A trip to the Heart Kingdom

In the forsaken realm:

In an open area, Secre waved her hands creating a large barrier with Sealing Magic.

Licht hung in the sky, his hand raised, and a cascade of swords fell from above like a rain of stars upon Julian.

Meanwhile, the ground beneath him pulsated with Licht's mana, birthing another torrent of ethereal swords that streaked toward Julian.

Julian's Mangekyou Sharingan swirled as an image of the upcoming events surged into his mind.

His body danced to a future rhythm, a dance of evasion through the storm of blades, each step defiance of fate.

Though he managed to dodge most of the assault, a few swords grazed him.

Yet, a shimmering veil of space-time magic enveloped him, shielding him against harm with an otherworldly light.

"Predicting the future, moving my body to react with it, and using limitless at the same time is proving to be more difficult than I thought," Julian thought.

**Boom!** With a colossal explosion, Kirin's punch struck Julian's back, propelling him through the air like a leaf in a hurricane.

After his evolution, Kirin could manipulate his mana and completely blend with nature, making him undetectable.

Although Julian could sense him through KI, a moment of carelessness made him unable to react in time.

In an instant, Julian's body contorted, narrowly dodging Kirin's lightning-quick kick that tore through his protective shield.

"As I thought, the use of forbidden magic combined with magic-type attacks that reach a certain range can cut through Limitless," Julian realized.

Licht materialized, a sword of mana aimed at Julian's neck.

But an unseen force repelled the blade after halting it in mid-air.

Licht's blade transformed into a flurry of slashes, met by Julian's cascade of abyssal swords.

Each caused mini explosions and a display of black and white mana particles.

While Kirin still smoldered in Julian's dark flames, he launched an energy beam that cast a dim shadow across the world.

The mana around Julian condensed, birthing a small black orb of abyssal magic.

[Dark Magic: Cero]

The obsidian beam tore through Kirin's assault, vaporizing half his form in an instant.

[Ultimate Sword Magic: Dormant Demon's Blade]

Licht struck down his sword from above as if bringing down heaven on Julian, completely absorbing every particle of mana in the air.

An explosion erupted, Julian's Susanoo clashing with Licht's spell. The aftermath revealed Licht, battered and panting, a dark blade piercing his form. Kirin's lower half regenerated slowly amidst the smoldering flames.

Julian's Susanoo shattered, then rebirthed, its reconstruction swift. "I'm still not strong enough," Julian sighed, his words echoing in the aftermath.

Kirin and Licht gaped, confounded by Julian's proclamation as if he didn't just thrash a spirit and tank the strongest Elf Magic.

'No wonder why our ancestors praised the Ragnvindrs so much' Licht thought.

"I need to train more to constantly have Limitless active and keep up my body with the future vision," Julian resolved.

Julian snapped his fingers as Kirin and Licht's bodies started to heal.

Sensing a visitor, Secre disabled the barrier letting Lumiere, Asta, and Noelle enter the premises.

"While patrolling the port, we came across envoys of the Heart Kingdom.

They wish to seek an audience with you" Asta said to Julian.

"So we called Lumiere since you were not in your office.

Seeing all this destruction, no wonder why we couldn't reach you" Noelle smiled remembering the scene around the Black Bulls base after every training session.

"Thanks for informing us quickly you two." Julian thanked Asta and Noelle and turned to Lumiere.

Did you check their identities?" Julian asked Lumiere who took out a piece of paper.

"There are a total of five mages with one of them calling himself the spirit Guardian Gadjah," Lumiere said.

"Now that's a face I haven't seen in a long time"

*********************

There were three pathways to enter the Clover Kingdom from the Heart Kingdom.

The first was through the Grand Magic Zone, the second was by crossing the border, and the third was via the port, with the latter being the official route.

In a spacious room at the Magic Knight base near the port, Gadjah stood alongside four Heart Mages.

Gadjah held the position of Spirit Guardian in the Heart Kingdom, a rank similar to the Squad Captains of Clover or the Commanders of the Diamond Kingdom.

As the door swung open, Julian entered the room, trailed by Lumiere and Licht. They took their seats before Gadjah.

Julian's mere presence cast an air of tension in the room, putting the mages on edge. It was evident that the Heart Mages needed to carefully choose their words.

Gadjah, through his mastery of natural magic, sensed that the three individuals before him were extraordinary.

Julian was the first, having single-handedly vanquished a duke-ranked Devil. Second was Licht, the leader of the Elves, who still retained his formidable powers.

The third was Lumiere, the first Wizard King, possessing the ability to eliminate creatures like the ancient Demon.

"Congratulations on your appointment as Wizard King, Sir Julian," Gadjah acknowledged, with others following suit to congratulate Julian.

"Thank you...

It's been quite some time since we last crossed paths, Gadjah.

I trust you're faring well," Julian spoke with an air of leisure.

"Yes, I'm managing, but the situation in the Heart Kingdom is far from favorable," Gadjah responded with a solemn expression.

"Getting right to the point...

Share with me the issue at hand," Julian inquired.

"The Spade nation has initiated attacks on our Kingdom. Although it hasn't escalated into an all-out war, there's an estimation that an all-out war will commence in four months.

Our Queen is the linchpin of our military, but she has fallen victim to a curse, rendering her unable to lead effectively.

Furthermore, our forces are encountering consecutive defeats," Gadjah revealed.

"Your objective?" Julian questioned.

"We seek the aid of the Clover Kingdom's army to counter the Spade nation's forces," Gadjah stated.

"And what do we stand to gain?" Julian queried.

"At present, I lack the authority to negotiate the terms.

That's why our purpose here is to extend an invitation for you to meet our Queen," Gadjah explained.

"Let's assess…..

Your Queen has been afflicted by the Devil Megicula's curse, and her time is limited, correct?" Julian's words startled the Heart mages.

"Regardless of the source of my information, under Queen Loropechika's reign, the Heart Kingdom hasn't posed a threat to the Clover Kingdom. It would be regrettable if harm were to befall her.

We agree to the meeting. We shall depart within a few hours," Julian declared, offering some relief to the Heart Mages.

"Until then, all of you can take some time to rest," Julian said, exiting the room with Licht and Lumiere.

Gadjah heaved a sigh of relief as Julian's departure allowed him to finally exhale.

He never anticipated that the young boy he encountered a year prior would evolve into such a formidable force and ascend to the position of Wizard King in the Clover Kingdom.

'A Ragnvindr indeed.'

*******************

"Lumiere, please notify Headquarters of our imminent departure for the Heart Kingdom.

The individuals joining us include you, me, Licht, Secre, Asta, and Noelle.

Furthermore, inform them that a Priority 1 Captain's meeting is scheduled in three days so the King's, Head of court, and other's attendance are mandatory," Julian directed Lumiere.

"Secre, contact Marx and Julius; we must engage in discussions over the terms of negotiation."

"Licht, inform Asta and Noelle about our impending departure."

"Kirin, go spy on the Heart Mages."

In succession, Julian issued a series of directives and promptly engaged in his tasks.

It took some time for Julian to discuss everything with Marx and Julius but ultimately it was finalized.

In between the discussion he received from concerning news about the Diamond Kingdom from an informant but Julian decided to deal with it later.

With everything in place, it was finally time to leave for the Heart Kingdom.

****************

The mages of the Heart Kingdom arrived at the port by ship, so they decided to explore using the ship while enjoying the scenery.

On the way, the ship was attacked by multiple mana beasts, but Julian let Asta and Noelle handle them for combat experience.

He could use his mana pressure to ward off all the beasts, preventing them from approaching, but why would he do that? He had interesting things to watch.

Moreover, Licht could help Asta correct his sword techniques.

Upon entering the Heart Kingdom, Julian felt as if he had entered someone's mana zone, and eyes were upon him from all directions.

"It's the combination of mana zones of two entities, one is the great spirit Undine, and the other is most probably the Queen," Kirin said to Julian.

"Wasn't the first Queen Atlante's wife?" Julian asked.

"Yes, the first Queen was my master's wife. From what I know, unlike the other spirits who undergo death and rebirth, Undine has never died, so she probably retains all the memories for two thousand years," Kirin said.

"That's interesting. So, she must know what happened with the Ragnvindrs. Even though most of them couldn't activate Mangekyou Sharingan, they were not weak enough to be wiped out so easily."

The Heart Kingdom is characterized by its lush landscapes, dense forests, and abundant wildlife. It is a realm closely attuned to nature, and its people have a deep respect for the environment. The kingdom's culture is heavily influenced by its connection to the spirits of nature, and its people are well-versed in natural magic and spiritual practices.

The supreme ruler, or the Queen, is chosen through a special ritual that assesses the candidate's magical prowess and spiritual connection. The Queen is regarded as the protector of the kingdom and is granted immense magical power.

There was no city in sight, with most of the houses built among the trees, similar to the Witch Forest. The Witch Queen most likely took inspiration from the Heart Kingdom to construct the houses. Though there were no well-built roads, most of the significant areas were connected by water streams. The natural mana in the environment was almost endless, unlike in other kingdoms. No wonder Undine could keep an eye on the entire Kingdom.

Julian and the others got to see various natural wonders, such as multicolored towering trees, large transparent lakes, enormous mana beasts living in harmony, reverse waterfalls, etc. They also tried several delicacies that the natives of the Heart Kingdom provided, like Magic coconuts, which became sweeter depending on the amount of mana fed to them.

Finally, they reached the near castle, surrounded by a giant blue lake. At that moment, the natural mana around the mages of the Heart Kingdom transformed into floating letters as they disembarked from the boat with a burst of mana, except for Gadjah. Everyone noticed that it wasn't a mana zone, but it yielded the same result as the flash step of a mana zone.

"I will lead you to the Queen," Gadjah said as the ship moved toward the giant palace and stopped. Gadjah opened the castle door, and Julian entered the Queen's chamber with his subjects behind him.

Queen Loropechika sat on her throne with the Great Water Spirit Undine behind her. Gadjah went ahead and stood beside her.

Lolopechka is a young woman with long black hair. She has a small beauty mark under the right corner of her mouth. She wears a full-length, layered white gown with long sleeves and a blue belt cinched under her bust. Over this, she wears a red robe draped over her shoulders with gold ruffles and fringe trimming. Her hair is pulled back and hidden under a white veil.

Undine takes the form of a beautiful woman with long hair and a gown made of water, fish-like fins in place of ears, blue eyes, and pale skin that almost looks blue.

A throne made of Abyssal magic materialized behind Julian as he took his seat in a leisurely manner. More seats materialized, allowing the others from the Clover Kingdom to sit. The way Julian sat made it feel as if another king was in front of Loropechika.

"It's an honor to have Wizard King Julian Ragnvindrr here," Loropechika said politely.

"The pleasure is mine, Queen Loropechika," Julian replied.

"The first Wizard King Lumiere, the Leader of Elves Licht, Sealing Magic user Secre, Anti-Magic Devil host Asta, Daughter of the Silver Valkyrie Noelle… I welcome you all to the Heart Kingdom," the Queen said as they replied with greetings.

Kirin materialized out of Julian's body and held Undine's hand with a rose in his mouth.

"You really are beautiful… What do you say… wanna go on a date? Just two spirits," Kirin said, making both Undine and Loropechika blush.

Secre facepalmed at Kirin's behavior, while others didn't know what to say.

"Ahem! Kirin, you can have plenty of time to talk with Undine. How about you do that later?" Julian said.

"Fine~" Kirin took the rose from his mouth and attached it to Undine's hair, standing beside Julian while still staring at Undine.

"Back to what I was saying… I really like the environment of the Heart Kingdom.

A country where every citizen can utilize natural mana completely stops the discrimination based on the amount of mana," Julian said.

"It is true… I work hard to make sure that my people can enjoy Paradise," Loropechika said.

After exchanging formal greetings, it was time to discuss serious matters.

Julian wished to extract every bit of information possible since his knowledge about the future events ended with the death of Zagred.