Luck finally stopped after having his fill of toying around, while Asta, having nullified all the activated traps with his sword, was completely drained.
But Luck hadn't forgotten the true purpose of their mission. In fact, ever since entering the dungeon, he'd unleashed his full mana sensing ability. And now, he'd hit his limit.
Even so, the information he gathered had clearly paid off—his expression sharpened dangerously.
"They're here after all… others besides us. And among them, one is especially strong...!"
"Lightning Creation Magic: Thunder God's Boots!"
Electricity surged around Luck's legs, condensing below his calves into a pair of lightning-forged boots.
That was Luck's magic—using lightning to enhance his body, greatly boosting all his physical attributes.
"I've got something important to do. You guys handle the dungeon from here!"
Before the three of them could say anything, Luck vanished in a bolt of lightning, darting down a corridor and disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"What the hell is going on!?" Noelle shouted in frustration.
Charles's grimoire flipped open. "There's someone else in the dungeon. And whoever it is—they're not hiding their mana at all."
He was a step behind Luck, but now Charles too sensed it—a beacon of magical energy pulsing through the dungeon like a flare.
Flames burst into wings behind Charles as he continued, "It's someone from the Diamond Kingdom. I'll go back up Luck. Asta, you and Noelle continue with the dungeon."
"I'm coming too!" Asta said immediately.
Charles shook his head. "No. They wouldn't recklessly reveal themselves unless they had a plan. That means there are more Diamond mages inside. And their goal is definitely the dungeon's relics."
His gaze firm, Charles added, "You two have to get to them before the enemy does, or this mission is a bust. You're the only one who can charge straight through the dungeon, Asta. Leave the fight to me."
With that, Charles beat his flame wings and soared off, following the direction Luck had taken.
Thanks to Asta's anti-magic sword, he could ignore traps and just bulldoze through. It was probably the most efficient approach.
Charles passed through several corridors, the sounds of thunder and explosions growing louder. Luck had already engaged someone. If his memory was correct, the opponent would be a tough one.
He picked up speed and burst into the chamber—only to find two figures facing off.
A middle-aged man in the colors of the Diamond Kingdom turned toward the new arrival.
"Oh? That mana... Clover's youth these days really are terrifying."
Charles didn't underestimate him. Anyone who remembered the yellow-suited freak who soloed the entire protagonist squad knew better than to judge a book by its cover—and this man was no less dangerous.
"So, the infamous Lotus of the Abyss. Didn't expect you to show up, sir."
"Ahh, so the kids know me these days, huh? A dangerous one, aren't you?" Lotus responded, his lazy tone unchanged, though a flicker of annoyance passed behind his eyes.
His magic wasn't flashy. He relied on tactics, not brute force. And the last kind of enemy he wanted was someone calm, cautious—and well-informed.
Charles hadn't announced Lotus's name to show off; it was for Luck's sake. He needed his teammate to understand that this was no small fry.
But the plan backfired.
"Really? So this old guy's strong? Great! Let's fight to the death!" Luck shouted with glee—and launched a flying kick at Lotus.
Boom!
The wall behind Lotus exploded into rubble, but the man himself remained untouched.
Luck turned back to the cloud of smoke. He'd flown right through it—but hadn't landed a hit.
The smoke parted, revealing Lotus, lazily adjusting his collar. A long scar ran across his chest.
"From your cloaks, you're with Yami Sukehiro. I got thoroughly worked over by him when I was young. Out of everyone near my age, only he ever beat me."
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
A surge of flame erupted from Charles's fist, blasting through the smoke and pulverizing a boulder off to the side.
"In other words," Charles muttered, "you're too strong. That means you've never lost to anyone else, right?"
The smoke began swirling, wrapping Lotus like a coat. Unsurprisingly, Charles's attack had missed.
"Troublesome magic..." Charles frowned. Lotus's Smoke Weakening Magic wasn't powerful in itself—but developed to its limit, it was versatile and nasty.
"Stay out of it, Charles! This one's mine!" Luck called, clearly annoyed, and lightning surged even more wildly across his body as he charged.
But then... his pace suddenly slowed. He wobbled.
"Too slow!"
Whoosh.
Thick smoke enveloped Luck. His eyes lost focus, and he collapsed.
"Welcome," Lotus intoned, "to the very depths of the abyss."
In Buddhist texts, the Abyss—Naraka—is a place of unending torment, a prison from which there is no escape. And Lotus's suffocating smoke magic had earned him the same grim name.
He stroked his beard. "This space is already mine. The smoke's too faint for the naked eye, but it's there..."
"Smoke Weakening Magic: Conquering Garden."
"I kept my mana suppressed to avoid notice. While my comrades fought, I laid my trap. But you..." Lotus looked at Charles, standing calmly over Luck's fallen form. "You don't seem affected. So my subordinates were beaten for nothing?"
Charles shrugged. "If your magic's smoke, it's natural to guard against the invisible as well as the visible."
The fire around Charles had never gone out. Lotus's mana had never been able to enter his body.
"Scary kids these days…" Lotus muttered, scratching his head. "So targeted—Uncle Lotus might just cry."
But his tone changed. Smoke thickened. He was no longer playing around.
Charles tensed—until thunder crackled behind him.
From the moment he was born, Luck had always smiled—never sad, never angry.
But now, his smile had twisted. This was that side of him—the crazed version that made others fear his name.
"Heh... it's been a while... since things got interesting."
Charles turned to look—only to find Luck was already gone.
A bolt of lightning flashed past Lotus.
The Diamond mage wiped a line of blood from his cheek, eyes narrowing at the now-visible Luck.
No longer human—more beast than boy.
Lightning gauntlets now covered Luck's arms. His hands had become claws, his feet—razor-pointed talons.
"Tough one, aren't you?" Lotus said quietly. "Uncle really doesn't want to cut down such a promising sapling..."
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