Royal Knights vs Eye of the Midnight Sun

Sometime before Patry placed the last Magic stone:

In the heart of the colossal tear-drop-shaped floating stone, a battle of extraordinary proportions was about to unfold. The Royal Knights, divided into four teams, pressed forward with determination.

Team Julian, consisting of Asta, Yuno, and Annie, moved with precision, their resolve unwavering. Team Rill, including Noelle, Mimosa, and Kirsch, pushed forward with elegance and flair. Team Nozel, comprising Luck, Magna, and Klaus, advanced with strategic aggression. And finally, Team Mereoleona, led by the fiery captain herself and supported by Finral and Zora, charged ahead with unbridled intensity.

The base was shrouded in shadows, illuminated only by the glow of elemental magic and the eerie ambiance of the grand magic zone. The teams had split up to confront various adversaries and secure the base's interior. As they breached the inner sanctum, they encountered a surreal scene.

Rill's team, consisting of Noelle, Mimosa, and Kirsch, found themselves in a dimly lit chamber, bathed in soft pink flames radiating from a blond-haired woman with pink phoenix-like wings on her back.

Noelle's eyes widened in shock and recognition. "Fana! But... Julian defeated you months ago!"

Fana's response was casual as if discussing trivial matters. "Oh, did he? He only destroyed my physical body. My soul remained intact, and so I merely switched vessels."

An unsettling calmness hung in the air as Fana continued speaking. "Our dream is nearing completion. I can't allow you to interfere when we are this close."

Noelle's resolve flared, her voice firm. "Last time, it was Julian. But this time, it's me who will put an end to you."

Noelle's mana surged, manifesting in the form of a water-armored transformation reminiscent of the legendary Acier Silva, the woman next in line to be the Wizard King.

[Water Creation Magic: Valkyrie Dress]

The chamber shook as Noelle's power exploded, her armored form brandishing a lance that resembled a drill, ready to pierce through any obstacle.

Rill's face lit up with a wide smile, witnessing Noelle's transformation. The young woman before him was a true embodiment of royalty and strength.

Across the chamber, Fana's aura shifted, her red armor reminiscent of Spirit Dive enveloping her form. Her mana seemed to weave the very atmosphere into a heavier state, indicating the impending clash of titans.

From Fana's arms, a massive dragon of flames roared to life, charging forth with destructive intent. Noelle did not flinch; instead, she summoned a water dragon, roaring with power, to meet the flames head-on.

The two titanic forces collided, the impact echoing through the chamber as steam and heat filled the air.

Fana's eyes gleamed with determination, her resolve mirrored by Noelle's unwavering gaze. The room was a battleground, a testament to the clash of magic, willpower, and destiny.

And so, the battle of Team Rill against Fana began in earnest, flames and water intertwining in a dance of power and determination.

*********

Luck and Magna's laughter echoed within a chamber upon seeing a familiar face, while Klaus felt a shiver run down his spine.

Nozel wore a serious expression as he gazed at the enemy before him.

Vetto, the wielder of ancient beast magic, stood menacingly.

"You've got some nerve showing your face in front of us again," Magna taunted, his voice reverberating in the chamber.

"Do you recall your utterly humiliating defeat at the hands of Julian?" Magna's mocking tone filled the air.

"You insects speak as if you've actually achieved something," Vetto retorted with a voice laced with contempt.

"Engage your feeble brains and remember that I crushed you like the pathetic insects you are, and I'll gladly do it again," Vetto proclaimed, a dense layer of magic enveloping his body.

*********

Mereoelona smirked and entered a large chamber.

Opposite her stood Rhya, the user of copy magic, with an arrogant air around him.

"I should have expected the Magic Knights to strike back."

Rhya's sinister laughter echoed through the air as he taunted, "Well, well, if it isn't the so-called Flame Magic Captain. I must say, I'm rather excited to see what you can do."

"Don't interfere, this prey is mine!" Mereoleona said, exuding an aura of fiery determination, her blazing hair matching her fiery spirit.

Without hesitation, Mereoleona charged forward, leaving a trail of flames in her wake. Rhya chuckled softly and raised his hand, summoning dark tendrils of shadow that spiraled toward her.

But to Rhya's shock, Mereoleona's fists broke through the spell and punched him square in the face, leaving behind an explosion.

"Next!" Mereoleona roared.

Rhya balanced himself and summoned a sword, sending slashes of Dark magic imitating Yami.

Using the Mana zone, blue flames condensed around Mereoleona's fists, destroying the slashes of dark magic and sending a burst of mana hitting Rhya in the ribs and cracking them.

"Next!"

One thing was clear to Rhya from the confrontation.

Mereoleona was no ordinary opponent – her battle instincts were honed to perfection, her every strike imbued with primal ferocity.

Rhya moved his hands and created a hundred light swords while multiple clones formed of himself wielding different magic attributes.

A cloak of blue flames appeared around her.

Mereoleona's fiery mane danced like an unruly tempest as she bellowed a defiant challenge.

Her flames blazed hotter and brighter, turning her into an embodiment of incendiary fury.

Without a moment's hesitation, she surged forward, leaving a trail of blazing footprints in her wake.

Mereoleona's fists struck with the force of a meteor, each blow accompanied by a torrent of scorching flames, destroying every single attack being thrown at her.

Rhya attempted to mimic her attack, but his copied flames paled in comparison to the raw, unbridled power of Mereoleona's fire magic. The intense heat seared the air, warping the very ground beneath them.

No matter which spells Rhya used, he was met with an unstoppable force.

He regretted confronting Mereoelona who completely surpassed the image of human strength he had in mind.

As the battle progressed, Meroelona got bored of playing with Rhya and let Finral and Zora support her, completely trashing Rhya until he was hanging on by a single thread of life.

The same was happening on the other two sides, as the determined Royal Knights suppressed Fana and Vetto, sending them to their last legs.

The elves were shocked by the improvements the humans had made in such a short period of time. 'Even if fallen from grace… humans were still once part of the Ragvindrs…' Rhya smiled as he felt the last magic stone enter its slot.

*********

Team Julian reached the chamber with the strongest mana signature but stopped abruptly.

Floating in front of them was a silver man holding a sword.

"He is the real Licht…the leader of elves who existed five hundred years ago," Julian said.

Licht stood tall, his height exuding an aura of authority and presence.

His body language exuded confidence and determination, and his silver hair flowed gracefully, framing his face and cascading down to his shoulders.

Julian had to accept that Licht's mana was so dense that it even put his mana to shame. Yuno was hit with a weird sense of familiarity as if he knew this man.

Annie controlled her emotions and prepared herself since as a Royal knight she had to confront the enemy, even if it meant killing their leader.

That is when everyone was enveloped in a white light for a few seconds, creating a sense of crisis for all the Royal Knights.

All the Midnight Sun members excluding Rhya, Fana, Vetto, and Licht, burned to death under the radiance of the light.

Patterns appeared around the faces of the elves as their mana exploded in quality and quantity while healing all injuries, as a golden glow appeared around them.

"Witness, humans! Our true form!!" Vetto roared.

But something terrible followed: not just the elves, but most of the royal knights were enveloped in the golden glow too, with their mana increasing, ears elongating, and patterns appearing on their faces.

Rill moved toward Fana and stood beside her, looking at Noelle, Mimosa, and Kirsh as if they were filth.

On the other side:

Annie and Yuno underwent the same transformation but snapped out of it instantly, with their personalities intact.

Yuno's elf didn't have a personality since it was still unborn while Annie was always her true self so it took them only an instant to snap out of the effet.

Yuno and Annie looked at each other and realized what had happened as new information was ingrained into their brains.

'Reincarnation magic… the tree of Sephiroth… the destruction of humans… everything was ingrained into their minds.

They didn't have time to gather their thoughts, as Julian was enveloped in the same glow.

It meant one thing: Julian was now their enemy too.

"Julian ni-san, what's wrong?" Asta called out, but there was no response.

Asta knew something was wrong, as Julian became motionless, so he immediately went into his black form.

The same happened for Yuno, who went into his spirit assimilation, but instead of Julain, it was Licht who moved.

His speed was so fast that nobody saw him coming and stealing Asta's Demon Dweller sword from his hand.

"Asta, watch out!!!" Yuno screamed out of instinct, Asta brought his Demon Slayer sword forward, blocking Licht's strike and sending him flying from sheer power.

The fight between the Elf Leader Licht and the trio of Asta, Yuno, and Annie commenced with an explosive start.