The battle between Yuno, Asta, and Klaus raged on.
Driven by Ethan Hayes's example from before, the trio fought with fierce determination.
Klaus aside, both Yuno and Asta were far stronger than they had been in the original timeline.
Yuno had already mastered the Spirit Magic he was only supposed to unlock during the Royal Knights Selection Exam.
Although Asta hadn't entered his Devil form, his agility was unmatched.
With his ability to sense intent fully mastered, he skillfully disrupted his enemies' timing.
And when combined with the threat of his Anti-Magic sword, the trio managed to gain the upper hand—for a while.
Meanwhile, Ethan Hayes's condition was extremely delicate.
With such grave injuries, even if he didn't die, he should have at least fallen unconscious.
But he was very aware—more than ever.
He could still sense everything happening around him:
Yuno and the others battling fiercely.
Mimosa healing him with urgency.
Noelle standing nearby, tears streaming down her face, filled with sorrow.
But none of that mattered.
What did matter was that something had awakened in his mind—
Not something new, but something that had always been there, etched into his bloodline.
His near-death state had triggered something dormant in his unique golden blood.
In that moment, no one had to tell him—he simply knew.
The truth behind the golden glow of his blood: Divine Bloodline.
It sounded awe-inspiring, and indeed, it was.
Within this divine bloodline lay a mysterious and powerful force.
Only now did Ethan understand why his magic power grew exponentially year after year, why his control over it felt so natural and fluid.
It was all thanks to the divine blood coursing through his veins.
And that wasn't all.
Locked within the divine blood were fragments of genes—
Each one containing hidden knowledge or power, though most remained dim, locked in chains.
Only two of them shone with light, signaling they could be awakened.
Outside, everyone played their role:
Some fought, some cried, and some desperately tried to save lives.
But time was turning against them.
Despite their earlier advantage, Yuno, Asta, and Klaus were beginning to falter.
After fighting Ethan Hayes before, Patolli now fully understood how wind magic operated both offensively and defensively.
To be honest, although Yuno was fast, Ethan had been faster in his Spirit Assimilation form—
And his magic output had been stronger too.
If it were a one-on-one like with Ethan, Patolli could've easily dealt with Yuno using his Light Magic.
But the real threat wasn't Klaus, who had been hammering at him all along.
It was Asta, charging at him with the Demon-Dweller Sword.
That sword—once belonging to the real Licht—was no ordinary weapon.
Even the black five-leaf grimoire in Asta's hands had once belonged to Licht.
Patolli knew its power well.
If struck by it, even the Wizard King himself would suffer—
Because this was the one thing that could suppress their magic completely. No exceptions.
"But now..."
Seeing Yuno collapse from exhaustion, falling out of his Spirit Assimilation form, Patolli's lips curled into a small smile.
Yuno had posed the greatest threat with his speed and agility.
Without him, the rest were easy targets.
"Watch out, Klaus!" Yuno shouted—but he was a step too late.
In his transformed state, he might've made it in time. But now he couldn't keep up.
Shing!
A Light Sword pierced through the air.
Klaus managed to summon a steel plate just in time to block it—but it still skewered his left shoulder.
He collapsed, powerless.
"There's no time to worry about others now."
Patolli's voice echoed near Yuno's ear.
After striking Klaus down, he launched himself toward Yuno at high speed.
Boom!
A savage kick sent Yuno flying like a cannonball into the mountainside, raising a cloud of dust.
Still gripping his Demon-Dweller Sword, Asta pulled out the Demon-Slayer Sword too.
With fearless eyes, he charged forward, roaring.
"Too slow!"
To Patolli, Asta's movements were turtle-like.
If it hadn't been for Yuno distracting him earlier, Asta would've fallen long ago.
But it still wasn't too late.
Swish! Swish!
In a few blinks, Patolli intercepted Asta's path.
Asta could read intent, yes—but reading and reacting were two different things.
His mind kept up, but his body couldn't. That was the flaw.
Patolli's light whips cracked across Asta, sending him crashing far away with a cry of pain.
In less than thirty seconds, their advantage had completely collapsed.
Mimosa, who was still healing Ethan, felt her heart sink.
At this rate, they were all going to die here.
"You're not going any closer!"
Suddenly, Noelle stepped in front of Ethan and Mimosa, staff raised to stop the slowly approaching Patolli.
Her wand was specially designed to enhance magic control—
But in her eyes, it felt useless.
No matter how hard she trained, her spells never hit their targets.
As Ethan often teased, she was like a walking Red Cross nurse.
A natural saint—"the sixth teammate of legend."
She didn't fully understand his jokes…
But she desperately wanted to hear them again.
"I always believed magic wasn't meant to hurt people…
But if it's to protect those I care about—then magic must be used to hurt!"
"Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Roar!"
Her staff aimed forward, magic converging into a mighty surge.
Noelle's eyes gleamed with resolve as a colossal sea dragon roared to life—
Magnificent and terrifying.
But Patolli didn't react.
From Vangeance's shared memories, he knew all about Noelle.
Royal blood, huge mana pool—but zero control.
Her magic looked scary, but it never hit.
Still…
As the Sea Dragon surged toward him, something felt off.
It was on course. It wasn't veering off like it used to.
Could she have… surpassed her limits?
Boom!
The Sea Dragon struck directly—perfect aim.
Noelle let out a pure smile from her heart.
"You really broke your limits. Too bad—it'll be your first… and last."
Patolli's voice echoed in the air.
Despite the Sea Dragon's speed, he was faster.
Even caught off guard, he dodged effortlessly.
A light sword appeared in his hand.
Expressionless, he pointed it at Noelle.
The Sword of Conviction flew at her—swift and deadly.
Not even a full second—no, half a second—and she'd be pierced through, falling just like Ethan.
But just as the sword reached within a centimeter of her chest…
A left hand—skin like white jade, delicate as lotus root—caught the blade mid-air.
Its fingers, like steel chains, locked it down.
As if what it caught wasn't a sword of light—
But a sparrow flying by.
-------------------------
To Access 30+ Advance chapters head over to Patreon:
patreon .com / Samorash
~~Do leave a comment!