"In the Royal Capital, at the venue where the Wizard King is holding a banquet, do you two intend to fight here? What an outrage!"
Fuegoleon's voice was loud and majestic, carrying an undeniable reprimand.
He stood between the two, his scorching magic, though not intentionally targeting anyone, naturally formed a barrier.
"Do you intend to destroy this place, along with all the nobles present?"
His questioning caused a slight loosening in the almost solidified tension within the banquet hall.
Nozel snorted coldly, his surging mercury magic slowly subsiding, but his gaze towards Ryoma remained filled with undisguised cold killing intent.
"Fuegoleon, are you planning to harbor this criminal who insulted the royal family?"
Nozel's voice was sharp and arrogant, as if Fuegoleon's intervention was, in itself, a mistake.
Fuegoleon raised an eyebrow, meeting Nozel's gaze without backing down.
"Guilt and innocence should be judged by facts and laws, not merely by birth."
"I will personally report this matter to the Wizard King, and he will make the final judgment."
His words were firm and decisive, both giving Nozel a way out and demonstrating his impartial stance.
Ryoma understood the situation. This Crimson Lion Captain was indeed as rumored, a royal who disregarded status differences and was full of passion and a sense of justice.
Since someone had stepped forward to mediate, he was happy to take it easy. The less trouble, the better.
With a thought, the ice-blue storm swirling around Ryoma quietly dissipated as if it had never appeared, leaving only shimmering silver ice powder on the ground, proof of everything that had just happened.
Seeing Ryoma withdraw, Fuegoleon's imposing aura also softened. He turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Asta and the others, who stood behind Ryoma, looking nervous.
"Besides, they are here with the permission of Wizard King Julius." Fuegoleon's voice became a bit gentler.
"Even if they are lower class people, wouldn't it be nice to give them a little recognition?"
This sentence was like a fuse, instantly igniting Nozel's already suppressed rage.
"Heh..."
A cold, utterly mocking laugh escaped Nozel's throat.
"I never thought a royal would say such a thing."
His gaze was like a sharp sword, piercing directly at Fuegoleon.
"Has the Vermillion family become so benevolent? Having relatives like you is disgraceful."
Boom!!!
Before he finished speaking, a terrifying mana, so scorching it seemed capable of igniting the very air, erupted from Fuegoleon's body. His orange long hair moved without wind, and he himself seemed to transform into a burning sun.
"Nozel! Watch your words!"
Fuegoleon's voice deepened, the contained fury within it causing the temperature of the entire hall to suddenly rise.
Insulting him was acceptable, but insulting the honor of the Vermillion family was not.
"What? Did I hit a sore spot?"
Nozel disdainfully curled his lips, his recently calmed mercury magic once again surging with even greater ferocity.
Buzz—
Silver liquid metal swirled around him, emanating a sharp, cold, and terrifying aura capable of piercing through everything.
Seeing the conflict between the two captains about to erupt, Ryoma sighed helplessly.
He didn't want to be caught in the middle, enduring the clash of these two terrifying magical powers.
Buzz!!!
A chilling mana, no less powerful than the other two, once again erupted from Ryoma's body.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Centered on him, the frost on the ground instantly spread wildly in all directions.
Fire! Mercury! Ice!
Three distinct yet equally suffocatingly powerful magical energies clashed directly and savagely in the center of the banquet hall.
There were no dazzling techniques, just a pure magical power clash.
Sizzle—
At the intersection of the three forces, space itself seemed to subtly warp.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The huge floor-to-ceiling windows around the banquet hall, under this terrifying pressure, couldn't last even a second before being covered in spiderweb-like cracks, then shattering with a crash.
Many people present felt like a small boat in a storm, liable to be torn to shreds by the terrifying magical aftermath of these three forces at any moment.
Many were so overwhelmed by the pressure that their legs gave out, and they collapsed to the ground, cold sweat streaming down their foreheads.
"Such... such terrifying magical clash."
Klaus' face was pale as he desperately shielded Mimosa, his eyes filled with horror.
Was this the true strength of a captain?
And that Ryoma...
He could actually contend with two Captains?
This was simply unbelievable!
Just as the standoff between these three forces reached its peak, as if it would completely spiral out of control and level the entire banquet hall in the next second—
"No... this is bad!!!"
A servant stumbled and scrambled, rushing into the hall regardless of everything, his voice sharp with extreme terror.
"The Royal Capital is under attack by an unknown force!!!"
What?!
This shrill report was like a bucket of cold water, instantly dousing everyone.
Swish!
Almost simultaneously, Fuegoleon, Nozel, and Ryoma all withdrew their mana at the same time.
The terrifying pressure that had made everyone breathless suddenly lightened.
The temperature in the banquet hall returned to normal, but the heavy atmosphere did not dissipate. Instead, it became even more oppressive due to this sudden news.
"The Royal Capital is under attack?"
For the first time, a grave expression appeared on Fuegoleon's face. He stepped forward and grabbed the servant by the collar.
"Explain clearly! What exactly is happening?!"
"I... I don't know! Suddenly there were explosions and attacks in many places! The enemies... seem to be numerous!" The servant shouted incoherently.
Fuegoleon released him and immediately displayed the decisiveness expected of a Captain.
His gaze turned to Alecdora, who was still frozen in the ice coffin.
"The priority is to unseal him and confirm the situation in the Royal Capital."
Although Nozel's face was still grim, he understood the urgency of the situation. This was a major event concerning the safety of the entire kingdom, and personal grievances had to be set aside for now. He didn't speak, but he also didn't object.
Ryoma nodded, indicating his agreement. He raised his hand and, facing the crystalline ice coffin, gently snapped his fingers.
Snap.
The indestructible Eternal Ice Coffin instantly began to disintegrate from within, turning into countless ice-blue specks of light that dissipated into the air.
"Cough... cough!"
Alecdora regained his freedom, his body suddenly went limp, and he fell to one knee, coughing violently, trembling uncontrollably from the cold, his lips turning purple.
Just then, another member of Golden Dawn, Siren, stepped forward quickly.
He ignored the disheveled Alecdora and instead solemnly opened his grimoire.
Stone Creation Magic: Stone Model of the World!
Whoosh!
A large amount of mana surged from his grimoire, rapidly converging and shaping in mid-air.
Within mere seconds, a meticulously detailed three-dimensional model of the Royal Capital clearly appeared before everyone.
Immediately after—
Above the model, one by one, bright red dots lit up, scattered across various areas of the Royal Capital. Each red dot represented an attack location.
Looking at the red dots that almost covered the entire Royal Capital, everyone present had incredibly grim expressions.
The internal conflict, at this moment, instantly shifted to a massive external crisis.