The Magic Knight Gathering had finally begun. The grand arena in the Clover Kingdom buzzed with excitement as all the captains stood in formation, and dozens of rising stars from different squads showed off their prowess. This was a celebration of unity and strength—but it also masked a darker undertone.
Unbeknownst to the public, Lucius and his pawns were preparing an attack. Deep in the shadows, their plot twisted around a single goal: weaken the kingdom's strongest pillars in one stroke.
And as always, Avi Caesar was watching.
High above in the clouds, hidden from all detection, Avi's clone floated with a surveillance artifact hovering nearby. This magical eye connected back to the main Avi within the Akatsuki base, where he calmly observed every magical fluctuation around the arena.
Avi (thought): "This event is crucial. Fuegoleon, Nozel, and Mereoleona are all present. The enemy will never find a better opportunity to strike. The attack will begin shortly… and Lucius is counting on the chaos."
Inside the arena, Asta and Yuno sat among the participants. Despite the celebration, their expressions remained serious. Avi's words from earlier lingered in their minds:
Avi: "Stay sharp. If something feels off—don't wait. Move."
---
At the peak of the event, a portal tore open in the sky.
Dark magic poured in like ink through water, and masked mages with elven tattoos emerged from the breach. A massive shockwave spread as multiple captains leapt into action.
Fuegoleon Vermillion charged headfirst into the enemy ranks. His flames blazed like a sun, repelling attackers and shielding civilians. But just as he struck down a masked elf warrior, another cloaked enemy appeared behind him, hand glowing with spatial and curse magic.
Enemy Mage: "The Lion burns too brightly. Time to snuff it out."
A sinister grin spread across the attacker's face. His spell surged forward—aimed directly at Fuegoleon's back.
But the blow never landed.
An invisible barrier shimmered for just an instant. The cursed magic warped off its path, redirected into the sky.
Fuegoleon turned, eyes sharp.
Fuegoleon: "What? Where did that spell go—?"
He didn't know. No one did.
High above, the clone of Avi nodded.
Avi (thought): "That was too close. I've modified the protective array around all squad leaders through my system. They'll think it's just a quirk in mana density. That's good. No one suspects."
---
Back in the Akatsuki base, the main Avi sat cross-legged, deep in meditation. Blue holographic runes floated around him—the system's interface.
> System Notification: Emergency intervention protocol: Success. Damage redirected. Detection Level: 0%
He exhaled slowly.
Avi (thought): "I can't stop every threat directly. But I can shift fate. Slight nudges. Hidden shields. My hand will remain unseen."
---
The battle raged. Yuno rose into the air, joining Captain William against a group of cursed elf mages, while Asta tore through the attackers with his anti-magic sword. Yet both of them instinctively moved closer to Fuegoleon, sensing the importance of guarding him.
Asta: "Captain Fuegoleon! We'll watch your back!"
Fuegoleon: "You two? Shouldn't you be protecting civilians?"
Yuno: "You're more important right now. Let us cover you."
Fuegoleon paused, then nodded. Inside, a strange feeling of déjà vu pulsed through him. Like he had almost died just moments ago…
---
Elsewhere, deep beneath the capital, another presence stirred.
A failed spell from the spatial mage had torn open a crack—an unstable rift. On the other side, demonic runes writhed. A low growl echoed from beyond the veil.
Unknown Voice: "Freedom... soon…"
The remnants of Zagred's essence, long believed destroyed, had begun to awaken. And Avi felt it.
Inside the war room of the Akatsuki base, red warnings flashed.
> Alert: Dimensional breach near Clover Capital. Threat Level: Tier-S. Potential Entity: Infernal Remnant - Zagred Fragment.
Avi (thought): "So it begins. Not just Lucius… the devils too. But not yet. Not now."
He activated a pre-prepared suppression ritual hidden beneath the capital, set up weeks ago during a secret visit. With his system's help, he injected immense mana into it remotely.
A burst of white light shone underground, sealing the rift before anything could pass.
The dark voice went silent.
---
After the battle ended, the kingdom mourned the damage—but surprisingly, no captains had died. There were injuries, but all recoverable. Fuegoleon stood tall, unaware he had narrowly avoided death.
Julius Novachrono, watching everything, smiled faintly.
Julius: "It could've gone worse. Strange how luck favored us."
But in the depths of his soul, Lucius stirred.
Lucius (thought): "Something's wrong. That curse should have landed. There's an unknown variable. Someone interfering… quietly."
Far away, hidden from all sight, Avi smiled behind his cloak.
Avi (thought): "You'll never find me, Lucius. I'm the shadow behind every miracle. The guardian you'll never see."
---
The Magic Knight Gathering ended with accolades and promotions. Asta and Yuno were praised for their coordination and bravery. Fuegoleon personally thanked them.
Fuegoleon: "You both saved me today. I don't know how… but I'll remember it."
Asta (nervous): "Haha, we just followed our guts!"
Yuno (smiling): "We had good instincts."
And Avi, as always, remained in the background. Quiet, observant, prepared.
Avi (thought): "This is only the beginning. The devils stir, the elves awaken… and I'm ready."
[To Be Continued in Chapter 19]