"Aren't there four of you? Why are there only two left? Did the others run away?"
Asta and Noelle — the unlucky duo — had managed to step on almost every trap inside the magic palace.
A giant carnivorous flower opened its bloody mouth, ready to swallow them whole. Both Asta and Noelle were bound by vines, unable to move.
Before Noelle could unleash Dragon Blast, a gust of wind magic cut through the air, saving them in the nick of time.
"You four-eyed bastard! Don't talk about my senior and Adam like that!" Asta yelled at the blue-haired noble.
Klaus scowled. "You little runt! The Black Bulls are nothing but savages!"
"You golden idiots— no, the Golden Carp group is—"
"It's the Golden Dawn!" Klaus snapped furiously. This dumb kid was impossible!
Meanwhile, Noelle found herself trading barbed words with her cousin, the blonde noblewoman Mimosa.
"Sister, you still can't control your magic properly, can you?" Mimosa said with a sweet but smug smile.
"Someone like you actually got into the Golden Dawn?"
"Everyone's nice," Mimosa replied, keeping her smile perfectly fake.
"I'm doing fine too," Noelle shot back, forcing a polite grin.
"Let's go," Yuno interrupted coldly. The prince, who had been pretending to stay aloof, finally spoke. "The mission is what matters."
"Right!"
Yuno's calm confidence fired up Asta's spirit. Without hesitation, he bolted after him.
Deep within the Demon Palace, at the bottom of a hidden lake—
"What's this?"
Adam split open the carcass of a massive demon fish and found a blood-red gem embedded in the ground.
As soon as he touched it, an enormous suction force pulled at his arm.
"Ah, crap!"
His hand was stuck to the gem. The waters around him churned violently as the entire lake began to collapse inward.
"Electric Eye, deactivate!"
His lightning-enhanced vision faded, and the water swallowed him completely.
"Is this where it ends for me?" Adam roared in frustration as he sank.
Then—
WHOOSH!
The ruby exploded with blinding light. A surge of pure magic energy coursed through Adam's body. His golden grimoire flipped wildly as the circles of the Pig and Chicken talismans filled with radiant power.
Adam's body glowed red-hot. The entire lake evaporated in seconds.
"Hahaha! I did it!"
He roared with laughter, drunk on the sensation of power flooding through him. The magic energy around him was so vast, it even surpassed that of the royal family.
"Heh… at this rate, I might as well become a royal myself!"
Grinning, he raised his hands. "Let's make a big scene!"
Adam's eyes blazed with intense lightning beams, blasting a massive hole through the cavern ceiling as he shot upward toward the core of the palace.
Elsewhere in the Demon Palace—
Luck was locked in a fierce fight against Lotus from the Diamond Kingdom.
"I don't need a partner. I can do this myself!"
The black smoke surrounding Luck thickened, threatening to consume him entirely.
"It's not over yet!"
Asta's voice cut through the haze as his massive sword slashed away the smoke, saving Luck from being overwhelmed.
"Mom, I can handle it on my own!" Luck muttered through gritted teeth, still trapped in his obsession with fighting solo.
"Don't care!" Asta shouted. "I treat you as my partner! You fight your way, I'll fight mine!"
Asta's relentless energy broke through Luck's despair.
He remembered the voices of his comrades. The laughter, the chaos, the warmth of the Black Bulls.
He wasn't alone.
"It's more fun fighting with everyone!" Luck yelled.
"Yeah!" Asta grinned.
"Snort!"
Their renewed spirits made even the air around them vibrate.
Lotus smirked. "You pests just don't know when to quit."
He unleashed a suffocating wave of black smoke that filled the entire chamber.
"Asta, we can't breathe!" Noelle coughed.
"Noelle! Use Dragon Blast!"
A deep, thunderous voice suddenly echoed from below. Startled, Noelle instinctively aimed forward.
"Dragon Blast!"
A blinding beam of golden light shot across the room.
"What—?!" Lotus barely managed to dodge as the beam grazed him.
"Don't touch the girl!"
Adam erupted from beneath the ground, his eyes glowing crimson. With the Chicken's Tailsman Control ability, Lotus froze midair.
"Laser Eyes!"
Twin beams of light burst from Adam's eyes, and Lotus's pupils dilated in panic. He barely twisted aside, but not fast enough—
His right leg shattered instantly. Screaming, Lotus transformed into smoke and tried to flee.
"You're not getting away that easily!"
Another blast of laser energy split the air, destroying the smoky escape form.
Lotus barely survived, crawling away bloodied and broken, leaving a trail of crimson behind him.
Adam shook his head. "Should've picked a better hobby than villainy, old man."
Turning to the others, he smirked. "Everyone all right?"
"Adam, your eyes… they're so cool!" Asta shouted, starry-eyed and practically vibrating with excitement.
"Adam, how is your magic that strong?" Noelle and Luck both looked stunned. A man who once had no magic now radiated power greater than any noble.
Adam chuckled. "Just a little luck. Not a big deal."
That humble act only made Asta shout louder. "Adam, how did you do it?! Tell me!"
Adam covered his ears. "We can talk later. Let's go find the treasure—maybe there's something there that can give you magic power!"
"Treasure!" Asta's eyes gleamed again.
The Bulls immediately remembered why they came here and dashed toward the heart of the Demon Palace.
"Relax, I'll take us flying."
Asta blinked. "Wait, what do you mean—"
Before he could finish, everyone started floating.
"Whoa, I'm flying!"
"This is incredible!" Noelle gasped.
"Adam! When we get back, I'm fighting you again!" Luck shouted with glee.
"Let's go!" Adam commanded. Using the Chicken's power, he controlled their movement and soared upward.
"Treasure, here we come!"