bulk Locke the the grim head: Yep and their battle is about to step up to another notch.

TheLightFairyHearts: You will.

Guest: You don't like it, read something else. It was when I was first new to writing fanfiction.

After coming face to face with Vetto and trading blows before being rendered unable to fight temporarily, Asta was now lying on the cave floor and watching in relive that Noelle and Kahono had came to his rescue but even if he believed in them, there was no doubt the gab between them and Vetto was vast.

"Well, it appear my next set of prey has arrived." Vetto said as he turned the Noelle and Kahono, raising his arms like he were an open target. "I hope you'll be more entertaining than the last pair."

Hearing the he was inviting to the challenge, Noelle and Kahono grunted in nervousness before taking in the situation of the cave area. All around them, were the ones who tried to beat him and failed. Something that Kahono took in greatly as she saw her father in a crater against the wall behind Vetto.

"Dad!" she said as Noelle felt the same impact from her down allies.

"Magna and Luck too." Noelle said before turning to Asta, who was lying on the ground taking deep breathes. "Asta!" she said as she saw the cracks on his scale covered body and throat, only imagining the pain he must've been in.

"Gr!" Asta let out as he tried to raise himself up a bit, still having the energy to try and fight.

'All of them were defeat before we arrived!' Noelle thought as she turned back to Vetto, letting some sweat fall from her brow. 'Just what kind of monster is he?'

Noelle question would soon be answered as she and Kahono stood ready, their grimoire's floating before them and ready to be used.

"Hehehehehe." Vetto chuckled as he gave a toothly smile, eager to crush them just like he crush the other 5 mages.

As Vetto was ready to demolish the two female mages, an iron covered fist suddenly struck his right cheek and caused his head to move a little bit. Turning his eyes to the culprit, Vetto was meet with the reptile like eyes of Asta as he glared at him and his left arm shaking to push more force forward.

"Don't forget me!" Asta growled between his teeth, exhausted but still wanting to fight the beastly mage.

"Away with you, pest!" Vetto proclaimed as he back handed Asta with a Bear Claw, wanting to make sure Asta stayed out of the way for good.

"AHH!" Asta let out as right side of his scaled face cracked furiously, taking most of the damage and showing it as he flew to a cave wall.

"Asta, no!" Noelle scream as she watch Asta be knocked away so easily.

While Noelle watched in worry, Kahono acted fast and took a deep breath.

"Song Magic! Rhythm Cushion!" Kahono shouted as she gave a harmonic scream to Asta.

Said dragon slayer was suddenly saved and embedded in a fluffy white mound of Kahono's song magic, hearing her voice resonate as he felt the soft impact.

"Good thinking, Kahono." Noelle said as she was happy Asta was saved.

"No problem but I'll have to charge you 1,000 yules for my service." Kahono replied as she turned to Noelle with a small and her hand out.

"Hehe. How about I pay you 100 times more when we get out of this alive?" she counted, getting a laugh from the song mage. "Now, the next thing we should do is get everyone back in fighting condition. Can you use that spell from before, those healing bubbles?"

"Yes, I can but I don't think he's going to give us a chance too." Kahono said, gesturing to Vetto as the man still stood ready for them. "No way he'll wait til my song is done before attacking us."

As they continued to stare down Vetto, a sudden rock fall somewhere in the cave and cause Noelle and Kahono to jump. Turning to where the sound was, their eyes were met with the downed and injured Kiato.

"Who's that?" Noelle asked as Kahono didn't answer, just taking another deep breath.

"HEEEYYY!" Kahono suddenly shouted, increasing the volume with her Song Magic.

The sound was so loud that Noelle had to cover her ears and Asta, who was still inside the Rhythm Cushion, jolted at the noise do to his increased hearing.

"What the hell?" Asta let out as Kahono's shouting continued.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING BIG BROTHER?! THIS IS NO TIME TO BE SLEEPING!" Kahono shouted to try and wake up her brother. "WE CAN'T KEEP OUR PROMISE AND GET FAMOUS UNLESS WE BEAT THIS BEAST MAN!"

The screaming seemed to have the desired effect as Kiato opened his eyes, hearing his sister's words about their dream.

"DID YOU FORGET OUR ACT?! YOUR DANCING AND MY SINGING?!" Kahono shouted before Kiato rose to his feet, injured bu standing strong.

"Hell no!" he said as he was ready to fight once more.

"Wait, he's your brother?" Noelle asked as she turned to Kahono.

"Yep, the rock for brains dummy is my brother, Kiato." Kahono answered, insulting her brother without a care.

"Hey, who are you calling rock for brains?!" he shouted back before grabbing his head in pain. 'If I didn't use my Dance Magic to counter the punch of his at the last moment, I'd be headless now.'

Kiato then turned his head to gaze at Vetto, still standing in the same spot with that animal like grin.

'He'll be nearly impossible to defeat.' he thought. 'but...'

"In order to fulfill our dream, to go to the surface world someday..." Kahono said with a pause.

"We're not going to die here, not before we can make it big. We won't let out dream die today!" Kiato finished, knowing what his sister was saying. "Let's do this!

Giving a nod, Kahono took a small breath before singing a song with her Song Magic and letting it stream from her mouth like a light river of magic. As she continued to sing, Kiato began to step gracefully with his Dance Magic and creating trails of water from his blades.

"Huh?" Vetto let out in confusion as he watched them both as Kiato began to spin.

'Wait, I know what their doing.' Noelle thought as she watched them and felt the air. 'They're increasing their mana.

"Combo spell!" Kiato and Kahono shouted as the former jumped into the air, glowing a light blue to show his increase in magic power.

"Taste the Sea God's Slash!" Kiato shouted as he chagred at Vetto, preparing to attack.

'With the aid of Combination Magic, my dance moves are powered up thanks to Kahono's singing. This allows me to release powerful strike at my enemies!' Kiato said as slashed his sword, unleashing a wave of magic.

Vetto blocked the attack with two large Bear Claws but as the attack disperse, a cut was laid on the right side of Vetto's collar bone near his neck.

"Amazing!" Noelle said as she watched in awe.

Kiato continued his charge, throwing more and more slashes until he got up close, dealing more furious slashes that were beginning to break Vetto's defense.

"Ggrrr!" Vetto growled as he was forced to stay on the defensive but was able to assess the situation to try and turn the tables. "The cries of a songbird along with the scurrying of a mouse. I didn't expect such unique power from such little bugs in a remote location."

'Believe it! This place, our home, is what molded us into who we are today.' Kiato thought as he unleashes more attacks. 'Not only is it engraved into our very bones but into that of the generations of our people who praised the Sea God with the same Dance and Song Magic as us!'

'With every song and every dance we do, give praise to the Sea God and to everyone we love!' Kahono thought ash she continued to sing her song.

"This magic represents the unbreakable bond of the everyone in the Underwater Temple!" Kiato said as he slashed at Vetto, who blocked the attack.

As the battle raged on, the viewing bubbles outside of the temple were showing everything to the citizens of the underwater village and they were shouting their support for their temple mages.

"You can do it, kids! Bring this beast down!" Gifso said from his viewing room with Yami.

'That bond will never be broken!' Kahono thought.

'We won't lose to you!' Kiato thought before jumping into the air and slamming his swords into the ground, the energy from the strike being enough to kick up a large cloud of dirt.

'Is it over?' Noelle thought in hope but was soon diminished.

As the cloud cleared, the figure of Vetto was still standing tall with the same smile on his face.

"Are you finished with your rambling?" he asked, not moved by either Kiato's attack or words.

A gasp was heard all around from the village folk to Gifso as the monster of a man was unharmed by the attacks.

'Impossible!' Noelle thought with just as much shock.

None the less, Kiato refused to give up and went to recklessly slash at the beast man.

"Please, don't give up." Noelle mumbled as she did not want to see all their efforts be in vain.

"HAH!" Kiato shouted as he launched more magic slashes at Vetto, who decided it was time to end this little game.

"Beast Magic. Cheetah Charge." Vetto said as his feet were wrap in green magic, allowing his to disappear at high speed.

"What?" Kiato let out before Vetto suddenly appeared before him.

"Hahaha." the beast mage laughed before slashing at Kiato, severing his right leg just below the knee.

"GAH!" Kiato let out in pain, unable to use his Dance Magic and began falling to the ground.

"KIATO!" Kahono shouted as she stopped singing, shocked to see her brother's leg bbe cut clean off.

Before Kiato could hit the ground, Vetto used his Cheetah Charge once more and appeared behind him. He struck Kiato with a Bear Claw covered punch and shot him into the cave wall once more. With the dancing mage out of commission, Vetto turned his sights to the songbird, who was shaking in fear of his power.

"Dreams? Bonds?" Vetto asked before charging at the frightened temple mage. "What do you humans truly know about those things? Do not lecture me about such things, woman!"

Vetto thrust his hand into her throat like a knife, damaging her wind pipe and preventing her from doing anymore singing as Kahono coughed up some blood.

"Kahono!" Noelle shouted in shock, seeing her friend taken down so quick and easy.

As Noelle was distracted by her down friend, she didn't see the earlier spell had dispersed and Asta was released to land on the ground. A anger look was on his face as he was able to hear everything the siblings said and everything Vetto countered to insult those words, he wasn't the only one as Gifso, who was in shock and sorrow from seeing his precious grandkids severely injured, gave an shout of sorrow and anger.

"Alright, you beast, let's see how you like this!" he said as he opened his grimoire, ready to strike Vetto down. "Game Magic! Monster Toy!"

Back in the cave, Vetto was holding Kahono up by her pony tail and was planning to finish her off until two giant fish monsters suddenly appeared behind him.

"Can you muster nothing more than just useless pawns?" Vetto said as he didn't even turn around.

Without even turning around, Vetto launched a one handed barrage of Bear Claws at the magic monster and defeated it in record time.

"You know child, we had dreams once long ago. Bonds as well, until you humans turned then into nothing back ash!" Vetto said to Kahono as his friend, Licht, came to mind. "Our dreams were as bright as gold and became the bond that forged the Eye of the Midnight Sun to that of our very blood! And it seems, like you humans crush our dreams, I have crush your's and your brothers of singing and dancing with nothing more than well timed blows. So tell me this, what good is a songbird that can't sing it's song? It's the very life blood of despair, so delicious."

As Vetto was enjoying his victory, he could see that Kahono appeared to be have a determined face and was trying to say something but couldn't, sweating in effort to let some noise escape her damaged throat as blood was dripping from her lips.

"Oh? So you have some defiance left? It seems I need to tear your wings off little bird, since I already took your voice." Vetto said as he cracked the knuckles in his right hand before pulling it back to deliver the final strike. "A bird that can't sing a tune has no real purpose."

"Stop!" Noelle shouted, causing Vetto to turn to her and see her wand pointed at him. "Put Kahono down and step away from her! Right now!"

"Do you truly think I'll stop just because you ordered me too?" Vetto asked as he wasn't planning on stopping until everyone in the temple is dead and the magic stone is his.

As Noelle continued to stare him, her hand begin to shake and her doubts were creeping back into her.

'I can't afford to miss or the one who will be hit is Kahono!' Noelle thought as remembered what she remembered what Vetto said to Asta and imagining the beating he said along with it. 'If I couldn't attack then, could I attack now? And if I did, could they even do anything against him? Asta could barely lay a scratch on him!'

She would've continued to think negative thoughts, doubting herself and her power, if she didn't feel another hand clasping her shaking one.

"It's alright, you can do this." said Asta, who had made his way over to Noelle without her or Vetto knowing.

"Asta?!" she said in shock as she turned her had to see Asta, standing behind her and his head to her right with an iron nail in his mouth.

"You can do this, Noelle. You just need to stop worrying about what might go wrong and start believing in yourself, like the rest of the Black Bulls do. Like I do." Asta said as he smiled at her, causing Noelle to blush and turn her eyes away from his gaze.

"Bu-but-" Noelle tried to counter before a sudden voice reach her and Asta.

"He's right." the voice said, causing Asta and Noelle to look towards Kahono, who was smiling towards them.

The cause of this was that she was using the little energy she had to use her song magic to increase her voice in a low echo, one that wouldn't be heard until it reach it's target.

"Stop worrying about what will happen and trust in yourself. Use the great power inside you and protect those you care for with it." Kahono said as he mouth just moved up and down with not sound coming out. "Use it to protect what you value most."

'What I value most?' Noelle thought before remembering the squad that accepted her and the boy she cared for deeply standing right beside her.

"She's right, power isn't anything unless you use it for what you see is right." Asta said as he firmed his grip on Noelle hand.

"Everything will be fine and that's a promise. Because I am your friend." Kahono said before closing her mouth, stil smiling at the friend she believed in.

It was then a jolt of electricity coursed through her whole being, eliminating all of Noelle fears and allowing her to stand tall. Tears flowing down her eyes as a huge weight was taken off of her.

"Thank you." Noelle said as she turn to Asta, giving a smile as a thanks for the reassurance. "Thank you so much."

Asta keep his smile as he let go of Noelle's hand, letting her know she didn't need him for what she was about to do.

"Don't mention it, now go give him hell." he said as he took a few steps back.

Noelle gave a nod as began to walk towards Vetto, her grimoire glowing bright and flipping to a new page as her magic power cascaded off of her in a blue veil. Vetto was was interested by the sight and turned to her as Kahono smiled at her, proud that Noelle was embracing the reservoir of power within her. Stopping her charge, Noelle pointed her wand at Vetto as he magic power grew even larger and caused a small earthquake to spread throughout the Underwater Temple and the village. It cause shock and confusion for everyone as they couldn't tell what exactly was causing it.

"What in the world is this?" Gifso asked, shocked that Noelle magic power had the magnitude to do something like this.

"You finally did it, Noelle." Yami said as he smiled, proud of the sight of his squad member. "Show him what you got."

Back in the cave, Noelle's magic power was spiraling around the tip of her wand and was ready to be unleashed.

"Wow." Asta let out as he watched the magic power before him, amazed as he didn't know Noelle was holding back this much.

"I'll say this one more time.' Noelle said with a threatening tone.

'This power! Where did she get it?!' Vetto thought in shock as he was actually becoming afraid at the sheer volume of it.

"Put my friend down or else!" Noelle said as she was ready to put Vetto in his place for messing with her friends!

"How is this possible? Who could this girl nbe to possess such magic power?!" Vetto asked before a theory came to mind. "Wait, are you by chance of royal blood?"

"So what if I am? My royal blood is far from important in this situation!" Noelle said as the magic in her wand began to form a water ball at the tip. "My name is Noelle Silva, member of the Black Bulls! And I want stand by any longer while you harm my friends and my squad!"

"Interesting." Vetto said as his smile grew wider and crazier. 'So the rumors are true.' he thought. "This will be a great day, one where I get to rid this world of a member of the corrupt class!"

Vetto then threw Kahono to his left, no bothering to finish her as the royal would be a more exciting kill. She would've hit the ground if Asta didn't move to catch her, having eaten all of the iron he brought on the mission to regain his strength.

"I got you." Asta said as he gently placed her on the ground.

"Though Noelle was relieved that Asta caught Kahono, she was still furious that Vetto would treat her like that. The spell she was building up on her wand was reaching it's completion as it expanded into an eve bigger sphere.

"This shall be a start for whats to come, an example of what lies for the filthy high class of this world!" Vetto said as he grew a large Bear Claw on his right hand. "Now come at me with your best!"

"Consider it brought! Let me show what a 'filthy high class' can do!" Noelle said before firing her spell. "Water Creation Magic! Sea Dragon's Roar!"

"Dragon?!" Asta asked in shock before gazing in awe at the spell, watching it take to form of a roaring dragon head charging at Vetto with a urge to kill.

It's power was massive as the ground before it was tearing up and Vetto gained a look of fear, seeing the attack was scarier than he thought it would be. But he didn't falter, he wouldn't falter to high class trash like this!

"RAH! BEAR CLAW!" Vetto shouted as he thrust his right hand forward, halting the water dragon spell with his.

The ground beneath him erupted as Vetto held the dragon back with everything he has, his arm shaking as he was using all of his strength to match the magic force Noelle was firing. Said girl in question was struggling as well but didn't falter as she gave a roar of her own and added more power to her spell, making Vetto struggle to keep his grip on the floor below him.

"RAAAAHHHHH" Vetto screamed as the dragon spell was beginning to overwhelm him, pushing him back as it kept charging forward.

Before he could replant his feet, Vetto soon found himself taken off the ground and into the air as he was now using his limbs to keep the Sea Dragon's Roar from crushing him in it's jaws! The spell soon went wild and flew all over the cave, destroying any rocks in it's path before smashing through the wall, flying outside for the underwater villagers to see. The villagers gasped in shock and awe as the dragon continued to fly through the air until it crashed into the underwater barrier and became absorbed by it.

"Huh! Huh! Huh! Huh!" Noelle gasped in exhaustion as the power of the spell left her drained a bit.

"Damn..." Asta commented as he was amazed that the girl he liked pulled off one hell of a dragon attack, the crush he had on her felt much larger than before.

"Huh! Huh!" Vetto gasped as he rose from the ground, right in front of the hole the dragon made after he was able to dodge the attack. "M-My arm!" he said in shock as he gazed to his right arm, seeing it and a part of his torso destroyed from Noelle's attack.

"Huh! Huh! How's that, beast?" Noelle commented with a smile, proud of herself for the attack she made and actually hit it's target!

"Not bad, kid. You didn't just push past your limits, you shattered them." Yami said with a smile as he watch from Gifso's viewing room.

"Just what kind of people do you have in your squad?" Gifso said in shock as the Black Bulls were even more powerful than their reputation gave them credit for. "How did you get this girl, a sea goddess, on your squad?" he asked as he held his hand together, looking as though he should be praying to Noelle.

'I always guessed her true abilities would show one day but I never thought Noelle would turn out to be an attack type mage all along.' Yami thought as he actually sweat a bit from this realization.

Back in the cave, Vetto had pulled his head to the ceiling and scream in pain, more pain than he has ever felt coming from a human! It was maddening and undescribable, it nearly broke his mental state if he had not remembered his friend, Licht, and his kind words.

"Come and join me. Let me take away the despair you feel and help you cast on those who have wronged us, the Clover Kingdom." Licht said as he held his hand out to Vetto. "Let me help you maintain your true self."

Vetto stopped his screaming and took deep breaths as he remembered a time of long ago, a time before the Eye of the Midnight Sun. Happiness was all around and nothing could ruin it until the humans attacked, slaughtering his people without care and laughing about it! His home, his friends, and loved, killed and burned to the ground, making him the hateful person he is today because of what the humans did!

"I will kill them!" Vetto said as a third eye suddenly opened on his forehead, changing his eye color from blue to a frightening yellow.

He a mighty scream, causing the cave to shake and the air to heat up from his fury filled mana!The puddle of water around him began to boil and evaporate as he slumped forward, taking deep breath before raising his head to show Noelle and Asta his new, madness filled eyes and smile!

"Hahahahaha!" he laughed, causing Noelle and Asta to jump at his gaze.

"What the hell?!" Asta asked as his instincts suddenly flared in danger, even higher than the time when he stared into the face of the crazed slime girl, Sally.

'He's-He's even more deadly than before! I can feel it from here!' Asta thought as Vetto spoke in a strange calm yet chilling tone with a whole new voice.

"I must thank you for summoning me here, human." Vetto(?) suddenly said before his magic flared up, taking a blood red color instead of the beastly green from before.

'That eye, where did it and this magic come from? It's more sinister than anything I've ever felt before.' Noelle thought as Vetto's(?) grimoire took on the same shade of magic.

"Mythical Beast Magic! ArgGeNsiFUr!" Vetto said as his voice became distorted and a strange magic circle or seal appeared on his right side.

Before Asta or Noelle could question it, the arm that Noelle blew off with her attack as regenerating but the sleeve he had was gone.

"His arm? Grew back?" Noelle questioned in shock.

"But Recover Magic can't grow back whole limbs, can it?!" Asta shouted in shock as well.

"Noelle! Asta! Get out of there NOW!" Yami shouted to them, causing shock and fear to roll down their spins as it took something BIG to make Yami afraid!

'Run?' Noelle said before gazing around, seeing their downed allies. 'But we can't just leave them.'

"We're not running, sir." Asta said as he limped back over to Noelle, his body still aching from the fight before but not enough to keep him down. "We're not leaving until we put this guy down and protect everyone right here!"

Though her fear still constricted her, Noelle gained a bit of courage back to stand and fight the monster known as Vetto.

"Yeah, we won't back down!" she said as she continuted to point her wand at Vetto.

"I must say, the resolve you two show is admirable for mice, but that shall be your down fall." Vetto said as he put his new right arm forward, magic another magic circle towards Noelle and Asta. "Now Disappear! Mythical Beast Magic! EYEnfyNoDReEUa!" he said in more distortion as an unknown beast head come from the magic circle.

The magic beast head roared before firing a stream of purple flames, planning to reduce Asta and Noelle to ash.

"Iron Dragon!" Asta said as he took a deep breah, puffing his cheeks with his magic power.

"I'll help! Sea Dragon's-" Noelle said before she gasped, not feeling any magic power. 'My power! The last spell must've drain it!' she thought as Asta gave his lone attack.

"Roar!" Asta shouted as fired a tornado of iron at the flames, hopping to counter them.

His hopes were dashed as his blast only held the flames back for a 3 seconds before it was overwhelmed, and the flames were heading right for him and Noelle. The flames copied the actions of the Sea Dragon's Roar and burst through the cave walls, heading straight for the underwater barrier and was extinguished when they hit the wall.

"Heh heh." Vetto laughed as he lowered his arm, satisfied that his attack appeared to have killed them. "Eh?" or so he thought when he heard something move.

The smoke from his attack cleared to show Asta and Noelle still alive, protected as Asta quickly called his Iron Dragon Wings to protect them. Though the wings were badly scorched and falling apart with Asta looking a bit weak and a little burnt as he took the remainder of the attack so Noelle wouldn't.

"Asta." Noelle said as she was happy and saddened that she had to protect him when he was in such a state.

In Gifso's viewing room, Yami was lauhing with a smile at the common sight of Asta surprising him with his gutsy actions.

"That's our bull!" he said with joy.

"Like I said, we're not leaving until we put you down!" Asta said as he moved the wings back, showing his angry face and slitted eyes. "So get ready, this fight is far from over!"

"Indeed, it isn't over! Not until I've show you two absolute despair! Vetto said as his blood red magic exploded around, spiking towards the ceiling.

Though they were willing to fight, it didn't wash away the worry they felt from whatever will happen in this battle with a man who was no longer a beast but a monster.