Inside the war chamber of the Akatsuki Base, Avi stood before a massive projection of Clover Kingdom. Dozens of unstable glowing points pulsed across the map — signs of dormant Elf souls beginning to stir.
Asta and Yuno stood beside him, both silently observing the increasing fluctuations.
Asta (serious):
"So it's finally starting, huh?"
Yuno (focused):
"These mana waves… they're rising faster than we expected."
Avi (calm but calculating):
"Yes. Zagred's influence runs deeper than even Julius suspects. Every fragment of the ancient massacre acts as a catalyst. The spell was carefully designed to activate in stages. We are now approaching the second phase."
With a flick of his hand, Avi highlighted several marked ruins across the Heart, Clover, and Diamond borders.
Avi:
"These are the next key points. Ritual sites buried long ago. If these activate fully, mass reincarnation will erupt within days. We will not allow that."
---
Suddenly, the system chimed softly in Avi's mind.
> [Main Quest Updated: Intervene in the Elf Reincarnation Ritual.]
> [Optional Sub-Objectives Unlocked:]
(1) Disrupt Secondary Nodes.
(2) Extract Key Elven Souls for Stabilization Research.
(3) Mask Interference from Lucius' Surveillance.
> System Advisory:
"Maintaining indirect influence remains optimal. Exposure risk high. Lucius monitoring kingdom movements extensively."
Avi smirked slightly.
Avi (thought):
"Let him watch the surface. The depths belong to me."
---
Within days, one of the secondary ruins triggered unexpectedly near Kiten City. Several squads, including Crimson Lions, Golden Dawn, and Black Bulls, were dispatched for urgent containment.
Inside the ruins, a blinding pillar of light erupted into the sky. Multiple Clover citizens and lower-ranked knights nearby began convulsing, eyes glowing, as ancient Elf souls attempted to force their way into mortal vessels.
Elf Host (possessed, screaming):
"The cursed humans! You stole our paradise!"
Chaos exploded within minutes as possessed hosts turned on nearby squads. Several mages were overwhelmed immediately.
Fuegoleon (commanding):
"Hold your lines! Do not kill them unless absolutely necessary! Find a way to subdue the hosts!"
Mereoleona (grinning with fire flaring):
"Finally! A challenge worth my fists!"
Yami (lighting his cigarette):
"Ahhh... just another crazy day."
Asta and Yuno arrived soon after with their own strike team, blending in as ordered by Avi.
Asta (grim):
"Damn it… they're all possessed."
Yuno:
"We need to free them without destroying the hosts."
Asta (nodding):
"I'll disable the magic, you handle crowd control!"
Asta immediately unleashed his Demon Slayer Sword, slashing through swirling reincarnation magic, cutting off multiple Elf soul links without harming the human bodies.
Yuno conjured massive wind barriers to prevent the spread of chaotic spells, minimizing collateral damage.
---
Above the battlefield, invisible within a dimensional pocket, Avi observed closely. One of his wood clones floated beside him, monitoring energy readings.
Avi (calculating):
"Hmm… this batch is stronger than anticipated. Zagred likely accelerated this node's activation."
> [System Notification: Primary Soul Fragment Detected — Elven High Priest Candidate.]
Avi's eyes sharpened.
Avi (thought):
"Perfect. If I extract that soul fragment before Zagred fully awakens it, I can gain crucial data while still allowing Lucius to think his plans advance."
With a silent command, a nearly imperceptible wave of Origin Magic spread across the ruin's core. One particularly unstable Elf host began to convulse violently as Avi secretly pulled the soul fragment from its vessel into his personal dimensional seal.
The host collapsed instantly, freed before fully reincarnating.
---
Thanks to Asta's anti-magic, Yuno's precision, and the relentless attacks of the Crimson Lions and Black Bulls, the battle slowly came under control. Multiple possessed citizens were subdued, though several were left unconscious with lingering mana traces.
Fuegoleon:
"Those possessed may suffer lingering aftereffects. The scale of this incident… it's unprecedented."
Mereoleona (grinning):
"Bah! Still not enough of a challenge."
Yami:
"This feels way too coordinated for some random resurrection magic. Someone's playing us."
Fuegoleon (thoughtful):
"Indeed... but who?"
---
Far away, in the shadows of the Spade Kingdom, Lucius Zogratis observed the events through his Time Magic surveillance spells.
Lucius (calmly amused):
"Unexpected interference... yet the reincarnation ritual progresses regardless. Whoever is manipulating the timing thinks they're being clever."
Behind him, Adrammelech floated lazily, smirking.
Adrammelech:
"Still can't pinpoint who's twisting things?"
Lucius (cold smile):
"It doesn't matter. Let them move. Every variable leads back to me eventually."
---
Back inside Akatsuki's dimension, Avi stood before a massive crystalline sphere where the extracted Elven soul fragment hovered, sealed safely for his research.
Avi (soft whisper):
"Now… let's peel back your memories."
Through careful Origin Mind Magic, Avi sifted through centuries-old fragments of Elven knowledge — ancient rituals, forbidden magic, and critical components of Zagred's original plan.
The system fed him constant updates:
> [Ancient Ritual Formula Unlocked: Partial Reconstruction of Original Reincarnation Array.]
> [New Sub-Quest Available: Artificial Reincarnation Stabilization Experiment.]
Avi (thought):
"With this knowledge… when the true mass reincarnation begins, I'll be able to neutralize key Elf awakenings, save innocent hosts, and destabilize Zagred's control — all while Lucius believes I'm just another pawn."
---
A few days later, Avi (under his public Akatsuki persona) visited Julius at headquarters for his "official report."
Julius (serious):
"The more we study these events, the clearer it becomes that someone else is influencing the reincarnations. Frankly, I'm starting to suspect that even the devils might not fully control it."
Avi (smiling gently):
"That's concerning. But isn't that also good? If these uncontrolled triggers weaken Zagred's full resurrection, perhaps it gives us more time."
Julius:
"You may be right. Still, stay alert. I may call upon Akatsuki for special operations soon."
Avi (bowing politely):
"Always ready to serve."
Avi (thought silently as he left):
"Of course you'll call upon us, Julius. Because I'm the one ensuring you will."
---
Back at the Akatsuki base, Asta and Yuno trained under Avi's close guidance as always. But this time, the tension felt heavier.
Asta (panting):
"These enemies… they're not like any we've fought before."
Yuno:
"The next fights will only get worse. Real Elves… not unstable fragments."
Avi (serious, voice low):
"Yes. When the true reincarnations begin… even Captains may fall. But that's when you two will shine."
He placed a hand on both their shoulders.
Avi (calm, reassuring):
"You've grown stronger for this very reason. Trust in your training. I'll handle the shadows — you carry the light."
Above them, the twin moons glowed faintly — a symbol of balance that Avi alone understood.
---
[TO BE CONTINUED…]