---
The world's balance continued to teeter on a dangerous edge.
Within the Akatsuki dimension, life flourished under the ever-watchful guidance of its founders. But beneath this calm, Avi's mind never rested. His true war wasn't against a single villain, but against the web of intertwined threats coiling around the world's fate.
Avi (thought):
"Lucius. Spade Kingdom. The Devils. The Elves' scars. Even the hidden beings beneath the Underworld that neither you nor the world have seen... I walk paths even fate cannot map."
---
A summons from the Clover Kingdom arrived.
> "To Captain Asta of the Akatsuki Squad: Your presence is requested for the Royal Magic Knights' Gathering, where all captains will evaluate squads' progress."
Asta clenched the scroll, excitement blazing in his eyes.
Asta:
"Finally! A proper gathering!"
Yuno (calmly):
"This won't be like the Selection Exam. The stakes will be higher. We've grown, but so have our enemies."
Avi:
"Remember — this gathering isn't just for display. It's an opportunity for Lucius to observe. He'll study your strength, your growth. Appear powerful... but never fully reveal your hand."
Asta nodded firmly.
Asta:
"Understood! I'll fight smart."
Yuno:
"Lucius won't see everything."
---
Within his sacred time chamber, Lucius studied the paths of possibility.
Before him, distorted holographic images of the captains danced like puppets — but the Akatsuki members remained as hazy black voids in his predictions.
Lucius (softly):
"A blind spot. Even now… their existence branches outside my dominion."
He waved his hand, generating a new projection of Yuno.
Lucius:
"The Spade Prince. He'll soon reclaim his throne unless I adjust my timeline."
His gaze shifted toward Asta.
Lucius:
"And you… the anti-magic anomaly. No timeline stabilizes fully while you exist."
He closed his eyes briefly.
Lucius:
"The Royal Gathering will be my stage. I will force clarity."
---
Far beneath Akatsuki's surface, in his private dimensional core, Avi stood before a towering crystalline structure, pulsing with raw magical data.
With his system's advanced simulation tools, Avi reviewed dozens of overlapping events — not only the Royal Gathering, but the coming Elf reincarnation wave, the Spade war, and the Shadow Palace convergence.
System Notification:
> [Updated Timeline Variables: 17% stabilized. Remaining Threats: 83%. Highest Risk Nodes: Lucius Intervention | Elven Soul Fragments | Zagred Residual Influence | Ancient Depth Unawakened.]
Avi narrowed his eyes.
Avi (thought):
"Still too much volatility. But I control more than they realize. Soon, I will orchestrate the counterbalance at every critical moment."
---
The royal palace gleamed brightly as nobles, citizens, and Magic Knight captains gathered within its towering ceremonial grounds.
The air buzzed with tension and excitement.
Julius (warm smile):
"Welcome, everyone! This is not merely a celebration, but a reminder of unity before the trials that approach."
As captains stepped forward, applause echoed across the grand hall.
The Akatsuki Squad stepped into view — Asta standing proudly at the front, Yuno slightly behind, and Avi walking with his trademark calm, controlled presence.
The nobles whispered nervously, especially upon seeing the Akatsuki's black cloaks with crimson clouds.
Noble (whispering):
"Such ominous symbolism…"
Another Noble:
"They call themselves Akatsuki... yet their strength is undeniable."
From the high balconies, Lucius observed silently, his eyes scanning every detail.
---
As Julius began to close the ceremonial speech, one noble's voice rang out.
Noble Lord Revien (arrogant):
"I protest, Wizard King! How can we allow untested, unsanctioned upstarts like Akatsuki to sit alongside true captains? Let them prove themselves publicly!"
Murmurs spread.
Lucius's eyes glimmered. An opportunity.
Julius (hesitant):
"The Akatsuki members have already surpassed previous tests—"
Lord Revien (mocking):
"Then a simple duel should prove their worth easily!"
Asta (stepping forward, smiling):
"If you want a fight, I'll gladly oblige!"
Avi (quietly to Asta):
"Keep it controlled. Don't expose your full strength."
Asta (grinning):
"Got it!"
---
Three elite Royal Magic Knights stepped forward — high-ranked nobles with massive mana pools. Their arrogance matched their power.
Knight 1:
"You may have defeated some captains, commoner, but you'll not embarrass royalty!"
Asta (confident):
"Let's see!"
As the duel began, the nobles launched high-tier elemental barrages — waves of fire, water dragons, and crystal spears.
Asta spun in the air, expertly using his Demon-Dweller Sword to nullify waves while dodging others.
---
From the observation stand, Avi subtly activated his system interface.
System Notification:
> [Field Analysis: Multiple hostile observers detected — potential spies from Spade and Lucius' agents.]
Without revealing any hint, Avi silently cast thin web-like illusion barriers to scramble their magical recordings.
Avi (thought):
"You can observe the duel… but you'll see what I want you to see."
---
One of the nobles unleashed a giant crystal golem enhanced with mana amplification runes.
The crowd gasped as the towering creature swung at Asta.
Noble (mocking):
"Fall, peasant!"
Asta dashed forward, his anti-magic sword humming with wild energy.
Asta:
"Let's cut through this!"
With one mighty swing, he cleaved the golem apart. Shards rained down harmlessly. The crowd erupted into stunned silence.
Yuno clapped lightly.
Yuno (smirking):
"He held back well."
Lucius narrowed his gaze but remained outwardly calm.
---
Julius (smiling):
"Excellent demonstration, Captain Asta. I believe Akatsuki's place as a squad is unquestionable."
The nobles fell silent, many swallowing their anger.
Lord Revien (bitterly):
"Hmph…"
Avi bowed politely, his expression calm while his mind continued to run simulations.
Avi (thought):
"Lucius... You desired to see them unguarded. Instead, you saw a fraction. Every time you think you're calculating, you're only studying my decoys."
---
After the gathering, the Akatsuki core team met within their dimension.
Yuno (serious):
"Lucius was watching everything."
Asta:
"I could feel it too. His eyes never left us."
Avi:
"Good. Let him observe shadows, while we prepare the light."
He expanded a new dimensional projection.
Avi:
"The Elf souls… the Shadow Palace... Zagred's cursed fragments... The next phase begins soon. We're closer to the storm than ever."
The glowing diagram showed the resonance alignment between devil artifacts and the elven soul network beginning to reactivate.
---
Far across the world, hidden within distorted Underworld channels, the ancient devil's awareness shifted again.
Ancient Devil Whisper (to itself):
"The puppeteer dares interfere further. But how long can even you balance so many threads?"
A faint, disturbing chuckle echoed in forgotten realms.
---
Sitting alone in his personal chamber, Avi closed his eyes briefly, feeling the many ripples of fate he had already bent.
Avi (softly):
"You all play your games openly. But you don't even know where the real game board lies."
As the Akatsuki red cloud banner swayed behind him, the stage for the true clash drew ever closer.
[TO BE CONTINUED...]