Luck ranted nonstop.
"Not yet, but Luck," Yami raised a brow, arms folded, "you and Magna left together. Why are you the only one who came back?"
"Pfft, he's just flying behind—slow as ever," Luck replied with a dismissive wave.
"Who are you calling slow?!" Magna burst through the door, face flushed with irritation. "My Flame Magic: Exploding Red can leave you in the dust!"
"Tch. Sure, sure," Luck muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Alright, whatever. Just shut up already, I'm trying to catch some sleep," Yami muttered, picking at his ears. "Even if Asta's fast, this mission'll take time."
****
"AAAH! That punk Asta stole my mission again!" Luck howled, slamming his fists into the ground, sparks flying.
"Hah! It's not 'stealing' if you're just slow," Magna said smugly, arms crossed.
"Says the guy who's always lagging behind! If you hadn't slowed me down, I'd have gotten there before Asta!" Luck's eyes twitched with a wild glint.
"Trying to bait me, huh?" Magna growled, nearly summoning his flame spell—Flame Magic: Exploding Fireball. But the mischievous look in Luck's eyes stopped him.
"…Since when did you get smart?" Luck blinked, surprised.
CRACK!
Magna's fist clenched. "What's that supposed to mean?! Are you saying I was dumb before?!"
"…Wasn't it obvious?"
"YOU—!!"
"Flame Magic: Exploding Fireball!"
"Hahaha! Finally, a fight!"
With a manic grin, Luck activated his Lightning Magic: Thunder God's Boots, shooting into the air with electricity crackling around him. The first floor soon echoed with booming explosions and chaotic energy.
"Are you two TRYING to kill me?!" Yami stomped down the stairs, dark circles under his eyes. "It's like babysitting hyperactive brats!"
"Sorry, Captain!" both Magna and Luck shouted, immediately bowing their heads with the guilt of kids caught red-handed.
Yami, fists raised, faltered. Their pitiful expressions were like looking at his own foolish younger self.
"Screw it. Just clean the mess. As punishment—stand until you surpass your limits!"
"Yes, Captain!"
"And if I hear one more noise—I'm tossing you into the Grand Magic Zone myself!"
That murderous aura from Yami chilled the two to their bones.
"Captain's scary when he hasn't slept…" Magna muttered, hand over his heart.
"I still wanna fight him someday!" Luck grinned manically.
****
Meanwhile, Asta and Noelle flew toward the stormy mountain village of Raijin—Fenglei Village—in the east, riding on Vanessa's magic broom.
"Brace yourselves—I'm taking us higher!" Vanessa called, noticing the thick storm clouds ahead. She adjusted the broom's altitude sharply.
The broom rose nearly vertical.
Which meant Asta, squished in the middle, had no choice but to cling to Vanessa from the front.
"Oi! Watch those hands, little man," Vanessa teased, turning her head slightly.
"Eh? I'm just trying not to fall off!" Asta defended, blushing but holding on tightly. "Plus, Noelle's behind me, so I've got no room to move!"
"Stop using me as an excuse, you pervert!" Noelle snapped. Though, truthfully, she was clinging onto Asta with both arms, face hidden behind his back.
"You two are seriously something else…" Vanessa sighed, equal parts amused and envious. "Ah, youth."
"Stupid Asta," Noelle muttered, pressing her cheek into his back. She could feel his toned muscles and strong heartbeat—why was this idiot so warm?
"Oh? If you like hugging, you can always come to my room instead~" Vanessa teased again.
Cough cough!
Asta quickly let go, his face crimson. "You're too much, Sister Vanessa!"
"Ugh, idiot," Noelle muttered again, suddenly grumpy. She didn't speak to Asta for the rest of the trip.
****
Two hours passed.
"We're close!" Vanessa called. "I'm gonna descend now—hold tight!"
Asta's arms twitched. Descending meant—yup, Noelle squeezed tighter.
"Don't worry, I got you!" Asta reassured as Noelle shivered behind him.
"I'm not scared, just—just hurry up and land!"
With a smooth arc, the broom landed just outside the gates of Raijin Village, where the skies were riddled with natural lightning strikes.
"We made it," Vanessa said, hopping off. "This place always gives me the chills."
"Woah…" Asta stared up. "That lightning—it's like the whole sky's alive."
"I-Isn't anyone scared of being fried alive here?" Noelle asked, stepping down and nervously eyeing the clouds. "What if my water magic attracts a strike?!"
"Relax," Vanessa smiled. "The lightning's controlled by an ancient magic barrier. As long as you don't wander into the minefield, you're safe."
"Minefield?" Asta blinked.
"Yup. It's like a defensive perimeter—no one can pass without being fried unless the village lets them."
"That explains why it wasn't taken during the last raid," Asta noted.
"Exactly. The lightning protects it. But let's still check in with the locals before we charge off."
"Wow, Asta. Being all logical now?" Vanessa laughed. "If this were Magna and Luck, they'd be elbow-deep in some trap by now."
"Hmph. He just likes to pretend to be mature," Noelle scoffed, adjusting her outfit. A princess must always be composed—even after a bumpy landing.
"Hehehe…" Vanessa laughed softly. The tension between them was cute, in its own chaotic way.
She led the way up the winding trail toward the heart of the village.
"Sister Vanessa, why can't we just fly the rest of the way?" Noelle pouted, her perfect feet already sore. "This terrain is not royalty-friendly!"
****
"It's forbidden to fly directly into the area," Vanessa chuckled, lazily adjusting her cloak. "The skies around Hikarigami Peak near Hoshigami Village are a natural no-fly zone. Anyone trying to soar in gets zapped by the insane lightning mana in the air! Even mages can't dodge that."
"Is that why those rogue mages didn't raid the place?" Asta asked, wide-eyed.
"Exactly," Vanessa replied, taking a swig from her flask. "They couldn't storm the village without risking their necks, so they left it untouched."
"Wait, there's someone ahead," Asta suddenly said, narrowing his eyes. "I see… a girl."
He activated his devil-enhanced senses instinctively—though his anti-magic doesn't give him sensory abilities, his sharp battle instincts were enough to make out a blurry figure at the curve of the mountain road. He stepped forward, squinting. "She looks worried…"
"Could be one of the villagers," Vanessa stretched her arms above her head with a lazy smile. "The intel said the bandits were lured away by a guy named Chris. So maybe she's out here to meet us."
She then leaned heavily onto Asta's shoulders with a teasing grin. "By the way, Asta… You didn't call me 'Sister Vanessa' like a good little brother. How rude"
"Ahaha… I thought you wouldn't notice…" Asta scratched the back of his head nervously.
Suddenly, he became aware of two very soft weights pressing against his shoulders.
"W-Woah…" he gulped internally. This feeling… Am I being tested by the gods?!
Noelle's eyes narrowed, and a dark aura crept over her. "You idiot… what exactly do you think you're doing?"
She grabbed Asta's wrist and yanked him forward. "Let's go. If that girl's from the village, she might need help."
"Oho? Is our little Noelle getting jealous?" Vanessa smirked, licking her finger playfully. "Ah, young love. How precious."
"Shut it!" Noelle huffed, cheeks red.
As they approached the girl, she looked up at their Black Bull insignias with tearful relief in her eyes.
"You're Magic Knights… from the Black Bulls?" she asked, voice trembling.
"That's right!" Asta said cheerfully. "You from Hoshigami Village?"
The girl nodded, eyes shimmering. "You're finally here…!"
And then, before any of them could ask more, she collapsed.
"Eh?!" all three shouted in sync.
"Did she just faint after saying one sentence?" Asta blinked.
Vanessa knelt beside her, checking her pulse. "She's okay. Just exhausted. Probably been waiting here for days."
"I've got a recovery potion," Asta said, already uncorking a small vial and gently trying to get her to drink.
Most of it dribbled past her lips and trailed down her fair neck.