The cave was no longer a cave; it was a kaleidoscope of death.
Licht didn't just fire one arrow this time. He unleashed a rainstorm. "Light Magic: Arrows of Judgment - Barrage."
Hundreds of beams of light curved through the air, moving at speeds that defied logic. They weren't just straight shots anymore; Licht was bouncing them off the remaining ice crystals, creating a web of lasers that left no room for error.
"Defensive formation!" Lencar roared.
He stepped in front of Sister Theresa, his Mana-Conduit Claymore becoming a blur of orange motion. He wasn't trying to block them all—that was impossible. He was using [Vector Perception] to predict the trajectory of the ones that would kill.
Parry. Sidestep. Deflect. Duck.
Ting-ting-ting-ting!
Sparks flew like fireworks. Every impact sent a shockwave through Lencar's arm, threatening to dislocate his shoulder. But Theresa's [Solar Sanctuary] was working. Every time his mana dipped, her zone replenished it. Every micro-tear in his muscle fibers was healed instantly.
"Fire Magic: Spiral Wall!" Lencar spun, creating a vortex of flame that swallowed a cluster of arrows aimed at Neige.
On his left, Asta was a chaotic whirlwind. "Raaaargh!" He swung the massive Demon-Slayer sword wildly, its broad surface acting as a shield. The anti-magic erased the light beams on contact, creating pockets of safety in the storm.
"Gauche! Now!" Lencar shouted.
Gauche saw the opening. Licht had paused for a microsecond to adjust his aim.
"Mirror Magic: Reflected Ray!"
A beam of light shot from Gauche's mirror, aimed at Licht's blind spot. But Licht didn't even turn. He simply drifted to the left, moving faster than the eye could follow.
"Too slow," Licht stated. "Your reflection is flawed."
He pointed a finger at Gauche. A beam of light pierced Gauche's shoulder before he could raise a defense.
"GAAH!" Gauche cried out, dropping out of the air and crashing into the mud.
"Gauche!" Marie screamed from the tunnel entrance.
Lencar grit his teeth. He's toying with us. He's a Stage 0 Mage. Even with Theresa's buff, we're just delaying the inevitable.
He watched Licht raise his hand again. The mana gathering there was denser, sharper. This was a finishing move.
I have to make a choice, Lencar thought, time seeming to slow down as his analytical mind took over. I can open the Third Gate. I can go full Heretic Mode, use the Anti-Magic coating I stole from the dungeon, and try to blitz him. But if I do that... I expose everything. The Eye of the Midnight Sun will mark me as a priority target higher than a Captain. My life as a 'restaurant owner' ends today.
Or...
He looked at Asta. The boy was exhausted, panting, his sword dragging in the mud. He was wide open.
Or I trust the timeline.
Lencar saw the next attack forming. It was a single, massive spear of light, aimed directly at Asta's heart.
Trajectory confirmed. Lethality: 100%.
Lencar could stop it. He could throw his sword. He could cast a blast to knock Asta away. But he hesitated. He deliberately allowed a 0.5-second delay in his reaction time. He feigned a stumble, his leg buckling under the "exhaustion."
"Asta! Dodge!" Lencar screamed, reaching out a hand that he knew would be too short.
The spear of light fired.
Asta looked up, his eyes widening. He tried to lift his sword, but his arms were too heavy. The light filled his vision.
I'm gonna die? Asta thought. No... not yet...
Just as the light was about to pierce his chest, the space directly above Asta tore open. It wasn't a clean opening; it looked like reality had been slashed with a serrated knife.
A massive, hulking figure stepped out of the void. He held a katana that radiated a darkness so deep it seemed to drink the light around it.
"Dark Magic: Lightless Slash."
The man didn't block the light; he cut it. With a lazy, almost bored swing of his katana, he sliced through Licht's spell. The spear of light didn't deflect; it was absorbed, swallowed by the black aura coating the blade.
The remnants of the light spell dissipated into harmless sparks.
Silence fell over the crater.
The man stood there, taking a slow drag from a cigarette that was somehow still lit despite the spatial travel. He wore the robe of the Black Bulls over one shoulder, his muscles thick as tree trunks. He exhaled a cloud of smoke, scratching the back of his head with the tip of his sword.
"Man," Yami Sukehiro grumbled, his voice like gravel grinding together. "I step out for a smoke break and a dump, and suddenly Finral tells me my ride is getting wrecked in a cave. Can't a guy get five minutes of peace?"
Asta stared up at the Captain, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "Captain Yami!"
Yami looked down at Asta, then scanned the battlefield. He saw the destroyed roof, the glass floor, the injured Gauche, the defiant Sister Theresa, and finally, Lencar, who was slowly getting back to his feet with a look of calculated relief.
"Looks like you kids had a hell of a party," Yami muttered. "You even invited a disco ball."
He turned his gaze to Licht. The casual slouch vanished. Yami's ki spiked, a terrifying, suffocating pressure that rivaled Licht's own.
Licht stared at Yami, his expression hardening. "Dark Magic... That katana... You are an irregularity in this world."
"And you're the guy glowing like a lightbulb," Yami retorted, pointing his katana at the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun. "You hurt my squad members. You messed up a nice old lady. And worst of all..."
Yami's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"...You made me do overtime."
Lencar leaned against his sword, letting out a long breath he had been holding for ten minutes. Variable: Captain Yami. Status: Arrived. Probability of survival increased to 99%.
He watched as the two titans of magic squared off—Light against Dark, Speed against Power.
"Hey, Lencar," Asta whispered, crawling over to him. "Is it me, or did the air just get heavier?"
"It's not just you, Asta," Lencar replied, watching Yami's darkness flare. "Sit back and watch. This is what the top of the food chain looks like."