⚔️ [Mission Interface]
Mission: Catch Them If You Can
Rank: A
Time Limit: One Hour
Objective: The Eye of the Midnight Sun has infiltrated the Noble Realm. Capture as many intruders as possible — dead or alive.
Failure: None
Rewards:
• A-Rank Card
• Xeni Coins ???
"What do you mean we are under attack?" Captain Nozel said sharply, his gaze narrowing at El, clearly suspecting he was trying to defuse the situation.
Before El could respond, Captain Fuegoleon stepped forward supporting him.
"He's correct," Fuegoleon said, his tone firm. "Something is wrong… the barrier surrounding the noble realm is down."
At that moment, a Magic Knight from the Golden Dawn activated his spell.
"Stone Creation Magic: Stone Model of the World."
A detailed three-dimensional model of the noble realm formed in front of them, replicating the entire structure of the region shrouded in peace.
For a brief moment, nothing happened.
"It could simply be a malfunction of the barrier," Captain Charlotte stated calmly. "Not necessarily an attack."
El's eyes sharpened.
"Throughout the Noble Realm," he said steadily, "I can sense multiple powerful individuals appearing through spatial magic. Their presence… is filled with killing intent."
A faint pause.
"If you don't believe me." before he could finish,
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Five massive explosions erupted across the model, each one marking a different location within the noble realm.
The illusion reflected reality perfectly.
"What are the surveillance teams doing?!" one of the Golden Dawn Magic knights shouted. "Were they attacked as well?!"
"Five locations simultaneously…" Fuegoleon muttered, his expression hardening. "They must have a highly capable spatial mage among them."
El stepped forward.
"Well," he said calmly, "you also happen to have a more formidable spatial mage right here."
His gaze swept across the captains.
"Let's put aside internal conflicts for now and work together. Tell me where everyone need to be deployed." His tone sharpened slightly and Fuegoleon nodded.
"El is right," he said. "I know some of you may be reluctant to cooperate under these circumstances… but we cannot afford division in a crisis like this." His eyes remained fixed on the model.
"Black Bulls," he continued, "head to the northeast district and focus on evacuating civilians. Avoid engaging enemies beyond your capability. I will join you shortly."
But as Fuegoleon turned to look at them, Asta was already sprinting into the distance.
"Asta wait..!" Noelle shouted, chasing after him in frustration.
"They're both heading the wrong way—I'll guide them!" Mimosa added, following after them.
"Now this is getting interesting!" Even Leopold broke into a grin and dashed forward, while Fuegoleon exhaled slowly, watching them go.
"…Those reckless fools."
Yet there was a faint hint of approval in his eyes.
Meanwhile, El remained still , his gaze lingering on the burning points across the map.
'Eye of the Midnight Sun… what are you really after?' He thought.
"I will head to the northeast district…" Captain Fuegoleon spoke as he quickly began assigning roles. "Silver Eagles, take the central district—that's where the enemy presence is the strongest. Blue Roses, secure the east. Golden Dawn, split your forces and cover the west and northwest districts."
His gaze then shifted toward El.
"El, I expect you to locate the spatial mage behind this attack and cut their escape route. Assist the other squads if necessary… and keep the damage to minimum if you can."
"Understood Captain…" El replied smirking.
In the very next second, a series of sharp claps echoed through the hall—one after another, rapid and precise. Before most of the Magic Knights could even comprehend what was happening, space itself seemed to fold around them.
Within the span of three seconds, their surroundings warped and shifted, and the entire assembly found themselves scattered across different regions of the Noble Realm.
"What the heck—?!" Solid blurted out in shock as a zombie lunged straight at his face, catching him completely off guard. But before it could harm him, a silver arrow shot through the air with deadly precision, piercing the creature and pinning it far into the distance.
"Get a hold of yourself," Nozel's cold voice rang out. "You've embarrassed us enough for today."
With a single motion, his mercury magic surged outward like a tidal wave, cutting down rows of zombies effortlessly. Citizens who had been cowering nearby began to cheer, their fear quickly turning into relief.
In the eastern district, Sol slammed her palm against the ground, manifesting a massive earth golem that swept through the undead like a storm, crushing them beneath its weight. Beside her, Captain Charlotte didn't even bother moving—her briar magic spread across the battlefield, binding and immobilizing the entire horde within moments.
Meanwhile, Golden Dawn had already split into two coordinated units, With no high-level threats opposing them, the zombies were quickly subdued, and within minutes, the civilians began expressing their gratitude as order was restored.
High above the capital, El floated silently, observing everything.
The situation across all districts was stabilizing far too quickly.
Too smooth… Just as he had expected—the real threat hadn't made its move yet waiting for something.
His senses brushed past a familiar group—Asta, Noelle, Leopold and Mimosa—closely accompanied by Captain Fuegoleon. With someone like him present, El didn't need to worry about their safety.
Instead, he shifted his focus.
El expanded his senses to their absolute limit, scanning everything—mana fluctuations, spatial distortions, even subtle traces of killing intent.
Yet he found nothing.
According to the mission, El didn't need to engage recklessly—his priority was to capture the enemy. So he continued sweeping the capital with his senses, occasionally teleporting civilians out of danger using Boogie Woogie whenever he detected life-threatening situations, all while attempting to pinpoint the hidden enemy.
El's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Eye of the Midnight Sun…" he muttered under his breath. "What a creepy name."
The next moment, his figure vanished.
He reappeared few meters away, Murasame sword already drawn, striking toward what seemed like empty space—but just before the blade could pass through empty air, a hand materialized, catching Murasame mid-strike with precise timing.
For a brief moment, silence lingered between them.
Then, slowly, the figure began to reveal itself its invisibility wearing off.
Holding Murasame sword before El was a man in a loose white robe marked with the symbol of Eye of the Midnight Sun. He looked lean and fragile, with a lazy posture that made him seem uninterested in everything around him.
His long, messy hair covered his forehead, but not well enough—El could still make out the faint outline of a third eye hidden beneath it.
"What the heck… you actually have a third eye?" El let out a short laugh, shaking his head as he looked straight at the man who was holding his sword with his bare hands. "I thought your organization's name was just creepy—but looking at you now… Guess it makes sense."
"What a drag…" Rhya muttered lazily, his voice devoid of urgency as he casually shook the sword still caught in his grip. The force traveled through the sword, jolting El's arm and pushing him backward in the air.
'Spatial Magic, invisibility magic & abnormal strength... How many magic does he possess?' El thought.
"I told them I'm not suited for these diplomatic talks… especially not with smartasses who open conversations with violence." El steadied himself, his gaze sharp.
"Am I the one resorting to violence?" he replied coldly. "You might want to check those three eyes of yours. You attacked us first."
Below them, the brief pause in battle resumed as another wave of zombies surged forward, stronger and more aggressive than before, reigniting chaos across the Noble Realm.
Rhya barely glanced downward.
"Who said this was a diplomatic discussion between the Clover Kingdom and us?" he said with a faint yawn. "This isn't a negotiation… it's a warning to you and heart kingdom."
For the first time, his gaze sharpened slightly.
A subtle weight entered his voice.
"Stay away from this battle. Your interference… will involve the Heart Kingdom in this conflict."
El's expression didn't change, but his aura subtly shifted.
"Well… those were our leader's exact words," Rhya said, his tone losing whatever seriousness it had as he stretched lazily. "Now hurry up and give me your answer so I can head back and get some much-needed uuwahhh…"
The yawn escaped him midway, completely ruining any hint of built up intimidation.
"I won't be giving you any answer," El said coldly. "Because you're not leaving this place… even if you are just a messenger."
El raised his hand.
Blue lightning gathered instantly—violent and crackling with destructive force, condensing into a spear, a B-Rank ability he had obtained after defeating Luck.
[Lightning Bolt]
A hundred million volts tore through the sky.
The thunderclap exploded as the spear surged toward Rhya—
But just before the attack could connect, a spatial portal unfolded in front of him, swallowing the lightning whole and redirecting it toward the Silver Eagles Captain below.
The bolt tore through the air straight for Nozel Silva's head, but a shield of mercury surged upward, covering him completely and halting the attack in its tracks.
Rhya exhaled, half-lidded eyes watching the aftermath.
"Look what you've caused…" he muttered as everyone's attention was now focused on him.
El's gaze hardened at the waste of 500 Xeni coins.
"I was told things might turn out like this…" he continued. "And if they did…"
An intense golden light began to emit from his body.
"…I should show you a little demonstration of our power."
His third eye snapped open, glowing faint blue as his mana flared up around him.
Across the Noble Realm, every captain and magic knight paused and looked up, while El faced the incoming attack ready to teleport at any given moment.
But before anyone could act—
Black waves of instantaneous Spatial magic surged from the ground upward consuming all the fighting squads.
In the blink of an eye, All the captain alongwith their squadmates were swallowed and transported away.
El's eyes widened slightly.
"…Second spatial mage?"
He had been played.
His senses flared outward, locking onto another spatial mage near Asta's group.
"Tch…"
Rhya stretched lazily, already turning away.
"Well… I guess my job here is done. I'll be—"
A spatial portal opened in front of him, but before he could step through—
Clap.
Rhya's position was swapped with a mana-infused stone floating in front of El which he summoned just now.
Rhya's eyes widened but the next moment, a powerful kick slammed into his abdomen sending him flying.
The force sent him crashing downward like a streak of light, tearing through the air before smashing into the ground near Asta and the others, leaving behind a small crater.
El appeared on the ground a second later, his gaze fixed sharply on the impact site.
His expression didn't relax.
'Too light…'
He had put all his strength into that strike—but not enough to produce that kind of result.
He wasn't Asta who was capable of destroying boulders with a single kick.
The way Rhya landed, this guy was still playing with him…
A deliberate act to lower his guard.
'This guy… is more troublesome than I thought.' He thought as both men eyed each other.