"Well done!"
One had to wonder if there was some fundamental connection between a person's abilities and their personality—Fuegoleon Vermillion, for example, was a man of pure fire, always blazing with unshakable passion.
He approached Charles and Asta, clapping both on the shoulders. "You two did excellently. Looks like Yami's still got a knack for talent—and some serious luck, too."
Fuegoleon was on good terms with Yami, so he was genuinely pleased to see the Black Bulls gaining such capable new members. The "luck" referred to Charles choosing the Black Bulls, while the "eye" praised Yami for recognizing Asta's potential.
He turned to Asta. "Sorry for underestimating you before, just because you lacked mana! You said you want to become the Wizard King, didn't you? Then I guess that makes me your rival!"
And with that, the second Magic Knight captain formally acknowledged Asta—and his dream. The recognition made Asta visibly more fired up.
"But…" Fuegoleon's tone shifted as he looked off into the distance.
"As a Magic Knight captain, I can't just stand here and leave everything to the rookies. The rest of this is on me."
"Fire Magic: Roar of the Great Flame Lion!"
The flame behind Fuegoleon shaped itself into a massive lion that opened its jaws and spewed a searing blaze toward a pile of collapsed corpses.
In the blink of an eye, the zombies were reduced to ash. Yet one figure leapt from the flames, landing atop a high ledge. He ripped away the burning false skin from his face, revealing his true appearance.
"I figured if I used mana to transform, someone might notice, so I disguised myself like this filthy mess. Still, I should've known a captain would see through it."
The man had hidden among the zombies all along, perfectly camouflaged until Fuegoleon's attack forced him out.
His true face was unnerving—two long scars ran symmetrically down his cheeks from forehead to chin, and his narrow eyes gave him a sinister look even without makeup.
This was Rades' superior, the White Night Eye's spatial mage Valtos, whose command of space magic far exceeded that of Finral at this point in time.
Fuegoleon addressed him coldly. "You're the one who used spatial magic to scatter the Magic Knights across the capital, aren't you?"
Valtos clapped mockingly. "Aren't you sharp, Captain."
Fuegoleon continued, "If your aim was an invasion, your operation was incoherent. But if not, then how was it so organized? Just what is your goal?"
"Our goal?" Valtos grinned eerily. "That'd be you, Fuegoleon."
As soon as he said it, a black void opened beneath Fuegoleon's feet and swallowed him whole.
"So that's where your master's hiding, huh? Perfect." Fuegoleon showed no hesitation—he didn't even try to evade.
Just before the rift sealed, Charles, who had been watching everything closely, leapt in after him.
Fuegoleon noticed. "You're reckless, boy. This next battle could be incredibly dangerous."
Charles grinned. "Coming here, knowing it was a trap—that makes you reckless too, doesn't it? I'm confident I'll be useful."
There was no time to send Charles back, so Fuegoleon relented, but warned, "Enthusiasm is good, but follow orders. It would be a shame to lose someone with your promise."
"I understand," Charles replied. He looked around. "This seems to be a special magical space—isolated from the outside world. I wonder what other effects it has…"
A voice echoed. "There was only supposed to be one guest—Fuegoleon. Oh well. I guess you won't be too much trouble to clean up."
They instinctively turned toward the voice and saw a man appear without warning.
He was strikingly handsome, with dark markings around his eyes that gave him an unsettling, almost beautiful air. Most notably, he wore the cloak of the Golden Dawn.
"You…!" Fuegoleon's brief lapse in focus was just what the enemy had been waiting for.
"Watch out!" Charles cried, kicking a sword of light away from Fuegoleon in the nick of time.
"Oh? You could track my magic? I must've underestimated you," said Patri, the White Night Eye's leader.
Light Magic, one of the rarest attributes, was as deadly as it was fast—its true terror lay in its sheer speed. Had Charles not been prepared, Fuegoleon might have taken a fatal hit.
Fuegoleon wiped the sweat from his brow. "I've been careless. Thank you, boy."
"No problem," Charles replied. "You felt it too, didn't you? His power."
Fuegoleon nodded grimly. "Even just his presence… it's clear he's formidable. And with light magic on top of that—never thought a terrorist would have something so rare."
He addressed Patri directly. "Stranger—if we're to fight, at least give us your name."
Patri answered calmly. "Why not? We are the White Night Eye, here to overthrow the Clover Kingdom. I am our leader—Licht. Remember that name. It will haunt you."
His grimoire began to glow, and the symbol of a four-leaf clover shone on its cover. Fuegoleon's expression turned even more serious.
A four-leaf grimoire… paired with light magic… just like the First Wizard King himself.
"Light Creation Magic: Blades of Conviction!"
Dozens of fishbone-shaped swords of light shot forward.
"Fire Magic: Spiral Flame Pillar!"
"Flame Dragon's Wing Strike!"
The two countered with high-powered attacks. Fire and light clashed in midair, blasting apart and dividing the space in half.
But then came another surge of power from behind the flames.
"Light Creation Magic: Whip of Judgment!"
A glowing whip cracked through the air, splitting their flames cleanly in two. The whip recoiled and wrapped itself around Patri protectively as he advanced.
"Fire Magic: Radiance of the Sun!"
Fuegoleon formed a miniature sun between his hands and fired a searing beam.
Patri sneered. "Impressive heat—but it's no match for the brilliance of light itself."
He lashed out with his whip, shattering Fuegoleon's spell.
"Now's my chance!"
Charles, body wreathed in fire, dashed toward Patri at high speed.
"Flame Dragon's Hooked Claw!"
He struck—but hit only air. Flames burst in all directions, shaking the very magic space they stood in.
Charles retreated back to Fuegoleon's side, gaze fixed upward.
Patri stood above them, unscathed, his robe not even ruffled.
Exhaling sharply, Charles muttered, "Rare indeed… With this kind of speed, pinning him down is no simple task."
"Giving up already?" Fuegoleon quipped.
Charles grinned. "Not a chance. If anything—I'm just getting fired up."
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