(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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The arena floor finished descending with a heavy thud.
Dust drifted through the air.
The young Magic Knights instinctively moved closer together.
Then—The air rippled.
Small magic circles began appearing across the arena floor.
One. Five. Ten. Then dozens.
Asta frowned feeling the aura around him intensified.
-Frown!
"Uh… that's probably not good."
The circles ignited.
From within them—Massive shapes began emerging.
First claws.
Then massive shoulders.
Then—Heads. Three of them.
One creature after another stepped out of the magic circles.
Gigantic three-headed dogs.
Each nearly twice the size of a horse.
Their fur burned faintly with ember-like glow.
Thick saliva dripped from yellow, jagged teeth as long tongues slid across their jaws.
Smoke escaped their nostrils.
Low growls rumbled through the arena like distant thunder.
Then more appeared.
And more. Until the arena was filled.
Forty-five.
Forty-five massive three-headed hellhounds surrounded the group.
Flames flickered between their teeth.
The mana they radiated was intense.
Not ordinary beasts.
These were magical constructs fueled by Fire Magic.
Noelle's eyes widened slightly.
"That's… a lot."
Magna swallowed.
"Forty-five… seriously?"
Luck's grin stretched wider.
-Grin
"Oh this is amazing."
Yuno stepped forward slightly, calm as ever.
"They're strong," he said quietly.
Each creature's mana pressure pushed against them like heat from a furnace.
Even the air felt heavy.
The hellhounds began spreading out, forming a hunting circle around the knights.
Forty-five pairs of burning eyes locked onto them.
The young Magic Knights moved instinctively.
They formed a defensive ring.
Backs toward each other.
Everyone covering a different direction.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Leopold's flames flared.
Noelle raised her grimoire.
Magna cracked his knuckles.
Luck vibrated with excitement.
Solid scoffed lightly.
Nebra prepared her spells.
Yuno's wind gathered silently.
And Asta planted his anti-magic sword into the ground beside him.
The hellhounds lowered their bodies.
Muscles tensed. Growls deepened.
Saliva hit the stone floor with sizzling drops.
The moment stretched.
Then—All forty-five hellhounds lunged at once.
The first trial had begun.
The hellhounds moved first.
With explosive speed, one of the massive three-headed beasts lunged straight toward a young Magic Knight from the Green Mantis squad.
Three flaming jaws opened wide—Claws tearing across the arena floor.
The knight barely had time to react.
Then—
"Water Magic: Sea Dragon's Cradle!"
A swirling barrier of water erupted around him.
The hellhound slammed into the barrier with a fiery impact, its flaming fangs hissing violently as steam burst into the air.
At the center of the spell stood Noelle Silva, her grimoire glowing as the water shield held firm.
The Green Mantis knight stared in shock.
"…Th-Thanks!"
Noelle didn't look back.
"Focus on the fight!"
The moment the first attack was stopped—The arena exploded into combat.
Forty-five hellhounds charged from every direction.
Flames roared.
Magic circles lit up.
The young Magic Knights responded instantly.
A tornado of wind cut through the arena as Yuno raised his hand.
"Wind Magic: Spirit Gale!"
Blades of compressed wind sliced through two charging hellhounds, throwing their burning bodies across the stone floor.
On the opposite side—Leopold Vermillion burst forward with blazing fists.
"Flame Magic: Crimson Impact!"
His flaming punch crashed into a hellhound's chest, sending the beast skidding across the arena before it dissolved into mana sparks.
"HAHA!"
Lightning exploded outward as Luck Voltia darted between the beasts like a bolt of living electricity.
"Lightning Magic: Thunder Fiend!"
He kicked one hellhound across the arena before pivoting to strike another.
"This is fun!"
Near the back line—Magna Swing hurled a blazing fireball.
"Fire Magic: Explosive Fireball!"
The blast erupted beneath two charging beasts, throwing them into the air.
Meanwhile—
Nebra Silva unleashed sharp bursts of water magic while Solid Silva sent surging water spears through the advancing hounds.
The young knights fought in coordination—Protecting each other.
Calling warnings. Covering blind spots.
But the hellhounds were relentless.
One suddenly leapt from behind the group—Straight toward Asta.
The beast's jaws opened—
Then—
A black blur flashed.
-SWISH!!!
"Anti-Magic Slash!"
Asta swung his sword.
The anti-magic blade carved through the creature instantly, erasing the fire magic sustaining it.
The hellhound shattered into fading sparks.
Asta grinned feeling the adrenaline rush.
-Grin
"Alright! Who's next?!"
All around them—Explosions of magic lit the arena.
-BOOOMM!!! -BOOOMM!!!
-BOOOMM!!!..
Flames. Wind. Lightning.
Water. And anti-magic.
But despite their success—More hellhounds continued to circle them.
Their growls growing louder.
The battle intensified.
Hellhounds kept appearing.
For every one that fell—Another emerged from flickering magic circles along the arena floor.
"Why are there MORE of them?!"
Magna shouted while blasting another with fire.
Luck dodged a lunging beast and laughed wildly.
-Haha!!!
"Maybe the dungeon likes dogs!"
But the situation was worsening.
The young Magic Knights were slowly being pushed back.
Their formation tightened.
Mana reserves began draining.
Even Yuno frowned slightly as he noticed the pattern.
-Frown!
"They're regenerating."
Solid cursed under his breath.
"This is ridiculous!"
Another wave charged. Flames roared.
Claws struck the stone.
Noelle stepped forward suddenly. Her grimoire pages fluttered violently.
Mana surged around her.
"I'll clear them all!"
Water spiraled upward like a rising storm.
"Water Magic—Sea Dragon's Roar!"
A massive torrent erupted from her grimoire.
The water surged forward—Then shaped itself into a gigantic roaring dragon.
The dragon charged across the arena.
Hellhounds lunged to intercept—But the torrent smashed through them.
One. Ten. Twenty.
All were swept into the devastating wave.
The dragon burst upward—Slamming the creatures into the ceiling with a thunderous crash.
The arena trembled.
Then—Silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
The remaining hellhounds flickered.
One by one—They vanished.
Their bodies dissolving into fading mana particles.
Only one remained.
A small creature.
A three-headed pup, curled weakly on the arena floor.
Unconscious. The room grew quiet.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Noelle dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
"That… took most of my mana…"
Before she could fall, Nebra caught her arm and helped her stand.
"Easy," her sister said softly.
Noelle nodded, still catching her breath.
-Nod
"...."
The Magic Knights stared at the small creature.
"…Wait," Magna muttered.
Luck tilted his head.
"That's not a monster."
Yuno stepped closer, eyes narrowing.
"…It's a spirit."
A Fire Spirit. Small.
Weak after the battle. But unmistakable.
Leopold approached carefully. His eyes sparkled with excitement.
"A spirit…!"
He gently picked up the small three-headed pup.
The creature stirred faintly in his hands.
Leopold looked toward Noelle.
"You defeated it," he said sincerely.
"This should belong to you."
Noelle shook her head.
"I can't bond with it."
She steadied herself slightly.
"My magic is water."
The spirit was fire. The incompatibility was obvious.
She gestured toward Leopold.
"You're a Vermillion. Fire suits you better."
Leopold froze for a moment. Then smiled.
"...."
"Thank you."
He held the small spirit carefully.
"I won't forget this."
The pup opened its tiny glowing eyes.
The first bond had been chosen.
Above them—The dungeon walls shifted slightly.
As the last sparks of the defeated hellhounds faded—The dungeon responded.
Stone groaned deep within the structure.
The arena walls shifted slowly, ancient mechanisms grinding after centuries of silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Then—A section of the arena wall slid aside.
Revealing a new passage.
Magna stretched his arms.
"Guess that means we passed the first test."
Luck grinned wider.
-Grin
"Next one!"
The group regrouped quickly.
Noelle steadied her breathing.
Leopold carefully carried the small three-headed fire spirit pup in his arms as it slowly regained consciousness.
Yuno stepped toward the newly opened corridor.
"Stay alert," he said calmly.
One by one, the Magic Knights entered the next passage.
The hallway resembled the previous one—But something was different.
More statues lined the walls.
Still winged. Still ancient. Still headless.
But this time—They were missing both arms as well.
Only their winged torsos remained.
Asta frowned feeling something a miss in those statues.
-Frown!
"Okay… that's even weirder."
Noelle glanced at the statues uneasily.
"…Why remove the heads and arms?"
Solid scoffed. "Probably another puzzle."
They continued forward.
Step by step.
The corridor stretched longer than the last.
Then—The ground trembled.
Everyone froze.
"...."
"...."
"...."
"Did you feel that?" Magna asked.
A deep rumble echoed through the hallway.
Suddenly—The walls began moving.
Both sides of the corridor started sliding inward.
Slow at first—Then faster.
The entire passage was shrinking.
"MOVE!" Yuno shouted.
Instantly the group broke into a sprint.
The walls continued closing. Stone grinding against stone.
If they were caught—They would be crushed instantly.
Asta dashed forward at the front.
Luck ran alongside him, laughing wildly.
"This dungeon really likes trying to kill us!"
Magna grabbed one of the slower knights and shoved him ahead.
"Run, idiot!"
Behind them—The corridor narrowed rapidly. Solid cursed while sprinting.
Nebra kept pace beside Noelle, pulling her forward as the exhausted girl struggled to keep up.
Leopold ran carefully while holding the small fire spirit.
"Almost there!"
Ahead—A faint light appeared. The end of the corridor.
But the walls were closing faster.
The gap shrinking.
Stone scraped closer and closer—The Magic Knights raced toward the opening before the dungeon's second trap could crush them alive.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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