Hundreds of Nutrivora Blossoms, small but vicious, skittered toward Yukio and Michibiki, their purple eyes glowing like lanterns in the dark.
Michibiki cracked her knuckles, smiling like she'd been waiting for this.
"Yukio! You know what to do. Try not to die."
Then she jumped straight into the swarm.
A blur of movement.
A shock of mana.
Her fist slammed into the first monster,
BOOM!
Its entire body burst apart in a flash of light.
Another leapt at her. She kicked it mid air, sending it flying into two more. They collapsed in a burst of vines and petals.
More poured in, surrounding her from every side.
Michibiki's smile widened.
White-gold light began gathering around her fists, her hair rising as her mana surged.
She punched the ground.
"SACRED ARTS: DAWN HEART IMPACT!"
A blinding wave of holy light exploded outward, clearing a massive circle around her. Every Nutrivora Blossom caught inside it disintegrated instantly, their purple eyes flickering out.
Even Yukio staggered back from the shock.
"Geez,"
He whispered.
"Remind me never to annoy her…"
The girl's voice chimed in Yukio's mind, amused.
"Hey, Yukio. Wanna learn something cool?"
Yukio blinked, then grinned despite the chaos.
"Always."
In a flash, he saw a vision,
The Wheel of Providence merging with golden threads.
Threads turning into blades,
Into shields,
Into attacks.
Knowledge hit his brain in a burst of information.
Yukio clutched his head.
"Ow, okay, yeah, upload received, ow."
The girl giggled.
"You're welcome."
The pain faded.
Yukio's grin didn't.
"Alright,"
He muttered, drawing his long sword.
The silver blue blade gleamed in the moonlight.
"Let's take this for a test drive."
He leapt high,
And the Wheel of Providence appeared beneath him, catching him mid air like a platform of pure mana. It spun just enough to launch him forward, sending him soaring above the swarming monsters.
Golden green threads erupted around him, shimmering.
Yukio thrust his left hand forward.
"Threads of Fate: Age Acceleration!"
The threads shot out, brushing across several Blossoms.
Instantly,
Their bodies shriveled.
Withered.
Then crumbled into dust, scattered by the wind.
Yukio landed in the center of the battlefield, sword raised, threads swirling around him like glowing ribbons.
He exhaled.
"Whoa… that actually worked."
Another wave of monsters charged toward him.
Yukio smirked.
"I'm totally gonna feel this tomorrow…"
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"But who cares, I'm finally fighting for real!"
He dashed forward, Wheel spinning above him, golden threads trailing behind like comet tails as the swarm closed in.
Primordia's Response Force
Outside Primordia's gates, the night air was tense and electric.
Kaede and Guildmaster Zarukatsu Stormrend led a large group of 50 adventurers, all armed and ready. Behind them, the town guard lined the walls, crossbows and magic cannons aimed toward the forest.
But among the adventurers walking beside the guildmaster…
were four individuals who stood out like shining gems.
---
A young woman walked confidently at the front, long purple hair swaying with each step. Her eyes matched deep violet, glowing faintly in the moonlight.
Her dress was black and purple with gold-lined patterns that shifted like starlight. A huge witch's hat, adorned with a silver crescent moon, tilted at a playful angle.
She stretched lazily, smiling.
"Honestly… I hope whatever Kaede saw is something strong. I was so bored back at the guild."
Beside her, a tall young man in gleaming blue armor sighed. His blond hair was neat, and his sky blue eyes held patience far beyond his age.
He rubbed his temple.
"This is clearly an emergency, Hanayuri. You shouldn't be excited about a battlefield."
A small girl clung to the knight's arm.
She wore pure white silk robes decorated with golden threads, and held a beautiful staff, the tip crowned with a glowing blue gem.
Her blonde hair framed her face like sunlight.
"B-big brother, don't scold her… She's just happy to help! Let her be…"
The knight sighed again but didn't argue.
A young elven boy with green hair and sharp silver eyes walked behind them, his large bow strapped to his back. His vest was decorated with brown and blue patterns, runes glowing faintly along the wood of his weapon.
He groaned.
"Can we please stop talking and actually get moving? Someone teleport us already."
---
Kaede jogged toward the purple haired witch.
"Hey! Hana, Teleport us already, you idiot! We're wasting time!"
The mage Hanayuri Estelmare narrowed her eyes but smirked.
"Oh relax, Kaede. I'm preparing it."
She lifted her staff, a dark wooden rod carved with twisting black runes. A brilliant purple gem at the tip pulsed with energy.
She twirled it once.
"Alright, people. Hold onto your stomachs."
Mana surged beneath everyone's feet.
FWOOM
A massive blue magic circle expanded under the entire squad, glowing bright enough to illuminate the gates.
Violet lifted her staff high.
"Spatial Magic: TELEPORT!"
The circle flashed,
ZAAAAAAP!!
And in a burst of blue light, the entire force vanished…
…straight to the battlefield where Yukio and Michibiki were still fighting for their lives.
Back on the battlefield, the tide of monsters still surged like a living ocean.
Hundreds, no, thousands of Nutrivora Blossoms crawled across the ground, their purple eyes pulsing with eerie light.
Michibiki stood in the center of the chaos, unfazed, her breathing steady.
She lifted her hands.
Wind swirled violently around her.
"Storm Magic: TWIN RAZOR WHIRLWINDS!"
Two massive whirlwinds erupted onto the battlefield, their slicing winds tearing through the Blossoms. Dozens were shredded instantly, spiraling into petals and dust.
Yukio stood on top of the spinning Wheel of Providence, using it like a hovering platform.
But,
His knees suddenly buckled.
"Guh!"
He dropped to one knee, panting heavily.
"Why… why am I tired? Aren't I supposed to have, like, infinite mana!?"
The girl's voice in his head giggled softly.
"You do have infinite mana, dummy. But that doesn't mean infinite stamina and mental endurance.
If you want to fully handle your power… you need to train your body more."
Yukio winced as a sharp headache pulsed behind his eyes. His vision blurred.
"Great… just what I needed. Hey, there HAS to be something I can do to buy more time."
The girl smirked.
"Oho? Thinking like a true opportunist now. In that case…"
A glowing red card appeared in Yukio's mind, its edges dripping with destructive energy.
"I've got just the thing, Yuki. Let's end this in one strike."
Yukio grinned through the pain.
"Now THAT'S what I like to hear."
He hopped off the Wheel and waved frantically.
"Michibiki! Get over here! I have a plan!"
Michibiki blasted another explosion into the swarm before jumping back to him.
"You have a plan?"
She asked suspiciously.
Yukio wiped sweat off his forehead.
"Kinda."
Michibiki narrowed her eyes.
"Kinda?! Do you have a plan or not!?"
Yukio smiled weakly.
"I do. But, like usual, it's gonna cost me.
Just… get out of the way, okay?"
Michibiki hesitated.
But she nodded slowly.
"Fine. Do your thing, hero."
Yukio raised his hand.
The Wheel of Providence snapped into existence behind him, spinning faster
and faster
until it blurred into a ring of crimson light.
One slot slowed.
The question mark burned away,
And the text appeared, glowing like blood.
---
Card of Destruction:
Demonic Eclipse: Maw of Judgment
---
At that exact moment,
Kaede, Zarukatsu, Hanayuri, Aorin, Lianelli, Faelan, and fifty adventurers appeared near the battlefield. The teleport's afterglow faded just as they took their first steps forward.
Everyone froze.
They stared at the giant crater carved into the forest, the charred earth, the shattered trees.
Zarukatsu narrowed his eyes.
"What the hell happened here…? Where's the monster?"
Kaede pointed at the destruction accusingly.
"I'm TELLING you, Michibiki DEFINITELY did this."
Hanayuri smirked, twirling a strand of her purple hair.
"Oh? So there's someone here stronger than me? I'll believe it when I see"
Her voice cut off.
Because at that moment,
The card activated.
Red lines crawled across Yukio's face like living tattoos.
His eyes turned bright, predatory yellow.
The ground trembled.
A massive gate tore itself out of the earth, made of bone, flesh, screaming faces, and skeletal arms clutching the doors.
Kaede and the entire cavalry froze in horror.
"What… WHAT IS THAT!?"
The gate slowly opened.
Red mist poured out.
The temperature dropped instantly, frost forming on leaves even from far away.
A gigantic demonic face pushed through the mist… smiling.
Its golden yellow eyes were empty and endless.
It opened its mouth,
And everything was pulled toward it.
All the Nutrivora Blossoms screamed silently as their life force was ripped out of them.
They withered,
turned black,
then crumbled into ash.
The demon finished its feast, grinning wide, then slipped back inside.
The gate slammed shut,
and sank back into the earth.
Leaving only a scorched, circular hole
where the gateway once stood.
The red lines faded off Yukio's face.
His eyes dimmed.
He let out a shaky laugh.
"I… did it…"
And then he collapsed.
Michibiki rushed forward, catching him in her arms.
She stared at his unconscious face, equal parts furious and relieved.
"What was THAT, Yukio…? You better explain when you wake up… you idiot."
She brushed his hair back, her expression softening just a little.
"Rest up. You earned it."
From afar, the cavalry just stood frozen, silent and terrified.
Kaede trembled, eyes wide.
"No way… That wasn't Michibiki… That was YUKIO?!"
Then she grinned wildly.
"Holy crap… he actually did THAT!?"
She launched herself into the air.
"Wind Magic: WIND RIDER!"
She shot toward the pair at high speed.
The other adventurers remained frozen, still trying to process what they just witnessed.
Zarukatsu finally exhaled, a slow grin forming.
"Well damn… Looks like these kids are way stronger than I thought."
Hanayuri, Aorin, and Faelan exchanged looks, eyes shining.
Lianelli clung tightly to her brother's arm, trembling.
Because one thing was clear to all of them:
Yukio wasn't normal.
And he wasn't just strong.
He was something far beyond their understanding.
Far across the land, beyond mountains, forests, and kingdoms,
stood a remote fortress carved from obsidian stone.
The night sky above it was cloudless, washed in silver moonlight.
Inside one of its highest chambers, decorated with priceless paintings, ancient sculptures, and rare mana-crystallized flora…
A woman stood alone on a balcony.
Tall.
Elegant.
Beautiful in a way that was both enchanting and unsettling.
Her dark blue hair flowed like silk down her back.
Two elegant horns curved from her head like polished obsidian.
Her eyes were a deep, shimmering red, hungry, intelligent, inhuman.
She wore a flowing purple dress patterned with black vines, hugging her form like the petals of an otherworldly flower.
Oculora Verdantia.
The Vampire Lily.
With a slow exhale, she released the scrying spell that hovered before her, a floating screen of purple light displaying the battle she had just witnessed.
The Nutrivora Blossom.
Her creation.
Destroyed.
Not by a kingdom's army.
Not by a royal knight.
Not by an archmage.
But by a boy with a wheel and a forbidden card.
Oculora's lips curled upward.
"Well… well…"
She whispered, voice dripping with amusement.
"Looks like I've found the little pests who've been killing my precious children."
She brought one hand up, licking her fingers playfully as though tasting the lingering mana of the scene.
Her expression darkened, yet her cheeks lightly flushed.
Her red eyes lifted toward the moon as she whispered to herself:
"I'm looking forward to meeting you… very, very soon."
The moonlight bathed her in silver.
The wind carried her soft laughter across the balcony, echoing through the silent fortress.
A laugh filled with promise.
And threat.