Chapter 111: Strange Hypnosis

[Third Person's PoV] 

Stephen, with the help of the Black Bulls, had placed the subdued Atlantis kingdom guards in front of him. They were all securely tied up in black magic chains conjured by Stephen.

"Just be ready when they wake up. The chains should be strong enough to hold them, though," Stephen said, the Eye of Agamotto glowing ominously as he prepared for any surprises.

"Should?" Finral asked nervously.

Stephen shrugged. "I'm not a fortune teller."

Finral, feeling far from reassured, retreated behind Yami, peeking out cautiously from his side.

Stephen snapped his fingers, dispelling a lingering enchantment over the guards and Kordath. As Kordath stirred, his eyes flickered open, and a massive surge of mana erupted from him, fueled by his rage and resentment.

The sheer force of Kordath's mana brought most of the Black Bulls to their knees under its suffocating weight. The only ones who remained standing were Yami, Stephen, Wanda, and Asta. Though Asta didn't feel the full brunt of the mana, a faint sensation sent a shiver down his spine, warning him of the danger.

"You fought this?" Noelle gasped, clutching her neck as she struggled to breathe, using her mana to shield herself. "All by yourself?"

Luck, drenched in sweat and crouched low, for once showed no desire to fight. "What's crazier is that you won."

"What's even crazier is that he's so young and has this much power! Imagine how strong he'll be as an adult!" Gauche added warily.

"Just do your thing already, Stephen!" Vanessa urged.

Kordath flexed his muscles, glaring at Stephen. "Don't think there won't be any consequences for this humiliation."

"You're right… there will be consequences," Stephen replied calmly. "But I won't be the one facing them. Now, stare into the Eye of Agamotto!"

"DON'T LOOK INTO THE EYE! AVERT YOUR GAZE!" Kordath shouted, warning his allies. They hurriedly shut their eyes.

Even with their eyes closed, they could hear Stephen chuckling. "You fools, merely avoiding your gaze isn't enough to escape its power. It's not your gaze, but the Eye's gaze upon you that matters."

Stephen rose into the air, and the Eye of Agamotto unleashed a beam of mystic light, enveloping the prisoners. The light itself was not hypnotic, but Stephen's power of hypnosis channeled through the Eye amplified its effect.

"Your job here is done. You have achieved what you set out to do!" Stephen declared in a deep, commanding voice. His confidence made his words resonate more deeply with the captives. Making his hypnosis much more convincing the more confident he sounded "You have punished and eliminated the perpetrator. You've instilled fear in the hearts of the city's people. You are satisfied and proud of your actions."

Stephen implanted countermeasures in their minds, ensuring their stories would align but differ just enough to avoid suspicion and that their story wouldn't sound verbatim.

"Our job here is done. We've accomplished what we sought out to do…" Asta and Magna echoed in a hypnotic trance.

"Did those idiots really just fall into Stephen's spell?" Noelle asked in disbelief.

Luck and Yami burst into laughter, mocking Asta and Magna. Luck, grinning brightly, extended his hands as lightning crackled from his fingertips. "I know what'll wake them right up…"

"ZZZZPPHTT!! AAARGHHHH!" Magna screamed as he was electrocuted.

"OWWW!" Asta shouted, equally affected.

Both appeared charred, their hair puffed into comical afros. Luck, seeing this, couldn't resist bullying them, prompting Asta and Magna to chase him angrily. Luck sprinted away, laughing hysterically.

Stephen snapped his fingers, dispelling the chains binding the guards and Kordath. He made another motion, causing the Eye of Agamotto to shut, then summoned green magic circles around his arms and hands.

[Time Magic: Structural Reversal]

Stephen used his Time Magic, reversing time on the environment and the people as desired. The destroyed buildings and landscape repaired themselves. Kordath and his men were restored to their initial states, mounted on their horses, weapons in hand. The hypnotism remained intact, leaving no trace of the previous conflict.

Stephen gently landed on the ground and signaled everyone to remain silent. They all watched as Kordath and his men, looking satisfied, they all made their way up towards the whale carriage and rode away from the deserted city, heading back to Atlantis being none the wiser nor suspecting anything. 

Silence followed as the group turned to stare at Stephen, who raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What?"

"Do you have us under hypnosis and we just don't know it?" Vanessa asked curiously.

Stephen sighed in exasperation, shoulders slumping. "Why'd you have to ask that? Now I have to reset everything so you don't get curious." He said throwing his head back as if he had another chore left to complete. 

"What?" Vanessa's smile faltered.

"I'm joking," Stephen said, rolling his eyes at her expression.

"Hahaha!" Vanessa laughed awkwardly, taking a few cautious steps away from him.

Stephen smirked. "If you were, you wouldn't have known…"

He wiggled his fingers around his amulet, leaning toward her. "If you really want to know what hypnosis feels like, I could make it so you would be utterly repulsed by even the smell of alcohol, make it taste like utter garage to you"

Vanessa gasped, placing a hand on her chest. "YOU WOULDN'T DARE!"

"Stare into the Eye of Agamotto!" Stephen announced theatrically, his fingers moving faster.

"Oof!!" Stephen exclaimed as Yami karate chopped his head. "What was that for?"

"We need to move. We've stayed longer than necessary. We have to find the old man and explain what happened," Yami said.

"That's what you get for trying to ruin one of life's greatest wonders for me," Vanessa said triumphantly.

"Then don't ask me stupid questions," Stephen retorted, "And if you think Wine and Alcohol is one of life's greatest wonders then I seriously pity you" 

"Do you two ever get along?" Wanda asked with a faint smile.

"No, this old woman will always be the bane of my existence," Stephen said with mock disdain.

"OLD WOMAN?!" Vanessa screeched, grabbing his collar and shaking him. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING AN OLD WOMAN?"

Yami, looking tired, turned to Finral. "Go retrieve the old man and the others from hiding."

"WHAT PART OF ME IS OLD?!" Vanessa demanded, still shaking Stephen.

"Your age," Stephen snorted, failing to suppress a laugh. 

Tick marks began to appear all over her forehead as she heard the suppressed laughter of Magna and Luck. She even saw Yami turning to the side and letting out a small chortle. 

"Phttt, Your Age, he says…" Yami muttered. 

Vanessa jumped on Stephen and the two began tussling on the ground, Vanessa was pulling on Stephen's cheeks, while Stephen did the same to retort. 

Everyone else just looked at the two of them in exasperated amusement. 

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