[Third Person's PoV]
Fuegoleon approached the chaotic scene, a calm yet imposing presence against the swirling tension. "It seems you kids are having quite a bit of fun," he remarked, casting an approving glance over everyone cornering Rades. "I watched you all fight just now. I hate to admit it, but it seems Yami has better foresight than I do when it comes to picking squad members."
His gaze lingered on Asta, a smirk forming on his face. "Asta, wasn't it? You said you were going to become the Wizard King?"
A loud, mocking laugh echoed as Rades sneered. "Hahaha! Say what?! This runt, the Wizard King?! As if a nobody like him could ever reach that height! Ha!"
Fuegoleon ignored the taunt, keeping his smirk focused on Asta. "Then, in that case, you and I are rivals as well."
Stephen stood nearby, eyebrows raised in amusement as he overheard. 'I get that becoming the Wizard King is a huge honor, but what's with everyone's obsession? Well, I can't say much with me wanting to be the Sorcerer Supreme,' he thought, chuckling quietly to himself.
Meanwhile, Rades' expression shifted, the grin slipping as he fully registered Fuegoleon's presence. 'Wait… that's Fuegoleon Vermillion,' he thought, a shiver running down his spine. Deciding to make a desperate stand, he summoned another corpse with a wave of his hand—a tall, thin figure covered in bandages and dressed in white clerical robes decorated with diamond-shaped ornaments. A bizarre eye-shaped object adorned its face.
The undead figure, known as Carl, floated ominously beside Rades, who surrounded himself with a shimmering sphere of magic. Fuegoleon's gaze turned fiery, his voice unwavering as he declared, "Leave him to me." In an instant, flames erupted from his body, fierce and relentless.
Stephen covered his mouth to stifle a laugh as he noticed Asta's wide, gleeful grin. A faint blush appeared on Asta's cheeks as he muttered, "A Magic Knight captain just called me his rival…"
"RAAAHHH! LET'S DO THIS!" Asta shouted, lunging forward, gripping both swords tightly.
Stephen shook his head with a smirk, raising his hands skyward. With a flash, his weapon, Dragon Fang, materialized and dropped into his hand like a bolt of lightning. He hoisted it over his shoulder, ready for battle.
Rades sneered, looking around at the determined faces surrounding him. "Am I really so feared that you need so many people against me? I must say, I'm loving the attention."
Stephen tilted his head, replying with mock innocence, "Why? Did your mother never give you any?"
The remark hung in the air, thick with tension, as everyone turned slowly to stare at Stephen, even Rades visibly twitching. Stephen merely shrugged, covering his mouth with his hand. "Sorry, that honestly just slipped out. I didn't even mean to say it…"
Fuegoleon returned his focus to Rades, his tone cold and demanding. "What is it that you people want? Your actions are too scattered for an invasion, yet too organized for mere chaos. Who are you?!"
With a twisted smile, Rades responded, "Six years ago, I was the top choice for a Magic Knight Squad. The name's Rades."
Fuegoleon's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You… were once a Magic Knight?"
"Of course, you don't remember," Rades snarled. "I was never important enough for people like you to care about."
Fuegoleon's expression softened briefly. "I do remember… You were in the Purple Orcas, weren't you? With such talent, why would you—?"
"I WAS EXPELLED!" Rades' voice cracked with rage, his face contorted with bitterness. "They said my Wraith Magic was dangerous, forbidden! Since I was a commoner, nobody stood up for me! They exiled me from both the squad and the country! Even though my talents were better—better than anyone's, better than the nobles! Wasn't magic supposed to be everything, huh?! So that's why! I'm here to avenge myself against those Magic Knights and the country!! That's why I'm doing this!!"
Stephen exchanged an amused glance with Wanda, who had appeared beside him. She leaned in, whispering, "Why are we even listening to this? Wouldn't it be better to capture him and then interrogate him?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Stephen replied in a low voice. "It's probably the novelty of it, so we're just letting it play out."
"For a childish reason like that!?" Fuegoleon growled, his patience wearing thin. "Don't toy with me! I'm no fool!"
Fuegoleon's grimoire began to glow, and with a fierce incantation, he unleashed a powerful spell.
[Flame Creation Magic: Leorzena]
A massive lion's head, ablaze with fiery magic, appeared above him, radiating an intense heat that forced everyone to step back.
"A little warning would've been appreciated," Stephen muttered as he adjusted his cloak.
"I apologize I can't really control the intensity of this flame" Fuegoleon said with narrowed eyes as he offered a quick apology to everyone.
The lion's mouth opened, and with a deafening roar, it released a torrent of flames that engulfed Rades, Carl, and the magical barrier protecting them. Fire crackled and roared, consuming everything in its path. However, Rades only laughed louder.
"Hah! Number One, Carl! When he was alive, he was a defensive expert! I've enhanced his defenses with my curse magic—he's even tougher now!"
Stephen glanced over at Asta and nodded. "Asta, cut through that shield, and then Fuegoleon can hit him with another blast of fire. In the Meantime…"
In the meantime, Stephen turned his attention to a pile of corpses nearby, raising his hand as a surge of magical energy crackled through his fingers.
[Arcane Magic: Bolts of Balthakk]
Blue lightning danced across his hand before firing in zigzagging streaks toward the corpse pile. But before the bolts could reach their target, one of the undead leapt up, intercepting them. He spread his arms, conjuring black portals that redirected the bolts in various directions, causing them to collide in midair.
"And here I was hoping to catch you off guard," Stephen said with a smirk, his eyes narrowing.
The undead figure chuckled, his voice low and taunting. "Funny, I was thinking the same thing." Slowly, he reached up, pulling off a mask to reveal his true face—a pale, lean man with wavy gray hair and a cold gaze.
"Valtos?!" Rades exclaimed in surprise.
Stephen rolled his eyes at the reveal. "You should've kept the mask on—you looked much better with it."
Valtos sneered, creating another dark portal and stepping through it. He reappeared on a rooftop, gazing down at everyone with a look of disdain. "You're a funny one, aren't you?" he remarked, his voice dripping with contempt.
Stephen shrugged, an easy smirk playing across his face. "I have my moments," he replied, gripping his swords with a glint of challenge in his eyes as he prepared to face this new threat.
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