Dungeon 2

Saru's group—himself, Noelle, and Asta—stood facing off against Yuno's group, which consisted of two other Golden Dawn mages standing behind him.The air was thick with tension, both sides quietly sizing each other up.

But any serious atmosphere was immediately shattered by the whirlwind of chaos known as Saru.

"Hey, hey, Bruno!" Saru yelled, darting in circles around Yuno with childlike excitement. "Can you do that thing again? That attack you just did?! It was so cool! Do it again, do it again!!"

Yuno didn't even flinch, his expression perfectly stoic as he blatantly ignored the hyperactive monkey pestering him.

Asta and Noelle could only stare in silent horror, already used to Saru's antics, while the Golden Dawn mages behind Yuno wore looks of sheer disbelief.

"Tch," one of them scoffed loudly. Klaus, a tall young man wearing glasses and a stern expression, stepped forward beside Yuno. He looked at Saru with a mixture of disdain and wary caution.

"Yuno," Klaus said, adjusting his glasses with a sharp push, "why do you even bother associating with these...vermin?" His gaze briefly shifted to Asta and Noelle, but it lingered longest and most distrustfully on Saru.It was clear Klaus knew exactly who Saru was—a walking storm of chaos who somehow escaped punishment wherever he went.

Secre, perched atop Saru's head, let out a tiny tired chirp, almost as if saying "Here we go again."

Meanwhile, Saru just grinned, completely unaffected."Hey, Four Eyes," he called to Klaus without hesitation, "if you're jealous 'cause you're boring and lame, just say it!" Saru stuck out his tongue, clearly enjoying himself as he hung off Yuno's arm like a sloth.

Yuno sighed quietly, but still didn't shake him off.

Noelle pinched the bridge of her nose."We're never getting through this dungeon alive," she muttered.

"My, my… if it isn't Noelle."

The light, formal voice drifted across the corridor. Noelle turned at once, already scowling. Standing just behind Yuno was a young girl with long, wavy honey-blonde hair and a kind, graceful smile. Her delicate hand lifted in a casual wave.

It was Mimosa Vermillion.

"Good day to you. I haven't seen you since the royal family dinner last year," Mimosa said with practiced politeness, her tone bright but genuinely warm.

Noelle narrowed her eyes. "Oh. Lucky me."

Mimosa tilted her head, oblivious to—or maybe purposefully ignoring—Noelle's sarcasm. Her eyes scanned the rest of the Black Bull group, pausing on Asta and lingering a little longer on the barefoot boy with wild hair bouncing at Noelle's side.

"I heard the Black Bulls are... quite a barbaric group," she said carefully. "Are you doing all right, Noelle?"

Noelle stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Mimosa gave a hesitant smile. "I only meant... the rumors. I was worried. That's all."

Asta puffed his chest out beside her. "Hey! We're not barbaric! We're awesome!"

"Yeah! Super awesome!" Saru echoed, spinning in place with his arms stretched wide. "Noelle even threatened to blow my head off with water magic this morning! I call that family!"

Noelle groaned, facepalm already halfway in progress.

Mimosa looked overwhelmed by the energy.

"What about you, Mimosa?" Noelle asked, voice cool. "Can someone as dimwitted as you even survive in the Golden Dawn?"

Mimosa blinked, her cheeks puffing out in embarrassment, but she remained composed. "Yes, actually. Everyone is very kind, and I can use my magic freely. In fact—on our last mission, the three of us received a star from the Wizard King."

Noelle's jaw clenched.

Asta gasped. "You got a star too?! Then we're totally tied!"

"We got one too!" Saru jumped in, arms folded proudly. "And we have thirty more black stars to make it interesting!"

He flashed a toothy grin like he'd just revealed a masterstroke. Asta cheered. Noelle slapped her forehead.

"You idiot! Don't say the last part!"

Mimosa blinked again. "Ara... That's... quite unfortunate, isn't it?"

"Enough chitchat, Mimosa," Klaus interjected, stepping forward, tone clipped. His sharp eyes scanned Asta, Saru, and Noelle like they were insects on a page. "You don't need to associate with this lot. The Black Bulls are a disgrace to the Magic Knights."

The words echoed across the stone corridor.

And then—

The temperature dropped.

No, not literally. The air felt colder, heavier, as if something vast and unknowable had just opened its eyes.

Klaus's voice faltered, his breath catching in his throat. Mimosa went quiet, hands curling inward. Even Yuno frowned, a pulse of warning buzzing in his instincts.

Asta stepped back without thinking, grabbing Noelle by the arm.

And all eyes turned toward the epicenter of the pressure.

Saru had stopped moving.

His usually bright, chaotic energy had dimmed, honed to a chilling stillness. His golden eyes glowed faintly beneath his messy bangs, like twin embers in a dying fire. Secre didn't chirp. She crouched low on his head, wings tight.

He tilted his head slowly, an unreadable smile on his lips.

"Hey... Four Eyes," he said, voice light and casual—too casual. "Do you wanna die?"

Klaus didn't even move.

His body refused to respond. His mind screamed run, but his knees buckled instead. A tremor ran down his spine.

"This magic pressure..." Klaus thought, horror dawning. "It's... not as overwhelming as a captain's, but something about it—it's wrong. There's something ancient in it. Wild. Unstable."

Mimosa's hands trembled as she took a step back, eyes wide, face pale. "Wh-what... is that...?"

Yuno gripped his grimoire, flipping it open. "This pressure... I've felt nothing like it," he muttered under his breath. "It's like the dungeon itself is afraid."

Asta stared in stunned silence. He couldn't even lift his sword.

Noelle, too, was frozen—but for a very different reason. Her heartbeat was racing, but not from fear.

He's serious. She could feel it in her bones. He'll actually hurt them.

She stepped forward.

"Saru," she said, tone sharp.

He didn't flinch.

"Saru."

He blinked.

Then Noelle shouted.

"Saru!! That's enough!!"

The pressure vanished in an instant—snuffed out like a candle.

Saru turned to her, grin snapping back into place like a puppet on strings. "Okay~!"

And just like that, he skipped toward her, hands behind his head, carefree as ever.

Noelle stood there, arms crossed, glaring.

Asta let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "H-He really is crazy..."

Klaus collapsed onto one knee, drenched in cold sweat. His glasses had fogged slightly. "W-What in the hell was that...?"

Mimosa leaned against the wall, heart pounding in her chest.

Yuno narrowed his eyes. "He hid that kind of power... beneath that ridiculous grin?"

Meanwhile, Saru twirled in front of Noelle like nothing had happened.

"You're scary when you yell, you know that?" he said, poking her in the cheek. "Like a firework going boom!"

"Are you bipolar or something?!" Noelle shouted, smacking him over the head.

He collapsed dramatically, arms splayed across the ground like a dead squirrel. "Owww! My brain!"

"Don't have one, clearly," she muttered.

Mimosa watched the scene in complete disbelief.

Yuno simply closed his grimoire and said nothing. But even he couldn't quite shake off the lingering chill crawling beneath his skin.

And Klaus... was still trying to remember how to breathe.

But Klaus, pride pricked and ego shaken, managed to steady himself. He stood slowly, adjusted his glasses with a sharp flick, and cleared his throat as if nothing had happened. The cold sweat still clinging to his neck betrayed him, but his voice regained its familiar arrogant tone.

"Hmph. He's nothing special," Klaus said stiffly, eyes refusing to meet Saru's. "Just an ill-mannered brat throwing a tantrum. We'll show you what true mages look like."

He turned on his heel, barked over his shoulder: "Mimosa. Show them the power of the Golden Dawn."

Mimosa flinched at the sudden command but nodded, steadying her breathing. "R-Right..."

She opened her grimoire, the elegant pages fluttering with soft golden light. Despite the nerves in her hands, her voice was clear as she cast her spell:

"Plant Creation Magic: Magic Flower Guidepost!"

Thick vines snaked across the dungeon floor, blooming into a massive lotus-like flower. As its petals opened, they projected a luminous, three-dimensional map of the dungeon's twisting tunnels and chambers in the air above them. Passageways glowed. Mana signatures pulsed faintly within its light.

Asta's jaw dropped. "Wooooah... that's insane!"

Even Saru's eyes sparkled. He leaned close to the flower projection, nose nearly pressed against the glowing petals. "It's like magic spaghetti lines! I want one!"

Klaus, bolstered by their reactions, turned to Yuno. "Let's move. No point wasting time with these strays."

Yuno gave one last glance at Saru—still suspicious, still unsettled—then summoned his grimoire. Wind swirled at his feet as he called forth his own spell:

"Wind Magic: Celestial Wind Ark."

A gust of emerald wind took form, lifting and shaping itself into a sleek floating carriage that shimmered like polished glass. Klaus hopped on with practiced pride, Mimosa stumbling after him. Yuno followed last, silent and focused.

With a rush of air and glimmer of light, they sped off down one of the dungeon passages—elegant, efficient, and undeniably impressive.

"...So cool," Asta whispered in awe, eyes shining.

Saru crouched beside him, watching the wind trail fade into the distance. "They looked like dandelion knights riding a wind dragon."

He grinned. "I wanna fly like that!"

Noelle, arms crossed and eyebrows twitching, let out a long sigh. "Idiots. All of you."