Chapter 33:
Mars coughed blood and spiralled into the lake below, the impact kicking up water like an explosion.
Klaus, eyes wide, murmured, "Even Yuno couldn't make that guy budge… but Asta just sent him flying with a single hit?"
Noelle, Luck, Yuno—even the injured Mimosa—stared in stunned silence. Asta, the kid with no magic, was overpowering a battle-forged warrior from the Diamond Kingdom.
"Glad I didn't miss this show," said Lotus Whomalt, watching from the shadows. He had feigned retreat earlier with his Smoke Magic but had secretly remained nearby.
"I can't believe it... That kid just dominated Mars?"
"Do you think Mars will lose?" one of the Diamond Kingdom's mages asked, crawling from the rubble to watch the fight.
"Who knows?" Lotus replied. "But the Four-Leaf kid... he's on a different level. Still, while they're busy, let's move the gold. I've never seen a treasure vault like this in my life!"
"You've got guts, old man," one subordinate muttered, following Lotus.
Back at the battlefield, the lake trembled.
The water began to crystallise—diamond spikes bursting out from beneath the surface. The magic pressure skyrocketed.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Each crystal spike slammed upward as if the entire lake were freezing in reverse. Then Mars rose from the centre, floating, transformed.
"Titan's Diamond Armour!"
His body was now encased in gleaming diamond plating—thicker, heavier, stronger than before. His mana pulsed with intensity.
"Asta, be careful!" Noelle called out.
But Asta didn't back down.
"Open the Gate…"
"Open… the Second Gate—Gate of Healing: Shut Gate!"
Asta's muscles tensed, his skin flushed. Though his current body wasn't suited for fully opening all Eight Gates like the forbidden technique he mimicked from legends, he could still push past his limits for short bursts.
Pain screamed through his nerves. His chakra—his energy—was raging beyond control.
But he didn't stop.
"Even if it hurts... this is a day I surpass my limits!"
Mars clenched his fist—diamond-coated and weighing a ton. "I'll crush you with this!"
Asta didn't flinch.
"Can 007 beat me?" he joked mid-charge, and in a blur of motion, he closed the gap between them. Mars raised his diamond arm to block, but Asta's Demon-Slayer Sword smashed it into pieces with one clean strike.
"Who... are you?!" Mars gasped, eyes wide as his armour cracked.
There was a flicker of fear in Mars's eyes. Since leaving the Diamond Kingdom's experimental facility, he'd never felt so powerless—not even against the Magic Knights of the Clover Kingdom.
No matter how hard he hit, it didn't work. Nothing worked against him.
Asta—this boy wielding anti-magic—was something entirely outside the realm of logic.
"You talk too much."
Asta's voice rang out coldly. Despite his fatigue, he pushed his body again, launching forward with sheer physical strength. His body was overexerted from using Black Asta, but he had no time to rest. He had to end this—now.
Mars raised his crystal-armoured right arm to block, but it was futile.
CRACK!
Asta's massive Demon-Slayer Sword cut clean through the armor, sending shards of crystal scattering as Mars was blown straight out of his Titan Crystal construct.
"What the—he cut him right out of his magic?"
Ladros (disguised as a background Diamond Mage) gawked in disbelief.
He'd always considered Mars, the dual-magic prodigy with both Crystal and Flame Magic, to be the most terrifying weapon of the Diamond Kingdom. But this… this was absurd.
"Anti-magic…" he muttered, watching Asta. "He nullifies everything."
"Lord Lianhua, what do we do now?!"
The surrounding Diamond soldiers, who had expected a clean sweep under Mars's strength, were in total disarray. Their secret weapon had failed. No—he was demolished.
"We escape," Lianhua growled, eyeing the nearby transport cart already loaded with stolen relics. Without hesitation, he hopped in and fled, dragging the barely conscious Mars with him.
"Where did they go?!"
Luck Voltia landed with a crackle of lightning, eyes scanning the battlefield. "I was going to ask Mars to fight again!"
"They vanished," Klaus muttered, inspecting the surroundings with narrowed eyes. "Teleportation magic? No… maybe Crystal-based concealment. They must've had a failsafe."
Asta landed heavily, his breathing ragged. His limbs trembled from the strain. The Black Form had taken a toll on his body, evident by the dark veins across his skin and the faint red irritation creeping up his arms."Asta!"
Noelle dashed toward him, concern flooding her violet eyes. She caught him just as he stumbled forward.
His skin was flushed, cracked in some places—obvious signs of magical overload. Even though he hadn't been physically injured, his body was nearing its limit from channelling too much anti-magic.
"You idiot! What were you thinking, pushing yourself that far?!"
Asta gave a sheepish grin. "I'm fine… just need a minute."
Mimosa, her golden hair fluttering, ran over, holding up her grimoire.
"Healing Flower Robe!"
Soft glowing petals wrapped around Asta, instantly easing the strain in his muscles. His expression brightened.
"Whoa… that actually feels amazing. I thought my arms were gonna fall off."
Encouraged by the warmth of the magic and Mimosa's flustered concern, Asta leaned slightly toward her—only to tumble right into her arms.
Mimosa's cheeks flamed as she awkwardly tried to support him. She'd read about moments like this in romance novels but had no idea what to do in real life. For a moment, she just… held him, one hand hesitantly brushing his silver hair.
"He's... kinda cute up close…"
"Ugh, unbelievable…"
Noelle's eye twitched. "He's obviously doing this on purpose!"
She yanked Asta back into her arms with unexpected strength. "You're my teammate, idiot! Stop making other girls panic!"
Mimosa blinked, stunned. "I-I wasn't panicking…"
"Wow, full recovery and two girls fighting over him."
Luck chuckled. "Lucky Asta!"
"Be serious," Klaus snapped, adjusting his glasses. "We still need to figure out how to enter the Treasure Hall."
The group turned toward the enormous gate towering over them. The structure pulsed faintly with mana. Treasures were already scattered outside—but who knew what lay within?
"There must be a magic-based entry mechanism," Klaus speculated. "Possibly a mana signature lock. We should look for a—"
WHAM!
Asta strode up, swung his Demon-Dweller Sword twice, and sliced open the magical barrier protecting the gate.
"...Did you just brute-force a magic door open?!"
Klaus was flabbergasted.
"Worked, didn't it?" Asta grinned.
Mars, who had just been carried into the fleeing cart, groaned faintly. "They really let that guy win..."
Yuno appeared beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder with a calm smirk. "You'll get used to it. Asta's been like that since Day One."
Inside, the Treasure Hall was even more dazzling than they'd imagined.
"It's... beautiful."
Mimosa gasped as gold-plated walls shimmered in the faint light. Magical artefacts floated above pedestals, ancient scrolls lined enchanted shelves, and fabrics that shimmered like stardust hung across the chamber.
Noelle's eyes caught a swirling, multicoloured mana bubble. Curious, she reached out with a finger—
POOF!
The bubble burst and enveloped her, lifting her gently into the air.
"W-Whoa! I'm flying?! This is amazing!"