The sun shone brightly over the Clover Kingdom. The citizens bustled in the streets, celebrating the victory over the devil, their fear momentarily replaced by relief. News of the defeat of Zagred spread like wildfire across the entire kingdom. Statues were raised, songs were sung, and the names of the heroes echoed everywhere.
But beneath the joyful surface, a more dangerous game was still unfolding.
---
Inside the Akatsuki Base
Avi stood before his intricate dimensional map, tracing glowing mana threads connecting recent events. His mind was focused, calm, and calculating.
Avi (thought):
"The Shadow Palace incident went smoothly. I preserved the canon timeline with small adjustments. Fuegoleon is alive. Asta and Yuno's powers have grown. The devils have been exposed early, though not fully. But Lucius… Lucius is the real threat who now watches more closely."
Behind him, Asta and Yuno entered, still radiating battle energy from their victory.
Asta (grinning):
"Old man! Did you see us? We beat that creepy devil!"
Yuno (serious but faintly smiling):
"We were lucky. And someone… someone was helping us. I could feel it."
Avi turned with a calm smile.
Avi:
"You both exceeded expectations. But the path ahead only grows darker. Devils were but one thread of this world's fabric. Other players have yet to reveal themselves."
Asta (frowning):
"Other players? Like who?"
Avi (with a cryptic tone):
"You'll know when it's time."
---
Elsewhere - In the Golden Dawn headquarters
William Vangeance sat silently in his chamber, deeply troubled by recent events. His past mistakes with Patolli haunted him. Just then, Julius (or rather Lucius in disguise) appeared.
Lucius (smiling kindly):
"William, how are you holding up?"
William (bowing):
"My Lord Wizard King… I failed my squad. My connection to the elves—"
Lucius waved his hand.
Lucius:
"No. You've grown stronger from it. Everything happened as it was meant to. Continue guiding your squad. There are greater challenges ahead."
Inside, Lucius' true mind calculated every move.
Lucius (thought):
"Asta, Yuno… and now this strange Akatsuki faction. Unknown variables. I must know who truly pulls these strings."
---
Avi's Secret Dimensional Chamber
Later that night, away from Asta and Yuno, Avi retreated into a hidden sub-space within the Akatsuki base where only he and his system could access.
System Notification:
[Host successfully diverted major timeline deviations. Status: STABLE]
[New threats emerging. Spade Kingdom Devil Hosts detected.]
Avi (thought):
"The Dark Triad will soon rise. Lucifero, Beelzebub, Megicula… the gates to the underworld are waiting to open."
He summoned an astral projection of the Spade Kingdom's underground laboratories. Cultists were already gathering devil artifacts, infusing humans with forbidden contracts. A twisted tree of life, powered by devil mana, grew beneath the royal castle.
Avi (calm but cold):
"The clock ticks toward the true war."
Then another thought crossed his mind.
Avi (thought):
"I must prepare my own contingency. If Lucius intends to create a perfect world… then I'll become the unseen god ensuring balance."
---
Next Morning — Royal Capital Magic Knight Headquarters
A high-level meeting was convened by Julius (Lucius). All Magic Knight Captains were present, including Yami, Nozel, Charlotte, Fuegoleon, Dorothy, Jack, Kaiser, and for the first time officially, Asta as Captain of the Akatsuki Squad.
Lucius (smiling):
"First, let me congratulate everyone on our victory against the devil threat. But we must not grow complacent. Darkness stirs beyond our borders."
The room grew serious.
Nozel (stoic):
"You speak of the Spade Kingdom?"
Lucius:
"Yes. Intelligence suggests that the Spade Kingdom has fallen under the control of a secretive triad of mages wielding devil powers. Their strength rivals even our captains."
Charlotte (worried):
"If they attempt to open the underworld gates…"
Yami (gruff):
"Tch. So it ain't over yet."
Fuegoleon (firm):
"Let them come. We'll be ready."
Avi, sitting calmly beside Asta, analyzed every word.
Avi (thought):
"This meeting… Lucius is controlling it to align with his plan. He wants the captains distracted by the Dark Triad while he prepares his own move."
---
Later — Akatsuki Private Meeting
Back in their secret base, Asta, Yuno, and Avi discussed the new threat.
Asta (pumping his fist):
"Devil hosts in the Spade Kingdom? If they're that dangerous, we should just go there and take them down now!"
Yuno (calmer):
"Recklessness will only make things worse. We need to plan."
Avi nodded approvingly.
Avi:
"Correct. Besides, you both still need to grow. The Dark Triad isn't just about strength — they hold political power, devil contracts, and armies."
He pointed at the dimensional map now updated with enemy positions.
Avi:
"We'll gather intelligence first. And quietly disrupt their preparations."
Avi (thought):
"I'll ensure their rituals collapse before they even begin."
---
Secret Mission - Spade Kingdom Border
Using his system's cloaking techniques, Avi sent one of his advanced wood clones accompanied by multiple projection familiars to infiltrate the Spade Kingdom's outer regions. The clone observed the Triad's subordinates gathering sacrifices for devil rituals.
In one instance, the clone sabotaged one of their devil energy conduits, causing a magical feedback explosion that slowed their preparation by several weeks. Nobody suspected interference.
Avi (thought):
"Minor shifts. Enough to destabilize them without drawing attention. Every delay limits Lucius' advantage."
---
Night — Avi's Inner Sanctuary
Avi finally opened a private channel with his system.
Avi (serious):
"System, initiate Project Mirage."
System Response:
[Confirmed. Begin constructing deep multi-layered dimensional barriers. Host's true power signature will be further masked even from higher devils.]
Avi (thought):
"No matter how powerful Lucius or the devils become, they must never see my full hand."
His manipulative smile widened as he stared into the shimmering dimensions forming above his hand.
Avi (softly):
"This world belongs to my game board now."
---
Far Away — Lucius' Secret Chamber
At the same time, Lucius stared into a crystal ball, observing the world with his time magic visions. But whenever his sight shifted toward Akatsuki's base or its true dimensional core — static distortion always appeared.
Lucius (thought, narrowing his eyes):
"Someone powerful hides behind this Akatsuki squad. Someone I still cannot see. But I will. Eventually."
He smiled as his devil heart pulsed with corrupted energy.
Lucius (softly):
"All according to my vision."
---
[To Be Continued...]