"Let's go, Asta!" Vanessa and Finral shouted in unison.
"Good!"
Asta rushed out, blade in hand, linking with Vanessa's Thread Magic—Fate Manipulation—and Finral's Spatial Magic. The three struck in rapid succession, their attacks chipping away at Vetto.
"It's not over yet!" Asta kept shuttling through space, forming powerful slashes.
Vanessa used silk threads to cover Asta's blind spots in the fight, while Finral kept adjusting Asta's spatial travel, suppressing Vetto for a time and preventing the beast from counterattacking.
"The Magic Knights didn't lose!" the villagers outside the temple shouted, but Yami Sukehiro in the viewing room sensed a hint of conspiracy.
He stared at Vetto's movements with pupils slightly dilated. The beast was actually adapting to Asta's attack speed.
"Hiss!"
Vetto struck out with a palm, leaving a bloody mark across Asta's stomach. Fortunately, Finral's space magic arrived in time and teleported him back.
"Kid, that bastard is deliberately defending to learn your patterns. If you aren't careful, you'll take a fatal attack next time!" Yami's voice rang through the temple.
Asta's face was solemn; his body was covered in blood and the cut on his head had already begun to coagulate.
"It's worthy of being my main course," Vetto sneered. His feral face turned even more malicious as the blood-red demonic energy around him swelled, as if wanting to drown everyone in endless despair.
"Finral, Vanessa, little devil — I can't help you from here, but you know what to do!" Yami barked, veins bulging as dark energy leaked from his body. I have to cut through this blasted space barrier.
"And that show-off brat — when I need you you're nowhere to be found. Once I get out, I'll definitely give you a beating."
"Let's push past the limit right here!" roared the Black Bulls.
Asta and the others attacked faster. Even though this hot-blooded kid had no magic and came from humble origins, he wanted to prove himself to the world.
"Wizard King! I'm definitely the one!" Asta thought, burning with determination.
Vanessa and Finral were deeply moved by this little devil without magic. Anyone who wielded "never giving up" as a weapon had to be insane — and admirable.
Vanessa remembered being alone in the Witch Forest until Captain Yami rescued her. Finral remembered being compared unfavorably to family members and being looked down on — it was Yami's choice that let him use his talent.
Destiny cannot be handed to others. You take it by force, using every ounce of strength to make the Black Bulls the strongest team.
"Asta, believe in us!" Vanessa and Finral shouted together.
"I always have!" Asta returned, eyes burning.
The moment when youth blazes at its peak.
"And us! Mirror Magic — Repeated Reflection!" Gauche and the others arrived on the battlefield; countless mirrors appeared above Vetto. The repeated refraction amplified the purple column of light to its peak.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Beams of light poured toward Vetto, and the beast kept dodging, sneering, "It's useless, you bugs. My magic is something you'll never reach in your lifetime."
"Is that all you've got? Haha."
"Cotton Magic — A Blow from the Sleeping Sheep!" Charmy roared.
"Transformation Magic — Replicate!" someone cried.
A huge sheep was summoned behind Charmy and slammed its fists into the ground, creating smoke and chaos. Many "Asta" clones appeared in the air and charged Vetto.
"That's all the magic we have. Come on, Asta!" Gauche shouted.
"You bugs!" Vetto swung his fists repeatedly, smashing the fake Astas to pieces. It seemed the desperate beast was reaching the end of its patience.
"Ah!" Asta hid among the illusions and, taking advantage of Vetto's opening, drove his sword into the beast's waist.
Blood gushed from Vetto's wound, and everyone breathed a hopeful sigh. If Asta pushed a little harder, he could pierce the monster through.
"You think you've won? With your insignificant strength!" Vetto snarled. Bloody demonic tendrils shot out and grabbed Asta's arms, stopping him cold.
"Ah!" Asta screamed. The blood-tainted energy was corrosive — the beast wanted to cripple him.
"I did that on purpose, just to get your weapon," Vetto said, eyes alight with cruelty. Asta's screams fed him; he shouted frantically, "When all hope is gone, despair reaches its climax!"
Everyone on the battlefield sank into a cold hopelessness. The villagers outside turned pale. Yami in the viewing room wore an ugly expression. The high priest could no longer speak.
"You beast! What have you done to Asta?" a voice cut through.
Vetto froze for a moment, then laughed maniacally, "Haha, you stinky—"
A pool of water rose up behind Vetto, streaming into the sky and taking human form. The beast blinked, stunned. Adam appeared, calm as always, his deep eyes locked on Vetto.
Snap!
Before Vetto could react, Adam seized the demonic sword lodged in the beast's body and, in one clean motion, severed the right half of Vetto's torso.
"Ah!" Vetto screamed, but Adam didn't give him time to recover — he plunged his blade into the beast's third eye.
Vetto released Asta. All the magic within the beast coalesced into a gargantuan magic claw that slammed at Adam.
Bang!
Adam's head exploded into droplets and he collapsed into a puddle of water — then rolled across the ground and toppled onto Asta, who had been carried to Vanessa's side.
"Adam!" everyone cried, but the puddle reformed into Adam. He checked Asta's wounds as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
"Smelly boy, you're finally here!" Yami said, partly relieved, partly angry — this kid seemed stronger again and Yami, the team captain, was stuck in a room watching.
Adam's grimoire — Yami's grimoire? — no: Captain Yami's magic book emitted a strange glow in the viewing room.
The man who had surpassed his limits many times glanced at the new magic written within and the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Adam, where have you been?" Vanessa asked.
"Adam — you finally showed up," Finral said, collapsing onto the ground.
"Adam…" Noelle's face lit up with joy; she was about to run forward but halted when she noticed her unconscious companion still behind her.
"It's not over yet!" Asta, cradled in Adam's arms, was forcing himself to stand. There was a steady light in his eyes, the unbreakable belief that he would never give up.
Adam said nothing but helped Asta to his feet.
"Watch carefully. I'll take your turn and tame this beast," Adam told him, then swept his gaze over the group. "Thank you for your hard work, everyone."
The Black Bulls didn't answer with words — they simply stared at Adam with resolute eyes.
"Ah!" Vetto wrenched the Demon Sword from his forehead. The blade had been suppressing his recovery, keeping him from using his full magic.
"Am I going to lose? No!" Vetto's memories of the tragedy in the elf village resurfaced, driving him into greater frenzy. Magic power surged through his body as he resolved to die along with the entire underwater temple.
The second bond! Isn't this too sinister?
"Angry Beast — grant me the power to destroy everything!" Vetto roared, channeling a nameless, furious magic.
The air trembled as the temple's fate hung in the balance.