"We've never heard of Magic Knights coming here before!"
"It must be an unscheduled mission!"
"And how did you break through our fog barrier?"
The three minor antagonists chattered, proving the adage "villains die from talking too much." They revealed much without Drake's prompting.
They had undisclosed connections with high-ranking Magic Knights, allowing them to know mission details.
The man with the pocket watch said coldly, "The Black Bulls, the uncouth heretics of the Magic Knights. Fighting you is a waste of time.
Five minutes! Kill these useless villagers and find what we need!"
"Don't ignore me!" Asta, fed up, charged forward.
"Fog Magic: Illusory Fog Vortex!"
A minor antagonist released a dense fog towards Asta.
"You think you can approach Heath easily? Foolish mortal! Get lost in the fog!"
They even revealed their leader's name! Were they so confident? The magic was impressive—natural fog magic with mental effects. An unprepared mage might lose their fighting ability.
Unfortunately, their opponent was Asta; this outward magic was ineffective.
"Who would get lost?"
Asta's blade dispelled the fog, and he charged through. This revealed Asta's abilities, eliminating the element of surprise.
Asta didn't attack but asked Heath, "Why kill the villagers?"
Heath exhaled, standing to face Asta. "This country is divided into regions: the Royal Capital for the King and nobles, the Commoner's District, and the Outer Region.
Sosshi Village is in the Outer Region. Most residents have only basic magic for daily life; they're like useless beasts!
I'm eliminating potential obstacles. You have the magic power to join the Magic Knights. You're here because of a mission; don't you also see them as insignificant?"
As Asta prepared to retort, a crimson figure flew past.
"Fast!"
Heath's icy expression finally changed.
A flaming fist slammed into Heath's face, sending him flying. Drake remained in his striking pose.
Drake, his expression serious, said, "I'm tired of your clichés. Shut up before I smell your putrid stench!"
Heath's words triggered more memories of the Eye of the Midnight Sun.
While Patri created the Eye of the Midnight Sun to revive the elves, only Patri and the three members were elf reincarnates. The others were ordinary human mages, many fervent fanatics.
Their belief wasn't in a god but in the supremacy of magic power. They believed magic power was the only measure of a person's worth, considering the magic-weak as scum. They joined because Patri promised a world ruled by magic power. Heath was their representative.
They were also joined by those who resented the Clover Kingdom. A rebellion was born.
Patri later sacrificed them for his reincarnation ritual.
Then, Patri was betrayed by Zagred.
Drake had no patience for these fanatics.
Heath, supported by a crumbling wall, pushed away his subordinates, furious. "Why? Why would someone with your power side with those beasts?"
Drake said coldly, "I said your stench is unbearable! If you think the strong can kill the weak…"
Flames erupted from Drake, forming a roaring dragon behind him.
"My magic surpasses yours; you should simply fall."
Heath wiped his blood, his face contorted. "You chose the wrong path! You'll disrupt our plan; you must die here. You can't win here!"
Heath and his subordinates unleashed their magic.
The three minor antagonists released dense fog, engulfing the square. Ice spikes formed within.
"Ice Fog Composite Magic: Infinite Ice Shard Barrier!"
The ice spikes fell; new ones formed constantly.
"Damn it!"
Asta swung his sword, deflecting the initial spikes toward Heath.
"Ice Dispel!"
The spikes turned to fog before reaching Heath. He was skilled in magic control.
"That sword dispels and deflects magic! But you only have one sword; you can't protect everyone!"
"No!" Asta realized the villagers were also under the spell.
Heath exploited their weakness: protecting civilians was a Magic Knight's priority.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Beat!"
"Exploding Scatter Shot Magic Ball!"
Drake and Magna attacked, shattering the ice spikes above the villagers.
Asta deflected the spikes.
Drake frowned. In the original timeline, without him, and with a weakened Magna, how had they protected the villagers before Noelle mastered defensive magic?
Drake looked at Heath; had he increased the magic's power and scale? He wasn't aiming to kill them but to drain their magic power.
Attacking Heath directly was impossible; even a moment's distraction would cause villager casualties.
"Noelle, it's up to you!" Drake said.
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