles through not being too hasty rather than rushing into things. All things that admittedly should have been common sense.
Kian and Kirsch followed Lars's assault closely behind with attacks of their own. The General, seeing what was most likely going to happen, rapidly fired off three spells.
"Sound Magic: Fortissimo!" A sound shockwave erupted from his body, knocking the four magic Knights back. He then used his second magic attribute, thrusting his fingers upwards in a manner similar to how Lars did when he used Infinite Thought Shield.
"Topaz Magic: Crystal Cliff!"
A wall of glittering topaz, shining brighter than any treasure in the dungeon, split Frida and Lord Kivn away from the rest of the mages. Lord Kivn then cast his third spell.
"Topaz Construct Magic: Endless Topaz Soldiers!"
In front of the three mages that were not fighting Lord Kivn, a giant topaz appeared, embedding itself in the ground. Out of it came waves of topaz soldiers, each with a yellow hue, each wearing a suit of armour and carrying a large sword, each looking more dangerous than the other.
"Alright…" Lars said. "The sooner we clear this hurdle, the sooner we can get to the big boss. So what's the plan?"
"We don't have time for a plan," Kian replied.
"Let's work it out as we go." Lars smiled, the heat of battle catching up to him.
"Follow my beautiful lead!" Kirsch vainly proclaimed, before casting his first spell. "Cherry Blossom Magic: Clones of The Beautiful Me!" Cherry Blossoms spread across the room, their illusionary properties creating multiple clones of Kirsch. The soldiers split into groups, each heading towards the Kirsches, Lars and Kian.
"200 for me, 200 for you and…200 for Kirsch! I like those odds," Kian said, rushing into battle.
"I hate being left behind," Lars smiled, doing the same.
Meanwhile, on the other partition of the wall, Frida and Lord Kivn had been fighting, firing off crystal attacks at one another, and now their blades met in a clash.
"Just you and me, dearie," Kivn smiled maliciously.
"Don't patronise me," Frida replied, knocking him away.
This guy has both strong close range and long range offensive capabilities. What to do, what to do?
"Amethyst Crystal Magic: Athena's Arrow!" she yelled, firing the sharp crystal projectile at him. However, Kivn simply used Accelerando again to manoeuvre out of the way, and hit back at her with an equally powerful attack. "Sound Magic: Equaliser!"
"That attack again?" Frida sighed. "Crystal Magic: Wall of Jericho!"
A wall of amethyst erected itself quickly, taking the brunt of Kivn's attack and exploding into shards. Kivn, who saw an opportunity to follow up, rushed towards the spot where Frida had cast her Wall of Jericho, topaz blade in hand. "I have you now, amethyst mage!" he yelled, swinging the blade.
But it connected with nothing.
Kivn looked up, and saw Frida above him on her Glissando platform, holding her hands in an X position. Amethyst shards surrounded him, suspended in the air, ready to strike.
"You played yourself," she said, a cold expression on her face. "And it's Frida. Frida Mertens."
She brought her hands down in a crossing motion.
…
Meanwhile, Lars, Kian and Kirsch were currently running a gauntlet with the topaz soldiers.
Lars danced through one, another, hitting them critically, making them disintegrate. Still they kept coming, and the younger Mertens was starting to feel a little fatigued.
Lars ducked as one of the topaz soldiers swung at him, its giant sword barely missing his head. He kicked up, launching himself back into a fluid stance, his naginata gleaming under the light of the dungeon. With a swift twist, he parried the next incoming strike and stabbed through the soldier, disintegrating into yellow dust. "These guys are no joke," he muttered, feeling the strain in his muscles. Yet more soldiers came at him, vicious, unrelenting. They surrounded him with their blades raised, ready to remove Lars's head at the earliest convenience.
"I have had it up to here!" Lars yelled, his anger finally boiling over. "You wanna see what a real spell looks like, you bastard sound mage? I'll destroy your soldiers, and then destroy you! Mind Magic: Grand Catharsis!"
The spell, boosted by Lars's own volatile emotions, released a shockwave that disintegrated nearly every soldier in its blast radius, and when the dust settled, Lars stood there, amongst the crystal dust, naginata in hand, looking the part of a proper warrior. He inhaled, and then exhaled deeply, his emotions seeming to be completely burned out by the use of the spell.
"Mind Magic: Tiefe Analyse." The visor appeared across his eyes, and he scanned the area. "Kian, Vice-Captain!" he called coolly. "We must eliminate the source!"
Kian and Kirsch had taken a different route to Lars's lone wolf approach, and were instead having Kian go berserk with the Vermillion providing much needed long range support.
For this mission, Kian had taken steel toed boots, knee guards, and brass knuckles, because secretly he hoped something like this would happen.
Now he was getting his wish come true, and a wild smile danced on his face, as he applied extra force to his punches, kicks, and knee attacks. He punched a hole through one topaz soldier, then threw its blade, applying extra force to the throw to destroy three more soldiers. He smashed two topaz soldiers' heads together, grating them into a beautiful explosion of topaz. More came towards Kian, maybe too much for him to handle, but he didn't care.
He was enjoying the battle too much.
Before he could rush into what looked like a bad idea, a carpet of cherry blossoms swept the battlefield, carrying the soldiers along with it and smashing them into the wall. The Vice-Captain of the Coral Peacocks posed dramatically upon a pillar, flicking his hair in a way he would describe as beautiful.
"Cherry Blossom Creation Magic: Sakura Carpet! I could not let you, my dear Silver Eagle, stray into danger like a poor lost little lamb!" Kirsch proclaimed vainly. "Your blood is not beautiful like mine!"
"Aw man…" Kian said, his hands nonchalantly behind his head like he was relaxing. "I was getting really fired up as well-"
Upon hearing Lars's words, the two nodded, coming to Lars's side, Kirsch descending gracefully on a bed of sakura petals. Lars was in the middle, Kian on the left, Kirsch on the right, and in front of them, the crystal, guarded by an army of topaz soldiers. The three mages got into fighting stances (well, Kian and Lars. Kirsch just kinda stood there dramatically) and readied themselves, both mentally and physically, for the fight that was about to happen.
"Me and my beautiful subordinate Lars," Kirsch said, flicking his hair once again (and Lars appreciated the compliment, especially coming from a narcissist like Kirsch), "will clear out most of the riff raff. Silver Eagle! You go for the crystal. Force Magic has quite a lot of destructive power, does it not?"
"That's the first sensible thing you've said all day," Kian smiled (to which the Vice-Captain looked slightly miffed).
"Let's go then, Vice Captain!"
…
Meanwhile, on the other side of the partition, Frida hovered on her Glissando platform, eyes locked on Kivn below. The amethyst shards suspended around him tightened, forming sharp points aimed directly at his exposed back.
But Kivn smirked. "I commend your quick thinking, but you've made a critical error."
Frida narrowed her eyes. What's he—
"Sound Magic: Crescendo!"
The world exploded in sound. A wave of sonic force erupted from Kivn's body, rippling outward and shattering the amethyst shards in midair before they could strike. Frida barely managed to retreat on her platform, using her Glissando to move to a safer distance. The air vibrated, the very walls of the dungeon seeming to tremble under the weight of Kivn's magic.
Frida clenched her fists. His control over sound was impressive, no doubt, but he wasn't invincible. And if he wanted to play the long game, she was more than willing to oblige.
"Amethyst Crystal Magic: Brutus's Armor!" Amethyst crystals formed around her body, encasing her in a shining set of armour that sparkled in the dim dungeon light. Her magic flared, and the air around her crackled with intensity.
Kivn raised an eyebrow, intrigued, mocking. "You think more defence will help you?"
Frida didn't reply. Instead, she launched herself towards him, her amethyst blade gleaming. Their blades clashed again, sending sparks flying. She pushed back, her mind working rapidly. He was faster, but she could outlast him—if she played it smart.
"I, Frida Mertens, will not be defeated here!" she yelled, eyes blazing. "Amethyst Crystal Magic: Shattering Voile!"
A large amethyst crystal, almost as big as Frida herself, appeared in the air. It began to spin with a ridiculous intensity, and broke apart into multiple thin but ridiculously sharp shards. She swiped her hands in the same crossing motion she had before.
"Don't interrupt my spells, dickhead!"
The amethyst shards hurtled at Lord Kivn, each one whistling through the air with surprising intensity. Kivn brought up his Crystal Cliff to block most of the onslaught, but Frida followed it up quickly, rushing in with her Blade of Hannibal to seriously injure Kivn.
But to her surprise, Kivn was already there, blocking the blade with a glittering yellow one of his own. He was distracted, almost like he was missing something.
"My comrades…" he was saying. "Defeated in battle by some measly fodder! It's ridiculous. I must end this now."
His usually stoic face widened into a sadistic smile.
"I will enjoy excommunicating you, Frida Mertens."
…
Lars now swung his naginata, releasing a Telekinetic Sweep, creating a partition for the Force Mage to get through. Said Force Mage started running towards the crystal, charging up a punch. More topaz soldiers honed in on him but Kirsch quickly stepped in. "Get towards that crystal, Silver Eagle!"
Kian nodded, and continued to advance.
Lars, Kirsch, and Kian fought through the swarming topaz soldiers, each handling their side of the battle with a unique style that complemented the chaos. Lars darted through the battlefield like a tactician on a chessboard, every move calculated. He spun his naginata, slicing through enemies with precise strikes, while his mind scanned for any sudden shifts in the battlefield using his Tiefe Analyse spell.
Kirsch's cherry blossoms spread across the room, creating a dazzling spectacle as they morphed into clones of himself, adding confusion among the soldiers. "Ah, my beauty knows no bounds!" he declared, his clones attacking the soldiers while he flicked his hair dramatically.
On the other hand, Kian charged forward like a force of nature. His Force Magic-enhanced punches and kicks pulverised any topaz soldier unfortunate enough to stand in his way. As he advanced toward the crystal, Kian ducked and weaved through the soldiers' attacks, the weight of his brass knuckles echoing with each blow. His smirk widened with each hit, fueled by the thrill of the fight.
"Keep up, Kirsch!" Kian shouted, eyes gleaming. "Don't let your vanity slow you down!"
Kirsch scoffed dramatically. "My dear Silver Eagle, it's called style! You wouldn't understand." But despite his words, Kirsch's attacks grew more intense, his petals slicing through the soldiers to support Kian's charge.
Lars grinned at their bickering. "Focus, you two," he called out, his visor scanning ahead. "Kian, almost there. Just one last push!"
Kian narrowed his eyes, bracing himself for his final strike. More topaz soldiers formed, trying to cut him off, but Lars stepped in. "Mind Magic: Infinite Thought Shield!" he yelled, casting a telekinetic barrier around Kian that deflected the soldiers' blows, giving Kian the opening he needed.
Kian leapt into the air, his fist glowing with concentrated force magic, ready to shatter the crystal. "Force Magic: Grand Impact!" he bellowed, swinging down with all his might.
As Kian's fist connected with the crystal, a shockwave rippled through the room, causing the topaz soldiers to falter for a moment.
Cracks spread across the giant topaz, a low hum reverberating as the crystal began to break apart. Lars quickly reactivated his visor, scanning for any hidden traps or residual magic. "It's destabilising!" he called. "Brace yourselves!"
Kian grinned. "Now that's more like it!"
The crystal shattered completely, releasing a burst of topaz energy. The shockwave pushed the soldiers back, leaving the trio standing in its wake.
Kirsch dusted off his jacket dramatically. "Ah, such power. A little less elegant than my style, but I suppose it'll do."
"Save the speeches for after the fight," Lars said, catching his breath. "We've still got more work to do." He glanced at the partition where Frida's battle continued. "Let's hope she's holding up."
Kian rolled his shoulders, eager to jump back into the fray. "She better be, 'cause we're about to finish this thing."
…
Back on the other side of the partition, Frida's battle with Lord Kivn was reaching its peak. Their blades clashed with growing intensity, each strike echoing through the chamber like a battle of wills. Frida's amethyst armour gleamed as she pressed her attack, but Kivn's sneer remained fixed.
"You're persistent, I'll give you that," Kivn spat, sidestepping her next attack and slashing at her with his topaz blade. "But persistence alone won't save you."
Frida blocked the strike, her eyes burning with determination. "It's not persistence," she growled through gritted teeth, "it's will."
"Impressive words for someone about to lose," Kivn taunted. He thrust his hand forward. "Sound Magic: Accelerando!" His speed increased in an instant, and before Frida could react, he was upon her, striking with deadly precision.
But Frida had anticipated this. Her amethyst platform shifted beneath her, carrying her just out of range. In the split second that followed, she unleashed her next spell.
"Amethyst Crystal Trap Magic: Juno's Judgement!" she roared, as a wave of crystalline energy shot forward, aiming to trap Kivn within a cage of razor-sharp amethyst shards.
Kivn's eyes widened, momentarily caught off guard by the rapid shift in her tactics. The shards closed in, glittering dangerously. Then he exhaled, remembering the defeat his comrades had suffered at the hands of the other Magic Knights that had also entered this dungeon. They were nobodies, and yet they had defeated Shining Generals?
"I've been playing with my food too much," he stated, his face deadly serious. "Enough of this farce. Topaz+Sound Magic: Glittering Tenuto."
A larger, longer, sharper crystal sword appeared beside Kivn, hovering in the air and shimmering with power. It hurtled towards Frida with considerable force, ready to turn her into a crystal kebab.
Frida cast her defence spell, Wall of Jericho. No problem, she thought, I'll just blo-
Suddenly, the blade gained speed in midair, propelled by the force of Kivn's sound magic.
The wall wasn't the only thing the blade punctured.
Frida smashed against the wall with great force, the blade embedding itself deep within her, her amethyst armour shattering into a billion pieces. She coughed blood, and then looked down, seeing the glittering topaz blade embedded straight through her gut.
"Stand proud, Frida Mertens!" Kivn stated wildly, his hand still raised.
Lars, Kian and Kirsch broke through the wall courtesy of Kian's Force Magic. "Frida!" Lars yelled, the three Magic Knights having arrived just too late to stop Kivn's assault. "We've come to-"
All three's blood ran cold.
There was Frida Mertens, a deep blade nestled within her stomach, her brown hair with purple highlights falling around her face.
And there was Lord Kivn, his right hand pointed towards Frida, the anger on his face twisting into a savage delight at her vanquishment.
Frida Mertens had lost.
A/N: Well, Frida lost. How will Lars react to this setback? Find out next time, on Black Clover: Shades of Coral!
Should I change the name of the fic to "Pink Hibiscus"? I feel like that's a missed opportunity...