The morning sky above Clover Castle was unusually calm, a vast canvas of gold and blue. But within its halls, the atmosphere was electric.
Today was the Magic Knight Captains Gathering, a rare event where captains from all squads met formally under the eyes of the Wizard King. This year, however, it was different — the newly formed Akatsuki squad had also been summoned.
Standing in the enormous throne hall beneath an intricate mosaic ceiling, Asta and Yuno stood tall in their black cloaks with crimson clouds — the Akatsuki emblem. They looked confident, but inside, both were tense. This was their first official appearance as a new squad in front of the kingdom's elite.
Avi, in his usual calm demeanor, stood behind them — not speaking, not radiating power, just watching.
Avi (thought): "This is where the wheel turns. One small misstep here and Lucius or his shadows might begin to move. I must ensure their eyes stay off us."
As the captains arrived one by one, eyes quickly shifted to the trio standing near the Wizard King. Nozel Silva narrowed his eyes, Charlotte looked curious, Jack the Ripper laughed loudly, while Yami simply scratched his head and muttered, "Huh. That brat made his own squad."
Yuno: "They're all watching."
Asta: "Let them. I'll prove our squad is the strongest!"
Avi (thought): "You'll shine, Asta. But not too brightly. Not yet."
Julius stood up, cheerful as always. "Welcome everyone! Before we begin the discussions, I'd like to introduce the newest official squad of the Clover Kingdom — Akatsuki!"
Gasps and murmurs echoed around. Julius continued, "Led by Captain Asta, with Vice Captain Yuno and Member Avi Caesar, the squad has already completed several dangerous missions. I trust you all will recognize their contribution to the kingdom."
Despite the polite applause, tension rose. Status, pride, rivalry — the air was thick with unspoken challenges.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A massive explosion shook the outer walls of the castle.
Julius: "What—!?"
Avi (thought): "It begins."
Explosions erupted outside. A large force of rogue mages attacked the capital. But these weren't random criminals — they bore the symbol of the Eye of the Midnight Sun.
Charlotte: "An ambush! How did they get past the barriers!?"
Fuegoleon: "I'll handle the northeast flank!"
Yami: "Let's get messy."
Avi turned to Asta and Yuno.
Avi: "You two, defend the lower city. Minimize damage. Avoid head-on confrontation with their leaders. Focus on civilians."
Asta: "Right!"
Yuno: "Understood."
As the two darted out, Avi summoned a clone and sent it along with them while he remained. His eyes glowed briefly with a dark emerald hue.
Avi (thought): "Time to see which of Lucius' pawns are making the first move."
---
Down below, chaos had unfolded. The Eye of the Midnight Sun had mobilized a substantial force — fire mages, spatial warpers, and even high-level beast tamers. Civilians were caught in the crossfire.
Asta slashed through enemies with his Demon Slayer Sword, deflecting spells and shielding innocents. Yuno used Sylph's wind to transport wounded away and disarm entire groups without killing.
But then, from above, a golden light descended.
Rades Spirito — once thought defeated — appeared with a small undead army.
Rades: "Let's play, heroes of the new squad!"
Asta: "You again?!"
Yuno: "He's just a distraction..."
A moment later, a terrifying surge of mana exploded from within the castle.
---
Inside, the captains engaged powerful foes. Fuegoleon was surrounded by cloaked figures chanting in an ancient tongue. One of them launched a dark spell laced with elven runes.
Fuegoleon: "Tch—!!"
Too late.
A burst of golden magic pierced the air. A portal opened behind Fuegoleon, and a gleaming blade of light sliced through his flank. He collapsed, unconscious, blood pooling around him.
Charlotte: "Fuegoleon!"
A figure emerged from the portal.
White robes. Radiant light. Hollow eyes filled with divine hatred.
Licht.
But Avi, still in the chamber and unmoving, narrowed his eyes. He looked not at Licht, but at the faint, almost invisible pattern forming behind him — a teleportation glyph corrupted with devilish script.
Avi (thought): "So… Zagred's fingerprints. This Licht is a puppet. Just as expected."
With a wave of his hand, Avi silently disrupted the rune's continuity in the void, subtly weakening the devil's influence over Licht's clone — unseen by all.
Avi turned to Julius. "Permission to engage?"
Julius nodded.
---
Avi leaped through shadows, arriving in front of Licht with a flicker of movement too fast for most to track. A moment of pressure filled the room — heavy, ancient, suffocating. The captains paused.
Yami (grinning): "That pressure… No way that's just the kid from Akatsuki."
Avi: "Captain Asta and Yuno are doing their part. I'll clean up here."
Licht's eyes met Avi's.
And in that moment — they knew.
Behind Avi's calm face was a power not yet revealed. Licht swung his light sword in a wide arc, only to have it blocked mid-air by dozens of floating mana needles Avi conjured from a mere twitch of his finger.
Avi: "You're not ready. And not real."
He stepped forward.
One needle pierced the corrupted glyph behind Licht. The spell shattered.
Licht vanished — not dead, but exorcised, the connection severed.
---
Outside, Asta and Yuno saw the attacking army retreat all at once. As if an unseen hand had pulled their strings away.
Yuno: "They're retreating?"
Asta: "What happened?"
High above, Avi stood atop the castle's roof, watching it all from the shadows.
Avi (thought): "You tested your pawns early, Lucius. But I control the board."
The injured were healed, Fuegoleon stabilized, and Julius thanked the Akatsuki for their assistance.
But among the rubble, Avi picked up a shard of a broken spell crystal.
Inscribed inside were three names:
Zagred
Licht
Morris
Avi (thought): "This wasn't just an ambush. It was a test. They're forming an alliance... Time to prepare."
---
Later that night in the Akatsuki dimension, Asta and Yuno sat exhausted. Avi stood alone near a glowing crystal tree, monitoring dimensional echoes.
He summoned his alternate identity — the shadowy robed figure.
Avi (thought): "The real war hasn't begun. The Eye of the Midnight Sun is merely a veil. The devils stir. And I will be ready… from the shadows."
[To be continued…]