The intertwining of darkness and light happened in an instant, and being swallowed by a spatial vortex was not a pleasant feeling.
When Fuegoleon regained consciousness and felt the solid ground beneath his feet again, the scene before him made him frown deeply.
Where is this?
All around him was a strange space, almost pure white. There was no sky, no ground, and seemingly no boundaries.
As far as his eyes could see, there was only a void of white, as if the entire world had been drained of color, leaving only this monotonously maddening background.
"What's going on here?"
Fuegoleon's voice echoed in the dead silent space, yet there wasn't even an echo.
He looked around, maintaining maximum vigilance.
Where were the enemies?
Not a single person was here.
Even Ryoma, who had voluntarily entered the Spatial Magic with him, was nowhere to be seen.
It was as if he was the only one who had been teleported here from the very beginning.
—
On the other side, in a desolate mountain area hundreds of kilometers away from the Clover Kingdom's capital.
Buzz—
The air twisted without warning, and a pitch-black rift tore open in the sky.
"Be on guard!"
On the ground, several Magic Knights wearing various Magic Knight Squad cloaks instantly tensed up, their magic surging as they all looked up at the Spatial Magic.
They were all too familiar with this magical fluctuation.
It was this cursed Spatial Magic that had forcibly teleported them from the battlefield in the capital to this godforsaken place.
Now, it had appeared again!
Everyone prepared for battle.
However, what fell out of that pitch-black magic was not the enemy they had anticipated but a familiar figure.
The person was wearing... a Black Bulls' cloak?
Swish!
The figure landed, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The newcomer looked up, revealing a slightly bewildered face.
It was Ryoma.
"..."
"..."
The scene briefly fell into an eerie silence.
Ryoma looked at the gathering of Magic Knights before him, momentarily stunned.
What was going on?
Hadn't he and Fuegoleon stepped into the same vortex?
Why was Fuegoleon gone, and he himself had been thrown here instead?
He scanned the area blankly.
Nozel Silva, captain of the Silver Eagles, Charlotte, captain of the Aqua Deer...
Good heavens, he had been teleported here.
Was the person who used Spatial Magic that powerful?
Could he achieve such precise segmented teleportation?
Or was it...
A thought flashed through Ryoma's mind.
Was Fuegoleon being held in some unknown spatial transit station, while he, like these people, had been teleported to the final destination?
"What is the situation in the capital now?" A cold and arrogant voice broke the silence.
Nozel stepped forward, his scrutinizing gaze fixed on Ryoma.
"What's wrong with you?"
His questioning instantly snapped Ryoma back to reality. Now was not the time to be dazed.
"Let's get back to the capital as soon as possible." Ryoma's voice immediately turned serious.
He said concisely, "This time, the enemy's true target is the captain of the Crimson Lions, Fuegoleon Vermillion."
"The rest, we can discuss on the way."
As Ryoma spoke, he closed his eyes, attempting to sense the special ice crystal scattered throughout the capital. He could sense them, but the connection had become extremely weak and blurry.
The distance was too great. With his current control over Spatial Magic, he couldn't use those ice crystal for direct long-distance teleportation. He could only choose to return with the main force.
Upon hearing the name "Fuegoleon," the faces of all the Magic Knights and the two captains present changed.
Especially Nozel.
For the first time, an undisguised gloom appeared on his usually expressionless face.
"What did you say?"
Ryoma raised his voice. "No time to explain. Let's get back first."
Although everyone was full of questions, they understood the seriousness of the situation.
Fuegoleon was one of the kingdom's top Magic Knight Squad captains. If even he had become the enemy's main target, it meant the capital was currently facing an unprecedented crisis.
"Everyone! Return to the capital immediately!"
Nozel did not press further, decisively giving the order.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Immediately, various movement magic spells were cast.
Nozel created a giant mercury eagle, carrying the members of the Silver Eagles soaring into the sky.
The other Magic Knights also displayed their unique abilities, transforming into streaks of light, following closely behind.
Ryoma didn't hesitate. Frost spread beneath his feet, and a path of frozen dust instantly unfurled in the air. His figure glided along the ice path, his speed no slower than those flying magic spells.
He quickly caught up with Nozel, who was flying at the very front.
"Tell me everything you know."
Nozel's voice was still cold, but it contained a hint of imperceptible impatience.
Ryoma nodded and began to quickly explain what had happened in the capital.
"...The attack on the capital was a feint from the start. Their goal was to attract the attention of all the Magic Knights."
"After you all were teleported away, their true target surfaced."
"The enemy and that Spatial Magic user, they had only one goal—the captain of the Crimson Lions, Fuegoleon."
Ryoma recounted Rades' wild words and the final teleportation magic specifically targeting Fuegoleon, exactly as they happened.
"At the last moment, I entered the range of the Spatial Magic with Captain Fuegoleon ."
"But..."
Ryoma frowned. "We were separated. His condition is unknown, and I ended up here with you."
After hearing Ryoma's narration, several members around Nozel showed shocked expressions.
"It was actually a trap targeting Fuegoleon ..."
Nozel was silent, his knuckles white from gripping the reins.
He knew Fuegoleon's strength better than anyone.
To set such a huge trap...
The enemy's situation and objective had exceeded their estimates.
"Why?" Nozel suddenly spoke, turning his head, his sharp gaze focused on Ryoma.
"Why did they target you?"
He had caught a key point.
Before Fuegoleon was teleported, the Spatial Magic user's first move was to target Ryoma.
This was very illogical.
"I don't know." Ryoma shook his head.
This was something he couldn't figure out.
"Perhaps they were afraid I'd disrupt their plan, or perhaps they weren't confident in dealing with two powerful opponents."
He could only explain it that way.
Nozel said nothing more, merely silently urging the mercury eagle beneath him to increase its speed by a few more points.
The atmosphere of the entire team became incredibly heavy, and everyone was anxious. They didn't know what was happening in the capital now. And they certainly didn't know what kind of danger Fuegoleon, trapped alone, was facing.
Ryoma looked up at the distant capital, his heart equally restless.
Fuegoleon... you absolutely must not die from some accident.
(End of Chapter)
Read 50 Chapters ahead on
patreon.com/astralicity