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A Dangerous Calm
As the battlefield in the Spade Kingdom trembled under the strain of magic beyond comprehension, a strange silence settled for a brief moment. High above, dark clouds swirled around the portal, where new devils attempted to descend, while below, Clover Kingdom knights took this rare pause to catch their breath.
But behind the scenes, the real war continued.
Inside his hidden dimensional chamber, Avi Caesar stood surrounded by countless holographic panels, threads of simulations running simultaneously.
> [System Report: Dimensional Stability — 78%]
[Parallel Probability Branching: 4,328 active threads]
Every event playing out was one Avi had seen unfold in thousands of variations. He was no longer just manipulating individuals—he was warping reality itself, guiding the outcome toward a controlled endgame. The problem was: Lucius had finally begun seeing through it.
Avi (murmuring):
"Now, you've finally started catching glimpses, Lucius. But that's only the first move in a very long game."
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Lucius' Countermeasure
On the far end of the battlefield, Lucius Zogratis hovered calmly as if untouched by the surrounding chaos. His siblings, the Dark Triad, were still engaged with various captains and squads.
Lucius smiled faintly.
Lucius (thinking):
"You hide well, Avi Caesar. I must admit, you've become more troublesome than I expected."
He activated another layer of his temporal magic, expanding his surveillance field to scan the multiverse threads Avi manipulated.
> [Temporal Domain Expanded — Multi-Path Observation Active]
For a moment, he saw Avi's influence flicker—thousands of puppet strings tugging at fate. But trying to follow all of them simultaneously was impossible, even for him.
Lucius (murmuring):
"Still, you can't help but protect them. That is your weakness."
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The Devil Monarch Awakens
Meanwhile, in the deepest abyss of the underworld, the Devil Monarch — a being even more ancient and powerful than Lucifero — opened its eyes fully for the first time in centuries.
> [System Alert: High-Level Threat Awakening — Level: Unknown]
The oppressive aura began leaking into the material plane. Even from the dimensional chamber, Avi could sense its presence.
Devil Monarch (in a voice that transcended dimensions):
"I see you, puppet master. You interfere with my dominion. Intriguing."
Avi (responding calmly):
"You're awakening ahead of schedule. But rest assured — this is still my stage."
The monarch's laughter echoed across realities.
Devil Monarch:
"Your web of fate is impressive. But no web can bind the void forever."
---
The Field Shifts
Back on the battlefield, Asta, Yuno, Noelle, and several captains continued pressing forward. With each fight, Avi's influence subtly ensured they landed killing blows at the last possible moment, preserving strength while avoiding irreversible injuries.
Fuegoleon, still fighting fiercely with Salamander, paused when a dangerous ripple struck him. For a brief instant, time slowed — Lucius' subtle attack tried altering fate directly against him.
Avi instantly countered from afar.
> [Dimensional Correction Engaged]
[System Stabilization Injected — Timeline Secured]
Fuegoleon gasped as Salamander flared up, breaking Lucius' minor time manipulation.
Fuegoleon (panting):
"Another close one… These moments feel too lucky. Someone is guiding us."
Nacht, observing from shadows nearby, narrowed his eyes.
Nacht (thinking):
"I can feel your hand, Avi. Still unseen, still unchallenged, but always present."
---
Inside the Akatsuki Dimensional Base
Within Avi's private dimensional base — the Akatsuki stronghold — multiple puppets and clones managed logistics. Massive healing arrays, artifact production, and resource allocation functioned on autopilot.
Yuno briefly entered through a portal, his eyes weary but determined.
Yuno:
"Avi, the captains have stabilized the western front. But the eastern side is slipping. The devils there are starting to overwhelm Rill and Charlotte's squads."
Avi calmly nodded, eyes still locked on dozens of screens.
Avi:
"Deploy Squad Epsilon. Use contingency pattern three. If necessary, release the secondary recovery field. No more casualties on that front."
Without hesitation, several puppets responded, executing his commands with machine precision.
---
Yami's Growing Suspicion
Meanwhile, Yami Sukehiro fought alongside Jack and Mereoleona. The sheer volume of devils was starting to take a toll even on their endurance.
During a brief pause, Yami lit another cigarette, his sharp eyes scanning the unnatural shifts in battle flow.
Yami (thinking):
"This ain't normal… We're barely hanging on, but every time someone's about to drop, something changes. An attack misfires, a devil slips, or luck saves our asses."
He glanced toward the distant dimensional rift.
Yami (smirking):
"Only one bastard I know who'd pull strings like this. You still playing your secret little game, Avi?"
---
Lucius' Trap
Suddenly, Lucius enacted a more complex plan. He created a recursive time loop that targeted Noelle's Valkyrie Armor, forcing the same moment of vulnerability to repeat.
Each loop made it harder for Avi's puppets to correct her position. The magic manipulated probability itself, creating a death spiral scenario.
Lucius (thinking):
"Let's see how many threads you can sustain simultaneously, Avi Caesar."
Noelle gasped as the cursed spear approached once again.
---
Avi's Forced Response
Inside his chamber, Avi's expression darkened. This was an intentional test — Lucius was forcing him to act more directly, exposing larger parts of his influence web.
> [System Overload: Approaching Limit]
For the first time in this battle, Avi shifted his own direct energy into play.
> [Origin Energy Released: Sector 14]
A small, nearly invisible sphere of pure Origin Magic stabilized the loop entirely, breaking Lucius' recursive trap. The curse spear deflected off Noelle's armor, finally dispersing.
But Lucius noticed.
---
Lucius Smiles
Hovering high above, Lucius finally smiled fully.
Lucius (telepathic whisper):
"There you are again. Bit by bit, your strings unravel."
He couldn't see Avi directly yet — but every failed intervention clarified the boundaries of Avi's influence.
Lucius (whispering):
"You cannot sustain this web forever. Sooner or later, you'll be exposed."
---
A New Variable: The Monarch's Move
Just as Lucius tried to probe deeper, the Devil Monarch acted unexpectedly.
> [System Alert: Unscheduled Dimensional Fracture Detected!]
A new portal opened between realms — a crack Avi hadn't accounted for — and a high-ranking general of the Monarch forced its way into the material world.
Devil Monarch (telepathically):
"If you will play with my puppets, allow me to add my own to the board."
The monstrous creature, radiating pure void corruption, emerged near Yuno's front.
---
The New Threat Arrives
Yuno's eyes widened as the massive void beast materialized in front of him, its power rivaling even the devil lords they'd faced so far.
Yuno (thinking):
"I've never felt mana like this…"
The soldiers behind him faltered.
---
Avi's Emergency Move
Inside his chamber, Avi narrowed his eyes.
Avi (whispering):
"You're accelerating the game far too quickly, Monarch. But fine."
He activated a deep layer contingency he had kept hidden even from the Akatsuki database.
> [System Override Protocol Engaged: Origin Avatar - Class A Projection Authorized]
A highly advanced puppet — appearing as a shadowed cloaked figure — emerged directly onto the battlefield. This proxy was infused with a fragment of Avi's Origin Energy but not enough to reveal his true presence.
---
The Puppet vs. The Void General
The proxy figure extended its hand calmly as the void beast roared.
Without any visible movement, entire sectors of spatial energy collapsed around the beast, slicing its appendages with incomprehensible precision.
Yuno (whispering):
"…What… or who… is that?"
The Akatsuki puppet systematically dismantled the void general's body as if disassembling a broken toy. Within moments, the threat was neutralized.
But Lucius watched closely.
---
The Danger Increases
Lucius now knew that his hidden opponent possessed puppets capable of projecting considerable power without revealing their origin.
Lucius (thinking):
"You're walking a very fine line, Avi. The closer you come to direct intervention, the easier it becomes to trace you fully."
But Lucius wasn't the only one watching.
In the underworld, the Monarch observed with growing amusement.
Devil Monarch:
"You fascinate me, mortal. Shall we continue raising the stakes?"
---
The Balance Nears Collapse
Avi breathed heavily inside his dimension. Every major move required exponentially more power to maintain subtlety.
> [System Load: 91%]
Avi (whispering):
"I can't allow either Lucius or the Monarch full control. But the deeper I interfere… the higher the risk."
The true climax of this war was approaching.
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TO BE CONTINUED…