(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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A pulse of green radiance burst from Jak's body.
Light folded inward.
Frost shattered into mist.
And Ben stood there again—
Human, breathing steadily.
The battlefield felt… warmer.
Asta exhaled.
-Sigh
Dorothy blinked.
-Blink
Charlotte immediately stepped closer.
Ben rubbed the back of his neck.
"I was attacked,"
He said.
"Not here."
Everyone turned toward him.
"He used light magic,"
Ben continued.
"He wasn't trying to win—just to stall time. Keep me away from this battlefield."
Charlotte's brow furrowed.
-Frown
"...."
Ben explained quickly—
The clash,the speed,the way the enemy disengaged the moment his realize that he can't win.
"He escaped,"
Ben finished.
"And came here to save his companion."
Charlotte didn't wait.
She stepped in, hands already glowing faintly as she checked his arms, shoulders, chest—
Searching for injuries.
"Ben, you should have signalled—"
She paused.
"...."
No wounds.
No fractures.
Not even residual damage.
She let out a quiet, relieved sigh she hadn't realized she was holding.
-Sigh
"…Good."
Ben tilted his head, expression unusually serious.
"Why didn't you use your Dream Magic?"
He asked.
"You could've trapped him."
But Dorothy spoke, softer now.
"Somehow… I felt it would be dangerous."
Her eyes lowered.
"So I trusted my instincts."
Ben nodded slowly.
-Nod
"Is that so..."
Yami stood apart.
Silent.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Cigarette forgotten between his fingers.
That presence.
That timing.
His jaw tightened.
'Could it be… Vangeance?'
The thought refused to leave.
The Witch Queen had not spoken.
"...."
Her crimson eyes remained distant—
Calculating.
Then, after several seconds—
Her fingers brushed her earring.
Teal.
Teardrop-shaped.
Ancient.
Ben saw it.
"...."
And his breath hitched.
'How did I forget…'
Past-life memories slammed into place.
Magic stones.
Ben straightened.
"That's why,"
He said quietly.
All eyes turned to him.
He looked directly at the Witch Queen.
"They were after your earring."
The Witch Queen froze.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Slowly… she touched it again.
Her eyes widened.
"…Impossible,"
She whispered.
Ben shook his head.
"Magic stones are useless to humans."
A pause the witch queen continued.
"But to elves… or other species?"
"They're an enormous power source."
Silence fell.
"...."
"...."
"...."
The truth settled like a blade between them.
The Witch Queen's grip tightened.
And for the first time—
She looked genuinely alarmed.
Yami let out a long sigh.
-Sigh
"…Tch."
He turned and spotted Finral a short distance away—
Still sniffling, wiping his eyes, smiling like the world hadn't almost ended.
"H-Hey, Captain…!"
Finral said, voice shaky with happy tears.
"I thought we were all—"
"Enough,"
Yami cut in.
"Open a portal."
Finral straightened instantly he knew where his captain wanted to go as his second nature.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"SPATIAL MAGIC — FALLEN ANGLE GATE."
A familiar blue vortex spiraled open.
"The Wizard King's palace,"
Yami ordered.
Finral nodded, hands glowing as the portal stabilized.
-Nod
Without another word, Yami stepped through.
Finral followed right after.
PORTAL CLOSED...
Silence returned to the clearing.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Ben stood with Charlotte, Dorothy, the Witch Queen, and the remaining Black Bulls.
The tension had eased—
But not vanished.
Without ceremony, they turned back.
Returning to the depths of the Witch Forest.
ELSEWHERE...
FAR FROM THE FOREST...
Light flickered.
Patoli and Fana emerged in a desolate clearing, far from the Witch Forest's borders.
The air was still.
"...."
"...."
Too still.
Fana stared in the direction they had escaped from, fists clenched.
"…I'm sorry,"
She said quietly.
"I failed."
Patoli shook his head.
"No,"
He replied.
"This was my miscalculation."
His gaze remained fixed on the distant horizon.
"That Clover Kingdom king…"
"Ben."
His expression darkened.
"...."
"He transformed into something I had never seen before."
Fana nodded slowly.
-Nod
"We knew he could change into unknown mana beasts…"
A pause.
"But that one was different."
Patoli's fingers curled.
"What caught me off guard,"
He said slowly,
"was not just the form…"
His eyes narrowed.
-Frown
"But his ability."
"He slowed time,"
Patoli said.
"The space around him bent—lagged—froze."
Fana's breath hitched.
"...."
"…Time magic?"
"I think so..,"
Patoli replied.
"Something close enough."
They stood in silence.
"...."
"...."
And for the first time—
The name Ben carried weight.
They had viewed him as unpredictable variable who needed to be dealt with carefully.
But now Patoli realizes the he had underestimated him.
He should put him in the same danger category as the wizard king.
Meanwhile...
The Witch forest breathed again.
Magic settled.
Tension faded into distant echoes.
And then—
-SNAP.
"Alright,"
Ben said, sitting back down.
"Where were we?"
Cards slapped onto the table.
UNO.
The witches stared.
"…He's serious,"
One of them whispered.
Ben shuffled the deck with practiced ease.
"Tournament rules,"
He announced casually.
"Single elimination. No magic. No cheating."
He paused, eyeing a few suspicious faces.
"...."
"Yes. I will know."
Dorothy plopped down beside him, already grinning.
-Grin
"Ooooh~ games! I like games!"
Charlotte hesitated… then sighed and took a seat as well.
-Sigh
"...."
Across the clearing, witches began gathering who didn't participate perviously—
Curious.
Cautious.
Intrigued.
"Is this really the man who fought the intruder?"
"That's just cards…"
"Why do I feel nervous?"
THE TOURNAMENT BEGINS...
"Draw four."
A witch gasped.
-Gasp
"...."
"Reverse."
Someone groaned.
"UNO."
Silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Then—
Chaos.
Accusations flew.
Cards slammed.
Someone almost cried.
The Witch Queen observed from a distance, expression unreadable.
A man who was treated with cautious..
Who transformed into unknown beings.
Who spoke of magic stones—
—and now ruled the Witch Forest table with colored cards.
Her fingers brushed her earring again.
"…Interesting,"
She murmured no matter how much time it is he never failed to intrigue her.
Ben leaned back, hands behind his head, smirking.
"Next round,"
He said.
"Winner gets bragging rights."
Dorothy raised her hand eagerly.
"I'm gonna win~!"
Charlotte shook her head.
"…How did today turn into this?"
Ben grinned.
-Grin
"Trust me,"
He said.
"This is the real battlefield."
Cards slapped the table.
"Reverse."
"Skip."
A witch across from Ben smiled a little too confidently.
Her fingers brushed the deck.
Too smooth.
Too practiced.
Ben's eyes flicked down.
"...."
Then—
-SNAP.
He caught her wrist mid-motion.
Silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Every witch froze.
"…You just used magic,"
Ben said calmly.
The witch stiffened.
"I—what? No—"
Dorothy leaned in, eyes glowing.
"Oooooh~ she did~! I felt a tingle!"
Charlotte's brows furrowed.
-Frown
"This tournament is non-magical."
Ben released the wrist and pointed to the pile.
"Draw six,"
He said flatly.
The witch's face drained of color.
"...."
"S-Six?!"
"And you're out of this round."
Murmurs erupted.
Someone laughed.
-Haha
Someone groaned.
The Witch Queen, watching from her throne of roots,
Lifted an eyebrow.
"...."
Charlotte crossed her arms and glanced deliberately toward the Witch Queen.
"…Honestly,"
She said, voice carrying,
"for the ruler of the Witch Forest, you're awfully quiet."
A pause.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Dorothy gasped.
"Oooooh~ Charlotte~ that was bold~!"
Ben froze mid-shuffle.
Slowly—
"...."
The Witch Queen stood.
The forest itself seemed to listen.
"If I join,"
She said coolly,
"you will regret it."
Charlotte didn't back down.
"I doubt that."
Roots twisted.
A seat formed.
The Witch Queen sat.
Ben blinked once… then dealt her cards.
"Uh—house rules still apply,"
He said.
"No magic."
A faint smile curved her lips.
"Of course."
Charlotte dropped into the seat to Ben's right with a sharp motion.
Too sharp.
Her foot tapped.
Her jaw clenched.
Dorothy hummed, sensing danger.
Ben leaned back casually.
"Alright,"
He said.
"Play resumes."
Charlotte slapped a card down harder than necessary.
"Skip."
She shot Ben a glare.
"…You're enjoying this too much."
Ben smirked.
-Smirk
"Relax. It's just a game."
Her eye twitched.
The Witch Queen calmly placed a card.
"Draw four."
Charlotte stiffened.
"…What."
Ben coughed.
-Cough
"Uh—yeah, that's legal."
Charlotte slowly drew the cards.
One. Two.
Three. Four.
Her mana flared—
Then stopped.
She inhaled.
"...."
Exhaled.
"…I will not lose,"
She muttered.
Dorothy clapped happily.
"This is sooo much fun~!"
The Witch Queen glanced sideways at Ben.
"…You are dangerous in ways I did not anticipate."
Ben grinned.
-Grin
"UNO."
Shouts erupted.
Accusations flew.
Charlotte slammed another card down.
"Reverse!"
Her glare burned holes into Ben's profile.
The Witch Queen smiled.
"...."
And for the first time that day—
The Witch Forest echoed not with battle…
…but with competitive fury.
Charlotte stood up halfway.
Her chair screeched.
Mana flared—
Then stopped.
She inhaled sharply.
"…This game,"
She said through clenched teeth,
"…is rigged."
Ben raised his hands.
"Hey—no magic clause."
A witch spectator leaned in too far.
The table wobbled.
Cards slid.
NO—
STOP—
Charlotte slammed her palm down—
Not with magic,
But raw strength.
The table steadied.
Barely.
Everyone froze.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Dorothy slowly chewed popcorn.
"…That was close."
The Witch Queen placed her second-to-last card.
"UNO."
Charlotte's breath hitched.
Ben looked at his hand.
Then smiled.
"Oh."
He placed it down.
"Reverse."
Then—
Another.
"Skip."
Then—
He leaned forward.
"Wild."
The color changed.
And gently—
"Draw four."
The Witch Queen stared at the deck.
"...."
Long.
Hard.
Then she laughed.
-Fufu
A soft, genuine sound.
"…I concede."
Gasps erupted.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Charlotte slumped back into her seat, exhausted.
Ben dropped his final card.
"UNO."
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review on this Fanfic.
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