Seeing Magna suddenly tense up, Asta and Noelle were both caught off guard, not quite understanding what was wrong.
"F-Flowers?"
"Probably… not?"
The villagers walking ahead were startled by Magna's sudden question. They stammered for a moment, thought it over carefully, and then answered.
White flowers swayed gently in the breeze, and the faint fragrance in the air grew noticeably stronger.
Then—without warning—the villagers began collapsing one after another. In the blink of an eye, a large number of them had fallen to the ground, all plunged into unconsciousness.
Even if Asta and Noelle were slow to react, they immediately realized something was terribly wrong.
Asta was the first to scramble to his feet, his face full of vigilance as he scanned their surroundings.
Whoosh—
The dense fog thinned rapidly, and a black-clad figure emerged from within it, walking steadily toward them.
The moment they saw that silhouette, all three of them went rigid.
"We're in serious trouble."
"There's something wrong with the scent—cover your mouths and noses!"
Magna shouted loudly, his expression grim as cold sweat formed on his forehead.
They had just gone through an intense battle. Their stamina and magic power were already heavily depleted.
Asta and Noelle quickly raised their hands to cover their noses.
Even so, all three of them suddenly felt an overwhelming drowsiness washing over them. Gritting their teeth, they forced themselves to stay conscious as they stared at the approaching figure.
Noelle's fair face had gone deathly pale. Who could have imagined that her very first mission as a Magic Knight would turn out like this?
"As expected of Magic Knights… you're still holding on,"
a low chuckle drifted over from the figure ahead.
A mysterious man clad in a black robe, his face concealed behind a mask, fully revealed himself before the three of them.
What drew their attention even more was the unconscious man he was dragging behind him.
That face was all too familiar.
"It's the guy who escaped!"
Asta exclaimed excitedly, one hand covering his mouth while the other gripped the Demon-Slayer Sword, his voice coming out muffled.
"Idiot. Just look at how he's dressed—he's obviously not on our side,"
Noelle replied weakly.
From behind the mask, Yuuki watched the three of them sway unsteadily, as though they might collapse at any moment. He let out a soft laugh.
"It's useless. The fragrance has already permeated the air. Unless you stop breathing entirely, covering your mouth won't do anything."
He deliberately lowered his voice, giving it a hoarse, indifferent edge.
"Bastard!!"
"You two—run! I'll hold him off!"
Magna roared with all his strength, drawing every last bit of magic power he had into his palms, preparing to cover Asta and Noelle's retreat.
But in the next instant—
His body suddenly stiffened.
Thud!
Magna collapsed heavily to the ground, completely out of his control.
Noelle instinctively tried to step back, but her body betrayed her as well. She fell forward and lost consciousness before she even hit the ground.
"H-How… my body… won't move…"
Magna muttered weakly, face pressed against the earth.
"The fragrance doesn't just induce sleep," Yuuki said calmly.
"It also contains a paralytic toxin. Everything is designed so the victim can die peacefully in their dreams."
"Isn't that a compassionate form of magic?" he added with a faint smile.
"That's why I named it 'Mandrake's Cradle.'"
"Y-You… bastard… As a m-man… I c-can't… fall this easily…"
Magna tried desperately to push himself up, but his entire body felt numb, devoid of sensation. His voice grew fainter and fainter—until he finally passed out.
Yuuki turned his gaze toward the only one still standing.
"Asta…"
"Magna… Noelle…"
Asta panted heavily, leaning his entire weight against the Demon-Slayer Sword just to stay upright.
"The fragrance isn't magic," Yuuki continued.
"It's the natural scent released by the flowers themselves—something that truly exists. Your sword can negate magic, but it can't erase what already exists."
Without sparing Asta another glance, Yuuki stepped past him and walked toward the Eye of the Midnight Sun members.
With Magna unconscious, the magic restraining them naturally dissipated. Unfortunately for them, they had already inhaled the fragrance—and soon followed the villagers into sleep.
"D-Damn it!"
"No matter what you're trying to do… I'll stop you!"
Asta suddenly roared, his body—on the verge of collapse—somehow mustering the strength to lift his sword as he charged at Yuuki.
Yuuki couldn't help thinking, I knew better than to judge you by common sense.
Luckily, he had prepared for this.
A black-gray seed had been resting in his palm all along.
Plant Magic — Thorn Whip.
At a single thought, the seed sprouted instantly. In the blink of an eye, it grew into a long, thorn-covered vine.
Crack!
The whip lashed out with a sharp tearing sound through the air, striking Asta squarely.
Blood sprayed as Asta was sent flying, crashing hard onto the ground, unable to get back up.
"W-Why…"
Asta's voice, filled with unwillingness, came faintly from where he lay.
Yuuki didn't stop walking. Without turning his head, his low, hoarse voice reached Asta's ears clearly.
"Because you're too weak."
"And the weak don't get to ask why."
Asta tried to lift his head—but darkness overtook him, and he fell completely unconscious.
Yuuki dragged the captured Eye of the Midnight Sun member over to the other three.
"Oh? One of you is still awake?"
He looked down in mild surprise at Heath, who was barely clinging to consciousness.
"Y-You…"
Heath struggled to open his mouth—
Thud.
Yuuki kicked him cleanly in the neck, knocking him out cold.
Unlike Asta, Yuuki had no intention of being gentle. More importantly, he knew Heath carried a self-destruct magic tool inside his body.
He wasn't about to give him the chance to use it.
"What a haul," Yuuki said with a satisfied smile as he looked at the four unconscious members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun.
"Following the protagonist really does pay off."
The next moment, a spatial gate opened.
Yuuki tossed the four bodies inside and stepped through himself, vanishing completely from Soshi Village.
(End of Chapter)