[Third Person's PoV]
As Stephen finished talking, he soared through the air, fist pulled back, aiming straight for Mars. However, he quickly noticed that Mars had also drawn back his own fist, prepared for impact.
Just as their fists were about to collide in an explosion of force, Stephen shifted his tactics. In a split second, he dodged to the side, slipping past Mars' outstretched hand. With a swift motion, Stephen clasped Mars' arm with both hands and rocketed upward, dragging the enormous figure with him.
"Asta, get ready!" Stephen yelled as he spun wildly through the air, using the momentum to hurl the colossal Mars towards Asta with the force of a small tornado.
"Yuno! Boost me!" Asta shouted, his voice filled with urgency. Almost immediately, a powerful whirlwind swirled beneath him, created by Yuno's magic. The gust of wind howled as it flung Asta upward, shooting him toward the rapidly descending Mars.
Yuno clicked his tongue in mild annoyance,
Asta's body cut through the air like an arrow, the speed causing his cheeks to flap as he tightened his grip around his massive sword. His muscles tensed with determination. As he closed in on Mars, time seemed to slow for a brief moment. With a ferocious twist of his body, Asta swung his buster sword in a wide arc, the blade carving through the air like lightning.
The impact was immense. The sword slammed into Mars' torso, shattering much of his towering crystal armor. A cascade of fragmented minerals rained down as Mars was sent flying backward, his body twisting violently from the force. Blood sprayed from his mouth, painting the sky, and a massive gash appeared across his torso.
Mars crashed into the dungeon wall with earth-shattering force, creating a gigantic crater. Cracks snaked out from the impact zone, and chunks of rubble exploded in all directions as the walls of the ancient structure began to crumble under the pressure.
The ground trembled, and dust clouded the air. Stephen hovered nearby, calmly rotating the entire battlefield, shifting it with ease to keep everyone in position. Mars lay on the ground, blood dripping from his wounds as Yuno's wind gently slowed Asta's descent.
Stephen floated effortlessly beside the group, his expression relaxed, though his sharp eyes stayed on Mars, who was now on his knees, blood oozing from his mouth.
Another pained breath escaped Mars as he glared at the group before him, his voice a wet, gurgling rasp. "Another… monster…"
"I'm not a monster," Asta responded, his tone dead serious. He planted his sword in the ground and stared straight at Mars. "I'm just a human… without magic."
The minerals encasing Mars' body continued to fall away, like a shedding snake, the broken armor crashing to the ground in pieces. Mars' chest heaved, struggling for breath, but even as his armor failed him, the hatred in his eyes burned brightly.
"But even so!" Asta's voice rang out, unwavering. "I'm going to become the Wizard King!"
Klaus stood off to the side, his eyes wide in disbelief as he looked at Asta. 'No magic… and yet he possesses this strength? It's unbelievable…'
Mars let out a low growl, lifting his arms once again as crystals began to grow from his forearms. "I was created to destroy people like you," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "I only break things... I break everything."
Stephen watched with an amused yet perplexed expression, unsure of what to make of the strange interaction between Asta and Mars. He folded his arms and simply observed.
"You break everything, huh?" Asta countered, his voice rising with passion. "Well, the Wizard King protects everything! So, there's no way you're winning this fight!"
A distant memory flashed in Mars' mind, the faint image of a little girl. His teeth ground together in anger. "You're in my way!" he roared. "Get lost, you piece of gravel!" With a renewed surge of strength, Mars rose to his feet and charged at Asta, his crystal-covered arms raised for a devastating blow.
Before Mars could reach him, Yuno moved in a blur, crafting a massive hand from wind without even needing his grimoire. The magical construct slammed into Mars' exposed face with enough force to send him hurtling backward. His body flew through the air, his nose broken and twisted, blood streaming as he crumpled unconscious against the far wall. His remaining armor disintegrated into dust.
"YOU STOLE MY WIN!" Asta yelled indignantly, pointing a finger at Yuno. "I even had a cool line to finish it with!"
Yuno shot him an unamused glance, his face as expressionless as ever. "You were taking too long, so I sped things up."
"Yeah, Asta, I have to agree with Yuno on this one. What was that?" Stephen chuckled, floating beside them with a grin.
Asta fell to the ground in dramatic despair, on fours. "My victory monologue!" he cried. "I was going to say I'd be the gravel that shattered diamonds! It was supposed to be so cool!"
Stephen burst into laughter, shaking his head. "Seriously? Why would you agree with him and call yourself gravel?"
Seeing Stephen and Yuno mock Asta's theatrical antics brought a lightness to the group. Mimosa, standing nearby, smiled softly as she muttered under her breath, "They really are like brothers…"
...
Later, after securing Mars in thick metal restraints crafted by Klaus, Stephen and the others exited the mirror dimension, with an unconscious Mars beside them.
"Can I at least have this one?" Asta asked, his eyes wide with hopeful expectation.
Stephen sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine. Go ahead."
"Yes!" Asta leaped into the center of the dungeon entrance, sword raised high. He thrust it towards the sky, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Who's going to the Treasure Hall?! WE ARE! THE MAGIC KNIGHTS OF THE CLOVER KINGDOM!"
Luck clapped enthusiastically, while Klaus and Mimosa gave Asta supportive claps as well, since they felt bad for him due to his previous outburst.
"So, how do we get inside?" Noelle asked, arms crossed as she assessed the massive doors leading to the treasure.
Stephen smirked at Asta. "Looks like there's another use for you aside from shouting our victory."
"Now you're just being mean!" Asta pouted.
"The door is mostly made of magic. You'll need to cut through it," Stephen explained, ignoring Asta's complaints.
With a mighty swing, Asta slashed a large X across the center of the door, creating an opening big enough for them to enter. As they stepped inside, their breath was taken away by what lay before them—mountains of gold coins, enchanted artifacts, and treasures beyond imagination.
"OOOOOHHH!! IT'S A MOUNTAIN OF TREASURE!" Asta screamed, his eyes practically bulging out of his head.
Everyone rushed forward, eager to explore the trove of wealth before them, but Klaus tried to rein them in. "Stop! Don't touch anything! These could be national treasure-class magic items!"
Meanwhile, Nero pecked at Asta, dragging him by the hair to follow her, and Yuno was drawn to a strange parchment on display. Stephen, however, felt a strange pull from his cloak.
"What is it, buddy?" Stephen asked, confused as the Cloak of Levitation yanked him, curiosity piqued, he allowed the cloak to carry him to the far back end of the dungeon away from everyone.
When they reached a brick wall at the back of the room, Stephen raised an eyebrow. "Is there a secret door behind here or something?" he joked as he began pressing the bricks. To his surprise, one of them clicked, and the wall began to move.
"Well, I'll be…" Stephen muttered, stepping cautiously into the newly revealed chamber. What lay before him stopped him dead in his tracks.
A massive ruby crystal sat on a pedestal, glowing faintly. But that wasn't what left him speechless. Inside the crystal, suspended in a deep magical slumber, was a woman. She appeared to be around Stephen's age, her arms crossed above her head alongside her legs which were also crossed, a crown-like object resting on her head, which covered the side of her face. Her serene expression and delicate features gave her an almost ethereal beauty.
Stephen's breath caught in his throat. 'The Scarlet Witch…' he inwardly exclaimed, his hand trembling as he pressed it against the cool surface of the crystal.
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