The deeper they went, the heavier the magic in the air became. The walls glowed faintly, runes shifting like they were alive, pulsing in rhythm with the dungeon's heartbeat. The group moved carefully—well, as carefully as Asta and Luck could manage—until they reached a vast chamber.
The ceiling stretched high above them, jagged crystals jutting downward like teeth. In the center of the room stood a wide altar, glowing faintly with the imprint of ancient magic.
And they weren't alone.
A single figure waited across the chamber, his grimoire already open. Smoke curled lazily from his hands, drifting in twisting ribbons that filled the air with a faintly sweet, suffocating scent.
"Lotus Whomalt," Dave muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing.
Lotus smiled lightly, his expression calm, almost bored. "Ahh… so Clover Kingdom brats made it this far. How troublesome. But don't worry—I'll make this painless. For me, at least."
"Perfect!" Luck roared, sparks exploding across his body. His grin widened as arcs of lightning danced around him. "I've been waiting for something like this!"
He shot forward instantly, laughter echoing as his speed crackled through the chamber, aiming straight at Lotus.
Noelle stiffened, raising her hands. "Luck, stop rushing in! His smoke—"
Already, the haze thickened, swirling like chains that tried to close around him. Luck barely slipped free, lightning bursting as he forced the bindings apart, cackling as he weaved through the trap.
Dave took a single step forward, then stopped. His gaze swept the smoke, then flicked toward Asta. "Go with him. Lotus isn't just throwing smoke—he's trying to bind and suffocate him. You're the only one who can cut it apart."
"Got it!" Asta shouted, fire in his voice. His anti-magic sword gleamed as he dashed to join Luck, slicing straight through the creeping smoke walls.
Dave exhaled slowly, but he didn't move further. His eyes turned toward the far corridor that led deeper into the dungeon's core. Faint tremors of mana shook the stone, a harsh, oppressive energy pressing outward.
"…Mars," Dave thought, remebering this scene.
From that direction, they could already hear it—the crack of wind tearing through stone, the sharp boom of explosions. Yuno's power surged in the distance, clashing with another force that weighed like an unrelenting storm.
And Yuno wasn't alone. Dave could feel Mimosa's aura—bright, steady, and supportive—along with another Golden Dawn mage holding the line. They had already engaged Mars in the heart of the dungeon.
That left Noelle, Asta, and Luck locked in combat with Lotus, while Dave kept his attention balanced between their battlefield and the deeper clash raging ahead.
"Well, I should help Yuno," Dave muttered. "Asta is stronger right now. In the original timeline, Yuno only managed to match him once he gained the wind spirit, but here he doesn't have that yet. He's relying only on his wind magic—and compared to Asta's anti-magic, it's not enough. Yuno's skill is sharp, but Mars is different. With two types of magic and that overwhelming mana, Yuno alone can't last against him."
Dave's gaze lookd over. "Alright… time to tip the scales." He pushed off the floor, moving toward the deeper chamber with measured, precise steps. His grimoire glimmered faintly, the new spells within it humming with potential.
Yuno was already locked in combat with Mars, his wind slicing through the heavier, denser mana of the Diamond Kingdom mage. Despite lacking his wind spirit, Yuno's movements were sharp, deliberate, every gust carefully measured. He wasn't winning—but he wasn't losing either. Every strike and parry met Mars's attacks head-on, holding a precarious balance.
Dave arrived in a few strides, hovering just at the edge of the engagement. His eyes flicked between Yuno and Mars, analyzing their mana flows, predicting the next moves. Without hesitation, he whispered an incantation. A subtle distortion rippled through the air around Mars, small enough not to alert him immediately but precise enough to interfere with the flow of his two magics.
Mars stiffened, a fraction of hesitation in his strike—enough to create an opening. Yuno's eyes flicked to the shift, recognizing it instantly. He seized the chance, redirecting his wind blasts with sharper precision, forcing Mars to step back, recalibrate.
Dave's presence wasn't just interference—it was support. A steady pressure, a guiding hand that kept Yuno from being overpowered, without overshadowing his skill. Together, the two mages moved like a silent duo: Mars attacking with overwhelming force, Yuno parrying, countering, and Dave subtly tipping the flow in their favor.
Neither Yuno nor Mars could claim dominance. The fight had transformed from a raw contest of strength into a careful chess match of magic and timing—each strike balanced against the other, each step measured against the marrow of the dungeon itself.
Yuno's calm focus, combined with Dave's calculated support, kept him alive and precise. He might not yet have the power to overpower Mars, but with Dave at his side, he was far from being outmatched.
The battle raged on, tense, electric—neither side yielding, neither side conceding. And all the while, the deeper currents of the dungeon seemed to hum in resonance with their clash.
Dave slowed down, keeping his presence strong enough to influence the fight without using all his power. He could feel Mars's huge mana and two types of magic, mixed with aggression—but he also sensed something underneath: hesitation and instability. The dungeon, the pressure of battle, and Yuno's constant attacks were starting to affect Mars's focus.
Dave didn't attack directly. Instead, he used his grimoire to send small, subtle shifts of magic into Mars's field. Mars's eyes flickered in confusion, and his dual magics wavered slightly.
Yuno noticed this right away and adjusted his wind magic, but he still couldn't land a decisive blow. Mars was still strong enough to overwhelm them if they made a mistake.
Dave stepped closer, moving carefully. He whispered a small counter-spell, not to hit Mars, but to gently push him off balance. It worked. Mars blinked too long, cast a spell slightly too early, and his attacks became less precise.
"Stay steady," Dave muttered to Yuno. Yuno could already feel the subtle help guiding him. "I'm not using full power. Just keep him off balance."
Mars sensed that something was affecting him and became defensive for a moment. He struggled to regain control, but his movements were off.
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