The vault's treasures towered like golden mountains, glimmering in the light and captivating everyone present. Gold, gems, crystals, swords, vases, and magical artifacts filled the cavern, dazzling even the noble-born Klaus, who had never encountered such opulence.
"Jackpot! This is an absolute jackpot!" Klaus exclaimed, his joy uncontained.
The others were similarly enraptured—some examining peculiar magical tools, others caught up in dreams of wealth. Even Yuno, usually reserved, found himself fiddling with a strange artifact emitting faint green lights.
"Huh? It seems to be pointing somewhere," Yuno muttered, following the glowing trail. It led him past several golden heaps to a stone table, where a scroll lay unfurled.
"What is this… I can't read it," he said, perplexed, as unfamiliar symbols sprawled across the parchment. Suddenly, the text glowed and vanished. At the same moment, the four-leaf clover on his grimoire shone brightly.
Elsewhere, Nero perched atop Asta's head, persistently pecking and chirping to direct his attention to a circular marking on the ground. Asta, however, remained oblivious, scratching his head in confusion.
Suddenly, the vault shook violently. Klaus' magic restraints faltered as Mars' grimoire broke free, flying to its owner. Alarmed, Klaus yelled, "Mars must have escaped my binding spell! Be on guard!"
Before anyone could react, the vault doors shattered, revealing a massive crystalline beast with Mars perched on its back. Flames of fire magic surrounded him, blending unnervingly with his crystalline form.
"How is this possible? Fire restoration magic?" Klaus stammered in disbelief. "A single person should only have one magic attribute! This breaks every known rule!"
But he knew better than to question further; the Diamond Kingdom's experiments were infamous. Mars wasn't just a gifted magician—he was a product of cruel, relentless enhancements.
The situation was grim. Klaus and Mimosa were exhausted, Yuno's mana reserves were drained, and Vanessa and Asta were equally battered. Only Asta, devoid of mana, had the potential to counter Mars' magic.
As the group braced for battle, Mars unleashed a barrage of spinning crystalline blades, each sharper and deadlier than the last. Asta charged forward, deflecting the blades with his Demon Slayer Sword. Closing the gap, he leaped high and brought the sword down on Mars' crystalline armor, creating a crack that quickly healed.
"Damn it! I need to stop his healing, or my attacks are pointless!" Asta gritted his teeth.
Before he could devise a strategy, Mars countered with a powerful surge of magic, blasting Asta through a wall and out of sight.
"Asta!" Yuno shouted in desperation, his grimoire glowing with gathering wind magic.
But before Yuno could act, a suffocating black smoke engulfed the room. The group's vision blurred, and an overwhelming dizziness crept over them.
"Ah, Mars, you're quite something," a voice drawled lazily. A tall, disheveled man with long hair and a nonchalant expression emerged from the shadows.
"Lotus, I don't need your help," Mars said coldly.
"Sure, sure," Lotus replied, his tone mocking. "But as the squad leader, I can't just stand by and watch, can I? Besides, 2v6 isn't exactly fair, is it?"
Yuno struggled to stay conscious as the toxic smoke thickened. "I… won't let it end like this…"
"Mineral Creation Magic: Victory Sword!" Mars bellowed, unleashing a massive crystalline weapon.
"Smoke Creation Magic: Corrosive Miasma!" Lotus added, his poisonous fumes converging on the team.
With no strength left to counter, the group braced for the inevitable.
Suddenly, a powerful voice rang out: "Spirit Magic—Sylph's Tempest!"
The wall behind them shattered as a ferocious windstorm burst into the room, obliterating Mars' and Lotus' attacks. Its sheer force swept toward the enemies, roaring like a dragon and filling the room with an awe-inspiring presence.
At its center stood Yuno, his grimoire glowing brilliantly, with Sylph, the wind spirit, swirling beside him.
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