The moment the black-blue gelatinous mass appeared—
Asta and the others felt the overwhelming aura of misfortune emanating from it. Their faces changed instantly.
"What the heck is that thing?!"
Asta shouted.
Yuuki stared at the viscous substance pouring endlessly from the hole above.
"Most likely the devil's magic."
The words had barely left his mouth when—
Patry and Yuno attacked simultaneously.
Light Magic — Sword of Conviction!
Wind Magic — Tornado Fang!
Two powerful spells slammed into the writhing gel—
—and vanished.
No explosion.
No resistance.
No reaction at all.
Swallowed whole.
"This gel devours magic and mana! Fall back!"
Yuuki flicked his hand. A vine shot out instantly, wrapping around Asta's waist as he yanked him backward.
The others retreated as well.
Word Soul Magic — Electromagnetic Gel
Though it looked like a gelatinous spell—
—it was actually a flesh-like entity summoned from another dimension.
It devoured life force.
It devoured magic.
It regenerated endlessly.
A catastrophe for any mage.
Except one.
Asta.
Yuuki dragged Asta back. Patry carried the unconscious Rhya. Nozel grabbed Mimosa. Yuno withdrew with them.
They regrouped at a relatively safe distance.
"Plant Creation Magic — Flower Guidepost!"
Mimosa spread her hands. A massive flower bloomed from the ground, projecting a full map of the Shadow Palace.
"That ominous magic is spreading upward! If this continues, everyone in the other chambers will be in danger!"
"The Devil's at the top," Yuuki said calmly, giving the map a brief glance while casually rolling his wrist around the Demon-Dweller Sword.
"He's the source. End him—and this ends."
He ignored Nozel entirely and looked at Asta and Yuno.
"I'll go ahead."
With a single step—
Yuuki rose into the air.
Before anyone could react—
He vanished.
"Yuuki—? He disappeared?! That's the Purple Orcas Captain's magic! When did he replicate that?!"
Asta stared blankly.
Then he grinned.
"Yuno! Let's go!"
Unlike the others, Asta could sense Yuuki's ki.
Yuno, however, felt nothing.
Completely erased.
…So that's how it feels.
Nozel's expression darkened slightly.
"Humph."
He clearly recognized the spell.
Permeation Magic.
Asta and Yuno hesitated under his presence.
They were Magic Knights. In the absence of their own captains, they were obligated to obey.
Nozel remained silent for a moment.
Then—
"I'll rescue those below. Mimosa, with me."
He looked at Asta, Yuno, and Patry.
"You understand the situation and the enemy. Anti-Magic. Spirit Magic. Light Magic."
"You three will take the front line."
Asta and Yuno saluted instinctively.
Patry nodded, his heterochromatic eyes steady.
The true enemy was the devil.
The Top Chamber
Yuuki arrived at the uppermost level.
The floor was completely submerged in writhing black-blue gel.
But his attention wasn't on that.
Two figures floated in midair.
One—
The Word Soul Devil.
The other—
Bathed in golden light.
Yuuki recognized him instantly.
"Licht… the Elf Leader."
The mana radiating from him was monstrous.
Even Yuuki felt the pressure.
If Yuuki's mana pool could be described as—
—greater than the combined mana of all nine Magic Knight Captains, multiplied—
Then Licht's mana was nearly equivalent.
More than that—
It felt fused with natural mana itself.
Like someone born already wielding Mana Zone.
"Incomplete awakening. No demon-destroyer swords. And still holding his ground…" ( T/N: Oh so that means Asta hasn't gotten the sword yet.)
Yuuki's eyes gleamed.
Then—
He sensed two faint ki beneath the gelatinous floor.
Yami.
And elf-possessed Charlotte.
Dark Magic. Another Arcane attribute.
Yami must be shielding them.
"Oh?"
The devil's crimson eyes turned toward Yuuki's location.
Yuuki froze mid–Passing Through state.
"Appear."
An invisible force descended.
Yuuki braced himself—
—but nothing happened.
He was still intangible.
The devil tilted his head slightly.
Yuuki exhaled internally.
He senses distortion in space… but not my exact position.
Otherwise, he would've used a direct conceptual attack—not a command.
"Interesting. Blade Storm."
Instantly—
Countless weapons materialized, blanketing the entire area.
"Damn it."
Yuuki clicked his tongue and began deflecting, forced out of Passing Through.
Metal rang violently.
The devil watched him.
"So. A toy that survived being broken."
"I don't like being called that."
Yuuki's mana flared.
"Salamander."
The fire spirit roared, dissolving into crimson flame that engulfed Yuuki.
Heat exploded outward.
"Demon-Dweller — Spirit of Fire: Consecutive Strike!"
A blazing slash erupted—
Transforming mid-flight into a roaring fire dragon.
The devil merely spoke two words.
"Return."
The dragon reversed.
Yuuki leapt skyward, narrowly avoiding his own attack.
As expected,
Long-range magic was meaningless.
Only close combat would work.
Flames gathered beneath his feet, forming a massive dragon mount.
"Strong."
Yuuki's eyes burned.
"But strength is what makes climbing worthwhile."
Then—
BOOM!
The chamber wall exploded.
Asta.
Yuno.
Patry.
They burst into the room.
"Don't forget us, Yuuki!"
"And you ugly black freak!"
The devil's eyes narrowed.
"You escaped Dark Elf corruption."
"How tedious."
The gel surged upward in a tidal wave—
Then—
A massive beam of light cleaved through it.
Two new figures descended.
"Five hundred years… at last, devil!!"
The voice thundered.
Everyone froze.
Yuuki's fire dragon descended beside Asta.
"Yuuki… Yuno… that's—"
Asta's jaw dropped.
"The First Wizard King. Lumiere."
Yuuki answered calmly.
Elf Leader Licht.
First Wizard King Lumiere.
A reunion across five centuries.
Magic in this world was truly absurd.
Yuno stared in awe.
"…This is insane."
"Not true resurrection," Yuuki murmured. "A preservation spell. His body was a statue."
Then Asta blinked.
"Wait… that girl's ki… I've felt it before…"
Yuuki sighed.
"That's your anti-magic bird."
"…WHAT?!"
"Only you wouldn't notice something that obvious."
Yuuki sealed Asta's mouth with a burst of flame.
"HOT! Yuuki! How do you know all this?!"
"Because I'm smarter than you."
"Can you two not do this right now?" Yuno said flatly.
Lumiere and Nero approached Licht.
"Prince," Nero said softly. "Licht's soul is bound by forbidden magic. He's here—but not fully awake."
"Can you free him?"
"…Yes."
She placed her hands upon Licht.
Sealing Magic.
Yuuki watched closely.
He had once desired this magic more than any other.
The power to seal and unseal anything.
But now—
With Key Magic—
It was redundant.
Key Magic could do everything Sealing Magic could—
—and more.
The true battle was about to begin.
T/N: Is video editing supposed to take up so much time? After nearly 5 hours of work the final result is completely subpar. Anyway I've uploaded a new video for anyone who's interested in checking it out.
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