The power of Heaven and Earth's Momentum—from the moment Ethan grasped it, he knew how vital it was.
For most, the Zero Domain stood as an untouchable peak, the realm of unmatched champions. But truth be told, to Ethan now, Zero Domain was little different from the First, Second, or even Third.
The reason?
Because he had mastered the Momentum of Heaven and Earth.
That single factor decided everything.
He had already experienced this truth during his battle with the Witch Queen. Even with his monstrous versatility—hundreds of magic attributes at his command—he had been utterly crushed beneath her Momentum. If not for the Imperial Sword stalling her and the fact that he managed to break through and grasp his own Momentum, he would have been doomed that day.
If someone like him could be bound so tightly, what chance did ordinary Zero Domain mages have?
"Feels even stronger than the aura from Licht and the First Wizard King…" Asta murmured.
Though he had no mana of his own, his Ki-reading technique—passed down by Yami—was another way of sensing strength. And what he sensed from the Queen of the Heart Kingdom… was staggering. It surpassed even the pressure of that day within the Shadow Palace.
"Truthfully, even if you hadn't come here, I had planned to send envoys to Clover. We need allies. The current situation can't be handled alone."
The Queen, Lolopechka, spoke with a faint but visible anxiety. She lifted her gown slightly at the waist, exposing her stomach.
Hiss—!
Noelle and the others gasped sharply. Her navel was marred with something grotesque, not like a birthmark, not like a bruise—but something vile, like the mark of rot itself.
"As you can see," Lolopechka said calmly, "I have been cursed by a devil. In about two years—no, perhaps sooner—I will die."
The words were delivered with unnerving composure, as if she were speaking of another's fate. That serenity, that regal poise, was worthy of a queen.
"Mages are ranked by domains—Zero is strongest, Ninth is weakest. Only those who've reached the First Domain or higher can stand against devils."
Her words left Asta and the others grim. They had already learned this the hard way against the Word Soul Devil. Sure, their group had been large, but only a handful had truly been able to fight; the rest were just… spectators.
"But even the First Domain—or Zero Domain alone—cannot deliver a killing blow to devils. Only those who wield magic of the Nether Domain can counter them."
"Nether Domain?"
"The Nether Domain refers to rare attributes beyond normal magic—like Time Magic, Dark Magic, Light Magic… even Secre's Sealing Magic belongs to it," Ethan said offhandedly, earning nods from the others.
It fit. Against the Word Soul Devil, only such magics had worked at all. Everything else had been useless or barely effective.
"Yes," Lolopechka agreed, "those attributes are essential to resisting devils."
Asta's eyes sharpened. "Then… you must know where the devil is."
The Queen nodded slowly. There was no absolute proof, but based on her curse and years of gathered intelligence, the conclusion was undeniable.
"If I am not mistaken, the devil resides within the Spade Kingdom—and it is far stronger than the one you faced before."
The air turned heavy. Everyone's expression darkened. Stronger? The Word Soul Devil had already pushed them to the brink, even with the First Wizard King and Licht at their side. And now, those two were gone.
Though they had grown stronger since then, the gap was still immeasurable.
"I know your concerns," Lolopechka said gently. "They are mine as well. You are exceptional—far beyond your peers—but still not enough. As I said, only those at the First Domain or higher can qualify to stand against devils. You must grow stronger."
"But… do we even have that kind of time?" Asta frowned. He understood the logic, but devils were unlikely to wait politely for them to be ready.
"You have some time," the Queen said with a faint smile. "Not much. With this curse, I estimate I can live another year. Before my strength fails, I intend to launch a preemptive strike against Spade. For you, the time limit is six months."
Her eyes gleamed as she declared:
"In those six months, I will assign to you five Spirit Guardians, all Zero Domain mages, as your instructors."
"Five?"
Noelle and the others swallowed hard. That force alone eclipsed Clover Kingdom's top powers. After all, even the strongest of Clover's captains—Vangeance of the Golden Dawn—was merely First Domain at best. Most others were Third Domain or lower.
And here stood a queen of Zero Domain herself, backed by five more Zero Domain Spirit Guardians. Together, they could overwhelm the entire Clover Kingdom with ease.
"If you're that powerful," Noelle asked with narrowed eyes, "why haven't you conquered other kingdoms?"
Lolopechka smiled knowingly. "You mean, why not wage war?"
Noelle nodded. She was royal blood—unlike Asta, she wasn't naïve. Between nations, kindness and mercy were illusions. It was always conquest, or be conquered.
"I've said before—battles between mages are not about numbers, but about strength. Dozens of men cannot defeat a single mage at the right level. You should know this already."
"…You mean the Wizard King?" Noelle asked cautiously.
Her tone lacked certainty. Julius had been unmatched, yes, but this queen was no weaker. And with five Spirit Guardians by her side, she couldn't see any path to victory for Clover.
"You don't sound very confident," Lolopechka chuckled softly. "But yes—your Wizard King Julius Novachrono is a truly remarkable man. In both strength and character, he is flawless."
Her gaze grew distant, as if recalling the past.
When she had first inherited her throne and the Water Spirit, gaining the accumulated power of past queens, she had broken into Zero Domain instantly. Drunk on her newfound strength, she had traveled the neighboring nations, challenging their mightiest.
The Diamond Kingdom's Archmage Colin.
The Clover Kingdom's Wizard King Julius.
The Spade Kingdom's Dante.
And it was during that time that she had been cursed by a devil. Her vast mana had kept it at bay for years, but her time was running out.
"Though Julius suffered misfortune and lost his mana, his successor may well surpass him," she said, her gaze shifting to Ethan. "Perhaps… isn't that so, Ethan?"
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