"Stop touching random ancient artifacts!" Klaus shouted, already stressing. "They could be cursed or dangerous or—!"
Nobody listened.
"I call dibs on the glowing sword!" Asta shouted, spotting a massive blade embedded in a floating stone pedestal.
"Wait! That could be a cursed item from centuries ago! We need to analyze—"
SCHING!
Too late.
"Honestly…" Klaus sighed, utterly defeated, watching as Asta swung the massive sword with joy. "What even is that sword?"
"It's definitely not a normal one," Mimosa said, inspecting the aura around it. "The magic signature is… unusual."
Asta grinned. "Whatever it is, it's gonna help me become the Wizard King!"
"Where is this light trying to lead me?"
Yuno narrowed his eyes at the spot of glowing green light dancing before him. It hovered insistently, bobbing in midair like it had a mind of its own. Taking cautious steps forward, he soon found a mysterious scroll lying on a pedestal, pulsing faintly with wind magic.
"What is this…?"
He picked up the scroll. The text was ancient and unreadable—written in symbols unlike anything he'd seen, not even in the libraries of the Golden Dawn. But before he could ponder further, the four-leaf grimoire at his waist radiated a familiar glow. A soft whoosh of wind whipped around him as his grimoire and the scroll began to resonate.
Two streams of green light shot out—one from the grimoire, the other from the scroll—and merged midair in a dazzling burst of wind-infused magic.
"What the—?"
Nearby, Klaus, Mimosa, and even Asta were drawn toward the spectacle.
"Yuno, what just happened?" Klaus called out, adjusting his glasses.
"I… I'm not sure," Yuno replied, eyes still fixed on the scroll, whose characters had mysteriously rearranged themselves.
"Put that down! This isn't some Black Bull mission where chaos is normal!" Klaus scolded, voice rising in typical fashion.
"Oi! Four-eyes, why don't you worry about yourself?" Asta shot back with a grin.
Before Klaus could reply, Asta turned—only to find the little bird who'd been following him, tugging at his collar again.
"Hey! Didn't you find a magic stone last time? What is it this time?"
Asta followed the bed through a crumbling corridor and arrived at an ancient wall adorned with an inlaid golden mirror. The anti-magic bed pecked frantically at the base, drawing Asta's attention.
"Guess there's something behind this, huh?"
Without hesitation, Asta summoned the Demon-Slayer Sword and slammed it into the wall. With a loud crack, a secret chamber opened, revealing a black, obsidian-like blade resting on a stone pedestal.
"Ding! Sumo Sword detected. Would you like to load it?"
"Sumo Sword? Just the name gives me goosebumps!" Asta laughed.
"Okay, let's load it!"
A surge of mana coursed through him as the blade fused into his arsenal.
Loading complete. Sumo Sword: This weapon absorbs the magic of others and unleashes counterattacks with the same attribute.
"Whoa! So I can fight fire with water, wind with earth… This is insane!"
But just as Asta sheathed the new blade, a violent tremor shook the underground palace.
"Earthquake?!"
BOOM!
Debris began to fall from the crumbling ceiling.
"The palace is collapsing!" Klaus shouted, shielding Mimosa.
"Time to go!" Yuno quickly summoned his Wind Spirit Creation Magic: Spirit Storm Ark, and soared upward.
The ark hovered too high for the others, so without hesitation, Asta grabbed Mimosa and Noelle, leaping high with pure physical strength.
"Stupid Asta! Are you used to holding me or something?! Don't act like a meathead!" Noelle barked, her cheeks glowing red.
"Mimosa said thank you when I saved her. Why are you always so grumpy about it?" Asta asked innocently.
"Hmph!" Noelle turned away with a scowl, even as her heart raced. She vowed to ignore Asta completely until they got back.
"Oh, by the way... your skirt's a little torn," Asta added, tilting his head.
"W-Where?!" Noelle yelped, clutching her outfit in panic.
"Stop flirting, you two!" Klaus yelled.
"This is a magical ruin collapsing, not a schoolyard!"
"I'm used to it," Luck said with a smile, casually dodging falling rocks.
Meanwhile, on a distant smoke-fueled craft heading for the Diamond Kingdom...
Lotus Whomalt chuckled to himself, black smoke curling behind him as he glanced at the unconscious Mars.
"Didn't get to plunder the treasure hall... but I'm alive. That's enough for now. My daughters'll eat well for a few weeks."
Mars stirred in his sleep, murmuring, "Fana… Fana…"—the name echoing from deep within.
In his dream, memories surged back:
A twisted experiment. Children forced to kill one another. Survival at the cost of humanity.
Fana—his only friend—was the final test. When she ran toward him, he'd reacted on instinct… And then she was gone. Her last words burned into his mind:
"See the world... for my sake... and live..."
Tears slid from Mars' closed eyes.
"Everything... I remember now..." he whispered as he awoke.
"Well, well. You're finally up," Lotus smirked.
"Thank you... for saving me. And for everything."
Lotus raised a brow in surprise. Mars had always been cold—emotionless. But now? He saw warmth. Maybe even... purpose.
"Don't go all soft on me now. You're a living weapon, kid."
But even as he joked, Lotus couldn't help but smile.
Back in Clover Kingdom's domain...
Yuno's ark glided smoothly out of the collapsing palace, landing on a nearby hillside where Asta and the others had just emerged.
"It's really gone..." Mimosa murmured, looking at the ruins below.
"Do you know how much gold was in there?!" Klaus groaned, nearly weeping.
"We could've funded a new fortress—or ten!"
_"Sorry…" Mimosa said softly, guilt creeping in.
"Don't blame her. That place was ancient—probably rigged to collapse anyway," Asta shrugged.
"Not everything can be blamed on someone poking a curtain, right?"
Klaus looked uneasy. "...Could I have stepped on something?"
"Thank you, Mister Asta," Mimosa said gratefully.
"No prob!"
Noelle glared at them from the side, her arms crossed. "Tch. Flirt all you want... scumbag..."
"Let's head back," Luck said, stretching his arms.
"Wait, I think I'm dizzy... maybe from the poison gas we inhaled?" Asta flopped onto the grass, dramatically faking illness.
"Asta, are you okay?! Let me heal you!" Mimosa panicked, rushing over.
"No need—just a little fresh air. Go on without me."
Mimosa hesitated, cheeks pink, then joined Yuno on the ark.
"Don't you want a ride too?" Yuno offered.
"We'll be fine," Asta waved.
"Alright. See you back at base."
As the ark vanished in the distance, Noelle looked around.
"Um… how are we getting back?"
"My lightning magic can't carry passengers." Luck grinned.
"Seriously?! Then how do we return?! I'm not walking all the way—my royal feet will blister!"
"No worries. Senior Finral will come for us," Asta said with a wink.
"That's... actually a good idea," Luck nodded.
Noelle groaned. This chaotic squad really was the worst—and somehow, the best.