(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
-------------------------------------------------
Steel met stone.
The Magic Knights charged.
Asta struck first—his anti-magic blade crashing against a statue's armored chest.
-CLANG!
The impact rang through the chamber—But the statue didn't break.
It didn't even crack.
Instead—It moved.
Faster than expected.
Its sword came down in a heavy arc.
"MOVE!"
Magna shouted hurriedly.
Multiple defensive spells flared at once.
Water shields.
Wind barriers.
Flame bursts to redirect force.
Even then—The impact pushed them back.
"These things are way tougher than before!"
Leopold growled feeling the power behind the attack.
Luck darted in, striking rapidly—But each hit only sparked against the statues' surface.
-SWISH! -SWISH!
"They're not breaking!"
He laughed, though even he noticed the problem.
-Haha!!!
Worse—They weren't attacking randomly.
The statues moved in turns.
One advanced while others held position.
A coordinated assault.
Disciplined.
Like trained soldiers.
Yuno's eyes narrowed seeing it.
-Frown!
"…They're guarding something."
The fight dragged on.
Mana drained. Defenses strained.
Even Asta's strikes weren't enough to destroy them.
Then—A voice cut through the chaos.
"WAIT!"
A Magic Knight from the Golden Dawn stepped forward, eyes locked on the floor.
"There's a pattern!"
Everyone hesitated just enough.
"...."
"...."
"...."
He pointed downward.
The stone tiles beneath them—Weren't random.
Faint markings. Boxes. A grid.
"Stand on those marked tiles!" he shouted.
Skepticism flickered—But they trusted.
One by one, the Magic Knights stepped onto the indicated tiles.
The moment they did—The statues stopped.
Mid-motion. Weapons frozen.
Silent.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Asta blinked confusedly.
-Blink!
"…Huh?"
The Golden Dawn knight jumped to another marked tile.
The statues didn't react.
"They only attack if we step off the path!"
He explained quickly.
"Follow the pattern!"
Relief spread through the group.
Magna exhaled loudly.
-Sigh!
"Finally, something that isn't trying to blow us up."
Carefully—Step by step—They followed the marked path.
Tile to tile.
Avoiding the traps.
The statues remained still.
Watching. Waiting.
Until—They reached the end.
The final tile.
The chamber behind them sealed once more.
And ahead—A massive door opened silently.
Throne Room...
The next chamber was vast.
Grand. Ancient.
A throne stood at the far end.
Carved from dark stone.
And seated upon it—Was a boy. Young.
Same face. Same body. Same age.
As the one Magna carried.
Eron.
But—Different.
He sat casually, one leg draped over the armrest.
A wicked smile stretched across his face.
His eyes glowed faintly red.
Watching them. Amused.
"Welcome," he said softly.
His voice echoed unnaturally through the chamber.
"Welcome to my dungeon."
The Magic Knights froze.
Magna slowly looked down at the unconscious boy in his arms—
Then back at the one on the throne.
"…What the hell?"
Noelle's breath caught.
"...."
"…Two…?"
Yuno stepped forward slightly.
Eyes sharp. Mind racing.
"…Not the same."
Asta tightened his grip on his sword.
"Who are you?"
The boy on the throne tilted his head.
Smile widening.
"Me?"
A soft chuckle escaped him.
-Chuckle!
"I'm the one who brought you here."
His gaze shifted to Eron's unconscious body.
"…And him."
The air grew heavier.
The dungeon—Was no longer just testing them.
It was speaking.
And whatever sat on that throne—Wasn't just a child.
It was the heart of the ruin.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Silence cracked.
Eron's body jerked violently in Magna's arms.
"AAAHHH—!"
His scream tore through the chamber.
Raw. Agonized.
Magna staggered looking at the struggling kid in his arms.
"HEY! KID—!"
The boy's skin—Was changing.
Gray. Rough.
Spreading like creeping frost.
Stone.
His fingers stiffened first. Then his arms.
The petrification crawled upward, inch by inch.
Noelle gasped seeing this.
-Gasp!
"He's turning to stone—!"
Leopold clenched his fists.
"No…!"
The small fire spirit whimpered softly from his shoulder, sensing the unnatural energy.
On the throne—The other "Eron" watched.
Smiling. Amused.
Like a child watching a toy break.
"Tick… tock," he said lightly.
His voice echoed unnaturally across the chamber.
"As time passes…"
He gestured lazily toward the real boy.
"His life will fade."
The stone spread further.
Eron's screams weakened.
"…And when it does…"
The boy on the throne leaned forward slightly.
"…I'll consume it."
The air grew heavy.
Dark mana pulsed faintly around him.
"Life force," he continued calmly, "is quite… nourishing."
Asta's eyes darkened.
"You—"
The boy raised a finger.
"Oh, don't look at me like that."
His smile widened.
"I gave you a chance."
He spread his arms slightly, as if presenting a game.
"A simple rule. Defeat me…"
The shadows around the throne deepened.
"…and you save him."
The room trembled faintly.
"…Fail…"
The statues in the previous chamber echoed faintly behind them.
"…and you stay."
His eyes gleamed with cold killing intent.
"Forever."
A cold chill ran through the group.
"Even after death…" he added softly, almost kindly,
"You'll make wonderful servants."
Magna gritted his teeth, holding Eron tighter.
"…You're not touching this kid."
Noelle stepped forward despite her exhaustion.
"We'll stop you."
Yuno's gaze sharpened, already analyzing.
"…He's the core."
Asta stepped ahead of everyone.
Planting his sword into the ground.
His voice steady. Angry.
"We beat you."
He pulled the blade free.
"And we take him back."
The boy on the throne laughed.
-Hee… hee… hee…
Not childish anymore.
Something darker beneath it.
"Then come."
He stood slowly.
The throne behind him cracked.
Dark mana surged outward.
"Entertain me."
Behind them—Eron's petrification continued.
Time was running out.
And the final trial—Had begun.
The moment he rose—The air warped.
Cracks spread across the throne behind him as if reality itself recoiled.
Then—Two massive horns burst from his head.
Dark. Jagged.
Twisted like something born from corruption.
From his back—Wings tore out.
Bat-like. Tattered.
Barely holding form.
Not meant for flight—But proof of something far worse.
Noelle whispered, voice trembling—
"…A devil…?"
Yuno's eyes narrowed sharply.
"…Not complete or fully weakens."
The boy stretched his arms casually.
His wicked smile never fading.
"Let's begin."
The ground trembled.
Dozens of massive rocks tore free from the floor and walls—
Hovering in the air around him.
"Rock Magic."
He flicked his finger.
"Play."
The rocks shot forward like cannon fire.
"DEFEND!"
Solid shouted feeling the immense mana poured into that attack.
Water shields erupted.
Wind barriers formed.
Fire blasts collided mid-air.
-BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Explosions shook the chamber.
But—The power difference was obvious.
A single rock shattered multiple defensive spells.
One blast sent Magna crashing across the floor.
"UGH—!"
Luck darted in, lightning crackling.
"Finally, something strong!"
He struck—A direct hit. But the boy didn't move.
He caught Luck mid-air by the throat.
"…Too slow."
He slammed him into the ground.
-CRACK.
Luck coughed—but still grinned.
-Cough! -Cough!
-Grin!
"…Now this is fun…"
Asta charged gritting his teeth.
"GET AWAY FROM THEM!"
His anti-magic sword swung down—The boy blocked it with a single arm coated in rock.
The impact shook the entire chamber.
For a moment—The anti-magic pushed through.
But then—The boy smiled wider.
More rocks surged.
They slammed into Asta from all sides.
He was thrown back.
Yuno unleashed a barrage of wind blades.
Precise. Deadly.
But the boy moved effortlessly.
Dodging. Deflecting. Countering.
Each movement—Like he had all the time in the world.
Leopold roared, flames erupting wildly.
"Flame Magic: Crimson Barrage!"
A storm of fire crashed toward the boy—Only to be crushed by a wall of stone mid-air.
The flames scattered.
Powerless.
Noelle tried to stand. Her mana flickered weakly.
"…We… can't…"
Her eyes moved toward Eron.
The petrification had reached his chest.
His breathing—Slower. Fading.
The boy hovered slightly above the ground now.
Surrounded by floating stone.
Watching them struggle. Enjoying it.
"…Is that all?"
His voice echoed mockingly.
"You were so confident."
He tilted his head.
"Humans really are amusing."
Another wave of rocks launched—Stronger. Faster.
The Magic Knights were pushed back again.
Injured. Exhausted.Overwhelmed.
Magna clenched his fists.
"…We're not even close…"
Solid gritted his teeth.
-Grit!
"…This is impossible…"
Even Yuno—Silent. Calculating.
"...."
But for the first time since he became a magic knight—Pressed.
The boy looked at Eron again.
The stone now creeping toward his neck.
"…Almost done."
He smiled softly. Satisfied.
Asta slowly pushed himself up from the ground.
Blood at the corner of his mouth.
Breathing heavy. But his eyes—Burning.
"…We're not done."
He gripped his sword tighter.
The air around him shifted slightly.
The chamber echoed with a new sound.
-Thump. -Thump.
-Thump.
A heartbeat. Heavy. Loud.
Like a war drum echoing through stone.
At the center—Asta knelt. Breathing ragged.
Vision fading.
His body screamed from overexertion.
His grip on the sword trembled.
The world blurred.
But then—Something rose.
Not strength. Not courage.
Something darker. A boiling hatred.
Raw. Violent.
Focused entirely on the being before him.
"…You…"
The word barely left his lips.
Black lines began crawling across his face.
Like cracks in reality.
One of his eyes—Turned red. Glowing.
A horn emerged from the right side of his head.
Dark. Sharp.
Behind him—A single black wing unfolded.
Torn yet powerful. The air shifted.
Mana warped. Not natural. Not human.
The Magic Knights felt it instantly.
Noelle's eyes widened.
"...."
"…Asta…?"
Yuno's gaze sharpened.
"…So that's his power."
The boy on the throne paused.
For the first time—His smile faltered slightly.
"…Interesting."
Asta slowly stood. His breathing steadied.
The exhaustion—Gone.
Replaced by something overwhelming.
Power surged through his body.
Wild. Uncontrolled. But intoxicating.
Inside his mind—A voice echoed.
Low. Dark. Commanding.
"Kill that motherfucker."
Asta's lips curled into a faint, dangerous grin.
-Grin!
He lifted his sword.
Black anti-magic energy surged violently around him.
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
The chamber trembled.
The boy tilted his head, curiosity returning.
"…Yes."
His grin widened again.
-Grin
"Now you're worth it. Why do you make me remember something nasty?"
Asta vanished from the spot he was standing.
-BOOM.
The floor shattered where he stood.
He reappeared in front of the enemy instantly—Faster than before.
Stronger.
His blade swung.
The impact—Exploded through the chamber.
For the first time—The boy was pushed back.
Stone armor cracked.
-Crack! -Crack!
His feet dragged across the ground. His eyes widened slightly.
"…So this is your true form."
Asta didn't respond. He attacked again.
Relentless. Ferocious.
Every strike heavier than the last.
Anti-magic clashed against corrupted mana.
Shockwaves rippled outward.
The tide—Had begun to shift.
Behind them—Eron's petrification slowed.
Just slightly.
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review on this Fanfic.
Guys My New Fic name is: Mahabharat: Shiva's Last Variable
Check it out... I hope you will like it
Don't forget to send your power stones!!!