Chapter 36: Devil's Feast, Puppeteer's Game
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Shadow Palace — The Devil Fully Awakens
Within the ancient ruins floating high above the capital, the Shadow Palace pulsed with ominous energy. The reincarnation ritual was now in its final phase. Magic knights, both possessed and resisting, battled fiercely within its chaotic labyrinth of floating platforms.
At the center of it all, emerging from the massive black grimoire that hovered like a twisted moon, Zagred—The Word Magic Devil—finally completed his full materialization.
His grotesque body floated effortlessly, his wide, toothy grin extending unnaturally as his eye gleamed with sadistic hunger.
Zagred (voice booming, filled with delight):
"At long last… I have returned. The world shall tremble before true despair!"
The air twisted as his Word Magic distorted reality with every syllable.
> "Be sliced!"
With a mere command, massive black tendrils of dark energy shot forth, shredding platforms and structures apart, forcing knights to scatter or erect desperate shields.
But amidst the chaos, some threads remained carefully intact—thanks to an unseen puppeteer.
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Akatsuki Observation Hub — Avi's War Table
Far above the battlefield, hidden within his isolated dimensional base, Avi calmly monitored the multiple layers of the confrontation.
Around him floated detailed projections:
The primary battlefield where Asta, Yuno, Noelle, and the Black Bulls fought.
The support sectors where the Clover Kingdom's reinforcements struggled against possessed captains.
The deep chamber where Julius faced his own critical moment.
And finally, Zagred himself.
> [System Status: Devil Activity Detected — Full Manifestation: 100%]
[Hostile Threat Level: Extreme (S-Rank)]
[Intervention Windows: Calculated — Optimal Opening: 7 minutes, 42 seconds.]
Avi's emerald eyes narrowed.
Avi (soft whisper):
"The first phase was predictable. Now the real battle begins."
He raised one hand, issuing rapid system commands.
> [Deploy: Silent Marionette Protocol — Phase II Active.]
Throughout the battlefield, faint pulses of Origin Magic quietly buffered the defensive capabilities of select individuals—Asta, Yuno, Noelle, Luck, and even Captain Fuegoleon.
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Fuegoleon's Narrow Escape
Meanwhile, in one of the collapsing sectors, Captain Fuegoleon Vermillion faced a possessed Captain Kaiser. The battle was fierce. The overwhelming power of the elves combined with Kaiser's powerful vortex-based magic pinned Fuegoleon dangerously close to the edge.
Fuegoleon (panting but resolute):
"I will not fall here. For the sake of the Kingdom!"
Kaiser unleashed another devastating magic attack, ready to finish him.
But suddenly, the air shimmered faintly.
> [System Intervention: Temporal Shift 0.3 sec]
Fuegoleon's body reacted just fast enough to dodge, an impossible movement to anyone observing. Even Kaiser momentarily hesitated.
Avi's system-assisted nudge shifted the outcome without anyone realizing it.
Fuegoleon (gritting his teeth):
"That was… odd. But I'll take it!"
With a surge of magic, Fuegoleon countered, knocking Kaiser back.
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Asta & Yuno — The Heroic Vanguard
At the central battlefield, Asta and Yuno pushed forward toward Zagred. The devil's distortions were near-absolute. His Word Magic twisted not only space but the very fabric of existence.
Zagred (mocking):
"Insects. You dare resist despair?"
Yuno activated his Spirit Dive, while Asta's Anti-Magic swords cut through the devil's summoned monstrosities.
Asta (yelling):
"I'll never give up!"
Yuno (calm, intense):
"You talk too much, Devil."
However, both of them knew—at this rate, even their combined strength would not be enough. Zagred's true power was overwhelming.
But silently, behind the battlefield, Avi's interventions continued.
> [System: Dynamic Boost Allocation]
Both Asta and Yuno received invisible, subtle boosts—slightly increasing their reaction times, magic efficiency, and energy regeneration. They wouldn't even notice, believing their growth to be their own hard work—a narrative Avi very carefully cultivated.
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Julius's Return
In the outer sector, the once-thought-dead Wizard King Julius Novachrono made his appearance. His remaining time-magic reserves allowed him to stop several possessed elites, stabilizing entire sectors of the capital.
Julius (serious, exhausted):
"The future is still worth protecting."
As he intervened, several previously impossible outcomes were neutralized.
> [System Acknowledgement: Julius Target — Monitored.]
Avi allowed this carefully.
Avi (inner voice):
"Not yet, Julius. You still have a role to play before your time is up. After all, Lucius is watching as well."
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Lucius Observes — The Unseen Rivalry
Far from the battlefield, Lucius Zogratis sat cross-legged, watching through secret spatial magic channels.
Lucius (intrigued):
"You're far more than a simple background manipulator, Akatsuki Leader."
His admiration for Avi Caesar continued to grow, seeing how events shifted subtly but dramatically under Avi's hands.
Lucius:
"A true puppeteer… yet unseen by both devil and king alike. But soon, we shall meet."
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Avi's Final Preparation — The Puppet Master Moves
Inside his dimensional base, Avi activated a final system protocol.
> [Origin Field Deployment Ready]
[Reserve Puppet Guardians Ready]
Five specialized origin-formed wooden puppets with near-captain-level strength activated, silently awaiting orders.
Avi's manipulative grin deepened.
Avi (murmuring):
"Let's prepare the curtain for Zagred's downfall, but let the world believe it was Asta's heroic effort."
> [Intervention Schedule Confirmed: Trigger Time — 2 minutes, 11 seconds.]
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Noelle's Triumph
Elsewhere, Noelle fought alongside the newly awakened Mimosa and her brother. With her new Valkyrie Armor, she successfully repelled multiple reincarnated elves.
Her strength had grown exponentially, not only through her own efforts but subtly influenced by Avi's system-guided 'training' sessions over the previous months.
Noelle (charging forward):
"Mother, Father, watch me—this is my fight!"
Her Sea Dragon's Roar collided with an enormous wave of dark magic, shattering it completely.
Even Noelle couldn't quite grasp how she'd managed to become this powerful. But Avi knew. Every little push behind the scenes made these moments possible.
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The Final Clash — Zagred's False Victory
As Asta and Yuno finally engaged Zagred directly, the devil used his Word Magic to summon grotesque monsters, warping their bodies with each uttered command.
But at the critical moment when Zagred unleashed his deadliest attack—
> "All life… perish."
A faint pulse of Origin Magic flashed.
> [System Counter: Nullify Dimensional Distortion (80% Containment)]
Instead of wiping out the entire battlefield, the attack's radius was significantly reduced.
Asta and Yuno—along with a few others—stood at the very edge of safety.
Asta (gasping):
"What… was that?!"
Yuno (narrowing eyes):
"Someone's protecting us..."
But they couldn't see the puppeteer hidden far away, pulling every thread.
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Avi's Final Whisper
From his hidden observation deck, Avi's emerald eyes gleamed under the soft glow of his control systems.
Avi (whispering to himself):
"It's not time for my reveal. The world must see their heroes. But every victory today… belongs to me."
His system projected new alerts:
> [Victory Scenario Probability: 99.7%]
[Zagred's Defeat Pathway Activated]
[Lucius Interest Spike: 40% → 80%]
The gameboard was shifting again.
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The Puppeteer Remains Unseen
As the battle climaxed and Zagred was slowly being cornered, the Clover Kingdom would witness a historic moment of triumph.
But none of them realized that the entire stage — the crisis, the battles, the miraculous survivals — were mere strings in the hands of Avi Caesar.
And the next stage of his grand game was only just beginning.
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[To be continued...]