Chapter One-Hundred Fifteen: Vanquishing the Evil

The climax had begun. With the steady arrival of combatants, the odds appeared to be in favor of the united force of good, but against Zagred, one could never be too careful.

But for the time being, the trio of royal knights shifted their attention to the newcomers they didn't recognize. "Who the hell are they? And how did they get inside?" Kenos asked what they all were thinking.

"I don't know who they are, but maybe they got in the same way I did," Yuno gave his two cents, bringing attention to what was around his neck. "According to that devil guy, this is a Magic Stone, and I was able to open the Shadow Palace with it momentarily,"

"Wait, what?!" Asta and Kenos were shocked, the swordsman speaking up. "How can that be?"

"That's what I thought too, but it's true. He was able to get his body back once he put my stone in that weird platform,"

"Then her hunch was right,"

Yuno raised a brow. "Who's hunch?"

"When we were fighting Lira, that's the elf who possessed Rill, Charmy dropped in and told us your necklace opened the door, so Mimosa said it's possible that it could've been a Magic Stone," he clarified.

"Then she was right on the money," Kenos said what they were thinking.

"Good for her," Asta's eyes now focused on Lumiere. "Y'know, call me crazy, but doesn't that guy look a lot like the first Wizard King?"

Yuno held his chin. "Now that you mention it, the resemblance is uncanny. It's kinda freaky,"

"There's a reason he looks like the first Wizard King," Patri entered the conversation. "It's because he is the first Wizard King,"

"No way, that can't be!" the boys exclaimed.

"Lumiere Clover died centuries ago, that couldn't possibly be him," Kenos retorted. "How are you even sure?"

The elven light mage crossed his arms. "You do know I was around 500 years ago, right? I think I'd know if it was him, and it definitely is, especially since Secre is with him,"

The transformed solar mage raised a brow. "Secre?" he turned to the pair, realizing who he meant. "Oh, the lady, I see,"

Lumiere could notice the stares of the ones behind him. "I take it those three are also magic knights of the future?"

"They are, my prince. Two of them are in the same squad as Finral," his servant replied.

"Oh, that's nice. Are you happy to see them?"

"I'd rather not say,"

"Okay," the light mage's gaze transitioned to the elf beside them, surprising him, so he turned and flew them both over to the quartet. "Wait a minute…Patri? It is you, isn't it? Tetia did tell me that you looked up to Licht, and now you look like him,"

"Yes, it's me," he confirmed. "I never thought I'd ever see either of you again. How are you alive?"

"I'm the one responsible," Secre answered. "I used my magic along with the Magic Stones to seal him for when the devil appeared in the future. Doing so transformed my body which elongated my lifespan,"

"It's a good thing you did that, we're going to need all the help we can get if we want to take down Zagred," Kenos said.

"Zagred?" the others repeated.

"Yeah, that's his name. According to Emmanuel, he's bad news,"

Yuno nodded in agreement. "No doubt about that, hatching the plan to reincarnate the elves to get his body back means he's no idiot,"

"Reincarnation? So that's how you're alive?" the prince questioned the elf, who met it with a nod. Then suddenly, Lumiere began to feel a tug on his sleeve, his eyes shifting to see that Asta was the culprit, doing so with a sense of childlike wonder.

"Uh…hello,"

"Are…are you really the very first Wizard King? I never thought it'd be possible to meet you," the magicless mage squealed.

"Hey, don't do that to him," Yuno admonished his brother. "It's not polite,"

"C'mon, you know you want to do the same," he teased him, the wind mage turning his head away in an embarrassed manner.

"I don't know what you're talking about,"

Lumiere smiled at their banter. "They must be siblings, they're a nice bunch," he then zeroed in on something that was said earlier. "By the way, you called me the very first Wizard King. Has something changed in the future? To my knowledge, I'm the only Wizard King,"

"Yes, things have changed, my prince," the sealing mage began to inform him. "The title of Wizard King is now one that's passed from one mage to the next, they act as a symbol of strength and hope, in homage to your victory against Licht,"

That last word brought a small frown to his face. "Licht, huh?" he then looked in another direction, spotting the sword mage, replacing the frown with a small look of joy. "Can it be?"

He and Secre flashed over to him, the former speaking up to him. "Hey, it's me," he said, but the face of his brother-in-law remained blank.

The girl stared at her hands. "May I give it a try?"

"By all means," Lumiere created a circular board of light for her to stand on that floated towards the chieftain.

Once she got close enough, she extended her hands, the blue marks forming. "I can feel it, the reincarnation has brought back his soul, but it's in some kind of strange middle state, only partially awakened,"

"Can you bring him back?"

"I'll try," she replied as the marks glowed brighter, sweat beginning to drop down her face, but in time, she managed to do it as the life in Licht's eyes returned.

With his mind fully awakened, the first thing he did was smile at the light mage. "Hey,"

And of course, the royal smiled back. "Hey,"

"I didn't get to tell you this back then, but…thank you, Lumiere, thank you for putting an end to my pain, and thank you for being a part of my life,"

"It was my pleasure, brother,"

The sword mage then moved quickly, landing on the largest platform visible, looking up at Patri as the elf landed across from him. "Licht, is it really you?"

"It is,"

"I'm…I'm so happy to see you again," the elven light mage was about to embrace his idol, but he stopped himself halfway, backing up as regret painted his features. "No, I'm not worthy to touch you," he averted his gaze next. "I'm not even worthy to look at you, after everything I've done,"

Licht looked at him strictly. "What you say is true, you did mess up. You hurt people and brought needless suffering to the innocent, all to attain a goal that went against everything we stood for. What you've done can not be forgiven by anyone other than God himself,"

"I…I understand," Patri sulked, grasping his arm, expecting the lecture to continue, but instead, he could feel strong arms pulling him into an embrace. Licht's stern face was gone, and there was only one of compassion left.

"What you did may have been wrong, but I've known you since you were an infant, I know you were doing your very best, for that and that alone, I'm proud,"

Patri couldn't stop himself from crying, burying his face in Licht's shoulder as the others landed, a few seconds passing before he started to calm down.

Having finished consoling the younger elf, Licht addressed the servant. "It's good to see you as well, Secre. You're always by Lumiere's side,"

"It's what I do best,"

He then focused on the young trio. "And it appears we have a fine lineup of mages from the present to assist us," he turned to Kenos first. "I must say, I've never seen a human aligned with a Sacred One before, I'm sure it's happened before though. Regardless, I'll be watching you,"

The noble crossed his arms and smirked. "You're welcome to, you won't be disappointed,"

The next one up was Yuno, but when the eyes of the wind mage met those of the elven leader, there was silence from the latter that lasted a good while before he suddenly smiled in a way that was different from the other times.

"Yes?" Yuno raised a brow.

"It's nothing, my apologies," he got a little closer. "I see you have the wind spirit,"

The spirit in question waved. "Hi there,"

"Hello to you too, Bell. I've read many stories about you and the exploits of your past partners,"

"Aw shucks, you're going to make me blush,"

Last but certainly not least, there was Asta. "I sensed it during our last battle earlier tonight, but I wasn't sure if it was true since I wasn't awake yet; now that I am, it's true…you don't have any magic power,"

"Yeah, I'm not sensing anything from him either," Lumiere added. "Freaky, but also pretty cool. However, I'm guessing that life must've been hard because of that?"

Before Asta could answer, someone else did, and it was someone he wasn't expecting. "Yes, it was, but I assure you we're in good hands with this one," Secre interjected, her tone semi-monotone. "You're looking at a boy who's worked harder than anyone else in the whole kingdom,"

The swordsman was very surprised to hear her vouch for him. "Um, thanks for that, but…how did you know? We've never met," he said. "Granted, her ki feels oddly familiar,"

"I mean, it's kinda obvious," Kenos tried to make sense of it. "You're a guy with no magic, but you were able to make it this far. If it wasn't through ridiculously hard work, what else could it have been?"

"I must agree with the consensus of your friend," Licht added. "You were able to hold your own when you fought me, not to mention you learned to make use of my grimoire and remaining swords. You've already proven yourself to be an invaluable member of this final team,"

Asta wasn't expecting all this praise to come his way, so much so he had to slap his cheeks to keep his composure. "Alright! I won't let any of you down!"

With that, all eyes turned to Zagred, who was comfortably floating in the air with his arms slung behind his back, breaking his stance when he felt their stares. "Oh, are you finally done?"

"You were waiting for us?" Patri questioned.

"Of course. No matter what you may think, this is going to be your resting place, so I thought I'd let you air out your grievances, say your last words to one other, the whole shebang beforehand. Besides, it works for me too, with your bad blood settled, you're all so much more hopeful, which makes squashing it that much sweeter,"

"Underestimating us is going to be your downfall, Zagred!" Kenos pointed at the devil. "You're going down!"

"Am I now? Empty words such as those mean nothing to me and my Word Soul Magic. Now be a good little bunch and die!" he extended a hand, creating a tidal wave of life eaters that was on its way to his enemies.

"It's time to fight again! Let's go, everybody!" the magicless mage was about to enter his transformation stance, but that's when Lumiere and Licht each stepped up, stopping him as they floated up higher.

"Allow us to handle this for a little while," the elf said.

The prince nodded. "Yeah, this is personal,"

Instead of being bummed or worried, Asta was starry-eyed. "Oh crap! The first Wizard King is going to fight right in front of me! This is a dream come true!"

The pair stared intently at the wave of purple. "That's quite a lot of stuff, we may have to bust it out. Can you still pull it off?" the royal inquired.

His brother-in-law grinned. "Of course I can, after all, I had a good teacher," he replied as both of their auras flared.

"Light Magic - Mana Zone: Lamp of Avior Gloria!"

"Sword Magic - Mana Zone: Origin Flash Rampage!"

In a flash of light and slashes, the life eaters in the vicinity were completely destroyed, and that was just the beginning. Moving faster than anyone could perceive, Licht was already behind Zagred, slamming the side of the Dweller to his face, rocketing him to the east.

On the devil's face was a look of genuine shock. "He's far quicker than I was expecting, but I'll be fine," he thought to himself, ready to launch a counterattack once he stopped moving, however, that wouldn't be the case as Lumiere appeared where he'd be in mere milliseconds, his fist lighting up with mana as he threw a devastating punch, now sending the devil northwest.

Not letting up, the prince flew after him. "He called his attribute Word Soul Magic, combined with what happened to me during our last encounter, it must let him alter things through speech,"

At the same time, Licht flew quickly to the designated destination. "So if we attack faster than he can say something, we'll have the undoubtable advantage!" he unknowingly finished Lumiere's thought as he fired a singular slash, hitting him directly as he was once more sent to the east where the light mage was coming in hot.

At this point though, Zagred had had enough, using what little time he had to speak one of his single-word commands. "Shift," he managed to say just in time as he was now out of harm's way. "Not bad, now it's my turn! Lightning Strike!" he fired in response.

But it was futile. "Light Creation Magic: Lightsword Shield!" Lumiere reconvened with the elf before creating a small sword that protected them both from the bolt of electricity.

With the attack stopped, the two scattered, the prince taking the offensive first as light orbs appeared around him, firing one by one. Zagred felt a lot better about that as he skillfully weaved around them, but things were about to go south as the last one flew by him, just to enter the Dweller as Licht was behind him again, the sword glowing and growing in size before he came in with a vertical slash.

The spectators were beyond amazed. "Holy shit, I knew these two were strong, but this is incredible," Kenos commented. "They kept attacking in an attempt to stop him from using his magic, and even when he escapes from their clutches, it's only for a few seconds before they trap him in the loop all over again,"

Patri nodded. "If they keep this up, they won't even need the rest of us,"

"You may be right. I would've preferred for all of us to fight together, but if they can finish him now, I'm not complaining," the solar mage said back before turning to his friends. "If one of you want to be the next Wizard King, you're going to need to be able to pull off stuff like that,"

However, neither of them answered him or even acknowledged his question as they were currently in awe over the display of strength and skill being shown to them, making Kenos give a small smile.

Like before, Lumiere was ready, appearing down south with a glowing fist as he launched an uppercut, sending the word devil back up to Licht who just repeated the same slash. "Alright, this should do it!" the prince conjured a large light sword that he mentally controlled, extending his hand as it pierced the creature's chest.

"Oh yeah!" the others cheered.

"I know for a fact that a move like that won't finish him, but it'll definitely wound him," Yuno remarked. "This will be even easier going forward,"

Unfortunately for the allied forces though, it wasn't going to be that easy. Rather than a look of anguish, Zagred expressed one of evil glee. "Not bad, not bad at all. The elf who took the form of a Progenitor and the human who absorbed his power, you both have been exposed to enough demonic magic to damage my creations, but striking me down is another thing altogether, it's impossible,"

"No, it's not impossible, our united strength will put an end to you!" Lumiere retorted.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, you'll figure it out eventually," the devil made a retort of his own as his grimoire flipped to a page. "Word Soul Magic: טריידנט שחור (Black Trident)!" he said as the three-pronged weapon formed in his hand, destroying the light sword as well as cutting off the prince's arm.

"Lumiere!" Licht cried out, watching as his brother-in-law was now in a compromising position.

"I have both my body and my grimoire now. If this happened 500 years ago, you wouldn't be able to stop me then, and you won't be able to stop me now!" Zagred bragged as he prepared to strike his enemy down.

"Not so fast!" a voice echoed loudly as Asta came zooming in, transformed as he intercepted the strike, surprising the devil and giving time for the royal to get away with his arm.

"But how? He was so far away," he thought, but then he could feel a draft, so he turned in the direction, seeing Yuno. "That other boy must've boosted him. This is strange though, my trident should break down whatever it touches, even anti-magic shouldn't be saving him. I don't know how that comrade got such a power, but it appears that there's more to it,"

He wasn't the only one in his head as Asta too was in thought. "What the hell? I know this guy is strong, but what kind of weapon did he make? My anti-magic isn't erasing it. Could it be that I don't have enough power?"

"You're quite the quick brat, but all you did is prolong the inevitable. Get Back!" he said before commanding an invisible force to push the royal knight away. "Tempest of Blades!"

"Crap!" Asta recovered as fast as he could to parry them, but the others came to his rescue, repelling the swords from all sides. "Thanks, everyone!"

Having finished handling the blades in his vicinity, Yuno side-eyed Licht. "I can feel it, the power coming off from him is incredible, even more so than when I fought him earlier, but now it feels calmer, more focused. But what's this other feeling? Something warm that embraces me when I look at him. Could it be? Is the elf within me his-,"

Before he could finish, Licht side-eyed him as well, their gazes meeting as he quickly approached, startling the teen. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you,"

"That's alright. Did you need something?"

"No, I just wanted to make sure you're doing alright. Also, make sure that you pace yourself, remember, I'm here, as are the rest of us," the man said caringly.

Yuno wasn't expecting that. "Um…no problem,"

"Good," the elf smiled and flew away, the wind mage unable to hold back a smile of his own.

"My prince, are you alright?!" Secre exclaimed as she flew up to where Lumiere was.

"I'm alright, it doesn't hurt. It appears that being a statue for five centuries killed off my pain receptors, I'm glad though, or else this would be a pretty nasty experience,"

"Don't worry, I'll handle it," the servant forced the arm back in place. "Sealing Magic: Closed Sorrow!"

A few seconds passed before the light mage could begin to move his hand again. "Thank you,"

"You're welcome, but try to be more careful, your body isn't as strong after all this time,"

"All this time?" Lumiere repeated in a mutter. "You know, I wonder how Teiko's doing? He would still be alive. If only he could be here to fight, I bet he's gotten so much stronger,"

"Maybe he has, but even if he hadn't, it'd be nice to see him again," she said back before hearing laughter, looking up to see Zagred staring directly at them.

"You fixed his arm? That's pretty impressive, but I know that's the peak of your power now. With my body and grimoire united and the Magic Stones no longer in your possession, you're nothing but a pathetic sidekick with paltry magic,"

"Shut up!" she yelled back. "I may not be as strong as when I sealed you, but my magic still has value, because my friends showed me my worth! You're the one who's pathetic! You only exist to steal happiness and joy from others, but now we're going to take it back! The ones you've looked down on for centuries will defeat you!"

"That's probably the tenth I've heard that today, you really need to come up with something original," Zagred mocked her words, but then he suddenly turned around, spotting Kenos not too far behind.

"Trying to sneak up on me, aye? I didn't think angelic partners stooped to such lows," he said playfully as he readied his spear, entering a stalemate.

"There's nothing low about it, don't start comparing me to trash like you," the teen retorted. "I'm going to destroy you. The angels may have sealed you, but we won't be taking prisoners,"

"Is that your plan? Then it seems I have to be more wary of you now, after all…out of everyone here, you have the greatest chance of killing me,"

"That doesn't surprise me, angels and devils are sworn enemies, but even though that's true, your defeat will be because of everyone here, not just me!" Kenos ended the clash and flew back. "Heaven Magic: Divine Scission!"

"Vacuum Wall!" he countered with his trusty defense command. "I'll tell you as many times as I need to, Kenos, I won't be the one who dies here,"

"Yes, you will," Licht was behind him now, ready to attack him again, but to his surprise, his attack missed as Zagred weaved to the left. "What?"

The devil laughed briefly. "Were you not expecting that? You mortals aren't the only ones who can improve while you fight!" he positioned his body in order to attack the newcomer.

"Don't you dare forget about us!" Asta and Yuno were coming in hot, ready to join in on the action.

"Wind Spirit Magic: Spirit Storm!" the latter fired his signature attack.

In the few seconds before it reached him, Zagred's eyes darted in another direction, spotting Lumiere, Patri, and Secre, all coming his way to get the jump on him. Instead of being worried in the slightest, a small smirk formed on his lips. "Perfect,"

Performing a movement akin to a backflip, Zagred dodged the beam, opting not to stay still to defend himself as he now flew away. The united team all converged together as they flew after him. "Wave of Flame!"

"That's not going to stop us! Wind Magic: Spirit-amped Towering Tornado!" Yuno conjured the tornado, blowing away the raging fire.

"Disperse!" Zagred responded, the spell dissipating, but just as it did, Kenos stood ready to continue the assault.

"Heaven-infused Solar Creation Magic: Sundial Buzz Saw!" he winded back and launched it at top speed. "Just try and use your magic on that!"

"Gladly! Steel Barrier!" the devil conjured a stronger shield that tanked the spell head-on, managing to only suffer massive gash damage while still standing.

"Tch,"

"Don't worry, Kenos, that may have not worked, but it's seven against one and he can't get out of here, we've got him where we want him," Asta encouraged him.

"On the contrary, boy, you're all right where I want you!" Zagred was ready to enact his plan. "Force Them Down!"

In an instant, the seven were subjected to a substantial increase of gravity and were now plummeting down on a collision course with the ever-growing pool of mana eaters.

"I don't think I have to tell any of you how bad it'll be if we fall into that!" Asta yelled.

"I got this!" Lumiere acted quickly, creating a large light disc beneath them, the heptet painfully crashing into it, a few of them groaning.

"An impressive save, but it won't free you from my clutches! More!" the strength of the force grew, the disc starting to crack from the pressure.

"This is quite the bad predicament he's gotten us in," Licht commented with a note of fear. "What do we do?"

"I think I have something that can help us," the magicless mage's grimoire flipped to a page as a handle stuck out, then, using all of his strength, Asta slowly fought the strong downward push, pulling out the Destroyer. "If it can work against the reincarnation magic, let's hope it can work here!"

To his luck, the sword was able to do the trick, radiating red and black energy that lingered around them, canceling out the gravity as the group rose to their feet, relieved as they then took to the air.

The word devil, however, wasn't expecting a counter like that. "What? But how? That command doesn't use tangible magic, anti-magic shouldn't be able to affect it,"

"You'd be right if I was using my other sword, but this one is real special," he said back triumphantly, placing it back in his grimoire. "That trick of yours won't get us again, we won't be dying to those things, now or ever!"

Zagred composed himself, one plan coming up short wasn't enough to make him worry. "It's funny that you mentioned my mana eaters. You might be able to keep yourself safe from them, but can the same be said for those friends of yours on the lower floors? No matter where they are, my pretties will reach them eventually, and they'll be as good as dead. The only way they'll cease is if my life ceases which, as I've made very obvious, won't happen!"

Licht narrowed his eyes, stealing a quick glance at the weapon in his hands before he floated ahead of the group, pointing the Dweller at the demonic creature. "If all it takes to save them is to kill you, then I won't hold back,"

The elven light mage's eyes widened as he heard that. "Licht, are you really going to use it?!"

"I am," he replied, raising the Dweller above his head as it began to radiate a white aura, the same aura enveloping Yuno and Patri.

"But first, I'll need everyone's help,"

"Flame Creation Magic: Protection of Ifrit!" Fana exclaimed as her spell blocked a large waterball, grinning after it vanished. Noelle, on the other hand, was gritting her teeth.

"You failed to hit me again, but you wouldn't if you used that dragon from before,"

"I'd rather not take the risk of killing you, I'm not a monster,"

"Lies! That's exactly what you are!" she yelled angrily, taking flight as she rushed at the royal.

The water mage didn't stay on the platform she was standing on either, flying away. However, before the elf was able to get closer, a slash was coming her way, forcing her to divert her path and assume higher ground. Both females turned to see Jack standing not too far away.

"Why do I have the strange feeling that you're ignoring me?" the captain questioned with a laugh.

"Because I am. That girl is a royal, the direct descendant of our killers, she will die first, then I'll take care of you," she answered.

Jack put a hand on his hip. "So what? Are you saying that I'm that little of a threat that you don't even need to acknowledge my existence?"

"More or less,"

"Okay then. So do you want to ignore that too?" he pointed down, revealing the room to almost be consumed with life eaters.

"What's it matter to me? The mana it's giving off may feel strange, but for all I know, it's a direct creation of the Shadow Palace. And if that's the case, all I have to do is kill you and leave, luckily for me, none of you are a challenge,"

"Then you're going to regret saying that, missy! Severing Magic: Death Sickle Storm!" he spun violently and fired a slew of slashes, forcing her to go on the defensive.

Jack then turned to Noelle. "Hey, girl from Yami's squad, you better be able to keep up with me or you can sit back and rest!"

"Just who do you think you're talking to?!" she pointed at him, clearly displeased. "I'm doing great!"

He grinned like a madman. "Then show me what you can do!"

With the slashes having ended, Fana put her focus back on the humans. "That's it, if you want to die so soon, I'll be happy to oblige! Flame Magic-!" she was about to cast a spell, but that's when a white glow covered her.

"What's she doing?" the girl inquired.

"How the hell should I know?" he replied as Fana now floated silently in the air.

.

.

"Hahaha! That's what you get, you arrogant little shit!" Fenris bragged as he stood over an unconscious Lira. "That'll teach you to never waste perfectly good food! And now that I mention that,"

The wolf then approached the pasta spilled on the ground, scooping it up with his hands and gobbling it up in seconds, sucking the remaining sauce off his fingers. "Hm, spicy. Hey, it's Charmy, right?" he called out to his caster who sat criss-crossed in the distance. "Did your sheep put hot sauce in this? If so, that was a great decision, the tang really brings out the flavor,"

"What? Oh, yeah," she answered absent-mindedly.

The wolf was flabbergasted, he may have not known the girl for long, but hearing her dismiss food after how much she ranted about it during their fight was beyond odd. So he approached her, seeing her look down at something: her transformed grimoire.

"Y'know, this is all so weird now that I think about it, I'm a hybrid and something freaky has happened to my grimoire. What can this all mean?" she said, her steadfast gaze still on the book.

Fenris shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, but if you ask me, you're worrying too much about it. Now, let's find ourselves something to eat, I'm famished,"

In response to that, the dual mage just sighed, so the wolf got closer, his eyes now on the grimoire, but then, they began to automatically zero in on the symbol in the center. Then, all of a sudden, his pupils began to dilate and blurry images flashed in his head; they were hard to make out, but it looked like a place…and it was filled with tiny floating creatures. The magical creature stumbled back and fell on one knee, clutching his head.

"Fenris! Are you okay?!" Charmy became worried by the sudden shift. However, he didn't answer her question, instead, he just stated a single word.

"Brave,"

Charmy tilted her head. "What?"

In a few seconds, Fenris' pupils returned to normal as he stood up straight. "That was weird,"

"Tell me about it, you had me concerned like crazy,"

"Yeah, I'm fine now,"

"So, why did you say brave out of nowhere like that?" she then inquired.

He held his chin. "I'm not exactly sure myself. I was looking at that crown, then the word just popped into my head,"

"That is weird. Well, if it makes you feel more at ease, I think you're pretty brave,"

The wolf crossed his arms. "And I guess you are too. It takes a brave soul to fight valiantly for the honor of food,"

"Aw, you really think so?" Charmy blushed with a childish smile as she ran to her creation, but to her surprise, he put a hand up.

"What do you think you're doing? No hugs, I'm not some kind of stuffed animal,"

"What? No fair," the hybrid pouted. "I finally have a cool companion like Yuno and Kenos, and I don't even get to hug him?"

Fenris sighed. "Fine, but not for too long," he relented, the teen already embracing his leg.

"Wow, you're so soft!"

"Don't get used to it, I'm never letting you do this again!" he said in an almost embarrassed tone before his head turned to the room's entrance.

Charmy noticed what he did. "Is something wrong?"

"Something's coming," he replied, and right on cue, life eaters began to pour in.

"What kind of spell is that?!" the girl pointed at the eerie substance. "Fenris, let's try using Glutton's Banquet,"

"No, I'm sensing sinister mana from it, we should keep our distance,"

"Wait, you can sense mana too? Just how complex of a spell are you?"

"Beats me," he shrugged, but then, both of their gazes were directed behind them as they saw that Lira was enveloped in a white aura.

"Freaky," the two said.

.

.

"C'mon, there has to be someone around here," Zuka said aloud as she ran through a middle area, not missing the chance to mentally note how much faster she was moving thanks to her transformation.

"Oh man, I can't wait to show this to Oliver and Shauna, they're going to think it's so cool!" she took some time to squeal before a small blush formed. "If Kenos sees this, I wonder if he'll compliment me. Wait, this is Kenos I'm talking about, of course he'll compliment me, but I wouldn't mind if it was a little more…romantic,"

She sighed in a blissful manner before composing herself. "Okay, swooning time's over, back to business," the royal knight said as a sound entered her ear, making her halt.

"What's that?" she turned around, and that's when a wave of life eaters poured in and began to steadily engulf the middle area.

"Holy shit!" she pointed at it. "What is that stuff?!"

The stuff in question kept increasing, so Zuka decided to take the offensive. "Well, whatever it is, I'll get rid of it! Sparkle Creation Magic: Glittering Star Shower!" she commanded the stars to fall, but instead of detonating and blowing the substance to smithereens, they vanished upon contact.

"Huh? It didn't work?" the transformed mage couldn't believe it. "Whatever these things are, they're impervious to magic attacks," she then looked around the walls, seeing that it was degrading. "Not to mention they appear to be able to damage matter. I better not let any of that stuff touch me,"

Turning around, she spun her body and deployed her glitter as high as she could, forming a platform as she jumped onto it. However, after doing so, panic arose. "No! Yurim! She's still in that room!"

The teen was about to take a risk and leap into action, but before she did, a part of the wall that hadn't yet been consumed was destroyed by a blast of fire, and standing on the newly formed space was Mereoleona, carrying a pair of unconscious bodies with a single arm.

"Captain!" Zuka called out to her.

"Ah, there you are, I sensed a mana signature here and came to check it out," she explained before leaping a great distance over to her sparkle structure. "Hm, you look different, but it's nice. Good work,"

"Thanks," she smiled, but then she noticed one of the people she was carrying. "Yurim?!"

The royal side-eyed the elf. "Is that her name? I'm guessing you're the one who took care of her?"

"I am. How'd you find her?"

"After I beat Vetto, I noticed that strange purple stuff coming in, so I left, I then stumbled into the room where she was and took her with me,"

"I see. I wonder what we're going to do about that," Zuka mused, but then, all of a sudden, the same white aura cloaked her along with the other elves.

"Okay, this is weird,"

.

.

"I believe thanks are in order," Yami said to the one across from him.

"What are you talking about?" Charla asked in confusion.

"Are you seriously asking?!" the captain comically exclaimed. "Well, first of all, I saved you from those weird purple things, and now I'm doing this!" the perspective panned out, revealing them to be within the dark mage's Black Cocoon, with the devil's spell nearly engulfing the spot they were in.

The possessed captain turned from his gaze with an embarrassed face. "Fine. T-Thank you,"

Yami gave her one of his genuine friendly smiles. "You're welcome, and thank you too," he looked down at his injured arm, now covered in vines that emitted a glow. "I have to be honest though, I didn't know the Prickly Queen had a recovery spell,"

"She does, but it's not the most potent thing out there, so it'll take some time," she answered, letting the air remain silent for a few seconds. "So, I've noticed that you like to call my host by her nickname rather than her actual name. Are the two of you…close? Like really close?"

"Oh, what's got you so curious?" a sly grin formed.

"Wipe that look off your face! I'm just asking to kill time,"

"Okay, if that's what you say," the dark mage tried to get as comfortable as he could. "I wouldn't exactly call us the closest, we don't spend that much time with each other, even when we were younger, but she's pretty cool in my book, and despite what she may say, I'm cool in her book too. In fact…you could say I'm the coolest one there,"

Charla raised a brow. "Is that so?" she mused, and then, on cue, the aura surrounded her next.

"Crap!" the captain covered his eyes. "Would it kill you to warn me if you were going to do that?!"

"No, you've got it all wrong, I'm not doing this. But…I think I know who is,"

.

.

"Rhya, what's happening to you?" Mimosa questioned as she saw both him and Ronne sporting the white aura.

"It's Licht," was his only response.

"What exactly is he doing?" Nozel now asked.

"His best attack,"

Before he could elaborate further, a voice called out to them from afar. "Nozel! Mimosa!"

The two royals knew who the voice belonged to, spotting Fuegoleon flying atop Salamander with an unconscious and glowing Baval and Eleos. "I'm glad to have found someone!"

"Same here, but make sure you aren't pushing yourself too hard," his rival expressed rare words of concern. "You did just wake up a little while ago,"

"Don't worry, I'm fine,"

"Hold on," Rades got everyone's attention. "Rhya, you said Licht was doing this, right?"

"Yeah,"

"So, if he's doing it, that must mean he's fighting that devil creep right now," he deduced.

"Did you just say a devil?" Fuegoleon's eyes widened.

"Yes, from what we saw, he was really powerful, hence why Licht must be fighting him," the copy mage replied

"That's got to be it, no one else here should be able to push him that far if he's stronger than Patri," Annalise added. "Do you think the others made it there safely?"

"Hm, let me check," Mimosa pulled up her schematic, pointing at the top room as multiple lines of white were converging there. "Right here, there are eight signatures,"

"Wait, not counting the devil, that means there are seven other people there," Valtos noticed. "Only three people were sent from here, and with Licht, that makes four. Who are the remaining three?"

"Perhaps some of the others made it there too and are helping out," the flame mage suggested a reasonable answer.

The mercury mage sighed. "Let's just hope it's enough to finally put an end to this,"

"Everyone,"

"Licht!" Rhya suddenly exclaimed.

"What's the matter?"

"He's connecting with us elves and speaking directly to our minds. Even those of us who are knocked out can hear it," he explained as it continued.

"Everyone, I need you all to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. Humans are not our enemies, they never were, and they never will be. What happened 500 years ago when we all died, it wasn't their doing, but the doing of a devil by the name of Zagred who sought to taint us in order to achieve his own agendas. He manipulated Lumiere's family into killing us and used his magic to reincarnate us, so please, let go of your hatred for it is misguided and misplaced, instead, use it to fuel your spirits so that we may defeat the true culprit. And to do that…,"

"...I'll need you to entrust me with your strength,"

"What in the world?" Zagred couldn't help but look at the sword raised above Licht's head as it now emanated a light that covered the entire room.

"Damn," was all the knights of the present could say, simply in awe.

The elf had a smile on his face, happy to once more feel connected to his brethren, and thanks to that connection, his attack was ready. "This is for everything you've done, and for everyone you've taken! Begone and trouble us no further! Ultimate Sword Magic: Demon Dweller Sword - Conquering Eon!"

"Ultimate?" the youngest trio zeroed in on the additional word, but their focus returned to the fight in an instant as Licht launched the devastating slash, the power of the force reaching insane heights as the brightness reached its zenith and Zagred's body disintegrated. Once the light faded, he was gone and the part of the room that was behind him was completely obliterated.

"Amazing," Secre muttered. "We…we did it. We won,"

Meanwhile, Yuno clenched his fists tightly. "That attack was on a whole other level, and so is he. If I want to be the Wizard King, I need to be able to do something that impressive if not more,"

"Wow, that was super cool!" Asta squealed.

"I know, right?!" Patri joined in, earning a strange glance from Kenos.

"I get that we haven't been friendly enough in the past to warrant seeing your happier side, but you being giddy looks oddly wrong,"

"Aw, c'mon, don't be too hard on him," the swordsman came to his defense.

"You, boy," his attention shifted to Licht.

"Yes?"

"Forgive me for not asking earlier, but what's your name?"

"You don't need to apologize, it's alright. My name's Asta,"

Having his answer, the elf showed off his weapon. "Well then, Asta, I hope you were watching carefully, because what you just saw was the true might of the Demon Dweller Sword. In time, I hope you begin to bring out the potential of the other swords you have,"

"I will!"

While that was happening, the perspective went back to Yami and Charla, the two noticing something off. "Do you hear that?"

The elf listened carefully. "I don't hear anything,"

"Exactly, those things don't seem to be moving anymore, something must've happened," Yami formed a small opening in his cocoon and popped his head out. "Yeah, that nasty stuff is starting to recede a little. Let's get the hell out of this thing, my legs are starting to get cramps,"

He called off the spell entirely as they jumped over to the only platform that wasn't consumed, standing side-by-side. However, they weren't the only ones there; far away behind them were Gueldre and Revchi, the former captain's magic keeping them safe from the abomination.

"Could this idea get any worse," the chain mage whispered to his accomplice. "First, there's no treasure in here, then this icky stuff starts growing out of nowhere, and now there are two captains that close to us,"

"Don't worry, Yami and Charlotte may be powerful, but they can't do anything to us as long as my spell is active, heck, I don't think they even see us. We'll just sit tight until whatever's happening blows over and they show us the way out,"

"I heard what Licht said, you were right, your kind wasn't guilty, that devil was. I apologize for what I said and did,"

"Don't mention it. You guys were tricked, it wasn't your fault,"

"On another note, if the devil's creation is receding, that must mean Licht's attack finished him off," Charla sounded hopeful.

As for Yami, his face appeared a lot more grim as he popped a cigarette into his mouth and lit it, blowing smoke out. "I wouldn't be so sure of that,"

"What are you talking about?"

"If he was really done for, don't you think that these would disappear entirely rather than just slow down?" he told her, looking up.

"This fight isn't over yet,"

Back on the top floor, Kenos pumped a fist into the air. "Good work team, now let's get the others and skedaddle," he then let out a yawn. "I could really use a nap, this whole debacle is going to murder my circadian rhythm,"

"Hold on, I think I see something," Patri peered into the spot where the devil once stood, finding a strange object floating.

His eyes then widened. "It's…a heart,"

"What?!" Emmanuel's voice cried out from within the grimoire. "Kenos, you have to destroy it!"

"Huh? But-,"

"No buts, do it now, hurry!"

His partner nodded. "I'm on it!" he zoomed towards the heart. "Heaven Magic: Divine-!"

"Get Back!" the heart spoke, the angelic solar mage getting thrown back before he could complete the attack. "Heal,"

In seconds, Zagred's body began reforming itself from the bottom up until he was good as new. "Licht, you surprised me, I didn't know you had a move like that under your sleeve, but it was ultimately useless. Magic of this world can't kill me,"

He then addressed someone else. "I imagine you're in shock too, Emmanuel. Your kind are our natural enemies, so I bet you're not used to seeing us survive an otherwise lethal attack,"

"What? Even after all that, we couldn't win, we couldn't even gain any ground," Patri expressed his disappointment, but then he noticed Licht's body beginning to slump over, so he moved in quickly to help him. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine, it's just that it's been a while since I've used that spell. Give me a minute,"

"Unfortunately, we don't have a minute, but worry not, I have a solution. I finally get to use my other new spell," Kenos' grimoire flipped to a page. "Heaven Recovery Magic: Divine Blessing!"

The royal knight raised his sword above his head, holding it in a horizontal manner as the blade emitted a light that bathed over the seven. "This spell will heal any short-term injuries and can temporarily heal battle fatigue. The perfect recovery spell to use while in the middle of battle,"

"Thank you, I am feeling better," Licht said as they all flew back into the fight.

Well, not all of them, Asta hung back which his brother noticed immediately. "You coming?"

"Not yet. Licht said that I have the potential to bring out the true strength of my swords," he stared at the Slayer, holding it with both hands as he let it surge with anti-magic. "If he was able to do that move by filling the Dweller with magic, I should be able to get the same result if I do something similar,"

"Are you sure it's going to work?"

"I won't know unless I try-!" he replied before he was suddenly pulled in by his sword, uncontrollably zooming ahead.

"Asta!"

"Huh?" the others turned around to see him coming in hot.

"Make way!" he screamed as they flew out of his path as he raced toward Zagred.

"Coming after me directly now, are you?" the devil created another trident. "You don't seem to have full control, so I hope you don't mind if I take full advantage!" he prepared to strike the magicless mage down, but in an act that shocked him, once contact was made, his trident broke in two, as if it wasn't even a threat.

"It took all he had just to parry my spear into a stalemate last time, but now he destroyed it with no issue. Hahaha! The power of that comrade just gets more and more fascinating. However…he had better know his place!" the devil's grimoire flipped to a page. "Word Soul Magic: שרצים חיים (Sentient Spawns)!"

At his command, featureless creatures rose up from the mana eaters, adorned with sharp teeth, all coming at Asta. "Oh crap, c'mon sword, listen to me!" he tried to move the Slayer, but it was no use, giving him no choice but to take a trio of attacks head-on. "AHHH!"

His agony wouldn't stop there though as one opened its mouth, ready to swallow him whole, but help came in the form of the prince as he caught the teen before destroying the creature with a light blast. "Thank you so much, first Wizard King! I was totally worried back there!"

"Don't mention it, Asta, and you can call me Lumiere,"

"Really?" was all he got to say before the sword went haywire again and slammed the royal away. "Oh no!"

"My prince!" Secre rushed to the crater his body formed.

"I'm okay, just in a little discomfort," he said.

"Okay, that's enough, stand still!" Asta yelled at his weapon, tightening the grip, finally making himself steady, now the next problem to solve was all the anti-magic surging. "I need to control it and make it take a concrete shape,"

"Man, that was quite a swing," the light mage commented positively as he tried to surround himself in light, but nothing happened.

"What's wrong?" his servant asked.

"It's strange, I can still feel my mana, but I can't express it, so I'm guessing I'll have to wait. That anti-magic is super interesting!"

Secre just sighed, but ultimately smiled. "You haven't changed a bit,"

Kenos sucked his teeth. "Damn it, now he's given himself reinforcements, this just got harder,"

Licht flew next to him. "Perhaps, but there's no point in complaining, all we can do is push forward. Shall we go then?"

"Yeah," he answered as they charged together, slashing at the spawns that got close.

"Yuno, we can't let up either!" Patri called to him.

"Right!"

"Wind Magic: Tornado Fang!"

"Light Magic: Light Swords of Conviction!"

However, both attacks did nothing, the spawns not even registering it as they moved around.

Patri grit his teeth. "Our spells don't work on these things either. This isn't good, the two of us are four-leaf holders yet we can't do a thing! I have to be able to do something, I'm the reason this is all happening!" he thought, but then…it hit him. "I know what to do now. I don't know if it will work, but I have to try!"

Clenching his fist tightly, he focused, the mana around him darkening in color. "Yes! I can do it, but with a different purpose this time! Not to fight against humanity, but alongside them! Demon Light Magic: Renewed Swords of Conviction!" he fired the swords of black light, injuring the horde.

"Hoho, there's an interesting sight," Zagred noticed what he pulled off. "I had him turn into a dark elf to handle some pests for me, but it ended up working against me. How annoying, but at the same time, how fascinating, that means things will only get that much more interesting before they die,"

"You like to say that a lot, but do you see us faltering?!" he now looked straight ahead to see the angelic solar mage rushing at him.

"No, but you will in time," the word devil snapped his fingers, a horde of spawns appearing between them.

"These won't stop me! Heaven Magic: Divine Scission!"

Yuno's eyes drifted over to Kenos, watching him destroy the creatures with zero effort, they then shifted to Patri, the elf still joyous at what he was able to pull off, and last, there was Licht, his movements as powerful and precise as always. But what about him? "I'm the only one here who can't hurt them. If I don't do something now, I'll be completely useless,"

He stared at his hands, and then at the battlefield in front of him, he then took a deep breath as he focused his magic into a green glow. "You can do this, just think,"

"Man, this is really hard!" Asta grunted loudly as he tried to get the anti-magic under control, having to dedicate all his focus to the endeavor, so much so that he didn't have a chance to react to the pair of spawns that were coming at him.

"Look out!" Patri came to his rescue. "Demon Light Creation Magic: Renewed Shield of Justice!" he used the defensive move to repel them before going on the offensive. "Demon Light Creation Magic: Renewed Sword of Greater Conviction!"

"Thanks for that!"

"No problem, I owe you anyway!"

"C'mon, take shape, you're almost there!" the swordsman grunted loudly.

"C'mon Asta, what's taking you so long? I know you can do it, so just do it," for the first time since he started trying to control the surge, the black bull's gaze turned away from his sword and now at Yuno, a construct appearing in his hand as he slashed at two spawns, destroying them. "You're my rival, so you better not let me down,"

"Amazing. He used his wind to gather all the mana in the area, including ours, and was able to create something that could damage Zagred's magic," Lumiere stated.

"His growth has gone up once again, I'm proud," Licht added.

With a grin, Yuno debuted his new sword. "Wind Spirit Creation Magic: Spirit of Zephyr!"

The light mage took note of what he made. "Wind magic taking the shape of a sword? Could it be?" a brief image of interlocked hands flashed in his mind. "Licht, the one inside, is he…?!"

The sword mage just smiled and nodded, making his brother-in-law do the same. "So, it was a boy?"

Asta couldn't help but grin too. "Yeah yeah, I was getting there," he said as the power finally stabilized. That wasn't it though as the energy his transformation emitted began to spread to the middle of his body and a second horn sprouted out, two things Kenos silently took note of. His weapon also grew in size as he held it proudly. "I won't let you down, after all, I'm going to be the Wizard King! Anti-Magic: Demon Slayer Sword - Black Divider!"

"That's a cool move you pulled, but you got something wrong, the next Wizard King is going to be me!" Yuno traded some friendly banter.

"Over my dead body!" Asta returned the remark as they both flew in, cutting down spawns with ease.

"You may have gotten stronger, but you still won't reach me!" the devil taunted them.

"Wanna bet?!" the wind mage relented, letting his brother fly ahead, he then pointed his sword straight ahead, conjuring a tornado that boosted him.

"Take this!" Asta accelerated faster than Zagred could speak, stabbing his chest.

"What a combo!" the others thought in unison.

"Did I do it?" the swordsman wondered aloud.

"Not even close, you piece of utter trash!" the devil replied, revealing his heart to have shifted to the other side, a multitude of mouths now forming across his body.

"No way,"

"Yes way," a spawn then came in and slammed the boy away. "Increase! Enlarge!" he spoke two commands, more spawns forming as they all began to grow and appear more ferocious.

That wasn't it though, those commands caused a chain reaction, leading to an increase in the regular mana eaters. "This is really bad, even if we can all combat them, those below us can't," the elven light mage said.

Licht finished cutting one of the big spawns in half. "Then we need to keep them safe. Lumiere, how are you feeling?"

"I think I'm good to go,"

"Great. Patri, we won't be able to attack while we're doing what we're doing. Can you cover us?"

"You didn't even need to ask,"

Lumiere and Secre flew up to the chieftain as both men took hold of the Dweller, their auras flaring. "It's up to us to keep the knights of this era safe, they are the future of this kingdom," the prince said.

"Light Magic…,"

"Sword Magic…,"

"The mana coming from them, it's incredible," the sealing mage was in awe.

"Combo Move: Demon Dweller Sword - Protecting Light!" multiple beams of light shot out, traveling throughout the entire Shadow Palace, placing a strong aura onto each of the possessed knights, and one by one, each demonstrated their newfound ability to repel the mana eaters.

But that wasn't all, every single elf who was unconscious woke up, and thanks to the words of their leader, they now knew who was their enemy…and who was their ally.

"Sheesh, you guys really like glowing, don't you?" Yami quipped at the aura Charla was now sporting.

"Yes, and you're going to have to deal with it I'm afraid," she said back, looking down at his injured limb. "How's your arm?"

"It's feeling way better thanks to you. I should be able to manage another Dimension Slash," he responded, lifting his katana.

"Hold on, you're going to use it here and now? But we're not even in the same room,"

"No. I can't explain it, but I think being next to that aura of yours has buffed my Ki sense, I can sorta see everything that's going on up there. Right now, all I'm waiting for is an opening,"

The red rose mage chuckled. "So, that's your plan?" she commanded vines to wrap around his blade. "Then I'll add on some momentum,"

"I can feel all of them, the Dweller is connecting our spirits," Licht said. "They're going to be okay,"

Just then, a trio of the enlarged spawns emerged, but they were quickly taken care of. "Demon Light Creation Magic: Renewed Whips of Endless Judgment!" Patri turned back to the pair, sharing a wordless nod. "I'll never doubt their bond again, I'll protect them with everything I have!"

Shifting perspective to the rivals, while the spawns were ultimately being destroyed, their enhanced capabilities were successfully keeping the two at bay. "Hey, did you notice that when you hit Zagred, he moved his heart, but not when the first Wizard King hit him in the same spot?" Yuno questioned curiously.

"Yeah, I did," Asta answered. "Do you think it was because of my anti-magic?"

"It makes the most sense. We need to make sure you can get a direct hit in if possible,"

"Right," Asta agreed, but just then, a painful shock jolted through his body.

"Hey, is everything alright?"

"Yup, my form's just starting to reach its limit, but I'll be fine," he reassured his brother, calling out to his squadmate. "Kenos, how are you holding up?!"

"I was doing a little better before he amped them, but I'm managing," he told him before spotting spawns that began to overwhelm Patri, going up there to help.

"Thanks,"

"You're good. However, we're in a bit of a conundrum, getting closer to Zagred is almost impossible now, we need more power. If only there was-," the noble paused, the solution coming to him. "Emmanuel, you have to let me use Double Boost again,"

"That's absolutely out of the question," his partner refused. "You may have used Divine Blessing, but it won't guarantee that your body can take it again,"

"Wait, I might have a solution," Lumiere spoke up, his grimoire flipping to a page. "With Licht's sword increasing my power, I should be able to manage this while keeping everyone safe, so use it well. Light Reinforcement Magic: Strengthening Light!" he exclaimed, Kenos being covered in a faint yellow glow.

"What's this do?"

"It wasn't easy obtaining the title of Wizard King, I had to push myself time and time again, so I made this spell, a last resort move that would help me continue battling after the point of exhaustion. I don't know anything about angels and the like, but I hope it can serve you,"

"I'm honored, Your Majesty," Kenos turned to his grimoire. "Emmanuel?"

"...Alright," the angel relented. "But no longer than 5 minutes, and don't overexert yourself,"

"Don't worry, I won't. Heaven Magic: Angel's Child - Double Boost!" he exclaimed, closing his eyes as he added on each of the additional components, but when it came to his sword, he threw it far away after the light coated it, the weapon splitting into two as he flew after them, grabbing them as he opened his eyes and did a small, toothless smile.

"Woah," everyone was in awe at the transformation, even Zagred, but his awe was mixed in with a notable amount of worry, but he didn't dare show it.

"It doesn't matter what you do, I won't lose to a pack of worthless mortals!" the spawns concentrated their attacks on the rivals, but before they got closer, they were cut in half by Kenos in a single millisecond.

Asta and Yuno were stunned. "I…I didn't even see him move," they thought.

"I take it you're impressed?" their friend's voice was now next to them, startling them as they didn't notice him get close.

"Really impressed. So this is the Double Boost you mentioned earlier?" Asta said before he held his chin. "Kenos, I think you should be the one to land the finishing blow, your angel powers should do the same as my anti-magic,"

Yuno nodded. "I agree. I can sense it, among the seven of us, you're the undisputed strongest,"

The angelic solar mage thought about what they suggested, but he ultimately shook his head. "I can't,"

"You can't?"

"No, I'm running on borrowed time right now with Lumiere's help. Usage of 60% is powerful, but once I deactivate it, I'll be completely incapacitated if I exert too much effort, and going after Zagred will definitely make me do so. I won't be an effective linchpin, it'll be better if I clear the way for you,"

Asta respected his decision. "Okay then, we're in your hands,"

His squadmate nodded. "Then get going. Heaven-infused Solar Creation Magic: Rain of Solar Daggers!" he intentionally increased the range, the area of effect becoming almost a hundred meters, numerous daggers dropping down, destroying every spawn in front of them.

Not wasting a single second, Asta and Yuno flew forward at top speed, the latter declaring a spell. "Wind Magic: Towering Tornado!"

Zagred wasn't deterred though. "Such a useless attempt! Disperse!" the tornado did just that, but to his shock, the only person he saw was Yuno. "Where's that other brat?!"

"Over here!" Asta exclaimed, coming from behind him. "Anti-Magic: Black Meteorite!"

"I get it now, that tornado wasn't meant to be an attack, it was a diversion," he realized as they both sped up. "Get-," he was cut off as both strikes connected.

"Get Back! Stop! Force Them Down!" the devil blurted whatever command could get them away, but it was no use thanks to the anti-magic. The fight was now firmly in their favor.

But alas…it couldn't stay that way.

In a flash of black, Asta reverted back to normal, reaching his limit. "No,"

"No!" his brother yelled, the momentary distraction giving the devil to snatch them both with enlarged hands.

Kenos saw what happened. "I'm on my way!"

"No you aren't!" the devil then spoke to his creations. "Ignore everyone else and go solely after Kenos!" he ordered as over a hundred of the strengthened spawns were coming at the noble simultaneously.

However, in a feat of incredible speed and skill, Kenos' hands moved faster than anyone there could perceive, destroying one after another without getting hit himself, but as Zagred intended, his attention was now fully occupied.

"I'll help you!" Patri offered.

"No, don't worry about me, I can deal with them, go help the guys!"

"Okay!" he and Secre rushed over.

"Get Back!" the word devil repelled them as he then began to tightly squeeze the boys. "See? I told you I'd win, didn't I? Hahahahaha!"

But at that very moment, Yami found what he was looking for. "There's my opening! It's time I finally make this bastard pay for all the crap he's done, to us and the elves! And then…I'll have avenged you!"

[Flashback]

Magic Knights HQ. Years Ago.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" a younger Yami asked someone.

That someone was none other than Julius. The time mage walked over and sat by his desk. "Why not? You and William have shown incredible results, I think it's only fair to make the two of you squad captains,"

"Yeah, but…have you extended this offer to anyone else?

"No, just the two of you, and right now, I don't think I ever will,"

"That's my problem. I can understand William, but why would you offer a foreigner a chance to make his own squad from the ground up? There's no way you won't get pushback. Not to mention I'm not exactly the leader type,"

"Don't worry about the public, we're trying to change the way society thinks, so there's no use in conforming to it. And you'd make a great leader, you even said you wanted your squad to be a home for anyone regardless of who they are, which is very noble," Julius replied. "You were sounding a lot more confident earlier. What changed?"

The dark mage scratched the back of his head. "Nothing, I'm just a bit nervous is all. I'm wondering if I'm really up to it,"

"I know you are," Julius' voice was soft and sincere. "From the moment we met on that fateful day by the shore, I saw something great in you, something extraordinary,"

Yami's eyes shifted drastically, widening as the wizard king smiled.

"I'm counting on you then to show it to me one day,"

[End Flashback]

Yami opened his mouth, the cigarette dropping in slow motion as his grimoire flipped to a page and his katana cut through the vines.

Charla's eyes widened. "His concentration is astounding!"

"This one's for you, Julius! Dark Magic - Mana Zone…,"

Shifting to his point of view, Zagred was now partially visible, floating in the air motionlessly, unaware of what was coming his way.

"...Dark Cloaked Dimension Slash - Equinox!" he fired the singular slash with all his might, traveling through space and cutting debris along the way until it reached the devil, cutting him down the middle.

Not a single person could keep their composure, shocked at the gruesome injury Zagred had been suddenly inflicted with. "This ki, I recognize it…it's Captain Yami!"

"What? But I can't even sense him. You mean Yami was able to do so much from so far away?" Patri stood in disbelief.

As for Zagred, blood began leaking from his wound. "Dark Magic, the magic that could affect me!" he yelled in his mind as his heart was now exposed, unable to move due to the painful shock, but that wouldn't stop the demonic being. "It's not over yet! I can still take you two with me!"

Making his last ditch effort, he squeezed with all his might, trying to crush the pair to death quickly, but in a split second, his arms were severed by a white slash. "What?!" the three exclaimed, following the direction of its origin to see the angelic solar mage, still heavily surrounded by the horde, sending a quick grin their way.

"Incredible. Even though he's still outnumbered, he found a chance to free us and still didn't get hurt, that's our Kenos," Asta thought as he was backing away, but then he felt a pair of hands push against him.

It was Secre. "Sealing Recovery Magic: Heavenly Prison - Faint Omen!" blue magic spiraled around him. "Now his injuries have been sealed, but he needs to transform again," she now spoke to him. "Asta…,"

"Die, you trash!" Zagred tried to attack.

"Not today, bastard!" Yuno pointed his sword and shot a tornado, stunning him momentarily, and giving his brother a chance to end it.

"...You're going to be the Wizard King, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," he slowly transformed, gripping the Black Divider with both hands as he raised it into the air, at the same time, memories flashed in his head. Images of people, conversations, and battles, everything that brought him here.

"YOU'RE DONE!" he swung the sword with everything he had left, finishing the job as he cut the devil and his heart properly in half.

It was over. They won.