Alysa flew over the arena to investigate the smoke. She said, "This smoke is way too thick. Something is wrong."
Licht shouted, "Everyone, get out of here!" As he rushed toward the audience seating, he added, "Roy, use your stars to teleport everyone out of here!"
As everyone tried to escape through the exits, they realized something was wrong—the arena itself was in a different space, and normal attacks weren't working. While Alysa tried to fly up, she hit her head on the ceiling and discovered that the "sky" above wasn't a sky at all—it was a wall.
Alysa said, "Let's try to remove the smoke. Gravity Magic: Gravity Breeze!" She launched a condensed gravity arrow, which cleared the smoke on the arena floor temporarily, but it quickly returned to its original state.
Alysa attempted to contact Lucifer and the others using her communicator, but it wasn't working.
Lucifer said, "Everyone, quiet down. Here's the plan. Celestio, you and Masaki try to break the spatial magic barrier."
Celestio said, "Understood."
Masaki added, "On it."
Lucifer continued, "Faiz, use your wind magic to try and clear as much of the smoke as possible."
Faiz responded, "On it!"
Licht said, "If it's a spatial magic barrier, my light magic should be able to damage it. Light Magic: Gradient Slash!" The attack tore through the spatial rift, but it quickly healed itself.
Licht yelled, "Everyone, assemble near the exits!" He had sensed something.
Meanwhile, at the exits, Celestio and Masaki arrived. Celestio shouted, "Summon Holy Relic: Kusanagi no Tsurugi!" A katana appeared. "Spatial Magic: Absolute Slash!" He managed to create a tear in space where the exit was.
Licht sensed an unholy presence in the smoke. "Everyone, stay away from the smoke—it contains traces of poison!" he warned. He flew down into the arena field and began circling.
Faiz's tornado wasn't strong enough to absorb all the smoke, so Licht began flying faster and faster. "Light Magic: Rival Tempest!" A tornado of light was created—strong enough to suck in all the poison.
Celestio said, "Oh, it can heal? Then I'll just have to rip it open until everyone escapes! Everyone, get ready to run! I can only keep the exits open for about two minutes!"
Masaki and Roy replied, "That will be our chance to get everyone out!"
Celestio shouted, "Spatial Magic: Absolute Slash Barrage!" The exits were repeatedly slashed before they could heal. Roy used his stars—a type of teleportation booth—by placing one star on the outside and others on the inside. He teleported everyone out using this link.
While civilians ran outside, Masaki used his thunder magic to carry the weak and wounded to safety. In those two minutes, every civilian in the arena was evacuated—only the knights remained.
During that brief moment, as Licht was holding off the poisonous smoke, he sensed something. Drawing his rapier, he moved at the speed of light and struck down one of the civilians.
Roy yelled, "What are you doing, Captain?!"
Licht responded, "He was the one creating the smoke."
Meanwhile, Astrea and Anew were still stuck in the smoke.
Licht commanded, "Astrea and Faiz, you have to use your magic to condense the smoke so it doesn't spread. I'll use that moment to trap it!"
They responded, "Yes, sir!"
Faiz said, "Wind Magic: Raging Hurricane!"
Astrea followed, "Spin Magic: Zephyr Sing!"
A combined attack formed: Wind x Spin Magic — Zeus's Divine Hurricane. The tornado was so strong that it even began to suck in parts of the arena itself, including all the poisonous smoke.
Licht said, "Light Magic—!"
Elizabeth shouted, "Now! Ice Magic: Glacier Slash!"
Her ice attack touched the tornado and froze it instantly.