I'm back. Enjoy
Trigger Warning: Blood, Gore, Abuse
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Third Person's PoV
Finral is an expressive person. If he is scared, he will show it. If he's happy, he'll show it. The black bull members can read him like an open book. Despite being a senior, Finral is everyone's best friend.
He is the flirty and cheerful but also a scaredy cat. But despite of his unnatural flight nature, he doesn't back down when it comes to saving his family, in blood and in squad.
He already took the role of a motherhen to his squadmates, taking them to their missions, asking about their days or if they're okay. Yami is always grateful for the younger for looking after the members but he'll appreciate it more if he stops being a damn flirt and getting distracted every time there's a lady around.
Yami looked at the newspaper he's reading, not leaving the same page for an hour. He's not even reading it anymore. Its already getting dark and the idiots the he sent for a mission near the forbidden realm are not yet back. Its not even a hard job, just moving things and shipments. That's why he only sent Asta, a muscled-pipsqueak, Finral, a spatial mage and Noelle, probably for emotional support. The town isn't also that of a high class. So there's not much bandits and crime.
Even though, Yami can't shake off the feeling of something amiss. His gut feeling is telling him something. And I'm telling you, his gut feelings were never wrong.
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Sweat trickled down Asta's forehead as he stock the last box of fruits from the farm that Finral handed through his spacial portal. He felt exhausted but at the same time proud as they are thanked by the farmers that they helped. Their smiles and welcoming gestures is enough for a half-day labor work.
"Thank you so much Magic nights for helping our humble town." An old lady offered a warm smile for the exhausted teen and handed him a glass of cold water.
"Thanks Granny" Asta returned a wide smile which made the old lady pat the mop of gray hair.
Suddenly, a voice of a man intercepted Asta's ears. "Time to eat, time to eat. Magic knights and everyone time to eat."
Asta beamed, "Uwaahh! Is that a magic ability? That's so cool." The granny smiled at him and explained that one of the locals have this magic where he can deliver messages through people afar.
They walk up to the table under the big tree where everyone else is gathering and sharing food. Noelle is already there talking to some locals and serving foods. Although she always insists that she is a royal, she was the one who volunteered to offer serving foods which made Asta and Finral snicker.
Speaking of Finral, Asta watched as a portal opened next to him and their senior walked out of it. He slumped at the chair near him, thoroughly exhausted. Maybe not because of too much handiwork but because of mana drain. Portals are not always the easiest to make. It consumes a lot of mana from the user if used frequently and further places. But it shouldn't be a problem to Finral. He sometimes wonder why. He was told that his mana is as great as Langris in the past. It was when his mother passes away and his father started abusing him, his mana seems to decrease. Maybe because of the trauma that his mana seems to hide away.
"Drink first, Finral-senpai. I know you are tired." Asta handed Finral a glass of water and he downed it in one go.
"Finral-senpai," Noelle spoke, "You are a Noble right? Aren't they have abundant mana? Not as much as the royal but an exceptional amount. Yet you're always drained of mana." Noelle don't wanna sound rude at all, it is more like a worried tone.
"That's true." Finral awkwardly smiled. Although Noelle is just worried, it still left an uncomfortable feeling within him.
"It's just like that. I really don't know the reason too."
Noelle almost regret opening her mouth because it brought the older down, Asta noticed and immediately ease them.
"Senpai is Senpai whatever it is that you have a lot or no mana. Its not like the portals you make is not as cool as the others. In my eyes it's the coolest of them all! It was fast and unpredictable. It makes me zoom and I feel like I'm flying!" Asta beamed the most innocent smile and sparkling eyes. In mere millisecond, a smile crept up to Finral's face.
"You're exaggerating it, Asta. But thanks. You also Noelle, I know you're just worried. Thank you." He chuckled. "Would you look at that? I have such kawaii juniors, I'm so blessed."
Noelle immediately blushed. "I-I'm not worried. I'm royal you know!"
Asta just went happier with the praise. He laughed and scooted closer to the older.
The villagers watched them with content smiles. They don't looked like just a squad, They looked like a family.
They eat their lunch happily with little conversations between the villagers and plates of delicious foods.
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"Have you seen this place?" A man spread up his hands feeling the air that caress his pale as ghost skin. He breath in and smiled as a touch of grass and nature invaded his lungs.
"Its so peaceful here and the air smelled amazing!" He smiled so big. "This is almost paradise."
"I would really love to ruin this! The air lacks of the smell of blood and smoke. Just then it can be called a paradise, right Oniichan?"
A black-cloaked figure stands next to the man seeming nonchalant. He'd been to many places and each one will be turned to ruins right before they left them. In fact, it was getting boring doing the same thing every time they destroy a town. They were all so dull and ugly crying, running away, all so cowards that it irritates him. He wanted something new. Something pretty. Something that will be exciting. He wanted a rival.
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"Don't leave!!!!" A group of small children gathered around the three mages almost not wanting to let them leave.
Asta and Noelle tried comforting them but they just cried harder. The locals laughed at them behind their hands. It's rare for them to be visited by such good people capturing the hearts of the children in the village. Asta seems really good with children that's which is the prior reason.
"Don't cry, don't cry" Finral wanted to leave already but seeing the tears in such cute faces, he can't lift a finger. He's a sucker for cutesy so who can blame him?
"We will visit you again. We promise. So don't be sad."
"I-I w-want to b-be a Magic night too!!" A boy of 7 years of age shouted. Which followed by small choruses of the same declaration coming from the little ones.
Despite of the obvious stutter and little tears at the corner of his eyes, the boy looked at Finral with determination.
"That's right!" Asta pumped up. "Be a magic night and see you in the Capital! I'm going to be a Wizard king you know! Show me your magic little Knights and let's fight! "
The small children shouted with glee, each of them carving a promise to their young hearts.
With so much hugs and tearful farewells, the three continued to travel back with the help of Finral's spatial magic.
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A portal appeared at the center of the Black bull's base, Asta Noelle and Finral coming out of it totally drained.
"Fucking finally." Yami grumbled under his breath.
"Sorry we're late Caps, the kids pulled on our legs." Asta said falling into the sofa. Noelle just straight up walked upstairs wanting to sleep in her room without so much distraction.
"Oh my God Asta scoot over, let me sit for a while. I think I don't even have much energy to teleport back to my room." Finral said slumping next to Asta in the small sofa.
Yami walk towards them, "Mana drain? Again?" He asked Finral.
"None other than." Finral answered. Yami sighed
Suddenly, Asta and Finral abruptly sit up, their faces drained of color.
From their ears, a voice intercepted in distress. The other line is chaotic and noisy. But Asta and Finral heard the words clearly,
" Bad people. Destroying everything. Save the children–"
the line suddenly cut off, and the voice disappeared in a flash.
"Senpai!!" Asta shouted.
Finral knew what the boy is thinking, it almost is identical to what he was going to do. But due to their state, they barely can hold up their own.
With shaking hands, Finral created a portal using the last bits of his mana. But instead of a portal back to the village, it was a portal in one of the rooms upstairs.
Suddenly, a little girl wearing a black bull cloak fell down from the portal.
"La?" she asked.
"Charmy!! Please help us. We need your powers it's an emergency." Finral cried.
Charmy understood quickly and activated her cloud magic, bringing in her sheep's and cooking food that replenishes their mana.
Yami was just confused on the sidines, he wanted to ask what's happening that brought two of his squad members panicking.
Asta is giddy and anxious for whatever reason that he looks ready to burst out of the door, Finral was waiting patiently at the mana replenishing food but you can clearly see the sweat trickling down his pale face. He is also biting his lower lip a little too hard from anxiousness.
"Calm down you two." Yami said firmly.
The two of them met their captain's eyes.
"Now tell me what's happening."
"Danger! Attacked! The kids!" Asta blabbered which irked Yami 's patience even more. He turned to Finral.
"The village that we'd just helped. They are under attack by a bad person and everything is in chaos. There are children there and we need to save them as soon as possible Yami." Finral can't control how panicked he is.
"Calm the fuxk down first Fin, how are you gonna save them in this state?"
"It's ready!!" Charmy shouted. She pass a bowl to Finral and Asta. Just when they are about to take a bite, Noelle stumbled down the room in panic.
"Senpai!" she exclaimed alarmed.
"I know. So eat, we have to go back and rescue everyone." Finral said full of determination.
Noelle nodded and sat down on the table, a bowl of delicious food already in front of her.
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TBC