[Third Person's PoV]
"We've done what we came to do. Let's get out of here, Rades, before any more Magic Knights show up," Valtos said, extending his hand as a dark, swirling portal opened beneath Rades.
"OH, NO, YOU DON'T!" Asta's voice roared across the battlefield. Without hesitation, he hurled his heavy sword toward the portal. The blade crashed down onto the dark circle, breaking Valtos's spell with the power of his anti-magic, sending a shockwave through the ground. Valtos and Rades, frozen in disbelief, stared at the young Knight, realizing they were trapped.
Rades blinked, taking a wary step back, but it was already too late—Asta was upon him. With a fierce swing, Asta's sword sliced through Rades' chest, leaving a jagged gash from which blood seeped freely. Rades stumbled back, clutching his chest in agony.
"YAAAAAGH! OWWWW!" he screamed, his voice tinged with pain and anger. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU TRASH?!"
"This is not good," Valtos muttered under his breath, eyes darting frantically as he prepared another spell. But Asta was relentless; his thrown sword now back in his grip, he drove it down, stabbing at the magical energy forming beneath Rade' feet once again.
Asta's voice roared above the chaos, raw and filled with righteous fury. "AFTER ALL THE INNOCENT PEOPLE YOU'VE HURT, YOU THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE THIS? YOU TAKE PLEASURE IN CAUSING PAIN, BUT NOW YOU'LL FEEL IT YOURSELF!" With a swift, brutal motion, Asta grabbed Rades by the collar, dragging him up and slamming his forehead into Rades' nose. The impact was brutal, the sickening crunch of bone shattering echoed as blood sprayed, teeth breaking in the collision.
"Stop it!" Rades sputtered, spitting blood to the side, rage burning in his eyes. "Getting hurt just means you're weak! Those with weak magic should just lie down and let those with power do what they want!" His eyes blazed with twisted fervor. "Especially trash like you with no magic!"
Asta's grip tightened, readying for another strike, but Rades shouted frantically over his shoulder, "VALTOS! DO SOMETHING ALREADY!"
"I would if I could…" Valtos muttered, growing increasingly alarmed. "Anti-magic… is more of a nuisance than I thought." He attempted to summon a portal behind Asta for a surprise attack.
Valtos glared, sweat beading on his brow as he conjured a portal behind Asta, seeking any advantage. But before he could act, a figure appeared silently behind him. Wanda's crimson-cloaked hands hovered at his temples, her eyes glowing a fierce scarlet.
"Stephen said I can make people confront their deepest fears," she whispered, her voice soft yet deadly. "Let's see what haunts you."
Valtos' expression shifted from defiance to terror as her magic took hold. His eyes, wide and reddening with unseen horrors, filled with tears. A shudder wracked his frame as he crumpled to his knees, sobs escaping from his throat.
"Wow," Wanda remarked, a hint of pride tugging at her lips. "I must be better at this than I thought."
"VALTOS, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Rades yelled, panic creeping into his voice as he looked back at his partner in horror.
Meanwhile, Leopold knelt beside Stephen, his lip trembling as he watched his older brother, Fuegoleon, lying unconscious. Stephen was surrounded by a soft green aura as he used his healing magic, his brows knit in concentration. "How is he… How is my brother?" Leopold choked, desperation in his voice.
Stephen's eyes softened, though his hands remained steady. "I'm doing all I can. His injuries go beyond the physical, but I'm helping his body recover, regrowing his arm… It's going to take a while. Recreating what was lost takes time and mana."
Leopold's gaze shifted to where the green glow knitted new flesh, transforming a stump into the bare beginnings of an arm. "Thank you… thank you for saving him."
But before Stephen could respond, a sudden gust of wind surrounded them, forming a cyclone-like barrier. Emerging from the swirling winds were several mages in white robes, their faces obscured by hoods.
"Master's orders were clear," one mage said with a sneer. "But against these weaklings? What a disappointment." He laughed, a sound like glass shards grating against each other.
"AHAHAHA! The tables have turned now!" Rades shouted with glee
Asta stepped forward, his grip firm on both swords, positioning himself in the center of the group. "DON'T THINK THAT SURROUNDING US MEANS YOU'VE WON! I'LL SHOW YOU ALL I HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE WIZARD KING! BRING IT ON!!"
The robed mages raised their hands in unison, orbs of condensed magic flaring into existence and swelling with destructive power. They unleashed a volley of spells toward Asta, but he met them head-on, spinning and slashing with precision, each strike cutting down their magic with the power of his anti-magic blade.
One mage, however, was eyeing someone else—Wanda. With a sneer, he cast a spell.
[Wind Creation Magic: Tornado Needles]
Sharp, spiraling winds shot forth, each needle-like gust whizzing past Asta and straight for Wanda. Sensing the danger, Wanda's eyes glowed scarlet as she instinctively cast a probability hex around herself, causing the attacks to veer off course. But one needle slipped through, grazing her shoulder. She winced, clutching the wound as blood began to seep through her fingers, momentarily breaking her spell over Valtos.
Freed from his nightmarish torment, Valtos shook his head, took in the scene, and quickly conjured two portals beneath himself and Rades, whisking them beside their fellow mages. The intruders rallied, preparing to strike again.
Seeing their numbers grow, Leopold stepped forward, his eyes fierce. "I'll protect them. You just focus on healing my brother," he told Stephen.
Without waiting for a response, Leopold unleashed a wave of fire in the form of fire balls, his voice ringing with determination. "DON'T THINK ABOUT COMING ANY CLOSER!"
[Flame Magic: EXPLODING FLAMES]
The searing orbs detonated among the mages, forcing them back.
"I'm not weak enough to need protection," Stephen scoffed. He held out his hand sign towards Fuegoleon's wounds and concentrated as he activated another spell simultaneously. He had to be extra careful to not make the two spells clash with one another. "If they want to play with numbers, let's teach them some True Multiplication," Stephen grinned.
[Arcane Magic: Image of Ikonn]
From behind Stephen, a legion of identical images rose, filling the skies and streets with countless versions of himself. Each clone stood poised, hands raised, forming blazing Tao Mandalas. Their voices echoed in unison, a thunderous chorus. "You have no idea with whom you are messing with. Let me enlighten you: I Am Doctor Stephen Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts, Future Sorcerer Supreme. And you people aren't welcome in this Kingdom that I have chosen to protect" Stephen's voice echoed 10,000 times as they all spoke simultaneously.
*******************************************
+31 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3