"If that's the case, then I'm counting on you, Noelle!" Charles shouted clearly.
"Eh?!" Noelle pointed to herself in disbelief. "But I can't even control my magic...!"
"Believe in yourself!" Charles called out as he incinerated over a dozen ice shards with blazing fire.
"Magic is a miracle born from the heart. As long as you desire it, you can make it happen. Look around you—this isn't the time for doubt, is it? Aren't you royalty? Then show me the pride of the royal family!"
Noelle turned her head and saw a trembling little girl clinging to her sleeve, eyes full of fear.
"Big sis, please save me!"
All of Noelle's lingering fear vanished. At this moment, all that mattered was the child in front of her, begging for help. Just like Charles had said, there was no room for hesitation anymore.
"Shut up! I'm a royal, you know. I don't need a lecture from you!"
Her grimoire flipped open, glowing text writing itself across the pages.
"This is... my new spell!" Noelle's expression firmed with resolve as she activated her magic.
"Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Cradle!"
A swirling column of water rose from the ground, forming a dome-shaped barrier around the villagers.
Ice spikes rained down like arrows—but they only caused ripples on the water dome's surface. The villagers inside were safe now.
Charles looked up at the barrier of water and smiled. "See? You can do it when it counts. Now I don't need to hold back teaching that bastard a lesson."
"And I'm with you!" Asta stepped forward, expression hard as steel. "That guy... he's the one person I'll never forgive!"
Charles looked into Asta's eyes and nodded. "Of course. You're the one who can show him just how wrong he really is."
Magna clenched his fists. "You guys really are true men. But don't forget, you've still got your senior here! I can't let you brats take all the glory, not if I want to call myself Captain Yami's disciple with pride. And besides, I've got my own score to settle with this creep!"
The three exchanged glances—then stepped out from behind Noelle's magic barrier together.
Xyss glanced at his pocket watch with a frown. "That magic... how troublesome. Do you bastards enjoy wasting my time so much?"
Noelle's new spell had completely disrupted his plans. Using the villagers as hostages was no longer an option.
"Damn you Black Bulls... did you really think you'd beat me this easily? Naive fools!" Xyss snapped, flipping his grimoire open again.
He waved his hand, and sharp ice spikes erupted from behind him—rapidly growing in size as they surged toward the trio.
"Piece of cake!" Asta slashed through the massive icicles with a single swing, using speed that could rival acceleration magic as he closed the distance with Xyss.
Xyss held out both arms, quickly forming two ice lances from the mist and thrusting them toward Asta.
"Exploding Flame Magic: Blazing Bomb Sphere!"
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
The ice lances were growing too fast—Asta wouldn't have time to block.
But Charles and Magna's cover fire arrived just in time. Their dual blasts of flame shattered the ice lances to pieces, clearing the way between Asta and Xyss.
"Thanks, guys!" Asta shouted as he brought down his anti-magic sword toward Xyss.
"Not a chance!" Xyss growled. Spikes of ice erupted in front of him, creating a shield.
Asta just barely managed to raise his sword horizontally to block the oncoming spears—but the force slammed into him, sending him flying backward and undoing all the ground he had gained.
"Damn it," Magna cursed. "That guy's casting speed is insane!"
Charles nodded. Xyss's spell formation was abnormally fast for large-scale ice creation magic.
If it wasn't that Xyss himself was as strong as a Magic Knight captain... then there had to be another reason.
Charles looked past him—at the three robed lackeys behind. "It's those guys. This compound magic isn't just for show."
"In that case...!" Magna conjured a massive fireball.
"Infernal Scatter Bomb Sphere!"
He lobbed it into the air, where it split into dozens of smaller fireballs aimed at the three cultists.
An ice wall rose to intercept, shielding the lackeys. The fireballs shattered the wall, but dissipated in the process.
"No easy task, huh," Magna muttered, not too disappointed. This outcome had been within expectations.
If those cultists were accelerating Xyss's casting, there was no way he'd leave them vulnerable.
Charles flexed his hands. "Then let's break through the front!"
"Hell yeah, now you're talking, Charles!" Magna cheered. "Let's do this, Asta—you keeping up?"
"Yes, sir!" Asta replied, gripping his sword tightly.
"Let's go!" ×3
All three of them charged together, naturally falling into formation as they ran.
"You idiots never learn. Do you really think you can break my magic?" Xyss snarled.
Charles could no longer remember how strong this early-game boss had been in the original story—but the power he was showing now was surprisingly formidable.
From Xyss's feet, ice rapidly spread outwards. The air itself grew colder. Even Noelle's water barrier in the distance began to frost over.
The area around the trio became a frozen forest of jagged spikes.
"Fire Dragon's Glorious Flame!"
Charles halted his charge and unleashed a burst of fire. The intense heat melted the surrounding ice, clearing the path. His fireball then struck the thick ice wall ahead, blasting it apart—but failing to reach Xyss behind it.
But that wasn't his goal—he had cleared the way.
Asta and Magna had never stopped running. They didn't hesitate for a moment because they trusted Charles completely. That trust was what allowed them to charge forward unflinchingly.
"Get away from me, you filthy worms!" Xyss screamed, conjuring another barrage of spiked pillars.
"You're the filthy one!" Asta roared, cutting through them all with his sword. He closed the distance—he was right in front of Xyss now.
Xyss's face twisted in rage as he squeezed out every ounce of mana left.
"No! I will not lose to trash like you!"
He launched razor-sharp spikes, their speed rivaling bullets, right at Asta.
But Magna wouldn't stand by and watch.
"Ultimate Infernal Blazing Bomb Sphere!"
He didn't even throw it—he slammed the fireball down directly onto the incoming spikes, blasting them into fragments.
Xyss tried to form more magic—but his mist had suddenly cleared. He turned just in time to see Charles knocking his cultist lackeys unconscious with one clean sweep.
At that moment, Asta raised his massive sword high above him.
"You say the villagers were wild animals just because their magic is weak. But I have no magic at all! And even so—I will become—"
The blade came crashing down on Xyss's shoulder.
Anti-magic energy tore through him, cutting off his mana completely. The pain was too much—his eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious.
"—the Wizard King!" Asta finished, hoisting his sword with conviction.
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