Chapter 107: The First Victory
Disclaimer:
Hi guys, first of all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Yes, that is a very late greeting from me, but I've been away/busy for the holidays, so I never managed to say it. I hope you all had a great time celebrating.
In other news, I have something really cool to tell you regarding 'The Light Mage's Curse' and that is the fact that it has its very own fanart! Courtesy of an amazing artist, Katelynn_Coz, Lucas is now the story's cover! I'm extremely happy with it and I hope you like it as well.
There are references to events in previous chapters to help with foreshadowing and whatnot. Here they are:
Chapter 29, 50, 60, 96, 100-102, 106.
With that said, I hope you enjoy!
The stage was set for the first round to start, and that came with the opening matchup of the tournament that would help decide the Royal Knights. As Team A and Team B overlooked the battlefield, Cob Portapot was about to get the two spatial gates ready for them to travel through.
"You've got this, Mimosa!" The royal turned around to see a few of her squadmates walk up to her. Hamon and Letoile were the loudest as they raised their hands to cheer for her.
"Thanks, guys. I'll definitely show everyone why we're the best squad around!" She smiled, a look of determination forming on her face.
Next to the two cheerleaders were Lucas and Yuno. The Plant mage went to them and raised a hand, winking afterwards. "Have you two got any words of encouragement for me?"
"I know you'll win, Mimosa. After all, you've been training like crazy these last few months", Yuno nodded, a rare smile gracing his face.
"When it comes to support and recovery spells, you're the one to go to, but I'm looking forward to seeing if you've got something else in store", Lucas winked.
At this point, Bell popped out of Yuno's grimoire and landed on the Dual mage's head. "Oh, she'll surprise you, that's for sure!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucas asked, eyes looking all the way up as he tried to look at the small fairy.
"Shhh!" Mimosa raised her voice, putting a finger to her lips. "Not too much now. It won't be a surprise if you belt it out!"
"I'm looking forward to it". Lucas said before eyeing the floating projection nearby. "Team B is on the left of the tournament table, and Team M is… all the way on the right. Hm, it looks like we'll meet in the finals if the two of us keep winning. I wonder how a fight against you would go… Ah!"
The sudden shout from the ginger-haired mage was because of Bell pulling at his cheek with her hands. "Yuno's in Team P, and he'll be the victor of the entire tournament!"
"She's right". Yuno unironically praised himself as he smirked. "Win your first match and you'll be against me. I plan to fight against Asta in the finals, and you'll just be on my way to get there".
Lucas slammed his fist into his palm. "That confidence you always have - I'll be sure to make you question that when I win against you!"
Mimosa just smiled as she looked at the two. "Um, I'm the one that's about to start. How did this turn into you two being all competitive… Regardless of how they do, I'll make sure Team B wins the whole thing!"
Just a few paces over, a few of the Black Bulls surrounded Asta. "Good luck. Make sure you get to the finals!"
The Anti-mage turned to see Luck giving him a thumbs up. "There you are! I thought you'd be around somewhere. You bet I'll reach the end, and win the whole thing!"
Luck shook his head. "That's where you're wrong", he pointed at the projection. "I'm in Team K, and with how it looks like it'll shape up, we'll meet each other in the finals, and that only means that I'll be the winner!" The mad Lightning user smiled as he licked his lips.
"I'd like to see you try!" Asta responded, sending his own confident smirk right back at Luck.
"Hey, are you forgetting about someone?" Another voice entered the fray. The two looked to the right to see Magna flexing his bicep. "You win this, Asta, and then you'll be against me once I win mine. After that, I'll fight Luck. That's how it'll go!"
Luck stretched his right hand out. "Well then, let the best team win!"
Magna smiled and accepted the handshake from his best friend, but once his hand was in the firm grasp of the Lightning mage, his whole body was electrocuted, sending him down to the floor with smoke coming off him. "D-Damn it, L-Luck, y…ou!"
The scene that played out around the rest of the participants was the shades-wearing Black Bull chasing his squadmate around in a circle, Asta right in the middle of them.
During the little time everyone was waiting for the teams to get ready, Julius and Augustus moved towards two, throne-like chairs on the platform. "I guess it's a suitable enough place for me to rest in", the latter commented.
The former, however, was still thinking about the earlier scene. "The Black Bulls sure are a lively bunch, aren't they?" Julius spoke quietly, thinking that his voice was low enough for no one else to hear. He quickly found out that was wrong as a small, yet noticeable presence made itself known on his lap. "Oh, you're Yami's child - Charmy, right?"
The small glutton that was busy eating a strawberry muffin wiped her mouth with a small napkin. She looked up into the Wizard King's purple eyes and waved with the same hand. "Hello. I'm not the captain's child, but I am part of the Black Bulls, la!"
Julius smiled. "Ah yes, my bad, it is nice to see you again. Are you ready to watch Asta and the others?"
"You bet", she replied after finishing off her snack before pulling another muffin out of seemingly nowhere. "Here, have one while we watch", she handed one over and the Wizard King accepted it.
Right before he was about to chomp down on the snack, a floating magic item came close and stopped a few inches away from his mouth.
"Master Julius, if you will, please speak into the microphone", Marx advised. He slyly looked at the Time mage and then back at Team A and B who were waiting. "We're here for the tournament, not a fun get together…", he whispered.
Julius put a hand to his mouth. "Oops…", he coughed before composing himself and eyed a glance at Cob who had been ready for a while now. "Good luck to all of the teams. You may attack one another, but I don't think I have to tell you to not commit murder", he smiled.
Following Julius's words, the capital mage standing next to the two teams raised his voice. "Team A will consist of Curtis, Forte, and Rick. Team B will consist of Asta, Mimosa, and Xerx. It is time to begin".
Both teams got in position down on the battlefield. The two sets of three stood by their own respective crystals as they started to discuss a plan.
Well, one person in Team B tried to with the other two having another argument.
"For starters, I think we should discuss our abilities and work a strategy around the-".
"What the hell are you looking at, stupid shrimp?" Xerx pointed down at the Black Bull. "Is there something on my face?"
"Why are you being so rude?! All I was looking at was that cool mask you have on. How do you get your teeth to look like that? Is it some type of magic item, or an illusion, or… did you file them into fangs…?" Asta started to theorise, with the last idea in his head sending shivers through his body.
"All you need to know is that it sure does stink around here". Xerx flung another Rainbow Stink Bug at Asta.
"AH!" He screamed, tears welling up in his eyes as he rolled over the floor. Xerx started laughing seeing how his victim reacted. "What was that for?!"
Xerx put one hand on his right hip with the other pointing at the suffering Anti-mage. "Instead of wondering about my appearance, we should do something useful. Like learning the lay of the land and about our abilities, idiot".
"I was… getting to that…!" Asta replied as he struggled to get up.
"That's enough!" A powerful voice bellowed from beside the two. Asta didn't know who to expect but never in his wildest dreams did he think that the shout would have come from his other teammate. Mimosa was pouting as her yellow eyes stared at the two troublemakers. "I already tried to ask that- Uh, it's no matter", she sighed after clicking her tongue. "We're here to show the Wizard King what we can do, so is messing around and arguing with each other really the best thing right now?"
Asta and Xerx exchanged looks with each other before the two looked at the Vermillion. "My bad", the former replied as he scratched the back of his neck.
"I'm not gonna apologise, but I won't mess with the shrimp too much. Damn, ginge, you gonna blow a gasket or something? Makes me think you're a royal or one of those high-end nobles", Xerx replied. He started yawning and a small tear fell from the corner of his right eye.
"That would be correct. A royal, yes", she said, making Xerx stop. His sea-blue eyes were wide but they quickly narrowed.
"Ah, makes sense with how you're dressed all fancy. He turned to Asta and looked at him with some intrigue. "What's your deal then - How come you're suppressing your mana?"
Asta started smirking. "Hehehe, I actually have no mana, not a single bit of it!"
"I don't think that's something to be happy about, Asta… Hm, then again, he's done extremely well for someone without it", Mimosa thought to herself.
Xerx on the other hand didn't mask his thoughts. "Huh, are you shitting me? Wait a minute…", he focused on the magicless mage once more. "You're telling the truth? Damn, it must be terrible living in a world governed by magic".
"You're right, it's been tough, but I made things work out. Despite being a peasant, my dream is to become the Wizard King!" Asta proudly stated, arms by his hips.
The acting-Purple Orca shrugged. "Fair enough, shrimp. Anyway, you were saying something, ginge?"
"The name's Mimosa, but I'll continue", her voice lowered in tone before going back to normal again. "I use Plant Magic and my strengths are support and recovery spells".
"Like I said, I have no magic, but in place of that is Anti-Magic. I can neutralise and deflect magic with my swords", Asta added.
Xerx looked at the two whilst his hands were in his pocket. "Support and recovery spells, hm? You'd probably be best sticking at the back to guard the crystal, maybe come into the fray if we need some healing. As for you, shrimp, your abilities make me think you like to get into the action - Something like a close-combat attacker?"
Asta smiled. "That's right! What about you, Xerx? Is your magic related to those smelly bugs that you seem to get out of nowhere? Stink Magic or something like Bug Magic?"
"I don't think that's the case, Ast-?!"
Mimosa tried to reply but was interrupted. It wasn't by someone, but by something. A shot of some strong magic bypassed the three and hit the top of their crystal which made it slightly crack. "They're attacking already?! Oh no, we must've wasted too much time messing about!"
Many metres away, safe from the other team's naked eye, sat Team A in comfort as they knew they wouldn't be spotted for the time being. Hiding within a small, dense forest, and sitting on one of the branches of the many trees, was Rick. His teammates, Curtis and Forte, had taken position on a cliff's edge some distance away.
"Crystal Creation Magic: Crystal Scope. You two, target the next attack 10 metres to the right", Rick said as he analysed Team B's movements. He wore a purple helmet with two adjustable scopes around his eyes, alongside a communication device. "I'll be able to track their movements with this spell, just count on me".
"Got it", Curtis and Forte quickly replied in unison. The two had created a combination between their two spells, one that was responsible for the damage on Team B's crystal.
"Rock Creation Magic: Strong Bow".
"Flame Creation Magic: Burst Javelin".
The flaming javelins were firmly in Forte's hands whilst Curtis readied up the large crossbow. "This was a good plan. We won't have to waste time scouting the other team with Rick, so the two of us can focus on offence. Team B won't know what hit them!"
Rick chuckled from the branch he was sitting on. "Serves that Xerx guy right for disrespecting the Wizard King! It's a shame for the other two, but we'll be the winners!"
Mimosa had other plans as a confident smile appeared on her face. Realising what she had to do next, she held out her hand and summoned a spell in front of her. "Plant Creation Magic: Magic Flower Guidepost!"
"Woah, that's a cool spell! Is it showing the area around us?" Asta asked as he gawked at the large flower that shot up from the ground.
"Hehe, it's nothing amazing but it is very helpful! It shows us a 3D replica of the entire battlefield, specifically focusing on any mana signatures within the area. That first attack caught us off guard, but we'll be ready for the second", she exclaimed as she leaned in to look at her own spell. "They must be quite far away considering no one's around in the near vicinity…", she cupped her chin with her fingers as she thought of something. "I see now. This… could work".
The Plant mage turned to the ashen-haired mage. "Asta, you can use Ki, right? It can detect magic, and your swords can deflect magic, so can you help out and follow my lead?"
Asta flexed his right arm. "You bet! While I do that, what should we do about the crystal?"
Mimosa tapped the side of her head, signalling that she had an idea. "Don't you worry about that". She raised her right hand and placed it firmly on the crystal's surface. Vines sprouted the ground and wrapped themselves around the floating object. "Nice, that should help out. Now, the next move is t-!"
She paused as her creation magic showed her something. The Curtis-Forte duo shot out another javelin and aimed it at the same spot as earlier, hoping to damage the crystal even further.
"Asta, left!" Mimosa warned quickly, and Asta responded. She didn't even have time to look at the Black Bull as he had already reacted in a split-second.
"Oh no, you don't!" He exclaimed as he pulled out the Demon-Slayer from his grimoire. He reeled his arms back and hit the flat side of the sword against the magic attack, deflecting it elsewhere. "How'd you like that?!"
Rick shrugged. "It's no matter. We'll still win this, just follow the plan".
"Roger!" Curtis and Forte responded.
Asta landed and he and Mimosa celebrated. "Woah, did you really use your Ki there? That was so fast!"
"I've had plenty of experience using it. You'll be surprised with what I've learned!" He put his right thumb up. "But… I'll leave that for later. For now, let's focus on this match only".
Mimosa nodded as she smiled. "Okay, you've seen some of our abilities, Xerx. While we move, can you tell us what you can do, please?"
"Um, Mimosa, slight problem", Asta whispered in her ear, before stepping away and breathing in. It looked like he was getting ready to shout.
"Yes?"
"He's asleep! What the heck is wrong with this guy?!"
The royal quickly turned her head and saw what Asta was talking about. Instead of seeing their third member up and ready to help out, he was sleeping comfortably on the floor. Xerx's right arm was on the floor with his hand used to support the side of his head.
Mimosa looked at the sight with great anger, though her face didn't show any of it. There was a slight twitch on the side of her head as she had some veins popping out, but she did her best to not let her overwhelmingly angry emotion get the better of her.
"Are we going to be alright?"
Back on the raised platform, the members of the Golden Dawn had the same feeling as their fellow squadmate down on the battlefield. "Are they going to be alright?" Letoile asked, speaking the thoughts of the royal in action.
"I wouldn't worry. We know she can get herself out of some tight situations, and she's gotten better with her magic. Not to mention that Asta's definitely capable as well", Lucas waved his hand as he praised the two Magic Knights.
"The spell she used - it is similar to my Stone Model of the World. It seems like our training has been paying off", Shiren mused as he focused on her spell.
"You've been training?" Lucas asked.
"Yeah, for a while now. She's always asking me for tips and information", he replied.
Letoile turned to the Stone mage. "You as well? Mimosa has been asking me about how to be more accurate and to leave no openings in battle. It sounds like she's had a recent surge in her interest regarding support spells.
"She is a mage that specialises in support and recovery spells", Shiren commented before the Compass mage nodded in agreement.
Lucas looked at Mimosa and thought about a conversation the two had last week at the Star Festival.
"Do you still want to work towards being an attack mage?"
"It would be useful so I need to practice, but my ultimate goal is definitely to be a support. Not just as a mage, but as a person who can support her peers in any and every way. I guess… that's why the incident earlier hit me hard… I couldn't support that man in his time of need. I understand that it's not my fault, but I am going to work harder!"
"She's definitely making strides towards her goal. That sort of willingness to succeed… I guess that's part of what makes her special", Lucas smiled.
On another part of the platform, Julius looked at the scene with great intrigue. "Perhaps it's a strategy of some kind, or maybe he's just tired".
Marx was standing to the side with his right foot constantly shaking with some nervousness. "Master Julius, what was your thinking behind this? You know that's not Xerx…!" He strained his voice as he tried to maintain a whisper even though his sense of morals and duty were contradicting what he was witnessing on the battlefield.
Julius was smiling but he lowered his tone. "Come on, Marx, you of all people should know exactly who that person is. Take some time to think about it".
"I of all people? What is Master Julius talking about?" Marx scratched his head.
Back on the battlefield, things weren't exactly moving ahead. Team B's mages that weren't resting on the floor were instead at a standstill as their third member refused to listen. "At the start you were telling us what to do and you went as far as to form a strategy, but then you go and fall asleep? What the hell's going on?!" Asta slammed his foot down, forcing Xerx to lazily open his eyes.
After a long yawn, the Purple Orca replied. "I've been up all night and it's time for a bit of shut-eye. I thought I'd learn a bit about you both before taking my nap, so I did. Anyway, sleep takes priority, see ya", he said before closing his eyes again.
"Asta, another bullet's coming from the right! Can you take care of it?" Mimosa looked at her spell once again. She had decided to ignore the arguing beside her and focus on her magic.
"Yep, I've got it!" This time, Asta opted to utilise the Demon-Dweller due to how easier it was to move around. He slashed at the third magic bullet, dispersing it. "Demon-Slayer would be better if we get close to the other team. To save a bit of time, I'll use you", he mentally told himself as he looked at the thinner sword in his hands.
"Way to go, Asta!" Mimosa praised before side-eyeing the sleeping mage next to her. "We'll forget Mr. Useless here and win the match ourselves! We'll do what we just did now and find the other team as well. It's time for a counterattack!"
"Alright, you've got it!" Asta took his position just in front of the crystal whilst Mimosa wrapped some more vines around it, connecting it to herself.
The two started running together. Mimosa would protect the crystal and give general instructions whilst Asta would take care of the obscure magic firing at them from any distance.
"Just in front of you, Asta!"
"To the left!"
"Slash to the right!"
After every brief instruction from Mimosa, Asta was meeting each attack head on with help from the Demon-Dweller. Team A watched as the duo had started to get closer with Rick zooming in on them through the scopes on his eyes.
"They're almost at mid-range, you two. We need to be more accurate in our shots and we're sure to win", he paused before continuing. "These two though… I expected a bit from the royal, but this Black Bull is something else. What was his power called - Anti-Magic?"
Curtis and Forte nodded. "Yeah, he's surprising us as well, but our combination won't be beaten. We'll add more power on our shots, but if they get close we have a plan for that as well!"
"We'll take extra care with the small one since he can attack. The royal is known to be a top recovery mage, but that won't really matter in this battle", Rick zoomed in once again.
As Team B kept running, Mimosa looked at her spell once again. "Okay, according to this, there's three mana signatures concentrating just up ahead. One in the small forest and two nearby… hm?"
"What is it, Mimosa?"
"They don't seem to be moving at all. This could be good for us, but it doesn't mean that I'm not worried. If they're not moving, even as we close the distance, that means they're confident in their strategy".
"As we're the only ones on the move, that means they've set up well to attack. I can deal with their magic but there's a problem with that", Asta said as he darted his eyes all over in every direction.
"Yes. The closer we get, the harder it will be to counter… Asta, another attack's coming 20 metres in front of you!" Mimosa warned, but her face quickly turned into one of worry. "Hold on, this one's different!"
Asta already had the Demon-Dweller out, ready to strike just as he had done multiple times now. "How so? Hm, wait a minute, this attack's stronger… and faster?!"
Curtis and Forte grinned as they heard Rick's voice in their ears. "Crystal Scope can detect the physical state of anyone it looks at, and those two are panicking. With this final hit, we'll be the victors of this match!"
However, despite Team A's belief in themselves, Asta had other plans as he smirked before the incoming flaming javelin. "No time to explain, Mimosa, give me a boost!"
The Plant mage left no time to hesitate as she formed a plethora of small flowers right in front of Asta, all with plump, pink and red petals that were bouncy. Asta brandished his smaller sword in front of him, ran ahead, jumped on the petals and flung himself like a torpedo towards the flaming javelin.
"Bull Thrust!" He shouted as he sliced the javelin into two, landing even closer to Team A. Mimosa was running right behind him and caught up just a few seconds later.
"Woah, when did you learn that move?" Mimosa gasped, replaying the super-quick counter from the Black Bull.
Asta raised his finger and scratched his nose. "Hehehe, it's been in my repertoire for a good while now!"
On the platform, three of the Black Bulls recognised that move to be the very same one he used against Salamander in the Witches' Forest. "He actually pulled off that move without us? Good one, Asta!" Finral praised his junior.
"He never ceases to amaze me. To think that he can replicate our move with someone that's not from the Black Bulls - It's disheartening for a woman like me", Vanessa placed a hand to her heart before a look of determination crossed her face. "That only means that we'll have to find a Black Bulls-specific technique that only we can pull off!"
"Way to go, but I'm not going to praise you for something like that, Bakasta! Hm, he does make a good pair with Mimosa, b-but… Actually, there's no reason for me to worry! W-W-Wait, why would I be worrying in the first place?!" Noelle fought an internal battle with herself, unknown to everyone else.
"Mimosa, I see the two that have been trying to attack the crystal!" The magicless swordsman looked up to a cliff to see the Curtis-Forte duo about to ready another attack. His green eyes wandered to a half-broken stone wall two metres in front of him. "Take cover for now!"
The two knelt down behind cover as they tried to decide on the next course of action. Asta kept his eyes on his opponents. "What's the crystal like?"
"It's fine for now, but it has been damaged. It could probably take a few more hits if we want to risk it, but that's dangerous. Realistically, we need to mount a proper counterattack, and we need to do it now!" Mimosa examined the crystal before looking at Asta. "Any ideas?"
Asta thought for a second. "This battle is completely different to my other ones. The way these guys fight is interesting. You have those two on the cliff, calm and ready to fire, but the real problem is their third member. You don't see him around, but I'd wager he's the one giving them instructions".
"You think? I mean, there is a third mana signature sitting firmly in that nearby forest", she looked over before turning back to Asta. "Now that I think about it, those two wouldn't have been able to see us from so far away. That is, without a helping hand from someone else".
"Yep, you got it. The next move should be to locate the one who's giving them instructions, but then that leaves these two free to act on their own and that's a risk we can't take", he said as he lightly tapped the side of his head.
"Since we've been handicapped, the two of us need to stay together", Mimosa shook her head.
"I guess we should go out and get even closer…", Asta began to stand up before locking eyes with the cliff-camping duo. "If only I had a long-range attack…".
The Plant mage's eyes widened as she realised something. Replacing her brief look of surprise with a confident smile, she stood up. "Asta, my specialty is support and recovery spells, but that isn't all I can do".
The Black Bull tilted his head, confused. "What else can you do? Did you learn something new?"
"Something like that", she quickly turned and her long, vermillion hair swayed in the air as she took a look at the two opponents on the cliff. Her grimoire floated to her side and opened up to a page. "Plant Magic: Magic Flower Cannon!"
At her call, a bunch of vines started to grow, clump, and then wrap around each other right in front of their own crystal. The top of the construct transformed into a large flower with pink petals that were tight together, leaving a small opening right in the middle where a bunch of green and yellow mana was being concentrated. Mimosa looked at her target, breathed in and out, and then waved her arm in a swift motion. The petals opened up and an immense amount of mana shot out from within, heading right towards the crystal that Curtis and Forte were guarding.
"An attack spell?!" The Team A duo shouted together. Curtis shook his head and raised a hand. "Nevermind that. Rock Magic: Rock Fortress!" He formed a barrier in front of the shot of mana but the attack spell was too strong.
Mimosa's spell broke through and a sizable chunk of Team A's crystal was removed. The Plant mage moved forward and stood in front of Asta. "Okay, we've damaged their crystal. It's time to rally here. Are you with me, Asta?"
"Of course, I'm with you! What the hell kinda awesome attack spell was that, Mimosa?!" The Black Bull flailed his arms around, stars in his eyes as he did.
Mimosa started to go red in the cheeks. "I-Is it really that cool? Thanks for saying all that, haha. I trained so much over the last few months!"
FLASHBACK - AFTER THE FORGOTTEN FOREST:
"I just… can't get it right!"
Mimosa was panting as she tried to catch her breath. Sweat fell from her forehead and landed on the grassy floor underneath her. She put her palms on her knees and waited a few seconds before trying again.
The Plant mage was on her own on the training field at her squad's HQ. The grass around her was littered with small holes, all of different sizes. She looked at all of them and then shook her head before readying herself again.
"Plant Magic: Magic Flower Cannon!" Vines sprouted from the ground and intertwined with one another to create a big construct. On its head, a flower started to sprout that had pink petals, but as soon as it started to gather mana inside, the spell broke apart, leaving Mimosa right at square one.
The royal lowered herself and sat on the grass with her head in between her knees. "I used this spell in the temple just a few weeks ago, but it's completely different back here, at home…". She sighed and shook her head but then she felt something to the side.
"What's up, Mimosa?"
The sulking teen opened her eyes. Not because she was surprised that someone came up to her, but surprised at the identity of who this person was. She lifted her head and turned to face her fellow squadmate. "Oh, hey, Yuno. What's up?"
Yuno raised an eyebrow. "You ask me that, but I was going to ask you the very same thing. I was heading to my room to grab something but then I saw you training by yourself".
"Well, the ones who went to the Forbidden Forest have all been given a day off. I didn't have anything planned so I wanted to work on my magic, but as you can see… it's not going too well", she sighed.
"It looked like that new attack spell you used. What's the reason that it won't work now? You didn't get weaker, did you?" Yuno scratched his chin but then he had to cover his left ear as a deafening shout shot down it.
"That's rude, Yuno! You can't say things like that to Mimosa!" Bell crossed her arms before flying towards the Plant mage.
"What? I didn't think that was rude… Was it?" Yuno poker-faced. It looked like he was thinking deeply about what he said but couldn't reach an answer.
Mimosa waved the notion away. "Aha, no, it wasn't rude. In fact, Yuno's probably correct. The spell I've been trying to use was much stronger in the Forbidden Forest. Sallyanne theorised that it was because of all the natural mana, considering it sat on a Grand Magic Zone as well as its close proximity to the Heart Kingdom. I can't even get it to attack, let alone do the recovery part of it". She lowered her head back towards the ground, falling silent.
The Wind mage looked at the less-than-pleased girl sitting on the floor. "If you're giving up after a few weeks of trying, then you must not want this as much as you believed you did".
Bell was about to say something to Yuno, but one look at her host told her everything she needed. She opted to stay quiet as she flew back over to him.
"You think I don't want this? Everyone around me is getting stronger - You, Lucas, David Hamon, Klaus, Letoile… Pretty much the whole squad! I did well in the last mission, I know that, but if I want to continue doing well, I need to be better!"
Yuno folded his arms. His lips started to thin as a smirk formed. "That desire to get stronger - It sounds like that's reason enough, right?"
Mimosa's yellow eyes widened. "I mean, yeah… but-!"
"You can think of all the other things after the fact. You want to stand on the same field as the rest of the squad, right? You should only worry about that, and nothing else. There's no need to overthink the present otherwise you'll never get to the future".
Mimosa fell silent as she contemplated. "Yuno's right. If I keep overthinking about the future, I'll never get to that future anyway!" She slowly stood up as her eyes met her squadmate's. "Thanks for that, Yuno".
Bell sat down on her host's head. "Couldn't you have, you know, been gentler with your words?"
"Wait, was I rude again?" Yuno shrugged as he cupped his chin for a brief moment. He then turned to look at the rest of the training field and then switched focus back onto Mimosa. "I was thinking about training as well. You can watch and find some inspiration in that".
The Wind Spirit shook her head. "There he goes, not saying what he actually means…", she turned on top of Yuno's head and looked at Mimosa. "Wanna train with us?"
A look of shock sprung on Mimosa's face, but it slowly turned into one of joy. "If you'll have me, sure!"
"Spells like my Towering Tornado or Crescent Moon Sickle are fast spells, both in conjuring and the time it takes to meet the target. The spell you want to perfect takes longer than those two but can still pack a punch".
"Right. I guess the problem I have is down to speed, but I'm not sure how I can solve that…".
The two Golden Dawns were well in their training session now. Yuno was standing and speaking to Mimosa who was back on the floor. Despite how tired she was, training was still at the forefront and she wanted to make sure she made some progress today.
"Try it again. This time, attack me head-on", he ordered her as he flew a few metres away.
"O-Okay, yeah, I can do that", she replied, springing back up as her grimoire opened up to the page. "Plant Creation Magic: Magic Flower Cannon!" The construct formed as it had done for the last few hours or so with mana starting to concentrate in the middle of its pink petals. She glanced over at Yuno who was ready to dodge. "Okay, now… go!" She swiped her arm, motioning for the spell to fire, but it broke apart just like all of her previous attempts. "Again?!"
Yuno sighed. "Bell, did you notice anything?"
"Yeah. Like she said, the speed is the problem and what I saw was that she's rushing the spell before the mana's charged up", she responded as she floated in the air.
"Speed is crucial for attack mages, but I wonder…", he tilted his head as he focused on Mimosa. "Bell, help her out, and fire the spell one more time at me. You understand, right?"
The small fairy turned her head and smiled. "Of course. Our bond's getting stronger, so I know what you're thinking, hehe!" She then flew over to Mimosa who was less than pleased at the constant outcome of her training.
"You're not here to tell me to stop, are you…?"
"No, I'd never do that! Yuno and I have a plan, but before we enact that, what do you think's going wrong with your spell?" Bell asked, putting her hands on her hips as she stood on the royal's shoulder.
"Um, it's not working?" She poker-faced before chuckling ever so slightly. "Well, that's the simple answer, but I'm really not sure. Yuno's so quick, so by the time the spell's formed, he's already about to dodge the attack. Um, I'm not sure… Maybe I'm not quick enough?"
Bell giggled. "Could be. Anyway, I'll help you out this time".
"Okay. It's kind of weird, I never expected you to attack Yuno, even when training", she said.
"Oh, please. You must not have seen us train at all. I'm always throwing spells at him, and him me", she pointed at her host. "Well, shall we?"
Mimosa and Bell were next to each other and the two focused on Yuno in the near distance. The three knew the sequence of events since they had practiced this so many times and Mimosa let no time waste at all. "Plant Creation Magic: Magic Flower Cannon!" She looked at Yuno and was about to move her arm, but that was when Bell distracted her.
The Wind Spirit flew around in circles and created a small tornado in front of her, causing Mimosa's immediate focus to waver.
"What are you doing?!" Mimosa shouted at Bell as she was less than pleased.
"Take your time!" She shouted back. "You were right in identifying that speed was a problem, but your solution was wrong! You're worrying about the opponent when a spell like this needs time to start up. You're a support mage, you'll always have the characteristics of one, so extend that to your spell!"
Mimosa paused. "What does that even mean? Okay, let's see - A support mage like me… When I use Magic Flower Guidepost, I scan the area which takes time. My recovery spells take time to heal as they're not instant. If being even faster isn't the right way to go about things… Wait, hang on! If I rushed my support and recovery spells, they would never work. I'd miss out crucial information or I wouldn't be able to heal properly. So, if I take my time - like a Support mage should - then I should reach the desired outcome!"
The royal looked at Magic Flower Cannon and then at Yuno. She was sure to take her time, and through that even more green and yellow mana was concentrating in the middle of its pink petals. The moment when she would usually have her cannon fire had passed and something else happened instead. One-by-one, each petal opened up and extended outwards which allowed the ball of mana inside to get even bigger. Mimosa looked at Yuno once more and then swiped her arm, firing the cannon at him.
For the first time today, Mimosa succeeded. The strong blast of mana shot out at a high speed and Yuno's eyes widened with shock.
"It worked… but I have no time to dodge…! Wind Magic: Towering Tornado!" Yuno summoned the raging tornado in front of him which deflected Mimosa's attack into the ground, creating yet another hole, this one being the biggest.
"I… didn't hit him, but… it worked! The spell fired… It worked!" Mimosa fell to the floor, panting, but her smile never left her tired face. She eventually wiped the sweat from her face and directed her attention to the Wind Magic users. "I can't tell you… how grateful I am!"
Yuno and Bell nodded with the latter smiling. "Now that it worked, practice until you get better. Your missions are going to be so different with an attack spell", he said.
Bell scratched her chin. "You mentioned that this spell had a healing effect as well when you used it in the Forbidden Forest. I guess you'll need to practice even harder to get that again".
Mimosa shook her head. "Yeah, that's true, but I think I'll focus on it being solely an attack spell. I have my recovery spells ready, but having an out-and-out attack spell is useful in itself".
Yuno tilted his head upwards and then back down. "We still have plenty of time. You're not satisfied with one successful use, right?"
Mimosa put her thumb up. "Oh, I'm just getting started!"
FLASHBACK - END
A satisfied smile formed on Yuno's face as he witnessed Mimosa's attack spell. "So, you've gotten even better using that spell…".
Noelle, who was right next to Yuno, looked at him. "That was amazing! When did she learn something like that?"
"Who knows?" He shrugged.
Bell looked up at him from where she was sitting on his right shoulder and shook her head. "Always acting mysterious, huh?"
Lucas was in awe. "I know she used that spell in the Forgotten Forest, but it seems almost… more refined this time? I'm not exactly sure, but… she's definitely gotten stronger!"
"Wow, she's been levelling up. Mimosa, you took your own words to heart and made sure you got stronger. Support, recovery, and now offence... You surprise me every single time!"
The Team A trio were sweating. "I thought she was a support mage. Recovery was supposed to be her strength, so how did she use something like that?!" Curtis shouted as he looked at the broken pieces of his rock barrier on the floor.
"We can't feel sorry for ourselves even though we should've known… A royal who's part of the Golden Dawn… Of course, she would have something to surprise us!" Rick tried to calm himself down after seeing such a display. "Okay, since we know she can use attack spells, we should switch up our strategy. Listen closely…".
Within a few seconds, the duo that were guarding the crystal split up. Curtis jumped off towards the left with Forte heading to the right. Behind them both were large orbs of their respective magic.
"They're masking the crystal with their magic. Mimosa, can you tell who has it?!" Asta asked, frantically darting his eyes between Curtis and Forte.
"Already on it! Let's see…", she looked closely at her Magic Flower Guidepost and widened her eyes. "It's the one on the left!"
"Got it!" Asta ran towards Curtis who had stopped a few metres in front of him.
"Your Anti-Magic is interesting, kid, but I'm certain that it won't do anything to my ultimate spell!" Curtis raised both of his arms and started to form rocks all around the ground in front of him. "Rock Creation Magic: Ground-Fist Club!"
Asta smirked as he looked at the large creation shoot up from the floor. It was a large, hand-like construct that was holding a spiked club. As Curtis moved his own arm, the hand he was controlling would move as well.
"This isn't a job for the Demon-Dweller, so I'll use the Demon-Slayer!" Asta switched swords and was ready to slice the magic spell to get to the crystal.
Mimosa was waiting for Asta to charge through, but then something else came up on her area spell. "Hang on. Asta's fighting one of them, and I can fight the other… but…", she shouted which grabbed the swordsman's attention. "A third mana signature just came up!"
"Flame Creation Magic: Heat Slasher!" Forte summoned a large, flaming sword.
"Crystal Creation Magic: Reflect Blade!" Rick summoned a purple, shining blade.
The royal gritted her teeth as she started to form another Magic Flower Cannon. "I won't be able to deal with them both!" She looked at her own crystal. "Our crystal's done for if it gets damaged any further… If only our team wasn't at a handicap!" She cursed before her attack spell started to generate some mana.
Team A had surrounded their two opponents in a triangular formation. Curtis was with Asta whereas Forte and Rick were on either side of Mimosa.
"Should we retreat?! We could do, but then we'd definitely be on the backfoot!" Mimosa then shouted towards the Black Bull. "Asta…!"
However, her voice didn't reach the swordsman as he took one more step before being frozen in place. His right foot touched the ground and a glowing, white circle with markings formed around it which completely encased Asta in a strange, purple effect that looked almost akin to poison.
"AAAHH!" He shouted before plummeting face-first into the ground.
Mimosa ran towards Asta and gasped at the sight in front of her. "Paralysis trap spells?! Which one of them… can use that?!"
The royal sent her gaze towards each of the three but they also seemed surprised at what happened. Nonetheless, they didn't worry about it for the time being as they kept sending all three of their spells at the intended targets.
"I can't defend the crystal like this…!"
But then the same thing happened.
It wasn't one white circle to stop Mimosa, but three that formed in front of her and to the sides, serving to protect her and the crystal. Each circle had different markings compared to the one that Asta suffered from, and these ones completely sucked in each of the spells that had almost destroyed Team B's crystal.
But that wasn't the end of it. The magic circles then rotated anti-clockwise, sending the absorbed magic spells right back out at the ones who casted them. This time they were bigger, faster, and stronger, and forced the Team A trio into the ground.
"What… kind of magic was that?!" Lucas shouted from back up on the platform.
"It didn't feel all too powerful once the magic circles appeared, but it shot up in power levels once it absorbed and shot out the opponent's magic… It's different to traditional magic, that's for sure", Letoile explained as much as she could. Even she was confused at what she saw on the battlefield.
Mimosa was still recovering from the shock she felt from what happened. Asta, who was next to her, had started to move again but then another presence came up behind them. It wasn't Rick, nor was it Curtis or Forte. Instead, it was…
"Well, that worked", a familiar voice said as he entered the fray. He stretched his arms and moved his neck around before yawning. "I woke up at just the right time, whatddya know?"
"Xerx…?" Asta said weakly.
The Purple Orca darted his eyes from Rick and Forte to Curtis who was near his crystal. "Those two fell unconscious due to my traps, and I thought you would as well, but I guess that's an elite for you. You managed to hold on, huh, Silver Eagle?"
The Rock mage was barely conscious. He tried to crawl over to his crystal to reinforce it once more, but then he let out a cry of pain as he stopped moving.
"Oops, sorry about that, Big Nose", Xerx said as he stepped on his body. "I don't particularly like moving all too much after a nap so I'll take the quickest route to the crystal. Unfortunately for you, that's over your body".
Curtis coughed as he tried to speak. "You… You insolent, rude man… How d-dare you…!"
"How dare I what?" Xerx placed his right foot on the side of the Silver Eagles' face. "You call me insolent, yet your self-imposed high-and-mighty attitude of yours did nothing for you. In fact, you actually lost to me!" An eerie, wide smile formed on his face and his fang-like teeth were there for all to see. "Unknown magic like mine is enough for you elites to cry and grovel at my feet! I thought Magic Knights were supposed to be proper, think on their feet, to not panic, but you did anything but! You three decided to throw your biggest spells in hope of winning, but that was your problem! That hopelessness you felt… Make sure you remember that for the rest of your life! The name of my magic is Ash… not that knowing that would ever mean much to you people!" He then flared up his mana and surrounded his fist in a white glow, ready to destroy the crystal. "This is it for you. Better luck next time".
Right before Xerx's fist met the crystal, he backed away. "Eh, you know what? I don't really feel like destroying it. Kickin a man down while he's this upset? Even I have a heart".
Curtis's eyes widened. "What? Are you serious?"
"Lol, nope, loser". Xerx turned back around and shattered the crystal.
A capital mage on the platform raised a hand. "Team A's crystal has been destroyed! The winner is Team B!"
"Great work, you two". Xerx walked up to Asta and Mimosa and waved to them. "Our teamwork was quite good there. Make sure you keep that up for our next match", he chuckled.
Asta jumped up and grabbed his squad robe in a fit of anger. "What the hell is your problem?!"
"Ooh, you recovered nicely from the first trap. Good going, shrimp!" He laughed, not taking Asta's anger seriously at all.
"I can deal with you using your magic on me, I don't care about that, nor do I care that you won the match for us… But the way you did it was terrible! What did that guy ever do to you?! You humiliated him in front of everyone, gave him a glimmer of hope, and then destroyed it!"
Xerx's face returned to one of boredom. "We're here to fight and win, that's all. I don't care about the path I take to get there. Be grateful we won, our teamwork was just better compared to them".
"Teamwork?!" Asta repeated, clearly unimpressed by the Purple Orca's reasoning.
"Yeah, you got something in your ears? Teamwork is when all of us are involved in a move, right? Well, that's exactly what happened. Now, I'm sure I don't need to tell you this since it's already been activated, but…", he said before the fumes of another Rainbow Stink Bug launched into Asta's eyes. "My collar had a trap spell on as well, hehehe!"
"Um…", Mimosa turned to Xerx, choosing to ignore Asta's plight. "As far as I know, you were asleep this whole time, so when did you lay your trap spells?"
He turned around and started walking towards the portal that would lead back to the raised platform. "It's a secret, ginge", he said as he disappeared through.
On the platform, a lot of the Magic Knights were still confused with what they saw. Julius nodded to himself as he sat on his chair. "So, that was Ash Magic", he said aloud. "What an interesting way of utilising traps".
Marx raised an eyebrow. "Master Julius. Those traps that he used… Aren't they similar to what that guy used back then?" He looked at the Wizard King who just smiled, leaving him with even more questions.
"I've never heard of Ash Magic before. Have any of you?" Lucas asked the few Golden Dawns around him but all he received was the shaking of heads.
"I can answer th-that…". A quiet voice emerged from the back and Lucas saw that it was Melody walking up to them. "W-Well, I actually don't know much about Ash Magic, but I do know about the Trap Magic spell category".
"Creation Magic, Recovery Magic… Things like that, right?" Lucas asked.
"E-Exactly. TTrap Magic allows the user to seal various magic effects into pretty much anything they want, and then use certain conditions to activate them. The trap that the B-Black Bull stepped on had the paralysis effect, whereas the next three traps are classed as counter traps as they had the instruction to s-send back magic".
Lucas scratched his head. "Wait a minute, isn't that way too convenient? Couldn't you just give the instruction of… hm, what if he told the trap to fling someone to the Spade Kingdom?"
Melody sweat-dropped. "That s-scenario is a bit too far-fetched… But, the bigger, or the more complicated a trap spell is, the more m-mana and time it would take to create".
Now that the portal connecting the battlefield to the viewing platform was open, Asta and Mimosa were about to walk through after Xerx had left them. However, just as they were going to, another two figures appeared from the other side.
"You still haven't gone back up yet? Hurry up and clear out!" A mage in purple shades shouted, ushering Asta to leave quickly.
"Magna! Oh, right, you're in Team C, right?"
"You bet I am! Your fight was cool and all, but the real one starts next!"
"What are you talking all big for, Funglasinquent? You can't just prop yourself up like that without having anything to back it up", the other figure who was next to Magna said.
"Why the hell are you abbreviating 'Funny-Glasses Delinquent'?! Wait, why are you even calling me that?! My name's Magna as you just heard!" He retorted back at his insulter.
"My name's Sol. A Magic Knight belonging to the eloquent Blue Rose Knights, and I can just say whatever I want to a man like you". The black-haired mage shrugged as she turned away from her teammate.
"Hello there!" Asta waved and Sol turned to face him, a smile gracing her face.
"Ah, Asta…", she squinted her eyes to and from him and Magna. "... I see now, you're both Black Bulls. Well, here's hoping this guy is somewhat reliable like you. You know, for a male", she rolled her eyes.
Magna's eyes were about to smash through his sunglasses as he grabbed the Blue Rose's squad robe with both of his hands. He was going to shout but someone's soft voice made him stop. His ears perked up to how odd, yet sophisticated it sounded, and all mages in the near vicinity turned to look at who it was.
"Geh… Oh, please, no…", Mimosa muttered. Her usual, wide, vermillion eyes slowly contracted as the figure, who she recognised, entered her sight.
"All of you, but one, lack the elegance required to win this tournament. If you cannot display such a quality, then you cannot be beautiful! If you are not beautiful, then you cannot be near me! Your troubled faces all look at me as if you're confused about my identity. Well, I shall let you lower beings know. My name is Kirsch Vermillion, the most beautiful being on this planet!"
Kirsch Vermillion started twirling flamboyantly across the grass. He raised his right arm and placed it on his forehead as if he was shielding himself from the sunlight overhead.
"Oh, that sunlight is absolutely dazzling… beautiful, even. It reminds me of myself and what I constantly strive to be like. A beacon of hope, a light that represents total beauty! Yes, I Kirsch Vermillion, am like the sun. One whose beauty shines down on everyone aroun-".
"SHUT THE HELL UP! YOU'RE SERIOUSLY CREEPY, YOU LOSER!"
Magna and Sol had enough. The former's response was expected with how he constantly reacted with Luck around, but the latter's was telling of how Kirsch made them feel. Sweat was falling from both of their faces, creating deep puddles on the floor by their feet. A tight vein on the right of their foreheads was about to burst and their eyes had become bloodshot with how intense their negative feeling towards this man was.
Asta was silent for a while as he took some of the information in. "This weirdo said his name was Kirsch Vermillion… Wait, hold up…", he looked at Mimosa who looked to be shrivelling up with embarrassment.
"Yes, yes, he's my… b-brother…", she face-palmed and sat back down. The royal turned away and put her head in between her raised knees.
"Who else sees that dark cloud over Mimosa's head…?" Bell thought to herself.
"That sparkly person - Who the hell is that?" Yuno, who was clearly unimpressed by what he saw down below, still had the intrigue to ask about the weird individual.
"Kirsch Vermillion". Noelle's response had no enthusiasm, nor any sense of positive tone to it as she shared the emotions of the vast majority of the other participants.
"Vermillion?" Yuno repeated. "Well, he has to be Leopold's brother then…", he looked to the side to spot the Flame mage. To his surprise, he was also face-palming just like Mimosa. "You can't be serious".
With a defeated sigh and a slow shake of her head, Noelle let out the truth. "Yup, he's Mimosa's older, creepy brother".
Yuno turned with haste to look at Noelle. "Are you tricking me? Mimosa is nothing like that guy".
"And now you understand why we call him creepy…", she rolled her eyes.
"Hohoho… To think that he's the Vice-Captain of the Coral Peacocks. I wonder how that squad functions with him in charge", Hamon said aloud.
"Wait a minute, he's the Vice-Captain? But he's so…".
"... Weird? Yup, you got that right". The Glass mage finished Lucas's sentence. "Plenty of people have their own opinions of him, but he is a Vice-Captain at the end of the day and he's owed some respect because of that", he sighed. "The reason I say he's in charge is because their captain is always asleep so all the work falls on him. I guess people need to give him his flowers. Even so…", he looked back at the battlefield to see Kirsch dancing around. "... You don't really want to".
Lucas looked at the Vice-Captain in question and then pictured someone else. "Dorothy Unsworth… If you're always asleep, then just how capable is this guy in her stead?"
Kirsch knelt down on one knee and grabbed Sol's hand despite her trying her utmost to move away from him. The shine he was giving off made her freeze in place and all she could do was gawk at the Vermillion.
"You shouldn't use such dirty insults on me, my lady. You will only sully your potential beauty if you lower yourself to such depths. Instead, try to match my own beauty and you will go far in life".
Kirsch then spun in a 180-degree angle and tried grabbing Magna's hand although he managed to slap it away. Despite his little success, the Coral Peacock didn't falter and he still had some words for the Black Bull.
"Ah, the Black Bull. It is highly unfortunate that you're part of such a squad, but being near me shall quell that urge to taint yourself. You mustn't use those words for a man like me when they resemble you. Instead, become like me, mirror your very being to mine and you will become desirable, not to mention - beautiful".
After he left both recipients of his oddly-masked insults in the ground, smoke coming out of their ears, he focused on another person. It wasn't his ashamed sister who was wallowing on the ground, but her teammate who was walking towards him.
"Nice to meet you! You're Mimosa's brother so you must be cool, despite what the others are saying about yo-!".
"Shut up, you filthy vermin".
"WHAT?!"
Kirsch raised a hand and used it to shield his eyes. "Do not speak to me. Your behaviour, your lack of magic, your entire existence is ugly. It is quite a far cry from my beautiful self. I heard you train due to your lack of magic, well I find that abhorrent - almost disgusting".
Mimosa straightened her back as she heard the insults directed towards her friend. She turned her face and it was of complete anger as her yellow eyes flared up. The royal was about to have some choice words for her brother, but her teammate beat her to it.
"I heard a lot of the nobility don't like to train, but I feel like you'd definitely get stronger if you did! It's unfortunate for me that I have no magic, so I have no other option to train. In doing so, I've welcomed a strength that's all my own. You say it's disgusting, and it very may well be, but it's gotten me this far so I don't think it's bad at all!"
Kirsch was less than happy with the response from Asta. "Other than me, magic is the most beautiful thing in the world. If you have none, then you are simply ugl-".
"That's enough Kirsh. You've said plent-!"
Mimosa was interrupted by her brother who came twirling towards her. "Ah, my wonderful sister. Don't tell me that my wonderful charms finally got to yo-!"
"Let me finish, Kirsch. You insulted my teammate and friend, you called training abhorrent… Did you know what I did to learn my first attack spell - I trained! But that's enough about that, brother… I hope you win your first match…".
"Oh, my siste-!"
Mimosa put her hand up to her brother's face to stop his advance. Her face grew dark, yet her usual, bubbly smile stayed which sent a shiver down Kirsch's spine with how uneasy it felt.
"I hope you win your first match…
… because in the next round, Asta and I intend to slaughter you".
NOTES:
The first match is done. I had Mimosa even more involved than in comparison to the canon which is expected since this fic is centered around the Golden Dawn. I hope I displayed her strengths and personality well here.
I've also realised just how hard/tedious it is to actually write these chapters out, but I am determined to do so! It's just going to take a while, but hopefully not too long!