Chapter 84: Langris's Overwhelming Hate
Asta, still full of energy despite the grueling battle, turned to Xerx with a grin. "See? You can work with a team if you really try!"
Xerx gave him an unimpressed look, crossing his arms. "I didn't 'work with a team,' idiot. I just did exactly what you needed me to do—nothing more, nothing less. Honestly, if you hadn't gone around destroying my traps, we would've won without breaking a sweat."
"Stop moaning, ya big baby," Lucia muttered, brushing her dress down.
Asta scratched his head sheepishly, realizing Xerx wasn't entirely wrong. Meanwhile, Xerx moved on to critique each member of the opposing team with ruthless precision.
"Delinquent," he started, pointing a finger. "Your fireball spell was predictable and wasted too much mana. You thought brute force would carry you through, but it just made you a target."
Magna winced but nodded, begrudgingly accepting the criticism.
"Giant woman," Xerx continued, shifting his gaze. "Your golem was impressive, but you got careless. Hiding the crystal inside it was clever, but you didn't account for someone like Mimosa messing with it. Rookie mistake."
Sol frowned but crossed her arms, clearly taking the feedback seriously.
"Tiny girl," Xerx said, turning to the tempest mage. "You had great offensive spells, but you let your emotions get the better of you. You wasted time bickering with Kirsch instead of focusing on the objective."
Vivianne rolled her eyes but muttered, "Fair point."
Finally, Xerx looked at Kirsch, who was recovering from his second knockout of the match. "And you," Xerx said with a smirk, "spent more time talking about how beautiful you are than actually fighting. If you'd stayed focused, maybe you wouldn't have ended up unconscious. Twice."
Kirsch looked as though he might argue but sighed instead, letting the critique wash over him.
Nearby, Mimosa approached her brother, her expression soft. "Kirsch," she said gently, "you know, commoners sometimes act out of desperation. Their struggles may be ugly, but that doesn't mean they lack beauty. And neither do you, even now."
Kirsch turned away, embarrassed. "Don't look at me, Mimosa. I've failed. There's no beauty in failure."
Mimosa smiled warmly, shaking her head. "You're wrong, Brother. You're at your most beautiful when you fight with everything you have. And you did."
Kirsch glanced at her, her words slowly sinking in. He recalled the fight between Magna and Asta, their relentless determination and unyielding spirit. It had been raw and chaotic—but undeniably beautiful in its own way.
…
Kirsch wandered through the spectator box until he found Lars, who stood off to the side, watching him with an unreadable expression.
Kirsch sighed, shaking his head. "It seems fate has robbed us of our duel. I wanted to show you my magic, to inspire you. But I failed."
Lars smiled faintly and waved him off. "Don't be so dramatic, Kirsch. You helped me. Always have been, even if you don't realize it."
Kirsch blinked, startled by the sincerity in Lars' voice. For once, he found himself at a loss for words.
Meanwhile, Lars crossed paths with Lucia, who was waiting for him with a radiant smile. "That was incredible!" Lars exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement. "That card fusion, man, you were amazing out there!"
Lucia's smile grew softer, and she leaned in to kiss him gently. "Thanks, love. Hearing that from you means everything."
Hand in hand, the two made their way to the spectator stands to rejoin Lars' team—Team M—just in time to watch the match between Teams E and G.
Lucia spotted Zoe and gave her a sly grin. "Congratulations on beating your brother!"
Zoe scoffed, tossing her hair back. "It was destined to happen. He's always underestimated me."
Cade, leaning against the railing, smirked. "Destined, huh? Pretty dramatic way to put it."
Zoe's cheeks turned pink. She sputtered, trying to think of a retort, but her usual confidence seemed to falter.
Lucia's eyes lit up with realization, and she exchanged a mischievous look with Liora, Zoe's celestial partner. The two immediately began teasing Zoe mercilessly.
"Oh, Zoe," Lucia cooed. "Is that a blush I see?"
Liora chimed in, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm. "It's written all over her face. Admit it, Zoe - you've got it bad!"
Zoe covered her face with her hands, groaning. "You two are the worst."
Cade, meanwhile, tried to ignore the teasing, but a faint smirk tugged at his lips.
…
"Good grief. As if you could actually beat me, brother," Langris smirked.
"I've changed, Langris," Finral replied. "Ever since I met the Black Bulls, my friends, they have helped me become better. We're going to be the ones that win this."
"That's right!" a voice cut through their conversation. It was Ximena, the small girl strutting in like she owned the place, standing in front of the somehow taller Langris. "Your brother may be a wimp, but he is the cornerstone to my victory! I will stand tall over you!"
Langris smirked. "Whatever. Don't blame me for what happens to you or my failure of a brother over there."
"Nothing will happen to him," Ximena replied gallantly, dragging Finral away by the arm. "I swear it!"
The two made their way back to their team, and Ximena turned to Finral, her eyes flashing with intensity, a fiery grin plastered on her face. "Wimp! You're going to handle that arrogant bastard - don't even bother arguing!"
Finral was taken aback, but then regained his composure, partially galvanised by Ximena's passion. "That was my plan, anyways. At least, unless these two have any objections."
"I don't see why not," Hamon laughed, a twinkling sound like glass.
"A battle between brothers, huh?" Leopold mused excitedly. "I also want to fight my brother for real some day. I accept your passionate request!"
"Alright then!" Ximena declared. "Vermillion boy! Ezequiel's brother! You're on attack. Me and the wimp will focus on defending the crystal. It's a simple plan , but one that's guaranteed to work…"
The Earth Magic user faced in front of her, her smirk widening. "...because I'm here."
…
"Mr Ba-ha, Elijah, you're with me," Langris declared. "We're blitzing their crystal. And I need you," he said, pointing to Elijah, "to hold that mouthy earth girl off long enough for me to crush my brother."
Elijah started. "M-me? Fight Ximena? Are you-"
Langris's look at Elijah was enough to scare him into submission, and he sighed, taking deep breaths before finally refocusing himself.
"She doesn't scare me. She doesn't scare me," Elijah muttered, activating Combus Flight and hovering a bit above the ground.
"I trust you will be able to defend the crystal," Langris said, directing his gaze to Fragil, who gracefully nodded and readied her grimoire.
"Team E vs Team G! Begin!" the capital mage declared, bringing down his hand once again.
…
"Why are you so uncontrollable?" Ximena's mother sighed, looking her child up and down. "I don't know how you got like this -certainly not from me. Just… be more like your brother. Elias is the perfect child."
"You're a four-leaf grimoire holder, yet you don't have the discipline befitting of one. Please, Ximena," her father sighed, rubbing his eyes with tiredness, "act with the discipline befitting of a member of House Laird."
Ximena, standing in the center of the room, grinned unapologetically, her brown eyes gleaming with mischief. "Why would I want to be like Elias? He's so boring it's a miracle he doesn't put himself to sleep." She crossed her arms, her posture defiant despite the oppressive air of the room.
Her mother gasped in horror, as if Ximena's words were the most profane insult she'd ever heard. "How dare you speak that way about your brother? He is the epitome of what it means to be a Laird. He is respected, admired—"
"And spineless," Ximena interrupted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "He doesn't stand up for himself, doesn't take risks, doesn't do anything that makes him... well, alive."
"Enough!" Her father's voice cut through the air like a whip, silencing her. He rose from his chair, towering over Ximena with the authority of a man who had commanded fear and respect his entire life. "This insolence is unacceptable. Do you have any idea what it means to carry the name Laird? The weight of generations of prestige, power, and responsibility rests on our shoulders. Your behavior is an insult to everything this family stands for!"
But Ximena didn't flinch. Instead, she laughed, a wild, untamed sound that echoed through the room. "You talk about weight like it's a curse. But I don't feel it. I'm not afraid of it. Maybe that's what scares you."
Her father's face darkened, but he didn't respond. Her mother turned away, pressing a hand to her temple as if the sight of her daughter was too much to bear.
The House of Laird was a beacon of nobility in the Clover Kingdom, known for producing powerful mages and holding prestigious positions in the aristocracy. They prided themselves on discipline, decorum, and unwavering loyalty to the kingdom's hierarchy. Each generation was groomed to embody the ideals of perfection—flawless in magic, poise, and duty.
Elias Laird, Ximena's elder brother, was the crown jewel of the family's ambitions. With his three-leaf grimoire and impeccable manners, he was seen as the perfect heir. Though his magic wasn't flashy, it was precise, disciplined, and devastatingly effective. Elias's every move was calculated to reflect the family's ideals, and he carried the weight of their expectations without complaint.
Ximena, by contrast, was a tempest. Born with a rare four-leaf grimoire, her magical potential far exceeded that of her brother, but her personality was the antithesis of everything the House of Laird stood for. She was loud, brash, and unapologetically confident.
Her parents blamed her defiance on her upbringing—or what they perceived as its flaws. They often lamented that perhaps they had been too lenient with her as a child, allowing her to develop such a "wild streak." But the truth was, Ximena's character was forged not by leniency but by rebellion against the suffocating rigidity of her household.
As a child, Ximena idolized her parents and brother, striving to emulate their calm, composed demeanor. But no matter how hard she tried, she always fell short in their eyes. Her magic, while powerful, was chaotic, unpredictable, and explosive—a reflection of her budding personality. Her parents chastised her endlessly, comparing her to Elias and his quiet control.
The turning point came when she was nine years old. During a formal dinner with high-ranking nobles, Ximena, eager to impress, attempted a grand display of her Earth Magic. The spell was magnificent—a sprawling sculpture of the Greek Goddess Gaia that dazzled everyone. But it also shattered the family's priceless chandelier and sent shards of magic-infused earth spiraling into the room.
Her father's reprimand was swift and harsh. He dragged her away from the table, ignoring her tearful apologies, and berated her in private. "You will never embarrass this family like that again. Do you hear me? Never."
From that moment on, something inside Ximena snapped. She stopped trying to conform, stopped seeking their approval. If they couldn't accept her for who she was, she decided she'd give them something they couldn't ignore.
Ximena's arrogance and boldness weren't born of confidence but of defiance. Every boast, every smirk, and every wild stunt was her way of declaring, "My power is limitless!"
Her attitude often alienated her from her peers, but she didn't care. She thrived on being underestimated, on proving people wrong. Deep down, however, there was a part of her that longed for her family's acknowledgment—a part she buried beneath layers of bravado.
The House of Laird may have prided itself on producing disciplined, powerful children, but in Ximena, they had created something far more formidable: a girl who refused to be anything but herself, no matter the cost.
…
"Glass Magic: Verre Detection," Hamon declared, multiple glass shards spreading across the battlefield. A larger, multifaceted glass cluster appeared in front of him, and the light all around the battlefield began to reflect into it, showing him different images of the battlefield.
"I have found the location of their crystal!" Hamon declared, his smile never leaving his face.
"Then let's go now!" Leopold said, rushing off.
Meanwhile, Ximena sat on top of the crystal with her legs crossed, surveying the battlefield. She understood that after Langris's display in the first round, she wouldn't be able to brute force her way through this one - no matter how destructive her magic was. She had to get creative. Throwing off her coat and leaping off of the crystal, she cracked her knuckles, then her neck, mentally preparing herself for this.
On the other side, as Langris rode on the Sekke Shooting Star, his thoughts once again drifted to his brother. How could it be, that he was better than him in every single way - in academics, sports, ranking as a Magic Knight - and somehow still felt lesser?
You brought shame upon the House of Vaude, brother, Langris thought, his face getting more and more stony by the minute. You will pay for your transgressions.
Elijah, riding beside him, looked at Langris with an unreadable expression, but said nothing.
As they approached the crystal, the wildfire mage sped ahead, coming to meet Ximena.
"If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get!" she yelled, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Earth Magic: Gaia's Armament!"
The hardened earth coalesced around her fists, torso and legs, but Elijah was ready for this.
"You always do the same damn thing every time!" he yelled, his eyes now burning with the thrill of the fight. "Wildfire Magic: Inferno Burst!"
The huge blast of fire hit Ximena point blank, sending her sprawling back. Elijah followed up quickly.
"Wildfire Magic: Hades Ring!" he said, drawing a ring of fire that cut Ximena off from the crystal. It started to grow in intensity, the flames licking Ximena's ankles, looking ready to engulf her at any time.
But she wasn't scared. She was never scared.
"I wanted to do something different today," Ximena smirked, "but seeing as I'm fighting you, I'll pass."
"Why you little…" Elijah growled, using Combus Flight to elevate himself. He summoned two flames in his hands and began to spin, slowly shifting into a streamlined position, his body spinning so fast it became a blur.
"Wildfire Magic: Combus Nosedive!" Elijah said, diving at Ximena, who hastily brought up a wall of earth to defend against him. The Hades Ring got slightly smaller.
He's planning to box me in, Ximena thought. No worries.
…
Langris sneered, standing atop the Sekke Shooting Star. His gaze locked on Finral, who hovered near Team E's crystal with a calm yet determined expression.
"You're an eyesore, Finral," Langris said coldly. "But I admit, I never expected you to be such a thorn in my side. Spatial Magic clashing and canceling each other out? A clever trick, but not enough."
Finral smiled faintly. "That's just the basics, Langris. You're not the only one who can get creative with Spatial Magic."
Langris prepared another spell, his grimoire flipping open, but Finral raised his hand, casting a spell of his own.
"Spatial Magic: Fallen Angel's Wingbeat!"
A shimmering sphere of Spatial Magic appeared in front of him and slowly began to drift toward Langris and Sekke.
Sekke burst out laughing. "That's it? A slow ball of magic? Pathetic! Let me show you how a real man handles—"
The sphere abruptly changed trajectory, honing in on the Sekke Shooting Star. Langris leaped off the scooter with a scowl, but Sekke, however, had different ideas.
"As if that puny spell will get through my Bronze Magic: Sekke Magnum Cannonball!" Sekke declared boastfully, not ready for what was about to happen next.
The bronze construct collided with the sphere, but instead of an explosion, both Sekke and his attack vanished in a ripple of Spatial Magic.
Sekke reappeared in the most unexpected of places: the Black Bulls' base, right outside a bathroom door. He froze as the door creaked open, revealing Yami Sukehiro, who had just finished his business.
"Who the hell are you?" Yami asked, his tone laced with irritation as he reached for his katana. "You interrupt my bathroom break, you die."
Sekke's panicked scream echoed throughout the forest.
…
Meanwhile, Leopold and Hamon faced Fragil Tormenta within the ruined tower housing Team G's crystal. Fragil's Ice Magic: Miniature Garden of Illusory Snow filled the room, tiny snowflakes glittering as they drifted through the air. The moment they inhaled, both Hamon and Leopold felt their eyelids grow heavy.
"Sleep now," Fragil said with a serene smile. "It's much easier this way."
Hamon collapsed almost immediately, his snores echoing throughout the tower, much to the Vermillion boy's annoyance. Leopold, however, clenched his fists, his body emanating an aura of heat.
"Mana Skin," he growled. "This is nothing compared to my sister's training!"
The flames around him roared to life. He raised his right hand, his outstretched palm pointing towards Fragil.
"Flame Magic: Spiral Flame!"
A spiraling vortex of fire shot through the room, cutting through the snow and forcing Fragil to leap away. The crystal behind her quaked as the flames licked its surface, leaving scorch marks.
Fragil landed gracefully, her serene smile faltering as she assessed the damage. "You're more resilient than I expected."
…
Elijah hovered above the Hades Ring, his flames flickering like a phoenix on the edge of collapse. His spell had failed to break Ximena's defense, and she stood below him, arms crossed, her face adorned with a maddeningly confident smirk.
"You're done," Elijah said, his voice tinged with frustration, flames swirling more violently around him as he prepared another attack.
Ximena tilted her head, mock concern dripping from her voice. "Aw, is the big bad wildfire all burned out? Maybe it's time you sat down, little boy."
"Don't you dare mock me!" Elijah bellowed, summoning twin spheres of flame in his hands, their heat distorting the air. "I'll incinerate that smug face of yours!"
But Ximena merely rolled her shoulders, cracking her neck as she let out a slow, exaggerated sigh. Her grimoire flipped open beside her, its pages glowing a deep earthen gold.
"Alright, Wildfire," she said, her tone calm yet dangerous. "Time for me to stop holding back."
The earth beneath her feet began to quake violently, fissures spreading out in jagged patterns. Stone erupted around her, rising and coiling like serpents ready to strike. The sheer force of her mana caused dust and debris to swirl in a suffocating vortex, and for a moment, Elijah hesitated.
"Earth Magic: Tremor Cascade!" she declared, slamming her fist into the ground.
The battlefield itself responded. Massive slabs of rock shot into the air, crashing down like meteors. Elijah dodged frantically, each strike landing closer than the last. The crowd erupted into cheers and gasps as the ground itself seemed to rebel against him.
"Think you can run forever?" Ximena called, her smirk widening. She stomped her foot, and the earth surged upward, trapping Elijah's feet in stone.
"Damn it!" Elijah growled, flames erupting around him in a desperate attempt to free himself.
But Ximena wasn't finished. With a wicked grin, she raised her arms, the earth responding to her command as it coiled tighter around Elijah, pinning his arms and legs in place.
"Earth Magic: Seismic Restraint!"
Elijah struggled, his flames flickering against the unyielding stone. "I'm not done yet!" he roared, his mana surging as he summoned every ounce of strength left in him. "Wildfire Magic: Infer-"
Ximena's expression hardened, her playful demeanor replaced with steely resolve. "Yes, you are." She charged forward, her fists glowing with golden light.
"Earth Magic: Terrestrial Barrage!"
Her punches landed like cannon blasts, each strike shaking the arena. The sheer force of her attacks broke through Elijah's flames, his body jerking with each blow. His resistance faltered, and with one final, devastating punch, he slumped forward, unconscious, the stone restraints crumbling around him.
Ximena exhaled, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face as she stood over him. "Good effort, Wildfire," she muttered, glancing toward the distant battlefield. Her smirk faltered. "Wimp, you better not have lost to that brat brother of yours. I'm not cleaning up your mess."
As she turned to leave, a strange feeling settled in her chest—concern. For him. She shuddered. "Ugh, what is wrong with me? No time for this nonsense."
…
"You've forced me to open my grimoire, brother," Langris said coldly, his voice devoid of warmth. His grimoire floated beside him, its pages glowing with ominous light. "I hope you're proud. You've managed to push me this far, but let me remind you—there's nothing you can do to surpass me."
Finral stood firm, his eyes locked on Langris. "I didn't come here to surpass you," he said evenly. "I came here to stop you—from losing yourself."
Langris's mana spiked, a suffocating aura filling the battlefield. His Spatial Magic shimmered in deadly orbs around him, their edges rippling with destructive energy.
"Don't lecture me!" Langris shouted, hurling the orbs at Finral with explosive force.
Finral countered with his own Spatial Magic, summoning orbs to intercept Langris's. The resulting collisions tore through the air, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.
The audience watched in stunned silence as the brothers exchanged spell after spell, their magic clashing in a dazzling display of power.
"You're a coward, Finral!" Langris spat, his voice venomous. "You abandoned your responsibilities, abandoned our family, and now you dare to lecture me?!"
"I left because I refused to become like you," Finral shot back, his voice unwavering. "I refused to lose my humanity."
Langris's expression twisted with rage, his mana surging to even greater heights. "Humanity is weakness!" he roared, summoning a massive sphere of Spatial Magic.
Finral's heart clenched as he felt the weight of Langris's mana, its oppressive force reminding him of the despair he'd faced against the likes of Vetto and Fana. But he steadied himself, his grip tightening on his resolve.
"This ends now," Finral said, his grimoire glowing brighter. "I won't let you destroy yourself, Langris."
Summoning a massive array of portals, Finral launched his own spell, his Spatial Magic weaving through the battlefield with precision and grace.
The spells collided in a blinding explosion, the battlefield consumed by light and sound.
As the dust cleared, the battlefield lay in ruins. Finral lay near the shattered remains of Team E's crystal, his body riddled with gaping wounds. Blood pooled beneath him, his breaths shallow and ragged.
"Finral!" Ximena's voice cut through the silence, sharp with panic. She sprinted toward him, dropping to her knees beside his broken form. "You idiot! You said you wouldn't let anything happen to yourself!"
Her hands trembled as she hovered them over him, unsure of what to do. Memories of their earlier banter flashed through her mind, her promise to protect him. Tears welled in her eyes as she realized she'd been played, distracted by Elijah while Finral faced his brother alone.
"Damn it," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I failed…"
…
Leopold's fists burned brighter, his flames consuming the icy defenses that had stalled him earlier. "I won't lose here!" he roared, launching "Flame Magic: Spiral Flame!"
Fragil tried to reinforce her defenses, but the relentless heat overwhelmed her, and her crystal shattered under the force of the flames.
A moment of triumph passed before the officials' announcement echoed across the arena:
"Team G has won the match."
"Looks like Langris was able to act in time," Fragil sighed in relief, regaining her composure.
Leopold's breath hitched as his flames flickered out. He stared at the rubble of the crystal, his hands balling into fists. "I'm still so far behind," he muttered, punching the wall beside him in frustration. The stone cracked under the force, but it did nothing to ease the bitterness in his chest.
Suddenly, all three mages sensed something unusual.
"This ominous mana…" Fragil muttered.
"And it's coming from where Finral is?" Hamon asked, confused.
"What in the world is happening?" Leo asked, pointing his eyes to the sky.
…
Langris stood over Finral's crumpled body, his dark blue grimoire hovering beside him as faint wisps of spatial mana crackled around him like jagged shards of glass. He didn't spare his older brother a shred of pity—why should he? This man had abandoned his family, his responsibilities, and his name. And still, people dared to compare them. They dared to speak Finral's name as though it held more weight than his.
It twisted him to his core.
"You see?" Langris said, his tone as sharp as the fractured mana in the air. "There's nothing at which you can beat me."
Finral groaned faintly, blood seeping through his uniform and pooling beneath him. His breath was shallow, and his once-warm smile was now replaced by a grimace of pain. But Langris didn't waver. No, if anything, his resolve hardened.
Memories clawed their way to the forefront of his mind, unbidden and unwelcome. He remembered walking through the halls of the Vaude estate, the servants' whispers echoing faintly in his ears.
"Master Finral is so kind... if only Langris were the same."
Kind? What good was kindness? Kindness didn't win battles. Kindness didn't bring prestige to the Vaude name. Kindness didn't earn respect. Langris clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding audibly.
"They favored me because I'm superior," he muttered, his voice trembling with a mixture of fury and something else he refused to name. "Because I'm everything you could never be."
He raised his hand, invisible spatial magic converging around his palm. The air around him warped, trembling under the weight of his mana.
"This ends now," Langris said, his voice colder than ice. "I'll remove any chance you ever have of surpassing me. Not today. Not ever."
His hand twitched with rage as he got ready to erase the source of his troubles once and for all. But before Langris could release it, the battlefield erupted into chaos.
A sharp gust of wind howled across the arena as Asta, Luck Voltia, and Magna Swing shot toward the scene, propelled by a massive cotton cloud. The air crackled with raw mana as they landed in perfect formation, their glares fixed solely on Langris.
Asta was the first to step forward, his massive sword pointed at Langris's throat as his anti-magic aura surged around him like a dark tide. "Hey!" he barked, his voice brimming with fury.
To Langris's left, Magna swung his flaming bat, stopping it just before the spatial mage's neck, the fire burning brighter with every second. "Just try and do something else," he growled, his usually cocky smirk replaced by a scowl.
To Langris's right, Luck's fingers sparked with electricity, his fists crackling with anticipation. But there was no grin on his face, no trace of his usual battle-hungry glee. His voice was low and venomous. "Forget the match. We'll kill you."
Langris turned his head slightly, sensing another presence behind him. Ximena stepped into view, her sharp eyes glinting like steel. Her Earth Magic coiled around her like a predator ready to strike. She tilted her head, her voice a chilling whisper.
"Move," she said, her mana flaring dangerously. "And I'll skewer your brains across the floor."
Above, the sky seemed to distort as Kian Voss descended in a blur, a new spell shimmering in his hands.
"Force Magic: Gravitas Blade!"
He landed with a deafening crash, pointing the edge of his Force Magic: Gravitas Blade at Langris's throat alongside Asta. His eyes, usually carefree, burned with righteous fury.
"You've gone too far, you smug bastard," Kian spat, his voice trembling with rage. "That's your own brother lying there!"
Langris's grip on his spell faltered. The sheer force of their collective mana pressed down on him like a tidal wave.
"Eh?" he muttered, his eyes dark with fury.
Asta stepped forward, his mana roaring like a tempest. His voice cracked with anger and disbelief. "There's something wrong with you… the match was ALREADY OVER!"
Behind the circle of Black Bulls, Noelle Silva knelt beside Finral, her eyes worried as she assessed his condition. Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall.
"These injuries… they're serious," she whispered, her voice shaking.
Ximena glanced back at the sight, her jaw tightening. Her anger boiled over, her voice breaking as she screamed, "Don't you dare die on me, wimp!"
The tension in the air was suffocating, the crowd watching in stunned silence as the Black Bulls stood united, their combined magic shining like a beacon of defiance.
"How dare you hurt Finral?" Vanessa intoned, Rouge hissing on her shoulder.
"Th-this is too awful!" Grey stuttered.
"I won't forgive you!" Charmy yelled from the spectator box.
"You've actually pissed me off," Gordon said, his voice much clearer than usual.
Langris's eyes darted between them, his pride battling against the overwhelming odds stacked against him. For the first time in his life, Langris Vaude felt… cornered.
No. This is ridiculous. This is ridiculous.
Langris Vaude would not be stopped by these…
A/N: I hope I did arguably the best scene in Black Clover justice.
I find the symbolism of all of Finral's spells having the Fallen Angel prefix while Langris's spells have the Archangel prefix very interesting - reflects their family dynamics quite well, actually.