Inside the Ice Crystal Nest, Ryoma felt his magic power draining faster than he had anticipated.
Although the opponents were also expending a huge amount, there were four of them.
He was alone.
A prolonged battle would definitely be disadvantageous to him.
"Tsk."
Ryoma clicked his tongue again.
He had to find a way to break this stalemate, otherwise, he would definitely be the first to fall.
At the same time, outside the ice nest, Heath's frustration had reached its peak.
No matter how he urged his magic power, that damned ice shell just wouldn't break.
The opponent's magic power was too much, wasn't it?
He glanced at his three subordinates beside him, who were pale and had expended a great deal of magic power, and the anger in his heart intensified.
"Useless!"
"All of you are useless!"
"Four people! There are four of us! Yet we're being held up here by some guy who appeared out of nowhere!"
Heath's roar made the three members tremble, but they dared not refute him in the slightest, only gritting their teeth and continuing to output magic power.
Heath's crimson gaze was fixed on the huge ice nest, his mind racing.
No!
He couldn't keep this up!
Even if they managed to wear him down in the end, their own magic power would be nearly depleted, and if more Magic Knights arrived, they would be finished. They had to get the magic stone quickly.
An idea flashed through his mind.
He suddenly turned his head and roared at the subordinate who used Water Magic, "You! Forget about this place! Go into the village first and find the magic stone!"
"As soon as you get the magic stone, immediately go back and call for reinforcements!"
"Yes, Heath-sama!"
The Water Magister felt as if he had been granted a great pardon. He immediately stopped attacking the ice nest, and turned to rush towards the depths of the village.
However, just then...
A sudden change occurred.
"Hmm?"
Heath suddenly looked up, towards the direction of the village entrance.
The dense fog barrier that enveloped the entire village was torn open, as if by something brutal, creating a gap.
...
Outside Sosshi.
Magna stared at the village shrouded in an eerie mist, stunned.
Boom! Rumble!
From deep within the fog, violent magical roars and explosions faintly echoed.
"Oh no!"
Magna's expression instantly changed.
Without thinking, he threw the huge wild boar he was carrying on his shoulder to the ground. He transformed into a flash of fire and rushed towards the village.
"Magna-senpai!"
Asta immediately dropped his wild boar and followed closely behind.
Upon reaching the village entrance, Magna had Asta use his demon-slayer sword to clear the path.
Whoosh!
The dark greatsword slashed through, and a large area of thick fog was instantly dispersed, forcefully carving out a passage.
"Well done, Asta!" Magna's voice sounded from behind.
"Yes!"
Asta no longer hesitated, wielding his demon-slayer sword, continuously cutting through the surging mist.
Magna, relying on his familiarity with the area, guided the direction from behind.
The three of them, in an unreasonable manner, quickly pushed towards the plaza.
Soon, they saw it!
They saw that huge Ice Crystal Nest!
They saw the four figures frantically attacking the ice nest!
And they also saw, inside the ice nest, that familiar Black Bulls cloak, supporting everything and protecting all the villagers.
Magna's eyes instantly turned red. An uncontrollable rage erupted from his chest.
"You bastards… how dare you do such a thing!!!"
He suddenly stopped, and the remaining magic power in his hands furiously condensed.
"Explosive Buckshot!!!"
Amidst his roar, countless scorching fireballs, like a storm of wind and rain, shot out from his hands. They instantly cut through the mist, engulfing the three Eye of the Midnight Sun members who were besieging the ice nest.
This sudden attack caused Heath and the others' expressions to change drastically.
"Who's there?!"
The Water Magister who was about to go look for the magic stone bore the brunt of it. He had no time to react and was fiercely struck by dozens of fireballs.
"Ahhhhh!"
Amidst his screams, he was instantly sent flying backward, his body scorched black.
The other two members hastily dodged, their formation instantly thrown into disarray.
"It's not over yet!" Asta's roar followed closely.
Wielding his demon-slayer sword, he leaped past Magna and charged towards Heath with astonishing speed.
Facing the ice spikes Heath instinctively shot at him, Asta paid no mind. He swung the black greatsword in his hand, and in an instant, he shattered all the ice spikes flying towards him.
Reinforcements!
It's the Black Bulls' reinforcements!
Inside the ice nest, Ryoma felt the sudden relief of pressure, and his taut nerves finally relaxed for a moment.
He looked up, and through the ice wall, he saw the two familiar figures.
These two guys… they arrived quite quickly.
Ryoma's lips curved slightly upwards, and he stopped channeling magic power to the ice nest.
He stepped out, and his figure reappeared outside the ice nest.
"Ryoma! Are you alright?!" Asta rushed to his side, asking with concern.
"I'm not dead."
Ryoma glanced at him, then turned his gaze to Magna nearby.
"Thanks, Magna."
"Less talk!"
Magna straightened up, grinning. The brief exchange lasted only an instant.
Ryoma's gaze returned to Heath, whose face was extremely grim.
"Asta, Magna, you two tie up the other two."
"As for these two…"
Ryoma's gaze fixed on Heath and the injured Water Magister who had just gotten up from the ground.
"Leave them to me."
No questions, no hesitation.
"Alright!"
"Leave it to me!"
Magna and Asta responded simultaneously, instantly rushing towards their targets.
The battlefield was split.
Heath's face was as ugly as could be. He hadn't imagined the Black Bulls' reinforcements to arrive so quickly.
The mission… failed!
Not only did it fail, but their identities might also be exposed.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Heath was filled with rage and resentment.
But Ryoma was no longer going to give him any chances.
"Then, Round Two, begins."
The moment his words fell, Ryoma's figure vanished.
Path of Frozen Dust!
The moisture in the air instantly condensed into a path of frost, extending behind Heath and the Water Magister at a speed difficult for the naked eye to catch.
So fast!
Heath's pupils constricted.
Just as he was about to turn around, an extreme chill already assailed him from behind.
Ryoma's figure appeared like a ghost between the two of them. He didn't use any complex magic, just a simple punch and a kick.
However, his fist, enveloped in extreme cold, slammed fiercely into the Water Magister's abdomen. And his tiptoe, condensed with a sharp ice blade, carrying a bone-chilling wind, kicked towards Heath's calf.
Bang! Bang!
Two muffled thuds sounded almost simultaneously.
The Water Magister didn't even have time to scream. His entire body instantly curled, his abdominal clothes instantly freezing. Then he flew backward, falling heavily to the ground, completely losing his ability to fight.
Heath reacted slightly faster, instantly condensing an ice shield.
Crack!
The ice shield shattered on impact. The sharp ice blade cut through his leg, leaving a deep, bone-visible wound on his calf.
"Ah!"
The sharp pain made Heath let out a scream, his body staggering.
With a successful strike, Ryoma did not stop.
Ice Blossom Storm!
He spread his hands, and a storm of ice crystals, more violent and denser than any before, instantly erupted around him.
Countless tiny, sharp ice crystals engulfed Heath, who had just managed to steady himself.
"Ahhhhh!"
A shrill scream sounded from the center of the storm.
Heath's clothes were instantly shredded, and dense bloody marks appeared all over his skin.
His Ice Magic, which he prided himself on, seemed extremely vulnerable at this moment.
"No… no… how could I lose…"
"How could I lose to a mere Black Bull trash!!!"
The dual blow to his body and mind completely shattered Heath's sanity.
He felt his life force rapidly draining, and he felt his subordinates on the other two sides being suppressed by Asta and Magna.
Failure.
Complete failure.
A frantic desire for destruction instantly consumed all his thoughts.
"Lose?"
"I won't lose!"
"If I'm going to die… let's die together!!!"
Heath let out a non-human shriek, suddenly picking up his grimoire.
Buzz!
A terrifying magic power, far exceeding anything before, filled with ominous and destructive aura, erupted from his body. The wounds on his body stopped bleeding and instead began to emit ice-blue light particles.
That was his life force!
He was drawing on his own life, regardless of the cost, to unleash his final magic.