Night's Wrath (Black Clover x Male Reader)

55th Page: Conflict Across Time

(Timeless Manor OP - Sync by lol)
Timeless Manor

A tension hung in the air as the three groups stared each other down, Sirius holding a slightly bored, yet faintly alert look, Thorn watching the adversaries with a faintly suspicious glance, the Spade Mages' expressions hidden beneath their cloaks, though a strange frown found itself on the previously standoffish Spade Mages' face.

Just...

The final contender, the newcomer, merely continued to bite at his apple as he stared down the other mages with boredom clear on his face, his eyes not giving way to any of his thoughts. His entire face conveyed no emotion...

But then...

Just what was that aura?!

If there was one thing that both Sirius, Thorn and the Spade Mages could agree on...it was the strange aura around this guy.

"Hahahaha! I dunno who you are, but that aura around you surely means you're strong, right?" The Spade Mage snorted, a cocky grin on his cloaked face as he stared at the silent figure, who only seemed to ignore his words.

"The cold shoulder? Haha, I guess I was right then. That hubris reserved for the strong, its unmistakable!" The Spade Mage laughed wildly, before seeming to compose himself as Sirius cast him a glance.

Was he seriously trying to antagonize this guy?

Well, not that Sirius particularly minded, but first he'd rather figure out what the deal with this guys' aura was...

Of course, that probably meant he'd have to fight him first.

"Well then, let's have fun killing each other! The names' Jeros, what about you two?" Jeros, the Spade Mage, laughed as his cloak fell from his face, revealing his unkempt dark hair beneath, his stone gray eyes glowing with sinister malice.

"Small fry really are getting more cocky, huh..." Sirius snorted, hearing the proclamation from the now named Jeros.

"Well, not like it really matters then. Is our guest over there going to introduce himself?" Sirius jabbed at the strange young man, who merely ignored him, staring between the two, his gaze unchanging.

"Ahaha! We're the hosts, aren't we? It'd be rude to not introduce ourselves first, don't you agree, Frosty?" Jeros pointed out, a grin plastered on his face as Sirius glared at him for a moment, before sighing.

"Sirius. Won't really matters, I guess. You won't be leaving here to remember it." Sirius spoke nonchalantly, cracking his neck before both he and Jeros turned towards the final figure in the deadlock.

"..." However, the stranger merely took another bite of his apple, gulping it down before finally shifting his gaze, meeting the two's eyes, momentarily sending chills down their spines.

"Margos." The man spoke emotionlessly, tossing aside the apple before jumping off of the pillar he previously sat upon, his movements traceless.

"Thorn, those other two are all yours. Deal with them however you want, I don't really care. Just don't lose." Sirius instructed towards his tanned companion, getting a small chuckle in return.

"Roger that, Boss." Thorn brandished his sword, a strange blade with a slightly curved edge, a giant hilt with a strange circular design for a guard, various spikes pointed outwards in all sizes, forming a spiked guard. Perhaps, it could even be used for serration...

"So...you will be...our opponent...?" One of the two remaining Spade Mages rasped, his tone hazy as his mouth curved into a strange grin.

"Yep. Come at me whenever you want, I don't really care." Thorn shrugged, pointing the strange blade in his hand towards the opposing mages.

"Very...well..." The Spade Mage viciously smiled, disappearing into thin air as the third and final Spade Mage chuckled, before drawing forth a pair of daggers as Thorn casually brandished his sword, an aura of tension forming from the two deadlocks.

And in a single moment, the sound of conflict boomed through the ticking halls of the shattered Manor.

"Let's see if you can back up your display!" Jeros grinned, the ground beneath his feet cracking as he stomped forward, his fist drawn back as flames gathered on it, his Grimoire shining brightly as he appeared before Margos, his fist rocketing towards the mages' face, Margos merely shifting his head back as the fist flew over his head, before in the same movement he twisted his body, using his own momentum against Jeros and sending him flying with a kick, Jeros barely managing to block it as he was sent flying into the skies from his own momentum.

"Fast reactions, almost flawless movements...this might be fun." Sirius released a breathless laugh, before he appeared beside Margos in an instant, trying to catch him by surprise with an unbelievably fast haymaker, though Margos casually sidestepped the punch, before kicking at the ground before Sirius, instantly shattering it and assailing the Seven Mercenary with sharp rocks.

Not one to be fazed, Sirius continued his offensive as the spiked marble froze over in a coating of ice, Sirius following up his previous attack with a flurry of punches, Margos flawlessly dodging them all, his eyes as emotionless as ever, not allowing Sirius even a glimpse of his thoughts.

However, Sirius then stomped on the floor before him, a stream of ice flanking around Margos and erupting behind him, a spike of ice impaling forward as Margos swiftly flipped onto the spike, delivering a punch and shattering the ice, though even those shattered pieces sharpened instantly, flying back at Margos as the mage's eyes slightly closed, before he suddenly back flipped away again, dodging the wave of ice, though on impact with the marble floor, several more frozen spikes chased after Margos, Sirius himself silently appearing beside the mage, his fist enroute to punch him directly.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't go having too much fun without me, ya hear?!" Jeros howled in laughter as he arrived atop the two mages, both of his fists clad in flames as he smashed upon the ground, steam erupting through the area as Sirius took a slight step back, though Margos merely turned towards the newcomer.

"Come on, show me all you've got! Those fancy moves of yours are well trained, for sure! But this can't be all you've got if that's the case!" Jeros taunted, Margos merely glancing at him before stepping back as a flame-clad fist soared through where he had previously stood, smoke rising into the air.

"Too slow." Margos spoke simply, before he spun on his feet, turning entirely and delivering a harsh kick onto Jeros' side, his speed momentarily surprising Jeros as he was sent skidding back, though he turned on his heel and met Sirius' fist with his own, the two clashing as Sirius smirked darkly.

"You left yourself wide open." Sirius capitalized on the opening, shooting forth a barrage of punches as Jeros placed his guard up, flames surrounding his fists and slightly softening the blows, but under the continuous attack, Sirius continued to push him back.

"Don't leave me out of the fun." Margos spoke, arriving before the clashing mages in an instant as he stomped on the ground, shattering it further and offsetting both Jeros and Sirius, though the latter disappeared in an instant as Jeros kicked up an explosion beneath his feet, sending him into the skies as a kick, imbued with a strange power, tore through the area where the two had stood previously, completely severing the wall in its way as Sirius whistled from a short distance away.

"That's some serious power. He's still not even using his magic, but can pull of stuff like that..." Sirius hummed to himself, amusement shining in his eyes as faint shadows lingered from his body, his own shadow fluctuating.

"Hahaha! That's the stuff! Alright, I'm going at you all out! Let's have some real fun! [Flame Magic: Wildfire Barrage!]" Jeros howled with laughter, his flame-clad fists leaving afterimages as he punched down at Margos, sending forth dozens of flaming fists, giving the illusion of a meteor shower as Margos merely hopped back, though the fists chased after him, forcing the strange mage to leap forward, weaving between the fists before he ducked, dodging a fist from overhead whilst the ground beneath him shattered, Margos leaping into the air with herculean force, appearing beside Jeros in an instant, his fist drawn back.

"[Flame Magic: Conflagration Repose!]" The flame in Jeros' hands quickly gathered onto his forearms, forming a strange veil of flames as Margos punched at it, sending Jeros crashing towards the ground, almost as if a meteorite.

"Man, this guy is one tough cookie. He really doesn't show any weaknesses at all." Throughout the exchange, Sirius watched closely, attempting to capitalize on any potential openings the strange mage could've revealed, only to not find a single one, watching Jeros crash into the shattered marble ground, crashing right through it before sending him down to a lower platform, Margos turning towards Sirius and punching at him, a massive wind lash instantly razing the area to the ground as Sirius reappeared several feet from Margos, ice binding the strange mages' feet as Sirius approached.

Unperturbed, Margos met the mages' attack head on, the collision causing the ice on his feet to shatter, Margos taking advantage of his regained freedom to swiftly spin in place and kick at Sirius, who fell to the ground, Margos' leg tearing through above him, before seemingly doing an impossible turn and kicking down at Sirius, the latter fizzling into the shadows before appearing behind Margos, his fist enroute towards his head, Margos tilting his head forward before grasping Sirius' arm with his own, smashing him into the ground before him as Sirius let out a breathless gasp, winded as Margos continued his attack, punching towards Sirius' chest, only for the Mercenary to place his palm on the ground, a pillar of ice displacing Margos, making his attack miss before Sirius delivered an uppercut to his jaw, sending him fluttering back, though Margos merely adjusted his position as he fell, landing on his feet.

"Lucky shot." Sirius grunted, taking a deep breath as Margos merely kept his stoic gaze on him, almost as if unfazed by Sirius' attack.

Striding forward, Margos sprinted towards Sirius as the Mercenary instantly put up his guard, defending and dodging the barrage of punches from the strange mage, though he was quickly sent stumbling back, immense currents of wind completely shattering his stance.

"Not good-!" Sirius, in momentary alarm, thought as Margos' foot swiftly crashed into his side, sending him flying off the side of the platform and crashing down towards the lower platform, Margos' eyes trained on his figure before he crouched slightly, not even giving a glance to Thorn and the other two Spade Mages still on the same platform, taking a leap forward and chasing after Sirius.

With the other fighters, Thorn slashed his blade all around him, deflecting the attacks from the agile dagger Mage, before flipping back on one hand and dodging a sharp wave of wind, his blade slashing in the air towards the pursuing Dagger Mage, only for him to weave between the blast of magic that emerged from the blade, stabbing towards the tanned mercenary.

Using his stance to push himself off the ground, Thorn shot into the skies before stabbing his blade into the marble wall beside him, a sharp gust of wind shattering the wall beneath him and sending spiked rocks flying throughout the place, a faint whisper in the wind.

"[Wind Creation Magic: Breezy Downpour.]" The wind itself seemed to whisper, Thorn catching sight of the second Spade Mage hovering in the skies, the wind around Thorn seeming to howl as Thorn suddenly began to fall, his blade dragging through the marble walls as Thorn quickly leapt off the wall, landing on his feet before leaping to the side, avoiding getting cleaved by the Dagger Mage, who continued to pursue him, dozens of wind blades chasing after him.

Raising his hand, the blade on the marble walls seemed to react to Thorn's actions, shaking before rocketing towards his hand, Thorn's grasping its hilt once more before stabbing the blade into the ground,  a tornado of sand kicking up around him, redirecting the swift wind blades, though it did nothing to stop the Dagger Mages' charge, piercing into the whirlwind and stabbing with immense precision at Thorn's head.

Tilting his head to the side, Thorn narrowly dodged the daggers, though they instantly rerouted towards his neck, intent on the kill. However, Thorn's blade quickly intercepted the two, the tanned mercenary sending the Dagger Made stumbling back, before slashing at him as a wave of fierce sand tore into him, sending him skidding back further yet.

"You...show some promise...but not anywhere near...enough..." The aerial Spade Mage spoke raspily, his Grimoire before him shining with an immense white glow, the wind around him picking up.

"Maaaaaaannnn, you're really something else." The second mage, the Dagger Mage, spoke up after stopping his own momentum, brandishing his daggers once again as his Grimoire opened, now floating before him with an abyssal black glow.

"I'll take the compliment. Although, you two are pretty bland." Thorn remarked stoically, brandishing his one handed blade towards the enemy mages, the two seeming to chuckle at his words.

"You haven't...seen anything...yet..." The raspy Wind Mage rasped, his eyes focused on Thorn as the Dagger Mage began to adjust his stance, preparing to engage again as Thorn suddenly leapt back, dodging a lightning fast attack from the Dagger Mage, strange sparks lingering around him as Thorn's gaze narrowed.

"So, speed is their speciality, whereas power is more of the others guys' thing. The lightning can be a bit awkward to deal with, but the wind shouldn't be too hard..." Thorn deduced, dodging another pair of lightning fast slashes, the Dagger Mage continuing to approach and stab out towards him, Thorn constantly retreating from his attacks.

"[Wind Creation Magic: Jericho's Imprisoned Tempest.]" The raspy Wind Mage chanted, a stream of wind kicking up from around the two mages, forming a wall of wind as currents of wind gathered together atop the circular walls, forming four ballistas, arrows of wind locked onto them as Thorn's eyes widened slightly.

In the next moment, the very ground around Thorn seemed to shift, the marble erupting before chains of stone bound his feet, the ballistas from above releasing their bolts, Thorn catching sight of the Dagger Mages' Grimoire flipping through spells.

An explosion of dust kicked up as Thorn was sent flying through the platform in a similar manner to Jeros, though he swiftly adjusted his fall to land on his feet, landing on a platform before he began to slide on the smooth surface, his gaze trained on the oncoming attacks as dozens of Wind Bolts chased after him, a streak of lightning barreling towards him, Thorn brandishing his sword before slashing outward several times, projectiles of surging sands crashing into the oncoming bolts, Thorn dodging the Dagger Mages' crash due to his sliding across the platform.

Brandishing his sword, a strange glint seemed to surround Thorn as his blade turned into a blur, hundreds of surging sand blasts barraging the Spade Mages, the Wind Mage weaving between them with slight difficulty whilst the Dagger Mage continued to approach, weaving between them at lightning speeds.

Raising his guard, Thorn blocked the daggers from the Spade Mage, before a spike of earth burst forth, Thorn flipping diagonally to the side, dodging the attack as his stoic eyes observed the attack, before tempestial sands surged onto his hand, Thorn landing on the ground as the marble around him began to churn, before a massive storm of sand engulfed the platform, beginning to pull in the Lightning Mage.

"What is this?!" The Lightning Mage, in a moment of surprise, called out as his feet began to drag into the ground, as if in quicksand.

However, in the next moment, lightning sparked around him as the sand dispersed, a shattering sound accompanying it as the Lightning Mage leapt back, the Wind Mage arriving above him on a hazy cloud of wind.

Seeing his opponent retreat, Thorn pushed off of his hand and landed on his feet, before casually brandishing his strange blade towards them again.

"Come at me whenever you want." Thorn challenged, his dark eyes as stoic as ever, almost as if unfazed by the Spade Mages before him.

"As you...wish..." The Wind Spade mage rasped, raising his arm up as intense winds gathered around Thorn, trapping him within as Thorn merely twirled his blade in his grasp, before stabbing the blade into the ground as a tornado of surging sand erupted through the wind, obscuring Thorn from sight as the two Spade Mages watched on silently.

He was quite resilient...

A moment later, the tornado of surging sand engulfed the wind around Thorn, completely nullifying the Wind Mages' attempts. With his hair waving slightly in the remnant winds, Thorn merely pointed his blade at the two mages, a stoic smile on his face.

"Next."

Sirius crashed onto the ground, quickly readjusting himself before flipping out of his crater, landing on his feet as a wall of ice erected before him, Margos punching at it and shattering it, though Sirius used the opportunity to fade into the shadows, gaining distance from the strange mage.

"He's damn fast, that's for sure...and his power is no joke either. He's not even using his Grimoire yet, and probably not even his magic. What a monster." Sirius noticed, Margos casually stepping through the shattered ice, an opportunity which Sirius took advantage of, a snap instantly forming a cage of ice around Margos, before dozens of frozen spikes shot forth towards him, Margos stoically glancing at the attack.

With a single stomp of his foot, the ice around him shattered completely, turning into mere mist as Sirius watched on, interest and amusement shining in his eyes. This monster wasn't fazed by anything, huh...?

"Hahahaha! That's the stuff! Man, I haven't met an opponent like you in a long time! That weird power of yours is really hard to get around, isn't it?" Suddenly, the other contender in the three way battle shouted boisterously, Jeros rising from the crater he'd been sent into, various scratches on his face, yet a wide grin still remained.

"..." Margos stared at him silently, before leaping forward and drawing his fist back.

"Not this time." Not fleeing from the attack, Jeros stood his ground as he put up his forearms to guard, nullifying Margos' strike before delivering a punch of his own, Margos narrowly dodging to the side, following with a kick to Jeros' head, the Spade Mage dodging back before punching at the ground, causing various explosions on the ground, stumbling Margos, though another stomp from him quickly put an end to the explosions.

"I think I figured it out. Your magic is more of a counter-type, isn't it?" Jeros grinned, surprise coloring Sirius face as he turned to look at Margos, who merely lowered his guard, his face ever stoic.

"If that's what you think, then you haven't been paying attention." Margos spoke, his stoic gaze glaring at Jeros' own.

"Oh? So I was wrong then? That Magic of yours is really tricky then. I was wondering why you only ever seemed to do that stomp thing after I attacked..." Jeros put his hands up to his chin in thought, recalling all of Margos' strange movements. He was practically unstoppable - wether it was his magic or Sirius' - it meant nothing. He broke through it all the same.

Likely, the culprit behind his effect was less likely his physical strength, which wouldn't amount of much before his flames if relied on purely, even with Mana Reinforcement, and more likely his innate Magic. Every punch that Margos' sent was racked with mana, but something about that didn't quite add up to Jeros. Even if his punches were backed by immense mana, that shouldn't give him the advantage against bonafied spells. Yet - it seemingly did. The only culprit then - was his magic.

Logically, it had to be some sort of counter-type magic, at least during the obvious times when Margos' displayed his might. Yet, supposedly that was wrong...

Perhaps, was Margos trying to deny his claims to conceal his magic?

No, he didn't seem like the type of person to do that.

Then, that means that it wasn't a counter-type, but rather an offensive magic simply fit for both tasks...

"Interesting! Interesting! I want to test your might even more now! Okay, I've decided! You're worthy of my full strength, and since you haven't even drawn your Grimoire yet either, Sirius, I'll just force you both to go all out." Jeros giggled sadistically, his eyes shining with malice as a strange, inhuman magic began to gather around him. A presence, radiating only sinister malice, permeated throughout the shattered Manor, a dark presence descending on the shattered landscape.

"That's...definitely not good." Sirius' gaze turned serious, feeling the ominous magic that continued to well up within the giggling Spade Mage, his eyes slowly turning a crimson color.

"You...we're a worthy...opponent...but even you...must wither and...die..." The Wind Mage rasped, Thorn tilting his head to the side as he backstepped an attack from the Lightning Mage, who upon feeling the encroaching presence, let loose a wild smirk.

"Seems like playtime is over..." The two mages backed away from Thorn, a dark presence beginning to swell as Thorn took an involuntary step back, his previously aloof gaze now slightly serious.

"This presence..." Thorn's eyes narrowed in faint shock, feeling the malice, the sinister intent continue to well up within the two mages before him, their eyes beginning to shine with malice.

Suddenly, with the actions of the three, a dark veil seemed to overtake the shattered Manor, malice itself hanging in the atmosphere of the shattered Manor, before a wave of a sinister presence suddenly put both Sirius and Thorn on guard, both subconsciously reaching for their closed Grimoires, grasping at them in preparation of the struggle sure to come.

"This dark presence...I've felt it before...it feels just like...no, this might be even darker than..." Sirius' gaze slowly narrowed, the malice in the air making his very skin crawl with unease. This felt so much like that man's power...

"Let's all have fun together..."

"The time of...death has...arrived..."

"Come on, let's dance til the end!"

Three voices, tainted by malice and dark intent, suddenly rung throughout the Manor, three intense presences engulfing the open Manor.

"{Devil Power - 40%}"

As if unleashed, a whirlwind of malice tore through the very halls of the shattered Manor, Sirius and Thorn instantly opening their Grimoire's, now hovering before the two, the formers' shining a mixture of cyan and black whilst the latters' shone a dark gold.

"Hahahaha...is that enough to make you go serious?" Jeros let out a demented smile, an icky, otherworldly black magic clinging to his body, hazily dripping off of his fists and chest, corrupting the flames in his hands into a dark, abyssal black color.

"..." Sirius narrowed his eyes at the malice-radiating Jeros, his gaze slowly hardening as he began to acknowledge the severity of the situation.

"First, that monster over there, now whatever the hell this guy summoned from the depths of who knows what hell..." Sirius grimaced, glancing at the darkened Jeros, before his gaze shifted towards the distant mage, who'd remained silent.

"..." Margos held his silence, his stoic eyes unchanging even in the face of the newfound dark powers. He didn't even reach for his Grimoire...

"So shocked you can't even speak? Hahahaha...you haven't seen anything yet! Come on, I'll show you the depths of hell! Let me demonstrate to you the power granted to us Dark Disciples by our savior, Lord Galeus!" Jeros howled sadistically, the dark flames on his hand sudden igniting with darkened vigor, burning apart even the air as an explosion rung out, Jeros instantly appearing beside Margos, landing a solid punch to the strange mages' cheek, sending him flying as Jeros giggled sadistically, turning his gaze towards Sirius, before he too disappeared.

"Shi-" Sirius lurched to the side, dodging Jeros' fist by a hair's breadth, the dark flames scorching him from the proximity, though Sirius quickly used his own Frost attribute to lower the temperature, before flipping on his hands and kicking at Jeros, who merely stood still and took the attack head on, barely moving as Sirius clicked his tongue, Jeros' fist turning into a blur and sending Sirius flying, though he quickly spun in the air, a spear of ice appearing in his grasp before he stabbed it into a passing pillar, stopping him as Jeros appeared before him in an instant, his fist drawn back as dark flames continued to burn.

"Let's see how you handle this one! [Flame Magic: Wildfire Incenrois!]" Jeros laughed giddily, malice lacing his very tone as the dark flame converged on his fist, punching out towards Sirius at an unreal speed, his fist a mere blur as Sirius raised his arms up to defend, but was still sent flying back onto a completely different platform, rocketing and crashing several times before slamming to a stop on a shattered wall, the marble falling on top of him and burying him in a storm of dust.

"We're done...playing with...you...now die..." The Wind Spade Mage rasped, his voice distorted as the very wind around Thorn seemed to turn into sharp blades, instantly stabbing out at him as Thorn attempted to dodge, yet the sheer amount denied any attempts at it.

Yet, that wasn't all of his worries.

"Hey, hey, don't go breaking on me too fast, alright? Alright? [Lightning Magic: Fresenrac's Volatile Myriad!]" The Lightning Spade Mage, now bearing a presence just as twisted as his companion, growled out as he turned into a mere flash of light, dozens of afterimages flashing around Thorn, engulfing him in a storm of blade winds and lightning arcs, kicking up a massive explosion and covering Thorn beneath a veil of dust - most likely defeated.

The three Spade Mages surveyed the fallen figures with dark looks on their faces, twisted glee present on their visages. This feeling...this "corruption", something like this was far too pleasant to be called corruption! This was pure ecstasy!

...

...

...

...

...

Shuffle...

Shuffle...

Crack...

...

...

...

...

...

Suddenly, however, the sound of shifting drew the mages away from their thoughts, turning their gazes to see a sight that only drew further malice from within them - a desire for destruction. For death.

"Phew...that power of yours really is a damn crutch, huh..." From underneath the veil of dust, Sirius stood up as he kicked aside the debris that had fallen on top of him, dark mist radiating from him as he turned his cold gaze towards Jeros, who merely met his own gaze with dark zeal.

"That power of yours is really something else..." A statement and a sword broke through the veil of dust, the Wind Mage and Lightning Mages both turning towards Thorn in shock, seeing him perfectly fine, placing his strange sword over his shoulder, his dark eyes holding their calm, aloof glint, though now, the presence he radiated was completely different.

"Hahaha...good! GOOD! So this is the power you were hiding?!" Jeros smiled in dark delight, seeing the shadows around Sirius twist and bend, as if under his very control, a dark mist concentrated near his feet, cyan ice crystallizing upon the shattered marble ground beneath, crackling with immense frost.

"Impossible...how could you...have survived that..." The Spade Wind mage rasped out, confusion traced in his distorted voice, seeing Thorn standing perfectly fine, before the ground around him began to shake, his Grimoire shining a dark golden color as sand particles began to revolve around him, before picking up speed, a faint tornado of surging sand engulfing him. Similarly, the mist radiating from Sirius continued to spread, crystallizing yet more of the Manor as the ice began to mold in his grasp, before forming a spear in his grasp, shadows beginning to mold on the spears' edge, forming a strange veil, almost as if a flag...

"You may have had a chance of victory previously, but now...well..." Sirius smirked darkly, his own dark zeal matching Jeros' demented grin.

"You might have honestly had a chance if you had taken me out on that last hit, but..." Thorn smiled stoically, brandishing the strange sword in his grasp, it seeming to resonate with his Magic as sand began to gather, swirling around the edge of the blade, dying its black edge a golden color.

"Now you've lost all hope of victory." The two mercenaries spoke in unison, their auras unleashed as the very space around the two began to seemingly tremble, the Spade Mages watching on in a mixture of shock, of confusion - and of malice.

By Sirius, almost the entire platform that he stood upon had been frozen over, the very shadows of the Manor weaving at his command, the spear-flag in his hands weaving in the presence of his immense mana, a distinct symbol imprinted upon the shadowy texture of the shadow mantle - the symbol of the Darknight Mercenaries.

By Thorn, a raging storm of sand continued to swell and expand, the sand quickly corroding the marble around him, breaking it down as the blade grasped in his hands seem to resonate endlessly, his magic running wild as the spiked guard it wielded seemed to flux with mana, the spikes glowing with a dark golden glow, the bandages wrapped around Thorn's hands swaying relentlessly in the face of his magic.

Now...

Now, the Vice Leaders of the Darknight Mercenaries had begun to fight for real.

Now...

There was nothing being held back.

"Good! Good! Come on, show me what you've got! Come at me with all you've got!" Jeros giggled sadistically, the dark flames coating his fists burning with renewed vigor, wanting nothing more than to unleash chaos.

"You don't have to tell me that, dumbass." Sirius gave a dark smirk, disappearing in an instant and appearing before Jeros, a cold mist gathering around his spear-flag before he pointed it towards the Dark Disciple.

"[Shadowfrost Magic: Black Icicle.]" Sirius chanted, a cold confidence shining in his eyes as a storm of ice engulfed Jeros, instantly freezing him completely before Sirius spun the spear-flag in his hands, striking out at the frozen Jeros and piercing through the ice flawlessly, a bright red slash emerging upon the Spade Mages' chest, Jeros himself looking at the wound in surprise.

Him? Wounded...? One of Lord Galeus...?

"Alright...alright! Come on! Give me more! Show me all you've got!" Jeros suddenly grinned with immense malice, raising his gaze towards Sirius, an immense of flames burning around him, dissipating the frozen mist.

Sirius merely twirled the spear-flag in his hands, slamming the butt of the spear on the ground, casting a mocking smile towards Jeros. And in an instant, he disappeared.

Jeros lurched forward, a flag-spear slashing though where he had stood previously as the Spade Mage stomped on the ground, turning behind him swiftly with his fist following, wrapped in flames as they burned with a dark power, though Jeros' punch found no target, causing a massive whirlwind from the power behind his punch.

"Man, you really are slow~." Sirius mocked provocatively, his spear-flag stabbed into the ground as he casually leant against it.

With a sinister grin, Jeros disappeared in a flash of speed, appearing beside Sirius as the Vice Leader of the Darknight Mercenaries grinned, Jeros punching out towards him as Sirius guided Jeros' fist with his spear-flag, only to then twist the spear-flag, bringing Jeros to his knees before an icy mist gathered around Sirius' shoes, landing a solid kick to Jeros' face, before Sirius slashed out with his spear-flag, Jeros leaning his head back in a daze as the very air above him froze, a layer of ice stabbing down at him, Jeros inciting an explosion below him, sending him skidding back and dodging the attack.

"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to see me go all out~?" Sirius mocked, casually twirling the spear-flag in his hands, before he smirked sinisterly, stabbing his spear into the ground before him.

"I'll give you a ni~ce showing. [Shadowfrost Magic: Shadow of the Frozen Moon.]" Sirius chanted as the shadow veil upon his spear-flag waved violently, the shadows themselves twisting before a giant shadow engulfed Jeros, making the Spade Mage look all around him in surprise, seeing that he was completely surrounded by shadows, before a smirk formed on his face.

"This isn't enough! [Flame Magic: Wildfire Incenrois!]" Jeros howled with insane laughter, punching at the shadow covered ground, only for Sirius to smirk, a strange mist suddenly rising from the shadowed grounds.

"Who said that was it?" Sirius smirked, Jeros turning to look at him in confusion, only for a sphere of ice to form around Jeros, instantly capturing him before he was impaled with dozens of frozen spikes, making the Spade Mage cough up blood, his eyes wide in shock as Sirius only stared at him coldly.

Jeros turned to look at Sirius, his eyes wide in shock, before suddenly his lips curved into a sinister grin, flames erupting from all around him, causing a hissing sound to emerge as the ice began to recede, melting into harmless water as Jeros smiled insanely, the dozens of stab wounds on his body from being impaled suddenly closing, cauterized by the dark flames surrounding his body.

"This is it...! This feeling is just the best! It just makes me want to fight you even more! Keep showing me your strength! I'll play with you until you die!" Jeros, with a sinister grin on his face and his body clad in the icky, otherworldly magic, spoke as he leapt at Sirius, who merely smirked before twirling his spear-flag, leaping at Jeros in return.

Crash!

Yet, on the other side of the battlefield, another battle was taking place, Thorn dodging hundreds of attacks, using his strange sword to shatter any he couldn't block, golden sand surging around him as he countered the attacks of the Dagger Mage.

"[Wind Creation Magic: Downdraft of Winter's End.]" The Wind Mage spoke, his voice distorted as his Grimoire shone with a strange, dark presence, the wind in the area seemingly becoming agitated, before suddenly Thorn found himself dragged to the ground, the very marble around him beginning to shatter, though Thorn kept his grasp on his blade.

"[Lightning Creation Magic: Ballistic Sparklight!]" The other mage, the Lightning Mage, howled with laughter as dozens of spikes of thunder manifested around Thorn, before blasting towards him as the downed Thorn merely gripped his blade, his Grimoire flipping pages before him.

"[Sandstorm Magic: Arid Sahara.]" Thorn chanted, a sudden whirlwind of golden sand erupting around him, the wind itself seeming to disperse as more and more sand continued to surge, Thorn hopping onto his feet before leaping into the skies, his blade poised to slash.

"[Sandstorm Creation Magic: Sandesolate Wasteland.]" Thorn chanted, a storm of sand suddenly manifesting around him, descending like a meteorite as the two Spade Mages quickly attempted to create distance from the falling mage, only for walls of sand to erupt in their paths, stopping them as Thorn crashed onto the ground, a gigantic wave of sand surging towards the two mages.

However, the Lightning Mage merely grinned, rushing to meet the wave head on as his daggers surged with dark lightning, his arms dripping with the strange, otherworldly magic.

Drawing back his arm, the Lightning Mage let out a sadistic giggle as he slashed through the wave, the sand turning to glass, though Thorn merely cast him an amused gaze, before even more sand surged around the Lightning Mage, capturing him in a sphere of sand as the Wind Mage watched on silently, his malice-filled eyes taking in the scene.

Thorn smiled carelessly, propping his blade over his shoulder, the tanned boy leaping forward before unleashing a series of magic waves towards the Wind Mage, who merely leapt back, using his wind to hover in the air before raising his hands.

"[Wind Magic: Jericho's Windward Stream.]" A sudden wind emerged around the Spade Mage, the sand dispersing around him, going in a a vortex around him, yet incapable of approaching, Thorn merely glancing in his direction before raising his blade, its serrated guard suddenly spiking with mana, Thorn stabbing the blade into the shattered marble beneath, turning the very ground into golden sand as the Wind Mage scowled, a sudden pillar of sand striking at him from below, engulfing him in a sphere of sand.

Yet, Thorn didn't falter, raising his blade and blocking an attack from the recovered Lightning Mage, who now sported dozens of serrated wounds on his body, though the insane grin remained despite the blood dripping down his body.

Thorn then pushed against his sword, knocking the Dagger Mage back, though he quickly recovered as Thorn delivered an upwards slash, the mage dodging to the side before countering the attack with a horizontal slash from both directions, Thorn flipping back and dodging the attack, his left hand holding him on the ground as he flipped, a sudden surge of sand gripping the Lightning Mages' feet, beginning to fall into the ground.

"This is nothing! Such a little trick isn't enough to defeat me!" The Lightning Mage growled, before his daggers turned into blurs, slashing all around him and turning the sand into glass, though Thorn was already above him, swinging down with his blade, a bright red burst of blood blooming on the Spade Mages' chest, Thorn dodging to the side and escaping from a lightning-fast counter slash, the Spade Mage growling in return.

Yet, Thorn didn't give up the offensive, stomping on the ground as two fists of sand emerged from beside the mage, slamming into him from both sides, momentarily dazing him before Thorn slashed at him, a wave of golden [Sandstorm Magic] crashing into him, sending him rocketing back as blood sprayed from his figure, yet Thorn kept his guard up, dodging an arrow of wind, seeing the Wind Mage above him, glaring down with immense malice.

With an aloof smile on his face, Thorn merely engaged the mage again, rushing around his attacks before countering with slashes of his own, the Wind Mage countering them with his own, the sand falling harmlessly to the ground.

However, Thorn then raised his blade, the accumulated sand below the Wind Mage suddenly rising into a giant blade of sand, slamming down onto the Wind Mage and grounding him, Thorn taking advantage of the opening and rushing him, the sand blade rising above him before suddenly Thorn raised his guard, the Lightning Mage, akin to a bolt of lightning, clashing with his blade as thunder sparked wildly around him.

Yet, as the Wind Mage recovered, Thorn didn't give him any chance, the giant blade above him slamming into him as Thorn expertly maneuvered his way around the Lightning Mages' lightning-fast daggers, avoiding fatal blow after fatal blow.

Brandishing his blade, Thorn suddenly stabbed the golden-edged blade into the ground, surging forward through the shattered marble, both his blade and a fierce stream of sand crashing into the Lightning Mage, sending him rocketing back towards his companion, Thorn raising his blade as two more giant blades of sand manifested in the skies, before suddenly all three blades stabbed around the two downed Spade Mages, imploding on themselves and unleashing a storm of sand, Thorn reaching his bandaged left hand towards the two mages, propping his blade on his shoulder with his right hand, the strange guard seeming to shine with immense mana before Thorn suddenly clasped his hand into a fist, the sand around the two exploding into pillars, before those pillars themselves carved into massive spikes, the two Spade Mages getting overwhelmed by dozens of spikes, engulfed in spikes of sand as their Magic's flared around them, though they couldn't destroy all of the attacks, a few spikes piercing into them as Thorn lowered his grasp, the sand falling back to the ground as he smiled loosely, a confident glint in his dark eyes.

A massive contrast, the two Spade Mages panted heavily, blood flowing down their bodies in droves, some sand seeming to deteriorate their wounds as Thorn merely smiled, his blade still shining with a golden edge, the sand gathered around the blade almost making it seem as if a golden flame burned on its edge.

This was the strength of the Vice Leaders of the Darknight Mercenaries...!

Sirius smiled cockily, twirling his spear in his grasp as he reappeared all around Jeros, phasing from shadow to shadow as Jeros' fierce attacks met no enemy, only causing intense whirlwinds which Sirius dodged with ease, occasionally landing a few slashes upon Jeros, who merely cauterized them instantly, an insane glint in his eyes.

"C'mon, this is getting pretty monotone-"

However, just as Sirius began to mock, Jeros appeared before him, his fist drawn back before he punched forward harshly, though Sirius merely jumped back, before disappearing from the spot as Jeros was suddenly punched in the head, sending his head snapping to the side as he stumbled back, Margos suddenly standing before him, a few scratches seen on his cheek as the stoic mage returned the blow, before delivering a storm of punches to Jeros, who despite his attempts to resist, couldn't even bring up his guard due to Margos' immense speed, Sirius watching silently from the side, having sensed the strange mages' approach and having dodged. Coincidently, Jeros had just so happened to be in the way of Margos' attack, Sirius watching on in silence as the Spade Mage was overwhelmed.

"He really is a monster..." Sirius remarked, watching the hail of fists render Jeros incapable of countering, Margos' fists weaving around him in a seemingly chaotic nature, yet Sirius could sense that every single attack was targeted, before Margos drew his fist behind him, unleashing a punch that completely shattered the already shattered marble beneath Jeros, the Spade Mage gritting his teeth before throwing a punch of his own, only for Margos to kick it aside, before using his momentum to deliver a fierce kick to the Spade Mages' face, his Grimoire still closed within the confines of his sash.

"Relying on borrowed power...is no strength at all." Margos remarked coldly, before delivering a solid haymaker to the Spade Mages' jaw, sending him skidding back, Jeros crashing into the ground before leaping up, a dark glower on his face.

"Come on, then! I'll show you what this strength means!" Jeros suddenly howled, rage clearly present on his face as he stomped towards Margos, who merely watched the approaching mage with a stoic face.

To dare insult the power...the "corruption"...the "bliss" granted to him by Lord Galeus...! Who the hell did this guy think he was?!

"I'll show you...what true power is." Margos spoke, his tone stoic as his Grimoire, bearing a symbol that Sirius had never before seen, rose before him, before opening as a strange silver aura covered the golden book.

"Alright! Come on then! Show me, I'll shatter it and you! [Flame Magic: Wildfire Incenrois!]" The Spade Mage, with a chaotic zeal on his face, stomped towards Margos, his fists lit with an immense, dark flame. Yet, Sirius payed the attack no attention.

Rather...

"What...the hell...is this aura...?!" Sirius, in his moment of shock, didn't even notice Jeros' actions. Rather, his gaze was focused fully upon Margos, who stood silently as he allowed Jeros to approach. Yet...what the fuck was that aura?!

An aura so cold it gave even Sirius shivers...

A presence that felt like...

It felt like he was looking at an mythic beast in the flesh!

This kind of power...how the hell could any human bear this sort of presence?!

Margos coldly watched Jeros approach, before suddenly raising his right arm back, his Grimoire flipping through pages before finally arriving at one, Margos sighing.

"[Disintegration Magic: Archaic Execution.]" In a flash, Margos disappeared, the world around him seemingly incapable of keeping up, neither Sirius nor Jeros reacting to his disappearance, before shortly after, a sound, akin to a thunderclap, roared through the area, before Sirius' eyes widened in shock at the sight before him.

With his palm on Jeros' chest, Margos stood silently before him, his robust body seemingly still as Jeros didn't even react, the dark flames on his hand slowly dying out as Sirius watched, before Jeros himself began to fade, turning into dust before dissipating completely, leaving only ashes on the ground, before even they faded into the wind. Even the strange aura that he had, that aura filled with malice, completely faded, leaving no trace of his existence whatsoever...

"This..." Sirius watched on, his breath hitching for a moment, watching the immense display of power, Margos slowly turning to look at him, his Grimoire shining menacingly before him, containing a symbol that Sirius had never before seen on a Grimoire...

It wasn't a Clover...

It wasn't a Heart...

It wasn't a Spade...

It wasn't a Diamond...

So then...where the hell did he come from?!

With a grim look on his face, Sirius raised his spear-flag as Margos took a step forward, before the ground before him suddenly shattered, taking a mighty leap as he swiftly rushed towards the grim Sirius, both the shadows and mist around him surging in droves.

"...is going to be a real pain." Sirius remarked grimly, brandishing his spear-flag as Margos approached swiftly.

Elsewhere...

The sound of shattering rocks echoed through the vast expanse of the Timeless Manor, sparks flying through the air as (Y/N) shot through the skies, redirecting his body before raising Phantasm above his head.

With a single chant, a layer of frost engulfed the crimson blade as (Y/N) shot to the ground, a growl greeting him as dozens of creatures howled, clawing at the shattered marble beneath and rushing towards him, though they were suddenly completely encased in ice, stopping their charge in its tracks. However, that didn't hold them back for long, the second wave of beasts howling and crashing through their frozen companions as they approached, (Y/N) smirking before brandishing Phantasm, sidestepping a claw from one of the Timeless Creatures before flipping back to avoid another, throwing a Void Blade at the creatures whilst he did so, a moment later appearing above the creatures before unleashing a torrent of Void Lightning Blades, courtesy of [Tempest Squall], shattering the remaining frozen sculptures of the Timeless Creatures.

Yet, the howls did not cease as more creatures poured in, (Y/N) leaping back and avoiding a giant claw, which flattened the ground he was standing on previously, leaving nothing but a crater. Not even the Timeless Creatures caught in its attack remained, turned into the strange mist.

"Uh oh..." Seeing the mist, (Y/N) couldn't help the grin on his face as he noticed the creatures begin to absorb it, only for his lips to curve into a smirk, a crescent wave of red ash tearing through the hordes of creatures and manifesting further mist, Lucius casually slashing his scythe, the creatures swiftly dispersing under his attacks.

Taking notice of that, two of the giant creatures howled, before mana suddenly surged towards their sharp-toothed mouths, unleashing beams of strange mana as Lucius smirked, rearing his scythe back before slashing forward to meet the two beams head on, another ashen wave clashing with the attacks, causing an explosion of ash as Lucius smiled slightly.

Suddenly, one of the smaller creatures appeared beside Lucius in that moment, raising its claw as Lucius didn't pay it any mind, a crimson blade slashing through it in the next moment as (Y/N) landed beside Lucius, the two glancing at the other from the corner of their eyes, smirking in unison before both of them leapt forth, tearing through the hordes of creatures.

"Twenty of the small ones, two of the big ones..." (Y/N), soaring through the air, quickly counted the number of enemies, seeing Lucius rush under him in a stream of ash, slashing through two of the smaller creatures.

With a small grin, (Y/N) spun in the air before brandishing Phantasm, Void Lightning and Void Flames gathering upon the crimson blade as his Grimoire shone with a midnight blue haze before him.

"[Void Flame/Lightning Magic: Scorching Blades, Tempest Squall!]" (Y/N) chanted, dozens of phantom images of the blade in his grasp appearing beside him, roaring with flames or sparking with lightning as (Y/N) instantly commanded them, shooting off the barrage towards the creatures below, some howling as the blades tore into them, whilst others utilized the black crystals upon their bodies to defend, nullifying the blades.

Landing on the ground, (Y/N) instantly recovered as he rushed at the nearest creature, who howled in return as (Y/N) slashed at its weakness, dodging the black crystals and slashing through it before using his momentum to continue onward, performing a spinning slash and tearing through three of the strange creatures who lurked by him.

Suddenly, (Y/N) raised his blade to block a set of sharp claws, sharpened even further by the strange black crystals as sparks flew from Phantasm and the claw, (Y/N) retreating a few steps as a figure suddenly rushed in from the side, three of the smaller creatures rocketing before him as Lucius spun his scythe in his grasp, leaping into the skies before throwing the scythe at the group of creatures, it landing between them and imploding in a spectacle of ash, Lucius waving his hand to the side as another scythe materialized in his grasp, the former having shattered with his previous attack.

However, as the ashen spectacle died down, only mist remained of those caught in the attack, nothing else to be found in the vicinity as a crater formed where the attack had landed.

(Y/N) couldn't help but smirk at the sight, Lucius beside him casually smiling before brandishing his scythe once again, the creatures beginning to absorb the mist.

Eleven of the smaller creatures remained, along with two of the giant Timeless Creatures, the mist beginning to converge onto them as (Y/N) and Lucius shot into action, sword and scythe tearing through four more of the lesser creatures, before the creatures chose to forego the mist, howling as they rushed to meet the "Intruders" head on, though the two giant ones continued to absorb the mist, disregarding the attackers.

Parrying a claw from one, (Y/N) leapt to the side as another claw descended upon him, though it met only ground as (Y/N) dodged, the claw tearing into the shattered marble underneath and shattering it, emerging from the ground with a stream of dust as (Y/N) quickly leapt back, dodging the attack as the marble bits and mist fell to the floor, Lucius merely smirking before a slash of crimson ash manifested around him, slashing through three more creatures before he rushed at another, stomping on the ground and spinning in place before cleanly slashing through it in an instant, not even giving it time to dodge. However, in the next moment, a beam of mana tore through his location, Lucius raising his scythe as his feet dug through the ground, though his expression remained calm, the beam subsiding and revealing the two creatures behind, now covered almost fully in blackened crystals, the mist nowhere to be seen.

"Well, that's not good." Lucius remarked, a small chuckle in his voice as (Y/N) chuckled in return.

"You really don't sound so worried." (Y/N) teased, Lucius giving a sadistic smile as the two stood side by side, the larger, crystal-covered creatures stomping through three of the remaining four smaller creatures, leaving only one left as it scampered away, disappearing behind some shattered rubble as Lucius and (Y/N) stood side by side, facing off against the ginormous creatures.

(Y/N) brandished Phantasm to the right as Lucius brandished his scythe to the left, his halo shining above him as a mysterious smile formed on his face, (Y/N) giving his trademarked smirk. The Armor-Clad Timeless Creatures gave low howls as their eyes shone a mysterious silver, mana trailing off them and forming a strange mist, a slight wind blowing dust through the area as the two sides faced off.

"So, how do we play this? Team fight? Or a one on one?" (Y/N) chuckled, Lucius smirking as he spun his scythe in his hands.

"Whatever works, of course." Lucius smirked sadistically, disappearing in a single step and appearing beside one of the larger beasts, slashing at the black crystals on its body, his scythe kicking up an explosion of wind as it clashed with the creature, (Y/N) behind him smirking.

"I can get behind that idea!" (Y/N) smirked, jumping into the fray swiftly, one of the two Armor-Clad creatures, the one unattacked by Lucius, turning its attention towards him before growling, stomping towards him and raising its claw, bringing it down in an instant as (Y/N) looked up in alarm, the claw crashing down on him and causing a massive crater to form, only for a black blade to soar through the sky, (Y/N) suddenly appearing in its place as he used Warp-Strike to attack the creatures' arm, only for Phantasm to bounce off the strange crystals.

"So hard...!" (Y/N) couldn't help but wince, quickly recovering and jumping away from the creatures' arm, black spikes erupting from its arm as (Y/N) safely landed away from it.

"I mean, I guess I should've expected that. Although, these guys are pretty much covered head-to-toe in the stuff..." (Y/N) couldn't help the challenging grin that formed on his face, brandishing Phantasm again before once more rushing towards the now-recovered Armor-Clad, who howled in return.

Meanwhile, Lucius dashed all around the creatures' feet, his scythe expertly swung to cause the most impact onto the creature, it attacking relentlessly as it attempted to flatten Lucius, who merely used his superior speed to dodge its attacks, furthermore utilizing its large body to his advantage, weaving around it.

Raising his scythe above his head, Lucius delivered an overhead slash onto the creature, meeting the creatures' Armor-like crystals head on, causing a small crack to appear upon its armor as another explosion of wind resonated throughout the area, the creature howling before unleashing a strange beam of mana from its sharp-toothed mouth, Lucius merely dodging to the side.

However, the beam then twisted and followed after, Lucius turning towards the attack in surprise before dodging again, yet still it followed as Lucius ran round the creature, the beam on his tail as the Armor-Clad itself stomped all around, trying to squash Lucius, though it couldn't do much against Lucius' superior speed and mobility.

Leaping into the skies, the beam followed after as Lucius spun in the air, delivering a crescent slash from his scythe and sending a wave of crimson ash to collide with the attack, kicking up an explosion as Lucius raised his scythe, blocking the Armor-Clad's giant, crystallized claw and saving himself from being bisected. However, due to his aerial position, the attack sent him flying into the beasts' other arm, black spikes erupting from its arm as Lucius swiftly used his scythe to dodge in between them, before slashing in a crescent around him and causing cracks to form on the crystals, making him smile slightly.

Leaping into the skies once more, Lucius suddenly reared back his scythe before rocketing it towards the creatures' mouth, it charging up another of the strange mana beams, though it was halted as an eruption of crimson ash quickly shattered in its face, making it stumble as Lucius smiled sadistically.

Below him, (Y/N) leapt from place to place as he avoided the giants' claw, using the shattered rubble to his advantage and evading the Armor-Clad's giant claw, leaping into the skies as a sharp blade of crystals jutted out from the ground, the creatures' arm swiping beneath him as (Y/N) grunted in annoyance.

"[Void Earth Magic: Rumbling Crash!]" (Y/N) quickly descended upon the claw as Phantasm slashed down at the beast, Void Earth engulfing it as a heavy clang resonated from the attack, a few cracks forming upon the crystals as (Y/N) frowned slightly. It could even handle a direct spell?

However, the beast didn't give him any time to think as it charged up a beam of strange white mana, releasing it almost instantly as (Y/N) raised his blade in return.

"[Absolute Counter.]" (Y/N) muttered to himself, the beam clashing with Phantasm, a strange vortex seeming to absorb the attack into the blade, a silver edge forming on Phantasm as (Y/N) raised his sword once more.

"[Void Frost Magic: Absolute Zero Strike!]" (Y/N) chanted, slashing down the at the Armor-Clad's arm violently, Void Ice engulfing Phantasm. When blade met crystal, however, a small layer of cracks formed upon them as the beast growled lowly, black spikes erupting from its arm and forcing (Y/N) to leap off of it, landing on the ground. However, just as quickly, he instantly moved again as the creatures' giant claw descended on him, barely missing him as (Y/N) narrowed his eyes at the creature, before seeing its own mystical silver-glinted eye glaring at him, though his attention was quickly drawn elsewhere, a smirk forming on his face, leaping towards the beast.

Lucius landed on the ground once more, ash converging upon his hand and forming another scythe, jetting towards the Armor-Clad Timeless Creature as it roared, its face slightly disfigured from the attack, making Lucius smile sadistically.

Although these things were covered in those crystals, there was one thing (Y/N) and Lucius had both noticed.

In the next moment, two slashes rung out as (Y/N) brandished Phantasm on the beasts' head, Lucius landing on his own enemy and brandishing his scythe, raising it above him as his halo glowed with a sinister crimson glint.

Soon after, both Armor-Clad Timeless Creatures let out a wail of pain as they recoiled, their faces disfigured as two smirking figures slowly descended, their weapons shining with mana.

...The one weakness the crystal-clad creatures had, was...

A moment later, a barrage of tri-elemental Void Magic and a sinister wave of crimson ash tore into the creatures, causing them to wail loudly before the attacks pierced through them, (Y/N) and Lucius landing nearby to the other, both casually brandishing their weapons as the Armor-Clad Timeless Creatures imploded on themselves, unleashing a veil of mana upon the battlefield.

...The lack of defensive crystals present on their heads.

"Well, that finishes that-" Lucius began, before a small smile formed on his face as a small Timeless Creature howled out from behind him, clawing at the boys' head.

However, Lucius didn't move to defend, a crimson blade flying past his face before a streak of blackish-red Void Lightning followed after, the creature howling as it was stabbed into the ground, (Y/N) casually spinning Phantasm in his hands before sheathing it, the small creature below him howling out before fading into mist, before the mist itself all began to disperse entirely.

"Now we're done." (Y/N) smirked, Lucius chuckling before smiling back in return. Similarly, his scythe faded from his grasp as the two silently stood, before (Y/N) turned to look at the dispersing mist.

"That was a new type." (Y/N) muttered, Lucius nodding in return.

"It's likely there are more we've yet to see. Of course, it would be better if we didn't have to see them at all." Lucius remarked, (Y/N) nodding in agreement to the halo-clad boys' words. All this meaningless fighting wouldn't get him anywhere, after all...

"We'll just have to get to the bottom of this before we have the chance to fight too many of those, then." (Y/N) hummed, Lucius once more nodding in agreement. Although, personally, he didn't really mind.

"This place is so broken, it makes you wonder what kind of person could even pull this off..." (Y/N), after glancing at the surrounding area, spoke grimly, taking note of the vast expanse that was the inside of the Timeless Mansion, various platforms of marble and walls, both shattered and pristine, lining up his sight.

"I'd wager it'd be the Ruler of this place, if anyone." Lucius placed a hand to his chin in thought, humming casually as (Y/N) turned to look at him.

"Ruler?" (Y/N) repeated, Lucius nodding in affirmation.

"Right. The owner, or at least the one who currently controls this place." Lucius explained, (Y/N) frowning a bit before recalling the strange statue he'd first seen.

"So...this, Ruler...would they be an Archon, then?" (Y/N) mindlessly spoke to himself, Lucius glancing over at him before a small, mysterious smile formed on his face.

"An Archon...a being of absolute power, and one who is hailed as that closest to True Divinity." Lucius revealed nonchalantly, (Y/N) turning to look at him in surprise, not having expected him to really know about the Archons.

Then again...

He didn't really know much about Lucius in general.

"When I first entered this place, there was a strange message on a statue...something about an Archon, and some battle called the Legacy War. You wouldn't happen to know what those are, right?" (Y/N) prodded, Lucius humming to himself, a hand to his chin in thought.

...Well, informing him wouldn't hurt.

"The Legacy War...as its name suggests, it was a war fought on many fronts, long, long ago, at an Age forgotten by time itself. An Archon are those who are known as...well, I suppose the "players" in said war. The Archons vied the others' powers, and incited a long, treacherous war to attain the inheritance of the other Archons." Lucius explained, his lips curving up into a small, sagely smile as he explained, beginning to walk past (Y/N).

"Let's get a move on, we still have to find those friends of yours." Lucius waved, (Y/N) nodding before taking off after him, catching up shortly as the two walked through the shattered platform.

"So...this Legacy War, then...is basically an all-out battle between these Archons?" (Y/N) summed up, Lucius humming in agreement.

"That's right." Lucius affirmed, making (Y/N) narrow his eyes, placing a hand to his chin in thought.

"Then...was their objective that True Divinity that you mentioned?" (Y/N) recalled Lucius' prior words, getting a slight glance from the halo-clad boy, before receiving a small nod.

Arriving at the end of the platform, the two quickly used their own abilities onto another higher platform, Lucius using his scythe to expertly climb, whilst (Y/N) merely used Warp-Strike to the top.

A moment later, both landed upon the new platform, resuming their walk.

"It's a lot to take in, honestly..." (Y/N) couldn't help but chuckle, his expression strange.

"It must be." Lucius agreed, though he didn't seem particularly surprised.

"Alternate timelines, people inciting entire wars just for power, and True Divinity itself..." (Y/N) remarked, recalling all the prior points.

This Timeless Manor was filled with more mysteries than he knew, a new surprise awaiting around every corner.

Whether it be the Manor itself, the locations of the other Magic Knights, the location of Lord Seyez' men, the exit, the Ruler of this place, or even Lucius himself...

There were simply too many questions.

"Do you have anything else to ask?" Lucius smiled, the two striding forward at an even, yet relaxed pace, their footsteps and the flow of magic being the only sound in the area, (Y/N) glancing at Lucius for a moment.

"If you wore a hat, would it be above or below the halo?" (Y/N) half-joked, Lucius staring at him strangely for a moment, before his lips curved upwards in amusement.

"That is quite the question, isn't it." Lucius chuckled, (Y/N) glancing at him once more.

"Is it the effect of a spell?" (Y/N) inquired, Lucius humming to himself.

"There are plenty of strange Magic's lingering in this world of ours...I don't suppose seeing something like this would be too surprising, right?" Lucius evaded the question, (Y/N) chuckling in return, turning his gaze back towards the front, the two reaching the end of this new platform, this one overlooking the rest of the expansive landscape.

"Yeah. There are a lot of weird things in this world." (Y/N) couldn't help but laugh. He wasn't exactly the most "normal" himself, after all.

But, still...

How interesting.

Angels, huh...

Extremely interesting.

Climbing over the shattered stairway, the two arrived over the outlook and subsequent end of the platform, walking past a shattered, small wall as the two surveyed the various platforms beneath.

"Man, this place is huge no matter how many times I look at it." (Y/N) whistled, leaning over the edge slightly as he took in the scene before him.

As far as the eye could see, ornate platforms fitting the Manor's theme floated as far as he could see, hovering silently as the strange flow of energy weaved between the platforms every once in a while, a white void surrounding wherever there were no platforms.

A vast expanse of ruin.

"On that we agree." Lucius smiled, placing his hands behind his head as he relaxed, a loose smile on his face. On the contrary, (Y/N) continued to diligently survey the platforms, ultimately not seeing anything thought.

However, his eyes then narrowed onto a distant platform, squinting his eyes to try and get a better view, seeing various figures running through shattered landscape, before another group chased after, clearly not on the same side if the spells flying through the air were anything to mention.

"Well, unless I'm hallucinating, I think I might've just found some people." (Y/N)'s lips began to curve upwards into a smirk, his electric (e/c) orbs focused on the distant platform.

"Hmm? Are they your friends?" Lucius, upon catching aight of the distant figures, couldn't help the small grin that formed on his face.

"Nah. But I think I might just know who they are. C'mon!" (Y/N) smirked, before a Void Blade suddenly rocketed forward to the nearest platform ahead, (Y/N) using Warp-Strike before mobilizing again, running across the spacious landscape, Lucius trailing him with his eyes.

However, in the next moment, without so much as a single sound, a cloaked figure appeared beside Lucius, kneeling behind him.

"Report." Lucius commanded.

"As of current, we've begun to search through the Timeless Manor, however, even for us it shall take some more time, Herald-sama." The cloaked figure reported, still kneeling respectfully to the halo-clad boy before him, Lucius' lips thinning into a blank expression.

"Furthermore, Margos and Aurelius have engaged with other forces in the Manor, whilst the rest of us continue to survey the Manor." The Luminary reported, Lucius chuckling slightly at the news.

"And these other forces' strengths...what of them?" Lucius inquired, a small twinge of curiosity in his voice.

"A minor nuisance at best. Extremely weak." The Luminary stated, Lucius sighing at the news. Although, he wasn't really surprised.

These others Intruders were quite an anomaly to him.

They were weak.

Extremely weak.

(Y/N) had already shown him that.

It both amused and made him curious.

Where had these Intruders come from?

It couldn't be from the Asteris Empire. They would never send a force this weak. These were far too weak to be part of their forces. This meant that these other Intruders were likely from some backwater Kingdom...

Nobodies.

And yet, he wielded that blade...

Her sword.

"Haha..." Lucius couldn't help but give a dry laugh, his gaze still tracing (Y/N)'s movements as he got further and further away, Phantasm clasped to his waist as a small, sinister smile formed on Lucius' face.

How fascinating.

However...

Surely, the Asteris Empire had also caught onto the whereabouts of the Timeless Manor. If little Merea had found it, then surely that pesky Prophet wasn't trailing very far behind, which meant...

Lucius' lips curved upwards into a sinister smile.

...A Hero was coming.

It had been ages since he'd last fought a Hero. Perhaps they would be as fun as a Neo-Devil?

After all...

His last battle with Kirian proved to be the most fun fight of his life.

Would a Hero incite such similar exhilaration?

While lost in thoughts, the cloaked Luminary watched Lucius silently, their presence completely cloaked, yet they knew Lucius could sense them.

"My liege...if I may be so presumptuous to ask, you seem quite focused on that boy in the distance...may I ask who he is?" The Luminaries' words snapped Lucius out of his thoughts, the halo-clad boy still following (Y/N)'s distant movements.

"Who...?" Lucius muttered for a moment, the Luminary almost stepping back in slight fright, as if terrified their question could've angered the boy before them.

"Why, he's my companion." Lucius gave a small smirk, surprising the Luminary, who's eyes instantly shifted towards the distant (Y/N) in shock.

Companion...?

Someone who could keep up with Herald-sama...?

But...

"Now then, what of the mist that pervades these halls?" Lucius inquired, instantly snapping the Luminary out of their thoughts.

"It is mana, my liege. It seems mana from the outside world has taken a semi-physical form and is being gathered in this Manor, whereas it is being stored in strange orbs-" The Luminary spoke.

"So I was right." Lucius muttered to himself, interrupting the Luminary, who didn't show any complaint to the action.

Then...what was that mana for?

How interesting...

The Time Archon, huh...

"Hahaha...this is getting extremely interesting." Lucius' lips curved into a challenging, chilling smirk as his crimson eyes glowed slightly, his halo's light seeming to intensify, the Luminary sucking in a cold breath of air, startled by the sudden presence Lucius emitted.

Perhaps, had they-

"Well, no matter, report the rest." Lucius commanded, his aura receding as he once more calmly traced (Y/N)'s location, even if it was a tad difficult due to the immense distance between them, (Y/N) now a small figure in the vast distance.

"As you command, my liege." The Luminary spoke, before beginning to report everything about the situation to Lucius, leaving no detail out.

In the far distance, a group of people ran through shattered halls, glowing yet shattered marble shining beneath their steps, the group running in a hurried manner as ranged spells hurled through the skies, both from their side and from those accursed Mercenaries' side...!

"Vice Guard Captain, we can't keep running much further! They're catching up quickly!" One of the fleeing figures, donned in the robes of the Guard Squadron, shouted as he leapt to the side, a fireball crashing where he had stood previously, causing a small crater.

"Grr...let's make haste towards the edge of this platform! We must create some distance, keep going! I will slow them down, then rejoin you all!" The man in question, the Vice Guard Captain, growled as he turned around, his Grimoire rising before him.

"That's nonsense, Teques! They're much stronger than us, we have to keep running!" Another member of the Guard Squadron stopped, turning towards the now named Teques with a grimace. Slow them down? They couldn't even surpass their attacks. How would they slow them down?

"What other options do we have?!" Teques snapped back, the Squadron member silenced by the shout. Things were looking quite bleak for their group, even if none of them wanted to admit it. These damn Mercenaries...!

"Yvon, go! Lead the way out, I will hold the line here! If nothing else, at least a few of us have to survive!" Teques, resolving himself, prepared himself as his Grimoire shone brightly, a Three-Leaf Clover.

However, in the next moment, several other figures joined beside him, their own Grimoire's raised as Teques looked around in surprise.

"Not happening, sir. If we have to die here, then at least we do it as a team! No man left behind!" Yvon, a black haired man with sharp, dark eyes, retorted as he joined up besides Teques, his own Grimoire rising before him, similarly a Three-Leaf Clover.

"Treo, Jillon, Fresrick, everyone..." Teques, upon seeing the other members of the Guard Squadron, grit his teeth as he saw the defiance burning in their eyes, their own Grimoire's almost resonating their fighting spirit, burning with ardent resolve.

"Right. Then, as the Vice Guard Captain, I am going to issue new orders! We have lost half of our group, they're still stranded here, and our Squadron is a family, one whole! We cannot die here, and we must find our comrades! Even if we cannot defeat them, we have to push them back! We'll find a chance to make a run for it!" Teques grunted, his graying hair swaying with the slight breeze from the infinitely open space around him, the shattered architecture funneling currents of winds.

"Right! Glory to Lord Seyez! Glory to Mizeras! Glory to the Squadron!" The Guard Squadron members howled in defiance, several figures bursting forth from the distance, Grimoire's poised for combat.

"Well, well, well...looks like you all decided to die quickly. A wise decision." One of the newcomers, a boy with ashen black hair, grinned savagely as he casually strolled forward, his Grimoire before him.

"That really wasn't the smartest play, though. A little bit more resistance would've been nice." Another figure, a young boy with golden hair, smirked cockily as he twirled a dagger in his grasp, dozens of other cloaked figures beginning to walk up behind the two, their faces ranging with excitement, staring at the Guard Squadron members as if they were prey.

"You foul mercenaries! We won't allow you to have your way here!" Teques shouted in rebellion, getting a few laughs from the group.

"That so? And what can you all do, dumbass?!" The ashen black haired boy mocked, a sinister smirk plastered on his face as the other Mercenaries howled with laughter.

Their group outnumbered the Guard Squadron severely, not to mention that they were already stronger than the Squadron. Such empty threats seemed harmless.

They had already sealed their fates when they stopped their meaningless retreat.

"We will not go out without our honor! Men, battle formation!" Teques commanded, the Guard Squadron members instantly setting out into positions, scampering across the shattered battlefield as mana began to fluctuate towards them.

"Let's let them taste defeat! With me!" Teques shouted, raising his arms as his Grimoire followed, Yvon a fair distance to the right of him, whereas Treo found himself a position atop a shattered pillar, Jillon being the closest to the enemy in the front, holding a steel shield, his gaze calm and collected, though a drop of nervous sweat rolled down his face. However, Fresrick and the others continued to scatter, ultimately spreading out the Guard Squadron and nullifying the chances of being wiped out in a single spell.

...Or at least, none of these Mercenaries should possess a wide-range attack spell, if a mere hope.

"Hah. Cute. Leave this one to me." The ashen black haired boy snorted, walking forward with utmost confidence as his Grimoire, a similar Three-Leaf Clover, rose before him.

"As if! I'm not letting you have all the fun!" The golden haired boy whined, a playful smile on his face as he began to approach as well, his own similar Three-Leaf Clover rising before him.

"Do what you want. Don't go too overboard, Fay won't like it if you get too wild." With the rest, a black haired man gave a small laugh, the two approaching Mercenaries smiling widely.

"Of course~ now then, let's see if you can keep me entertained!" The ashen black haired boy smirked sadistically, rushing forward and shattering the group, his fists lit with sparks, lightning crackling in his hands as his sadistic grin momentarily stunned the Guard Squadron.

"Oh, come on now~ You can't go all out from the start! If you do, then it won't be any fun. But...I guess you don't really care, do you, Kazon?" The golden haired boy shrugged loosely, before spinning the dagger in his grasp masterfully, grasping it by the edge of the blade as a sadistic, playful smile formed on his own face.

"In that case, I'll have to all out, too!" The golden haired young man, Iryal, shot forth, leaping into the skies before unleashing a veil of golden blades, descending in a hopeless flurry towards the Guard Squadron.

"Don't falter! Let us show them the true might of we hand-picked by a former Magic Knight!" Teques rallied, getting unshakable shouts of determination from the other Guards.

They, who were hand-picked for their skills by Lord Seyez himself...would not fall to these mere mercenaries!

"[Stone Creation Magic: Earthen Aegis!]" Yvon shouted, slamming his hands into the ground as a wide shield of stone rose before him, the golden knives clashing with the shield, leaving only a few to go past, though the Guard Squadron dodged them with ease.

"You shall go no further! [Water Creation Magic: Howling Sea Lion!]" Teques shouted, Kazon rushing towards him with fists clad in lightning, however, at Teques' chant, a sudden whirl of Water Magic converged, before forming a giant leonine head, roaring and biting at the oncoming Kazon, who's charge did not slow even in the presence of the new spell.

"As if! Get real, old timer!" Kazon, in response to the spell, merely widened the sadistic grin on his face as his Grimoire glowed immensely before him.

"[Lightning Magic: Thunderstorm Fissure!]" Kazon shouted, smashing his lightning clad fists into the ground, unleashing a fierce fissure of crackling lightning towards the oncoming Water Lion, piercing through it as Teques barely managed to dodge to the side, the spell tearing through his previous position and making him grit his teeth.

"Vice Guard Captain!" Jillon shouted, before turning his attention towards Kazon and rushing towards him, raising his shield.

"[Charge Magic: Kinetic Redirection!]" Jillon grunted, Kazon grinning widely as the Guard arrived before him, swinging his fist to meet the shield, kicking up a fierce whirlwind as the other Mercenaries watched on, merry chatter among them as they bet upon who would win between Kazon and Iryal, two of the newest, yet brightest rookies to the Darknight Mercenaries.

However, as lightning-clad fist met shield, Kazon's fist suddenly recoiled, sending him skidding back before Jillon took the opportunity to attack again, catching Kazon by surprise as the shield bashed into him, sending him stumbling back even further, digging his feet into the ground.

"Not bad, but not good enough!" Kazon, however, seemed mostly unfazed, instantly recovering and rushing down Jillon.

"Not even a second?!" Jillon's eyes widened in shock, seeing his attack having earned him not even a second of rest. Despite having had his own strength sent back at him, Kazon recovered instantly. Was he just playing with him?! Or...was the divide between them just that wide?!

Either way, it didn't bode any good news for Jillon, who raised his shield grimly.

"Let's see how good those defenses of yours are! [Lightning Magic: Thunderstorm Strike!]" Arriving before Jillon in a mere moment, Kazon's lightning-clad fists hailed down onto his shield like a storm, every attack pushing back Jillon further and further, though the Guard continued to stand his ground, his hand numbing further with every blow.

"Jillon!" Treo, another member of the Guard Squadron, shouted in alarm as he saw the infamous Guard begin to get overwhelmed, before drawing back his hand, fierce winds gathering in his grasp.

"Blow away! [Wind Magic: Galestorm Hail!]" Treo chanted, a fierce storm of wind assaulting Kazon, slightly pushing him back, but the ashen black haired boy dug his feet into the ground, stopping the effects of the spell, before a fierce wave of lightning burst free from his body, overpowered the intense winds and dispersing them.

"Hey, now, I wanna play too~." Iryal grinned, drawing a few Guard's attention, golden knives shining around him.

"[Dagger Creation Magic: Bladed Downpour!]" Iryal chanted playfully, dozens of golden daggers manifesting around him, before they suddenly shot forth towards the Guards, forcing them to scatter.

Ducking and weaving through the blades, the Guards  scattered all around to dodge the wide-area attack, a few beginning to charge their own spells in a counterattack.

"[Plant Creation Magic: Withering Pollen!]" Fresrick, another of the Guard Squadron members, shouted as plants suddenly bloomed to life around Iryal, releasing a strange black flakes which slowly fell to the ground, though a few rushed towards Iryal, making the Dagger Magic user step back to avoid the attack, before swinging his hand forward and sending a hidden blade towards Fresrick, who used his Plant Magic to conjure up a vine before him, only for the dagger to slash right through it, slicing Fresrick's side as he grunted, sweat dripping down his face.

"The difference is so wide?!" Fresrick couldn't help but be slightly amazed, despite this boy seeming so young he was so powerful! But...

"[Stone Creation Magic: Tumultuous Rockslide!]" Yvon, taking the opportunity to attack whilst both enemies were distracted, chanted as the ground beneath the group churned, shattering before engulfing the two enemy Mages in prisons of earthen Stone, before, with a clench of his fist, the stone suddenly imploded as a veil of dust kicked up through the open space, a few of the Mercenaries going quiet at the attack.

"Did that get them?" Teques wondered aloud, Yvon watching on with a bated breath. He had no idea if that attack had actually worked on an enemy of this caliber...!

However, before the group could even begin to celebrate, Jillon suddenly came crashing back into their midsts from the veil of dust he was previously captured in with Kazon, said both casually walking out of the dust while mockingly wiping off dust from his shoulders.

Similarly, a storm of golden blades stabbed into Fresrick, Treo using his magic to deflect a few, only for Iryal to then snap his hand to the side, the blades then twisting in the air and assailing Treo, who raised his arms up in defense, his magic surging as he attempted to deflect the blades, only for the daggers to cut into him, blood flowing down his arms, yet despite that he managed to avoid any fatal wounds.

"This..." Teques growled, his graying brows furrowed in uncertainty at the situation before them.

"Well? Come on, I'm waiting, I thought you were more than this?! Come on! Show me how you'll stop me!" Kazon laughed sadistically, his lips curved into a dark grin as golden lightning sparked between his fists, approaching the group menacingly.

"Y-You...!" Teques growled, raising his hands once again as he prepared to cast another spell. Water surged forth, forming a strange shell in the air.

"[Water Creation Magic: Fallen Shell Dive!]" Teques shouted, the shell suddenly spinning before surging with mana, rocketing towards Kazon, who merely watched on with a bored expression.

"As if!" Kazon smirked sadistically, his hands clad in golden lightning as he punched at the shell, shattering it with a dense swirl of lightning, before appearing before Jillon in an instant, unleashing another [Thunderstorm Strike], sending the shield-user crashing backwards, straight into a wall.

"Jillon!" The Guard Squadron Members shouted in worry, seeing the man crash into the wall from the attack, buried beneath the fallen rubble.

"Well, he's already too far gone, hmm~." Iryal, upon seeing Kazon's hopelessly dark expression, couldn't help but sigh. The fight was practically already over. These guys were just far too weak.

"Let's finish this! [Lightning Magic:..." Kazon shouted, dense lightning sparking near his fists, before leaping forward and almost seeming to teleport towards Teques, who's eyes widened in shock, not having been able to follow Kazon's speed.

"Vice Guard Captain!"

"-:Thunderstorm Fissure!]" Kazon shouted, bringing down his fist upon Teques. Like a strike of lightning, it was unavoidable. It's speed was simply far too fast for Teques, watching helplessly as the fist approached him, doomed to his fate.

...

Clang!

However, in the next instant, Kazon's fist suddenly met a crimson blade, unleashing a fierce fissure of sparking lightning, only for the newcomer to smirk, a galaxy of azure stars lighting up around him, the lightning finding no refuge as it dissipated under the presence of the stars.

A deathly silence overwhelmed the platform, even the Mercenaries going quiet at the sudden new appearance, an (h/c) haired boy clashing with Kazon's seemingly unstoppable lightning-clad fist.

"Who the hell are you?" Kazon, upon seeing his fist stopped, stared at the newcomer in shock and a twinge of surprise, seeing a boy even younger than himself before him.

However, his eyes then widened in shock as a familiar black cape fluttered around the newcomers' shoulders, a distinctly familiar logo upon it. The sign of a Bull. This was...

"Just a passing Magic Knight." (Y/N) smirked, before suddenly his blade turned into a mere afterimage, Kazon leaping back as a crimson arc formed in the blades' wake, crimson blood spurting from Kazon's chest as he landed on his hands and knees, shock plastered on his face.

"What...?" Iryal stared at the newcomer in surprise, alternating between him and Kazon. This guy...

"A Magic Knight...?" The black haired man among the Darknight Mercenaries muttered out, seeing the cloak around his shoulders.

"A Magic Knight? Here?" Teques almost couldn't believe his eyes, rubbing his amber orbs to see if he was hallucinating. A Magic Knight! Here? Why?

"The gods must be on our side..." Teques muttered out, watching in stunned silence as the boy casually spun his blade in his hands, pointing it at Kazon once again.

"A Magic Knight, huh...what a pity. I almost thought I could get a bit excited." Iryal shook his head, a disappointed look on his face. Perhaps a Magic Knight would be a challenge, but why did it have to be...

"A Black Bull? Are you kidding me?" Kazon growled, seemingly uncaring of the blood flowing down his chest. He'd thought he'd finally gotten to find a good opponent, but it turned out to just be a Black Bull. And a very lucky one at that, to land the blows that he did. But Kazon would not repeat the same mistake twice.

"Hmm...you guys." (Y/N) suddenly turned to look at the Guard Squadron members, his gaze glancing over them before glancing over the distant Mercenaries.

He roughly understood the jist of things.

"You're Lord Seyez' men, right?" (Y/N) asked, his gaze nonchalant.

"R-Right. Are you here on his behest?" Teques spoke up, getting a smirk from (Y/N), who turned towards them, confidence shining on his face.

"Right on. Looks like I found you guys pretty early, that's nice. Saves me the trouble of looking through this giant place, it's almost like a damn maze." (Y/N) gave a small laugh, almost seeming out of place in the deathly silence.

"Lord Seyez' reinforcements? But...a single Black Bull?" Yvon muttered in uncertainty, not sure whether to feel joy or despair. Perhaps if a few Magic Knights had shown up at once they could've pushed the Mercenaries back...but a single boy?

And he looked quite young, too, so he probably didn't have much experience on the battlefield. Even with the new addition, their chances were still quite bleak.

Despite having heard the comment, (Y/N)'s smile didn't wane. It was to be expected, after all. The Black Bulls weren't exactly known for having the best reputation.

"Tch. You just got lucky. It won't happen again." Kazon growled with scorn, lightning cloaking his fists once more as (Y/N) turned to look at him, before suddenly he disappeared.

Kazon's eyes widened in surprise, a streak of blackish-red lightning instantly overtaking him, Phantasm slashing at him as Kazon attempted to dodge, though the blade still bit into him, Kazon leaping back to try to gain some distance, only for (Y/N) to shoot forward, staying on his tail, another swing jetting forth another stream of blood from Kazon, who grit his teeth, overwhelmed by (Y/N)'s immense speed.

"Kazon!" Iryal, upon seeing Kazon get overwhelmed, jumped into action, a storm of golden daggers descending onto (Y/N), who's electric (e/c) orbs merely glanced at them, before a storm of Void Blades suddenly met the golden daggers, clashing and fizzling both sides out, (Y/N) smacking Kazon with Phantasm's guard, sending him recoiling before (Y/N) casted [Whirlwind Flash Slashes], his hands turning into a mere blur as Kazon was sent rocketing back, crashing into a wall as Iryal approached, dozens of golden daggers manifesting around him. Unsurprised by the newcomer, (Y/N) merely met his dagger in a clash with Phantasm, Void Blades nullifying the excess daggers as (Y/N) smiled slightly, before suddenly delivering an upwards slash and breaking the stalemate, following up with an uppercut that sent Iryal flying into the skies, before (Y/N) conjured a Void Blade, rocketing it towards Iryal before using Warp-Strike to appear above him, slashing at him with Phantasm from above and sending him rocketing towards the ground, blood flowing from his wounded body.

However, (Y/N) then met a lightning-clad fist in the air with Phantasm, Kazon having attempted at getting the jump on him, only for (Y/N) to grab his arm, using their aerial position to spin in the air before throwing Kazon towards the ground, forming a small crater as Kazon gasped out breathlessly, the wind knocked out of him from the impact.

"[Void Lightning/Flame Magic: Tempest Squall, Scorching Blades.]" Dozens of elemental blades suddenly manifested from Phantasm, forming a dark mirage around (Y/N), who held his own cold smirk before unleashing the storm of blades upon the fallen Iryal and Kazon, engulfing them in a cloud of dust from the impact as (Y/N) landed, casually brandishing Phantasm.

"No way..." Treo couldn't believe his eyes, watching dumbstruck at the scene before him. The two who all the Guard Squadron members present had struggled to deal with...instantly defeated? Just like that?

"Heavens be, the gods may actually be in our favor..." Teques couldn't help but mutter, a slight flame of hope appearing in his gaze. Perhaps, this boy could...!

"You're...kidding..."

"No way...both Iryal and Kazon, defeated just like that?"

"Impossible..."

"This is not good..." The black haired man muttered, a grim look on his face as the dust slowly settled, showing both Iryal and Kazon unconscious, slumped against the ground in their own craters, (Y/N) smiling silently.

"Anyone else?" (Y/N) challenged, brandishing Phantasm at the Darknight Mercenaries, a confident smirk tearing at his lips.

For a moment, silence reigned through the platform, before suddenly the Mercenaries moved into action, dozens of cloaked figures rushing forward as (Y/N) grinned, disappearing in a flash of blackish-red lightning and tearing through the crowd, his attacks fierce and unusually fast, overwhelming the Mercenaries, yet they continued to come as (Y/N) continued to fight, dodging an attack from behind before slashing upwards, a crescent wave of flames sending a Mercenary flying, (Y/N) casually slashing out at two Mercenaries beside him, before finishing it with [Shattering Tempest], sending the two Mages rocketing back. However, in the next moment, a dozen Mages surrounded him on all sides, all kinds of attack spells flying in as (Y/N) smirked confidently, brandishing Phantasm.

"[Void Frost Magic: Frozen Realm.]" (Y/N) stabbed Phantasm into the ground, a fierce swirl of Void Frost suddenly overwhelming the surroundings, engulfing the enemy Mages in ice as (Y/N) unearthed the blade, rushing forward as yet more Mercenaries continued to pour in, his trademark smirk on his face all the while.

Clang!

Clang!

Shing!

Crash!

Boom!

Chaos wreaked throughout the platform, a certain figure pushing through the Mercenaries, long, swaying lilac hair behind her, her presence dignified and elegant yet mysterious and refined. However, this did not stop the Mercenaries from glancing at her with slight fear and respect, moving out of her way without so much as a complaint.

"What's going on here?" Suddenly, through the chaos, a single voice seemed to silence the anarchy going on in the platform, (Y/N) slashing a Mercenary away, surprise shining in his eyes as the Mercenaries seemed to halt with the voice, turning his gaze towards the newcomer, dozens of fallen Mercenaries strewn about around him, several wounds blossomed on their bodies.

The newcomer merely gave them a single glance, before her gaze turned to look at the black haired man.

"What is happening here, Ryt?" The girl commanded, her gaze seemingly nonchalant, yet her words carried an unspeakable pressure, the black haired man feeling a drop of sweat form on his face.

"Vice Leader Fay...we've met a few issues with a Magic Knight-" Whether he would report further or not, Fay ignored him as she turned towards the chaos, her silver eyes gazing through the crowd, finding the Guard Squadron, looking utterly stunned in the distance, and (Y/N), who met her own gaze with a smirk.

A Black Bull...

"A Magic Knight here? It seems the Clovers did get here before we did...but, a single one? How did these idiots manage to lose?" Fay couldn't help but sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance. A single Magic Knight, and a Black Bull, no less...what a bunch of useless good-for-nothing's...

"Guess you're the boss of these guys?" (Y/N) smirked cockily, pointing his blade at the newcomer, her lilac orbs staring at him, before her lips curved upwards into a charming smile.

"That's right. And it seems like you've treated them to quite the beatdown." Fay gave a small, yet charming smile, her eyes not betraying any of her thoughts, (Y/N) momentarily admitting to himself...she was exceptionally beautiful.

"Was I not supposed to do that?" (Y/N) snickered playfully, getting a melodic laugh from Fay in return, before suddenly (Y/N) raised Phantasm, finding Fay crashing down above him with a silverish-pink sword, his feet shattering the ground beneath from the force of her attack. It all happened in a split second, the surrounding Mages all recoiling from the intensely lashing winds.

"No." Fay smiled innocently, her mysterious eyes meeting (Y/N)'s own confident (e/c), before suddenly (Y/N) slashed upwards, Fay elegantly twisting through the skies before landing evenly on her feet, (Y/N) recovering as the nearby Mercenaries distanced themselves, Fay brandishing her sword elegantly whilst (Y/N) brandished his own with confidence.

In the next moment, both Mages disappeared before reappearing beside the other, (Y/N) slashing down harshly at Fay, only for her to expertly redirect his sword with her own, stabbing it into the ground before she spun her sword in her hands, slashing at (Y/N) in a reverse grip, (Y/N) leaning his head back as the blade went overhead, leaping back and unearthing Phantasm, yet Fay leapt after him, the two clashing in the air as sparks flew from their blades, one akin to a lightning storm and the other akin to an elegant snowfall.

Suddenly, the two disengaged as they landed on the floor, both landing on one knee, before both of them shot at the other, clashing in the middle as a confident smirk plastered itself on both of their faces, their eyes locked onto the others', their blades pushing against the others' as sparks fell from the clash, dying their faces with an ashen-gold hue.

"You're...not so bad!" (Y/N) grinned, applying more force behind his slash as he attempted to overpower Fay.

"You're not so bad yourself." Fay praised, though she didn't lose any ground as the clash continued, before (Y/N) suddenly took a step forward, delivering a horizontal slash as Fay jumped upwards, landing on Phantasm gracefully as (Y/N) held the blade in his outstretched hands, holding up Fay. Due to his immense physical strength, such a feat was not out of the realm of possibilities for him. Besides, she felt weightless on his blade...

"Unfortunately, though, you're not quite good enough to contend with me." Fay revealed, her lips curving into a mocking smile as she slashed at (Y/N) with her blade instantly, it turning into a blur, only for (Y/N) to raise Phantasm and subsequently her, making her attack miss, before (Y/N) suddenly released Phantasm harshly, the blade spinning in a circle as Fay casually flipped backwards, (Y/N) catching Phantasm in a reverse grip as Fay landed nonchalantly on the ground, (Y/N) tossing Phantasm up and catching the blade, brandishing it once more.

"They're even?"

"No way..."

"What's going on...?"

Both the Darknight Mercenaries and Guard Squadron members watched on, confused.

"What is even going on here...?" Yvon muttered, an arm wrapped around Jillon's shoulders as he helped the bulky man to stand, having previously taken Kazon's attack head on.

"I think...this boy is going even with her. But I can't even tell, they're both moving so fast..." Teques spoke, dumbfounded as (Y/N) and Fay seemed to flash through the battlefield, leaving behind mere afterimages, the sound of steel clashing reverberating through the shattered ruins, before suddenly (Y/N) went skidding back, Fay casually brandishing her sword.

"Are they even?" A member of the Darknight Mercenaries asked, confusion on his face. No way that this kid could be even with the Vice Leader, right?

"Even? No. Look closely. Vice Leader Fay hasn't even brought out her Grimoire yet." The black haired man, Ryt, pointed out. And indeed, whereas (Y/N)'s Grimoire hovered before him, silently engulfed in a midnight blue haze, there was no such Grimoire present before Fay, merely her blade.

"She's so fast. Honestly, I can barely even keep up with her. If it weren't for the fact that I got used to Vetto's speed during our fight, I might have been in trouble here. Though, she might be even faster than Vetto, the only thing is that her attacks aren't anywhere near as powerful as his, but they're far quicker, refined." (Y/N)'s eyes shone a bright electric (e/c), his gaze focused on Fay's own mysterious lilac eyes. She always kept him on edge with her masterful, unnaturally fast swordsmanship.

"He's strong. For someone so fast, I didn't think he'd also be capable of dishing out such strong attacks. Although he's not on Master Arran's, Sirius or Leticia's level, or hell even Thorn's level or my own...he's really not too bad. His attacks are too telegraphed, though...too simplistic. Against someone who wields the sword to a similar or higher degree of skill...his lacking swordsmanship is no doubt what will lead to his downfall." Fay's gaze never left (Y/N)'s own, slightly relaxing her grip on her sword. Without a doubt, she held the advantage when it came down to pure skill.

"If anything is troublesome for me, it's that reaction speed of his. Surprise attacks are nigh-impossible to do. Honestly, he might have the fastest reaction speed of anyone I've ever fought before. But..." Fay's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, before her lips curved upwards into a mocking smile.

"I'll be going all out now, Magic Knight. Do try and keep up, at least for as long as you can." Fay smirked, (Y/N) smirking in return as a white Grimoire emerged from the pouch at her waist, the Grimoire slowly opening as (Y/N)'s grip on Phantasm tightened subconsciously, taking an involuntary step back, though the smirk on his face didn't recede. A Three-Leaf Clover...

"Don't worry, I won't disappoint-"

Before (Y/N) could even finish his words, Fay was already at his side, her blade slashing out at him with a diagonal rising slash as (Y/N)'s eyes widened in shock, instinctively lurching to the side and barely managing to dodge the blade, though his cheek suddenly slit open with blood, the mere wind pressure from the blade having wounded him.

"So fast...!" (Y/N) thought in shock, leaping back and trying to gain distance from Fay, only for him to suddenly feel an impact on his back, rocketing towards the ground as Fay smiled passively, before seemingly making contact with a strange, white wave as she shot towards the ground, (Y/N) crashing into the ground harshly and forming a crater, though he instantly rolled to the side with Phantasm, barely avoiding getting pierced through by Fay's blade, however, due to his position, he couldn't even counter as Fay's sword instantly clashed with his own, sending him rolling back, barely managing to spring onto his feet as Fay was instantly before him again.

[Sword's Orbit!]

Suddenly, a galaxy of azure stars engulfed the two, dozens of clashing sounds ringing out as Fay's eyes widened in surprise, though she didn't let it affect her attacks in the least, continuing the fierce assault, though within the azure field, (Y/N) met every attack head on, a few of his own even coming close to slashing her.

"Hmm." Fay hummed slightly, momentarily distracting (Y/N) as Fay took the opportunity, jumping out of the azure field as (Y/N) stomped on the ground, dispelling [Sword's Orbit] and giving chase. He couldn't let her gain the initiative again!

Slashing at Fay with fierce speed, (Y/N) attempted to gain the first hit, only for Fay to casually use his attack to her advantage, spinning onto his blade before slashing down at him, (Y/N) barely managing to lean back, her blade severing a few of his hairs.

However, a Void Blade manifested above Fay, rocketing down at her from behind as (Y/N) smirked, only for her to suddenly seem to fade for a moment, before the blade behind her was suddenly slashed through, a hollow, white outline of Fay, wielding the same blade, seen behind her.

"Too basic." Fay mocked, a teasing grin on her face as a nervous sweat fell down (Y/N)'s face. She was just far too fast...

If Vetto was "fast"...

Then what the hell was she?

She went far beyond fast...

"Try and entertain me for a bit longer, okay? I haven't had a fight this fun in a long while. So do try and last~." Fay mockingly smiled, before her Grimoire began to flip through its pages.

Not giving her the chance to cast a spell, (Y/N) manifested dozens of Void Blades around himself and Fay, and without a second thought they all rocketed towards her, only for Fay to smile as her Grimoire stopped at a certain page, opening her mouth.

"[Mirage Magic: Ephemeral Lotus Blossom.]" Fay chanted, a mocking smirk on her face as the Void Blades around her were all slashed to ribbons, strange, hollow slashes lingering in the air around the two in an intricate lotus formation, (Y/N)'s smirk slowly turning into a nervous grin, a drop of sweat forming on his face.

This...was just ridiculous.

He couldn't even see her sword at all.

Under Fay's mysterious lilac orbs, (Y/N) could begin to feel a sense of unease well up inside of him, only for him to suddenly slash outward with Phantasm, sending Fay back as (Y/N) shook his head, brandishing Phantasm again.

"I can't get distracted right now. Her overwhelming speed is already a problem, but I think I can counter it with [Sword's Orbit]...but while I use that spell, I can't move, so if she decides to go for Lord Seyez' men then, I'll pretty much be a sitting duck." (Y/N) grit his teeth, brandishing his blade as he attempted to come up with a plan, Fay gracefully landing on her feet, casually spinning her sword and leaving behind white mirages of the blade, almost as if taunting (Y/N).

"There's also her Magic...it's so weird. At first I thought it was just a manifestation type, but those slashes were far too precise. Likely, she had to create those slashes herself, so the questions falls...is her Magic those afterimages? I can sense a faint threat from them even after she's attacked, so if I make a single wrong move I'm in for a world of hurt." (Y/N)'s lips slowly curved up into a devilish smirk, Fay's own lips curling into a smile.

"She's so fast that even when using my lightning-attribute I can only barely keep up, but perhaps..." (Y/N)'s gaze hardened. There was perhaps one way he could overpower her in one fell swoop.

However, not only was he unsure of his success...but he wasn't even sure he could pull it off.

One of the two cards he may have had left.

[Stasis Burst.]

However, would he be able to pull it off? Although Fay was fast, she was not on Julius' level. And Stasis Burst had caught even Julius by surprise. Perhaps, if he could cast it...then, maybe...!

"[Mirage Magic: Ethereal Blossom Descent.]"

However, a galaxy of azure stars then formed around (Y/N), Fay giving a small smile as she disappeared, turning into a mere afterimage as she flashed all around (Y/N) in an instant, leaving behind dozens of slashes before she herself reappeared, casually brandishing her sword as the hollow slashes imploded, dozens of hollow afterimages of Fay lingering in the galaxy of azure stars.

And yet...

(Y/N) slowly fell to his knees, barely managing to grasp onto Phantasm as dozens of slashes appeared on his body, the galaxy of azure stars flickering around him, fading, (Y/N) breathing heavily as he tried to comprehend what had just happened.

"You're kidding..." (Y/N) winced, his body burning with pain from the slashes unleashed all at the same time, the mirages and the original both staring him down.

No, he knew what had happened.

She had done what he'd thought impossible.

Fay had...

She had completely overwhelmed Sword's Orbit.

(Y/N) slowly got onto his feet as Fay turned to look at him, the former breathing heavily whilst the latter's lips curved upwards into a teasing smile.

"Oh, you're still standing~?" Fay teased, (Y/N) chuckling to himself, leaning against Phantasm.

"That speed of yours is unreal..." (Y/N) both praised and groaned, Fay laughing melodiously as her lilac orbs met (Y/N)'s own electric (e/c), crimson blood flowing down his face and body. Her last attack had clearly done a number on him.

"I think you're far more deserving of praise. If it weren't for your rather simplistic swordsmanship, perhaps you might've been an actual challenge." Fay shrugged, surprising the Darknight Mercenaries behind her.

Fay...

Vice Leader Fay...

Was praising a Magic Knight?

Well...his strength was on full display, so even if it seemed strange, they couldn't help but admit...this boy was monstrously strong. Even Fay admitted that.

"Simplistic, huh..." (Y/N)'s lips curved into a smile, Fay narrowing her eyes at him. He was still going to try to fight, even in that condition?

"That so? Come on, then, I'll show you what this "simplistic" swordsmanship can really do." (Y/N) challenged, a devilish smirk on his face. In return, Fay merely gave a charming smile, before suddenly she was gone, leaving only a faint afterimage around (Y/N), making the (h/c) hair boy focus immensely, pushing his senses to the limit.

A hollow afterimage formed above him, (Y/N) sidestepping the attack before instantly following up with the next one, parrying an afterimage. However, his gaze then instantly locked onto another, suddenly swerving Phantasm unnaturally to meet Fay head on. However, she didn't indulge his attack, an afterimage emerging from her as she spun in the air, hanging above (Y/N). Yet, he couldn't stop his momentum, clashing with the mirage, causing it implode and sending his stance into disarray, Fay above smiling victoriously.

[Phantasmal Bind!]

In the next moment, however, black chains erupted from the ground, grasping onto Fay's arm, barely having managed to evade full capture, yet the afterimages around (Y/N) fully disappeared, (Y/N) smirking before rushing forward, Phantasm lighting up with both Void Ice and Void Earth.

"This is the way...I fight!" (Y/N) smirked, Fay using her free hand to raise her blade, only for her eyes to widen as she couldn't use her Magic. Furthermore, she couldn't even sense her mana.

"The chains?!" Fay thought in shock, before gritting her teeth and meeting the attack head on with her free arm, slashing out at (Y/N). No matter how much she pulled her bound arm, the chains did not relent, forcing her to meet the attack.

However, it was all for naught as (Y/N)'s combination of [Absolute Zero Strike] and [Rumbling Crash] smashed right through her resistance, sending her blade flying, causing her to grimace, wincing in pain as her arm felt completely numb. Yet, (Y/N) did not give up the attack, spinning in place before approaching with a diagonal slash, Fay's eyes widening in horror.

She...couldn't block this...!

The blade continued to loom closer, though suddenly, the black chains faded, Fay instantly recollecting herself and disappearing from the spot, (Y/N) slashing down harshly at where she stood previously, forming a sizable crater of Void Frost and Void Earth spikes.

"Shi-!" However, before he could even finish his wording, (Y/N) suddenly found dozens upon dozens of mirages around him, Fay herself among them as dozens of blades were pointed at his neck, making (Y/N) smile nervously, a drop of nervous sweat forming on his face.

He was completely at Fay's mercy.

If she so decided to, combined with the dozens of mirages, her blade would certainly run through him. Due to the insane speeds she displayed, he hadn't even had the chance to bring out the Ancient God's Mask, either...

This was, truly and finally...

"Checkmate." Fay smiled teasingly, a slight grimace on her face due to the numbing feeling in her arm, though her victory was undeniable.

"What are the chances we can talk this out?" (Y/N) gave a slight teasing smile, a small chuckle in his tone as Fay rolled her eyes. The blades around his neck only seemed to inch closer...

"Haha. You were a lot of fun, but I don't think you have any more tricks to get out of this." Fay suddenly smiled, before the mirages all began to move, (Y/N) seemingly panicking for a moment, before a devilish smirk formed on his lips, instantly putting Fay on edge.

In the next moment, a crimson scythe slammed into her blade with unreal speeds, sending Fay skidding back before another crimson arc slashed through all the surrounding mirages. Yet, unlike when (Y/N) had slashed them, only ash remained of the Magic...no implosions at all. And now, a halo-clad boy stood before (Y/N), who fell to his knees momentarily, leaning against Phantasm to keep himself upright.

"Vice Leader!" The various Mercenaries shouted in horror, seeing Fay get pushed back by the scythe, barely managing to deflect it, the scythe crashing to the side and exploding in a small spectacle of ash.

"Heh, you're late." (Y/N) remarked dryly, slowly catching his breath as Lucius stared at him, before a smile split across his face.

"Apologies. I got a bit lost." Lucius apologized, (Y/N) smirking as he slowly stood back up, brandishing Phantasm again as Fay slowly recovered in the distance.

"Although, it seems as if I arrived right on time, you seemed to be in quite the precarious situation." Lucius smiled slightly, his scythe forming once more in his grasp, ash gathering ceaselessly.

"No clue what you're on about. I had that situation completely under control." (Y/N) smirked confidently, getting a laugh from Lucius. Sure he did.

However, in the distance...

"What in the hell..." Fay winced, her arm completely numb from the two attacks she had taken from both newcomers. If it weren't for (Y/N)'s subtle warning, she was sure that scythe may have claimed her life right then and there.

Were they both monsters?

"Vice Leader, we'll fight with you!" The various Mercenaries stepped forward, surrounding Fay as she opened her mouth, before gritting her teeth, saying nothing.

She was the strongest among her group. If even she couldn't handle this newcomer...what would they do? But if she fought them alone, she was certain she would lose. Something about that guy who just arrived unnerved her...and that was just barely putting aside (Y/N) himself.

In the end, she merely nodded, nervous sweat forming on her face as her beautiful lilac eyes flickered between (Y/N) and Lucius, who both turned towards the Mercenaries.

Slowly, (Y/N)'s lips curved into a smirk as Fay looked back at him and Lucius, her lips curling into an unusual frown. He had to admit, he almost felt a bit bad...

But of the two cards he had to potentially play - the first was overwhelming her with [Stasis Burst.]

And the second...was Lucius.

"This is really not good..." Ryt gulped heavily, an unusual dread tearing at his mind. These two...his instincts told him to run.

The monstrous (Y/N) and the mysterious Lucius...

"Are these your enemies?" Lucius questioned curiously, nonchalantly glancing over the Mages in the distance. His gaze instantly set all of the Mages uneasy, a strange feeling of fear arising within them.

Something about him...was so cold...

"Is that a..." Despite her shock, Fay couldn't help but notice the halo hanging above Lucius' head, confusion arising on her face. However, in the next moment, Lucius brandished his crimson scythe as (Y/N) brandished his crimson blade.

"Just what the hell..."

"What do you say we finish this?" (Y/N) smirked devilishly, his electric (e/c) eyes glancing coldly over the Mercenaries.

"Let's." Lucius gave a cold smile, his crimson eyes passively glaring daggers into the Darknight Mercenaries.

"...am I fighting here?!" Fay grimaced, weakly grasping her sword as dozens of mirages bloomed around her, both (Y/N) and Lucius smirking as they both shot forward, their weapons poised for the oncoming conflict.

Elsewhere...

Two sets of footsteps rung out through the deathly silent void of the Timeless Manor, two figures seen walking side by side, their heeled boots clacking with every step upon the shattered marble grounds.

"So...you said you learned some things about this place?" Ame inquired skeptically, glancing at Alyssa from the corner of her eyes.

"That's right~." Alyssa hummed, a casual nonchalance in her tone. She didn't seem worried in the least.

...Not that Ame could honestly see anything getting in her way, regardless.

"Would you be so kind as to share that information with me?" Ame requested, a small grimace as she did so, Alyssa glancing at her with a smug smirk on her face.

"If you ask so kindly, sure~." Alyssa replied, before she turned her gaze towards the vast expanse before her once more, a slightly more serious look on her face. At least, to Ame it seemed as if she was somewhat serious.

"This entire place is overflowing with immense amounts of mana. I'm sure you also found those creatures back there quite peculiar, hmm~?" Alyssa spoke nonchalantly, trailing off as Ame nodded in response.

"Yes. Something about them did feel strange. They felt sentient, but they don't feel as if they're alive." Ame recalled the strange presence she got from the Timeless Creatures, narrowing her gaze in thought.

"Smart girl~. Your senses were correct, those creatures are made purely of the rampant mana gathering in this place. I happened to find a similar crystal to that one you found back there, and it had the exact same effects as the one you found." Alyssa revealed, her gaze thoughtful yet breezy as she smiled nonchalantly.

"It's mana, is it not? That strange mist...that's the mist from Mizeras, right? I figured something strange was going on, but..." Ame put a hand to her chin in thought, her eyes flickering with varying thoughts.

"Correct. Although, the mana here is far too intense compared to the mana found in Mizeras~. With the absorption speed of those crystals, it would seem more like they have been siphoning Mizeras' mist for several decades at the very least, however, that can't be the case, now can it~?" Alyssa hummed carefreely, her white cloak waving in the wind as Ame narrowed her eyes in thought. Several decades...?

"...Back when the others and I first entered the Manor, we came face to face with a strange creature. It was somewhat similar to those you saw back there, but it was immensely stronger. Eerie, honestly. And it could speak." Ame, after a moment of deliberation, chose to reveal the initial encounter with the Spectre, Alyssa glancing at her with an expectant glint in her eyes.

"Oh~? What did it say?" Alyssa questioned, interest shining in her silver orbs, the silverette barely cloaking the growing smile on her face.

"It said that several millennia had passed." Ame recalled the strange voices' earlier words, a grimace on her face. If those words were the truth, then...

"Wow~. It seems like we've got quite an interesting opponent this time, then~." However, contrary to her nonchalant words, Alyssa grinned in anticipation. Who could possibly have survived through several millennia? Such a being...would surely be able to interest her!

"There was something else, as well. We found a giant statue at the base of the Manor, with an inscription upon it. (Y/N) managed to translate some of it, the words "Archon" and "The Legacy War" being the only things he could make out." Ame revealed, Alyssa momentarily glancing at her in surprise. (Y/N) did...?

"Sure enough, I was right when I thought things were about to get interesting~." Alyssa gave a cocky smirk, excitement shining in her silver orbs.

"That sounds interesting, but unfortunately I have no idea what either of those are~." The silverette then spoke again, giving a breezy shrug as Ame rolled her eyes, before sighing.

Of course she didn't know...

It didn't really surprise her, what truly surprised her was that (Y/N) could even read it...

Such an ancient language, yet even she couldn't make heads or tails of it...yet he did.

An anomaly, indeed...

"Well, besides that, I think the area around us is far more interesting." Alyssa surveyed the scene, taking in the sights of the seemingly infinite shattered platforms hovering silently within the white void.

"To have shattered an entire Manor of this scale...whoever casted that must be an insanely powerful spell caster. Furthermore, they managed to suppress most sensory capabilities inside the Manor, as well." Ame gave a slight groan, annoyed at the lack of answers as questions kept on stacking up. Just what was the deal with this place?

"Could it be...?" However, Alyssa then narrowed her eyes, her lips slowly curving up into an excited, challenging smirk.

Was this place under a...[Domain] spell?

But...this scale was much grander than his was...

That could only be possible if the caster was someone on a completely different league to any Alyssa had encountered before.

Which meant...

"Hahahaha! Things are getting really interesting now~!" Alyssa laughed, her silver orbs shining with boundless excitement, Ame beside her merely frowning. Wasn't she being far too careless about this?

However, given her reputation...

Ame by no means had any plans to underestimate her. After all, the White Phantom wasn't just a random nobody.

The youngest Magic Knight in the history of the Clover Kingdom...

Her reputation certainly preceded her.

"No matter, though~. I'm sure I'll get to see all sorts of interesting things here, now then, there was another detail I noticed~!" Alyssa, shaking her head with a seemingly permanent smile, began to recall the strange encounter she had come upon prior to meeting with Ame.

"What is it?" The violette hummed in response, her attention perked as she glanced at Alyssa.

"When I came into this place, I noticed a big ol' pile of rubble in the entrance room of the Manor, almost covering the entire lobby~. You wouldn't happen to have done that, riiiiight~?" Alyssa revealed with a sing-song tone, turning towards Ame teasingly.

"What...? No, it wasn't me, nor was it any of the other guys. We were all swept away by a strange attack from the strange creature I told you about." Ame narrowed her eyes in suspicion. The statue was shattered? That giant statue that completely towered over the entire lobby? Who would do such a...

Wait, no...

"Hold on, are you saying there are others here?!" Ame, connecting the dots, suddenly turned towards Alyssa in shock, the silverette giving a cheeky smirk.

"Spot on~." Alyssa hummed nonchalantly, though thoughts swam through Ame's head in droves. Others were present here?

A statue of that size would surely take a sizable amount of Magic and a powerful spell to shatter...no, perhaps it could've been a group? Then, that meant that more than one potential enemy was scouring the same Manor as her...

"By the look on your face, I assume you've begun to catch on~. I doubt the Lord's men could possibly destroy a statue that gargantuan in size even if they continuously shot at it, meaning we've got some other guests at our door~ and I might just have a clue as to who." Alyssa's voice seem to reign in the silence of the white void, Ame's lips curling into a thin line, her attention focused attentively on the White Phantom.

"Who is it?" Ame questioned, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"The Spade Kingdom." Alyssa stretched her arms above her head, her dual cloaks waving with her movements as Alyssa continued to hum to herself.

"The Spade Kingdom...? But why would they...? No, how can you even be sure it's them?" Ame questioned, her gaze both curious and unsure as she questioned the White Phantom.

"Before entering the Manor, I went around to check the Grand Magic Zone bordering Mizeras, and lo-and-behold, our dear friends had carved a path straight through it~! As you know, the Grand Magic Zone that divides the Spade Kingdom from the Clover Kingdom does not necessarily apply to the Heart and Diamond Kingdoms as well, since they border us where the Grand Magic Zone does not encompass, as well~. Due to that, I believe I can justifiably announce our intruders as the Spade Kingdom." Alyssa revealed, recalling the results of her exploration of the Grand Magic Zone which earned Mizeras its name. The only culprit, after deduction, was the opposing Spade Kingdom. The Diamond and Heart Kingdoms would not need to trudge through the Grand Magic Zone to reach Mizeras, after all. Only the Spade Kingdom would.

Which left only one possible intruder~!

"Then, when you...Alyssa'd, you were checking out the bordering zone?" Ame spoke, surprise clear in her tone and gaze. She hadn't expected Alyssa would have been taking it even further upon herself to learn more about the state of Mizeras...

"That's riiiight~!" Alyssa hummed breezily, a nonchalant smile on her face as she continued to walk, and for a moment, only the two's clacking footsteps rung throughout the Manor, the seemingly ever present hymn of the clock continuing.

After a moment of silence, Ame pursed her lips, before deciding to ask.

"By the way, you wouldn't happen to know what that clock sound is, right?" Ame questioned, getting a slightly higher pitched hum from Alyssa.

"Nope~. Even before I entered the Manor, there was a clock ticking." Alyssa shrugged, Ame sighing in return. So then, they still had an unanswered question...

After all, she was no particular expert on clocks, but she'd never once before heard of one who's pitch remained the same no matter the distance one traveled from it. Or was she even getting further from it? Apart from the changing landscape of floating platforms, the white void seemed infinite around them.

However, for a handful of moments, only the two's footsteps, the ticking clock and Alyssa's humming permeated through the area, one lost in the thought and the other humming-

"Can you please stop that incessant humming?" Ame's brow twitched in annoyance, turning towards Alyssa, who merely glanced at her with a teasing smirk.

"Oh~? Did you like it so much you fear hearing it too much will lower its grace? I'm flattered~." Of course, Alyssa didn't seem to mind Ame's snappy remark in the least, if anything she seemed more amused by it.

"I'm trying to think over here. Aren't you far too calm about this situation?!" Ame hissed, Alyssa giving a laugh in return, turning once more to face forward.

"But of course not~. After all, this place is just full of wonderful mysterious waiting to be explored~. However, this place is also something that far exceeds what both of us are clearly capable of pondering, so thinking about it too much will just end up backfiring~. Things like this just usually tend to work themselves out, so chill out~." Alyssa continued to hum, only getting a groan from Ame, who honestly wished she would just..."Alyssa."

However, despite ones' carefree nature and others' growing annoyance at said carefreeness, both Magic Knights agreed on a single thing.

Something strange was certainly going on in the Manor.

Silence- er, Alyssa's humming accompanied the prior sounds as the two continued to walk through the shattered marble, soon arriving at another platform, this one sporting another set of pillared ruins, though suddenly the two Mages stopped in their tracks.

"My, my~." Alyssa brought a hand to her mouth in mock surprise, staring into the pillared ruins in the distance. Countless bodies lay strewn on the ground, donned in black cloaks as spells flew through the skies, a single figure seen fighting several of the black cloaked Mages, and clearly more than holding their own.

"Didn't you say it would just be the Spade Kingdom? Even if we assume that the black cloaked ones are from them, then who is the other guy?" Ame narrowed her eyes at the distant scene, one of the Spade Mages leaping at the figure, only to swiftly be stricken down by a single slash of the enemy Mages' halberd, sending them rocketing towards the ground, cementing them into the shattered marble grounds.

"A good question~, after all, I doubt the Lord's men are this capable~." Alyssa continued to watch in mock surprise, Ame beside her nodding in agreement. If Lord Seyez' men were as capable as this...why would the Magic Knights be called in at all?

In the distance, several robed figures dashed towards the intruder, who merely glanced at them with his cold aqua colored eyes, spinning the halberd in his grasp before delivering a shattering blow to the marble grounds, kicking up a smoke screen before the halberd itself slashed through it, and subsequently the Spade Mages caught within it.

Now, only five of the Spade Mages remained.

"Impossible...I-Impossible...the power, the salvation granted to us by Lord Galeus...isn't enough...?!" One of the cloaked Mages, all of whom radiated an intense malice, spoke in shock, the silent halberd user merely glaring at them.

All of them managed to attain 40% of the power given to them by Lord Galeus, yet...!

"What kind of monster are you?!" One of the five cloaked Mages roared, the back of his cloak lit up with dark, eerie wings created of a strange, oozing magic.

"...Those who rely on borrowed power will never defeat me." The halberd wielding mage spoke, his Grimoire shining with a celestial light, hazily floating before him.

However, as if unbelieving, the five Mages charged at him in unison, flanking him from all sides as the Mages' gaze remained unperturbed, his halberd slamming down on the floor once more, sending five shattering fissures towards the Mages, momentarily stunning them before the man kicked off of the ground, in a single burst of speed appearing before the enemy Mages, slashing directly through one of the Mages before smashing his halberd down onto the ground, using it as a pole to redirect himself towards the next mage. Seeing the attack, the mage in question gathered his Magic into a translucent orb of eerie ooze, yet it did nothing to stop the halberd, the mage being cut through entirely.

Similarly, the other three Mages soon shared the same fate, even as the last attempted to run away, they all met death at the hands of the Mages' halberd.

Within moments, all of them had been wiped out.

"...That's not good." Ame, in a moment of stunned silence, managed to grimly speak out, Alyssa's eyes shining immensely beside her.

However, her comment also drew the attention of the distant mage, who turned towards the two newcomers at his own pace. Even, unhurried...unworried.

"My~, you seem to have attracted his attention~." Alyssa teased, Ame beside her grimacing as the strange boys' gaze met their own. A strange chill descended down their backs, feeling as if they'd just seen something...inhuman...

That, however, only momentarily surprised the two Mages, before both of them swiftly recovered.

The distant mage had ebony black hair with piercing aqua eyes, veiled in mystery and revealing no emotion beneath. They seemed to swim as if the ocean's currents, torrential yet unstoppable. He wore a tight white shirt which defined his lean, yet robust features, and wore a jacket that hung loosely over his shoulders, his ornate halberd clasped tightly in his black gloved hands. Similarly, he wore a set of dark pants accompanied by similarly dark boots, his Grimoire hovering before him, the symbol covered by the intense haze that cloaked the Grimoire. He had handsome features, but even those could not distract from the immense aura that erupted from him.

"More intruders?" The boy muttered lowly, not betraying any emotion as his eyes landed on Ame and Alyssa. However, he did brandish his ornate halberd, putting the two Magic Knights on guard.

"Guess we're fighting, then..." Ame grimaced, recalling the strength he had shown previously, just added on to his intense aura. This would not be an easy fight, at least if...

"Haha~! This is gonna be interesting!" Alyssa, however, was much more optimistic, or at least she didn't portray any grim thoughts, only an excited smirk forming on her face, drawing her blade as reality itself seemed to trail from the blade, leaving behind a monochrome haze trailing after.

"Don't get careless-" Ame warned, however, her eyes then widened in shock as the stranger already appeared before her, his halberd swinging down at her with unmatched precision, barely even leaving behind a behind an afterimage.

However, as the halberd descended onto the shattered marble, it met nothing but fading streaks of lightning, Ame herself glaring at him from a pillar, magenta-colored lightning sparking around her. However, the newcomer didn't seem surprised - or rather, if they were surprised, their face certainly didn't express it.

"Speak for yourself~." Alyssa teased, the boy narrowing his eyes at her before his halberd tore through where she stood, leaving nothing in its wake. Not even Alyssa.

However, in the next moment, the world seemed to shift into monochrome, before Alyssa appeared atop the pointed edge of the halberd, smirking down at her opponent.

In the next moment, the two locked eyes before Alyssa's sword tore forward, tearing apart even space itself as the boy leapt back, knocking Alyssa off of his halberd and dodging the attack, before smashing the poleaxe on the ground, sending various fissures rushing through the now distant Alyssa.

Yet, before he could get any further time to think, ceaseless lightning sparked around the boy, before his glance caught sight of Ame holding her hand up.

"[Lightning Magic: Iridescent Squall.]" Ame chanted, her Four-Leaf Grimoire glowing with a violet haze before her, an immense field of crackling lightning engulfing the mysterious boy, Alyssa in the distance disappearing once more in a fading burst of monochrome, dodging the four fissures.

However, in the next moment, Ame clicked her tongue as a silver slash cut through the storming lightning, rushing forward towards Ame as she jumped off of the pillar, it being slashed in half a moment later and falling down after her.

However, the boy then emerged from the lightning storm, swiping his halberd forward at Ame as her Grimoire flipped through various pages.

"[Lightning Magic: Thunder Empire's Vanguard.]" Ame chanted, a shield-like apparition manifesting before her as the halberd made contact with it, kicking up a veil of sparks as Ame shot back, the spell being slashed through shortly after, leaving Ame's amethyst eyes to widen in surprise.

"He slashed through my spell?!" Ame thought to herself, shock tearing at her heart. However, she didn't get much time to dwell on it as the boy was once more in front of her, his halberd enroute to bisect her with a rising diagonal slash, Ame's eyes momentarily widening.

However, in the next moment, a similar Phantom emerged from above the two, a blade teeming with reality shining brightly as aqua orbs met silver. A chrome colored Grimoire shone brightly before her, Ame's eyes widening momentarily as she saw it.

This was...!

However, only the sound of flipping pages erupted through the air, before eventually even it ceased.

"[Dimension Magic: Lucent Paradox!]" Alyssa's lips curved into a smug smirk, her blade fully disappearing as three infinitely fluxing slashes shot towards the boy, his eyes widening in surprise as he raised his halberd to block, only to suddenly narrow his gaze at the last moment, barely managing to swerve out of the way, yet one of the three infinite slashes managed to knick him, an eternal pain assailing him as he reached up towards his cheek, touching the wound as his finger slit open on contact, surprise on his face before he disappeared, now above the two Clover Kingdom Mages, who both shot to action.

Shifting between dimensions in an instant, Alyssa met the boys' attack head on, her blade trailing with monochrome [Dimension Magic], her blade meeting his halberd in a mere moment, the two clashing in the air before Alyssa was quickly forced back, though she instantly shifted between dimensions, appearing on the ground a mere moment later, her blade already poised to slash.

"[Lightning Magic: Radiance-Jolt Eruption!]" Ame chanted, a fierce stream of sparking magenta lightning suddenly engulfing the mysterious boy, though a moment later he merely vaulted over the attack, his halberd being brought down towards Ame, Alyssa lowering herself slightly as her Grimoire flipped through various pages, beginning to trail with monochrome magics.

"[Dimension Magic: Shining Parallel Fate!]" As her Grimoire glowed a bright monochrome, Alyssa disappeared in an instant, several immaterial light slashes appearing on the boys' body as Alyssa materialized once more past him, a cocky smirk on her face, before suddenly the slashes seemed to implode, the boy's eyes widening in surprise as blood shot freely from his body, his clothes a tad tattered from the attack, yet still he stood.

"Wow~, color me impressed, you're still standing~!" Alyssa gave a mock clap, only for the mysterious boy to not say anything.

"Why haven't you used a single spell yet?" Ame, however, remained much more cautious, wary of the Grimoire floating before the boy. Although she couldn't see the symbol beneath the haze, she was sure someone with this level of skill couldn't be such an easy pushover...

"..." The mysterious boy, however, didn't answer, silence reigning over the three as endless pain continued to assault his systems - yet he didn't even flinch.

"...You're somewhat strong." The boy, after some silence, admitted, before slowly brandishing his halberd as his aqua colored eyes bore holes into their own.

"I'll be going at you with my full strength. Prepare yourselves. I do not hold back lightly." The boy lowered his stance, his jacket waving wildly as immense pressure emitted from the boy, silver Magic beginning to trail from his halberd.

"Big talk~, perhaps give a name to attach to it?" Alyssa teased, a smirk present on her face as she brandished her sword, monochrome [Dimension Magic] trailing off of her blade.

Silence momentarily reigned over the ground, leaving only the fierce winds and ticking clock to sound as Ame felt a drop of sweat fall down her face, a thick tension in the air.

"Aurelius." The boy spoke, before suddenly he disappeared, soundlessly appearing beside the two Mages, who's eyes shifted towards him in surprise, his halberd raised above his right shoulder, his Grimoire flipping through several pages before coming to a stop.

"[Moonlight Magic: Crescent Ambush.]"

Not even a moment later, the ground where the attack landed was completely razed to the ground, a crescent moon-shaped crater emerging through the entire platform, and various platforms beneath sharing the same design as an immense fast silver wave of moonlight rushed into the infinite void below, tearing all the ruins in its wake, a fierce quake shaking the platforms.

Yet, Aurelius remained unperturbed as he shot forward, appearing before Ame as lightning sparked around her, having barely managed to dodge the last attack as her eyes widened, Aurelius repeating the same previous action.

A moment later, a crescent crater once more bloomed in the shattered ruins, a third of the platform having been cut down in a mere moment.

"What is this insane attack power?!" Ame thought grimly, lightning sparking around her as she used her attribute to zip around the area, yet even then she was just barely fast enough to evade Aurelius' overbearing attacks.

However, before she could even think further, she once more found herself face-to-face with the assailant, his halberd over his shoulder as Ame's eyes widened, his halberd glinting and momentarily stunning her, a monochrome burst engulfing her before Ame suddenly found herself away from the attack, another burst of monochrome disappearing beside her as Alyssa reappeared beside Aurelius, her blade poised to strike.

"[Dimension Magic: Alternate Horizon!]" Alyssa chanted, her blade unleashing a fierce line of mana, slashing through Aurelius as a immaterial slash formed upon him, before slowly expanding as the immaterial lights continued to spread, Aurelius narrowing his eyes.

In a moment, however, they all burst as immense pain assailed Aurelius, yet still he did not flinch.

This was nothing compared to Herald-sama's attacks, after all.

In the next moment, he repeated his previous action, slashing out at Alyssa as two thirds of the platform sunk into the abyss below, cracking marble and shattering stone resounding through the area as a burst of monochrome reappeared after his attack, Alyssa brandishing her blade.

In a second, her swift swordsmanship earned her a dozen strokes onto Aurelius, similar lines of immaterial light forming on his body as Aurelius casted them a single glance, before completely ignoring them as Alyssa retreated, dodging yet another slash as another chunk of the platform swiftly fell.

"This guy is on an entirely different level!" Ame shouted, immense levels of lightning emerging from around Aurelius as he became lost in the lightning, Alyssa emerging from her Magic beside the violette.

"He's rea~l interesting, alright." Alyssa smirked, gazing eagerly at the distant Aurelius, a halberd slashing through the storm of lightning as aqua eyes locked onto the two Clover Kingdom Mages.

In the next moment, the dozens of immaterial lights upon Aurelius imploded, yet even that did nothing to stop his advance, rushing towards the two Magic Knights.

"We need to get off this platform, he's already destroyed most of it!" Ame shouted, Alyssa smirking as she shot forward to meet Aurelius.

"Then let's make a path!" Alyssa disappeared, shifting beside Aurelius as his gaze turned towards her, slashing down roughly at her as she and the ground before her both disappeared, a shift on Aurelius' other side causing him to turn his gaze as Alyssa smirked smugly at him.

"[Dimension Magic: Lucent Paradox!]" Alyssa chanted, three immaterial slashes rocketing towards Aurelius, who merely slashed at them in response, his halberd shaking as it met the attacks, before ultimately managing to redirect the slashes, a few immaterial lights upon the halberd.

However, that did not stop Aurelius in the least as he slashed at Alyssa, who merely shifted through dimensions, evading the attack as the platform completely fell beneath his attack, the remaining pieces beginning to crumble and fall.

Shifting through the falling platform, Alyssa gained distance from Aurelius, the mysterious boy raising his halberd before slashing after her, a crescent wave appearing behind her in an instant.

"[Lightning Magic: Ancindria's Blitz!]" Ame chanted, a giant wave of lightning colliding with the crescent slash, engulfing it before the crescent wave continued on, only to change directions and head back towards Aurelius under the influence of Ame's spell, causing a massive explosion and completely totaling the platform, Alyssa shifting beside Ame before grasping her arm, the two disappearing before reappearing on a lower platform, a few crescent holes present from Aurelius' unstoppable attacks, having gone through the previous platform and tore into this one.

Stumbling forward, Ame quickly caught herself as rubble rocketed towards the infinite void beneath, a heavy sigh leaving her mouth.

"That guy is just too strong." Ame winced, the mere wind from Aurelius' attacks having damaged her even if she hadn't been directly hit. That halberd of his had an insane amount of offensive capabilities...

"My~ I was far more focused on how good of a team we make." Alyssa teased, Ame rolling her eyes before she suddenly saw a glint of silver, before the ground a small distance in front of them caved in, Aurelius rising from the rubble with a few wounds on his body, yet nothing seemed to stop him, brandishing his halberd once more, [Moonlight Magic] gathering on its edge.

"Looks like we're not done yet. And there's no running away from this guy, so..." Ame took a deep breath, before focusing as lightning began to spark ceaselessly in droves around her.

"Wow~, this Magic almost feels completely different, who knew she'd be holding back before~ as expected of an [Avatar] host~! Well..." Alyssa thought, before a cocky grin formed on her lips as she poised her sword, intense amounts of monochrome Magic radiating from her.

Ame wasn't the only one holding back.

"Let's take this guy down!" Ame and Alyssa both shouted in unison, one with conviction and the other one with confidence, the two rushing forward with their magics as Aurelius' lips curved upwards into a small, ghost of a smile.

And in the next moment, he swung.

Elsewhere...

In a brightly lit throne room, a single individual gazed over dozens of translucent manascreens, showing various groups clashing with each other as the individual gave a silent smile, his intricate orange eyes calmly gazing over all the Intruders.

Sirius grunted as he shot upwards through a set of ruins, Margos on his trail as he punched at him, a storm of wind quickly forcing Sirius to fade into the shadows, gaining some distance. However, Margos continued to pursue, spikes of ice stabbing out at him as the Luminary merely punched at them, shattering them as Sirius twirled his spear-flag, before unleashing a hail of ice towards Margos, catching his feet as blades of shadow shot forth from the ground, Margos merely punching the ground, sending himself falling to a lower level as Sirius grunted, but quickly gave chase.

In the distance, Thorn continued to fight against the two Spade Mages, the black substance oozing off of them persevering as sand bit at them, Thorn dodging back and slashing at the Spade Dagger Mage, a thundering dagger meeting his surging sand blade, causing a small explosion as the Spade Dagger Mage was sent back, Thorn himself slashing towards the Spade Wind Mage as a fierce draft fell down upon him, before a wave of sand covered him and shielded him from the winds, blades of sand rocketing outwards and forcing the Spade Mages to dodge, Thorn rushing forward and unleashing a wide slash, creating a massive fissure of golden sand.

The strange individual then shifted his eyes towards another screen.

(Y/N) shot all around the area, dodging Fay's high-speed attacks as her mirages coated the area, Lucius in the distance slashing down mirage and Mercenary alike, leaving small explosions of ash with every strike.

A clang suddenly rung out as Fay and (Y/N) clashed blades, the two smirking at each other before they retreated, (Y/N) suddenly turning and facing a Mercenary who approached him, meeting blade with blade before (Y/N) lurched to the side of the Mercenary, slashing at them before moving on, the Mercenary falling to the ground in pain as (Y/N) tore through two other Mercs, before Fay's mirages once more found him, forcing his attention onto her.

Lucius, on the other hand, slashed through both mirages and Mercenary alike, quickly becoming a thorn in Fay's side as she often found her attention always on him, his immense power tearing seamlessly through her Mercenaries, forcing Fay and her mirages to focus exclusively on him. However, that did little to stop Lucius' rampage, taking down Mercenary after Mercenary, Fay herself being pushed back on occasion, causing her grim look to grow every clash.

The stranger smiled slightly, before his gaze was once more averted to a different manascreen.

Ryan shot forward in a blaze of flames, his sword lit with flames as he cut down Timeless Creatures in droves, spells flying over his head as the Guard Squadron members did their best to support him, getting a grateful "Thanks" from Ryan before he continued onward, his rampage unstoppable even as the larger creatures approached.

Yet, he wasn't the only menace as Jayden's spear made short work of the creatures, receiving the aid of the Guard Squadron as well, spells supporting him from the back and allowing Jayden to merely pierce through the enemy lines, flipping in the air as he dodged an attack from one of the larger creatures, the three beginning to gather mana in their maws as Jayden's spear glinted powerfully.

Once more, the strange individual averted his gaze to yet another manascreen.

A single individual tore through the ranks of the Darknight Mercenaries with ease, his yin-yang mask hiding his face as the Mercenaries in his way were all razed to the ground by his spear, leaving none alive as other Spade Mages flocked behind him, destroying any that got in their way.

Two mercenaries stepped forward, slamming their hands on the ground and sending spiked streams of fire and ice at the Yin-Yang masked individual, only for him to spin his spear before himself, two streams, one black and one white, rushing to meet the attacks head on, flawlessly piercing through them before claiming the lives of the Mercenaries who casted them, a dark shadow looming over the Spade Captains' shoulder.

Once more, the stranger turned his gaze towards yet another screen.

Ame chanted another spell as lightning surged endlessly through the area, moonlight arcs shooting through the place as destruction took place on all grounds, Alyssa weaving through all the attacks with her Magic as the two coordinated their efforts, various more wounds present on Aurelius' body, yet still he did not relent.

A tornado of lightning suddenly manifested with Aurelius' as its center, offsetting his spear as Alyssa manifested beside him, capitalizing on the opening and leaving various immaterial light slashes, imploding them as Aurelius merely swung at her, forcing her to flee and resetting their encounters, before vicious lightning tore into Aurelius, forcing him to slash out in a circular formation around him, dispelling the tornado of lightning as Aurelius raised his halberd, the two Magic Knights meeting the same tempo.

The stranger watched on silently, before his hand twitched, before rising entirely, an hourglass-ornament in his grasp, radiating an unreal amount of mana, a power forlorn in its containment.

The Splinter of Time.

However, the individual payed that no mind, merely raising the Splinter of Time.

And in the next moment, the Splinter began to glow, before a strange flow suddenly erupted from the Splinter, rushing outwards towards the walls of the throne room, the stranger giving a small, cold smile as he turned towards the various screens, seeing the flow appear on them all in a mere instant.

And then...

...

...

...

Tick.

Tock.

...

...

...

Sirius grunted as he slashed down at Margos, who merely leapt to the side before responding with his own spinning kick, Sirius parrying the kick with his spear-flag as a punch swiftly came after, though Sirius merely twirled his spear-flag to meet it head on, simultaneously managing to push Margos off of himself.

Tick.

Tock.

Suddenly, a blinding white light flowed into the already white void, covering the combatants' visions in a veil of white.

"Hmm?" Margos hummed, his gaze slightly confused as the light consumed him.

"What in the?!" Sirius remarked, the shadows in the area completely fading, before the light consumed him as well.

"This cannot be good..." Thorn gave a strange frown, his blade burning with a golden edge, before the light completely engulfed both him and the two Spade Mages.

...

...

...

Timeless Creatures howled as they rushed towards the Magic Knights and Guard Squadron members, of whom prepared their own defenses against the oncoming horde.

"[Holy Flame Magic: Arc of Fla- what the?!" Ryan suddenly shouted, an immense bright light flooding into the void as he reached out his rapidly fading hand.

"No! This light, not aga-!" Myagar shouted in alarm, though even he could do nothing to stop it, the light consuming him. The other members of the Guard Squadron were quickly consumed by the light.

"Ryan! Everyone!" Jayden shouted in horror, reached out towards them before the light consumed him as well.

...

...

...

"Run! He's a monster!" One of the Mercenaries shouted, turning tail as the others followed.

"Leave your lives- what?" The Yin-Yang masked individual growled, before his tone turned confused as an immensely bright light surged into the room.

"Captain!" The cloaked Spade Mages shouted, onto for their yells to fall into deaf ears as the bright light consumed everyone in the vicinity.

...

...

...

Explosions continued to ring out through the white void as lightning, dimensional energy and moonlight clashed endlessly, forming a symphony of destruction. However, a bright light quickly brought that a halt.

"What is...this?!" Ame shouted, before she was consumed by the light.

"My~, this is something new-" Alyssa managed to get out, before she too was consumed by the light.

"..." Aurelius merely held his silence, putting his guard up as the light consumed him.

...

...

...

The sound of ceaseless conflict permeated the platform as Mercenaries met (Y/N), Lucius and the Guard Squadron in combat.

"Not happening!" (Y/N) grunted, using his sword to block Fay's strike as she winced, (Y/N) swiftly twisting Phantasm before placing it over his shoulder as Fay retreated, an immense wind gathering on his blade before he pierced forward, a torrent of winds tearing through the Mercenaries, Fay stabbing her blade into the ground to keep herself grounded.

"You're...looking kind of tired, aren't you?" Fay teasingly smirked at (Y/N), a slightly tired look on her face as (Y/N) smirked back, a similar look on his own face.

"You're the one who...looks kinda tired there..." (Y/N) panted, his own teasing smirk on his face as he brandished Phantasm again, Fay doing the same with her blade.

Around them, Lucius continued to unleash havoc on the Mercenaries, occasionally helping (Y/N) with Fay, almost single-handedly dealing with the brunt of her myriad of mirages.

However, in the next moment, a blinding light flooded into the white void, alarming the Guard Squadron.

"No! This light, it-!" However, Teques didn't even have the opportunity to finish his sentence, the light consuming him.

"No!" Similarly, the other Guard Squadron members met the same fate.

The Mercenaries, too, were no exception.

"Crap-" Ryt vanished in the light.

"What is..." Fay began, only for the light to consume her a moment later.

"What the...hey, what's going on-?!" However, before (Y/N) could even finish his sentence, everything began turning to white from the nascent light.

A wave of crimson ash quickly filled his sight, (Y/N)'s eyes closing before he, too, was consumed by the light.

(Timeless Manor ED - Deja Vu by Dreamcatcher)

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Chibi Preview

Chibi (Y/N): What the hell was that weird light?

Chibi Jayden: You were hit by it too?

Chibi (Y/N): Yeah! Wait, "too?" You got hit by it as well??

Chibi Jayden: Yes.

Chibi (Y/N): :O We're "Eaten by a weird bright light" Buddies!

Chibi Jayden: What?

Chibi (Y/N): What?

Chibi (Y/N) and Jayden: Black Clover - Night's Wrath: Page 56 - Scattered, coming soon!

Chibi Jayden: Everyone has goals of their own. It's up to us to see our duty through to the end, no matter the cost.
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Yo! It's me, the dude who uploads maybe once in a blue moon! Sick uploads schedule ik.

This was supposed to be finished yesterday tbh, but a birthday put those plans to a halt re~al quick, but I got it done anyway!

Besides, ignoring my dreadfully overdue upload time, here is the next chapter for y'all. Mighty long chapter focused on action, ooo~.

...No seriously this chapter is ungodly long. For being 4 sections long, this chapter is my 2nd largest chapter, with the only one topping this being "Page 46 - Our Path Forward" which was 27k. This chapter is 25k. Naisu.

Also! I'm thinking of starting a second Night's Wrath book by the name of "Nights Wrath - The Side Tales".

Essentially, what this book would be is...well, basically just a who-knows-what length single chapter story involving (Y/N) and the characters of Night's Wrath origin or Black Clover origin - primarily for the purpose of giving my OC's more depth for those who are interested in learning more about them...because good god there is a lot of lore around these people, and to increase the involvement (Y/N) can have with the original Black Clover characters. Especially some others that'll come in later, and some that you already know~! I don't really want to start writing now though because...well, most of the OC's I've made would pretty much be entering spoiler territory...but, after this Arc I'd say Alyssa should be available for a chapter, and perhaps Arthur would be available for a chapter after the Royal Knights Arc, etc.

Anyway, I had to rewrite some of the sections several times before they were to my liking so...yeah. We're here now. Man, I love making this original arc but it is significantly harder than just adapting the Black Clover stuffs...I expected that tho :O

Also, Nacht is literally my favorite character in Black Clover. Fight me. If he dies I will fucking riot-

Ahem...

Next chapter, we begin to see some development with (Y/N) and our lovable original cast, can't wait to see how that goes~!

Anywho, till next time!
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Harem: (Feelings towards (Y/N))
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Alice (Loves)
Noelle (Loves)
Mimosa (Crush)
Alisia (??????)
Rebecca (Crush)
Amelia (??????)
Sol (??????)
Rin (??????)
Fana <<Elf>> (??????)
Mereoleona (??????)
Vanessa (??????)
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~ Chaoz has logged out. ~