At Black Bulls headquarters, several days had passed since their return from the underwater temple.
Asta, his arm still in a sling, entered the headquarters, finding it unusually quiet. Only Yami sat on the sofa, reading a newspaper.
Asta curiously asked, "Captain Yami, isn't anyone else here?"
Yami, holding a cigarette, replied, "Who knows? Maybe they're slacking off somewhere."
Looking at Asta, Yami sighed inwardly. He knew exactly where everyone was: Magna and Luck were exploring a dangerous Magic Palace; Charmy and Grey were on a "food-gathering training mission"; Finral and Gordon were at the royal library; Vanessa, Noelle, and Gauche were investigating clues about the magic stones. Everyone seemed busy.
Yami understood that, regardless of their words, they were all striving to become stronger, motivated by the short mage and another newcomer.
In the underwater temple battle, Drake, a newcomer, had displayed immense power, shaming the veterans. The shame of watching their juniors fight while they could only observe fueled their desire to improve.
In Asta, they saw unwavering determination; he'd erased despair from their dictionaries. With these two newcomers, they wouldn't slack off.
'Speaking of Drake… I haven't seen him in a while,' Yami thought, but didn't say it aloud. Drake had disappeared after returning from headquarters and missed the mission debrief.
Yami assumed Drake was training; he wouldn't stop striving for strength.
Several things happened after the mission, most importantly the debrief. Yami and Asta went to headquarters to deliver the magic stones and submit a detailed report.
Drake, a key figure in the fight against Vetto, also went to the debrief, at his own request. He specifically mentioned Vetto's curse magic, hinting to the Wizard King to investigate the elves, based on the royal family's records that slandered the elves as demonic beings intent on monopolizing magic.
Taking Asta was to get the headquarters' medical mages to treat his injured arm. Asta's arm had been severely damaged by Vetto; the bones were shattered. It was far better than in the original story, where both his arms were destroyed.
The capital's medical mages were skilled; his arm was nearly healed, awaiting complete bone regeneration. Unfortunately, the Diamond Kingdom invaded; Asta caused further damage, leaving his arm bandaged.
Yami was only half right; Drake was training but also plotting. The underwater temple mission was a success; Asta wasn't severely injured; others had grown stronger.
But Drake hadn't saved Kahono and Kiato. He wasn't close to them and didn't blame himself; he was frustrated that he hadn't completely changed fate.
His strength was still insufficient; if he'd defeated the lock magic user faster, he might have saved them.
Drake realized he'd passively followed Asta's storyline. He subconsciously feared altering the original plot and losing his foresight, hence his passivity.
He realized that continuing this passivity would lead to a similar outcome. He wanted change but feared it; he needed to abandon this weakness.
He'd begun his actions; hinting to the Wizard King about the elves was part of it.
The Grand Magic Zone, Ultime-Volcano Mountain Trail! Drake returned to train. The battle had been a catalyst for growth. After Vetto, Drake felt significant improvement, especially after pushing his limits; his magic power and physical abilities had surged. Dragon Blood Mode was more stable and longer-lasting.
Drake was inside the volcano, aiming to master Magic Territory, an advanced Magic Skin technique.
With Magic Territory, mages could freely manipulate magic within the area: attacking enemies from all directions, levitating, or even controlling natural mana to replenish their magic or suppress enemies.
Mereoleona Vermillion was the first to demonstrate Magic Territory's power. She'd trained Yami; even he called her "Big Sis." In her Magic Territory, even elves, favored by magic, lost control of natural mana. She could have defeated the fully awakened Rhya if not for fighting four opponents.
Drake wanted this skill and trained in this dangerous place. Ultime-Volcano Mountain Trail's formation was due to a massive underground mana heat source; the intense fire mana melted the rocks, creating the volcano.
The deeper Drake went into the volcano, the hotter it became. While Magic Skin allowed movement outside, inside the cave, any disruption would lead to incineration.
Drake adjusted his breathing, accelerating his magic flow, and moved deeper.
Another reason for choosing this location was…
Lava surged; a lava giant appeared.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Beat!"
Drake's flames shattered half the giant, turning it back into lava. Drake rested briefly and continued.
This Grand Magic's depths held creatures, elemental beings like the lava giant and other unique organisms. They possessed strong bodies and high fire resistance. Even Drake needed effort to defeat them.
He hadn't found the Magic Palace deep within the volcano. It only contained treasures and a magical tool that transformed animals into beasts; not finding it wasn't a loss.
Drake wanted to fight the beast spider; escaping Mereoleona suggested it was a strong opponent.
"It's scorching hot here; I can't sleep!"
A voice reached Drake; he wasn't surprised.
"Finally. I thought you'd arrive sooner," Drake said, turning to see the languid man.
"Oh my! I thought I'd fallen for a Magic Knight trap!" Rhya, one of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, said.
Drake waved his hand. "Not a trap, but your presence here was intentional."
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